Page 32 of The Healing Touch (Manwhore #3)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The signing room was filled with people running around like lunatics. Curses could be heard as they struggled with banners and other things that needed to be put together. Becca kept her eyes down and made a beeline for Dimitri’s table. She was shocked to find Henry there, arranging banners.

“What are you doing?”

He paused long enough to wink. “I’m arranging these so you won’t be bothered by anyone. I’m making you a cocoon of banners. That way, you won’t feel crowded.”

That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. Dimitri grumbled, but she ignored him. “Thank you, Henry.”

The model finished what he was doing before coming out from behind the table. “It’s nothing.”

She put down the box she was carrying and hugged him, really hugged him. There wasn’t anyone else around their table, and she didn’t feel at all crowded. “Yes, it is. It means more than you know.”

“Anything for you, baby girl.” He hugged her back. “I don’t know what I would have done last year without you, so anything you need, just ask.”

He was referring to when his brother died. She’d talked to him for hours every day for weeks. He’d been in a bad place, and she’d done everything she could for him. Henry was a sweetheart, and she considered him a good friend.

Dimitri’s growling broke them apart. “Sorry about the Neanderthal.”

Henry glanced at him, his eyes twinkling. “He’s only doing what I would if you were mine.”

“She’s not yours, so get your fucking hands off my woman.”

“See?” Becca rolled her eyes and slipped out of Henry’s hold, knowing he was only egging Dimitri on. “I can’t take him anywhere.”

“Woman…”

“Man.” She winked at Henry and went behind the table to start organizing the boxes so she could easily get to them. The books for sale were each in their own boxes, some titles two to a box depending on popularity. Dimitri was going to have to help keep the book rack full.

“Do you do that just to drive me nuts?” Dimitri whispered by her ear, his tongue darting out to swipe the soft skin of the lobe.

“Sure do.” She turned and nipped his bottom lip. “Now, get to work. We have to have this done in about half an hour, thanks to your not waking me up.”

Henry stuck around, helping them organize the boxes and swag. He and Dimitri struck up a hesitant conversation and were soon talking about fishing.

Fishing.

She didn’t understand what people saw in it. You sat there for hours, hoping some unsuspecting fish would take the bait. Hours, sometimes, without even so much as a bite. Men loved it.

She shook her head and set up the iPad so people could sign up for Dimitri’s newsletter. She’d thought about a signup sheet, but she had no desire to try to decipher people’s handwriting. This way, they could type it themselves. No stress later.

“I fired your brother.” Sara Jane’s angry comment brought all their heads snapping round. “He’s insufferable.”

“I thought you said he was hot as fuck?” Dimitri teased.

“Oh, he is, but his attitude cancels any lustful thoughts I might have had.” She looked ready to hit someone. “Seriously. That man is a control freak.”

“Yes, he is when it comes to the safety of his clients,” Dimitri agreed, “but he’s never failed at a job of protection either, and I think you both need his help.”

“He’s bossy.”

“He has to be bossy, doll.” Dimitri’s expression turned serious.

“He has to keep you and your daughter safe. Sometimes that might mean telling you how to do something, when to do it, and where to do it, but he’s not doing it to be hard or a bastard.

He’s doing it to protect you. Let him help you keep Delia out of her father’s crosshairs. ”

“You had to go remind me why I needed help to begin with, didn’t you?” Sara Jane looked cross enough to keep any random passerby from attempting to come over to their table.

“That’s what friends are for.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, get yourself set up. I see your PA waving frantically.”

“I’ve got to get over to Heather’s table too.” Henry picked up one of Dimitri’s cards. “You ever want a model for a custom book cover, shout at me. I’ll give you a discount.”

“He’s not so bad,” Dimitri admitted as they finished stocking the book rack.

“He’s pretty awesome.”

“You know him well?”

“About as well as you do Sara Jane.”

“Point taken.” Dimitri smiled, finally giving up. The guy was cool, and he understood Becca was taken. He wouldn’t stick his nose in their friendship. “How are you? Everything okay?”

“So far.” She gestured to the wall of banners Henry built around them. “This helps.”

“You’ll tell me if it gets to be too much?”

“Yep.”

“Promise me, Becca.”

She rolled her eyes. “I promise.”

“Why are you being so blasé about this?” Dimitri couldn’t wrap his head around the change in her.

Last night, she’d been on the verge of a nervous breakdown to the point he thought about rushing her to the ER, and today she was acting like nothing was wrong or would go wrong. He was on pins and needles, himself.

