His face brightened, and he laid a hand on my cheek. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?”
I blushed. “Max.”
“Maddie.” He smiled. “TeamMadMax.”
I didn’t laugh, too fixated on his lips inches from my own. As he leaned closer, my heart pounded in my chest. I looked around for anything to spoil the magic—a car, a jogger, a noisy goose. But we were alone at the center of the bridge. The sky turned deepest, darkest black as I lost myself in a kiss so magical it made me forget about everything and anyone but Max.
Chapter 29
I closed and locked the door after the last book club patron left. Max looked up from the cash register. “Can you believe how many people showed up tonight?”
He’d been right that choosing recent releases would interest a more diverse readership. Dylan had been right that serving liquor would interest everyone else. Even my mom and her neighborhood bunco buddies showed up tonight since we were reading a hot new Kelly Siskind novel. I’d had to borrow chairs from Letitia. I needed to invest in my own since we’d brought in crowds for the writing group that met on Tuesdays and the teen reading group on Sundays. Yeah, as my first order of business as town council president, I put the Sunday ban up to a vote. The consensus was that each business could make that decision autonomously.
We’d kicked off our new book club format with my own book (plus complimentary wine). I’d been terrified to hear criticism to my face, but most everyone lauded me with praise, though that might have been obligatory. Two weeks earlier, most of the town had turned out for my book signing as if it were a Dylan concert. I cried at how supportive everyone was and pretended it didn’t bug me when friends asked me for free copies or told me they’d borrow it from the library, or worse, that they’d wait for the movie to come out. They meant well, and I ended up selling out of my stock. It was fun to personalize and sign each novel as if I were a real author. I still didn’t feel like a real author. Was that something that came in time or had Jane Austen suffered from impostor syndrome, too?
While Max dealt with the money—a task I’d been more than happy to let him take over—I went to fetch the broom. Max’s dad had stayed to help fold up the chairs, and I found him in the storeroom, putting on his jacket. Ever since Max and I had become partners in all things, his family became mine in ways I’d never dreamed possible. I was never on my own. Not only had I gained three extra sets of hands to help around the bookstore, I’d gained an extra pair of parents.
Max’s dad paused and turned. “Maddie, you are a remarkable young lady. Look at everything you’ve accomplished.”
I blushed. “I had the help of your son.”
He shook his head. “Max may have helped, but you took the leap of faith. You made all of this happen. I’m so proud of you.”
My throat constricted, and I didn’t know what to say. I gave him a hug. “Thanks, Dad.”
He laughed. We were still trying that out, but I liked it. A lot. I think he did, too. He squeezed extra hard and said good night.
I’d started sweeping up front, but Max snuck up behind me and grabbed the broom, leaning it against a wall.
“This can wait. Take a walk with me?”
I’d spent the entire day dreaming of the moment I’d finally be able to act out the fantasies he inspired. I was particularly interested in running my lips across the day-old scruff he’d allowed to grow. He’d learned fast how that affected me.
“I don’t want to walk with you.” I grabbed his hand. “Take me home.”
He reeled me in for a quick kiss but drew back before I could get going. He knew from experience I wouldn’t hesitate to have my way with him in the bookstore. Nobody would ever know the things we’d done in the teen rec room upstairs. And I couldn’t pass the cellar door without blushing.
“I want to get some fresh air.” He stepped toward the front door. “Come on. Just up to the bridge.”
Pouting, I put on a coat and braced for the cold. Despite the crackle in the air, the promised snow hadn’t started to fall. I slipped an arm under Max’s jacket to absorb his warmth and touch him. After six months, I still hadn’t convinced myself that this was real, that Max was mine, totally mine.
As we walked, I said, “Did you see that Dylan’s song moved into the Top 40?”
“Oh, hey. Good for him.” He was humoring me. He wasn’t invested in Dylan’s career, but Layla had been using her blog to promote the new single, and she kept me up to date.
“Layla says he’ll be opening for some band at Market Square Arena in a few months.”
We passed the gazebo in silence. Then Max said, “You know Layla’s moving out, right?”
“Yeah.” She’d grown tired of the commute. “It was inevitable.”
I’d been wondering when Max would suggest I give up the apartment and move in with him. It would make sense now that my roommate was leaving. It would make sense because we made sense.
At the bridge, I hopped up on the rail so I could pull Max closer. He wanted to talk. I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist. Once upon a time, I might have checked for witnesses, but whenever we were alone for a moment, I couldn’t resist stealing kisses. He could be working in the kitchen, elbows deep in sudsy water, and I’d slink my arms around him and lay my head on his back. No motorcycle ride had ever felt so sexy.
Tonight, our only witness was the moon. I unbuttoned the top of his shirt and lay a kiss on his chest. He laughed. “You’re gonna do that right here?”
Like he didn’t know me at all. “Uh-huh.”
“I have an idea.” He reached into his pocket and produced a key ring. “Let’s go somewhere warm.”
He took off at a jog, and I raced after him up the driveway to the raspberry cottage, laughing as he unlocked the door. “We cannot break and enter.”
