"whatever," i said, turning my back and walking away.

"hang on," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder to stop me. he spun me around, but looking me in the eyes only made him start laughing again. "wait, don't leave." he shook his head to collect himself. "okay, seriously now." his eyes fell to my chest before meeting mine. "only yours, sweetheart. only yours."

that was how the day went. well, not the laughing-at-my-expense part. we flirted and touched, driving each other mad with thoughts and innuendos. somewhere along the way, we even managed to take in the ambiance of our surroundings. after bourbon street, i stopped focusing on the sour smells and general lack of cleanliness and began to appreciate the actual beauty of the city that was steeped in tradition and culture. we sampled local delicacies, liking each one more than the last. my favorite culinary delight was the beignet from cafe du monde. it was like a pastry from heaven. the dough was so light and fresh it melted in my mouth. i became instantly addicted, so alec ordered extra so we could take them back to the room.

near the end of our exploration, we stumbled upon one of the old parks in the heart of the city where a couple stood, exchanging vows in front of a minster and a couple dozen friends and family. the colors in the sky had just begun to change in the pre-dusk hour when the sun wasn't quite as hot and a mild breeze cut into the humidity. two peacocks strutted across the grass without fear, their brilliant feathers fanned out behind them. combined with the backdrop of the historic architecture of the surrounding buildings, the scene was absolutely picturesque and became my favorite moment of the day.

"oh no. you're one of those girls who is a total sucker for weddings," alec whispered, seeing the starry-eyed look in my eyes.

i shook my head, scrunching up my nose distastefully as he slid an arm around my waist. "not at all. i'm a romantic at heart, but i can totally do without the hoopla of an actual wedding ceremony. i've been a bridesmaid twice, and after witnessing the pre-wedding mayhem, i would rather elope."

"and she surprises me again," alec said, kissing the top of my head.

"it's the peacocks. i'm a bit obsessed with them," i said, pointing to the majestic birds that had migrated to the bushes. "i've always thought they were beautiful, but i was researching them for wicked lovely, and i was instantly hooked by their symbolism."

"really? so, what do they symbolize?"

"it's fascinating. a lot of religions believe the peacock is a symbol of immortality, while others believe it symbolizes new beginnings. the idea of immortality has always fascinated me, but i actually used the new beginning symbolism in wicked lovely."

"new beginnings? i like that," he murmured, trailing his lips along my neck.

i leaned back into his embrace, completely agreeing with him. the kind of new beginning we were experiencing was definitely something i could learn to love.

we watched the peacocks for several more minutes before strolling away. maybe someday i would have a peacock at my own wedding. maybe with alec. it could be our one and only witness. my glimpse into the future wasn't something i would share. the virgin thing was a big enough hurdle to get over. still, i was beginning to fall for him-hard.

we headed back toward the hotel after a long afternoon of walking the city. the foreplay and teasing followed by the moment we had just shared made me more than ready to be alone with him.

we detoured briefly into a tourist shop because i had it in my mind that i wanted to get olivia the most obnoxious souvenir i could find. i had called her after the first night alec and i had done the deed. she was, of course, appropriately enthusiastic, but turned crude when she demanded to know the details. i wanted to get her something absolutely hideous to pay her back.

alec's phone rang in his pocket and i smiled, checking the time on my phone. he had told me the day before that lily liked to call him every night at eight o'clock, right before she headed off to bed. the one conversation i had witnessed wasn't long and seemed entirely one-sided as he asked her about her day at summer camp.

alec stepped outside for some privacy, so i headed toward the store's selection of tee shirts. most of them boasted crude messages. some were downright hilarious and i couldn't help laughing as i searched the rack.

"get her that one," alec said, sneaking up behind me. he had pointed to a shirt with a cartoon picture of a woman's vagina that looked like a giant crawfish that read: "the taste of new orleans."

i laughed, thumbing through the stack of shirts until i found olivia's size. "that's totally gross, but she's going to die. did you want to pick something for lily?"

"she wants a toy airplane from the airport. i'll pick one up before we head home. i am getting this though," he said, holding up a box of beignet mix.

