AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The woman cleared her throat, and Daphne realized she was probably staring up at Chris like a lovelorn teenager.
“Your table, Mr. Remington.”
Daphne reached for a chair. Then she looked up and…
“A couple of people” did indeed stand in front of Zane’s table. Behind them, the queue stretched until it was lost in the tangle of the crowds.
“This must be someone else’s spot,” Daphne said.
At the woman’s frown, she realized that sounded insulting to Chris.
“I mean, is this his?” she quickly said, and added a lie: “I’d asked for sparkling water for Zane.”
“Still water is fine,” Chris said. “I don’t think I’m going to get time to drink it anyway. If this is my book…” He tapped a copy of Edge propped on the table. “Then it’s definitely our spot.”
She stared at the lineup. “I…”
“Let me see about getting you that ice for your hand. I think you’re going to need it,” the woman said, smiling at Chris. Then she hurried off.
“D?” Chris whispered in Daphne’s ear as she stood there, still convinced people were in the wrong place. He took her hand and squeezed it. Then he whispered, “Congratulations.”
Tears filled her eyes. She squeezed his hand back and pulled out the chairs for them to get started.
CHRIS
Chris leaned against a tree, cradling his wrists. “Now I know the real reason you hired me. You write an amazing book that everyone wants signed, and someone else has to sign it.” He shook his wrist. “Oww…”
“Hey, you aren’t the only walking wounded.” She lifted her fingers. “Two paper cuts from flapping books.”
“Ouch.” He took her hand, lifted it, and kissed her cut fingertip. “Better?”
Her cheeks reddened, and he realized how much he loved that about Daphne. She was tough and capable, but her emotions were easy to read, from her embarrassment to her worry to her delight.
After Sakura showed up, Daphne had slipped away to join Tara’s line. He’d been lucky enough to spot her when she reached the front, blushing but glowing, too. She’d hurried back and held out the signed books with the biggest grin.
Now, when she blushed, he kept hold of her hand, running his thumb up her palm as their eyes locked—
“Well, that’s done,” Sakura said as she walked over. “Oh! Whoops.”
Sakura started to retreat, but Daphne backed up fast, breaking Chris’s hold.
“We were just comparing war wounds,” Daphne said, waving her hand. “Paper cuts.”
“Yep, those hardcover jackets can be sharp. Okay, then, so we have about thirty minutes. Do you want to relax while I find something for you to eat? There are usually some decent food trucks. I’ll bring it to the green room.”
“There’s food in the green room, right?” Daphne said.
“Nibbles.”
“We’re fine with that. You can wander if you like or join us and get off your feet for—”
Sakura’s phone buzzed. She looked down and her lips moved in a curse. She tapped back a text. A pause. More furious tapping as exhaustion and frustration settled over her features.
“One of our authors needs me,” she said. “He’s on in an hour, and he forgot his proof of admission, and the staff can’t find him on the list, so he’s threatening to turn around and go back to his hotel.” A text dinged in. “Oh, look, another author needs me. She just finished her panel and can’t find her signing spot. Cat herding. I swear this job is nothing but—”
Sakura looked up quickly. “Sorry. That should have been in my inner voice.”
“No worries,” Chris said. “They don’t pay you guys enough for this.”
