“I’ve been working on romance and eroticastories for a little while. It started out as just a hobby, but it’s gotten biggerlately and if I want to make a go at it, I need more help.” As I paused therewas still silence, so I turned back toward the table.
Austin snorted and held out his hand toTanner. “Hand it over. I want my money.”
Suddenly I didn’t feel so badly. “You werebetting on my writing? That’s terrible.”
Rolling his eyes, Austin wiggled hisfingers at Tanner. “Don’t dawdle.”
Tanner shot me a dirty look as he dug outhis wallet. “Couldn’t you have waited a few more months to come out with this?He’d have forgotten by then.”
“No chance. This is buying me those newheels I wanted.” He wiggled excitedly as Tanner handed him a ridiculous pile ofbills. “Now Bradley can’t complain about how much they cost.”
“But Bradley will complain about Tannerbetting on ill-advised things that he knows he’ll lose.” Bradley was frowningat Tanner like he was a five-year-old who’d wasted their money on somethingstupid.
“Tanner was drunk, so it shouldn’t countanyway.” Tanner turned back to me, still trying to look pissed, but he wasmissing the mark by almost laughing. “How long have you been doing it?”
“Not crazy long. The idea was just to dosomething fun once in a while to relax. The erotica is easy and fun. I don’thave to plan out all the layers like I do in a regular book. And you guysalways talk about the most insane things and give me ideas I can’t use in themysteries. So it really is your fault.”
Laughter and scoffs filled the room aseveryone either shouted out denials or bowed like they were the royals of kink.When things calmed down again, Wade turned to me. “Why didn’t you tell ussooner?”
“Because at first I was only selling likefive of them.” I shrugged. “And I figured Austin was probably at least half ofthose, so they didn’t count.”
Austin grinned. “Got to have one for thetablet and others squirreled away just in case the government comes after me.”
I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not,so I just ignored it. “I wanted to wait until they were actually selling and itdidn’t look like some pathetic side project.”
Wade leaned around the table and squeezedmy leg. “We understand.”
“We’d also guessed.” Austin was having afabulous time. “You’re too good of a writer to just focus on little oldladies.”
“I like my little old ladies.” They werefun.
“But sexy alphas and sex scenes are so muchbetter.” Austin rubbed his hands together greedily. “Okay, give it up. What’sthe name? I’ve got some catching up to do.”
Groaning, I confessed the pen name aseveryone scrambled to get out their phones and start looking up the books.Austin was first, of course. “Oh wait, I’ve read some of these.”
Yep, there was no way I was lucky enough tohope he hadn’t found any of them.
His head popped up excitedly. “Imagination.He recreated scenes from your books? Oh, tell me it was the omega harem one?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Nope, theMaster slave one with the slave being bought in the first chapter, and theoriginal one he did was the office romance with the letter opener.”
Their eyes widened almost comically.
Wade leaned forward. “Austin, which one hasthe slave?”
He wailed. “I don’t know. I haven’t readthose yet.”
Snickering, I shrugged. “You’re missingout.”
Austin stood and started tugging onTanner’s arm. “Hurry. I’ve got to get you back to work so I can read these.”
He tugged his arm away and pointed Austinback toward his chair. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m still finishing mycoffee. Besides, we still need more information about his date. All we know isthat they were relaxed at the restaurant and then he got to be a slave whenthey got home. Is that really enough detail for you?”
Some days I hated that he was so damnedefficient.
Chapter 18
Tristan
