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March 16, 2023 - December 31, 2024
It had felt like time for a change—time to level up. Marriage wasn’t for me, thank you very much, but a woman didn’t have to get married to take her life in a new direction. A more adult direction. So I’d bought a house.
“The thing about friendships, and boys for that matter, is that you never want to settle. Having acquaintances or people you can have fun with is fine, but you want to be careful about who you let into your circle of trust.” “So, you mean it’s better to have no friends than bad friends?” I tilted my head, thinking about that for a moment. “Yes. Bad friends aren’t really friends, are they?” “No, I guess not.” “And you never want to compromise who you are so other people will like you.”
Dex St. James wanted to convince himself he wasn’t interested? That was fine. I certainly wasn’t one to chase a man. But I wasn’t going to let him get away with the lie, either. Not without teasing him, at least. Oh, he could run. And I certainly wasn’t going to force the issue. That wasn’t a good look on a woman any more than it was on a man.
“Oh, hell no.” I sat up straighter and brushed my hair over my shoulder. “Darling, when a man is out with you, you should be his focus. There’s nothing on his phone that’s better or more important than you.” She nodded along. “Yeah.” “You have to know your worth. A high value man knows how to treat a woman well, in public and in private. If he can’t be bothered to pay attention to you now, when you’re just getting to know each other, what’s he going to be like down the road? Or in bed?”
“This is why I love you so much. Apparently I don’t have the right kind of magic for him. We were alone, in my house, and his daughter was away for the night, so it was the perfect opportunity. But he said he wasn’t interested.” “Not interested?” Hazel asked, her brow furrowing. “I’m suddenly calling into question everything I thought I knew about the world,” Everly said. “How could he not be interested in you? You’re Nora Lakes. That’s not possible.” “My ego thanks you but it’s not the first time a man has turned me down.”
I lifted my glass and they all followed. “A toast. To Dex St. James and the power of flirtation. May living next to me be sweet, sweet torture.”
The tattoo artist with a teenage girl. Who hugged his parents, drove a boring family car, and had taken care of his daughter on his own from the day she was born. That man could also dance.
Somehow, being fucked against the wall wasn’t nearly as intimate as that sweet kiss.
I was Nora Lakes. Men didn’t scare me. Except I might have found one who did.
“This is crazy. You realize that, right? You’re like a bunch of overprotective brothers.” “I had a feeling you’d catch on,” Cox said. “And don’t be fooled. Shepherd isn’t kidding. He really will destroy your life. So my advice? Don’t hurt Nora.” I kind of wanted to be offended at this display. They didn’t know me. They didn’t know how I felt about Nora or how she felt about me. Who did these guys think they were? Then it hit me. They were her family.
He grinned at me with a look that did awful things to my heart. I gave him a quick kiss before going next door, full of a shocking truth I couldn’t yet speak. I was maybe, possibly, a little bit in love with that man.
I was flirting with a word I’d never thought I’d use with a man. Forever.
He really did have a special kind of power over me. But strangely enough, it didn’t make me want to run. Not away from him, at least. I wanted to run straight into his arms. And maybe, just maybe, I could imagine staying there.
Because, damn it, I did love her. That was why I’d overreacted. It wasn’t an excuse—I’d screwed up and it was up to me to make it right. But if I hadn’t loved her I wouldn’t have cared. I did love her. I loved the hell out of that fierce, confident, beautiful woman. I didn’t know if she’d forgive me but I had to try.
I was Nora Lakes and I wasn’t going to let some man get to me like this. Who was I kidding. Yes I was. Because I was in love with him.
We. I never would have thought that simple word could mean so much or feel so right. But it did. This wasn’t temporary or fleeting. It wasn’t a pleasant distraction that would run its course. Dex was so much more. He was everything. And my heart whispered another simple word. Forever.
“I’m going to marry you, Nora Lakes. That’s just what’s happening.” I will not swoon. I will not swoon. “Is that so?” His lips brushed my ear and his voice was a low growl. “You’re mine.” My legs wobbled and he tightened his grip on me. Okay, maybe I was swooning. A little.
Who would have thought a woman like me would have fallen for a single dad and his daughter? I hadn’t seen it coming. But now that we were a family, I knew I had what I’d always been missing. A love that would last forever.
