September 02, 2026

Spotlight: Silver Bells, Single Bed by Paula Dombrowiak

September 02, 2026/ Michelle Bowles

(Hollow Reign, #2)

Publication date: September 1st 2026

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

My bandmate’s little sister is off-limits.

Then a Christmas blizzard traps us together in Chicago with only one bed.

After months on tour, all I want is to get home for Christmas. Instead, a winter storm strands me in Chicago with Harper Beaumont, a rising ballet star with everything on the line, including the lead role in her company’s production of The Nutcracker.

With both our flights canceled and Harper watching her dream disappear, I do the one thing I absolutely shouldn’t do convince her to experience the Christmas magic of Chicago.

Somewhere between sparkling lights, one forbidden kiss, and a snow-covered city, Harper stops being my bandmate’s little sister…and becomes the woman I can’t stop wanting.

When the only hotel room left has one bed, resisting her becomes impossible, especially when she asks me to be her first.

One night with Harper is hot enough to melt the Christmas snow but when morning comes and my bandmate finds out I crossed the line with his sister…

I have to decide if I’m brave enough to risk everything for the woman I was never supposed to have.

Silver Bells, Single Bed is Book 2 in the Hollow Reign Christmas Novellas—a series of interconnected, steamy holiday romances that can be read in any order.

Excerpt

“Sir, we need to check your bag.”

Fuck. I move out of the way while the agent unzips the main compartment, feels around the edges, then reaches into the side pocket. He frowns and pulls out something bright pink and unmistakably shaped like an exceptionally large cock.

What the actual fuck?

Motherfucking Casey!

As if this day can’t get any worse, it turns on, vibrating in his hand. I tilt my head towards the ceiling, though instead of looking for some divine intervention I’m imagining wringing Casey’s scrawny little neck.

“Anything with batteries needs to be taken out of your bag,” he says, like he sees this shit all the time.

The vibrator is getting attention from everyone around me. A teenager whips out his phone and starts filming.

Great. This is gonna be on the internet in about thirty seconds. Merry fucking Christmas to me.

“That’s not mine.” Which is exactly what every person in the history of air travel who’s been caught with a vibrator at airport security has said.

“It was in your bag, sir,” he says unimpressed.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Apparently my friend,”—and I say that loosely—“thinks he’s hilarious.” The agent just stares at me while the vibrator dances in his hand. “Fucking Casey,” I mutter under my breath.

A little kid tugs on his mom’s sleeve and asks what that noise is. She steers him away without answering.

The agent unceremoniously switches it off with a click and drops it back into my bag. “You’re free to go,” he says, waving me out of the line.

I zip the bag shut and get the hell out of there as fast as I can.

I’m gonna murder him.

There’s a nine-foot Christmas tree all decorated near the food court. I order a slice of pizza, drop into a seat, pull out my phone, and send a text to our group chat.

Liam: Casey you absolute fucking menace.

Casey: Found my Christmas gift?

Liam: No. TSA found it you asshole.

Casey: 😂😂😂 wish I could have seen that.

I take a bite of my pizza.

Casey: Oh wait. I didn’t need to be there.

He sends a link to a TikTok. Goddamn. That kid at the TSA line. It’s already racking up views.

Liam: I hate you.

Casey: Geez. Try to do something nice for a guy and this is the thanks I get 🙄

Phoenix: #vibratorgate

Theo: the comments lmao ☠️

Fuck, what are people saying?

Nope, don’t care.

I flip my phone face down and finish off my pizza. I stare at the phone. Jesus. Against my better judgment, I pick it up and flip through the comments.

@fangedfangirl: Sir that’s not a drumstick 😭

@moshpitdiaries: Even TSA getting backstage access now

@screaminginrow3 Reply to @moshpitdiaries: more like backdoor access 🤣

@distortedheart: Security said vibe check failed

I put my phone away and pull my hat lower. I’m gonna need therapy and a new identity by New Year’s.

A woman across from me glances down at her phone, then looks up at me. She nudges her husband.

I grab my bag and get up before anyone else connects the dots. Weaving through the crowds, I pass the wreaths and garlands lining the corridor on my way to a gift shop. I briefly consider buying a scarf or a hoodie, but who am I kidding? I’d just look like a guy who got stopped with a vibrator by TSA.

