Chapter and Verse Read Online Free PDF Page A

style.  If I may be blunt, you don’t kiss ass and you tell the truth.  You start at the beginning and you make people seem human and approachable.  That’s what I need.  As you may have heard, I’ve acquired the nickname, ‘The Lone Wolf’.  I hate it and it could not be farther from the truth.  My brothers work with me and Miranda, my P.A., she was the woman that greeted you, is my right hand.  I’d be nothing without any of them.  I’m far from being a ‘Lone Wolf’.”
    “ I see.  So you’re hiring me to write a book to dispel the myth behind the nickname?”
    He smiled and I blinked.  His smile grew wider.  He had dimples.  Holy mother of god, he wore three piece suits and he had dimples.  I crossed my legs and transferred my nervous blinking to foot-bobbing.
    “ That, but not only that.  People see me as cold and detached.  I’m relying on you to capture my personality in such a way as to give me depth and character.  Am I making myself clear?”
    I took another sip of water but my eyes never left his.  Something about this stank to high heaven and I felt like a pawn.  We needed ground rules and we needed them up front.  I cleared my throat.
    “ Deacon, I don’t write fiction.”
    Shit.  That didn’t come out right and I could tell that by the look on his face.  His jaw flexed and his eyes grew darker.  I’d pissed him off and I wasn’t sure if that was wise.
    “ Let me explain before you go off on me.  I’m not saying that your warm and fuzzy side is fictitious, I’m saying that if it’s there, I’ll do you justice.  If it’s not, I won’t lie and say it is.  Fair enough?”
    He visibly relaxed and the smile was back.  Good.  I released a deep breath and smiled back.  We were friends again.
    “ Fair enough.  While we’re being upfront and putting all of our cards on the table, I need to approach something and I’m afraid I’m just as direct as you.”
    I was still on my friendship high, so I kept on grinning as I took another drink of water.
    “ Shoot.”
    “ You simply cannot fall in love with me.”
    There’s absolutely no way he said what I just heard.
    “ Come again?”
    “ I understand that there will seem to be chemistry between us, and that may in fact be true.  As you get to know me, you’ll get closer to me and that’s fine.  I welcome that and I realize that’s a necessity.  But you cannot mistake that for anything other than what it is.  Perhaps a budding friendship.  Yes.  That will do nicely.  I’ve never had a female friend other than Miranda, so I’m curious how this will pan out.”
    “ Wait a minute.  Back up a few sentences.  Did you say I was not to fall in love with you?”
    He was nodding and flexing his jaw again.  I could care less.  I was angry and he needed to hear about it.
    “ I think you’re reading too much into your own publicity Mr. Sloan.  You may believe you’re god’s gift to women and to some women, that may be true.  But you don’t know anything about me.  Your assumption...”
    “ Dorothy, are you a lesbian?”
    “ What?  How dare you ask me that question!  No, I am not a lesbian and what does that have to do with anything?”
    “ Then my assertion stands.  Trust me on this.  It happens all the time.  You will find yourself having certain...feelings...and you need to be able to compartmentalize them.  Can you do that?”
    He was serious.  The asshat in front of me was actually serious.  I put the water bottle carefully on his desk and picked up my messenger bag.  So far I was in control of my temper, but the clock was ticking and Mr. Three-Piece was not nearly as appealing as I’d initially found him.  I stood and he appeared off-kilter as he did the same.  Good.  I think I had a theory on that.  He was used to being in control and I’d just snatched that from him unexpectedly.
    I kept my voice measured and controlled and never broke eye contact.
    “ You, Mr. Sloan are so far