His style was more…sinister. Long ago he’d figured out his brain held far too many dark, disturbing images that required purging, if not through words Inez Kelley
67
then through simple sketches. He’d tossed a few into the envelope when he signed with his agent just to show her what he envisioned with the first book. The next thing he knew, he was illustrating his own stories.
He liked it that way. Not every child lived a saccharine-coated life and identified with all those happy, bright pictures in other tales. Others just liked the impudent twist he placed on everything.
John snorted. He was nothing if not irreverent.
The idle scribble took form and he gave a wide berth to his muse. In a few minutes, something stirred in his soul. Broader now, his strokes curved and squiggled on the paper with increasing speed.
Words leaped in his mind like popcorn in a kettle. The ice rattled in the glass as he bumped the table in his haste to get to his computer.
Chapter Three
Livvy trekked up her driveway, longing for a hot shower and a cool drink. Before she reached her door, her name rang out. She waved to Gina leaning over John’s deck railing. The brunette motioned her over and Livvy stifled a groan. She didn’t want to make nice with John’s sister. She wanted to wilt and wash off six layers of puff pastry but the thrill of seeing John stirred her blood. She hooked a sharp turn and crossed the backyard.
“Hey.” Gina smiled. “You look beat.”
“I am beat. If I never see another piping bag, I’ll be happy. I had a sale going and don’t think I sat down once since noon. Good for business, bad for my feet.”
“Iced tea?”
Livvy’s mouth watered at the thought and she nodded, then followed the woman inside. John’s house was larger and more open-layout than hers, with one great room holding dining, kitchen and living space. The furniture was new but
comfortable looking and there were no signs of moving boxes anywhere.
Inez Kelley
69
“Wow, you must have worked your butt off in here. When I moved in, I lived out of cardboard for weeks.”
Gina laughed and poured two tall glasses of iced tea, moving a sketchpad aside. “Nah, Johnny doesn’t really have much. Bachelor life, you know?
He ended up buying a bunch of stuff yesterday and I just told him where to put it.”
“So where is he?”
Gina cocked her head and looked at her for a long beat. Uncomfortable being a bug under a microscope, Livvy took several swallows of the sweet tea.
“Did Johnny tell you he’s had writer’s block lately?”
“Yeah, he said something about that.” Livvy toyed with a droplet of condensation slipping down her glass, tracing wet lines on the counter.
Gina seemed very mother-hen-ish as she crooked her finger and led her down a short hall. Gingerly, she opened a door and Livvy peeked in.
John sat at a huge desk, fingers flying over a keyboard. He didn’t look away from the monitor nor did he acknowledge their intrusion. Stony concentration deepened the lines around his mouth and between his brows. The glow from the computer screen reflected off thick gold-rimmed glasses.
70
Sweet as Sin
“I didn’t know he wore glasses,” Livvy
murmured. Somehow, the eyewear made him
seem more approachable, less intense and ultra sexy. She watched for several minutes while he typed at breakneck speed. Those fingers were spinning out magic. She could have watched all night if Gina hadn’t closed the door in her face.
“Johnny’s blind as a bat without his contacts but staring at the computer dries them out. I always know he’s in for a marathon typing session when he puts his glasses on.”
Blind as a bat. The phrase hung in Livvy’s ears and the image of Thorn leaped to her mind. The puzzle that was John Murphy had more pieces than she thought. Luckily, she loved puzzles. But she couldn’t figure out why Gina felt it necessary to bring her into this.
“So he’s writing again. That’s good,
67
then through simple sketches. He’d tossed a few into the envelope when he signed with his agent just to show her what he envisioned with the first book. The next thing he knew, he was illustrating his own stories.
He liked it that way. Not every child lived a saccharine-coated life and identified with all those happy, bright pictures in other tales. Others just liked the impudent twist he placed on everything.
John snorted. He was nothing if not irreverent.
The idle scribble took form and he gave a wide berth to his muse. In a few minutes, something stirred in his soul. Broader now, his strokes curved and squiggled on the paper with increasing speed.
Words leaped in his mind like popcorn in a kettle. The ice rattled in the glass as he bumped the table in his haste to get to his computer.
Chapter Three
Livvy trekked up her driveway, longing for a hot shower and a cool drink. Before she reached her door, her name rang out. She waved to Gina leaning over John’s deck railing. The brunette motioned her over and Livvy stifled a groan. She didn’t want to make nice with John’s sister. She wanted to wilt and wash off six layers of puff pastry but the thrill of seeing John stirred her blood. She hooked a sharp turn and crossed the backyard.
“Hey.” Gina smiled. “You look beat.”
“I am beat. If I never see another piping bag, I’ll be happy. I had a sale going and don’t think I sat down once since noon. Good for business, bad for my feet.”
“Iced tea?”
Livvy’s mouth watered at the thought and she nodded, then followed the woman inside. John’s house was larger and more open-layout than hers, with one great room holding dining, kitchen and living space. The furniture was new but
comfortable looking and there were no signs of moving boxes anywhere.
Inez Kelley
69
“Wow, you must have worked your butt off in here. When I moved in, I lived out of cardboard for weeks.”
Gina laughed and poured two tall glasses of iced tea, moving a sketchpad aside. “Nah, Johnny doesn’t really have much. Bachelor life, you know?
He ended up buying a bunch of stuff yesterday and I just told him where to put it.”
“So where is he?”
Gina cocked her head and looked at her for a long beat. Uncomfortable being a bug under a microscope, Livvy took several swallows of the sweet tea.
“Did Johnny tell you he’s had writer’s block lately?”
“Yeah, he said something about that.” Livvy toyed with a droplet of condensation slipping down her glass, tracing wet lines on the counter.
Gina seemed very mother-hen-ish as she crooked her finger and led her down a short hall. Gingerly, she opened a door and Livvy peeked in.
John sat at a huge desk, fingers flying over a keyboard. He didn’t look away from the monitor nor did he acknowledge their intrusion. Stony concentration deepened the lines around his mouth and between his brows. The glow from the computer screen reflected off thick gold-rimmed glasses.
70
Sweet as Sin
“I didn’t know he wore glasses,” Livvy
murmured. Somehow, the eyewear made him
seem more approachable, less intense and ultra sexy. She watched for several minutes while he typed at breakneck speed. Those fingers were spinning out magic. She could have watched all night if Gina hadn’t closed the door in her face.
“Johnny’s blind as a bat without his contacts but staring at the computer dries them out. I always know he’s in for a marathon typing session when he puts his glasses on.”
Blind as a bat. The phrase hung in Livvy’s ears and the image of Thorn leaped to her mind. The puzzle that was John Murphy had more pieces than she thought. Luckily, she loved puzzles. But she couldn’t figure out why Gina felt it necessary to bring her into this.
“So he’s writing again. That’s good,
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