Not Just Friends
Book 3 in the Brookfield Series
By Lacey Wolfe
Can the quiet bookstore owner land the playboy?
Alyssa Duncan’s life revolves around books. If not for the fact the town’s playboy Connor Phillips has a secret reading addiction, she most likely wouldn’t be on his radar…or his friend. The two personalities just don’t mesh…or do they? She gets a chance to find out when a book-reading bet leads to dinner. Alyssa experiences a wide a range of emotions. She’s elated her beyond-friendship feelings seem returned, but his reputation precedes him. Is she just another gullible female in a string of women? As a relationship begins to develop with Connor, going past the limits of friendship, things grow muddled and complicated when an ex-boyfriend shows up in town and things aren’t what they seem.
When the dust finally settles, will Alyssa find true love with someone or end up with just another friend?
Alyssa Duncan’s life revolves around books. If not for the fact the town’s playboy Connor Phillips has a secret reading addiction, she most likely wouldn’t be on his radar…or his friend. The two personalities just don’t mesh…or do they? She gets a chance to find out when a book-reading bet leads to dinner. Alyssa experiences a wide a range of emotions. She’s elated her beyond-friendship feelings seem returned, but his reputation precedes him. Is she just another gullible female in a string of women? As a relationship begins to develop with Connor, going past the limits of friendship, things grow muddled and complicated when an ex-boyfriend shows up in town and things aren’t what they seem.
When the dust finally settles, will Alyssa find true love with someone or end up with just another friend?
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Excerpt:
As Alyssa opened the book to chapter one, her phone chirped,
letting her know she’d received a text. She decided to ignore it. She never
liked to be disturbed when she read. But whoever it was didn’t want to be
ignored, since her phone chirped again.
Alyssa groaned, dug it out of her purse, and read the two messages.
Can I come up? – Connor
Put the book down and let me in. *wink wink* - Connor
She giggled and wondered what he stopped by for, especially since she’d just seen him on a date. The new book he wanted didn’t come out until next week. She made her way back downstairs to the bookstore, where she saw Connor standing at the door, smiling while holding two paper cups she assumed was coffee. God, he was a sight. Dark, almost black hair that he always wore with that just-out-of-bed look, with ice-blue eyes that bore into one’s soul.
She unlocked the door and let him in. “Hey, Connor. What can I do for you?”
He handed her a coffee. “It’s Sunday evening and you’re closed tomorrow, which means you’ll be on a reading binge tonight. Figured you could use some coffee.”
She grinned. He knew her so well. Too bad he’d never see her the way she did him. “I picked up a historical romance.”
“Did you try the book I recommend yet?”
Sci-fi wasn’t for her. She had tried it, but couldn’t get into it. “Soon.”
“I don’t believe you. Maybe we should take a bet.” He leaned against the wall.
“A bet? Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I bet by the end of the week you still haven’t read it.”
She took a sip of her drink. Ah, her favorite. Mocha with a splash of raspberry. “What are the terms of this bet?”
“If you have, dinner’s on me. If you haven’t, dinner’s on you. And I warn you, I have expensive taste.”
Alyssa’s heart fluttered. Dinner? A meal together? They’d never gone anywhere. In fact, she didn’t know if anyone knew they were even friends.
Connor reached out, touching her shoulder. “Do we have a deal?”
Oh God, she was supposed to speak. She wasn’t sure that part of her was working any longer. “Uh-huh.”
Connor grinned at her, a dimple forming on his cheek. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
No, a cat did not have her tongue. In fact, if a cat did, she was pretty sure she’d be screaming right about now, not being mute.
“You kinda threw me off, asking me to dinner.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that something you weren’t interested in?”
Ha ha, there wasn’t a woman around who didn’t want to have dinner and more with Connor Phillips. She just never thought it would be her. “We have a deal.”
“Good.”
Alyssa wondered if this meant he might be interested in her. That he could possibly have eyes for her. As she stared at him with a God-knew-what kind of smile on her face, she didn’t notice at first the blonde bombshell she’d seen earlier was now standing outside waiting. Alyssa glanced back at Connor, who caught her focus and turned to glance at the woman.
“Crap, I forgot about her.”
Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Date?”
“For this evening.”
Her heart sank. Connor wasn’t interested in her. She would never look like blondie out there. He wanted to take her out as a friend. That was it. It was time she realized it and the fact they would never be anymore than they were. And after tonight, the woman standing out in the cold would know the same thing.
