Deserving Love: A Contemporary Romance Series (Nick & Lexi Book 1) (12 page)

As I watched Evan finish planting the tree, I spread out the blanket for our picnic and thought about the previous two weeks. We had, in fact, gone on that date. We had gone on a different date almost every day. The Evan Monroe I’d met originally disappeared and the version I’d known in Nick came out full force.
 

We had laughed and enjoyed many evenings together. Evenings that he was disappointed to find out ended at the door. We didn’t really chat on Facebook anymore. Mostly, we would text or call. He’d stop by the candy shop or we’d go to lunch. Somehow and some way we saw each other regularly.
 

Evan had found a local job that allowed him to work in building development. He’d also started selling some of his photographs to locals. We’d spent our free time enjoying many of the local and nearby attractions. One day we’d driven the Blue Ridge Parkway. We’d been to the waterfall at Pisgah Forest. We even went to a street dance in neighboring Hendersonville and Evan had learned how friendly and slightly abnormal southern people could be.
 

We were planning a trip into Tennessee to visit some of the quaint shops and Evan had been discussing the potential of making it a weekend event. The idea of that made me a little nervous. Once we consummated the relationship, we would leave the friend zone that I was trying so hard to stay in.
 

After he’d finished digging, Evan joined me on the blanket and we began to devour the food we’d acquired from local restaurants. I wanted Evan to learn of what we had to offer. I’d even thrown in some of my best candies and a bottle of wine from the Biltmore Estate.
 

“How’d I get so lucky?” he asked, looking over at me. “How’d I find the woman of my dreams?”

“You tried to ruin her hometown,” I told him with a stern look.
 

“I didn’t imagine her being so feisty,” he rolled his eyes. “But I wouldn’t have her any other way.”

We spent the afternoon sitting on that blanket, sampling food and discussing what we wanted out of life- including things like a home and children. It turned out that Evan Monroe and I had far more in common than I’d ever have imagined. We even had the same dream car.
 

Evan told me that when he married me he wanted our wedding to be outdoors and I reminded him that at that moment we were still just friends and he needed to slow down a little.
 

“We’ve never even kissed,” I added, “and you are planning our wedding.”

“You’re right,” he said, sliding closer to me. “I think we have to start at the beginning. But we need to move through some of those steps fast so that we can catch up.”

Within a moment he leaned over to me and slipped a hand behind my head, grabbing a hold of my neck. Slowly he pulled me towards him and I felt his lips press softly against mine.
 

My body tensed up as I tried to fight off the desire to kiss him, but I couldn’t do it very long. A few seconds into his kiss I melted into him and returned the gesture. My arms slipped around his neck and pulled him closer.
 

The gentle aspect of his lips against mine went away as his mouth and tongue teased at my lips with an urgency I hadn’t expected. I parted my lips, allowing him to take possession of my mouth, knowing the entire time that we were crossing over into the friend-zone.
 

I felt myself moan as he continued to kiss me. My body relinquished the fight and began to react to the touch of his mouth. His hand squeezed the back of my neck, sending electric charges through me.
 

“Mmmmm,” I heard myself.
 

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, making out in the middle of the grass like teenagers, but it seemed too long and too short at the same time. I found that the longer he kissed me, the more I wanted it to go further.
 

“So, what do you say Lexi?” He backed away and looked down into my eyes.
 

His dark pupils had a glimmer of light shining from them. I could see the desire and the emotions as he looked at me and it made me feel special and loved. It was in that moment that I realized that my feelings for him were more than just friendship regardless of how long I tried to deny it.
 

“Want to make a weekend getaway next week? Gatlinburg?” He offered.
 

I felt my gut tighten into a knot. He was offering me a weekend with him. That meant taking our relationship to a new and real level.
 

“Yes,” I nodded eagerly. “That sounds perfect.”

He smiled and we began to put away our food. It was time for us to go. The Preservation Society was having a dinner meeting. Apparently there was an impending issue that needed to be discussed.
 

The group had agreed to allow Evan to attend the meetings as a potential member. He was trying to win them over in the hopes that it would enhance his chances of being accepted. Many of them still didn’t care for him and had a hard time believing that he had really changed his goals. But I knew he had. Evan had realized that there were things in life more important than a new building.
 

“Do you think they will ever accept me?” he asked as we walked hand in hand towards the car.
 

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Many of the community did,” I reminded him. “Don’t give up.”

We made our way to the meeting, which led us to the discussion of a company that was trying to buy a piece of land in another historical district for the purpose of a condo development. I was livid over the issue and Evan just sat back and listened. After leaving the society members, we made our way back to the car.
 

“Are you going to fight them the way you fought me?” he asked, with a smirk.
 

“Yes I am,” I laughed. “They are picking a bad place to try and build.”

“I love that about you,” he admitted. “I love that you fight so hard for what you believe in.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked.
 

“Most people don’t Lexi,” he offered.
 

“I’m not most people,” I reminded him. “I’m me. And I’m going to fight until I can’t fight anymore.”

