Promises & Pen Names (The Riley Siblings #1)

7. Sidney

Chapter Seven

SIDNEY

“ O h my gosh. I can’t believe you’re really here.”

I smile up at the girl in front of me, her hazel eyes full of tears. She’s maybe seventeen, pretty, and a hot mess of what I’m hoping is excitement.

“Will you sign both of my books?”

With a nod, I meet her halfway as she slides rather worn copies of book one and two in my series toward me. “Absolutely. What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Ingrid.” She almost sobs. “Ingrid Samuels.”

“I love your name. It’s so classic.”

Ingrid clutches her phone to her chest. “I almost died when I read The Sorcerer’s Divined and found out your heroine’s name was Ingrid, too.”

I slide book one back to her. “It’s a great name; strong, beautiful. It carries through multiple stages of life with grace and elegance.” Then I frown. “Are you ok, sweetheart?”

She nods as tears stream down her cheeks, the woman next to her stepping up to rub her back. “We’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch,” Ingrid’s mother explains. “Things have been hard lately but when my girl found your books, well it was the bright spot she needed.”

My chest squeezes, tears burning my eyes and nose. “I’m so glad. Reading has always been a bright spot for me too.”

“My dad left,” Ingrid blurts. “He left right after The Alchemist’s Mate released and it got me through that. He always thought I was nutty for reading so much, said I’d never amount to anything because I wanted to write, and for a long time I believed that but then I read your books and fell in love with your words, your characters. I want to write like you do, write from the heart and move people the way your books do.”

Without even thinking, I get up from my seat and round the table then hug this teenage girl who’s pouring her heart out to me harder than I’ve hugged anyone.

It’s the end of day two of the convention so the line isn’t that long and honestly, if I didn’t hug Ingrid right now after sharing something like that, I’d be a soulless asshole for sure. What’s amazing though, just as amazing as this aspiring author in my arms, is the fact that she’s not the first to share something like this with me.

After we set up shop and the doors opened to early access ticket holders yesterday, Blake and I were slammed with fans. Our lines never thinned out, wrapped around the back of our booth and while Blake definitely had a bigger turnout, mine was pretty damn close.

I could not believe the number of people that came out to meet Blake Morgan and Harper King, and while I know a lot of it was because we’ve never been in public as our pen names, I was so grateful, so fucking humbled I actually cried through my first few signings. By the end of the day, Blake had sold out of his books, I only had about a dozen left and that wasn’t even counting all the fans who brought their own copies for us to sign .

People were buying his books then they’d slide over to buy mine or vice versa, our swag barely made it to the halfway mark and when Blake decided to do the reveal on our collaboration, I thought we were going to wind up deaf over the way everyone screamed.

Needless to say, the teaser cards he had printed with No Way Out’s title reveal and tagline were gone within minutes.

And that was only a fraction of what made yesterday so amazing.

I heard so many stories from fans, stories about how much they loved my books, how my words inspired them or got them through hard times. The praise was insane and really foreign but I ate it up and tried like hell to give back to my fans for their unconditional support. We had already planned to only charge for our books, not the inscriptions or signatures and Blake and I definitely didn’t plan to charge for selfies, so we made sure everyone who wanted pictures with one or both of us got them before they left our table.

Our fans were so awesome yesterday; kind, absolutely wonderful and we wanted to make sure they had the best experience possible, and I feel like we succeeded but things got a little... Let’s say awkward when one of Blake’s fans asked if we were a couple.

I blushed so hard I thought I was going to spontaneously combust, but when I opened my mouth to shut down any rumors or possible fights because of jealous followers, Blake just shrugged, looked at me with a shit eating grin and said, Can’t reveal everything at our first public appearance; there’d be no mystery left.

Our fans ate that shit up but I was flabbergasted, totally struck stupid by that loaded comment and planned to scold him for it later, except later never happened.

By the time day one wrapped, I was so fucking excited, so giddy and happy and all the wonderful things, I was riding high on the endorphins and forgot all about tearing into Blake for starting rumors.

