On Paper

by Shae Scott

  "Have you ever been up to Seattle?" he asked.

  "Not yet. It's on the list," I said.

  I listened as Keaton told me stories about some of his travels, telling me about his favorite places and me telling him about my list of dream destinations. Keaton had traveled all over. His job had taken him to all kinds of places and I was fascinated listening to him tell me about some of the local gems he'd found in each one.

  "I'm kind of an explorer. Whenever I visit a new place I just want to go and walk around. I always try and find the places off the beaten path. There are always going to be the tourist places, but to get the real flavor of a place you have to find out where the locals are. You have to explore, walk around until you get lost and can't find your way back. That's the best kind of adventure. I love doing that," he said.

  "Do you go by yourself?" I asked, thinking how similar he and Lily were. I would never be brave enough to just wander off alone in some foreign city. Heck, I wasn't sure I'd be brave enough to do it here.

  "Sometimes. Miles travels with me a lot, so sometimes I can convince him to go with me."

  "Hmm," I said thoughtfully. I tried to imagine him wandering around Ireland, since he'd told me it was one of his favorite places to visit. I couldn't picture it, not only because I'd never been there, but because the vision was too far removed from the one of Keaton that I'd allowed myself to have up until this point.

  "You should try it sometime," he suggested.

  I shrugged noncommittally.

  I was surprised at how easy he was to talk to. He left me with an odd mixture of butterflies and comfort. I couldn't seem to fit him into any one single category. All along I'd tried putting him into the playboy, douche bag category, but he didn't want to stick. He kept forcing me to reevaluate.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text from Lily.

  "They are going for a nightcap, they want to know if we want to join them," I relayed the message.

  He waited for me to decide.

  "I feel like I'm crashing her date. And I'm kind of tired. I think maybe I'll just go back to the hotel," I said. I thought I saw disappointment cross his features, but it was only there for a moment before he smiled easily.

  "Yeah, I have an early morning tomorrow. I'll walk you back," he offered.

  "Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine. You can go with them if you want," I said, suddenly feeling bad that I'd cut his evening short too. It's not that I didn't want to spend more time with him, but I needed some distance. I needed to figure out what box to put this delicious man in.

  "And crash their date all by myself?" he asked with an exaggerated scoff. It made me laugh. I typed a short reply to Lily telling her to have fun, but that I was going back to the room. She quickly replied that she wouldn't be too late. I knew her well enough to know that she couldn't make such promises.

  I looked up from my phone and saw that Keaton had his hand out, waiting for me to accept. I placed my hand in his and swallowed hard at the sensation that hit me at the simple touch of our skin. Once I was on my feet his fingers laced with mine and we started walking.

  The fact that he was holding my hand left my head spinning. I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to be rude and pull my hand back. Okay, I didn't want to pull it away at all, because his hand was warm and strong and the way he ran his thumb across my skin in that soft nonchalant way sent a tingle throughout my body.

  This man was trouble.

  He may be a bad boy, or a playboy, but hell if he didn't do it to perfection. Just this small touch of our hands told me that he was a man who could take me down, overwhelm me. The realization should have been like cold water against my heated skin. Instead, it only seemed to fuel whatever fire was slowly starting to take hold. Somehow in the course of one evening he had managed to change my mind without me even knowing it. Without me having spent one single moment reasoning it out.

  We'd been walking in silence and the lack of conversation had my mind going all over the place. I needed to get back to my room. I needed to put some distance between us.

  I could have pulled my hand away.

  I could have.

  I didn't.

  "So are you and Lily going to any fun sessions tomorrow," he finally asked, breaking the silence.

  "I'm not going to sleep with you," I blurted suddenly. Apparently I had no filter these days. Talk first, cringe later. Oh well, I might as well put it out there in the open.

  "Okay," he smiled.

  "Okay?"

  He laughed. "Don't get me wrong, if you wanted to go back to my room I wouldn't say no. But I'm enjoying this; just talking to you. I'm not such an asshole that I don't crave real conversation."

