Read Online When Valentines Collide by Adrianne Byrd - Free Book Online Page B

friend’s shoulders. Now she was convinced more than ever that she was doing the right thing in tricking Chanté and Matthew into sex therapy. “Look, go to this conference. When you get back, I’ll make sure you get a break. I’ll talk to Julia in the publicity department and arrange a book tour for you. That’ll keep you out of the house for a little while.”
    â€œTrue.” Chanté sighed, but then perked up. “Ooh. These are nice.” She picked up a pair of leather pumps.
    â€œDon’t you already have a pair like that?”
    â€œNo. It doesn’t have this cute little buckle on the side. I’m going to try them on.”
    Edie just shook her head as she followed her friend to a nearby chair where she asked a saleswoman for the correct size. “No offense, but how many shoes can one woman own?”
    â€œHey, when I was growing up, I never owned more than two pairs of shoes at a time.”
    â€œAnd now you have a whole department store in your closet.”
    â€œAll right, I admit it. I love shoes. Sue me.”
    Edie continued to shake her head. “So what do you say? Will you do the conference?”
    â€œSeparate hotel rooms?”
    â€œC’mon. How will that look at a relationship conference?”
    â€œLike we’re trying to preserve our sanity.”
    â€œChanté.”
    â€œAll right. All right.” She held up her hands.
    â€œYou’ll do it?” Her editor perked up.
    Chanté drew a deep breath and tried to figure out just how long she and Matthew could share a hotel room without a homicide detective showing up.
    â€œPlease?” Edie folded her hands in mock prayer.
    â€œAll right. I’ll do it,” she huffed. “Just make sure the room is stocked with enough alcohol to dull my pain.”
    Edie smiled smugly behind Chanté’s back. One down, one to go.

Chapter 9
    â€œI’ m not going anywhere with that psycho!” Matthew spat to Seth and then ducked his head back over the toilet bowl. “If you haven’t noticed, she damn near tried to kill me this morning.”
    â€œAm I to believe that you did nothing to provoke her attempted murder this time?”
    â€œNo,” he lied, coming up for air again. “Well…not exactly.”
    â€œUh-huh.” Seth finished wringing cold water from a face towel and then tossed it to his client. “What exactly did you do? It wouldn’t happen to have involved a four-legged friend I told you not to take home?”
    Matthew placed the towel over his face, in part to cool his forehead and in part to hide his guilt while he reviewed last night’s major disasters…and one mind-blowing sex dream.
    â€œIf it’s taking you that long to answer the question, I don’t think I want to know what happened.”
    â€œThat’s probably best.” He paused and then added, “I think my, uh, streak ended last night.”
    Seth’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but then quickly crash-landed. “You think? I take it since the porcelain god is your best friend today that it didn’t go too well?”
    â€œHorrible,” Matthew groaned. “I was drunk and it had been so long…I grew too excited…and was a little quick on the trigger.” He glanced up at Seth. “And that’s not the worst part.”
    â€œYou didn’t.”
    He nodded. “I did. I fell asleep…and then this morning I wasn’t sure if I’d dreamed the whole thing. When I asked Chanté about it, she said that it never happened, but I don’t know.”
    It was Seth’s turn to groan.
    â€œI didn’t mean for it to happen,” Matthew said defensively. “It just did. And then this morning when she was cooking breakfast I started to apologize…and I couldn’t quite get the words out. Me! King of the talk shows couldn’t find the words to apologize to my wife. How pathetic is