We left our table exhausted but thrilled and decided to have a celebratory dinner at some swanky place Blake found before crashing in his room a few hours later. I Face Timed my babies, gushed over everything that happened then cried with them because they were so happy for me, so proud of my hard work that there was no way that call wouldn’t have ended in tears. They even insisted on talking to Blake and I together so they could congratulate him as well and if I’m not mistaken, even the great, brooding Blake Morgan was moved by my teenager’s unfiltered praise.

Dinner was amazing, we had a few drinks, took leftovers back with us and even though we were a little buzzed, Blake and I smoked two joints, laughed our asses off over everything and nothing then passed out fully clothed in bed and slept until our alarms went off this morning.

And today, today has been just as wonderful as yesterday.

Which is why, when I let go of Ingrid Samuels and snap a few selfies, I go into my backpack under the table and pull out one of two copies of book three, the only two copies that have been made so far because The Vampire King’s Bride isn’t set to release for a week and a half, walk back to her and start writing my inscription.

“Now, you have to keep this a secret.” I grin as I scribble my pen name at the end. “ARCs haven’t even gone out yet because I’m behind the eight ball, but I want you to have this.”

Ingrid blinks at me about a dozen times as a fresh set of tears roll down her cheeks. “Is that book three?”

I nod. “It is. Author proof. Blake is the only other person who’s read any of this, so I have to swear you to secrecy but your support means a lot to me, and I want you to remember that when times get tough, ok?”

“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, thank you!” Ingrid cries as she takes the book. “I swear I won’t say anything until you publish, and I’ll leave a review as soon as you do! I’ve been trying to get on your ARC team since you started promoting book two, so I know the rules but, oh my gosh, this is amazing. I promise you can trust me.”

“I have no doubt, sweetie, but you don’t have to do anything but read that book and enjoy it.” I hug her again because I have to. “And if you want on my ARC team, just email me. I’ll make sure you get copies of whatever you want.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you!” Ingrid takes my card and hugs me again. “You are my favorite author. I want to be just like you when I finish school!”

A tear slips down my cheek as I smile, but I shake my head. “You be you, Ingrid, and never let anyone make you feel like that’s not good enough. You are perfect exactly the way you are so own it, rock it and do amazing things because of it.”

After a few more hugs from Ingrid and her mom, I return to my seat next to Blake, a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest as I get back to signing for the last few fans.

“You are incredible,” he growls as Blake leans toward me, goosebumps erupting over my skin. “Fucking incredible, Sid.”

“Shh,” I very breathily scold. “We’re almost done but you still need to be careful.”

Blake grins as he leans closer, acting like he’s pulling something from the empty box behind me. “Can’t help it, Shortcake. You’re too damn amazing.”

I turn my head slightly, accidentally putting my lips inches from his. “Well, you’re going to blow my cover if you don’t keep the compliments under control. Save it. ”

“Oh, I will.” He smiles then rights himself slowly so our lips almost touch. “I’ll save it all, honey.”

Gah .

This man is going to ruin me, and we haven’t even kissed yet.

Not yet, I mean we haven’t even kissed, period.

Haven’t kissed at all? Will never kiss?

Shit.

I’m such a mess.

So much so that I hardly make it through my last few fans, and barely get our table dismantled without going up in flames from Blake’s heated looks and flirty comments. But when I realize all of my paperbacks are gone, all the swag has found new homes with fans and we’re rolling an empty dolly out to Blake’s car with nothing but our banners and booth decorations, I can’t help but squeal.

“Oh my god, we did it!”

Blake chuckles as he slams the trunk and locks his car. “You did it, Shortcake. You made that signing your bitch.”

I throw myself at him, not giving one single damn about anything other than thanking him for pushing me to do this. “We did it, Blake! I never would have done this without you, and I am so thankful you kept pushing me to be better, to try new things and believe in myself.” I kiss his cheek and hug his neck. “Thank you for being my biggest fan.”