  "Sorry," I said, feeling a little embarrassed. I'm not sure what it was that had me assuming the worst in him. He actually seemed like a decent guy.

  "It's fine. I kind of like the fire in your eyes when you assume the worst," he teased.

  "You like that I'm a bitch to you?" I laughed.

  "I wouldn't say you’re a bitch."

  "And what exactly would you call it?" I asked. Hell, even I thought I was being a bitch.

  "I'm still figuring it out," he said giving me one of those sexy winks. I pretended it didn't affect me, but it did. A little. I was quickly realizing I wasn't completely immune to his charms.

  We walked through the doors of the hotel and the lobby was still buzzing with chatter. I pulled my hand away, pretending to dig for my key. I didn't want all of these people to spot us and think we were together. I pretended not to notice the odd look he gave me.

  "Thanks for walking me back," I said as we moved towards the elevators. I expected him to veer off to the lobby where he could talk to people, maybe find a late night hook up.

  "I'm going upstairs too," he said quietly.

  "Oh," I don't know why I was surprised. He did say he had an early morning. Apparently I was letting my assumptions get the best of me again.

  The doors opened and he followed me into the empty car. I was thankful that we didn't have an audience. I didn't want to deal with that just yet, not while I was still trying to figure it all out. I wasn't even sure that there was anything to figure out. Geesh, I was going off the rails.

  I pushed floor six and glanced over to him for his floor. Instead of telling me he leaned across, slow and deliberate, completely invading my personal space, and punched twenty-two. Well, alright then. Let the Gods rise to the top.

  "I can walk you to your door," he said, low in my ear as he straightened back up, not leaving any room between us. It made my heart race and my throat close, making it difficult for me to swallow.

  "Thank you, but I can make it," I said giving him a smile. Space. I needed some space, because his proximity was keeping me from stringing complete thoughts together.

  The doors opened and I stepped out, turning to give him a wave over my shoulder and thank him again for dinner and walking me back, but he was stepping out with me. My mouth fell open as I watched the doors close at his back. He gave me a smile and motioned for me to lead the way.

  "You don't listen much do you?" I growled under my breath as I started down the hall towards my room.

  "What can I say, life is more fun when you follow your own rules," he said.

  I rolled my eyes, annoyed, not just with him, but with me and the reactions that I couldn't seem to get under control. He walked close beside me, his hands in his pockets as we moved down the hall. When I reached the door I turned to him. "I meant what I said. I'm not sleeping with you," I said quietly.

  His smile grew, taking over his entire face. I liked the way the amusement hit his eyes. "I know. Can't a guy just be a gentleman and walk a lady to her door? Or is it just that I can't be a gentleman?" he asked. I knew he was teasing me, but I hated it when he called me out on my judgmental behavior. It wasn't like me to behave so badly.

  "I'm sorry. Thank you for walking me to my door. I had a nice evening. Dinner was great,"
I offered.

  "It was actually. I enjoyed getting to know you more. I hope I get to see you again," he smiled.

  I wasn't ready to commit to anything like that so I just gave him a small nod.

  "Goodnight, Keaton. Thanks again."

  "Wait, is it okay if I get your number?" he asked suddenly.

  "You want my number?" I asked the confusion clear on my face.

  This time he shrugged and I couldn't help but notice that his confident demeanor slipped just a little bit.

  I hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if he took the request back. He didn't. With a deep breath, and against my better judgment I held out my hand, palm up, for his phone. He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I dialed my number, added it to his contacts, resisting the urge to send the number through so that I could have his as well. That's how these things worked generally, but the idea of having that number in my phone was too much. Besides, what was I going to do, text him cat videos? I handed him back his phone and turned back to the door, now unlocked and beckoning me to come in and breathe normally again.

  "Goodnight, Quinn," he said quietly. He leaned in and panic shot through me, or was that adrenaline? I held my breath as his lips brushed softly across my cheek. I had barely let my eyes flutter closed when I felt him pull away. Damn, he was good.