"you know how to cook?" i clapped my hands gleefully.

"you're looking at a master chef here. i make a mean french toast that would make any mademoiselle weep," he said in his best french accent.

"my oh my. aren't you multitalented?"

"not nearly as talented as you, sweet stuff. i can barely write a decent grocery shopping list. forget about an entire novel. it blows my mind that you can sit in front of your computer and create an entire story. that's something spectacular."

his compliment made me blush. "i don't know. to me, it pales in comparison to becoming a doctor. i think saving lives trumps couples hooking up."

"oh, i wouldn't go that far, especially when they're hooking up in places like balconies or on the deck of a pirate ship." he smiled crookedly.

"you read my book?" i had a hard time believing it since i knew from past conversations that he preferred a more "manly" type of fiction. historical romance didn't seem to fit into his normal reading forte.

"books, sweetheart. i read all of them. i have to say, for a virgin, you definitely sounded like you knew your way around the bedroom." he winked at me, making my cheeks flush.

"all of them? wow." i wasn't sure how to react. my family had all read my books. even dad, much to my chagrin, but i always believed it was because they felt obligated. like when someone tells you a bad haircut looked good. knowing that alec had read my books made my heart swell. the emotions i was feeling for him were as foreign to me as the creole dishes we had eaten for lunch. not to mention, it was too soon. i could be setting myself up for the biggest disappointment of my life. as an avid reader, i hated insta-love stories. it never felt real to me. i wanted love built on a relationship that had grown and matured along the way. not because he made my toes curl in bed or filled me with desire with only a wink. love was an invested emotion. not something you handed out willy-nilly.

"damn right, all of them. i tried the first book after we met at the beach, but how could i not continue after that cliffhanger with jacques and liz at the end of the second book?" alec's eyes twinkled with humor. i couldn't tell if he was screwing with me. over the years, i'd been teased mercilessly by the testosterone clan in my family, so i was a pro at sniffing out bullshit. alec was harder to read.

"people hated me for that cliffhanger, you know. i vowed i'd never end a book like that again," i admitted, purchasing my shirt before he could argue. during the last couple of days, he had tried to revisit the subject of me paying for things, claiming that if we were dating, he would be picking up the tab from now on. not that the idea of him thinking of us as an item wasn't wonderful, but i had to put my foot down on him paying. it took some convincing, but i still had the solid reasoning that my purchases were a business expense. uncle sam wanted his money and according to the accountant who did my taxes, i needed all the deductions i could get.

alec scoffed as he held the door open for me to exit the souvenir shop. "how could someone hate you for the way you ended your book? i'd like to see anyone say something when i'm around. that cliffhanger was necessary," he said indignantly.

i smiled at his protective vibe. "you're pretty cute when you're in defensive mode, but don't sweat it. you'd be surprised how passionate readers get about books."

he growled, pulling me in tightly. "cute? don't you mean frightening? at least call me an intimidating badass."

"oh, that goes without saying. you are one. big. strapping. scary. man." i kissed his neck between every word and then sucked hard to give him a hickey at the end.

"okay, okay," he said, pulling away. "how did you get so good at this so fast? that's what i want to know."

he hugged me again, tightly against his chest. i laughed breathlessly, loving the closeness of our embrace. we'd made love several times in the past forty-eight hours, but being wrapped in his arms still felt special. i couldn't seem to get enough. everything about him was like an intoxicating drug, and i was becoming addicted.

in the beginning, i had dreaded the idea of being away from home for three weeks in a row, but alec had changed everything. spending time together didn't feel like work. it was more like an extended vacation. i couldn't help wondering if things would remain the same after we returned home and got back to our everyday lives. would we still see each other, or would the fairy tale end for me? neither of us had actually expressed our feelings in any way other than sex. it could be possible that this was just a fun time for him and the feelings i had developed were completely one-sided. besides, i would be diving into my next book, and he would return to his own life. a life that i now knew included a daughter. i could have continued driving myself nuts with what ifs, but i decided to make the most of the next week and a half and cross the next bridge when it came. i would enjoy my drug while it was still readily available.

we arrived back at the hotel and alec dragged me into a quiet corner of the lobby. with my back pressed against the wall, he bracketed me on either side with his arms that were like bands of steel. "see, intimidating," he cajoled.

