by E. Walsh
Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
* * *
Chapter One
"You are nuts."
Chloe Ellis looked up, squinting at her friend through her glasses. "What are you talking about?"
Angie Winters rolled her eyes, lounging back in her chair as she twirled her pen around between her fingers.
"You know about I'm talking about,” she said as she flicked a strand of jet-black hair out of her eyes. "You're a stalker."
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are. You're stalking this guy who's old enough to be your father. It's embarrassing."
Chloe wanted to deny the accusation. She wanted to tell Angie that she was off her rocker and her interest in the special talk her favorite author was giving had nothing to do with the fact she had a huge crush on him.
But the blush that heated her face and dusted her cheeks with color betrayed her. Angie raised her eyebrows and pointed at her triumphantly with her pen.
"Ah! You deny it, but your body language says otherwise."
Chloe looked away and tried to focus on what she had been writing, but the words were all blurred together. Sighing, she took off her glasses and laid them on top of her notebook.
"I'm not stalking him, Angie. I'm just a big fan."
"Yeah, that's what all stalkers say."
But it was true. Chloe thought Jack Bennett, the thriller writer who kept himself at the top of the bestselling lists on a regular basis, was the most amazing writer she had come across.
She had his books in every edition and all of them had been read enough that the spines were broken and the pages were well-read.
It was over the top, even she had to admit it, but Chloe wasn't about to pass an opportunity to buy one of his books and relive the thrill all over again.
So when it had been advertised in the local bookstore that Jack Bennett was giving a talk and a workshop about how to write a bestseller, Chloe had jumped at the chance to meet her idol.
It wasn't as if she had anything on her schedule. Being a trust-fund child she could live on her money without worrying about a job. And her writing had stalled. She needed inspiration.
And what better inspiration than to listen to advice from her favorite author?
"You've read his books. He's awesome. He really makes things come alive."
"I read one book," Angie grunted. Her closest friend was not a thriller fan, preferring chick-lit and erotic romance involving vampires. She shrugged. "Nevertheless, I will admit that he's good. Really good. It's obvious why he's a bestseller."
Chloe looked down at her notebook, full of her notes for her book. While she had got a good way into it, the stalling had slowed her down and she was rapidly reaching her self-imposed deadline to finish her novel and send it off to a publisher. She needed to catch up or everything would be thrown out of sync.
"I'd love to be that." She murmured to herself.
Angie heard her and gave her a gentle nudge.
"Hey, chin up. It'll happen someday. But stalking Jack Bennett isn't going to help you get to number one on the booklist."
"Maybe not." Chloe idly doodled in the corner of her notebook, sliding her glasses back onto her nose and running her fingers through her hair. "But listening to him talk will give me some ideas on how to get there. You know writing is only part of it. You do it for a living."
"And I make a living out of it. You won't if you focus solely on novels."
Angie and Chloe had studied creative writing at university and Angie had gone straight into writing for a lifestyle magazine.
She got paid well, especially since becoming assistant editor, and added to her income by doing some freelance work writing articles and content writing. She had clients and deadlines and was doing very well.
"I ghost write as well." Chloe pointed out. "That helps. And I get at least a thousand dollars a month coming in."
"And if you didn't have your trust fund you'd be struggling." Angie pointed out. She leant back in her chair and crossed her legs.
She was taller than Chloe and slimmer, her body sleek and trim. Chloe always felt dumpy beside her. "You need to branch out more and try other things."
"And I will." Chloe shifted in her seat and tugged her jumper down, aware that she might have been flashing her knickers through the gap in her chair to the people behind her. "Once I get my novel out the way."
Angie snorted and shook her head.
"You're deluded."
"And you’re still my best friend."
"So much so I stupidly agreed to come with you to this talk so you wouldn't be on your own. Don't you go to the bathroom on your own?"
"Usually." Chloe flashed a grin at her friend. "But I just wanted someone with me."
Angie shook her head and muttered something under her breath. Chloe laughed and went back to her writing.
* * *
Chapter Two
While having an idea for a novel was a start, knowing where it was going was another thing.
She usually started out planning meticulously what happened and when but when it came to putting it onto her computer she ended up winging it and the plot went in another direction completely.
Angie had told her she was too flighty and needed more solid structure but Chloe believed it was all the ideas whirling around in her head; she just couldn't stop thinking about ideas for books.
Becoming a bestselling writer had been her dream since she was thirteen years old. She would hide away in her room and write, infuriating her parents.
They wanted her to go to university and study History, Chemistry, Physics - something that could actually help get a well-paying job after graduation.
But Chloe had wanted to do creative writing. She had even begged to go into her trust fund early to pay for college when her parents refused to pay for her to study her chosen course.
Now she lived alone in a nice neighbourhood with money she was allowed to touch, writing away at a novel that she had been focused on for the last three years.
