Bailey stirred in her sleep. Squinting at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was 3 a.m.
With a groan muffled by sleep, she pulled a pillow over her head, attempting to drift back into slumber.
She was usually quick to fall asleep and stayed asleep through the night.
After all, she needed her rest. It was Monday, which meant her publisher would be on her doorstep soon.
Bailey let out a hefty sigh, her shoulders heavy. She shut her eyes forcefully and switched her brain off.
The banging on her door jolted her awake. Her eyes once again darted at the clock: 8 a.m. She groaned but got up and went to the door.
Kathy Goldberg was a woman of many smiles, each one conveying a different emotion.
She had a smile for happiness. A smile for annoyance. A smile for anger.
Bailey didn’t have the energy or patience to decipher Kathy’s smiles today, especially since Tony, her public relations guy, was also due to visit.
She was certain the day was going to be a disaster.
She quickly showered, brushed her teeth, and threw her hair up in a bun. She knew Kathy wouldn’t leave until she had seen her.
Once dressed, she opened the door to let the middle-aged woman in.
“Bailey, darling!” Kathy greeted her. Bailey cringed at the term “darling.”
“Hello, Kathy,” she replied, her voice heavy with fatigue.
Kathy was sipping her coffee, her pantsuit immaculate as she multitasked between devices.
“Your next deadline is three months away, and I don’t have any new chapters,” Kathy stated.
Bailey wanted to groan in frustration. She knew that.
“I’m doing the best I can,” Bailey responded instead.
Kathy looked up at her, a warning smile on her face. “Doing your best isn’t enough if the book doesn’t get done.”
“It takes at least a month to edit, and the cover isn’t done yet,” Kathy continued.
Bailey wanted nothing more than to get this woman out of her house.
“I’ll work harder, Kathy, but I need peace and quiet,” she said.
Kathy nodded skeptically and power-walked toward the door, pausing at the threshold to give Bailey a thoughtful look.
“You have until next month to submit at least five good chapters,” she warned. “The publisher is getting impatient for some progress.”
Bailey’s manicured nails dug into the wooden door frame as she clenched her hand.
Forcing a smile, she nodded, trying to ignore the threatening tone in Kathy’s voice.
“I’ll do what I can,” she promised.
Her heart pounded as Kathy walked away. She sighed heavily, biting her lip in frustration and closing her eyes.
When she opened them again, she found herself staring into twinkling green eyes. Suddenly, her stomach flipped like a circus acrobat in midair.
Spencer smirked at her with his eyebrows raised in question.
His chest was bare, his tattoos tempting her to unleash her inner vixen.
“Hey, Sunshine,” he greeted her.
She let her eyes wander over his muscular form. She took in the broad chest, defined muscles, and the happy trail leading into his shorts.
Damn.
“My name is Bailey,” she said, just to fill the silence.
He chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. “I know, Sunshine.”
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I live here, remember?” he replied.
Of course she remembered, but she couldn’t come up with anything cleverer to say. Bailey nodded, wringing her hands together, her eyes darting away from the stunning man in front of her. “Okay, well. Bye then… Spencer.”
He grinned at her, a boyish charm in his smile. “Until next time, Sunshine.”
Bailey quickly retreated behind her door and closed it. She slid down the door, her hand pressed against her racing heart. Sunshine? Why did he call her that? Why did it feel… different?
Whatever it was, it was probably physical. He was very built, his stature overbearing. Still, he looked soft sometimes too.
Bailey scurried to her laptop as she got an idea for her book.
Bailey leaned back in her chair, grinning. She was back in the game. Her fingers flew over the keys, typing out heart-wrenching twists.
She felt a special kind of magic coursing through her as she churned out chapter after chapter. She was on a roll—she could definitely get some good chapters out by next week.
Her spirits were high, and she felt a sense of elated calm wash over her.
But it was soon interrupted by a knock on her door.
