by Taylor Love
It was his turn to look impressed. “I'm surprised someone like you even knows about Indie publishing.”
“Of course I do. Academics have been taking advantage of self-publishing in bigger numbers for a while now, even way back when it was expensive. If you had an ideal out in left field, you really had no choice since the university presses wouldn’t take you. But now people do so fairly often. Probably for some of the same reasons it's so popular in the secular writing world. What little money we make from our books we can keep more of, as well as have more freedom with our ideas and subjects of study.”
“You hit the main nails on the head, and yeah I’m Indie. For me it was because I didn't want to waste any more time trying to convince some agent to validate my stories worth. Plus it's fairly quick, and as you said no editor having the final decision on what gets in my book and what doesn't. And last but in no way least, I want all my coins. Would you classify that as one of humanity’s baser instincts...greed?”
“Yes I would, and I can't blame you there.” Janae nodded across the table. “I've read a few articles over the years that say some Indie writers are making big money. Don't tell me you’re some secret Stephen King who came up here to creepily write in the middle of nowhere.”
“I wish.” Damond let a wistful look claim his face before shaking it off. “I've got six books out that go a bit against the grain. I guess you can describe them as similar to “Dexter”. They read from the perspective of the killer. You should study why so many people are interested in the minds of murderers.”
Damond wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair before continuing.
“They were received well over the last five years. But part of why I'm up here is because I’ve been in a slight slump. If I don't pump out a book soon my readers may forget who I am. Indie is great, and I've been able to make an actual living off of it. But with so many writers in the market now, the competition for reader’s short attention spans is harder than ever to keep.”
“I'm sorry to hear about the slump.” And she was, seeing as right now she could relate. “Looks like we came up here basically for the same reasons. Ironic, huh?”
“It's something alright. I think my problem is that I'm starting a new series, going the more traditional route, writing to trend. There will still be crazy killers but the books will focus on a law enforcement MC, oh that means main character.”
“Thanks, I put two and two together.”
“Well anyway, I’ll be writing from a different viewpoint than I’m used to. With this being the first book, I have to put a lot of thought into the characters personality and how it will flow and even change in future books.”
“I admit that seems more complex than I thought. I mean how far out ahead you have to plan. Good luck with getting your ideas together.”
“Actually Professor, I just did.” Damond pulled out his trusty notepad. “You just gave me an idea. I think I'm going to write in a psychologist to help out my MC from time to time.”
“Me?” Janae watched him hurriedly scribbling down notes. “I mean not me, but I gave you that idea?”
“Yeah, it's not a new trope. Often there are partners trying to solve a crime or an outside co-partner of some kind. Sometimes both are MC's or just supporting ones. I just decided it would be amusing for my crime solver to bump heads with his own fictional doctor.”
“Thanks, I think. To be fair you’ve given me something to think about as well.”
“We’ll there you go. We both have a new thread to pull on.”
“Yes...” Janae trailed off, watching him pop a strawberry in his mouth.
Swallowing and turning back to her plate, Janae tried blocking the vision of his lips hovering over hers. Maybe he had never meant to kiss her. He could’ve just been seeing if she was okay. That was the more likely answer, obviously he found her too skinny for his liking, not that she cared.
“Umm, didn’t you miss your nap today, are you going to make up for it now?”
Damond shook his head as he got up, taking his plate to the sink.
“No, it’s too late for that now. Besides, I want to outline this new character while it’s fresh in my mind. Thanks again Professor.”
And like that he was gone, his mind firmly on his work. Janae envied that focus and figured she needed to go find some of her own.
Chapter Six
IT WAS WEDNESDAY AGAIN and she had officially been here two weeks. Things were finally falling into place and she was making actual progress on her project. After their shopping trip and snowball fight, they settled into a kind of truce. Being more pleasant when they ran into each other now, even falling into the habit of eating dinner together a bit after six-thirty each night. Whoever hit the kitchen first cooked, and by some unspoken means it was decided the other person cleaned up.
Janae thought it was fascinating to see communal cooperation happening in the moment between complete strangers. So of course she took a few notes for a future class, project or a possible research topic for her next book. It had been nice that the ice was finally broken. It also seemed to have been the catalyst she needed for her work to start flowing.
This particular day as they finished dinner, she was thinking this getaway might end up working out despite how it started. She had been the one to cook, throwing together some spaghetti and meatballs, so there would be enough for tomorrow as well. Damond was wiping down the counter after loading the dishwasher when he suddenly turned around.
“Are you heading back to work?”
“Aren’t you?” Janae questioned.
Normally Damond went back into his office while sometimes she would catch an hour of news on CNN or do her email check depending on the day of the week. Janae usually put in another couple of hours of work, then she was in bed most nights by ten. While Damond didn’t turn in until around two-ish.
“No, I don’t feel like it,” he answered. “Plus, I have all night to put more words on the page. I was going to head downstairs, play around for a bit. Figured I’d give my brain a break. You should join me?”
Damond watched her mind work, and her eyes glance at the kitchen clock that showed it was already after seven.
