Mr. Virile and the Girl Next Door by Gwen Hayes Page A

eyelids in exaggerated flirtation. “Speaking of your tour, I have a friend of a friend who knows someone at KZMY. We got you an interview on their morning news show the day after your book is released. I think you are really going to shoot up the list.”
    The list was spelled with a capital L when his agent said it. He didn’t expect to hit the Times Bestseller list, but Magdalene never once doubted that he would. They’d just have to see this summer.
    “TV spot? Well, then I guess it’s a good thing you told me to keep myself up. Is that why you wanted to meet me tonight, to tell me about a possible TV appearance?”
    Her direct eye contact faltered. Unusual for Mags. She was one of those people that didn’t deal with mixed body signals. She was either all in or all out when it came to conversation. “Not exactly.” Her gaze traveled to the door and she waved at a couple entering the bar.
    The man had his hand on the woman’s lower back as they approached the table. If they were dating, they weren’t into it. Either of them. The woman didn’t lean into the man’s touch, though she didn’t look uncomfortable, just not turned on. Maybe they were married, that would explain the lack of interest. But, no, no rings on either of their hands, either.
    Dane stood automatically to meet them as Mags introduced him first to Mitch Rains, a literary agent from her office. Mitch shook his hand with a hearty grip and introduced Dane and Mags both to his client, Holly Winters.
    Holly Winters . That name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall why.
    A prickle of unease hit Dane between his shoulder blades, where he always held his tension until his weekly session with Brigit and her Fingers of Wonder. Yet another woman off limits. He would never do anything to screw up his massage hour.
    Holly Winters was…cute…for lack of better word. Like, Laura Ingalls Wilder in a black cocktail dress. He tried to place her in his memory, but it became frustratingly clear he hadn’t slept with her. He’d have remembered all those freckles. He’d have done a lot of connecting- the-dots.
    She, like her agent, shook hands with an easy confidence and, as Mags introduced him, a momentary cloud passed over her eyes. Was she trying to figure out a connection as well? There was small talk as they stood around the table, but Dane was distracted. Had they gone to school together? Was she somebody’s sister? He placed her firmly in the mid-twenties range based on, well, his experience with women of varying ages. He tried to mentally dress her in different outfits to jog his memory, but all he succeeded in doing was mentally undressing her.
    Not helping.
    It was just that she was curvy. The kind of curves that spilled out of bras, which had him dying to know how low those freckles went. He was sure he could find out, but wasn’t sure he should. He needed to figure out why her name was familiar if her face and body were not.
    “Mitch!” Magdalene gasped, pantomiming a ridiculous amount of agitation. “I just remembered…we’re supposed to be at that office thing, um, meeting right now.”
    Mitch, not nearly as good at feigning surprise, also gasped. “How could we have forgotten? If we hurry, we may still make it on time.”
    A flurry of apologies ensued with both agents talking a mile a minute and making zero sense. A waitress brought over the Cosmo Mags had ordered, and Mags encouraged Holly to take her place or the drink would go to waste. Dane barely had time to protest their leaving when they were just…gone.
    Holly blinked at him a few times, the little crease above her nose furrowing crescents deep into her skin. “Well, that was weird.”
    Her voice sucker punched him. It was low, throaty, and it flipped a switch inside him that was normally reserved for blondes about six inches taller. Holly was cute, but not hot. And she had a nice set, but he was a leg man.
    Usually.
    They’d obviously been set up for some reason, and he