If she could get her first novel off the ground she was well on her way. But it was a long time coming.
She heard the chatter around her die down to virtual silence, a few shuffling of chairs breaking the sudden quiet. Pausing, Chloe looked up. She stared at the dark-haired man who had entered the auditorium and was making his way to the dais.
God, she thought, he was even more gorgeous in person. The picture on his book jackets didn't do him justice.
Tall and slim with black curly hair and a hint of stubble and dressed in a black shirt and jeans, he had Chloe's body overheating.
A few girls in the front row wearing low cut tops suddenly adjusted themselves so their tops were even lower and flicking their hair over their shoulders.
Further up the rows, towards the back, Chloe wished she was with them now.
Jack Bennett would give any man a run for their money. And he could have any woman he wanted just by crooking his finger.
Beside her Angie whistled softly.
"Wow. Maybe coming with you was a better idea than I thought."
Jack had reached the dais and put his laptop bag down. Chloe watched him as he proceeded to get his laptop out and set it up.
Then he looked up, his eyes glancing over the people watching him with avid attention. He looked further up to the ones at the back.
And his gaze fell on Chloe. Their eyes locked. And Chloe felt her pussy clench. She squeezed her thighs together and swallowed. This reaction was unfamiliar and sudden.
It also felt really good.
"Yeah." She breathed as Jack broke eye contact after a moment and went back to his laptop. "It certainly was."
* * *
Chapter Three
Jack was aware of the girl as soon as he entered the room. He couldn't seem to take
his eyes off her.
Her red hair was like a beacon for him, settled around her shoulders, surrounding a lovely face that was nicely tanned and startling blue eyes that were hypnotic.
Her body was even better, slim and toned in a tight white t-shirt and skinny jeans.
She was lovely. And very young. Jack guessed her age to be somewhere in the early twenties. That was more than twenty years younger than him. Far too young for him.
That should make her off-limits, even if he didn't have the problems he was suffering from. That woman wouldn't be able to hurt this young girl if she was off-limits. But Jack's body was thinking otherwise.
It wanted to see how young and supple this girl was as he fucked her. It wanted to have her riding his cock. Hell, it wanted her to scream.
Jack used what self-control he had to stop his cock from coming to attention and focused on the talk, which he had reluctantly agreed to do on behalf of a friend.
Now he was glad that he had agreed. His eyes kept drifting across to the girl, who barely took her eyes off him, showing him avid attention. A few times he caught her licking her lips and his self-control nearly slipped.
The talk went better than he thought. His audience listened to every word and asked relevant questions - apart from a few girls down the front with more cleavage than shirt, asking him if he would sign a few things that he guessed weren't on paper.
Even the girl asked questions - Chloe Ellis, he remembered - and they were studious, well thought out questions. Jack could see some potential in her if she was a writer like many of the people present.
He focused on gathering his things at the end, pausing briefly to speak to people and letting them take photographs and signing books.
The girls from the front row wanted signatures on their breasts but Jack declined, saying he could sign their shirts but not body parts.
They went away happy with that, one girl even declaring she would put it up on Ebay.
As he put his laptop back into his bag, Jack was aware of Chloe the redhead coming down the stairs last and moving across to the dais.
He resisted the urge to look up and watch her as she approached; that would make him feel like a lecherous old man.
"Mr Bennett?"
Jack zipped up his bag before he decided to look up. She was standing beside the desk, clutching a folder and a notebook to her chest.
Up this close he could see the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks as well as the indent marks where her reading glasses had sat for a good portion of the lecture.
Up this close she looked lovelier. And younger. Jack swallowed and gave her a pleasant smile.
"Miss Ellis, isn't it?"
"Chloe."
"Then call me Jack." Where had that come from? Jack picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm on my way out. Do you have a question?"
"A couple. If you don't mind?"
If it had been anyone else Jack would have fobbed them off. But he wanted Chloe to stay and little longer.
And if her demeanour was anything to go by, Chloe wanted to stay a little longer as well.
"Then you can walk me out. I'll answer them if I can."
Chloe nodded and Jack led the way out. It was dark outside, the evening lectures having already let out so the building was quiet with just a few stragglers.
Jack wasn't sure if he liked the quiet like this. He was used to the quiet of his own home but not like this. It made him want to act like a scared little boy afraid of the dark and run.
It was perfect territory for that woman, the one who kept following him and making his life a misery.
Chloe spoke as they descended the stairs.
"I'm sorry if I'm imposing and I'm sure you've heard this before but I am a massive fan of your books."
"I do hear that a lot." Jack was secretly pleased that Chloe was a fan. Why this made him pleased when he had other people saying the same thing he had no idea. "And I give out lots of autographs as well."
"So anything I say you would've heard before?"
