Know Your Heart: A New Zealand Enemies to Lovers Romance (Far North Series Book 2) (26 page)
Read Know Your Heart: A New Zealand Enemies to Lovers Romance (Far North Series Book 2) Online
Authors: Tracey Alvarez
“If I were still your landlady, I’d kick your butt for leaving my property unsecured.”
“You’re not my landlady anymore.”
His blue eyes remained steady on her face, and she had no idea—not one—what he was thinking. Was he happy to see her? Had he changed his mind about loving her? Cut his losses and moved on?
“So.” He folded his arms, studying her like a scientist would study a newly discovered plague bacteria. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to get into your house out of the rain, where I will convince you that I love you and that you should forgive me for being a bubble-headed jerk”—she sucked in a deep breath since her mouth had used up her last supply of oxygen—“and then I’ll find the nearest horizontal surface, which I really hope is your bed, and sleep for at least forty-eight hours.”
Glen’s expression remained unchanged. The same as it had before she blurted out she loved him. This didn’t bode well. The heat in her cheeks spread throughout her whole body.
A muscle bunched in his jaw, and he pressed his lips together. “Can we slow down and unpack that a little?”
“How about we go inside?” She pooched her lower lip out and blew a strand of wet hair from her face. “I’ll explain there.”
“Not yet.”
She huffed out a sigh, until she caught the ghost of a smile crossing his mouth.
“Take me back to the reason you’re trying to break into my house, instead of auditioning in L.A., where you’re meant to be.”
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not meant to be there. I rang the director from London and told him I was on a new career path. A career path that didn’t involve depriving myself of chocolate, muffins”—she counted off two fingers and held up a third—“and you.”
“
I’m
your career path?”
What? Had she missed part of the conversation?
“No,” she said. “Teaching kids like Tom and the Bounty Bay children is my new career path, and acting in repertory theatre again. No more sitcoms or movies for me. That’s my new career path. And you, you’re the cherry on top of the big-ass chocolate cake. Hell—you’re my chocolate cake. The cake that I love.”
A flash of heat lit Glen’s gaze, and he closed the distance between them. Warmth pumped out from under his tee shirt and jeans. Savannah’s gaze zipped down. His wet jeans clung to a truly delicious package—“Why are you wearing jeans? Where’s your suit?”
Glen barked out a laugh. “This has got to be the weirdest conversation we’ve ever had. I quit working for Dad, and I’m waiting to hear about a position in an environmental law firm. I’ve been walking to a local coffee shop each day to write my next rainbow-farting unicorns book.” He patted the laptop satchel slung over his shoulder, then shrugged it off and leaned it against the chair.
Bubbles of pure joy shot through her. Without thinking, she grabbed his arm. “The agent took you on? Oh, I knew he would. That’s—”
Glen cut off her next exclamation with a kiss. The feel of his mouth on hers, hot, firm, demanding, was better than a triple-strength shot of espresso.
They finally came up for air, and he said, “We can talk book deals later. I want more out of you than chocolate cake metaphors that don’t make sense.”
Sav gathered her tumbleweed thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to get stage fright.
“You were right.” She balled the damp fabric of his shirt in both hands and held on tight. She’d keep him here in the rain until she convinced him of her sincerity. “I’ve wasted too much time and energy trying to earn other people’s love and approval. When you found a way behind my masks and exposed me, the real me, I couldn’t believe you would really love me. Deep down, I believed I didn’t deserve to be so happy with you, that I had to earn your love because the real me was unlovable.”
He cupped her face with his big palms, and her bare toes curled on the wet brick.
“You don’t have to do anything, and you…you’re the polar opposite of unlovable.”
“Oh.” Her heart raced around her body in a quick sprint. “You still love me then?”
“Not planning to stop any time soon.”
Thank God for that. He loved her, and while she knew she’d love him even if he’d turned her away, the relief made her sway closer.
“Can we go inside now?” She licked rain droplets off her lips.