“Is it breaking and entering if I have the key?”
I wasn’t aware Max was still maintaining the house for the Palmers. I couldn’t imagine they’d approve of our current plans for the place.
As soon as we were through the door, he pressed me against the wall and planted the kiss I’d been trying to coax out of him since the book club ended. As much as I wanted him, I couldn’t get past how wrong it would be to defile this house, and I pulled away, groaning. “Max, we cannot have sex in the Palmers’ foyer.”
“You’re right.”
Instead of opening the door to leave, he angled my body so he could walk me backward farther into the house. In the kitchen, he removed my coat and dropped it on the hardwood floor. His followed. He had a determined look in his eyes, and I said, “Max, we cannot have sex in the Palmers’ kitchen.”
He pulled off his boots and dropped them one at a time. “We are not going to have sex in the Palmers’ kitchen.”
Without warning, he put his hands on my waist and picked me up. I let out a startled cry and wrapped around him as he stumbled down the hall. I realized where he was carrying me. “Oh, God, Max. We are definitely not going to have sex in the Palmers’ bed.”
Despite my protest, I’d already unbuttoned his shirt and had it halfway down his arms when he kicked open the door and dropped me on the side of the bed. As he pulled my shoes off, he said, “No, we aren’t going to have sex in the Palmers’ bed.”
He slid his hands under my shirt and pulled it over my head. I told myself the Palmers didn’t live here anymore, then popped the button and tugged at the zipper on his pants. Off they came. As he stood to grab my jeans by the ankles, I raised my hips to help him out and noticed a bottle of wine on the bedside table.
He knelt and kissed the inside of my thigh. My eyes closed, and I thrilled at how his every touch brought me to the edge of ecstasy. He’d spend an entire night seducing me if I let him, but I needed him next to me, in me.
I dug my fingers in his hair and compelled him to crawl up onto the bed. I knocked him over so I could straddle him. He was so hard, all I had to do was lean forward and push back, and he was deep in me. I rocked forw
ard to kiss him and accuse him of lying to me. We were definitely having sex in the Palmers’ bed. As I looked down at him, I realized he lay on a black-and-white checkered bedspread.
I gasped. “This is not the Palmers’ bed.”
“No, it is not.” He flipped me over onto my back.
My mind wrestled with the need to solve a mystery when he slid in me again.
“What is going on? Did you buy this place?”
“Rented for now.” He pressed his lips to my throat. “Buy later.”
My brain shut off entirely as he kissed me. Not a short teasing peck. He sucked on my lower lip, then coaxed my mouth open and ran his tongue across mine. My body responded to him like we were created from the same cosmic energy, and stars burst, constellations formed, planets aligned when we were together. My fingers dug into the muscles in his arms, dragged across his shoulders, scratched his back, and followed his spine to the curve above his ass. Sweat dripped from his hair onto my temple as he increased his pace, grunting, muttering prayers to God in heaven or whispering my name.
The universe collapsed into the smallest pinprick and then exploded like all the fireworks going off at once. My body went stiff just as Max cried out, and a second orgasm hit me with his. We fell beside each other and gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I love you,” he said. He was so cute with his hair a mess and sexy sweat beading on his forehead.
I touched his nose. “I love you, too.” Then I sat up on my elbow. “So what, you’re going to live here now?”
He took my face in his hands. “I hoped we could. Would you want to live here? With me?” His eyebrows drew together, and his lower lip disappeared between his teeth. God, he was cute.
“Do you even know me?” I played it cool, but I wanted him to be happy, too. “Is this really what you want?”
He dragged a finger through my hair. “This is what I want. I don’t care where.” He pressed his lips against mine. “But I can’t think of a more appropriate place to live with you.”
Butterflies flew loose. Silver Fox would be pleased. I should tell him . . .
“You know you make my stomach flip, right?”
He grinned. “I am your romantic hero, after all.”
“You’re my happy-ever-after.”
I’d ended up with everything I ever wanted, although it wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined it. The things I’d fought against turned out to be the things I needed most. And all because I’d been lucky enough to meet my best friend as a total stranger and discover how perfect he was for me.
“So, Lizzie . . .”
“Darcy?”
“Looks like we’re going to be coauthors from here on out.”
I groaned at how corny he could be. “You ready for the sequel?”
“Sequel so soon?” He arched an eyebrow. Ever competitive. “I’m just getting started.”
Acknowledgments
The creation of a book takes a whole cast of characters and comes with its own plot twists, black moments, and ultimately a satisfying conclusion.
The inciting event for this novel was a conversation with my editor, Wendy McCurdy, in which a seed of an idea was proposed. Like a god with the power to create, Wendy said, “Let there be book,” and a world was born. If it weren’t for her help in shaping the concept and her continued support for my writing, this novel literally could not have existed. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring it to life.
