Alec stood idly by while Olivia and I fought and cursed my banner, trying to get it extended to its full height. The problem was neither of us was tall enough to lock it into place at the top. Olivia opened her mouth to ask Alec for help, but I shot her a look that stopped her. Reaching over with my free hand, I dragged my chair closer so I could stand on it to click the banner into place. I may have knocked over my boxes in the process, but it was better than asking for Alec's help.
Just as I stepped off the chair to pat myself on the back, the banner came undone at the top of the stand and tumbled at my feet. Olivia snorted, trying to hide her laughter. She turned away and knelt down to pick up the boxes I had knocked over.
"Here, let me," Alec said, stepping in close behind me. The scent of his cologne wrapped around me like a warm blanket on the coldest of days. I closed my eyes, inhaling it in deeply.
I finally turned around to face him, convinced I could handle it without cracking. I was wrong and right at the same time. Physically, I was able to hide my emotions behind a mask of indifference, but inside I was mess. "Fine," I said, stepping away from the banner. Dragging my chair with me, I slid around to the other side of the table and began setting up my books.
I watched from the corner of my eye as Alec finished assembling the stand in no time at all. It didn't escape my notice when his shirt pulled up slightly, hinting at the full set of abs I had run my hands over intimately. Glancing around the room, it became evident I wasn't the only one who had noticed him.
Alec was clearly the topic of conversation among several women who suddenly seemed more concerned with his ass than finishing the setup of their displays. I didn't know whether to laugh or flip them off. Actually, I couldn't blame them. I had firsthand experience with how sexy he was. I'd felt his hands and lips on my body. My legs had wrapped around his narrow waist, feeling every glorious hard inch of him.
"I'll be right back," I said, rising abruptly from the table.
Olivia looked surprised, holding a handful of bookmarks. "Wait, what about your table?"
"Just put the finishing touches on it. I trust you. I'll only be a minute anyway." I had to get away to collect myself. The very body that I was sitting there lustfully reminiscing about was the same one that had left me hanging high and dry and practically humiliated. Several people tried to get my attention as I walked by, probably to ask about Alec, but I dodged them with the excuse of a bladder emergency as I quickly made my way into the main hallway.
Thankfully, I found the bathroom empty. As it turned out, I hadn't lied after all. I really did have to pee. Once I finished, I deliberately stayed in the bathroom washing my hands as long as possible before I knew I absolutely had to get back to my table.
Walking through the lobby on the way back to the banquet room, I spotted the long line of readers waiting to get into the signing. Their excited chatter echoed down the hallway, making the butterflies in my stomach flutter. Picking up my pace, I entered the banquet room and saw everyone at their tables, ready to go.
"Two minutes," a voice announced over the loud speaker.
I waved to a few more of my friends in passing before finally reaching my table, which looked fantastic. Olivia had outdone herself again. My books were creatively stacked and prominently displayed on one side of the table while my bookmarks were fanned out on the other. She had even laid out my two favorite signing pens along with a fresh can of Coke. "Thank you," I said, giving her a quick hug. "I'm sorry for acting like a freak."
"It's cool. You know I'm here for you. Just remember what you're here for. This is your chance to shine." She squeezed my hand and collected the empty boxes to stack under the table and out of sight.
Olivia was right and I knew that. I just needed to suck it up and do my job. Alec stepped out from behind the banner he had been moving into place. In my absence he had removed his shirt, which shouldn't have been shocking considering it was part of the plan. He looked amazing, which was why he was here. Now all I had to do was avoid any physical contact with him and I'd be fine.
As I made my way around the table to my chair, my foot caught on the leg of the table next to me and I stumbled forward. I would have landed face first if not for Alec's firm hand reaching out to grasp my upper arm. He had saved me from possibly a bloody lip or a case of rug burn on my face, but my plan to avoid physical contact with him had lasted all of thirty seconds. That had to be a world record.
His hand remained on my bicep even after I had found my footing. Our eyes met as I waited for him to release me. I was powerless to pull away. We both acted like we had something to say, but the time wasn't right. Not here.
The buzzing of voices entered the room as the doors opened and the line of people that had been waiting poured in. Something in my eyes must have clicked with Alec because he abruptly dropped my arm. I scooted around him, sinking into my chair as he took his spot, standing at the front of the table. Olivia raised her eyebrows at me, but I shook her off. I could barely figure out my behavior, let alone explain it to her.
It didn't take long for Alec to attract the attention he was brought here to get as clusters of women began converging on my table. Surprisingly, many of them were not shy about expressing their feelings for him.
One woman in particular even asked for my opinion as she waited for her turn to get close to him. "Have you ever seen a set of abs like that?"
"Of course. Right here," I replied meekly, handing her a Wicked Lovely bookmark. I wasn't ready for this kind of attention so quickly.
"That's him? I think I've died and gone to hunk-a-luscious heaven." She fanned herself with the program she was handed at the door.
"Oh sweet decadence," the woman with her said, snatching up one of the bookmarks for herself. "It doesn't come out till July? I need to read this now," she whined. "Will you at least sign these for us?"
"My pleasure," I said, removing the cap from my silver pen.
As they waited, one of them reached for one of my older titles. "And these are your other books?"
"Yes. Do you read historical romance?"
"Girl, I read anything steamy," she said, turning the book over to read the synopsis. "Wait. I've seen this on Amazon. I've actually had it on my to-be-read list. I might as well get it now so I can add it to my autographed book collection."
"Me too," her friend added.
Olivia handled the transaction while I finished signing and personalizing the copies of their books. The rest of the day progressed in much the same manner. The crowd never thinned out. I had to hand it to Alec and the way he'd handled the attention like a pro. He'd taken endless pictures, been touched countless times, tolerated pecks on the cheek and even a couple butt pinches. He had even been propositioned more than once and simply ogled more times than I could count. All the Wicked Lovely swag I had brought was gone, and the excitement for its release seemed tangible. It was a mentally draining day, but I couldn't help responding to the enthusiasm of everyone I met. My family showed up midway through the signing, and even they were excited to see that I was too busy to do more than give them a quick hug before returning to my table. >"It's a good thing you're not being dramatic or anything," she said dryly. "So, if it's settled and you're not going to kill me, I'll set it up with Alec. I'm sure he'll jump at the chance for more exposure and to—" Her words stopped as she remembered who she was talking to.
"That's fine, Liv. Just make sure you lay down the ground rules."