A small jazz ensemble is set up along the corridor, playing a smooth rendition of “White Christmas” and I stop to listen. Travelers are passing by in a rush, but for me, everything slows down. It’s two days before Christmas, and I just want to get home in time.

I turn to leave, and that’s when I notice her. The woman from the security line, standing in front of one of the departures monitors with her back to me.

She’s in boots and tights, with legs stretching on forever beneath the hem of her skirt, the kind of gorgeous that makes a grown man walk into glass doors.

“Shit!”

Or magazine racks. I catch it before it topples, shoving a scattered copy of People back into place while the guy at the newsstand gives me an annoyed look. Smooth, Liam. Real smooth.

I straighten up, the magazine rack wobbling behind me. There’s something about her that makes me want to walk over and say something. I don’t even know what. I just know that if I keep walking, I’m going to regret it.

The noise makes her turn around and I almost fall into the magazine rack again.

It’s Harper Beaumont, my bandmates little sister.

The one fucking person in this entire world I have absolutely no business looking at the way I just did. This can’t be happening. As if Casey hasn’t already fucked me over enough today. Now this?

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. She is a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys, and the tragically flawed. Music inspires her storytelling.

For more ways to learn about Paula and her books, check out her website: @www.pauladombrowiak.com

Connect:

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April 23, 2025

Spotlight: Walk the Line by Paula Dombrowiak & Natalie Parker

April 23, 2025/ Michelle Bowles

(Blood & Bone Legacy, #1)

Publication date: April 22nd 2025

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

It was supposed to be simple: Film the tour. Build my portfolio. And for Heavens sake, keep it in my pants.

Then I met Felix Krasinski.

The captivating and infuriatingly cocky frontman of Velvet Drift commands attention everywhere he goes—including mine. Am I proud of it? No. I’m supposed to be filming their perfromance, not fantasizing about his perfect abs. I’m determined to be taken seriously, and hooking up with the ridiculously hot rockstar is the fastest way to tank my credibility.

Felix is always in control, and I’m an impulsive rule-breaker. We don’t make sense. But we can’t seem to stay away from each other.

Because, between his uptight habits and annoyingly perfect jawline, there’s more to Felix than his stage presence and legendary last name. He’s protective, vulnerable, and gets me in a way no one else does.

But my career depends on keeping things professional, and his future hinges on staying laser-focused on his band’s success.

Every heated argument, every stolen kiss, makes me want to throw caution—and professionalism—to the wind.

One thing’s certain—this summer tour is about to get a lot more complicated than I bargained for.

Walk the Line is the first book in the Blood & Bone and Turn it Up second generation series crossover. Grab this new adult, angsty, forced proximity, steamy contemporary rockstar romance. Walk the Line can be read as a standalone.

Excerpr

“You’re not going to hurt him, are you?” I protest as Dusty’s hulking frame fills the doorway of the trailer.

“Oh God, are you one of them vegans?” Dusty grumbles.

“Who even eats skunk?” I shake my head, and Maggie bursts into giggles beside me.

Dusty raises an eyebrow, and I realize I don’t want to know the answer to that. I just want my trailer back to ride out this godawful trip in peace. I am never eating fucking brownies again.

“Just—please don’t hurt Pepe,” I plead, staring up at Dusty with wide eyes.

“You fucking named him?” Dusty asks, while Maggie palms her face.

I shoot her a glare. “That’s his fucking name.”

“Jesus, I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” Dusty grunts.

“Give him a break—he ate five too many of Dex’s special brownies,” Maggie explains, playfully nudging my shoulder.

“Ohhh,” Dusty drawls. “Well, that’ll do it.”

Dusty sets the trap down with a thud and begins to bait it, while Maggie flings open all the windows, letting in a rush of fresh air.

“What do we do now?” I ask, frowning at them—my patience is wearing thin.

“We wait,” Dusty replies casually.

“We wait?” I throw my hands up. “I’m having the worst trip of my life, and you’re telling me to wait?”

I tap the cabinet. “I’m not fucking around, Pepe.”

“Well, that strategy is totally going to coax him out,” Maggie quips between giggles, biting her lip to suppress more laughter.

“Maybe you should sweet-talk him?”

“You’re the one he’s been talking to,” she shoots back, waving a hand at me.

