Page 152 of Doctorshipped

“Okay, everyone. JJ will resume signing and, yes, we’ll continue to give you a full thirty minutes more of her time. If any of you don’t get to meet with her, we’ll give you a pre-signed copy and a ten percent discount card to spend on anything in the store. May I recommend one of her books you haven’t read yet? Please resume your places in line.”

Everyone follows his instructions. Someone grabs extra chairs and sets them next to me behind the table. Grant takes a seat next to me, and Fiona sits on the other side of him. The rest of the signing, people ask him more questions than they do me.How did we meet? What drew him to me? When did he know I was the one? Does he have a younger brother?You know, the usual.

Grant smiles the whole time. Not so much at my fans, but at me. And I’ll take it. I love being one of the few, select recipients of those rare smiles of his.

My friends are all mingling off to the side, probably waiting to go out to celebrate after we finish up.

A woman in her thirties comes forward to the edge of the table.

She hands me her book, and then she looks over at Brooks and says, “I recognize you from the Instagram photos!”

Brooks smiles and waves.

“Weren’t you her first man-pire?”

Grant grumbles and murmurs, “Man-pire. Leave it to Ella Mae.”

“I was, but we weren’t …” He motions between me and himself. “We were just friends. The shoot was for publicity.”

“So do you have your own love at first bite story with someone else?” she asks Brooks.

Her interest in me has evaporated now that she’s had a Brooks sighting. I chuckle thinking of him on paint night. He’s such a good sport.

Brooks gets this look in his eyes. “I actually do. Only my bite wasn’t strong enough, I guess. She didn’t stick around.” He chuckles good-naturedly, but I see it. He’s got a specific woman in mind. I look over at Grant who seems to know something about this situation.

“Well, good luck with her, or the next one you bite,” the woman says. Then she turns to me. “Could you make it out to Jennifer? She’s my niece and she adores you.”

“What’s not to adore?” Grant asks.

The woman looks between the two of us. Grant’s hand finds my knee and he gives me a privately teasing squeeze under the table, reassuring me of his presence and also, somehow staking his claim.

As JJ Culhane, I may belong to my fans, but most of all, as Jayme, Grant’s fierce pixie, I’ll always belong to him.