Read Blaze of Winter: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance for Free Online Page B
Authors: Elisabeth Barrett
all it takes is a short break to give you a new lease on whatever it is you’re doing. In fact, you might even be more productive than if you hadn’t taken a break at all.”
There was a long pause, during which both women stayed utterly still.
“I’ll do it,” Lexie finally said, decisively. “I’ll take two days off this weekend. Buster’ll cover for me. He’s been nagging me for weeks to take a break, so he’ll be more than happy to see the back of me.”
“That’s wonderful.” Avery sounded earnest. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how good you feel when you get back into the swing of things after some time away.”
“I like you,” Lexie announced, rather abruptly.
“I—like you too,” Avery responded, a small smile creeping up on her face.
Theo watched both women, fascinated.
“Good,” Lexie said in a satisfied tone. “Tell me what you want, again.” Avery repeated her order, and then Lexie shoved the pad back in her apron pocket and pushed the pencil behind her ear. “Your orders will be up soon. Enjoy yourselves.” She gave them a wink before returning to the kitchen.
Finally, they were alone. “What was that about?” he asked Avery, his voice low.
She’d stiffened up again as soon as Lexie left, but her voice was calm. “What do you mean?”
“You were really good with her,” Theo said. “She goes a mile a minute, never stopping. Everyone tells her she needs to give herself some breathing room, but she could care less what other people say. You’re the first person besides Seb and Buster I’ve actually seen her listen to.”
“I just told her something she probably already knew,” Avery said, shrugging. “Anyway, I do like her.” She looked around. “And I like this place, too. Even if everyone here does know your business.”
“ I don’t know your business.” Not yet . His gaze bored into hers.
She glanced away and began to study the salt shaker with great interest. “Trust me, you don’t want to.”
“Try me.” He leaned against the back of the booth, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’d rather if you told me about yourself,” she said.
“I’m a novelist.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Well?” she prompted after a few moments of silence had passed. “What kind of stuff do you write?”
“Fiction. Seafaring adventures. My latest book is about a noble captain who is betrayed by his rival.”
“Do you do a lot of research, or are you able to draw on personal experiences?” So she really didn’t know he was T. R. Grayson. Checking his ego, he realized that she might not even know who T. R. Grayson was. Honestly, it might make things easier in the short term if she didn’t.
“Both, actually. I majored in history as an undergraduate. By the time I started my master’s degree, I knew I wanted to write, so I wrote fiction alongside my academic papers. I supplement with research as needed, but the interpersonal stuff comes from my life and my imagination. All of the books I’ve written so far have had some pirate lore woven in.”
Avery laughed, a musical, lilting sound. Almost instantly, her posture relaxed and a smile softened her face. It lit up her eyes and made the freckles dance on her cheeks. “Pirates. I like it.”
He stared at her in fascination, wondering what else he could say to make her laugh. God, she was even more beautiful like this—comfortable and at ease. “I take it you’re not a believer.”
“In old pirate legends? No, despite the fact that most of the Inn’s rooms are named after Gold Coast pirates.” She shook her head. “I’m sure that some of the stories are true, but when you start trying to separate fact from fiction it’s very difficult to rely on lore—especially lore that is hundreds of years old and from self-aggrandizing, cutthroat criminals.”
Theo raised a brow. “Some weren’t criminals at all. Some were privateers who operated with a special license from the authorities,
There was a long pause, during which both women stayed utterly still.
“I’ll do it,” Lexie finally said, decisively. “I’ll take two days off this weekend. Buster’ll cover for me. He’s been nagging me for weeks to take a break, so he’ll be more than happy to see the back of me.”
“That’s wonderful.” Avery sounded earnest. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how good you feel when you get back into the swing of things after some time away.”
“I like you,” Lexie announced, rather abruptly.
“I—like you too,” Avery responded, a small smile creeping up on her face.
Theo watched both women, fascinated.
“Good,” Lexie said in a satisfied tone. “Tell me what you want, again.” Avery repeated her order, and then Lexie shoved the pad back in her apron pocket and pushed the pencil behind her ear. “Your orders will be up soon. Enjoy yourselves.” She gave them a wink before returning to the kitchen.
Finally, they were alone. “What was that about?” he asked Avery, his voice low.
She’d stiffened up again as soon as Lexie left, but her voice was calm. “What do you mean?”
“You were really good with her,” Theo said. “She goes a mile a minute, never stopping. Everyone tells her she needs to give herself some breathing room, but she could care less what other people say. You’re the first person besides Seb and Buster I’ve actually seen her listen to.”
“I just told her something she probably already knew,” Avery said, shrugging. “Anyway, I do like her.” She looked around. “And I like this place, too. Even if everyone here does know your business.”
“ I don’t know your business.” Not yet . His gaze bored into hers.
She glanced away and began to study the salt shaker with great interest. “Trust me, you don’t want to.”
“Try me.” He leaned against the back of the booth, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’d rather if you told me about yourself,” she said.
“I’m a novelist.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Well?” she prompted after a few moments of silence had passed. “What kind of stuff do you write?”
“Fiction. Seafaring adventures. My latest book is about a noble captain who is betrayed by his rival.”
“Do you do a lot of research, or are you able to draw on personal experiences?” So she really didn’t know he was T. R. Grayson. Checking his ego, he realized that she might not even know who T. R. Grayson was. Honestly, it might make things easier in the short term if she didn’t.
“Both, actually. I majored in history as an undergraduate. By the time I started my master’s degree, I knew I wanted to write, so I wrote fiction alongside my academic papers. I supplement with research as needed, but the interpersonal stuff comes from my life and my imagination. All of the books I’ve written so far have had some pirate lore woven in.”
Avery laughed, a musical, lilting sound. Almost instantly, her posture relaxed and a smile softened her face. It lit up her eyes and made the freckles dance on her cheeks. “Pirates. I like it.”
He stared at her in fascination, wondering what else he could say to make her laugh. God, she was even more beautiful like this—comfortable and at ease. “I take it you’re not a believer.”
“In old pirate legends? No, despite the fact that most of the Inn’s rooms are named after Gold Coast pirates.” She shook her head. “I’m sure that some of the stories are true, but when you start trying to separate fact from fiction it’s very difficult to rely on lore—especially lore that is hundreds of years old and from self-aggrandizing, cutthroat criminals.”
Theo raised a brow. “Some weren’t criminals at all. Some were privateers who operated with a special license from the authorities,