“Good,” he kissed me again.
 

“Do you think we will lose this Evan?” I asked randomly about our relationship. “Will this work?”

“Of course it will work Lexi,” he kissed me again. “Why would we give it up now anyway? Life is definitely less lonely.”

“It is,” I admitted. “But what if our differences come between us again?”

“They won’t,” he assured me.
 

In that moment I heard his phone beep and watched as he looked at the screen. His facial expression changed dramatically as he read whatever message had come in.
 

“What’s wrong?” I asked.
 

“It’s my old company,” he mentioned quietly. “They want my permission for a job that they are about to start.”

“I see,” I couldn’t understand why they would need his permission.

“It’s a plan I designed,” he continued. “I tried to get them to accept the plan for years but they said they’d never found the perfect place or time for it.”

“Oh,” I was beginning to understand. “So you designed the building?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “I designed it all. And they are ready to use it.”

“That’s amazing Evan! Are you going to let them?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I left their company. .”

“But this is your design! You should be proud of that,” I was happy for the man I was beginning to think I loved.
 

“I am proud,” he replied. “But I’m not sure that it’s a good idea.”

“Evan! You should jump on this. How often do your designs get chosen?”

“This is the first,” he admitted. “I would, but…”

“But what? Look, this life is about following dreams. You have a dream to design buildings, right? Now you have a chance to have your own design used. Imagine the benefit of this!” I was trying to encourage him and getting frustrated that he wasn’t agreeable.
 

“No, I don’t think so,” he frowned and I could see he didn’t like the idea of giving it up.
 

“Evan, you can’t let the problems we started with stop you from chasing your goals,” I told him, hoping that would convince him. “You have to do what is best for you.”

“It’s not that simple Lexi,” he argued.
 

“It
is
that simple Evan. We got past that. We are good. Tell them yes!”

“Do you mean that? No matter what it means? You want me to say yes regardless of anything?”

“Of course! I want you to do what is best for your career Evan,” I nodded. I meant every word.
 

Standing to the side, I watched Evan type something and then stick his phone in his pocket.
 

“Done,” he said.
 

“That is amazing,” I told him. “Now tell me about it. What is it? Where will it be?”

“It’s a condo development. Specially designed. It will be a high rise and all inclusive. Store, beauty salon, everything located in the building. Very modern. Very comfortable. And absolutely stunning from the outside.” He shared.
 

“Sounds great,” I beamed. “Where are they going to build it?”

“Asheville, North Carolina,” he answered, watching me for a reaction.
 

“Asheville….the condo….the one that….” I couldn’t catch my breath. “Oh my God. Evan, cancel it.”

“I can’t, Lexi,” he said looking into my eyes. “You were right, I need to do what’s best for me. We will be fine.”

He leaned over and kissed me as I nodded, not quite sure what I was nodding to. Questions filled my mind as I wondered about many things. Would we be fine? Could Evan and I handle another battle over property? Would one of us give in? Mostly I wondered what the hell had I just encouraged him to do.
 

The End

*****

Don’t stop now!
 
Book 2 is available on Amazon!

Nick & Lexi, Book 2:
 
Preserving Love

*****

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A Note From Kay Brody

I once dated a guy who was in real estate.
 
He wasn’t a real estate agent; he was a real estate
developer
who turned flat, barren land into shopping malls and apartment complexes.
 
And, for whatever reason, it was
so sexy
!

One time he took me to the site of his dream property (a waterfront lot with a view of New York City on which he hoped to build an upscale apartment building) and we had a late night picnic as we gazed across the Hudson River at the Big Apple.
 
I remember he described the difficulties he was having with everything from zoning & funding to disagreements with the surrounding landowners and, while the relationship didn’t last, those memories did.
 
And I used them for inspiration for this book!
 

I hope you enjoyed it!
 
Continue on with the series for more from this headstrong couple and I will do my best to keep you happy!
 
Thank you for spending your time with me and I invite you to contact me if you have any questions or comments at all!

With Love & Passion,

Kay

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About The Author

Kay Brody is a Jersey Girl who traveled all the way to the University of Missouri-Columbia to get a degree in Journalism before returning to the Garden State to try and make her way in life as a writer!

By day she works as a court reporter but by night she WRITES, WRITES, WRITES; occasionally taking breaks to feed her addiction to pop culture.
 
And all the while you can bet that there is a hot cup of tea by her side!
 

While she is a hopeless romantic, still in search of that special someone, she does have
one
new love in her life:
 
AMAZON!
 
Amazon’s self-publishing platform has given Kay the opportunity to get her thoughts, hopes and innermost desires out into the world for everyone to read (hopefully!!!)
 
She has already published her first series of romantic suspense novellas (The Carlisle Sisters, Books 1-3), several short story collections & a fun series of trivia books aimed at fans of television, movies & pop culture in general.
 
And while she writes new material everyday, she also has a vault full of previously unreleased stories (mostly romance, sometimes with a touch suspense or comedy, always with a splash of naughtiness...) that will also be available on Amazon very soon!