Chapter 13

Megan’s POV

Jake's phone buzzed and he stepped aside, muttering a quick "Back in a sec" before ducking into the hall. I watched him go then turned back to Chris, studying him for a beat. He seemed to sense my lingering assessment and straightened under the weight of my stare.

"So, writer boy," I began, lips quirking. "Now that you've gotten over the shock of little ol' me, why don't you show me what you've got?"

He blinked owlishly before the implication dawned on him. Flushing, he fumbled with the worn leather portfolio, extracting a sheaf of papers and manuscripts.

"R-right, of course." He cleared his throat nervously. "These are some samples of my recent work - published short stories and the like."

I accepted the proffered stack with a casual nod, immediately struck by the crispness of his prose and evocative sense of scene. Wordlessly, I reached over and plucked his glasses off, sliding them onto my own nose to better appraise the