“I guess I better get out there.” He took a sip of his drink and stepped away from the wall.
“Yeah, she seems a little mad.”
Connor leaned closed and whispered to her, “She’ll get over it.” He brushed a light kiss on her cheek. This was the first time he’d ever been that close to her.
The woman outside tapped on the door, obviously not liking what she had seen.
“You better go,” Alyssa said. “Besides, I think my dinner’s cold. I’d just taken it out of the microwave before you got here.”
“Enjoy your meal and the coffee as well.” He waved and then went back out the door, greeting the woman waiting for him.
Alyssa wanted to watch but didn’t. It was hard enough knowing the man she secretly fantasized about was once again out with another woman.
Alyssa groaned, dug it out of her purse, and read the two messages.
Can I come up? – Connor
Put the book down and let me in. *wink wink* - Connor
She giggled and wondered what he stopped by for, especially since she’d just seen him on a date. The new book he wanted didn’t come out until next week. She made her way back downstairs to the bookstore, where she saw Connor standing at the door, smiling while holding two paper cups she assumed was coffee. God, he was a sight. Dark, almost black hair that he always wore with that just-out-of-bed look, with ice-blue eyes that bore into one’s soul.
She unlocked the door and let him in. “Hey, Connor. What can I do for you?”
He handed her a coffee. “It’s Sunday evening and you’re closed tomorrow, which means you’ll be on a reading binge tonight. Figured you could use some coffee.”
She grinned. He knew her so well. Too bad he’d never see her the way she did him. “I picked up a historical romance.”
“Did you try the book I recommend yet?”
Sci-fi wasn’t for her. She had tried it, but couldn’t get into it. “Soon.”
“I don’t believe you. Maybe we should take a bet.” He leaned against the wall.
“A bet? Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I bet by the end of the week you still haven’t read it.”
She took a sip of her drink. Ah, her favorite. Mocha with a splash of raspberry. “What are the terms of this bet?”
“If you have, dinner’s on me. If you haven’t, dinner’s on you. And I warn you, I have expensive taste.”
Alyssa’s heart fluttered. Dinner? A meal together? They’d never gone anywhere. In fact, she didn’t know if anyone knew they were even friends.
Connor reached out, touching her shoulder. “Do we have a deal?”
Oh God, she was supposed to speak. She wasn’t sure that part of her was working any longer. “Uh-huh.”
Connor grinned at her, a dimple forming on his cheek. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
No, a cat did not have her tongue. In fact, if a cat did, she was pretty sure she’d be screaming right about now, not being mute.
“You kinda threw me off, asking me to dinner.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that something you weren’t interested in?”
Ha ha, there wasn’t a woman around who didn’t want to have dinner and more with Connor Phillips. She just never thought it would be her. “We have a deal.”
“Good.”
Alyssa wondered if this meant he might be interested in her. That he could possibly have eyes for her. As she stared at him with a God-knew-what kind of smile on her face, she didn’t notice at first the blonde bombshell she’d seen earlier was now standing outside waiting. Alyssa glanced back at Connor, who caught her focus and turned to glance at the woman.
“Crap, I forgot about her.”
Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Date?”
“For this evening.”
Her heart sank. Connor wasn’t interested in her. She would never look like blondie out there. He wanted to take her out as a friend. That was it. It was time she realized it and the fact they would never be anymore than they were. And after tonight, the woman standing out in the cold would know the same thing.
“I guess I better get out there.” He took a sip of his drink and stepped away from the wall.
“Yeah, she seems a little mad.”
Connor leaned closed and whispered to her, “She’ll get over it.” He brushed a light kiss on her cheek. This was the first time he’d ever been that close to her.
The woman outside tapped on the door, obviously not liking what she had seen.
“You better go,” Alyssa said. “Besides, I think my dinner’s cold. I’d just taken it out of the microwave before you got here.”
“Enjoy your meal and the coffee as well.” He waved and then went back out the door, greeting the woman waiting for him.
Alyssa wanted to watch but didn’t. It was hard enough knowing the man she secretly fantasized about was once again out with another woman.
About the Author:
Lacey Wolfe has
always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing
her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short
stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has
always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of
school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband,
son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.
You can find Lacey at the following
places: Her Site Twitter Facebook
This is book is on my wish list!
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