The Healing Touch - Apryl Baker Page 0,20

you understand what I’m saying, Dimitri?”

She wanted him to admit that they were coming because they loved his books and not his looks. He still didn’t buy it. Too many women threw themselves at him first for his looks and then for his money. It would take a lot more than her tossing numbers at him to make him believe his words actually meant something to others.

“Don’t you read your reviews?”

He learned long ago to stay away from reviews because once he started, he read them all, including the spiteful one-star reviews. Best to keep the temptation away. He’d been so excited when the first book he’d ever written was released. He stalked Amazon waiting for the reviews to start rolling in. When the first one and two stars started to trickle in, they’d put him in a corner, licking his wounds while devouring pints of cookies and cream ice cream. He’d spent six hours at the gym trying to work through his anger and frustration and burn off all that ice cream. Now, he just stayed away from reviews.

“No.”

“Well, one of the things we’re doing this weekend is looking at some of them. You need to understand how much people really do love your work.”

One of the things I’d like to do this weekend is bend you over the bed and fuck you so hard, you’ll remember it for a week, he thought darkly as they crossed the Virginia state line.

He listened absently as she gave him the rundown on the weekend’s event from table set-up to photo ops and lunch schedules. She went on about what to expect from the people coming to greet him as they drove through Virginia. The sound of her voice soothed some of his anger. That was why he called her late at night when his depression was about to take him to dark and dangerous places. She always managed to shine a bit of light into the darkness surrounding him, enough to keep him afloat.

They continued to talk about the event, his books, his fans, anything book related for the next several hours. They switched places halfway through Virginia. His legs were killing him, and Becca offered to drive. He’d been hesitant at first, but she’d laughed her ass off, telling him her dad had her driving when she was ten. Another thing he didn’t know about her was that she was mechanically inclined. Cars, trucks, bikes…she could work on them all. Part of growing up with a motorcycle club, he guessed. He had no fucking clue how to work on a car. They went to the garage when they broke, and he picked them up when they were good to go.

The sky eventually bled from a brilliant blue to inky black. He blinked, not realizing he’d fallen asleep to the soulful tones of fucking country music. He turned his head and studied Becca as she drove, her thoughts a million miles away. She seemed peaceful as she hummed along to the radio. Carefree, nothing like the woman who’d piled into the Jeep early this morning. This was the girl he knew from their phone conversations, the girl who laughed at anything and always had him bristling from her teasing. She gave as good as she got from him. He riled her, and she did the same to him.

Fucking her would be so easy. Coming back from that? Knowing he would do it without any intentions of anything but a summer booty call? He’d rip her heart apart, and he’d lose his best friend. Watching her now, he knew he couldn’t let himself be that selfish. Her friendship meant everything to him. He had to resist the temptation that was Rebecca Joyce.

“Where are we?”

Becca jumped at the sound of his voice and glanced over at him before turning back to the road. “Just outside of Charleston. You’ve been asleep for hours.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because you were exhausted.” He’d been yawning for a good two hours before he passed out. She didn’t mind the quiet either. Spending so much time by oneself tended to make you appreciate the gentle solitude of silence. “Once we get checked in, I’ll take a shower then come by your room and help you get everything ready.”

“About that…”

Becca’s eyes narrowed at the hesitant sheepishness in his words. “About what?”

“Well, we’re sharing a room. I called before we left the dealership to let the hotel know we wouldn’t be arriving until after two a.m. and checked on a