Captivate, book I of the Love & Lust (21 page)

Epilogue

Ashlyn smiles as she twines her fingers through Slade’s. The smell of popcorn and the sound of soda hissing through the plastic pipes in the lobby makes her feel giddy.

The atmosphere in this old single screen movie theater seems almost magical.

The red velvet seats are worn with age and the golden paint has begun to fleck of the seat arms, but Ashlyn doesn’t care as she looks around in wonder.

“So this is your idea of a first date, huh?”

“Yep.” He tosses a few kernels of buttery popcorn into his mouth and crunches loudly.
 
She laughs as a small drip of butter trails from the corner of his lip and she reaches up to wipe it away.
 
He grins. “I seem to remember you saying something about never having gone to the movies with a friend.”

She blushes as she stares at the people all around her. It is opening night of the latest chick flick to hit the big screen and she is smack dab in the middle of all the madness. Girls squeal as they watch the trailer on their smart phones, oohing and ahing over the lead character. Men slump in their chairs, looking like this the last place in the world they want to be.

The ceiling is high, boasting a height great enough for the balcony that hangs just over their heads.
 
Old movie posters are scattered along the walls, no doubt from back when this theater was in
it’s
prime.
 

Ashlyn loves its age.
 
It is scarred by time, but that makes it no less beautiful in her eyes.

Slade tugs on her hand, drawing her attention back to him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She smiles, realizing she really is. Being here, with him, feels good. It feels right. “But you’re wrong about one thing.” She leans in and steals a bit of his popcorn. When he lifts his eyebrows in surprise, she laughs. “I’m pretty sure we are more than just friends now.”

“That we are.” He wipes the butter off his hands on his napkin and winds his arm around her shoulder. As she leans into his embrace and the lights begin to dim, she realizes how much Slade has given her.

It’s not just a chance to discover what love truly is… It’s an opportunity to really live.

Lure

a Love & Lust novel

Coming early 2014

Amy Miles lives in South Carolina with her husband and son.
 
When she is not writing, she can be found goofing off at the lake, stomping her husband on the golf course or traveling.
 
She is the author of Forbidden, Reckoning, Redemption and Defiance Rising.

Follow Amy on twitter @
AmyMilesBooks
or at
www.amymilesbooks.com