Salman Rushdie may be a top author, but he uses Facebook to write racy messages to women and then abruptly dump them.

Rushdie said he was “mortified” by the suggestion he shared a romance with Social Life magazine editrix Devorah Rose after they were spotted at a cozy dinner together and Rose tweeted about it.

But Facebook messages from the scribe to the sexy socialite suggest there was a spark. In a message seen by Page Six, Rushdie used his way with words to let Rose down easy via the social-networking site months after they’d met.

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t feel able to pursue what we only just began,” the purple message begins. “I have to confess that I haven’t really recovered from the recent collapse of a two-year relationship . . . I can’t help seeing that our lives and worlds (and ages) are very different, and hard to reconcile. I think you’re a dynamic, passionate, extraordinary person and I apologize for backing away so suddenly . . . I hope you can understand and excuse me, and that we can remain friends.”

A subsequent message from the literary ladies’ man, sent months later over Thanksgiving weekend, strikes a flirty tone, reading, “you look so gorgeous and hottt! see you v soon.”

Other cutesy messages between the two also leaked on the Web this week.

Rose first met with the iconic writer last summer in Southampton, at Rushdie’s request, she says. She says he pursued her with subsequent dinners at STK, Crown and Indochine, after which she tweeted, “Come back to the states soon so that we can have a do-over.”

But Rushdie has insisted there was nothing between them, saying he was “embarrassed” and “mortified” at the suggestion.

“Mr. Rushdie’s intentions, like his ridiculous retort, is the definition of unchivalrous behavior,” Rose said through a rep. “My tweet was friendly, his response was embarrassingly out of proportion, especially when he invited me to several dinners.”

Rushdie said last night in an e-mail, “No further comment. I told her I would not pursue a relationship and did not do so.”