I slump down into the chair. “I don’t want to be a skunk whisperer,” I whine, burying my face in my hands.

Maggie comes over, rubbing my shoulders gently. “It’s gonna be fine, really. And hey, look at the bright side, I’m not even filming this—because if I was…”

I whip my head around to glare at her. That’s all I need for this to be documented. She lifts her hands up to show that she’s not holding the camera and I relax.

Suddenly, I hear a sharp snap coming from inside the trailer, followed by the clanking of metal. We peer into the trailer to see Pepe munching on the treat like it’s a gourmet meal.

Dusty carries the cage down the steps and I lean out of the trailer, my heart racing slightly. “Where are you taking him?”

“Do you need a moment to say your goodbyes?” Dusty quips sarcastically, arching an eyebrow.

I shoot him an icy glare.

“Relax, I’m just gonna release him into the woods.”

“Can you at least not mention this to anyone?” I call after him anxiously, and he chuckles, shaking his head as he ambles away with the skunk.

“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” I hear him say as he turns the corner.

I find Maggie spritzing my aftershave all over the trailer like it’s some magic potion.

I sit on the edge of my bed. Maggie stands before me, head tilted as she surveys me. She then pulls off my shoes, and I hear them drop to the floor. I flop back onto my pillow, feeling heavy and—let’s be honest—spent.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” I ask, grabbing her arm instinctively.

She sighs. “I guess not.” Then she settles onto the bed, facing me as I scoot over to make room for her.

I meet her gaze. Her blue eyes sparkle, and I can’t believe I’ve never noticed how the freckles dance across her nose and cheeks before.

“You’re really pretty,” I say, my voice a lazy whisper.

Maggie giggles, her cheeks flushing as she tucks her hands under her head, smiling at me. “Okay, Felix,” she says, skepticism lacing her tone.

“It’s true. I’ve thought about you ever since the first time we met.” I close my eyes despite wanting to stare at her, but the heavy feeling of sleep begins to steal me away.

“You mean when I called you a pampered rockstar?” she teases.

I smile, a lazy grin creeping across my face. “No, when I let the elevator doors close in your face.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. She is a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys, and the tragically flawed. Music inspires her storytelling.

For more ways to learn about Paula and her books, check out her website: @www.pauladombrowiak.com

Natalie Parker resides in the Seattle area with her husband and two rugrats, but is originally a Michigan girl.

She always enjoyed writing and noticed she had a knack for it while earning her Psychology degree and has always been an avid reader, but never thought of becoming an author until one day there seemed to be a story to tell.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, reading, reading to her kids, drinking coffee, reading, occasional yardwork, reading, listening to music, reading and writing.

Stay tuned for more to come for your favorite characters of the Turn it Up series!

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February 05, 2025

Cover Reveal: Walk the Line by Natalie Parker & Paula Dombrowiak

February 05, 2025/ Michelle Bowles

(Blood & Bone Legacy, #1)

Publication date: April 22nd 2025

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

It was supposed to be simple: Film the tour. Build my portfolio. And for Heavens sake, keep it in my pants.

Then I met Felix Krasinski.

Felix is always in control, and I’m an impulsive rule-breaker. We don’t make sense. But we can’t seem to stay away from each other.

But my career depends on keeping things professional, and his future hinges on staying laser-focused on his band’s success.

Every heated argument, every stolen kiss, makes me want to throw caution—and professionalism—to the wind.

One thing’s certain—this summer tour is about to get a lot more complicated than I bargained for.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

For more ways to learn about Paula and her books, check out her website: @www.pauladombrowiak.com

Natalie Parker resides in the Seattle area with her husband and two rugrats, but is originally a Michigan girl.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, reading, reading to her kids, drinking coffee, reading, occasional yardwork, reading, listening to music, reading and writing.

Stay tuned for more to come for your favorite characters of the Turn it Up series!

September 10, 2024

Spotlight: State of Union by Paula Dombrowiak

September 10, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

(Kingmaker, #3)
Publication date: September 10th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Our marriage could make or break us…

Letting go of billionaire playboy Darren Walker was the right thing to do.

My life as a former escort will only damage his campaign for congress, and I’m too scared to admit I’ve fallen in love with my fake husband.

