while I cried. You’d think it would be awkward to cry on the phone to some stranger, but I the obscurity between us made it easier. We have this barrier between us that grants a protective shield, just like when I write. Hiding behind a keyboard makes me brave. I can say anything, be anything.
“You’re up early,” Landon says when he walks out of the bedroom.
Settled on the couch with my cup of coffee and laptop, I’m still in my running gear. “I decided to wake up early and get my run out of the way.”
Landon rummages around the kitchen as I check my email. I see I have a private message waiting on me, which surprises me since Alec and I haven’t been using FetLife to communicate now that we have each other’s cell phone numbers. I click on the link, which directs me to the site’s login screen.
“What on earth are you looking at?” Landon questions as he looks over my shoulder from behind the couch and sees a woman tied up and bound to a St. Andrew’s Cross.
“Research, dear,” I tease.
“What the hell is this new book about?”
I laugh and lean my head back to look up at him. “Do you really want to know?”
He kisses my forehead and then flirts his words, suggesting, “Instead of telling, maybe you can show me later tonight. I’ll be more than happy to help you research.”
“You? I’ve been with you for over thirteen years, Landon.”
“And?”
“And you are nothing like this.”
“I could be,” he says as he walks back into the kitchen, and I brush off his words with a giggle.
ALEC107: Dropped my phone in the parking garage after work, and the fucker no longer works. Wanted to let you know in case you call or text and get no answer from me. Should have a new phone this afternoon.
ANONYMOUS: I assumed a man like you wouldn’t have clumsy hands. I feel sorry for all your conquests. LOL!
After I send my response, I close the lid to the laptop and join Landon in the kitchen.
“Today is the big day,” I say. “Are you nervous?”
He sets his coffee mug down, and when he turns to me, I wrap my arms around his waist.
“Very. I tossed and turned all night.”
“So, you’re saying I wasn’t able to satisfy you,” I murmur seductively with a grin.
“Oh, you definitely satisfied me.” He then leans down and nuzzles his kisses into the crook of my neck. “You are more than welcome to do that to me every night.”
“That’s so romantic,” I joke. “Sure, you just lie there while I do all the work.”
His laugh is loud as he pulls away and slaps my ass playfully. “That’s right, babe!”
I pick up my coffee, take a seat at the bar top, and watch as Landon resumes his normal morning routine of fixing the girls a hot breakfast. He pulls out ingredients from the pantry and fridge.
“How is Damon feeling about today?”
“About the same as I am. When it comes to the Times it only takes one review to make or break you. It can go either way,” he says with his back to me as he cracks open an egg. “We’ve worked so hard getting this restaurant up and running.”
“And you’ve been successful every step of the way. The two of you know what you’re doing and you’re great at it.” When Landon turns to wash his hands in the sink in front of me, I look him in the eyes and affirm, “You’ve got this, babe. You’re an amazing chef.”
Wiping his hands dry, he smiles at me. “I don’t know what I would do without you. All the late nights and endless weekends I put in at the restaurant and you’re always there to support me and take care of the girls. I don’t tell you enough how much I appreciate all that you do.”
“We’re a team,” I tell him, feeling guilty for complaining about him to Brooke last night. I should try harder not to dwell on how mundane life has become and focus more on all the good things I have. After all, Brooke is right. I, along with most of the women who read my books, have conditioned my mind to what love should be but isn’t. This is real life, and it’s not perfectly passionate and spontaneous and without flaws. I’m the first to admit that there have been times that I wished Landon acted and behaved in a certain way that reflects the