Read Online Charming You (Thirsty Hearts Book 1) by Kris Jayne - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kris Jayne
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Emily."
"Nice to meet you," Emily said. Her eyes darted around him as Vivienne came to stand next to him.
"Emily teaches kindergarten. Isn't that delightful?" Vivienne said in a way that made it sound not delightful at all. Nick got the feeling Viv wasn't Emily's biggest fan. Despite Vivienne's tone, Emily kept smiling and clinging to Jonah's hand.
"It is. I love that she works with kids. She's got a big heart," Jonah said.
"It's admirable," Nick replied. They stood in awkward silence until Tom came over and slapped Nick on the back.
"What can I get you to drink?" he asked while cradling his tumbler of Scotch in his hand. Nick asked for the same. He'd grown to appreciate the drink, and he knew whatever Tom was serving would be spectacular. Tom motioned to Miranda, their housekeeper.
"Daddy was telling us that you had a meeting today," Vivienne said.
"We're helping your father with a new venture," Nick explained.
Miranda handed Nick his drink, and his prospective father-in-law raised his glass.
"Cheers," he said, raising his glass along with his host.
"Getting involved in the family business, huh, Nick?" Jonah asked.
"Not exactly. Your father was looking for new counsel, and I introduced him to the partners in my firm."
"Trust me," Jonah said with a sideways grin. "That's being in the family business. And, hey, I think that's great. I'm still looking for that save the date for the wedding, though."
Vivienne stiffened. "We're working on it, Jonah. I didn't think you'd be in a rush to have your younger sister get hitched before you."
Jonah laughed. "I'm a man, sister dear. I've got time."
"Don't take too much time, Jonah. Your girlfriends are staying the same age, but you're not," Vivienne retorted.
Poor Emily looked back and forth between brother and sister.
"She's kidding, Em." Jonah tilted his head toward his younger girlfriend, who gaped, none the wiser.
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes if you'd like to head into the dining room," Miranda announced.
Tom and Sheila headed down a hallway, past their massive kitchen, and into the dining room. Jonah took Emily by the arm and down the hall, turning back briefly to shoot his sister a dirty look. Vivienne smirked and started to follow, but Nick touched her arm to stop her.
"Wait, Viv. Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure," she said, maintaining her broad smile until her family left the room. Then, she faced him. One of her brows lifted as she bit her bottom lip.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked in a hushed tone.
"Yes," she said, succinctly.
"We have barely spoken in four months, and then I get this invite from your father. You act like everything is perfectly fine. I want to know if it's really fine. Why haven't you answered my messages?"
Vivienne sighed. "I needed to step away and think about some things. With the pressure from the wedding and my mother," she paused. "I don't want to talk about this now, but everything is fine. We can have dinner this week. Come to my place. We can talk."
Nick didn't know whether he should be feeling more, or less, encouraged, but regardless, he resolved to get their plans back on track. Dinner with just the two of them was a start.
"Absolutely. I'll come by one day after work. Let me check my schedule."
He watched Vivienne's eyes dart in the direction of the dining room, but he couldn't let her go yet. Nick took her hand and pulled her close to him, lifting her hair to stroke the back of her neck. She tipped her head back, and Nick seized on the invitation to kiss her. Her lips yielded under his. Their softness stirred his memory.
While they'd never had a burning passion between them, Nick longed for the physical contact. He tasted her lips and her tongue and tried to recapture the feelings he'd lost in her absence from his life. Vivienne pushed back on his chest.
"They're all waiting," she said, evenly and with a hint of chastisement. Nick recovered himself easily and ran his thumb along her delicate jaw line from
"Nice to meet you," Emily said. Her eyes darted around him as Vivienne came to stand next to him.
"Emily teaches kindergarten. Isn't that delightful?" Vivienne said in a way that made it sound not delightful at all. Nick got the feeling Viv wasn't Emily's biggest fan. Despite Vivienne's tone, Emily kept smiling and clinging to Jonah's hand.
"It is. I love that she works with kids. She's got a big heart," Jonah said.
"It's admirable," Nick replied. They stood in awkward silence until Tom came over and slapped Nick on the back.
"What can I get you to drink?" he asked while cradling his tumbler of Scotch in his hand. Nick asked for the same. He'd grown to appreciate the drink, and he knew whatever Tom was serving would be spectacular. Tom motioned to Miranda, their housekeeper.
"Daddy was telling us that you had a meeting today," Vivienne said.
"We're helping your father with a new venture," Nick explained.
Miranda handed Nick his drink, and his prospective father-in-law raised his glass.
"Cheers," he said, raising his glass along with his host.
"Getting involved in the family business, huh, Nick?" Jonah asked.
"Not exactly. Your father was looking for new counsel, and I introduced him to the partners in my firm."
"Trust me," Jonah said with a sideways grin. "That's being in the family business. And, hey, I think that's great. I'm still looking for that save the date for the wedding, though."
Vivienne stiffened. "We're working on it, Jonah. I didn't think you'd be in a rush to have your younger sister get hitched before you."
Jonah laughed. "I'm a man, sister dear. I've got time."
"Don't take too much time, Jonah. Your girlfriends are staying the same age, but you're not," Vivienne retorted.
Poor Emily looked back and forth between brother and sister.
"She's kidding, Em." Jonah tilted his head toward his younger girlfriend, who gaped, none the wiser.
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes if you'd like to head into the dining room," Miranda announced.
Tom and Sheila headed down a hallway, past their massive kitchen, and into the dining room. Jonah took Emily by the arm and down the hall, turning back briefly to shoot his sister a dirty look. Vivienne smirked and started to follow, but Nick touched her arm to stop her.
"Wait, Viv. Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure," she said, maintaining her broad smile until her family left the room. Then, she faced him. One of her brows lifted as she bit her bottom lip.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked in a hushed tone.
"Yes," she said, succinctly.
"We have barely spoken in four months, and then I get this invite from your father. You act like everything is perfectly fine. I want to know if it's really fine. Why haven't you answered my messages?"
Vivienne sighed. "I needed to step away and think about some things. With the pressure from the wedding and my mother," she paused. "I don't want to talk about this now, but everything is fine. We can have dinner this week. Come to my place. We can talk."
Nick didn't know whether he should be feeling more, or less, encouraged, but regardless, he resolved to get their plans back on track. Dinner with just the two of them was a start.
"Absolutely. I'll come by one day after work. Let me check my schedule."
He watched Vivienne's eyes dart in the direction of the dining room, but he couldn't let her go yet. Nick took her hand and pulled her close to him, lifting her hair to stroke the back of her neck. She tipped her head back, and Nick seized on the invitation to kiss her. Her lips yielded under his. Their softness stirred his memory.
While they'd never had a burning passion between them, Nick longed for the physical contact. He tasted her lips and her tongue and tried to recapture the feelings he'd lost in her absence from his life. Vivienne pushed back on his chest.
"They're all waiting," she said, evenly and with a hint of chastisement. Nick recovered himself easily and ran his thumb along her delicate jaw line from
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