"sexy as hell," i countered, finding his hips and bringing him even closer to me. "sorry, but you don't scare me in that aspect. you're too swoony." i stood on my toes and nipped the underside of his chin.

he pressed his lower body against me so i could feel how i was affecting him. "so i do scare you in some way?" he leaned in close, breathing huskily into my ear. "i was just playing, i hope you realize. i don't want you to ever be scared of me."

i trailed my lips along his jugular, trying to distract him. "me too," i said. i wasn't completely lying. how could i tell him my fear had nothing to do with physical harm and everything to do with feelings? it was my heart i was worried about. "let's go to the room," i breathed into his ear.

as usual, alec's instincts were right on. his eyes peered into mine as if he suspected there was more to my answer than what i had let on. i ducked my head, finding the soft hollow above his collarbone that had become my favorite spot. my tongue traced the sensitive skin before i gently nipped him with my teeth. "fine. you win again," he said, dragging me to the bank of elevators.

my body hummed with anticipation as we watched the numbers above each of the elevator doors slowly descend toward the lobby. groaning when the numbers paused at various floors along the way, i glanced around, happy to see we were still the only people waiting to ride up. i licked my lips, imagining the fun we would have once the doors closed.

the center elevator dinged just as it arrived at the lobby. alec and i nearly burst through the doors when they opened before we had to pause to allow a couple of giggling kids to exit. alec guided me inside, placing his warm hand on the small of my back. i was already twisting around to face him when he pinned me against the mirrored wall of the elevator.

he dipped his head toward mine just as a hand snaked in and stopped the doors before they could slide closed. we both took an immediate step away from each other as two elderly women stepped inside to join us.

i wanted to pull out my phone to take a picture of the frustrated look on alec's face that said more than any words i could write. the two women covertly stole glances our direction. i was used to alec catching the attention of women wherever we went, but never from someone these ladies' ages. i had to hand it to them. they may have been a couple of dirty old cougars, but they still knew what they liked, even though he could have been their grandson.

alec seemed oblivious as usual as he steadfastly watched the numbers moving from one floor to the next. i'd been in some slow elevators before, but this one took the cake. it was even less tolerable riding awkwardly with a couple of strangers.

the two women became more animated as their whispering turned to excited chatter. "excuse me," one of them asked as they turned toward me. i had already prepared myself for the inevitable question. they wanted me to take their picture with alec. the way they were practically stumbling over their tongues to ask was a dead giveaway.

"yes," i answered, already holding my hand out to accept their camera or phone.

"you're n.s. blake, right?" she blushed slightly, holding open the wicked fantasies event program to the page with my bio and author photo.

luckily, the elevator had mirrored walls. otherwise i wouldn't have noticed my jaw hanging to the floor in the reflection. i was used to people coming to my table at book signings and knowing who i was, but that was because of my eight-foot-tall vertical banner with my name on it. this was the first time i'd been recognized away from that environment. i couldn't even get the words out to answer. i merely nodded.

"i told you," she squealed, grinning triumphantly at her friend. "can we get a picture with you?"

"sure," alec happily boomed as the elevator stopped on the ninth floor. once the doors opened, he positioned himself to block them from closing again. just moments ago he'd been antsy that the elevator was taking too long and now he was more than happy to be an amateur photographer.

"thank you so much," the elderly lady crowed, pulling an ipad out of her bag. "take it with this so i can use it for my screensaver." she practically bounced with excitement as i stood sandwiched between her and her friend with my arms wrapped around their waists.

alec smiled at her indulgently as he waited for us to be ready. "say grant," he coaxed, holding up the ipad to snap the picture.

"oh my god, i love grant," the friend piped in. "i nearly went through an entire box of tissues when his daddy died. you made me feel his pain so completely."

i felt dumb, mumbling my thanks for their kind comments, but i was flustered and more than a little in awe at the surreal moment. the fact that she'd immersed herself so wholly in the words i had written that she actually cried was the best compliment i'd ever been given.