Except when Darren finds me and refuses to let me go, I can’t run from my feelings any longer. It’s time I have the courage to confess that he isn’t my husband in name only. He’s my everything.

All Darren wants is to carve out a future for himself while honoring his father’s legacy. But can I truly be the politician’s wife my husband needs when there are those who will use me to derail his campaign?

It doesn’t matter how much we love each other, I can’t change my past.

But we have no way of knowing that he has shocking family secrets that are yet to be revealed. Secrets bigger than me and powerful enough to destroy him.

And his enemies won’t stop until they’ve left him—and our marriage—in ruins…

The Kingmaker trilogy is a steamy, marriage of convenience, romance, in a political setting. State of Union is the final book in the trilogy with a guaranteed HEA. The books must be read in order, for the best reader experience.

Excerpt

The small bell at the top of the door jingles, a leftover from the hardware store that used to occupy this space. In walks Ethel Jackson, her crocheted handbag tucked under her arm. She looks around the space approvingly, her eyes finally meeting mine.

“Looks like a bunch of pomp and circumstance to me,” she says looking at me skeptically.

“Are you looking to volunteer?” I raise a challenging eyebrow.

“I thought you could use my sunny disposition.”

I can’t help but smile. “Well then, I have a spot for you right over here.” I lead the way to an empty desk near the windows where she sets down her crochet bag, a piece of yarn making its way out of the top like it has a mind of its own.

“Is this the famous Ethel?” Rausch asks.

Ethel places a hand on her hip and looks up at him as he towers over her short, round frame. If I was a betting man, my money would be on Ethel if these two were pitted against each other. “I don’t know about famous, but whatever you’ve heard,”—she pauses and gives him a naughty smile—“it’s probably true.”

Rausch laughs. Apparently, Ethel can win over anyone.

“Where’s that pretty wife of yours?” she asks.

The mention of Evangeline pulls at the edges of my wound, pain ripping through me like a lightning bolt.

Before I can make an excuse, Rausch bellows over the noise. “Angie!” She makes her way over. “This is Ethel, and she would like to volunteer.”

“People say I got a voice like honey, so if you want to put me on the phones, that’s fine by me,” Ethel proposes.

I give Rausch a thankful nod and retreat to my office. The desk is a secondhand one from the nearby school. There are strict rules on how campaign donations can be used. Right now, funds are limited as we start ramping up requests that can sometimes feel like begging. My last name can only carry me so far, and my reputation proceeds me.

“Excuse me, are you Darren Walker?” A young man inquires from the doorway.

I nod and he drops an envelope on my desk. “You’ve been served,” he says and leaves just as quickly as he arrived.

An envelope from a law office in Arizona.

I know exactly what it is. Like a Band-Aid, I rip the envelope open to expose the wound.

Divorce papers.

Pulling off my tie, I throw it across the room. It flutters through the stagnant air and lands silently on the dirty linoleum floor.

“Don’t forget about the fundraising event this weekend,” Rausch says as he enters my office. He sees my tie on the ground and picks it up. When he places it on the desk he notices the papers.

“You can gloat if you want to,” I tell him angrily, using him as a punching bag. “You got what you wanted, right?” I look up at him, the sting of getting the papers still fresh.

“If you want me to say that Evangeline leaving was the best thing for your campaign, then fine, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about seeing you in turmoil.”

I scoff. “In turmoil? Is that what you think this is?”

“No.” A look of understanding crosses his face like a shadow. “I understand your heartbreak.”

I never thought of Rausch as a person, just a thorn in my side, giving me disapproving looks and lectures about getting my life together. Of course he knows what heartbreak is. No human gets a pass on that in their lifetime, not even someone as impenetrable as Rausch.

“You can think what you want, Darren, but what I said to you before was the truth. I would have done everything within my power to protect her.”

I lift my eyes from the papers. “Well, it seems she didn’t want to be a part of this life after all.” I can’t seem to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

Rausch lets out a breath. “You can sit here and stare at those papers, or you can pull yourself together and win this election.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

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June 11, 2024

Spotlight: Queen of Ruin by Paula Dombrowiak

June 11, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

(Kingmaker Series, #2)
Publication date: June 11th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Our marriage is fake. But our feelings are dangerously real…

Marrying playboy billionaire Darren Walker was only ever supposed to be a business deal.

If only it were that easy.

