Page 7 of Reluctant to Love

Hey Aquarian –

This week is going to box you in, but don’t retreat. Embrace unexpected surprises instead of running for cover because the universe has a lot in store for you! This month, Leo plays the role of antagonist in the narrative of your life and is going to push your buttons. Don’t let this boundary pushing lion fool you; there are ulterior motives. Instead of relying on cold hard facts for answers, look inside of yourself and trust your intuition. We know you don’t believe in fate but trust us, this is one horoscope you don’t want to ignore.

Enjoy yourself this week. Me and the little princess believe in you!

XO,

Mom

Horoscopes are such bullshit but that doesn’t stop my mom from sending them to me on a weekly basis. To her, everything is because of the universe or fate or destiny.

Me? I want another explanation, preferably one with evidence.

This horoscope in particular catches my attention though since it mentions Leo, Roderick’s sign. A Leo will be my antagonist? Well, whoever wrote this garbage finally got something right. But I’ll be damned if I trust my gut because last night, it was telling me to strip that man naked and let him defile my body with his hands and mouth.

Intuition is for suckers. If I want to end this week unscathed, I have to trust the facts: Roderick betrayed me, crushed my dreams and broke my heart.

As for those ulterior motives, he pretty much laid himself bare last night. He wants me back but why?

My gaze shifts around the room until it lands on his book. There’s my answer. He needs help writing the final book in his fantasy series.

Five years ago, he hired me as his ghostwriter. The moment I read his manuscript, I was hooked. It needed a lot of work, but he was retelling one of my favorite stories – Tristan and Yseut. I read it in high school French class and fell in love with the beautiful and heartbreaking story. It’s been retold so many times but something about Roderick’s version called to me.

We worked on the first two books together for a year but when our romantic relationship ended, so did our professional relationship. I wonder if he hired another ghostwriter to help him with the third and fourth books or did he finally find his true voice?

I stand, walk over to the coffee table where there’s a small stack of books and pick one up. I thumb through the pages, stopping every now and then to read a page or two until I’m sucked into the story.

I have no idea how long I’ve been reading until the door to the suite opens and Roderick appears carrying a tray of food.

“Is it that good?” He asks, setting the tray down on a small dining table.

“Is what good?”

“Don’t play games, sweets. I caught you reading one of my books. Must have been good if you completely ignored room service ringing the doorbell.”

I shrug my shoulders and look away. “It doesn’t suck.”

I get up and walk over to the table where my breakfast is spread out and start picking nervously at the Belgian waffle.

“You were always a terrible liar,” he says with a chuckle, as he walks slowly over to where I’m standing.

I was so engrossed in the book I didn’t realize the black running shorts riding low on his trim hips or the fact that he’s not wearing a shirt, baring his broad, muscled chest and well-defined abs.

“And you need to put on a shirt,” I snap.

He grins, running his hand up his washboard stomach to his chest. “Why? Am I bothering you?”

I narrow my eyes in his direction. “Did you have to hire another ghostwriter? After you fucked me over?”

He places his large hands on either side of the small table and leans over it. We’re practically nose-to-nose. “Books three and four are all me.”

“That must be why they’re so terrible.” I reach down, pluck a strawberry from the plate and bite into it.

His pupils dilate as he watches me. “When did you become such a fucking tease?” He growls.

“Since I realized I have something you want.”

“And what do I want?”

“Me.”