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Tentative Truce

Author: Charles
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-09-06 22:14:05

Emma sat in the Meridian Publishing lobby at exactly 8:45 AM, clutching a coffee that had long gone cold and rehearsing the speech she'd practiced in front of her bathroom mirror for the past hour. Three days had passed since Marcus's phone call, three days since that devastating kiss with Jake, and three days since she'd fled his apartment like a woman running from her own feelings.

Which, she admitted to herself, was exactly what she'd been doing.

Maya had spent those three days alternately lecturing Emma about self sabotage and bringing her comfort food, but it was Maya's final words this morning that had driven Emma here: "Em, you can't let fear make every decision for the rest of your life. Sometimes you have to choose what you want over what feels safe."

Emma checked her phone for the fifteenth time. 8:47 AM. Jake would be in his office by now, probably wondering why she'd been avoiding his calls and emails since Wednesday night. Probably assuming she'd decided their profess
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  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Complications

    Emma stared at her laptop screen in Jake's home office, the cursor blinking mockingly at the end of Chapter 4's latest revision. Three days had passed since their coffee shop encounter, and she'd rewritten the same scene seventeen times. Each attempt felt more forced than the last. The problem wasn't technical her prose was as polished as ever. The problem was that Jake's challenge echoed in her mind with every sentence: "Make me believe she's genuinely at risk of losing herself in what she feels for him." Emma rubbed her temples and reached for her wine glass. Jake had insisted she work at his apartment tonight, claiming his home office would provide fewer distractions than her Brooklyn place. What he hadn't mentioned was how distracting his presence would be, even when he was in the next room allegedly working on other manuscripts. "How's it going?" Jake appeared in the doorway, his tie loosened and sleeves rolled up. He looked like every fantasy Emma had ever had about sexy, in

  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Back to Work

    Two weeks into their "strictly professional" arrangement, Emma was beginning to understand that Jake Morrison had a devious streak she'd never suspected. Every editorial challenge he gave her seemed designed to push her emotional boundaries while maintaining perfect professional deniability. "The love scene in Chapter 8 needs work," Jake said, his voice matter-of-fact as he slid her printed manuscript across the conference room table. The pages were covered in red ink and sticky notes. "Charlotte's physical responses are technically accurate, but there's no emotional authenticity." Emma tried to ignore the way her pulse quickened every time Jake said "love scene" in that calm, professional tone. "What specifically is missing?" "Vulnerability. Fear. The sense that Charlotte is risking something fundamental about herself." Jake leaned forward, his green eyes intense despite his neutral tone. "Right now she's responding to physical attraction, but she's not truly surrendering anythin

  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Tentative Truce

    Emma sat in the Meridian Publishing lobby at exactly 8:45 AM, clutching a coffee that had long gone cold and rehearsing the speech she'd practiced in front of her bathroom mirror for the past hour. Three days had passed since Marcus's phone call, three days since that devastating kiss with Jake, and three days since she'd fled his apartment like a woman running from her own feelings. Which, she admitted to herself, was exactly what she'd been doing. Maya had spent those three days alternately lecturing Emma about self sabotage and bringing her comfort food, but it was Maya's final words this morning that had driven Emma here: "Em, you can't let fear make every decision for the rest of your life. Sometimes you have to choose what you want over what feels safe." Emma checked her phone for the fifteenth time. 8:47 AM. Jake would be in his office by now, probably wondering why she'd been avoiding his calls and emails since Wednesday night. Probably assuming she'd decided their profess

  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Writing Workshop

    Emma stared at the business card Jake had handed her across his desk, reading the elegant script for the third time: "Hearts & Words: A Romance Writing Workshop. Led by bestselling author Diana Rosewood. Saturday, 2-6 PM, Greenwich Village Community Center." "You want me to go to a romance writing workshop?" Emma's voice pitched higher despite her efforts to sound professional. "I want you to be around other writers who understand the challenges of writing authentic emotional content." Jake leaned back in his chair, his expression carefully neutral. "Diana Rosewood is one of the most respected voices in contemporary romance. Her workshops focus on emotional authenticity rather than technical craft." Emma set the card down like it might bite her. "Jake, I'm a published author with multiple bestsellers. Don't you think attending a basic writing workshop might be... beneath my experience level?" "Diana's workshops aren't basic. She works with writers at all levels, from debut author

  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Unexpected Vulnerability

    "What exactly do you mean by 'something real to worry about'?" Emma asked, though part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.Jake's smile was enigmatic as he moved back to the kitchen, resuming his dinner preparations with casual efficiency. "I mean we stop hiding what's happening between us and start using it to our advantage.""Using it how?" Emma followed him, her wine glass clutched like a lifeline. "Jake, I need you to be specific. My career has already been destroyed once by someone who claimed to care about me."Jake paused in his chopping, his expression growing serious. "Emma, I would never""I know. I think I know." Emma set down her wine and wrapped her arms around herself. "But I need to understand what you're proposing before I agree to anything."Jake set down his knife and turned to face her fully. "Marcus and Caroline are counting on you being afraid, being isolated, being too scared to trust anyone with your career again. They're also counting on me being

  • HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES    Research Assignment

    Emma stood in front of her bedroom mirror, holding up her third outfit change of the evening. The black dress was too formal, the jeans too casual, and the burgundy wrap dress she was currently wearing seemed to hit some middle ground between "professional dinner" and "I'm open to possibilities."Maya had texted her every hour since their coffee shop conversation: *Remember, you're researching authentic attraction for your book.* *Trust your instincts.* *Don't let Marcus's call psych you out.*Emma's phone buzzed with another message, this one from Jake: *Changed the reservation to 8 PM. Something came up at the office. Address attached. Looking forward to our conversation.*Emma clicked on the address and frowned. Instead of a restaurant, the location showed a residential building in SoHo. She quickly typed back: *This looks like an apartment address?*Jake's response was immediate: *It is. Change of plans I'm cooking. More private for the kind of discussion we need to have.*Emma st

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