I’m finding it far too comfortable living in Darren’s world, and I never predicted I’d find real meaning in the charity I’m involved with while I pretend to be the perfect wife.

The worst thing is, I’m scared Darren’s feelings for me are becoming real, too.

But a woman with a past like mine doesn’t belong in a world like his. Especially because I thought my heart belonged to someone else before we were married. Someone much too close to him.

When Darren decides to leave his playboy ways behind and follow in his father’s footsteps, I must face reality. A marriage like ours won’t last forever.

Not when my former life has the power to come back to haunt me. There’s no way Darren’s reputation will survive the scandal of being married to a former escort.

And if I let myself get any deeper, neither will my heart…

Queen of Ruin is the second book in The Kingmaker trilogy, a steamy marriage of convenience romance full of political scandal. The books must be read in order for the best reader experience. This book does end in a cliffhanger.

Excerpt

“Revisionist history, Alistair,” I say, pointing my finger in the air before taking a seat on the step.

Alistair takes a seat next to me, stretching out his long legs over the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

“We look back on history and memorialize a great man, but we forget about the flaws; we minimize them. His martyrdom makes it impossible to point them out. It’s true that Lincoln had one foot in the 20th century, but the other foot was still planted heavily in the 19th,” I lament, “and yet here we sit on the steps of this memorial that holds the daily pilgrimage of thousands, and we forget about those innate things that made him human.”

“We’re not really talking about Lincoln, are we?” Alistair asks astutely.

“I didn’t get along with my father,” I say as a matter of fact. “That’s never been in question; a constant since as far back as I can remember, and yet I always looked up to him.” I sigh, tilting my head towards Alistair who looks down at his clasped hands resting on his thighs. “But I always thought I knew him. Lately, I’m beginning to question that, to question a lot of things.”

“Anything in particular that you didn’t know?” he inquires, lifting a brow.

I pull out the envelope and hand it to Alistair.

“Fuck,” he says, “He was a client?”

“No, these were taken four years ago. She was a student, and my father was giving a speech at her university. She said nothing happened.”

“Do you believe her?” The photos are damning without context, but that’s the problem with photos – they’re up to the interpretation of the viewer.

“Bailey was there when they met and attests to the fact that he drove my father back to his hotel alone.”

“That’s not what I asked,” he questions.

“I wanted to believe her,” I admit, peering over at Alistair. “But it’s this part of me,” I gesture to the monument, “that needs the facts.”

“Who gave those to you?” Alistair’s question breaks through my thoughts. “Rausch?” He gives a dark laugh.

“I know he’s pissed that you circumvented the will, but now that it’s done, what does it matter to him?”

“Other than to gloat that he was right about marrying her?” I scoff. “I’m not worried about that.” I shake my head. “It’s who he got the photos from that I’m worried about.”

“If the press had gotten ahold of them…” Alistair doesn’t finish his sentence, but he doesn’t have to. This would be a huge scandal, whether it was an innocent interaction or not. Politics runs on perception, not to mention the media storm that would descend on Evangeline.

Even though I’m angry, I wouldn’t wish that upon her or the destruction of my parents’ reputation.

“Someone’s had these for four years, Alistair,” I point out, my voice sounding grave with the weight of it. “I have a feeling it was Langley.”

“But what would he have to gain from that?” Alistair asks. “Rumor around Washington was that he was going to be your father’s first pick as a running mate.”

Something my father taught me – Presidential elections aren’t won in the final hour. Presidents are made decades before they even run.

Feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket, I hold my hand up for Alistair to stop as I take a call. He rolls his eyes.

“Sir, I’ve been notified that the jet is ready for flight,” Bailey explains on the other end.

“What are you talking about?”

“The crew called me to find out if you would be joining.”

“Bailey, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I start to get agitated.

“I don’t think Evangeline knew that the flight crew would alert anyone.”

Evangeline?

Fuck!

“What’s going on?” Alistair asks, the creases of concern fanning his eyes.

“Evangeline’s leaving, and she’s taking my fucking plane.” My heart races and the sudden change makes me feel dizzy. Never did I think she would actually leave – especially when she knows what’s at stake.

“Leaving?” he asks, tilting his head in confusion. “Does she know she’s not getting any money unless she stays the whole year?”

