Our every complex human emotion, bottled up inside our bodies, our minds and souls and hearts.
Every member of every ethnicity, every human in the past and the present and every one in the future wants to feel like this. The way I feel right now, just a girl hoping and craving, dying to see him, praying the guy she loves loves her back.
My throat is so tight I can’t talk when I step out. His four assistants lift their heads from their computer screens. “I’m . . . here to see—”
“One moment,” Catherine tells me.
I’m standing here wondering if he’ll smell like I remember, look at me like I remember. If he’ll smile or frown, if he’ll hate me forever, if he thinks of me at all. If he misses me at all.
It doesn’t matter so long as he sees me right now. That’s all I want, to look into his face again. Hear his voice.
Finally Catherine hangs up and nods at me as she walks to the door and pushes it open for me, and I walk inside.
To be continued in the next Manwhore book . . .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my fans, whose continued love, support, and enthusiasm for my work and characters continues to fuel me, day in and day out. My utmost love and gratitude goes to you!
Thank you so much to my early draft readers. Amy, you light my way. Dana, who brought me Chicago. CeCe, you get it every time. My lovely daughter, you inspire me, my love. Kati D, as always so smart and illuminating, it’s never “done” until you read it, Kati. Monica Murphy, who not only reads early drafts but knows both the best and worst of me. Jen Frederick, from the moment REAL and Undeclared released we met online and became friends, thank you for that friendship. Thank you to the mega-talented ladies, Lisa Desrochers and Angie McKeon, some of my closest author friends. And my friend since our teens, Paula, who has lunch with me to talk about books every time I’m in town. Sylvia Day, I’ve admired you for a long time, thank you for the read and the amazing blurb; super honored to have my cover wear it.
To the amazing Kelli for lending me her eagle eye, and to Anita S. for helping me proofread and polish up my babies—but only to the point where my voice remains as natural as possible. :)
I also want to thank all the bloggers who have supported me from the moment my debut book, REAL, was released into the world. Your excitement over every work that has followed, your reviews, and your help in connecting me with readers have given my books a platform they couldn’t have without you. With all my heart, thank you!
To my assistants, Lori and Gel, who help me keep my head straight when I’m in the writing cave.
Thank you to the most wonderful agent I could’ve asked for, Amy Tannenbaum: you get me, you inspire me, and you keep amazing me with your superhero talents! And thank you to everyone at Jane Rotrosen: you are among the most enthusiastic and talented people I know.
And speaking of amazing, talented teams, to my thorough, witty, and dedicated editor, Adam Wilson; to his wonderful assistant, Trey; and to the unforgettable Lauren McKenna. To Jen Bergstrom, for her belief in me; to Kristin, who is a genius at publicity, and to Gallery Books’ art department, copy editors, and every gem of a person who does their best to bring this book to you as early as possible in the best possible shape we humanly can. Also, to Gregg Sullivan, from Sullivan and Partners, thank you for being part of the team.
To my Real Series Facebook group, readers who are so devoted and such cheerleaders, they touch my heart every day. To all my readers who’ve emailed, tweeted, and sat down to read one of my stories. Like you, I feel knots and butterflies when I watch two people fall in love. Like you, I cry and smile and ache for more and want to yell. It’s the greatest joy ever to know that you enjoy my works the way I did when I discovered them. . . .
To my beautiful family, who is patient and loving, even when you laugh at me humming with my Beats on, typing away. I love you with all my heart.
To my muse . . . delicate as a butterfly. I thought, once, that I might lose you. That I would never be able to write again. You came back, book after book, again and again. And though you’ve proved me wrong, that fear of losing you is never gone, and so I wake every day hopeful that we will have a date, you and I, and that you will show up because our characters are waiting. I cannot thank you enough for what you give me. You bring me joy like only the best things in life could.
And last, but never least, thank you to you, right at this moment, for taking the time to read my story. XOXO