Published by Louise Bay 2015
Copyright © 2015 Louise Bay. All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
ISBN - 978-1-910747-18-6
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
Series Playlist
Acknowledgements
Other Books by Louise Bay
What the Lightning Sees
The Empire State Series
Hopeful
Faithful
Let’s Connect
Ashleigh
I stood on the street in front of Haven’s building, Luke’s arms wrapped around me. It was a cold day, but I couldn’t have felt warmer. It had been just eight hours since Luke had shown up on my doorstep, determined to show me that he was over Emma and that he wanted me. We’d spent most of our time since naked. We hadn’t discussed anything, hadn’t made anything official. Our minds had been taken over by our bodies. It had been beautiful—blissful, even. I didn’t have words for what Luke and I were yet, and until I really knew where we stood, I didn’t want to expose our new status to any sort of scrutiny.
“You don’t think Haven will guess? She knows us both pretty well,” Luke said. “We could just be open with her. I don’t want to hide anything.”
He was right. My best friend knew her brother and me extremely well. One lingering glance and she’d know right away something was up. But despite everything, I wanted to take things slowly. I’d suggested we date. It had taken us this long to start what was between us, so why rush? I wanted to make sure what we had wasn’t just physical. I was confident it wasn’t for me, but after so many years of my love for Luke being unrequited, I needed time to understand how he felt. Which meant I wasn’t ready to tell anyone else.
“Then you’re going to have to put your game face on,” I said. “I don’t want her to guess. It’s not that I want to hide anything, but this is so new. We’ve been . . . dating for less than eight hours. Let’s just sit with this for a while.”
The first time Luke and I’d kissed, Haven had gone postal, and it had tipped me into a spin. I wanted to make sure I was stronger, more certain of Luke’s and my relationship, in case she took things badly again.
“Okay, whatever you need but I’m going to find it hard not to touch you for the next few hours.” Luke squeezed me tighter.
“You can do it. I have faith in you.” I leaned forward and placed a kiss on his chest. “I need you to take a walk around the block.”
“You do?”
“I don’t think we should arrive at the same time.”
Luke’s face dropped, but he nodded. He hugged me closer. “Let’s not stay long though, okay?”
I frowned. As far as I was concerned, dating and taking things slow meant that we didn’t spend every moment with each other.
“Oh,” he said. “You don’t want to spend the night together.” He removed his hands from my waist and shoved them in his pockets.
“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just I thought we agreed we should take things slowly—date, not rush in to anything.” Had he misunderstood what I’d suggested?
“Okay, well you’re going to have to explain the rules of dating to me so I’m clear.”
I tried to keep my wince from showing on my face. “Are you mad?”
“No, not mad. I don’t . . . I want to make you happy, but I don’t want to waste time, either. I want to speed up, not slow down—make up for all those lost years when we could have been together.” He reached and tucked my hair behind my ear. “But if slow is what you need, then that’s how we’ll go.” He smiled softly, but it didn’t hide the tinge of disappointment in his voice.
“Thank you.”
“Can I at least think about you naked?” he asked.
I grinned. “I would be disappointed if you didn’t.”
He took a step back, about to make his journey around the block. I reached across and stroked his hard chest.
“See you in a minute.” I watched as he headed toward the main road.
I was sitting on one of the bar stools, watching Haven in the kitchen. I’d thought it was Jake’s turn to cook, but I wasn’t going to remind her. We would definitely have a better meal if Haven did the cooking.
“I got tickets to The Elephant Man. Jake can’t go. Want to come?” she asked as she set wineglasses onto the counter in front of me.
“I’ve seen it. I told you.” I was pretty sure I’d skipped over telling her.
“You did not. When did you see it?”
I shrugged “A couple of weeks ago.”
She stopped what she was doing and looked at me.
“With Richard.” I checked my phone. Luke had been gone twenty minutes. What was keeping him? I could use a distraction right at that moment. I was about to get the third degree from Haven.
“You’re dating again?”
“No, he just had a spare ticket.”
She raised her brows and went back to fiddling with the blender. The buzzer went, and Jake raced out of his study. “Is that you?” he bellowed into the intercom.
“What, I’m not good enough for you to come out of your hidey hole for?” I asked.
“You know Haven always sends me away while you talk about penises.”
“We weren’t talking about penises,” I replied.
“You’re right. We weren’t talking about penises, but we should have been. What’s Richard’s like?” Haven tilted her head.
The familiar sound of Luke banging about came from behind me, and I had to stop the grin that was trying to break free. Despite seeing him less than half an hour ago, anticipation fluttered in my stomach. “Hey girls,” he said. “What’s going on?” He strode across to Haven and planted a kiss on her cheek, stealing one of the pastries she was fiddling with as she smacked his hand.
“We’re talking about the fact that Ash is secretly dating Richard.”
If I didn’t know Luke so well, I wouldn’t have noticed the almost imperceptible stiffness that ran through him at her words. “We are?” he asked, as he slid his eyes to mine and raised his brows.
I shook my head. “We are not. Haven, stop being a witch.” Jesus, I really didn’t want Luke getting the wrong idea and thinking that I’d been less than honest with him when he’d asked me if there’d been anyone else. There was enough uncertainty between us; I didn’t need to add to it.
“I’m not being witch-like in any way. You just said how you went on a date with Richard.”
“I did not.” My eyes flitted between Luke and Haven. “I said he had a spare ticket to the theater and that I went with him. As friends. That’s it.” I wanted to smooth my hands over Luke’s jaw, to reassure him that for me Richard could never compare to him. Luke turned to the refrigerator.
“Could friends develop into something more?” Haven asked.
Luke was putting a little too much thought into his choice of beer. I wished he’d come and sit beside me.
“I think he sounds like a good catch. A doctor and stuff. And he’s so sweet to you. He treats you really well.” Haven glanced across at Luke.
“How can you say that? You of all people?” I replied to Haven. “You didn’t settle. You waited for . . .” I circled my hand in Jake’s direction. “You know. ‘The one.’ I don’t want to go out with someone because on paper they’re a good catch. No, he’s firmly in the friend zone.”