"Everything I've heard more than once. Especially the one that starts 'I'm writing a book'." He gave Chloe a sidelong glance and saw her face redden. "That was one of the things to talk to me about, wasn't it?"
Chloe bit her lip and looked embarrassed.
"Unfortunately." She whispered.
Normally if Jack heard he would roll his eyes and tell them unless they were prepared for the hard graft and lack of a social life then don't bother.
He also had people trying to give him manuscripts to look at and Jack had had to fend them off, telling them he wasn't a publisher so he couldn't help.
Most of the stuff he caught a glimpse of was awful, as it was.
But there was something about Chloe that had Jack turning his back on his original response.
"Have you got anything with you?"
Chloe blinked. Clearly she hadn't been expecting him to say that.
"I have, actually." She unzipped the folder. "I put things on my iPad."
"Then let's have a look."
Chloe took out her iPad, her words coming out in a rush.
"It's nothing much right now. I came to your lecture to get a few more tips on how to make it a bit more rounded."
"Genre?"
"Romantic suspense. I did try thrillers but I kept focusing on the romantic relationships so I switched."
"That's a good thing." Jack put his bag down and took the iPad, hearing Chloe's gasp as they brushed fingers. "You don't want to try one genre when clearly you're better suited for another."
He was aware of Chloe blushing but looked down at her iPad instead of staring at her. Romantic suspense wasn't his thing but he was sure he could find something interesting.
What he found was more than interesting. He had gone well onto the third page - something he rarely did when evaluating a book - before he realized how far he had read. He had just been sucked in by the story.
"This is good." Jack couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "You've got some good imagery going on here."
"Really?"
Clearly Chloe was as surprised as he was that he liked it.
"Really." Jack flicked back again. "You do need to tone it down, though. Might be classed as a bit too much."
"Don't overuse words when you can use it simply."
"Exactly." This girl was bright. Jack read on another page. "You're right about needing to make things a bit more rounded. But it's good." He looked up and let Chloe see him smiling. "I can see some potential here."
Chloe looked shyly pleased. She snorted.
"My friend thought I was too obsessed with my book. I've written and rewritten it since university."
"It must get in the way of other things."
"Not really. I'm a trust fund baby. I don't have a job." Chloe looked very embarrassed at this. "And my parents passed away two years ago and left me everything. Essentially I have the time to do this but..."
"You think it might be the be-all and end-all of you."
"Exactly. I need a life."
"I know the feeling."
Jack had been in that position before. It had been a struggle to bring himself out of the self-imposed bubble and into the real world. He had returned to it when his brother had died of cancer the year before but now he was slowly coming out of it again.
Looking at Chloe, her eyes shining that he had thought her work was actually any good, his hardening cock also spurred him on to do something else he hadn't done for several years and wouldn't have thought of if he was in his right mind.
"Listen, I don't normally do this but I could mentor you and help you out a little."
That had Chloe's eyes widening.
"Seriously?"
"Yes." Jack knew he was going to hell for all of this. "I don't know much about the romantic suspense genre but I think you've got something here. I want to see where it goes."
He knew it was his cock talking. It wanted to see Chloe again. But,
if Jack was being honest, he wanted to see Chloe again. He was just making excuses for why he was acting out of character.
Chloe was staring at him still, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"That would be brilliant."
Yep. He was in serious trouble.
* * *
Chapter Four
Chloe was on a cloud as she walked across the parking lot, trying to resist the urge to skip. She almost giggled out loud, feeling like a high school freshman.
She had spoken to Jack Bennett. And he had liked her work. Chloe had been in two minds whether to show her work if the situation ever arose but now she was glad she had.
The Jack Bennett liked her work. And he had invited her to his house at the weekend to mentor her. This had to be a dream come true.
The man was handsome from a distance. Up close, smelling that subtle cologne of his and seeing his smile, he was gorgeous. Chloe's body was still fluttering from being that close.
She could see why the stupid co-eds had wanted him to sign their breasts and their giggly attitude throughout the lecture; she wanted to do the same. She wanted his hands on her body.
Hell, she just wanted him.
While she had experienced a slight crush with the man for some time, Chloe knew somewhere that evening it had tilted towards full-blown lust.
Being close to Jack was going to make her want to jump him and she had no idea how she was going to cope on Saturday when she saw him.
She was still thinking about it when she crossed the parking lot and entered the alley that linked the parking lot to an adjacent road, a shortcut for students wanting to get home instead of going out the front gate.
At night it wasn't recommended to go down there alone. But there were bright lights and nowhere to hide that Chloe surmised it wouldn't matter too much.
She was halfway down when she heard the running footsteps. Thinking it was a jogger, Chloe stepped towards the wall to let them past.
She was hit across the back of the head hard and knocked against the wall. Her ankle gave way under her and Chloe found herself sprawling on the ground, her folder scattered across the alley.