Wet Ink (Plus Size Loving) BBW Erotic Romance by Adriana Hunter Page A

Winters.” It made him think of hot summer nights and beach sunsets. “Sexy name.”
    He read over the pitch and synopsis, and completely forgot about the remaining manuscripts as well as the ones he’d already committed himself to working on today. By the time lunch rolled around he was already halfway through the manuscript, completely caught up. It was a spy romance, with plenty of action and adventure to suit him, but definitely with plenty of steam and sparks between the characters. Julie, the female spy, was incredibly hot. And Drake, the mercenary, was intriguing.
    “Uh, Alex?” Cheri rapped his desk.
    Alex wrenched his eyes from the manuscript in his hands. “What?” he snapped.
    “I’m going to Rizzoli’s for lunch. Do you want anything?”
    “Just get me my usual,” he muttered, his eyes already flying back to the book.
    Cheri arched an eyebrow. “Jesus, Alex. Looks like some author is about to be made very happy!” She leaned over to catch a glimpse of the title. “Oh my God… Alex, you do realize you’re reading a romance novel, right?”
    He looked up, and then scowled at the unholy gleam in her eyes. “Yeah, so?”
    Cheri giggled. “It’s just… I stuck that in your pile as a joke. You always leave the romance novels to me!”
    He shrugged. “Yeah well… this one’s really good. It’s a spy romance,” he said almost defensively as Cheri cackled. “This one’s a winner, Cheri.”
    Cheri grinned. “You’re definitely going to make some woman very happy today.”
    Alex picked up the phone. “Definitely. And I think I’m going to do it right now.”

     
    ~ * ~ * ~

     
    Valerie was out in the garden when the phone rang. Dropping the radishes she’d just pulled up from the ground, she raced inside, not even bothering to kick off her dirt-encrusted boots. Her pulse jumped at the sight of her agent’s name and number flashing on the caller I.D., and she snatched the receiver off the cradle and jammed it to her ear.
    “Hello?” She tried to sound cool and composed, but she was a little breathless from her mad dash… and from the anticipation.
    “Hey Val,” Vanessa’s smooth voice came through the line. “You okay? You sound like you’ve been running a marathon!”
    Valerie laughed nervously, swiping at a bit of hair plastered to her forehead. “I’ve just been out in the garden. What can I do for you?”
    “Ah, yes, gardening.” Vanessa sounded amused. “Hard work. Never been able to get into that kind of thing. Guess that’s why I’m living in Manhattan and you’re out on the Island. In any case, I’ve got some exciting news for you. One of the editors at Random House wants to buy your book.”
    “Really?” Valerie squealed. “Oh my God! Already?” She pinched herself just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “It’s finally happening!”
    “You pinched yourself, didn’t you?” Vanessa laughed. “Yes, it is real. And because you only live a few hours away, he wants to do lunch with both of us.”
    “He?” Valerie squeaked, a little bit of the excitement dropping away. “The editor’s a he?”
    “Is that a problem?”
    “Well, no… it’s just that… it’s a romance novel. I never thought I’d land a male editor.” She recalled the steamy scenes she’d written and her cheeks scalded at the thought of a man reading them. And he was going to be the one editing for her too?
    “Well, the acquisitions editor isn’t always the one you end up working with,” Vanessa said, “but Alex is one of the best editors in the business, so I don’t think you could go wrong if he was the one you ended up working with. In any case, this is really exciting! I’ve got to get everything together for the negotiations. I’m so happy for you!”
    Valerie smiled, willing some of the anxiety to go away—she should be happy about this, not worked up because the editor interested happened to be a man. “Thank you so much, Vanessa. This really means the world to