Read Online The Opium Room by Charisma Kendrick - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charisma Kendrick
Ads: Link
not talking about anything sexual, either.”
Lea sighed. “Like sex is not a big deal? Please. I’m close to the same age as you, and I’ve been with one guy. My husband. That’s it. I doubt I have as much to offer as you seem to think.”
Fox reached across the table, gripped her hand. Smiled as he said, “On the contrary.”
“Oh, no.” Lea sat up straight. “We did something last night, didn’t we? Come clean.”
He nodded. “Something.” He let her squirm for a good ten seconds. “But not that.”
She sighed so hard her bangs blew away from her face. “I’m gonna beat you.”
“I look forward to it. But can you wait till after our date?”
“What date?”
“The one I’m taking you on. Tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know. I really need to rest, so I can absorb the information I’m getting out of the next few days.”
“Well, what about the night after your last meeting? That’ll be Friday, right? It will give you a few days to miss me.”
Lea lifted a brow so very sexily, a coy smile tugged at the side of her mouth. “Miss you?”
“Kidding. But I can’t swear that I won’t miss you.” He stood, walked to her side of the table and scooted back her chair.”
“Let’s get you home.”
He paid, left a tip, and they walked back over the bridge to the hotel.
“Fox, where are you taking me Friday night? I don’t know if I brought anything appropriate for a date.”
He grabbed her hand. “Just bring you. I don’t give a damn about anything else.” He didn’t let go.
When they got to the hotel, Lea asked for Karrigan’s number.
“What for? In case you haven’t noticed, Karrigan’s not exactly a good influence.”
“I was going to pass it along to my brother.”
“Oh,” Fox said happily. “In that case, you got a pen?”
Lea dug in her purse, handed him a three–inch spiral memo book and a pen.
Fox scribbled down Karrigan’s cell number, flipped to the next page and left a personal note for Lea. He started to hand her back the thick–barreled pink pen when he saw the writing on it: YOU BETTA REDNECKOGNIZE!
Before his smile could spread across his face, Lea jerked away the pen and pad and stuffed them in her purse. “Well, thanks for that. See you Friday.”
Fox had planned on one more kiss, but Lea had closed the door in his face before he got the chance.
—Lea
Lea pressed her back against her hotel room door. From the other side, she heard Fox say, “Okay then. I’ll call you.”
“K,” she answered, trying to sound cool. She prayed to God that Fox knew the saying on the pen came from a television show and that it wasn’t her life motto. And it wasn’t like she bought it for herself. It was part of the Honey Boo Boo gift basket Kate had given her for her twenty–eighth birthday earlier in the month. She must have been trying to sabotage Lea’s future dating plans because she’d also included a T–shirt that said Sugar Bear my baby daddy. At least Lea was smart enough to leave that at home.
She fell back onto the bed, just stared at the ceiling.
She’d never expected to meet someone during this trip. At least not someone who she’d instantly—dare she think it?—fall in love with. It was more likely just plain lust from being alone for the last year. She felt equal parts fabulous and uneasy being around Fox. But she’d never anticipated the fabulous part.
Her confidence had been stolen from her—an unforeseen consequence of the divorce. She hadn’t been good enough for her husband of ten years. How could she be good enough for Fox? She wasn’t sure.
She sat up, grabbed her cell phone from her purse and punched in Karrigan’s number.
“El–lo,” Karrigan answered.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Sure I can.” She smacked, obviously had a mouth full of something.
“I’m very attracted to your brother, but I have a problem.”
“Uh–huh…”
“You see, he and I are from two different worlds, and I feel like such an
Lea sighed. “Like sex is not a big deal? Please. I’m close to the same age as you, and I’ve been with one guy. My husband. That’s it. I doubt I have as much to offer as you seem to think.”
Fox reached across the table, gripped her hand. Smiled as he said, “On the contrary.”
“Oh, no.” Lea sat up straight. “We did something last night, didn’t we? Come clean.”
He nodded. “Something.” He let her squirm for a good ten seconds. “But not that.”
She sighed so hard her bangs blew away from her face. “I’m gonna beat you.”
“I look forward to it. But can you wait till after our date?”
“What date?”
“The one I’m taking you on. Tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know. I really need to rest, so I can absorb the information I’m getting out of the next few days.”
“Well, what about the night after your last meeting? That’ll be Friday, right? It will give you a few days to miss me.”
Lea lifted a brow so very sexily, a coy smile tugged at the side of her mouth. “Miss you?”
“Kidding. But I can’t swear that I won’t miss you.” He stood, walked to her side of the table and scooted back her chair.”
“Let’s get you home.”
He paid, left a tip, and they walked back over the bridge to the hotel.
“Fox, where are you taking me Friday night? I don’t know if I brought anything appropriate for a date.”
He grabbed her hand. “Just bring you. I don’t give a damn about anything else.” He didn’t let go.
When they got to the hotel, Lea asked for Karrigan’s number.
“What for? In case you haven’t noticed, Karrigan’s not exactly a good influence.”
“I was going to pass it along to my brother.”
“Oh,” Fox said happily. “In that case, you got a pen?”
Lea dug in her purse, handed him a three–inch spiral memo book and a pen.
Fox scribbled down Karrigan’s cell number, flipped to the next page and left a personal note for Lea. He started to hand her back the thick–barreled pink pen when he saw the writing on it: YOU BETTA REDNECKOGNIZE!
Before his smile could spread across his face, Lea jerked away the pen and pad and stuffed them in her purse. “Well, thanks for that. See you Friday.”
Fox had planned on one more kiss, but Lea had closed the door in his face before he got the chance.
—Lea
Lea pressed her back against her hotel room door. From the other side, she heard Fox say, “Okay then. I’ll call you.”
“K,” she answered, trying to sound cool. She prayed to God that Fox knew the saying on the pen came from a television show and that it wasn’t her life motto. And it wasn’t like she bought it for herself. It was part of the Honey Boo Boo gift basket Kate had given her for her twenty–eighth birthday earlier in the month. She must have been trying to sabotage Lea’s future dating plans because she’d also included a T–shirt that said Sugar Bear my baby daddy. At least Lea was smart enough to leave that at home.
She fell back onto the bed, just stared at the ceiling.
She’d never expected to meet someone during this trip. At least not someone who she’d instantly—dare she think it?—fall in love with. It was more likely just plain lust from being alone for the last year. She felt equal parts fabulous and uneasy being around Fox. But she’d never anticipated the fabulous part.
Her confidence had been stolen from her—an unforeseen consequence of the divorce. She hadn’t been good enough for her husband of ten years. How could she be good enough for Fox? She wasn’t sure.
She sat up, grabbed her cell phone from her purse and punched in Karrigan’s number.
“El–lo,” Karrigan answered.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Sure I can.” She smacked, obviously had a mouth full of something.
“I’m very attracted to your brother, but I have a problem.”
“Uh–huh…”
“You see, he and I are from two different worlds, and I feel like such an
Similar Books
