need to come up with a marketing strategy, and as Allie and I were discussing earlier, I’d really like to tie in Kane and Nikki. No pun intended.”
“I’m not sure Nikki’s ready to be tied up yet,” Allie said, winking at him. “Although I suspect that might change. She has read all of Candee’s books, after all.”
“Tie them in how?” Karl put down his utensils and folded his hands on the edge of the table.
“Well, Kane needs to talk to his publisher and see what they’re planning,” Dante explained. “If they’re willing to reveal the fact that she’s a he at a strategic point, then we could really have some fun here. We could generate some media hype about Candee and her new coauthor, get people really curious about what’s going on.
“We have Candee talking about everything she’s doing here, maybe even work it into their book. Then they can pimp how wonderful your place is, including the food, and the focus of much of that will be where they’re ‘hiding out’ and why they’re here. Of course, there are lots of things we can do with just you, too. I’m thinking of a book release party at your club, for starters.”
“A book release party?” Allie repeated. “But the book’s already been released.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “Is there something really sexy we can do with the food? I’m thinking of little subbies in French maid costumes.”
“How about serving food on some of the submissives?” Karl looked dubious.
Dante stared at him. “People actually do that?”
Karl nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“Could we get pictures of it?”
The three of them exchanged looks. “The pictures could be done before the actual party started,” Brad suggested. “We’d have to be careful not to get faces. Decorative masks, maybe?”
Karl’s face took on a thoughtful expression. “We could do some really artistic things with draping and food presentation,” he suggested.
“I love it!” Dante grinned enthusiastically.
Chapter 5
“Were we even in the same room today?”
Nikki’s stomach plummeted. It seemed to go through the floor and down into the basement of Clifftop, if there was one. Her entire body went cold as she stared in horror at Kane. “What do you mean?”
He jabbed an accusatory finger at the stack of papers in front of him, pushing his dinner plate away with the other hand. “I mean this. Did we not talk about having normal guys?”
“They are normal guys,” Nikki protested.
“A helicopter pilot and a CEO? These are not normal guys.” His voice suggested that he was having a hard time controlling his temper. Holy shit. If this was how it was having a writing partner, she was just going to have to go back home and keep writing at night. Or maybe she could find a female partner, someone who understood what romance novels were all about.
“Women like CEOs.” She tried again. “Have you ever read any romance, apart from your own?”
“Sure I have.” Kane looked startled. “Lots. But I refuse to write this kind.”
“This kind?” She was starting to get seriously offended. “Listen, if you don’t like my writing, why don’t you just say so? We don’t have to work together. I’m just sorry you didn’t get somebody more to your liking.” She pushed her own plate aside and stood up, grabbing for her stack of paper and preparing to make a dignified exit. So what if this had been her one big chance to learn from the master how to write romance? He didn’t seem to think she had any potential. It was—
“Sit down.” His voice was suddenly different and Nikki turned in the act of storming out the door.
He hadn’t moved. He was still sitting with his hands on the table, but his whole demeanor had changed. When she paused, he repeated his words in a tone that was deeper and fuller somehow than his normal one. “Sit. Down.”
She opened her mouth to ask him where he got off ordering her around, but instead somehow she found
Learning to Kill: Stories