Free A Word with the Bachelor by Teresa Southwick

said defensively.
    â€œOkay.” She thought for a moment. “Got one. When Mac breaks up with Karen, who’s been waiting for him to come home from Afghanistan, and she starts punching and slapping him, that seemed out of character for someone who’d been so patient.”
    â€œShe was ticked off at being dumped. But he didn’t want to lead her on.”
    â€œAnd rightfully so. But because she was so long-suffering and colorless it didn’t feel real.”
    â€œWhat would have been right? In your opinion,” he said defensively. In his case, he’d been the one dumped and the only blows had been on the inside, where they wouldn’t show.
    â€œShe might cry. Struggle to hold back tears. Try to talk him out of it. Or let him have it with words. But she probably wouldn’t attack him physically.”
    He wasn’t ready yet to concede the point even though his gut was telling him she was right. “It could happen.”
    â€œBut probably not.” She gave him a wry look. “Your response makes me wonder if you have issues with women.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œMaybe you don’t like them.”
    â€œI like women just fine.” And that was the truth. But he wasn’t very good with them. If he was, he’d have sensed his wife’s detachment before she made the distance real and permanent.
    â€œAll I know is that you don’t have a girlfriend and you’re not married. Maybe you’re gay.”
    â€œI’m not.”
    â€œAnd in denial,” she said.
    Just a little while ago he’d taken the high road and passed up the opportunity to show her he liked women just fine. But during that second or two in the kitchen, when he’d reached into the cupboard for a mug, he’d accidentally brushed against her. That barest of touches had sent his blood rushing to points south of his belt.
    In spite of what she thought, he knew a little something about women. He knew when one would melt against him if he kissed her. And that’s exactly the way Erin had looked in that moment when their bodies had touched.
    â€œI know exactly who I am,” he said. “And I don’t have issues with women.”
    â€œIf you need help with the female point of view, I’d be happy to provide feedback.”
    â€œI don’t need help understanding women.”
    â€œReally? Then you would be the first man in history who didn’t,” she said pertly. “Look, Jack, all I’m saying is that you can make your characters do whatever you need them to, just give them a backstory to support the behavior. Readers want real characters, get to know and root for them.”
    â€œUnderstood.”
    â€œMaybe Mac Daniels needs a love interest. A woman, or man,” she said with a grin, “who will tell him the things he really doesn’t want to hear. Someone to keep him honest. Because right now he really has nothing to lose and it means the stakes for him are pretty low.”
    â€œI need to get to work.” He took a sheet of paper from the printer. “And I have some serious things for you to research.”
    â€œRight.” She stood and took the paper. “Later, Jack.”
    He watched the sway of her hips as she walked to the door and didn’t realize he was holding his breath until she was gone and he let it out.
    Had she been pushing his buttons to get him to open up?
    Off balance. There it was again. And he had another reason to regret missing the opportunity to kiss her. Besides the fact that he still didn’t know how she would taste, she was accusing him of pitching for a different team.
    If he hadn’t so adamantly and, let’s face it, obnoxiously, told her on the very first day they met that he wouldn’t sleep with her, he would gladly show her how much he liked women in general.
    And her in particular.
    * * *
    Jack had barricaded himself in the office all day and