“Always,” he growls, burying his face in my neck as he holds me tight. “I’ve always been your number one fan, Sid, because I couldn’t be anything less than that.”

I pull back slightly, our faces so close our noses almost touch and when I look into those whiskey-colored eyes, my heart stops.

Oh boy.

Oh man.

Oh shit, I’m going to kiss him .

I’m going to finally kiss Blake Riley for the first time again, and judging by the storm raging behind his specs, he wants me to.

Unfortunately, that’s the exact moment my phone starts ringing—Sloane’s ringtone—successfully squashing my opportunity to make a move on the man I’ve fallen in love with for the second time.

“You should answer.” Blake smiles softly as he sets my feet on the ground. “Could be important.”

I nod, bite my lip and pray to God I don’t start crying because I am a huge fucking mess. Then I swipe my screen. “Hi baby.”

“Mom.” Sloane sniffles into the phone, causing my hackles to raise immediately.

“Sloane, what is it? What’s wrong?” My eyes dart to Blake, a frown marring his handsome face. “What’s going on?”

“Mom...” She sniffles again, barely keeping her voice from cracking. “Mom, Reese said she saw Jason holding hands with another girl.”

I blow out the breath I was holding and smile. Thank God it’s only teenage drama and not some catastrophe with Sloane or her brothers.

“Oh honey, I’m sure that wasn’t what Reese saw.” I reach out and take Blake’s hand, barely stifling a giggle from the concerned look of confusion on his face. “Maybe it wasn’t Jason.”

He arches a brow as we start toward the hotel entrance, so I mouth, Boy trouble and he nods.

“It was, Mom. She was up town with her friends and Jason was there with Shawn, just the two of them, and they were holding hands.”

“So, text him. Call him out on it and see what he says.” Not that it matters, Sloane and Jason weren’t exactly a couple. Jordan won’t let her date until he’s dead and the high school equivalent of a fourteen-year-old who can’t technically date until she’s sixteen because I said so can hardly be considered more than texting and holding hands between class. If it was more than that I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen behind her father’s back.

“I can’t do that!” She gasps. “What if he says he doesn’t like me anymore? What if he says Shawn is prettier than me or something?”

“I’m going to make a quick call,” Blake whispers as we stop in the lobby. “Dinner in, ok?”

I nod and smile because that sounds perfect. “Sloane, baby, if Jason is stupid enough to think anyone is prettier than you, then you’re better off without him.”

“Mom,” she groans. “You have to say that because you’re my mom.”

“Nope. There’s nothing in the mother-daughter contract that states I’m obligated to think my girl is the prettiest girl in the whole world and anyone who thinks differently is an idiot. I’m just stating facts.”

Sloane giggles. “Whatever, crazy.” Then she sighs. “Why are boys so stupid?”

Now I giggle. “It’s in their DNA. Something about how they use less brain cells and stuff. I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, it doesn’t get better as they get older either.”

She’s laughing now and that brings me even more relief. “No kidding.” Then Sloane sighs. “Blake isn’t stupid though, is he?”

My eyes find him from across the room, a dreamy and probably stupid smile spreading across my cheeks. “Blake is one of a kind, that’s for sure, but no boy is exempt.”

“Oh my gosh!” she gasps. “How was day two? I can’t believe I forgot to ask!”

“Amazing, baby. ”

“Did you sell out? You did, didn’t you? I bet you sold out of everything!”

I nod even though she can’t see. “Yep. Nothing but my banner and name plate left.”

Sloane screams into the phone, apparently drops it based on the thud then shouts, “I knew it! Mom! I am so freaking proud of you! You are such a badass! Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to tell all my friends that my mom is a famous romance author! Ahh! I’m so proud of you!”

“Cool your jets for now, Sloane.” I chuckle and ignore the fact that she swore. “My identity is still kind of a secret and let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, wait until I make it onto a list other than Amazon.”

“Whatever!” she squeals. “I have to call Reese! Oh my gosh, this is amazing! How did Blake do? He sold out too, right?”

