by Eliza Quinn
“Plus the hurt is worth it when you find the one. I know enough to know that,” Charlie added.
“What if my love for him just grows and his fades away with time? What if he goes through a midlife crisis and realizes that he wants another woman to make him feel young again? Do you think it would be worth it then? I don’t want a love that I would be clutching and grasping at when it’s intent on leaving. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life terrified that one day someone will just up and leave me. What is the guarantee that this thing, whatever it is between us, would stand the test of time? Why can’t you guys see that’s a risk I’m unwilling to take?” Kay ranted.
“We can see that it is, but you aren’t unwilling to take it. You’re scared to. There’s a difference. We don’t know that it’ll last forever but moments like these – love like this does not come every day. You gotta take it or you’ll regret forever that you didn’t. That guy I mentioned at the club? I never found him. The connection I felt… when I tell the story I make it sound like a stupid teenage decision and perhaps it was, but I have never felt that way with anyone since. I would give anything for that connection again,” Charlie said quietly.
Kay bit her lip in thought. Charlie was right. She’d never felt this way before. Was it worth the risk?
“Kay, when it’s a love that’s meant to be, it stays. Don’t give up without even trying.” Celine took Kay’s hands in hers gently.
Kay nodded quietly. She couldn’t give up that easily.
Chapter Ten
Kay sat with her friends silently as they ate ice cream and watched old reruns of Friends. She knew that a lot of her past trauma came from watching her mother fall apart after her father had left. She had loved him with everything in her and he still left. Kay wondered when she’d internalized the idea that people you loved could always leave. She had taken one bad example and magnified it, yet she’d pig headedly ignored all the good ones. She loved Celine and Celine loved her. With all that was going on in her life, she’d still come the moment Kay had called. Celine could leave, but she chose not to. That was love.
Charlie too. She didn’t have any reason to be there. Though they had bonded at work the girl was under no obligation to be there for her. Yet when Kay had impulsively reached out, she’d shown up with ice cream and the truth, though that had been a hard pill to swallow. Kay didn’t know if that was love but it was pretty damn close.
Then there was Cel and Everett. Wasn’t she there when their love had sprung its first fragile bloom? Hadn’t she been there when their relationship had fallen apart? Yet they’d made it out stronger than ever with the odds stacked against them. Theirs was all the proof she needed that real love existed. So why then had she held on stubbornly to the idea that true love wasn’t in the books for her when she had an amazing man she could explore it with? What was wrong with her?
“Guys? I’m going after him,” Kay announced.
“Yessss! I knew it. I knew that it would get through eventually. It fits. You being the one to chase dramatically. Get dressed and go get him,” Celine cheered.
“If you don’t, I’m calling dibs, so you better hurry and go get your man.” Charlie laughed.
Kay smiled as she went to change. He was her man, wasn’t he?
Asher had taken all of six hours to realize his idiocy. What had he been thinking?
“Space?” he muttered to himself.
He discovered that he loved a woman and he had agreed to give her space? Instead of stating all the reasons why they could make it work? He’d suggested space. He was an idiot. He walked all the way home, feeling his heart break apart at the thought of never seeing her. He’d showered for two hours, dreading facing a life without her. He’d taken another two to stare at the walls. He didn’t want to go back to a world without Kay. No matter what happened he had to make her understand that their love was something worth taking the risk for. With that thought he reached for his coat and his keys. He had to get to her.
He saw a familiar redhead as he raced along the tree-lined boulevard. Kay stopped short right in front of him. He stared at her, heart in his mouth, wondering how to make this impossible woman see that she was exactly right for him. How could he promise her forever when he couldn’t prove it beyond the words in his heart?
Kay stared back at Asher. She couldn’t believe he was here, coming to her. Was it really to her?
“I was going to come over to your place,” Asher whispered, like he’d read the question in her eyes. Maybe he had.
“Me too. I wanted to talk,” Kay replied.
