“The lifestyle?” I ask, and Nathan tilts his head. Only then do I realize what he’s asking me. “The BDSM lifestyle? Oh, no … I … I don’t know. I guess I’m not … but reading your books makes me feel like I’m supposed to be.”

Did I just fucking say that out loud? Goddammit, I have to keep it at bay. Why is it seeping out?

Nathan glances down at my mouth again, and the smile that stretches across his flawless face is one of sincerity. He floors me with it, and I smile back without being able to stop myself.

“What’s your name?” he asks, but for reasons unknown to me, he lowers his voice and leans in a little, as if this part of the conversation is reserved only for us, and I find myself leaning in to proudly be a member of this exclusive club.

“Alina,” I answer. “Alina Cruz.”

Nathan extends his hand for me to shake, and I quickly do. “Nice to meet you, Alina. We should talk after this.”

My eyes bulge. “We should?”

“Yeah. Would that be okay with you?”

As my heart races and I nod my head, I barely get the words out. “Umm, yeah. Of course.”

“Good,” Nathan says, before finally going back to his regular speaking voice and addressing the group again. “Any more questions?”

As the woman across from us is finally allowed to get her question out, I glance over at Juliana, who’s staring at me with giant eyes on her shocked face. All I can do is cover my mouth as I smile.

The rest of the VIP hour goes by like it’s being played in fast forward. Every woman in the group asks a question, and Nathan has no problem answering all of them with a smile on his face. Even when someone asks about his romantic life, Nathan doesn’t dodge the question like most people in the spotlight might. He has no problem telling us that he’s twenty-nine years old, single, and has been since the release of The Patient because his life has been too busy lately. He explains everything from his writing process to the wine he likes to drink while he lounges in his home on the outskirts of Smyrna, and we lap up every word of it. Everyone falls in love with Nathan in sixty minutes, and we all groan when Keisha stands up and tells us that the hour is over and that it’s time to go.