Page 6 of This Time Around

I don’t wait for him to answer before moving to peruse the shelves, I know he’ll do it. I can tell by the look he gives me.

Every time he looks my way, it’s as if he cranks up the heat in the room, making it nearly unbearable. This causes me to stay a few steps ahead of him in an attempt to avoid his gaze.

If I don’t find a distraction, my toys are going to get a serious workout just to keep my mind off the immediate, fiery attraction he stirs within me.

Luke

Ifollow Blake through the aisles of the bookstore, trying to keep my composure. I hadn’t expected to run into her today, but since I have, it is impossible not to be captivated by her. Her long red hair tumbles over her shoulders, and the depths of her brown eyes seem to light up with every new book she finds, but my favorite part is the way her bright red lips move when she speaks. It’s something small, and has been sweeping me off my feet since she was in college, a sexy little change to her appearance she adopted back then. Every time I see her my mind drifts back, glad it’s a change defining her signature look. However, for her, it’s more than just her signature look-it’s a defining trait setting her apart from every other woman in every room she enters. It isn’t just the color.

Though the bold, bright red is eye-catching and unapologetically vibrant, it is the way she wears it with such confidence; it’s sexy as hell. It’s as if her lips are a canvas for her personality.

She has several books in her hand at this point, and not one has caught my attention. I’ve been too distracted to skim any of them over.

I pick up a few of them and pretend to read the back, when all I’m actually doing is taking her in over the cover.

She picks up a novel from a shelf marked “New Releases,” and holds it up. “No way, they have it! What do you think of this one?” ‘Evermore’ by Amber Marlowe is sprawled across the cover. “It’s supposed to be a thrilling mystery with just a touch of romance, plus she’s one of my favorite authors.”

I take the book from her and examine the cover. The dark design and intriguing blurb on the back catch my interest. “This looks promising. I’m definitely in if you are.”

Her face brightens, and she nods enthusiastically. “Great! Let’s read this one. How about we meet in a week to talk about it? And then again in two weeks when we’ve finished?”

Romance is not a genre I read, but I love mysteries, and for her, I would read absolutely anything.

“Sounds perfect,” I confirm, trying to mask the excitement stirring inside me at the thought of spending more time with her. It is a simple innocent plan, but it gives me something to look forward to. I need a distraction.

We walk a little more, and I’m surprised when she wanders into the nonfiction section.

“Look at how beautiful this glass of whisky is on the cover of this book. This artwork is freaking amazing. The detail in the ice cubes and the strong amber color. It’s amazing,” she says, holding out a book for me to see.

“Mixology Magic, huh? I thought you only read romance. Is this for work?” I ask.

“I do. This is for education, not for fun. I’ve been saving money to open a bar of my own. I listen to a lot of podcasts and read up on different things related to business, mixology, and a bunch of other stuff so I can get it off the ground someday. It’s a pipe dream for sure,” she shares softly.

“Damn Blake, give yourself a little credit. You are so confident-one of my favorite things about you.” I scrunch my brows, “Doubt doesn’t look good on you. You’re already doing it, you’re putting in the work and the time to invest in this plan. That’s what it is, a plan. Not a dream. Definitely not a fucking pipe dream. A solid plan, and if you ask me, an amazing one.”

She stares at me for a moment and bites her lower lip, sending a wave of heat through me. “Thanks Luke. But how can you be so sure when you barely know anything about it?”

“Because you, Blake, are incredible.” I pause, trying to catch my breath. “Incredibly talented, and driven, and you take life by the balls. Everything you do is amazing, and you’ll make sure this is too. Now, tell me about your plan. I’m dying to know what’s spinning around in that gorgeous mind of yours. I have a feeling it’s something I’d love to get lost in.” With a gentle stroke of my knuckles across her cheek, the air between us disappears.

Every time she smiles or laughs, I feel a pang of longing, a reminder of the feelings I’d been trying to suppress. Even though she is my little sister’s best friend and we are twelve years apart, my attraction to her is undeniable. It is only now, at this moment, I’m finally allowing myself the liberty of submitting to what I already knew-these feelings are more than just a fleeting infatuation, a crush intensified by a loveless marriage. Truth be told, I started falling for her during a visit back for Christmas when she was in college, only cemented in the last time I saw her. Blake McKenzie has occupied so many of my dreams over the last few years and she is pure fucking perfection, always has been.

When we finally say our goodbyes and go our separate ways, I can’t shake the thoughts of Blake from my mind. My day at the ER is a blur of patients and procedures, every spare moment filled with thoughts of her.

I remember the moment I first realized I was in love with her during a visit home for Christmas. Noel and I had been struggling for a while by then, and Blake’s unexpected presence had brought a brightness to an otherwise gloomy day back home. She walked into my parents’ house bundled in a fluffy white jacket and plaid scarf.

“Luke, I’m going to go upstairs and watch tv,” Noel said in a flat tone, void of any emotion.

She felt awfully distant, but I hadn’t exactly been the most attentive spouse either.

“Sounds good. I’m going to hang out. I’ll be up in a bit.”

I walked into the living room and there stood Blake, snow dusted her boots and her nose was red from the cold air outside. Her red lips, glossy and full, stole my attention.

I wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips.

“Hey Luke,” she greeted me with a huge smile and an even bigger hug. A hint of vanilla and honey lingered on my shirt for hours.

We spent the entire night laughing and telling stories with April in my parents’ living room by the Christmas tree. When dad broke out a game of Left, Right, Center, I realized it had been hours since I’d seen Noel.