Page 34 of The Friends and Rivals Collection

IRON DICK

Hazel

Show me a writer who’s an extrovert and I’ll show you a liar. I feel like I have jet lag again after the evening’s signing at a bookstore in the Latin Quarter, followed by a tasting at a chocolate shop—one that was the inspiration for the chocolate shop in The I Do Redo .

By the time Axel, the VIP readers, and I return to the hotel near midnight, I’m crashing from the wonderful, but long day.

The Book Besties invite me for a drink in the lobby, but my yawn wards them off before I can even answer.

Jackie holds up a stop-sign hand as I close my mouth. “Nope. I take it back. No drinks for you,” she says, going all mama hen.

“But can we have breakfast?” I ask. These ladies are so fun. Their friend energy is goals. I want to inhale it for a little longer.

“Of course,” Jackie says, sounding thrilled. “There’s a cute boulangerie around the corner.”

“Let’s do it,” I say, then she shepherds me to the elevator. I don’t bother to resist. I don’t look back, either, to see if Axel is coming now or later. I have faith I’ll see him.

“Night, Jackie,” I say. “See you in the morning.”

“Get some rest, hon. Tomorrow’s another busy day.”

“It is,” I say, then I head up to the sixth floor.

When I shut the door to my room, breathing in the silence and enjoying it this time for much-needed replenishment, my phone buzzes.

I slide it open right away. Maybe it’s Axel telling me he’ll meet me here any minute. I guess that means I don’t need a break from him at all. But I don’t entirely want to contemplate what that means as I read his text.

Axel: Try not to be shocked. Steven the Nikon Man has corralled me into a drink. He wants to talk shop some more.

Hazel: Talk shop but don’t get whiskey dick.

Axel: As if I could get whiskey dick.

Hazel: Anyone can get whiskey dick.

Axel: Not this guy.

Hazel: You’re immune to it?

Axel: Yes.

Hazel: I guess you’ll have to prove it.

Axel: I will, Hazel Horny-All-The-Time Valentine.

Hazel: Did you just rhyme?

Axel: I believe I did. Do not hold it against me.

Hazel: I will absolutely hold it against you.

Axel: I’ll hold you against me and my iron dick.

I laugh, then set the phone down on the table by the door, kick off my shoes, and head to the bathroom. After I wash my face, brush my teeth, and change into a tank top and undies, I slide into bed.

I finished that celebrity memoir on the train, so I download Saanvi’s new romance about a cop and a firefighter fighting their burning feelings for each other.

It’s scorching and emotional from the get-go, but the day is catching up with me, and by the time jeans are being unzipped on my e-reader, my eyelids are fluttering.

A boat floats by. I see a woman laughing, a man smiling. A warm, hazy feeling wraps around me as I slip away.

A faint knock tugs on my blurry mind. Then, it grows louder. I bolt up. What time is it?

I squint at the clock. It’s after one. Bleary-eyed, I hop out of bed and head to the door, where I peer into the peephole.

My chest squeezes when I see a guy in glasses, dragging one hand through his hair, holding a tumbler of amber liquid in the other.

I open the door, careful to stay out of sight just in case readers linger in the hall on the way to their rooms.

Axel marches in wearing a satisfied grin.

Making a show of it, he takes a swallow of the liquor, then sets down the glass with panache. He points to his pelvis. The outline of his erection is visible, and I crack up.

“Told you. That’s a fucking iron dick, right there.”

I squeeze it, assessing the goods. “I’d say granite.”

He thrusts both arms in the air. “Granite, iron, steel. You name it, my dick can imitate it.”

After he toes off his shoes, he glances down at his clothes. “Dammit. I didn’t bring my jammies.”

“Aww,” I say, frowning. “Whatever will you do?”

“No idea.” He whips off his shirt, shimmies off his jeans. Wearing only boxer briefs, he scoops me up and carries me the few feet to the bed.

He sets me down on it, then takes off his glasses and gets under the covers with me. I settle back on the mattress too, and the pillow feels awfully comfortable.

So does this duvet.

I sigh contentedly and then yawn contentedly too. It’s nice being in bed like this, the faint sounds of the Parisian streets floating through the half-open window, the moonlight streaking across the duvet, the fading notes of his forest scent tickling my nose.

It makes me want to…just kiss him.

But he’ll probably want to have sex. Guys always do. They never want to just kiss. If you kiss them, they always think sex is coming.

Not that I’d object. I really like sex with him. But I also like kissing him. I’m also so tired.

And…oh…that feels nice too.

He’s stroking my hair. Gently. Taking his time.

Running his fingers over the strands. I snuggle a little closer to him.

Maybe it’s his tender touch or maybe it’s this new trust we’re building, but I’m curious about something, and I hope he’ll answer.

“Why don’t the characters ever just make out in books?

Is it because men don’t like to make out? ”

“They don’t?” he asks, like that’s a ridiculous question.

“Seems that way to me. And, sometimes I just want to kiss for a long, long time. Even if it doesn’t lead to sex, but men…I don’t know…” I say, trailing off.

He presses a kiss to my hair. “You really pick the wrong men.”

It’s not an accusation. It’s just the truth from someone who knows my terrible track record. “I do,” I say simply.

“But I’ve picked the wrong women too.” He doesn’t emphasize picked , but I hear the past tense in his statement.

I hear what’s unsaid—maybe he’s changing.

“What if we picked right?” I ask, musing like it’s whether I want to order fries or salad when picking right is the essence of my work. “I don’t even know what that would look like. It’s hard to pick right.”

He nods against me. “Daddy issues. We have them,” he says into the dark.

A pang of longing knots in my chest. What am I longing for, though? For a new choice? Perhaps that. “I know. But we can make better choices for our characters.”

It’s easier to talk about imaginary people. We can test our theories on them, like the one I’ve been noodling on for the last two days.

I flip around so I can fully face my writing partner. There’s something I want to tell him. Something that may surprise him. It surprised me. I feel incredibly vulnerable, like I’m cracking open a piece of my mind that no one has ever had access to. “I think Lacey should be with Noah.”

Axel’s eyebrows lift, but it doesn’t take long for him to say, “Yeah?”

He sounds…delighted.

“I do.”

“You think Jackie’s right?” he asks, like he needs to double check my answer.

But I’m sure. I’ve been sure all day long.

“I think maybe the one for her has been in front of her all along,” I say. This feels right for our heroine.

“We’ll need to rewrite a lot of the story.” It’s not a warning. It’s not a no. He sounds open to this new direction for our characters.

“We’ll probably need to,” I concur.

“Sounds hard, but it’ll be worth it.”

I feel bubbly. I’m so glad he agrees. “It’ll be weird writing with you again.”

He rolls his eyes. “You and your weird.”

“Hey,” I say playfully. “I did say sex with you was good weird.”

“So this is good weird too?”

I set a hand on his chest, playing with his smattering of chest hair. “Writing with you is a good weird, Axel. I’m excited to work with you again.”

He’s quiet at first, then he sighs, almost resigned. Finally, he says, more upbeat, “Me too.”

I want to ask why he sounded resigned, but I don’t want to ruin us again. “I want this to work,” I say, seriously.

“So do I,” he says in the same tone, letting me know he’s on the same page I am. Then, he strokes my cheek, studies me like he wants to say something important. “Can I show you something?”

My skin tingles even before I know what he’ll say. “Yes.”

He runs the backs of his fingers along my jaw, making me tremble. “I can’t speak for other men, but this guy can just make out.”

My heart catches, then thumps faster. “Show me.”

And he does.

We kiss forever, and it’s druggy and delicious. It doesn’t lead to sex. It leads to a wonderful night in his arms.