“Because you’re here with me.” She smiled shyly. “That’s the difference.”

His entire being swelled with pride.

They announced the group picture, and she shooed him away, assuring him she’d be fine.

Not that he trusted that. He’d seen the faces of everyone eyeballing them with speculation.

They had to be eager to gossip. It was the one thing he knew about the Indie community.

They were gossips and could rip each other apart as soon as defend each other.

He didn’t trust the other PAs not to try to chat her up.

Becca sank down in her chair, relieved when Dimitri finally left. He was getting on her nerves worse than the actual thought of crowds with his hovering. That was as bad as crowding her, but she knew he did it out of worry.

“Hey, Becca!”

Stacey Jamison approached the table, all smiles. Becca knew her from Facebook. She was author H.L. Harper’s PA, and a gossipmonger. She knew it was coming, but she’d hoped the signing would start and they’d have to wait until at least lunch to start in on the questions.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. It was just Stacey. No one else. She could do this.

“Hi, Stacey. You and Heidi all set up?”

The girl bounced on her feet. “Yes, I was worried we wouldn’t get finished on time since we didn’t get in until late last night. We missed early setup.”

“That sucks.”

“So…um…you guys all ready?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Becca watched, fascinated as the girl tried to get up the nerve to ask her about the crazy ex. She seemed to really want to ask but was almost afraid to. Might as well put her out of her misery.

“If it wasn’t for Dimitri’s crazy ex, I’d be peachy this morning.”

“Oh, yeah? The woman posting all that stuff about you?”

Becca nodded. “Dimitri broke up with her, and she seems to blame me for it, but he dumped her last week.”

“So, are you and Dimitri a thing?” Stacey lowered her voice conspiratorially.

“Dimitri’s my best friend, and aside from that, it’s really no one else’s business.” She kept her voice cheerful but made sure the bite in it was enough to get the girl’s attention. “I hate gossip and the drama rumors produce.”

“Oh, for sure.” Stacey nodded a little too emphatically. “Not that I believed you’d do anything to wreck their relationship, but some people might be thinking that.”

“Then they can keep on thinking it.” Becca pulled out the money box and started filling it up with change. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what other people think. If they want to be so ugly as to think any of her hateful spiel is true, then that’s on them.”

“You tell her, girlfriend!”

Jacqueline Crantz pushed Stacey out of the way and started looking over all the swag. Jac was a blogger and one of the first people to showcase Dimitri’s books. They’d gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few years.

“If you’re getting all sweaty in the sheets with the eye candy, good for you. If not, good for you. It’s none of anyone’s business.”

“Eye candy? Is that all I am to you? I feel so dirty…I think I need a shower. Perving on the eye candy. Shame on you!”

Dimitri stood behind her, laughing while Jac blushed three shades of cherry.

“What? You’re pretty to look at. Sue me.”

Dimitri turned on his sexy-as-sin smile. “Is that all you want me to do?”

Jac blushed harder and fidgeted. “No, I want you to give me my damned pre-orders and stop flirting before Becca stabs me in the eye.”

Becca relaxed her grip on the Sharpie she held. She’d had a moment of extreme jealousy until she realized Dimitri was only playing a part. It was in his eyes. He wasn’t the least bit interested in Jac. He seemed to only have eyes for her, and that made her heart speed up.

She dug out Jac’s pre-order and handed it over to her. “Hey, hun. Why do you read Dimitri’s books?” It was a question she planned on asking every reader today to prove her point to him.

“Oh, my Lord, what don’t I like about them?

I’m a sucker for paranormal, and you add in those sexy-ass alphas?

” She waved her hand in front of her face.

“You manage to bring those people to life in a way most authors can’t.

I’m invested in the characters, and I get pissed off with them sometimes, but the story is what keeps me reading.

You write so that I’m hooked. By the time I’m done with one of your books, I need a week to recover. ”

“So, you read his books for the story and not because he’s gorgeous?”

Jac laughed. “Girl, I remember the first time you convinced me to read one of his books. I had no clue who he was. I read it and was floored. I cried at the end. Silver Stars , that’s the book I read.

I’ll never forget that book. I had no idea what he looked like until I looked him up to friend him. ”

Dimitri’s shocked expression made Jac laugh, unaware of his preconceived notions about readers. After five hours of this, there was no way he could say his readers only cared about what he looked like.