Home > Drawn into Love (Fluke My Life #4)(5)

Drawn into Love (Fluke My Life #4)(5)
Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds

He nods, picking up a pen before coming back to take a seat next to me—right next to me—so close that his hard thigh rubs against mine through the light material of my wide-leg dress slacks. So close that I can smell the subtle scent of his cologne.

“These are the images we went over. I just need you to initial each page, along with the blueprint of the layout.”

Taking the papers and the pen from him, I sit forward and rest the stack of papers on the coffee table to start initialing each page. It doesn’t take me long to sign off on each one, but I can’t take more time since it would look like I was stalling. Reminding myself that I just got divorced and that the man I had planned to spend the rest of my life with screwed me over in a big way, I start to sign more quickly. Once I’m finished I hand him back the stack of papers and pick up my purse.

“Thank you so much. I really love the work you did,” I say, avoiding his eyes by looking at a space just above his ear. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

I move to the door, and my breath hitches when I feel his heat at my back and his hand brushing my arm as he reaches past me for the doorknob.

“Does Sam have your number?”

I turn and look at him. “I believe so.”

“Let me get it, just in case she doesn’t.”

I bite my lip as he pulls out his cell phone. I quickly give him my number, along with an awkward smile, before hurrying out of his office. I swear I can feel his eyes burning into my back.

“Did everything go okay?” the receptionist asks as I pass her desk.

“Great. Everything went great. Thank you again for the shoes.”

“No problem. Have a good day.” She smiles brightly, giving me a small wave.

“You too.”

I rush for the elevator and press the call button. Thank god it doesn’t take long to show up. When I’m inside and the doors close, I take a breath for the first time. My heart is pounding hard against my rib cage like I have been running for miles. I am running—maybe not physically, but I am running away from Mr. Fremont. A handsome man whose eyes light up when he talks about his daughter. A guy whose cheeks get pink with embarrassment when he makes an awkward comment about me being easy. Yes, I’m totally running from a man like him, because at one time I believed that Tom was too good to be true—and I know exactly where that got me.

“How do you feel about everything so far?” Abby asks as I take a sip of wine during our dinner date. Abby is young for a lawyer, or at least young for a lawyer as successful as she is. Even though she’s just a few years younger than my thirty-four, she looks twenty-five tops. Her dark hair is cut in a sophisticated bob, and she has a pixie-like baby face that works for her. The people she goes up against never see the pit bull coming.

“I feel good, really good. Free, actually,” I say, watching her expression soften in understanding.

The day I called her about representing me, I never thought that our friendship would fall right back into place, but that’s exactly what happened. Only now the roles have been reversed: she’s been the one looking out for me.

“Good.” She picks up her own glass, taking a sip. “Have you met anyone since you’ve been here? I have a couple of guys I’d like to introduce you to if not.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for that.” I smile. “I don’t know when I will be ready to date again. I am thinking about getting a dog to keep me company.”

“What kind?” she asks, sitting forward and looking excited about the idea, probably because she has three dogs of her own.

“Something small that’s okay with living in the place I have now.” I laugh.

Her nose scrunches up. She knows all about my sublet. “How are things going with the renovations?”

The muscles in my stomach clench. Since my meeting a week ago with Mr. Fremont—who has insisted I call him Lucas—he’s texted me a couple of times with updates about the contractors and to set up a time next week to meet at an appliance warehouse in New Jersey to see a few of the things he’s picked out.

“It’s going, but it’s going to be a long road.”

“I can’t wait to see it when it’s done.”

“Me too. I think I’ll feel more settled once I get into the house and start making a home for myself here in the city.”

“That’s understandable,” she says gently. “Have you heard from Tom?”

“He’s called a few times, but I haven’t answered. I don’t want to speak to him. I’ve talked to his mom, though.”

“How was that?” She knows all about my relationship with Tom’s family, especially his mom.

Shrugging, I let out an audible sigh. “She’s still disappointed that I left. She tried to convince me that if I just gave Tom a chance he would make things right.” I take another sip of wine before continuing. “She’s the only real mom that I have ever known, so it sucks that by ending my relationship with Tom, things between us have become strained.”

“She probably understands that things aren’t like they used to be,” she says quietly.

I shrug once more, not sure she’s right.

“I don’t know. I know that she’s torn, feeling like she has to choose between her son and me, but I also know that she will always take Tom’s side. When I first found out about Tom’s affair and went to her, she told me I should basically turn a blind eye to what her son was doing.”

“Yeah, I remember.” She rolls her eyes. “I know from firsthand experience that a lot of women just look the other way. It happens more than it should. But seriously, what woman in the world would be okay with her husband sleeping with another woman after promising himself to her and her alone?”

“Not me,” I state adamantly.

“Me neither, honey.” She raises her glass and so do I. We clink them together. “I know that I shouldn’t say this out loud, but if I found out what you found out . . . I would be doing a lot more than taking money from my husband. I would be taking his manhood, bronzing it, and hanging it from my rearview mirror as a trophy and a warning to any man who ever thought of wronging me again.”

Laughing at the visual, I shake my head. “There have to be a few good men out there, right?”

“God, I hope so. I’m extremely wary when it comes to the opposite sex after seeing the things I’ve seen and hearing the things I’ve heard in my line of work.”

“I don’t know if I could ever trust another man again,” I admit sadly.

I don’t know if I could ever believe another man who told me that I was all he wanted.

“I don’t blame you. But, like my mom is always telling me, if you dig in the dirt deep enough, you will always end up finding something worth treasuring.”

“I don’t think I will be digging anytime soon,” I say, ignoring the image of Lucas that pops into my head. An image that has popped in a lot since we met.

“Well then, here’s to being single in the city.” She grins, and we clink our glasses once more, laughing this time.

Chapter 4

STEPPING IN

LUCAS

As soon as I reach the warehouse in New Jersey, I head toward the front entrance. I shouldn’t be looking forward to this meeting as much as I am, but there is no denying that I’ve been counting down the days over the last week.

I step inside the entryway, and my eyes zero in on Courtney immediately. I fight back a groan when I see what she has on. The last time I saw her she was wearing black dress pants that molded to her ass and a sheer top with a lace cami underneath that peeked through when she bent over. I thought that outfit was sexy, but today’s black dress, which is wrapped tightly around her body, accentuating her full breasts, small waist, wide hips, and long legs, might be the sexiest thing I have ever seen a woman wear—in or out of the bedroom. The only thing I would change is her hair. Today it’s up in a tight bun that exposes her delicate neck and soft face. I like her hair down; it reaches almost to her waist, and it looks so soft that my fingers itch to touch it, to wrap my hands in it as I kiss her, to feel it against my chest as she rides me or to see it spread out over my pillow as she sleeps.

   
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