death for attention. There. I said it. I’m a terrible person.”
I couldn’t help it. I needed to touch her. To comfort her. I reached out and slid my hand along her jaw until I buried it in her hair. I clasped her nape and bent my forehead to hers. Closing my eyes, I breathed her in. She was like oxygen in that moment.
“You’re not a terrible person. You couldn’t be if you tried. You’re actually the best person I know.”
I felt her hand curl around my elbow, gripping on to me. My hand tightened around her neck in reaction, the silky strands of her hair tickling my skin. What I wouldn’t give to bury myself inside her. Sex had always been just a relief, a satisfaction. But with Jane … I bet she could take out all her worries and sadness in my body. I’d soak them right up, so she’d never have to feel that way again. Steal moments of euphoria in a time she needed reminding it existed.
Fuck, I would take on all her sadness and frustrations if I could.
Realizing if I didn’t let her go, I’d never let her go, I pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. The way she looked at me as I released her made me feel ten feet tall.
“Do you want to talk about these chapters?” Her voice was lower, a little hoarse with emotion. Its sultry sound caused another flare of heat to shoot from my gut to my groin.
Fuck.
Seventeen, I reminded myself. She’s seventeen and tomorrow is my nineteenth birthday.
Nine months. I could wait nine months for her to turn eighteen. Then there would be no stopping us. Because I wasn’t imagining the two-way attraction, right?
“Okay.” I gave her a wry grin. “Hit me with it.”
She returned my grin and then looked at the laptop screen. “Pacing and plotting is excellent.”
Was it ridiculous how hot I found it when she got all serious about my writing? “Good to know.” I watched her nibble her lower lip and lost focus for a second. Jane had the most beautiful mouth I’d ever seen. Her lips were everything. Full, lush, so fucking kissable. My eyes traveled down her throat, across the expanse of smooth, olive skin revealed by the wide neckline of her T-shirt. Her full tits were a generous handful. She was way too sexy for my own good.
“Your hero is great. He’s flawed but intriguing. He can be a dick, but he also shows moments of warmth. Between that and how smart he is, you’ve gotten that balance just right.”
I dragged my dirty, horny gaze off her body and back to her beautiful face. When I wrote women in my books now, they always had a little of Jane in them. Which was why what she said next bothered me.
“Your heroine, however, needs work.” She shot me an apologetic wince. “She’s a little weak, Jamie.”
I frowned. “Weak, how?”
“You spend more time describing her looks than you do the heroes. So right away, you’re setting this up as somehow important.”
Yes, but did she not notice the resemblance between my heroine and her? “O … kay?”
“That would be fine if it were the only problem.” She pointed to the screen. “You haven’t given her motivation. Her actions are defined by the actions of the hero.”
Really? I scowled at the screen.
“Is that what you want?” Jane studied me. “For her to do what the hero tells her to do, with no thoughts of her own?”
“Not at all. But they both want the same thing.”
“That’s fine. Their goals align. But you have to clarify that her actions are motivated by what she wants. Not that she wants to give the hero what he wants with no thought to her own needs. Do you get me?”
Her passion and investment in my writing suddenly lifted my mood like nothing could these days. I smiled at her, not caring if my feelings were reflected in my eyes. “You’re going to make sure I write badass heroines, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She laughed. “Jamie McKenna will not write bad heroines while I’m around.”
“Then I guess you better stick around forever.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Her breath caught as our eyes met and held. A little part of me panicked that she might take more from my meaning, but then I realized … maybe I wanted her to.
Because the thought of a future without Jane filled me with dread.