Dead Perfect by Amanda Ashley Read Free Book Online Page B

Jane Eyre , are basically romances with happy endings.”
    “That may be all well and good for your books,” she said glumly, “but there’s no such thing as a happy ending in real life. Everybody knows that.”
    He was inclined to agree with her, but didn’t say so.
    “I mean, look at the statistics. Three out of five marriages end in divorce.”
    “Have you ever been in love, Shannah?”
    “I thought I was once, but…” She shrugged as if it was of no importance. “It didn’t work out.”
    She had been hurt, though she didn’t say so. It saddened him to think that one so young should have been hurt so deeply.
    “Another thing they’ll ask you about is fan mail. I get quite a lot, although most of it comes as email these days.”
    “People actually write to you about your books?”
    “Oh, yeah.” Most of the letters were from women, of course, thanking him for giving them a brief respite from housework, or for helping them through a rough time in their lives, or for giving them a newfound love for reading. One letter he particularly cherished had come from a teenage girl who wrote that his books had saved her life. She had been contemplating suicide and whenever she felt that way, she went to her room and read his books. He also received mail from men from time to time, though most of them were inmates at various prisons and institutions.
    “Do you write back?” she asked.
    “Of course. Anyone who takes the time to sit down and write a letter deserves an answer.”
    “Could I read some of your fan mail?”
    “If you like. But not now.”
    “What about my life?” she asked. “I mean, your life. What should I say if they ask about your past?”
    “Tell them whatever you wish, as long as it’s either true or can’t be proven a lie. I’m sure someone will ask you how you started writing. My typical answer is that I started writing because I was bored with television.”
    “That’s easy enough.”
    “Another question you’re sure to be asked is how you do the research for your love scenes.”
    “You’re not serious?”
    “It’s a very popular question.”
    “So, what do I say? That I take notes while I make love?”
    He stared at her a moment, and then laughed. “That’s a far better answer than anything I’ve ever come up with.”
    “I was kidding.”
    “If you say it in jest, it might be answer enough,” he remarked, thinking he liked her more and more every day.
    Shannah sat up straight and stretched her back and shoulders. “I’m hungry.”
    His gaze darted to the pulse beating in her throat. He was hungry, too, he thought.
    Always hungry, whenever she was around.
    She cocked her head to the side and regarded him through curious eyes. “Why don’t you ever eat with me? I’m not that bad a cook, you know.”
    “I prefer to eat in private,” he said. “It’s a particular quirk of mine.”
    “That’s really weird.”
    “I suppose so.”
    “If you like to eat in private, how come there wasn’t any food in the kitchen when I got here?”
    Damn the girl, why did she have to ask so many questions that were best left unanswered, at least for now?
    “Weevils,” he said, thinking quickly. “They were into everything, so I threw it all out.”
    She looked at him, her expression skeptical. “Even the dishes and the pots and pans?”
    Bless the girl, she didn’t miss a trick! “Why don’t you go fix yourself something to eat?” he suggested. “I need to go out for a short time.”
    “You go out every night. Where do you go?”
    “Maybe some day I’ll tell you.”
    She made a face at him, then left the room.
    He stared after her. She was far too bright and asked far too many questions for his liking. If he was smart, he would send her on her way and forget about the book tour. Staying home wouldn’t hurt his career and he was certain he could mollify his editor and his agent. And if he couldn’t, well, he could always change his name and find a new publisher. The only