Page 111 of Checking It Twice
But Clare’s different. She doesn’t try to change me or fix me. She just... fits. Like she was always supposed to be there.
“Whatever,” I say, standing and grabbing my bag. “Enjoy your terrible wings and overpriced beer.”
“Enjoy your book discussion, grandpa,” Ty calls after me.
I flip him off and head out, already thinking about getting home to Clare. Two months, and I still get that kick in my chest when I walk through the door and find her there.
The banquet room at the arena is packed. Apparently, word got out that I’m co-hosting tonight, and half the Dallas metropolitan area decided they needed to hear me discuss paranormal romance.
Clare’s at the front of the room, setting up the microphones with Vivian. She’s wearing that black dress I love—the one that hugs every curve and makes it impossible for me to think about anything else.
“You clean up nice, Drake,” Vivian says when I approach. “Try not to scare off the fans.”
“I’m charming as hell.”
“You’re something.” She grins and heads to the back of the room.
Clare looks up at me, and that smile—the one that’s just for me—spreads across her face. “Ready for this?”
“Born ready.” I lean down to kiss her, but she puts a hand on my chest, stopping me.
“Mitch. Professional.”
“Impossible around you.”
I steal the kiss anyway, quick and soft, tasting the vanilla lip gloss she always wears. She melts into me for just a second before pushing me back, cheeks flushed.
“Behave,” she whispers, but she’s smiling.
“Make me.”
The crowd’s getting restless, so we take our seats at the front table. Clare handles the introductions while I try not to stare at the way her mouth moves when she talks. Two months of living with her, and I’m still completely distracted by everything she does.
“So,” Clare says, turning to me with that professional smile that doesn’t quite hide her amusement, “what did you think of our vampire hero’s journey back to love?”
The question catches me off guard for a second. Right. The book. The one about second chances and supernatural redemption that actually hit close to home in a weird way.
“Well,” I say, leaning into the microphone, “as someone who knows a thing or two about needing a second chance...” A few women in the audience actually sigh. “I thought Allistar did what any smart man would do—he fought for what mattered.”
“Even though he was convinced he didn’t deserve it?” Clare asks, and there’s something in her voice that makes me think we’re not just talking about fictional vampires anymore.
“Especially then.” I meet her eyes. “Sometimes the best things happen when you stop thinking you have to earn them.”
The crowd eats it up. Questions fly—about the supernatural elements, the romance, whether I think vampires make better boyfriends than hockey players. That last one gets a laugh.
“Vampires are immortal,” I point out. “I just play hockey really well. Though I do bite when provoked.”
Clare shoots me a look that promises retaliation later, but she’s fighting a smile.
A woman in the front row raises her hand. “What’s your favorite part about the romance in this book?”
I glance at Clare, who’s watching me with those dark eyes that still make my pulse kick up. “The way he stops running,” I say. “The hero spends most of the book convinced he’s going to ruin everything good in his life. But eventually he realizes that running from something real is the only way to guarantee you’ll lose it.”
The room goes quiet, and I can feel Clare’s attention like a physical touch. When I look at her, she’s staring at me like I just unlocked something inside of her.
“That’s beautiful,” the woman says, and I realize I might have gotten a little too honest for a public event.
Clare takes over, steering the conversation back to safer territory, but I catch her glancing at me throughout the rest of the discussion. Like she’s seeing something new.