  "Uh, goodnight," I managed before quickly turning and darting into the safety of my room. I sagged against it, feeling as if I'd just run a marathon. One thing I was sure of, my instincts about Keaton Harris were right. That man was trouble. I just hadn't expected to like the kind of trouble he was offering. I shook my head, trying to find my balance again just as my phone buzzed in my bag. I pulled it out and saw the unfamiliar New York number on my screen.

  My number . . . Feel free to use it.

  So much for that plan. I reluctantly saved it in my phone, smiling to myself as I did. Yep, that boy was trouble.

  I LAY BACK on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Small swirls decorated the paint leaving a slight glint in the light. I wondered if they were made of gold. Probably not. This suite wasn't that nice.

  My phone vibrated with a text alert in my pocket and I couldn't help but wonder if it was Quinn. I hoped it was Quinn. I pulled it from my pocket and glanced down at the screen. It was Parker, reminding me of my schedule. The stab of disappointment and annoyance surprised me. I’d only left her twenty minutes ago. It’s not like I’d expected her to text me already, or at all. Quinn wasn’t the kind of girl I could predict.

  I barely knew her, but already she was getting under my skin. She challenged me and she intrigued me. She was like a puzzle I couldn’t quite figure out. A story I couldn’t quite put together. In the few interactions I’d had with her I’d already seen so many different sides to her. There was a timidness there that told me she was cautious, but then she would get this fire in her eyes and flat out come after me without thinking. Then, tonight when we’d been talking I’d seen this dreaminess overtake her as she talked about places that she wanted to go and things that she wanted to do and damned if I didn’t have this odd desire to take her to all of them.

  I wanted to see more of her. I wanted to know all the pieces that made her who she was. She had flat out told me that she wasn't going to sleep with me. And when she did, I realized that I was okay with that. Well, for now at least. I could leave that to my fantasies a little bit longer. For now, I just wanted to hear her voice, listen to her stories and find out what it was that made her laugh.

  I was losing it. I felt it taking hold slowly. But for once, I was okay with it.

  She would be here the entire week. There would be more chances to see her, even if I had to make them myself.

  WHEN I WOKE up the next morning I had a mission: Find Quinn and get her to spend the day with me. She was used to seeing me in this environment. All of her ideas of who I was came from this circus. I needed to get her out of here and let her see the real me, away from the book world and what she thought she knew. She had mentioned how much she loved the city and how she wanted to come back sometime and visit the wineries. Well, why wait when I could take her to see those things?

  I sent her a text asking her to meet me in the same hallway where we'd talked the day before. I mentioned that I needed to talk to her about something.

  I stared at the phone, waiting for her to agree.

  She didn't reply.

  I felt like an idiot.

  I still went, hoping she would come. I rubbed my palms against my jeans nervously as I stood tucked in this little hidden hallway. What if she ignored me? I couldn't get a real read on her. It was obvious she had her reservations, but I felt like we'd moved past a lot of those last night. I paced three steps left, three steps right.

  I still wasn't sure why I was so drawn to her. Especially with her smart mouth and attitude. But I loved that about her. I loved that she made me work to win her over. And it wasn't charm or charisma that did it. I could give her my best line and she'd just laugh at me. Or worse, she'd walk away. The only thing Quinn seemed to respond to was honesty. Every time I caught myself letting go and just talking she rewarded me with a smile, or if I was really lucky a real conversation.

  It was different. She was different than any other girl I'd been interested in. As a rule, I didn’t do details, but she made me want to push forward and get them, as many as I could. I wanted to know all of her details.

  I waited, the walls of my tiny nook getting smaller as I watched people hurry by to different rooms. I felt like a criminal, hiding out hoping to remain unseen. I didn't want to risk having a group of people around me if she did decide to find me. Shit, I wanted her to find me.

