Hard Wood by Lauren Blakely

Author:Lauren Blakely [Blakely, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Lauren Blakely Books
Published: 2017-10-20T18:30:00+00:00

17

I flick on the light, unknot my tie, and say hello to Zeus.

He rubs against my leg and meows. I understand immediately. I scoop a handful of his favorite kibble into a bowl, and set it on the floor.

I turn on another light in the living room and contemplate pouring a Scotch. Feels like a night for the amber liquid. The kind of evening where I’ll pace around my pad, hoping she’ll arrive soon. A night when I should flop on the couch, stare into the distance, and think dark thoughts.

But that’s not who I am.

Even if Mia has things to tell me, I can handle them. That’s what I do. I handle stuff.

Rather than pace, I grab a book, my dog-eared and well-worn paperback of A Prayer for Owen Meany. I flip it open to a random page and read words I’ve read many times before.

The knock on my door comes quickly, and I open it. Mia strides in with purpose, her chin high, her eyes fierce. She places her hands on my chest, as if she’s warding me off. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this.”

All the air spills out of me. “Why?”

“I dated a good friend of Max’s right after college.”

And that’s the reason. That’s all the reasons, it seems. “What happened?”

Her hazel eyes are intense. “It didn’t end well.”

I furrow my brow. “You mean Max didn’t handle it well?”

She shakes her head, the loose little strands of her hair moving with her. “It’s not about him. It’s about me. I’ve never wanted to get involved with one of his friends since then. That’s why I’ve had to resist you. That’s why I’ve held back before.”

I grit my teeth, then will myself to let go of my frustration. “What happened? Who is this guy?”

“His name is Eric.”

I search my files for a friend of Max’s by that name. But he’s never mentioned an Eric, not even in passing. “I’ve never heard of him.”

Mia lets out a long, sad breath. “That’s the issue. They aren’t friends anymore.”

My shoulders sag, and I get it. I understand at last what I’m up against. This cuts so much deeper than the question of when and where I tell Max I’m mad about his sister. This is about whether she’ll even let herself cross a huge hurdle.

But Mia surprises me by wrapping her arms around my neck. Pressing her breasts to my chest. Sliding her body against mine.

“Mia,” I say, and this time the warning is real. “You tell me you shouldn’t do this, and then you do this.”

“I told you because I want you to know where I’m coming from.” She draws a deep breath. “But I don’t want us to stop.”

I close my eyes, feeling my body sway as if I’ve had too much to drink, when all I’ve had is a glass or two earlier. It’s not alcohol, though, that makes me feel this way. It’s the uncertainty of opening my heart. But even so, I don’t want to resist her.

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