“She knows damn well!” I yell, pacing along the steps. But if I thought Evangeline cared about the money, I’d have bought her a closet full of designer gowns, fur coats, or whatever the fuck she wanted.

She’d rather leave penniless then stay with me.

I press the phone to my ear and ask to be patched into the pilot.

“What’s the destination?” I ask before the pilot can utter a word.

“Sorry, Mr. Walker?”

“Where the fuck is my wife going?” I fume.

“Las Vegas, sir,” the captain confirms. “Do you want me to cancel the flight?”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

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March 14, 2024

Spotlight: King of Nothing by Paula Dombrowiak

March 14, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

(Kingmaker Series, #1)
Publication date: March 12th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

I’m not the sort of girl you take home to meet your parents.

But our marriage of convenience is the perfect revenge…

I find Darren Walker drowning himself in expensive whiskey. Young, handsome, and educated, he’s the playboy son of a U.S. Senator, and his father’s sudden death has hit him harder than expected.

When he offers me millions of dollars to marry him, I want to tell him that I can’t be bought.

But of course, that’s not true, and Darren is prepared to play dirty.

He’s made it his life’s mission to squander his potential in order to avoid living in his father’s shadow. But if he wants to see even one cent of his trust fund, he needs a wife. And not just any wife will do.

Ours will purely be a marriage of convenience, and I’m going to be his final, perfect revenge.

My name is Evangeline Bowen, and I’m an escort to the rich and powerful. But soon I’ll be the wife of a Senator’s son, who thinks he knows all my dark secrets.

All of them, except for one…

King of Nothing is the first book in The Kingmaker trilogy, a steamy marriage of convenience romance full of political scandal. The books must be read in order for the best reader experience.

Excerpt

The tilt of her head causes fine pieces of hair to caress the side of her neck, and I want to run my finger over the arch, across her shoulder, and push the strap of her dress down so I can kiss the top of it, but I don’t. Instead, I hold my breath, wondering what she’s thinking, because her silence is killing me… and every moment she breathes instead of speaks causes a painful beat of my heart.

“It’s Emerson,” I say, stepping forward to stand next to her.

“I know,” she says with a hint of humor.

“You don’t like it?” I ask. “Because we can go back if you…”

“Shut up, Darren.”

I do as I’m told, shoving my hands in my pockets and rocking back on my heels. She looks at the photograph as if she’s memorizing every detail, and I find myself jealous of her attention to something other than me.

When I can’t stand the silence anymore, I ask, “He’s not a particularly good-looking gentleman is he?”

The profile accentuates his large nose and prominent chin. I realize I’ve never studied what Emerson looked like, only his words. But now, scrutinizing his picture, I can see why.

“It’s not just about someone’s physical appearance,” she says without looking away from the photograph, “it’s his words; what’s in his heart, and how he lives his life,” she continues. “I think he’s kind of beautiful.”

The way she talks about Emerson is hypnotizing – describing what’s below skin and muscle to one’s soul is the true meaning of beauty.

The piece of Emerson I used to hate belonged to my father – self-righteous and hypocritical. She strips away all the awful parts, allowing me to see a new version of him. Just as she threatens to make me fall in love with him, I begin to wonder.

“Who made you fall in love with Emerson?” I ask, and she finally turns to face me, her wide blue eyes filled with trepidation, and I feel as though my question has hit the vulnerable muscle between bone and tendon like the piercing of an arrow.

“Who says I’m in love with Emerson?” she asks, and it’s not lost on me that she’s evading my question, but I’m too distracted by the way her body moves and the red silk of her dress that leaves little to the imagination to keep hold of my thoughts.

“No love can be bound by oath or covenant to secure it against a higher love,” I provide her with a particularly lovely quote by Emerson.

“Nobody talks like that anymore,” she says, a romanticism in her eyes and her voice that makes me sad, because I’ve lost that innocence—or maybe I never had it to begin with—but I want a piece of it. I want to sink my teeth into it and shiver from its sweetness.

“It’s a dead language, like Latin,” I muse.

“Not dead. Just lost.”

I sniff, loosening my bowtie and spinning around the room to look at all of the other framed photographs and paintings. “Have you ever had a client recite poetry to you in bed?” I ask. “Is that a kink?”

“That’s a vulgar question.”

“I’m a vulgar man.”

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