“Never mind,” Damond retracted. “I know you probably want to get more work in.”
“No. I mean I do, but I can spare an hour of down time. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll meet you down there.”
“Yeah okay, no rush.”
JANAE DIDN’T RUSH BUT she used her stated time to do her normal evening ritual. Damond had probably never noticed as he was closeted in his office, but she always went upstairs and put on bed clothes to get comfy before finishing her evening work. She took her showers in the morning, partly to help wake up. Unlike her unexpected roommate, who mainly wore sweatpants, she had packed as if she’d be running into people daily. Which in hindsight was stupid.
True her slacks were very comfortable, as well as the casual sweaters and shirts she had brought. But her Angelina Cozy fleece pj’s were beyond compare when it came to comfort. Never had another pair been so super soft, yet still lightweight. They were keeping her nice and toasty at night too, she didn’t even have to pile on the blankets. Shaking out her hair from its low bun, she tied on her headscarf before heading down.
In truth she was coming to depend on her brief but daily contact with Damond to keep cabin fever from setting in. Janae had thought she would relish not being around people, and in a way she did. No fake niceness to deal with from coworkers, no smart-ass kids that she wouldn’t trust to vote on American Idol contestants, much less in politics giving her lip. Up here she didn’t have to deal with the stress of traffic either. Yet, she missed it all, just a little.
Also, she wasn’t spending her every waking hour working anyway. While being in the middle of nowhere allowed for less distractions, her modern human brain was in withdrawal from the lack of stimulation. Sure, she read a couple of chapters from the leisure book she had brought along, but that was about it
. Unless you counted just staring out the window.
There were no sounds as background music for the ears, no people watching as you silently judged everyone. And at night no business or streetlights to prove you were not alone. The only thing out here that did that was Damond. She was having way too much time for self-introspection, which was why no one had to twist her arm to take a break.
To date she hadn’t spent much time in the basement, except that one time she tried to work there. The entire thing was one big game room to keep both adults and kids happy. She could see how this cabin would be a perfect vacation spot for a family. It ran almost the entire length of the house, except for a portion cut away for laundry, storage and the garage. The space had a pinball machine, pool table, ping pong, dart board even an arcade style two player basketball game. There was still room left over for a sectional in a seating area, and a rather large TV that was hooked up to a gaming system. Last, but always a sure thing was a card table in the corner along with a number of board games.
“I’m here.”
Glancing over as she cleared the steps, his eyes widened. This was the first time he’d seen her in anything other than regular clothes, or her hair not in that boring bun. It was a shock seeing wavy dark brown hair hanging down her back.
“Hey, are you coming to relax or go to sleep?”
Janae flashed a quick grin. “Both, but some relaxing first. What do you have in mind?”
“How about some pool?”
“No, anything but. I somehow end up poking or hitting myself.”
“I won’t even ask how it’s possible you can’t avoid a big ole stick. You pick something then.”
“How about basketball?” Janae suggested.
“Sure thing, if you want to be assured of losing.”
“I don’t worry about things like that, I’m just trying to have a little fun.”
She kept that mindset until they started to play, but once she made that first shot it became addictive. Her face screwed up in concentration as the minute timer counted down to zero.
“Damn Professor, you got a little game or I’m rusty. I only beat you by six.”
“I don’t know about that, I think it was luck on my part. Let's go again.”
He beat her by even less the next time, though they both scored more overall on account of being warmed up. They played another two times and she actually won the last game.
“Okay, that’s enough of this.” Janae was breathless from the frantic throwing, not to mention the laughing and trash talking Damond had egged her into.
“Oh, now that you’ve won, you don’t want a rematch?”
“It’s not that, I’m just tired and want to do something else.”
“Yeah, okay sore loser. So, you won’t care if I pick what we do next?”
Janae nodded in agreement. “Anything but pool I’ll give a try.”
“You should know better than to tell a man anything goes. You know our nature means we’ll try to take advantage of it.”
Janae figured if her face was flushed she could blame it on the game. He had stopped trying to make her uncomfortable with sexual barbs after last weekend, so this one caught her off guard.
“I trust you not to be sadistic with your pick. Besides there’s not much here for you to torture me with.”
“I need to write you into a book, as the naive woman who gets killed in a creative way.” Damond scoffed. “I’m sure I can find something down here to make you regret saying that. Just give me a few minutes.”
“Have fun with that.”
Janae walked to the corner and grabbed water from the mid-size fridge. Bringing one back to Damond as he fiddled with the TV. He took the beverage but gave her a funny look.
“They didn’t have a beer or at least a coke?”
“They do, it’s pretty well stocked. Drink the water, I never see you drink any.”
“I wasn’t aware you were monitoring my water intake.”
“You can walk over and get something else, or tell me what we’re about to do. My hour of downtime is ticking away.”
“We’re going to test your dancing skills.” Damond rubbed his hands.
“What?” She almost dropped the water as he tossed her a controller. “Are you serious? I didn’t take you for the kind to play this type of game.”
Damond frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Just that you seem too manly to dance dance. You seem like the kind of guy that would sit in a corner at a nightclub, sipping a drink and looking out with disdain at the crowd.”
