People would think I’m insane if they could see me running into my bedroom to practically jump out of my nice pants and blouse, and dive into pink shorts and a white tank top. They’d laugh as they watched me tie my hair into a loose ponytail and slip into my robe, and I’m sure they’d shake their heads as I ran into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of Chardonnay before skipping into the living room and jumping onto the couch feet-first. They’d laugh because they don’t understand what it’s like to have a new book from your favorite author—a person somewhere out there who knows how to write exactly what you crave. This person hits the nail on the head with every new release, and his millions of fans are just as giddy as I am when he gives us something new. So, non-readers may laugh at me, but I feel bad for them, because not having a favorite author to set your mind on fire sounds like hell to me.

Once I’m comfy on the couch, I tuck my feet under me and pick up The Patient. I take a second to marvel at the cover again while I enjoy my first sip of wine, before placing my glass on the end table in front of me and flipping to the title page. My body fills with excitement as I read the title again, smiling to myself as I prepare to dive into this world of erotic perfection. With no more minutes to spare, and not even an ounce of patience left in my body, I turn the page and start to read.

Chapter Two

“I’ve been coming in here talking to you about Lucas a lot,” Ava says, and it takes everything in me not to let my eyes linger on her sexy legs. She has them crossed, but my vision focuses on her skin and tries to crawl up her thighs inch by inch to what she has hiding beneath that blue and white skirt.

“Yes, you have,” I answer, doing my best to fight back the urge I feel building inside me like lava in a volcano that has yet to erupt. No one on the outside knows what’s going on, but the heat is building beneath the surface. “And I feel like you’ve made great progress in your ability to communicate and articulate your feelings. I’d say you’ve started down the path of moving on.”

“I agree,” she says, staring at me with one eyebrow raised. “I definitely don’t feel the same attachment to him that I used to, but that’s not a coincidence. It’s you, Dr. Colson. You’re the one who has helped me to focus on what’s right in front of me. I see you, and I feel like you see me in the exact same way.”