The Unexpected Affair by Monica Richardson

Author:Monica Richardson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

The Bahamas had been mind-blowing. He’d needed a vacation, and it had exceeded his expectations by far. Not to mention the beautiful woman who had been his companion. She’d had his emotions so off balance that he needed a few days to analyze what was going on. So many times he’d picked up the phone to call or text but couldn’t. Then on top of it, work had been beyond busy—his hours had been insane. He’d fallen asleep on the sofa two nights in a row, and without supper.

Whitney had left a few messages, and he fully intended to return them, but between recuperating, working and sorting through his feelings, he hadn’t gotten around to it. He’d have gone home and passed out on the couch tonight, but his cousin Nicole had shown up on his doorstep and insisted that he take her out for a drink.

“It’s my birthday! Are you going to force me to celebrate alone?” she’d begged. “Just one drink, dude.”

“What about your girlfriends? Wouldn’t you rather hang out with one of them?”

“Come on, Lane. Put some clothes on!” she said, then went to his kitchen and swung his refrigerator open. Made herself at home.

“What about your little boyfriend—the one I met at Christmastime?”

“He’s history,” she said and poured a glass of fruit punch. “Let’s go have a drink at Max’s.”

Lane sighed. “Just one drink. That’s it. I have to get up for work at three o’clock.”

“In the morning?”

“In the morning.”

“One drink, I promise.” She grinned.

* * *

In the car, Nicole had inquired about Whitney. “Tell me about this woman you went to the Bahamas with. You like her?”

“She’s okay,” said Lane nonchalantly, a slight grin in the corner of his mouth.

“You like her. Look at your face.”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“You have that look,” she pointed out. “You went to a whole other country with her! Did you meet her family?”

“Yep.”

“You met her family?” Nicole smiled, turned toward him in her seat. “Oh my goodness! That’s serious, dude.”

“Not at all.”

“Are you doing that thing again?”

“What thing?”

“That thing where you get scared and run from love. Are you going to let Helena ruin your life forever?”

“She’s not ruining anything.”

“Then why are you running from this woman who you clearly have a thing for?”

“What makes you think I have a thing for her?”

“You barely take time off from work to go to the doctor. Yet you take an entire week’s vacation to go to the Bahamas with a woman...you meet her family. You come back with this grin on your face...”

“It wasn’t a week. It was just a couple of days.” Lane smiled. “And what grin?”

“That one!” Nicole exclaimed. “All I’m going to say is, if you like her and she likes you, then why not go for it? Don’t mess it up like you did before. Don’t let her get away, Lane. Give love a chance. It doesn’t come along that often.”

“Nobody’s in love.” That was all he said before pulling into the parking lot at Max’s.

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