“Oh really?” He didn’t know whether to be offended or laugh. “Well, I can’t see you in a club at all, so there. Do you even know how to move your hips?”
“Just pick a song with a decent tempo.” Janae cocked her head, putting her hands on the very hips he was insulting. “And we’ll see whose hips move better. You are so obnoxious.”
“Careful Professor, I’m getting offended by your strong language.”
“Shut up, and start the game.”
Damond did, starting “Just Dance”. Picking the first song “Finesse” by Bruno Mars and Cardi B. There would be no easing into it for either of them. With the songs up tempo 90’s style beat it didn’t take long before they were struggling to keep up, tripping over themselves and trying not to laugh, all at the same time. Somehow they survived the almost four minute song without falling out, and had even gotten the hang of the routine somewhere along the way.
“Alright now! I see you Professor, you got some moves. How old are you? You were dancing like this was your era.”
“Cause it is.”
Janae paused for some water. That routine plus the b-ball undoubtedly equaled one of her rarely used workout tapes. This is what messing around with Damond got her.
“You didn’t do so bad yourself. I’m thirty-seven, you?”
“Thirty-eight.” He was thankful for that water now but wouldn’t tell her that. “Hmm, okay you ready for the next one?”
“Sure why not, I’ve already embarrassed myself, what else do I have to lose?”
“There’s always pride. One of those emotions that have people using violence to settle disputes. Later people slapped each other in the face with white gloves over it.”
“You and all your annoying, yet accurate observations.” It was such a male thing to say but he was right. “Maybe you should be the psychologist.” Janae mumbled the last before saying louder, “Just start the next one.”
Up next was “Mad Love” by Sean Paul & David Guetta featuring Becky G. A medium tempo song with a sensual Latin beat. So they ended up doing some light salsa foot work. Moving their hips was a must on this one, with some body rolls thrown in too. The movements were definitely sexy and before it was done she was feeling hot and bothered and not because of the activity. Watching his backside not to mention his front, left little to the imagination in those sweats. Both had her blood pressure going up.
When this song ended Damond gave her a long glance. “My bad, your hips move just fine Ms. Lady. I apologize.”
“Are you sure that's water and not vodka because I can’t believe you apologized about anything.” Janae made a joke of it, because the way he was looking had her nervous. “I’ll do one more song, but I’m picking it. You’re trying to kill me.”
Janae scrolled through the songs, finally choosing one pretty much at random.
“You really are trying to slow it up.” Damond eyebrows rose as ‘I Feel It Coming’ by The Weekend queued up. “That’s an unexpected choice.”
“Honestly I only picked it because I’ve heard my students mention the artist before, I barely know any of these folks.”
They got going and she quickly figured out what Damond meant. The beat might have been sweet and slow, but the words quickly got to her. Talk about “a single touch, seeing it in your eyes” started making her think thoughts best left in her subconscious. And when it started talking about “heat between your thighs” it was too
much for her.
“I’m out, I’m tired.”
Janae walked away not giving him time to protest. She made it to the area with the pool table and hopped on top. Head tilted back, even her eyes closed while she fought to suppress her crazy thoughts. Time went by, maybe ten seconds maybe twenty, she didn’t know. Just knew the music was still going when she finally lifted her head and opened her eyes, only to see Damond standing directly in front of her.
“Just a suggestion, but the next time you try to escape you should run further than across the room.”
Janae licked her dry lips, nervous at his proximity and intense stare. “What in the world would I be running from?”
“Me.”
Chapter Seven
DAMOND DIDN’T GIVE her time to speak, and neither of them much time to think as he caged her in with his body, leaning his head in for a kiss. Just slow enough so she could stop him if she really wanted to. When she didn’t he attacked her lips, slashing his against hers. Firmly demanding entrance, so that when her mouth finally opened she gave a little squeak of surprise. Only for them both to sigh a moment later when their tongues touched. Then he was putting his hands in her hair, not surprised it was as soft as he’d imagined it was.
For the first few seconds Janae held herself rock still. Everything but her tongue froze, as he invaded her mouth like a conquering Roman soldier. But when her shock wore off, she found herself leaning forward and grabbing his waist. He responded by walking even closer, nudging his hips between hers and that sensation alone through her pajama bottoms had her melting. Triggering her arms to wind around his neck, pulling him even closer if that was possible. The clothes were the only thing keeping him from being inside her and the thought had her gasping out in titillation.
Damond took the opening to run soft kisses down her neck to her collarbone. Only to trail his tongue back up the column until he could fasten his lips to hers again for an even deeper kiss. His hands were on their own mission sneaking under her top, walking up her ribcage until he could cup the undersides of her breasts. When she let out a little moan just from the light touch he determined he wanted to see what she sounded like when her bare flesh was in his hands. Pulling back, he whipped her shirt overhead, her glazed eyes sharpened as he went to get rid of her sports bra. Shit was she about to pump the breaks? Turned out she had just the opposite in mind, as she started pulling his own shirt off, and Damond was eager to comply.
