Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (4 page)

“
Tank,
there is something happening today that is going to change my life.
 
And potentially change our lives
together if I
’
m
to believe Blackwell.
”

“
You
’
re signing your book
contract with Wenn Publishing today,
”
he said.
 
“
I know about
that.
 
We talked about it.
”

“
We
talked about some of it.
”

He furrowed his brow at me.
 
“
What haven
’
t
we talked about?
”

“
All
that comes with it.
”

“
Such
as?
”

“
The
advance they
’
re
giving me is large.
 
Wenn needs to
earn their money back.
 
To make
money, you need to spend money.
 
Wenn has the means to market the hell out of me and my books, and that
will shine one mother of a spotlight on me.
 
And we both know what that means.
”

“
Sure.
 
You
’
re about to become famous.
 
I know that.
”

“
And
that doesn
’
t
bother you?
”

“
Why
would it?
 
It would only bother me
if it bothered you.
 
I
’
m proud of you,
Lisa.
 
I know that this is your
dream.
 
Maybe not the fame part, but
certainly the part about being published by a major publisher.
 
I want whatever makes you happy.
”

“
Their
schedule is so aggressive,
”
I
said.
 
“
I
’
m worried about how
much time we
’
re
going to have to spend together.
 
I
not only have to give myself over to Wenn
’
s publicity machine, but I also need to finish my next book
in six months, and I haven
’
t
even started it.
 
It
’
s going to be
grueling.
 
And then it
’
s just going to start
up again.
”

“
You
’
re going to have to
eat, aren
’
t
you?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
And
sleep?
”

“
One
can hope.
”

“
Then
we
’
ll
do that together.
”

I smiled at him.

“
I
don
’
t
think this is going to be as bad as you think.
 
It
’
ll be intense for a good six months, then things will
settle down.
 
After the contract is
over, if you want to go back to self-publishing, you can.
 
Or maybe you could try staying with
Wenn, but working out a more reasonable schedule.
 
I see this as temporary, but my love for
you is not.
”
 

He lifted my chin with his forefinger
and my heart swelled for him.
 
“
Don
’
t worry about me,
”
he
said.
 
“
Don
’
t worry about finding
time for us
—
we
’
ll make it happen,
OK?
 
Maybe you can sleep over more
often.
 
Maybe I can sleep over at
your place more often.
 
Some days,
we can steal away for lunch or dinner.
 
The rest of the time, we
’
ll
both be working.
 
I know from this
morning
’
s
meeting that I
’
ll
be traveling a lot with Alex for the next few months
—
I
’
ll be gone quite a
bit, which will allow you time to focus on your work and not worry about
us.
 
So, there are ways to work
around this, and still be in a healthy relationship, Lisa.
”

“
You
’
re going to be
traveling with Alex?
 
Starting when?
”

“
This
week.
”

“
How
long will you be gone?
”

“
Wenn
is trying to land a deal in Singapore.
 
I
’
ll
be there for at least a couple of weeks.
 
I just found out this morning.
”

“
Singapore?
 
For two weeks?
”

“
Maybe
more.
 
It goes with the job.
 
So the pressure of maintaining our
relationship isn
’
t
all on you.
 
It
’
s on both of us.
 
We both have to do our day jobs, but we
also need to make certain that the time we spend together is meaningful.
”

“
What
am I going to do without you for two weeks?
”

“
Focus
on your work.
 
Skype with me when
you can.
 
It
’
s not ideal, but Alex
thinks he can wrap the deal up in that timeframe.
 
Then things will be back to normal.
”

I hated the idea of being without
him, but he was right.
 
This was his
job.
 
I had my own job.
 
I
’
d miss him, but I also needed to support him.
 
So I took his hand in mine and said,
“
We can handle a couple
of weeks.
”

“
I
know we can, despite how much I
’
ll
miss you.
 
Let me ask you a question
—
can
you write your next book within six months?
”

“
Yes.
 
I
’
m a fast writer, especially when I have a boot up my ass.
”

“
Perfect,
”
he
said.
 
“
But I haven
’
t asked you.
 
Do you know who your editor is yet?
 
You haven
’
t mentioned a name.
”

“
Marco
Boss.
”

A look of concern crossed his
face.
 
“
You got
him
?
”

“
I
know.
 
I
’
ve Googled him.
 
Everything I
’
ve read about him says
that he
’
s a
son of a bitch.
”

“
That
’
s an understatement.
”

“
The
good news is that he has an impressive client list.
 
He
’
s supposed to be an excellent editor, and he
’
s had a shitload of
bestsellers.
”

“
All
of that
’
s
true, but he
’
s
arrogant as hell.
 
If he becomes too
much, let me know if your boyfriend needs to pay him a visit.
”

“
Well,
that
would intimidate him.
”

“
Not
really.
 
His ego is too big.
 
And physically?
 
Boss is around my size.
”

“
How
is that even possible?
 
You
’
re a mountain.
”

“
Apparently,
both of us ate our vegetables.
 
But
between you and me, I could still take him.
”

“
You
’
re the former
SEAL.
 
If he becomes too much, I
’
ll have you take him
out in the middle of the night.
 
So,
are we good?
”

“
The
question is whether
you
are good.
 
I
’
m
very proud of you.
 
Whatever next
steps you take have my full support.
 
You need to know that.
”
 
He leaned in and kissed me.
 
“
So, what do you think?
 
Are you going to do this?
”

“
I
guess so.
 
I think you
’
ve convinced me to.
”

“
Then
I succeeded.
 
This is a great
opportunity for you.
 
We
’
ll get through it
—
I
’
m not worried.
 
But thanks for talking with me.
 
I appreciate that you
’
ve considered me in
all of this.
”

“
I
should have talked with you sooner.
 
Everything has happened so quickly.
 
I got freaked out and I didn
’
t want to burden you with it.
 
You
’
re more important to me than that contract.
 
You
’
re more important to me than you know.
 
I don
’
t want anything to screw up what we have.
”

“
If
you don
’
t
go forward with this, it will.
 
You
’
ll always be wondering
‘
what
if?
’
 
That
’
s something I can
’
t have.
 
OK?
”

“
OK.
”

We stood and walked toward the closed
conference door.
 
He was holding my
hand so tightly that I could feel the beat of his pulse pass through me.
 
“
So, I
’
m
going to be serious for a moment because I know him better than you do,
”
he
said.
 
“
If Boss does become a
problem, I want to know about it.
 
OK?
 
I wasn't joking about
that earlier.
 
He
’
s a bastard.
 
If he
’
s rude to you, I want you to tell me.
”

I stood on the tips of my toes,
curled my arms around his thick neck, and kissed him as if it was the last kiss
we
’
d
ever share.
 
That
’
s how much I loved
him.
 
That
’
s how much I couldn
’
t wait to be with him
later.
 
Our tongues probed, and they
probed deep.
 

“
Wish
me well?
”
I
asked when we parted.

“
Actually,
I wish we could go to a hotel.
”

“
Come
on.
”

“
You
know I wish you the world, babe.
”