Page 45 of Louder Than Words
“You wrote an incredible book. One that I literally haven’t stopped thinking about since I finished it. And you know how many books I’ve read? Alot. Enough that I should probably get my eyes checked.”
That earns at least a tiny smile. But then, of course, a waiter walks by and Ana grabs two drinks off his tray and downs them quickly.
I tighten my grip on her shoulders. “You’ve got this. I know it. James knows it—”
“I do. I really do,” he says, voice a little too high, nervously chewing his thumbnail.
I glance back at Ana and shrug. “Just pretend everyone’s—”
“Don’t say naked,” she cuts in, lifting a hand.
I smirk. “Of course not. Pretend they’re… ferns.”
“Ferns?”
“Long story.” I shake my head. “But you’re going to win that award. You’re the reason Lily & Raine Press even makes money. They’d be out of their minds not to give it to you.”
She finally takes a noticeable deep breath. It’s shaky, but it’s still a breath I’m sure she was holding before. I could practically see her lips turning blue.
James offers me a thankful smile and links his arm with hers as he steals her away, and I’m left standing there alone.
With my ferns.
“It’s so weird,” Jax suddenly says, startling me slightly. “I don’t think I ever pictured Ana as the nervous type.”
I loop my arm through his, offering a warm smile. “I think anyone would be nervous if they could win that kind of money. Fifteen grand is a lot.”
We start walking, weaving through the crowd until we spot a door cracked open, leading outside.
Jax gives me a questioning glance, raising a brow.
I raise one right back. “Is this your subtle way of asking me to sneak outside with you?”
He smirks, shrugging as he pushes the door open more. “Maybe.”
We step through, but we don’t make it far before my feet freeze in place. Jax walks right into me, his hands landing protectively on my waist.
“Woah, Al,” he says with a quiet laugh.
Then he looks up and he’s just as speechless.
It’s like we stepped out of real life and into a fairytale. The courtyard is actually a greenhouse—fully enclosed, with vines spiraling up every pillar and string lights twinkling overhead. You can even still hear the percussion playing from inside, bringing the fairytale vibe up a few notches.
“Wow,” Jax breathes.
We walk deeper inside, our eyes bouncing around at every plant we pass by. Jax points to my right, where an entire wall is covered with different variations of roses—every shade imaginable.
He leans closer, his voice low. “Almost seems like the universe set this up just for us, huh?” he says, his breath hot against my neck.
I glance up, eyes flicking from his mouth to his eyes.
A slow smirk curves his lips, and then he nods toward the roses.
“You know, if this wasn’t such a black-tie event, I’d have you up against that wall in about ten seconds.”
His words send a jolt up my spine.
My hands find the collar of his white dress shirt, fingers curling in the fabric. I lean in, just enough for our lips to almost touch, our noses brushing.