  Minutes ticked by and I could feel the heaviness in my stomach begin to settle in and take root. Maybe I had misread the previous evening. Maybe she hadn't been warming up to me at all. Maybe she still thought I was a jackass and had just gotten better at tolerating me. I sighed and leaned back against the wall, giving myself a pep talk to ease my bruised ego.

  I pulled out my phone to see if I'd missed a text. Nothing. I slid it back into my pocket, defeated.

  But then she was in front of me, her bag slung over her shoulder and looking behind her nervously. It's strange, the feeling that washed over me instantly. It wasn't quite relief, although that was there in spades, it was more like I'd just won a prize, like Ed McMahon was on my doorstep with balloons and a giant check. Granted, Ed was dead, but the analogy still worked. I couldn't help the grin that was plastered to my face.

  "You came," I said.

  "Hi," she said simply. God, I wanted to pull words from her. I felt like I was back at square one and I was going to have to audition all over again.

  "Come in closer, away from everyone," I suggested.

  She raised an eyebrow, "Are you planning an attack?" she asked, teasingly. I smiled wider, I liked that she was teasing me.

  "Maybe."

  We stood staring at each other. She looked adorable. I mean, she was still hot, but standing here in her jeans and her yellow cardigan, hair pulled back in a ponytail and black rimmed glasses on her nose she looked fucking adorable. I wanted to lean in and kiss her nose. How ridiculous was that?

  "Keaton?"

  Oh, right. She was probably wondering what it was that I wanted and I was staring at her like an idiot.

  "Sorry. You distracted me. I like your glasses," I fumbled.

  She smiled, shaking her head. I'm glad I was able to amuse her. She waited for me to continue.

  "I was just wondering if you might want to get out of here for a little while. I thought maybe we could rent a car and play hooky or something," I offered.

  Her head tilted to the side as if she had to decode my words. "Don't you have panels today?" she asked.

  "Just a couple. No one cares if I'm there or not," I said, watching as the tiniest of frowns settled around her eyes.

  "Do you know how many people I've heard talk about how excited they are to see you this afternoon? T
rust me, they'll miss you. It's not fair to them if you decide to skip out. They paid good money to be here and to see you. Don't take that away from them," she said. Her voice was calm, there was no judgment, not out right, but it made me feel like an ass for having even considered it.

  "Okay, how about tomorrow. I'm free after breakfast. We could go then,' I offered.

  She seemed to think about it for a long moment and I braced myself for her refusal. "I know you have panels that you probably want to see, but I don't know . . . I just thought maybe . . ." I was stumbling over my words. Where was my game?

  "I'll go," she said.

  "You will?" My smile was back, wide and I feared it was overtaking my face and any ounce of cool that I thought I had.

  "Sure, what time to do you want me to meet you?" she asked.

  "Oh, um, ten? We can meet in the lobby if you want."

  "Okay. I'll see you then," she smiled shyly.

  "Will I see you later today or at happy hour tonight?" I asked. Suddenly tomorrow morning seemed too far away.

  "I'll be in your panel later," she admitted.

  "Well then, I'm glad I decided to go," I laughed.

  "I gotta go. I'll see you later, Keaton," she said.

  "Okay. I'll see you later. I can't wait."

  I watched her turn to leave and managed to wait until she was out of sight to give in to my urge for a fist pump. I didn't even recognize myself at this point.

  JUST AS SHE promised, I did see Quinn again that afternoon. I’d been staring at the door waiting for her to appear and when she walked into the meeting room I couldn't help but smile. She’d said she was coming, but I hadn’t been sure she wouldn’t change her mind. Now that she was here, sitting five rows back and three seats over, I realized how much I’d really wanted her to show up. Even if I didn't get to talk to her, I could look at her. I could study her, observe her. She still wore her glasses and the simplistic look did something to me I hadn't expected. I was anxious for tomorrow. Anxious to spend a day with her alone. I was still surprised that she had agreed to go and a little afraid that she might still change her mind.