Free A Captivating Conundrum by Amy Lignor Page B

wear that soft silk against your skin and feel like a real female—even if you were only playing hostess to your laptop before turning in for the evening.
    I had never felt like such a girl before. I was almost nervous, which was absolutely ridiculous. The guy had been polite, classy, asked about my family…which means he's not a total jerk. But there is no attraction on his part , I kept repeating in my mind. His eye contact was simply a courtesy that he'd learned from his acting training.
    I sank into the water and tried to force my mind back into Book Two of the famous series Nicole was waiting for me to finish. I knew these characters inside and out, and all I had to do was find the end—the perfect end that would lead to the final book of the trilogy being a heart-stopping, must-read experience! I knew I had this. Writing was the one thing I understood and had a passion for, but the thoughts just wouldn't come.
    In fact, all I could think about was how in the hell I'd ended up with a man right across the hall who made me feel like a teen in heat? Talk about not being prepared.
    …I hope Bobby enjoyed his evening, because in the morning he was a dead man!

Eight
     
     
    ~ His ~
    Morning came to the Litchfield Hills and, boy , was Beth right. I had never woken up to such a sunrise before—and I lived in California, so that's saying something. 
    From the beautiful bay window of the room, I stared out at the sun shining down on a calm, gentle lake surrounded by thick clusters of pine trees. Here and there everything from lovely mansions to small cabins dotted the landscape. I could hear everything from dogs barking to children playing as I looked out on a lone boat with an old fisherman inside, rod and reel in hand, waiting for a bite.
    I laughed a little, thinking to myself how Rockwell-'ian' it all was. Those old Saturday Evening Posts that showed small, happy communities…the whole scene was a magnificent picture. The gardens around the house were in full bloom, and I noticed that the yellow rose bushes that were scattered almost everywhere.
    I located the small white sand beach and suddenly wondered if Beth and I would ever be able to have a dinner down there…maybe stare up at the stars, which you could actually see here in the big, smog-free sky…and make love. I sighed heavily, still wrestling between the man I knew I was, and the hungry side that was screaming at me to remember him with kindness.
    Throwing on the shorts, throwing off the shirt, I stopped for just a minute outside my neighbor's door to see if I could hear her soft breaths of sleep. Man, I have got to stop acting like a guy stuck in a romance novel!
    I practically ran down the stairs and out into the sunshine, trying my best to sweat off everything that was pent up inside me. I turned my thoughts to the script; work—a much tamer subject than the one I couldn't seem to let go of.
    Beth's writing was outstanding, like a sonnet set to the perfect music. I thought about the man I had to be. I could relate to how the guy felt. He was over thirty-five with a failed relationship far in his background that he'd truly thought was the 'one.' The character remembered the whole thing, from being over the moon the day his love told him she was pregnant to coming to the conclusion that he just wasn't ready for the title of 'father' back then. The guy had been young, just out of high school, but had to forget about the dreams he desperately wanted for his future. Quitting the path to fame, he got a job to make sure he could provide for whatever little person they were bringing into the world.
    But his 'supposed' true love hadn't felt the same way. Choosing to give their child up for adoption, she completely helped him, yet annihilated him with the decision. I could feel the heartache the guy must've experienced, but at that young age he still had the chance to shine…and he'd taken it. He got out, hit the big time and was happy with his life, until one