Glen’s eyes zeroed in on her mouth like a cat tracking a red dot laser. “Wouldn’t agreeing make me one of your
yes
men?”
“That would make you my
only
yes man.” Sav tugged up his shirt, sliding her palms along the silky skin of his waist. “Once we get inside, I’ve got a list of things I’d like you to say yes to—starting with removing all your clothes.”
Glen threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her face to his, all teasing vanishing from his eyes. “Then I say
yes
, Savannah Davis.
Yes
to compromising and working out a life with you, whether it’s here in Auckland, Hollywood, or even Bounty Bay.
Yes
to country music and bubble baths, dancing in barns and your irrational fear of spiders.
Yes
to one day making you my wife and to us raising a family together.
Yes
to being the guy at your back while you shine in the spotlight.
Yes to all of it
.”
“I wish…” Tears—hot, happy, overwhelming tears—flowed down her cheeks. “I wish I had words like you have, to tell you how much I love you. How devastated I was when you left Bounty Bay, and how sorry I was that you never knew I loved you back.”
“But I did know, angel,” he said. “I knew watching you interact with Tom and the kids in Bounty Bay, and I knew for sure the night of Tom’s concert.” He shrugged. “I figured if you’d fallen in love with my nephew and the other kids so fast, there was a good chance you’d fallen in love with me. That you just needed some time to trust that our feelings for each other were a solid foundation to build on.”
“I do trust you. We’ll build a hell of a weather-proof house on that foundation.” She arched up on tip-toes and kissed his chin. “This ex-movie star won’t require a tenancy agreement, either.”
Glen pulled back slightly. She saw herself reflected in his eyes—a woman in love with the man she’d never, ever forget. The man she’d never need to put on an act for again.
“You know,” he said. “You don’t really look like a movie star.”
“You said that once to me in Bounty Bay.”
“Uh huh.” He pulled a key-chain from his pocket and dangled it under her nose. “Take this.”
She did, and he swept her off her feet and into his arms, laughter bubbling out of her as he swung her in a circle.
“So, what
do
I look like to you?” she asked as he carried her toward the back door.
“
Mine
,” Glen said.
And he kissed her until she believed it.
###
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Imagine an endless stretch of azure blue water and clean, unspoiled beaches. Imagine a small town surrounded by ancient native forest.
Imagine neighbors who look after their own, who consider them whānau - family. Imagine the secret lives, the hidden passions simmering under New Zealand’s sultry, subtropical Far North.
Welcome to Bounty Bay, where the reward of true love is a price only some are willing to pay.
Love will bring them together. Distrust will tear them apart…
Alexandra Lauren Knight has reinvented herself in the safety of her rural New Zealand hometown to become Lauren Taylor. She’s cut all ties with her past as a former model whose ex-husband turned out to be ruthless in both the boardroom and the bedroom. While Alexandra allowed other’s expectations to propel her into the spotlight, Lauren prefers the safety of anonymity; restoring classic cars with her brother, and snuggling with her four-year-old son.
Nate Fraser, a burned-out photojournalist, plans to fix up the property next door to Lauren and sell it as a celebrity retreat. Always on the move, Nate is only comfortable with short-term assignments and even shorter-term relationships. But it’s not just his buyer’s tight deadline or that the restoration is far beyond his expertise which turns a short-term project into an ordeal. Nate’s plan of travelling the globe is in jeopardy—created by the intensity of his growing feelings for Lauren and her little boy.
As the sparks of passion ignite between them it reawakens Nate’s long forgotten dream of having a home and family. Lauren must find a way to trust Nate not only with her secrets, but with her heart—before her safe haven is exposed and she can no longer hide in the shadows.
Due South Series
The Due South series focuses on family, community, and of course, each book contains a scorching hot romance.
In Too Deep (Book #1)
“Out of the gate with her début at full throttle, Ms. Alvarez receives a blue ribbon!”
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InD'Tale Magazine
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My Forever Valentine (Book #5)
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