I love how much she asks about him. “He did. We did great, baby. Day two was even better than day one.”

“Yay!” Another scream. “Tell Blake I said hi and I’m super proud of him too! I have to go, dinner is ready, but FaceTime later so we can talk to both of you and hear all the details!”

“Ok.” I smile as Blake walks up and starts guiding me toward the elevator. “Tell your brothers I love them.”

“I will!”

“I love you, Sloane.”

“Love you, Mom! Tell Blake I love him too!”

My heart does a somersault then stops for a second. “Ok… yeah. We’ll talk later, kiddo.”

“Ah! I’m so freaking proud of both of you! Love you! Bye!”

“Bye...”

“Everything ok?” Blake asks as he presses the up button.

I nod, still staring at my phone. “Uh, yeah. Boy trouble and all.”

“Sloane, ok? ”

My gaze lifts to his. “She will be.” Man, I was so not expecting that. “She says she’s proud of you, of us. I told her we sold out.”

“Gonna FaceTime later?”

All I can do is nod.

It’s one thing for me to be in love with him, but for my daughter, my extremely guarded daughter who is an angsty teenager, to say she loves Blake is something else entirely. It might have just been excitement, but that came out of left field and if she really feels that way, then I’m in a world of trouble.

“You alright, Shortcake?”

“Yeah.” I blink away my thoughts, trying to focus on right now. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just sometimes forget how grown up she is.”

“She’s a lot like you.” The elevator doors open and Blake ushers me inside. “Whatever is going on, she’ll bounce back and kick its ass.”

This makes me giggle because he is absolutely right, but when I open my mouth to say that, something prevents any coherent words from coming out.

More like someone.

As soon as the elevator doors close and our floor button is pushed, Blake has me pinned up against the mirrored wall, hands cradling my cheeks and his lips against mine.

Blake Riley is stealing my words, eating them up in the most soul searing kiss that’s ever happened to me.

Blake is kissing me.

Me .

Oh, sweet Jesus, Blake is kissing me and it’s better than the memories I’ve been replaying since I first saw him.

His lips are soft, warm, perfect, and the contrast between the way they press against mine while the tiniest bit of his scruff scrapes across my skin has me moaning into his mouth .

Something he takes full advantage of when his tongue traces the seam of my lips, barely licks past them before he pushes inside to devour every inch of my mouth.

I kiss him back just as fiercely, fisting the front of his shirt to pull him closer. God, he tastes amazing. And he still kisses like a goddamn champ.

Firm and hard but somehow gentle and sweet, his lips feverish while his tongue explores mine at an almost languid pace. I tug him to me again, Blake’s body flush against me, his hips pressed hard to mine and fuck, that’s not the only thing that’s hard.

Nope.

Blake’s memorably huge dick is like stone, and it’s pushed against my belly so close I can practically feel it twitch through his jeans.

Oh my god.

I can’t believe this is happening.

I can’t believe someone as wonderful as Blake is kissing me because he wanted to kiss me, that he’s obviously aroused from kissing me. He’s so perfect, so beautiful, he was my first in so many ways. The first to hold my heart in his hands, and to break it so unexpectedly. Blake is so... everything, and I’m just a hot mess divorced single mother in her late thirties who this man walked away from once before.

And that thought is exactly why I break our epic second first kiss and try to catch my breath. “Blake... what are you doing?”

We shouldn’t be doing this. Blake and I haven’t even touched on everything that happened fifteen-hell years ago and we should stop this now. I’m sure he’ll agree. But if he agrees, then that means this was only a high on endorphins spur of the moment thing, a convenience thing, and more than I don’t want to let my guard down, let him in and fall further in love with Blake, I also don’t want to be a hook-up for him either.

I couldn’t live with myself if that’s all this is.

I’d be lost, more lost than I already am and having a one-night stand with a romance author who I wanted a future with twice over will give me enough supporting evidence that true love doesn’t exist, and I’ll have to quit writing altogether.