Along the way, a ragtag group of misfits offered their many strengths to propel me through myriad obstacles so I could slay the dragon of drafting and revising. Huge thanks to my mage, Kelli Newby for soothsaying and plot wizardry, and to my constant companion Kristin Wright for always knowing where the hidden treasure is buried and for providing the map. Summer Spence, you are the wise caretaker at the crossroads, showing me the paths I need to take (even if they look forbidding). Elly Blake, you are the deceptively cute woodland creature that turns into a dread beast at the stroke of midnight and devours my words. And Ron Walters, you bring the much needed comic relief. To the CD, you are all the magic system that powers my universe.
A huge special thanks to my deus ex machina, Riki Cleveland, for reading as a reviewer and providing insight as a real-life book blogger. I chewed my fingernails awaiting your verdict. I am ultimately responsible for any missteps, but your input helped me level up.
There are many unsung heroes involved in this process, from copy editors to cover designers. I’m so appreciative of how hard they work to take a manuscript from concept to finished product. Thanks to Jane Nutter, Norma Perez-Hernandez, and Paula Reedy for the countless things you do to shepherd my books out in the world. Thanks also to my agent Mike Hoogland for his guidance and support.
To my kiddos, Eve and Zoe, thanks for rolling with your mom’s author alter ego.
Finally, as this book is about books, I can’t neglect to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to peruse these pages, and you, the reviewer, for sharing your opinions on Amazon or Goodreads or on your blog. Reviewers are so important to authors because you help the right readers find the right books. Thank you.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
DATING BY THE BOOK
Mary Ann Marlowe
About This Guide
The suggested questions are included
to enhance your group’s reading of
Mary Ann Marlowe’s Dating by the Book.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you think would have happened if Maddie had never responded to Silver Fox’s review? Who do you think she would have ended up with?
2. Which of Maddie’s suitors did you root for? Did your opinion evolve over the course of the book? What qualities made you think that one would be the best choice for Maddie? (Or for you?)
3. What does Maddie see in each of the men in her life? What does each offer her that she thinks she needs?
4. Maddie’s initial exchange with Silver Fox is antagonistic, but it eventually turns into a constructive conversation. Have you ever gotten into a fight with strangers on the Internet? What types of comments or topics compel you to express yourself in a confrontational manner? Can you think of any disagreements you’ve had that stayed civil? How does this differ from debates people might have if they were face-to-face?
5. Why do you think that Silver Fox and Maddie were able to open up to each other in writing in a way that they didn’t with their friends in real life?
6. Did Maddie make the right choice? Have you read books where you thought the heroine ended up with the wrong guy? Are there any love triangles in fiction where you’re firmly on a “team”? Care to confess which ones?
7. Do you understand why Peter left Maddie at the altar the way he did? Would you ever be able to forgive something like this?
8. Are you familiar with the 1998 movie You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? How about the 1940 movie The Shop Around the Corner, with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan? If so, how are they similar to and/or different from Dating by the Book?
9. Maddie has had a long love affair with books. Do you recall which book made you fall in love with reading? Do you have a favorite book?
10. Do you fall in love with fictional romance heroes? Who are your book boyfriends or girlfriends?
11. Is there a kind of hero who appeals to you more than others: enemy-to-lover, best friend, second-chance love, etc? Which types of hero does Maddie encounter in her world?
12. Do you believe that romance heroes exist in the real world? Why or why not?
13. Have you ever wanted to own a bookstore? If you could have your own bookstore, what kind of place would it be?
14. Why do you think Maddie is so connected with her hometown? Is there a place where you feel so at home or where you long to return?
Do not miss Eden and Adam’s story in
SOME KIND OF MAGIC
by Mary Ann Marlowe Now available in bookstores and online!
What if you c
ould seduce anyone in the world....
In this sparkling novel, Mary Ann Marlowe introduces a hapless scientist who’s swept off her feet by a rock star—but is it love or just a chemical reaction . . . ?
Biochemist Eden Sinclair has no idea that the scent she spritzed on herself before leaving the lab is designed to enhance pheromones. Or that the cute, grungy-looking guy she meets at a gig that evening is Adam Copeland. As in the Adam Copeland—international rock god and object of lust for a million women. Make that a million and one. By the time she learns the truth, she’s already spent the (amazing, incredible) night in his bed . . .
Suddenly Eden, who’s more accustomed to being set up on disastrous dates by her mom, is going out with a gorgeous celebrity who loves how down-to-earth and honest she is. But for once, Eden isn’t being honest. She can’t bear to reveal that this overpowering attraction could be nothing more than seduction by science. And the only way to know how Adam truly feels is to ditch the perfume—and risk being ditched in turn . . .
Smart, witty, and sexy, Some Kind of Magic is an irresistibly engaging look at modern relationships—why we fall, how we connect, and the courage it takes to trust in something as mysterious and unpredictable as love.
Read on for a preview. . . .
Chapter 1
My pen tapped out the drumbeat to the earworm on the radio. I glanced around to make sure I was alone, then grabbed an Erlenmeyer flask and belted out the chorus into my makeshift microphone.
“I’m beeeegging you . . .”
With the countertop centrifuge spinning out a white noise, I could imagine a stadium crowd cheering. My eyes closed, and the blinding lab fell away. I stood onstage in the spotlight.
Dating by the Book Page 27