“Me first. I know I said I was going to give you some space. I really was, but then I realized that was stupid. When you love someone you don’t run away from them even when they ask you to. That would be proving that everything they believe about love is true. I am not my father. Not even close. You are not your mother either. We are here, we are together and we are in love.” He hesitated, then continued with a half-smile. “At least I hope you love me, otherwise I would look like a complete idiot yelling that on the street. I love you Kennedy, I love your quirks and the way you squint at your laptop when you’re concentrating. I love how easy it to be with you, how happy you make me. I love that you are genuine and kind, and so fucking smart that once you get published you’ll give me a run for my money. I am willing to risk it all if you are. Just say the word.”
Kay sighed. That they had met halfway with the same goal in mind said a lot. If she had any doubts that he felt the same way, they were quickly erased.
“Of course I love you. You think I trudge through streets to meet men all the time? I realized that holding on to the past and holding a good man – one who drives me crazy, someone I cannot stop thinking about – at arm’s length because of the past is stupid. I am a lot of things Asher Van Der Meer, but stupid certainly isn’t one of them. So yeah. I love you. And yes I’m willing to risk it all if you’ll have me. Let us take the chance, together,” Kay said, moving close enough for their lips to touch.
“Yes. Let’s.” Asher took her lips in a deeply passionate kiss. Moments passed before they could hear the cheering behind them. Kay and Asher turned around, hands linked, to find Charlie, Celine and Everett. Cel and Charlie were cheering and Everett had a smile on his face.
“Everett showed up to check on us and we asked him to take us to Asher’s house, y’know in case he needed Everett to beat some sense into him.” Cel laughed.
“That won’t be necessary, I presume?” Everett said with a lift of his brows.
“No. She knows I love her beyond words,” Asher said loudly.
“And I love you too, beyond words,” Kay said. As Asher bent his head to kiss Kay, Celine whooped with joy.
“Young love,” Cel said. “So god damn cute. Hey Charlie, how about we find you a man?”
Kay couldn’t hear what Charlie said. She was too busy getting lost in Asher’s kiss.
THE END
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Rule #1: Never get involved with a student.
Professor Patel Park knows better than to risk his career on a student. It was right there in the rules; rule number one, to be exact. So what if it was his own personal rule? But when Tatiana Edwards enters his classroom, he knows things are about to heat up. Because she’s attractive as can be and there’s a look in her eyes begging him to dominate her.
Tatiana wants to seduce her anatomy professor.
Tatiana isn’t happy about her unexpected move, but when she meets her new anatomy professor, she can’t stop thinking about him. She can’t stop imagining him taking control and taking her. Is he the kind of guy that’s into all the dark things she wants? Or is he as vanilla and boring as most of the guys that try to come on to her?
There’s only one way to find out!
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bsp; I hope you enjoy the story!
Stay Sexy and Sassy,
Eliza
About the Author
Eliza Quinn lives in the Midwest with her husband and two boys. She’s loved reading since she could hold a book and has spent many a sleepless night reading just one more page. Now she has channeled that joy of reading into writing and hopes to provide you with many sleepless nights too.
She wants people to laugh, smile, and sigh as they fall in love with her characters. She wants to write books that make people feel. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or trying to keep up with two boys and a husband as incorrigible as the children. And she loves every second of it.
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Other Books by Eliza
I’ve listed the books below but you can see them all easy when you click on my Amazon Author Page.
Desire Series:
Controlled Desire - Book 1
Unleashed Desire - Book 2 Coming June 2020
Bound Desire - Book 3 Coming June 2020
Surrendered Desire - Book 4 Coming July 2020
???? Desire - Book 5 Coming August 2020
Strict Series:
A Strict Lesson - Book 1
A Strict Hunger - Book 2 Coming soon
A Strict Need - Book 3 Coming soon
A Strict ???? - Book 4 Coming soon
A Strict ???? - Book 5 Coming soon
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