Read Online LuckoftheDraw by Jayne Kingston - Free Book Online Page A

She was wearing a
heart-stopper of an emerald-cut diamond in a gorgeous vintage setting.
    “Rachel,” she breathed, awestruck. “He asked.”
    Rachel’s face broke into a huge smile and tears shone in her
eyes. “He did.”
    “Why didn’t you hit me over the head with this earlier?” She
looked back down at the ring. “I feel like such an idiot for not seeing it
sooner. It’s beautiful .”
    “What was I supposed to say? Hey, Pete, enough with the
panic attack. Pay attention to me , dammit?”
    “Yes you were.” She put her hand over her heart. “He asked
last night? Here?”
    “He said he was planning to make some kind of grand,
romantic gesture, and then he thought it would be more fitting to ask me last
night since we were reunited…” Her voice hitched and she positively beamed.
“You know how we were reunited.”
    She hugged Rachel tight. “God I’m so happy for you.”
    “I’m so happy for me too,” Rachel whispered back. “Thank
you.”
    They held each other for a moment, then Rachel pulled back
first.
    “I’ll give you all the juicy details later. Right now I
should go downstairs and help Bree finish getting dinner ready. Come down and
celebrate with us.” Concern softened her features. “Alex is going to be here
pretty soon as well.”
    Petra’s stomach dipped and her heart fluttered.
    “I would hope so. It wouldn’t be a proper celebration
without him.”
    “Take your time,” Rachel said, giving her a quick kiss
before she left the room.
    It didn’t take Petra long to add a light dusting of powder
to her face and swipe some mascara on her lashes. She brushed her hair and
changed her shirt, grabbed a sweater and headed for her friends.
    She was halfway down the stairs when Alex rounded the
landing at the bottom.
    “I was just coming to look for you,” he said with a smile
that took her breath away.
    He looked amazing in dark jeans and that fisherman’s wool
sweater she loved, his hair tied back into a low ponytail.
    Sunshine. Her heart filled with it, the warmth spread through
her entire being. Rachel could not have picked a better word to describe him.
    “You were?” She went down a few steps and stopped when they
were eye level.
    “If seeing each other was going to be awkward after last
night, I would rather have it be awkward without everyone watching.” His gaze
traveled over her hair and face, lingered on her mouth a moment before
returning to her eyes. “Do you feel awkward?”
    She thought about it. “I don’t.”
    His smile went lopsided and the bottom dropped out of her
stomach.
    “Yeah, neither do I.” His hands spanned her waist and he
leaned in. “I was also thinking, you know, if there was no awkwardness that I
might be able to get a kiss.”
    “I like the way you think.” And the way he smelled and
tasted and kissed.
    The way the knot in her chest loosened and then let go as
they let the kiss linger.
    Petra slid her hands over his broad shoulders. Eyes still
closed, she rested her forehead against his. “Alex—”
    He cut her off with a shake of his head. “I know what you’re
going to say.” He lifted his head. “I told you how I feel and you told me where
you stand. I’m a big boy, Petra. I can handle things the way they are if you
can do the same.”
    Could she? Could they continue being friends and sleep
together too?
    That frivolous part of her that she rarely set free wanted
to believe they could and come out on the other side with their friendship
intact. The rational part of her that was usually in complete control warned
that continuing was a train wreck in the making.
    When he slid his big hands around the small of her back and
drew her close she couldn’t ignore the way it made her whole body sing with
joy.
    “I can’t think clearly when you do that,” she whispered when
he kissed her neck.
    “That’s the point,” he murmured, then grazed his teeth over her
throat.
    His hands moved under the back of her shirt and he chuckled
when