Enlightened End

by Audrey Carlan

  “I’m friends with her. Hell, I’m friends with all of them. My buddy Nick I mentioned, he works there. As do several of my friends. That’s the studio I go to. The same one my wife goes to. And you’re flattening the street? Fuck, dude. Sunflower Bakery? Rainy Day Café?” He runs his hands over his face and then braces his elbows on the table. “Man, you have to find another way.”

  “Clay, I just told you…this venture is set to profit by nearly a billion dollars. The rent these businesses have been paying for the last twenty years is nothing.”

  My buddy runs his hand across his chin. “I get it. I do…but… Dude, this street is special. You need to spend some time there.”

  I slam my hand down on the table, my whiskey almost sloshing out of the glass. “That’s what I was doing, until I spent the night with Luna and got sidelined by her friends who own the bakery. They despise me, and I get it. I truly get it. I’m ruining something they love, but it’s just…business.” I grind my teeth on the last word.

  Clayton inhales, deeply and slowly. “It’s not to them, though. That street is iconic. It’s one of the most chill and comfortable places to go. It’s a secret gem in the area. And the businesses, they’ve been there twenty years or more.”

  I nod and suck back a slug of whiskey, letting that fire burn…wanting it.

  “Looks to me like you’ve got some soul searching to do. What about your time with Luna?”

  “It’s over.” With those two words, pain squeezes my chest in a death grip. I rub at my heart, trying to soothe it.

  Clayton’s jaw goes hard, and he runs his tongue over his teeth. “She’s a friend. And you just said you spent the night. You look like a man who’s had his balls kicked and his dog run over. Obviously, she’s more to you than a quick fuck…”

  “I didn’t fuck her! We slept. Just slept together.”

  He cocks a brow. “You mean to tell me, you had Luna Marigold in a bed, and you did not take a piece of that?” Clayton laughs. “Better man than me. I mean, if I wasn’t ass-over-dick in love with Moe and have a serious thing for flexible Asian hotties, I would have considered Luna a huge win.”

  I bite down on my molars and hold my jaw firm. The simple thought of Clayton wanting Luna makes me insane. Fucking certifiable. “Don’t,” I warn through clenched teeth.

  Clayton lifts his hands. “Hey now, happily married man here. I’m just sayin’ I know her and she’s beautiful. She’s going to make some man very happy one day. And from what I understand, that’s really all she wants.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask right as the waitress brings our burgers.

  The second the plate touches the table, my mouth waters. I haven’t eaten all day, and I worked every muscle in my body beyond fatigue. I grip the burger and watch the juice run off onto the plate before I take a monster bite out of it. The meat, cheese, and sauce flood my taste buds, and suddenly, I’m ravenous.

  Clay shrugs. “What I understand, she’s a bit old-fashioned.”

  I chew and swallow before responding. “Luna is the farthest thing from old-fashioned. She’s as new age as they come with her yoga, breathing, oils.”

  Clayton shakes his head and finishes his own bite. “Not in that way. Moe told me Luna wants to get married, have a couple of kids, and teach yoga. Take care of her kids and her man, make dinner, clean house. Kind of like a hippie June Cleaver.” He chuckles.

  The vision of Luna moving around my apartment, cleaning house, making us dinner, taking care of our children…a boy and a girl. A legacy. A home. Not something I’ve ever had, nor did I think I would have. The beauty of that simple vision hits me like a two-ton boulder along with a deep-seated desire to make that vision come to life.

  Except it never will. She hates me.

  I haven’t even truly tasted the woman, and she hates me. “I’ll never get another chance with her,” I whisper, not realizing I said it out loud.

  “Not true. If you want her, truly want to be with her, see where it leads, then go back to her. There is nothing a woman likes more than a man who apologizes, means it, and is man enough to admit it.”

  “Just apologize. That’s your sage advice?” I pop a fry into my mouth. Damn, even the fries are world-class. Seasoned to perfection with a hint of paprika, which tingles against the tongue.

  Clayton grins. “Betcha it works. And if she tries to let you off the hook but not bring you back into the fold, push your way in. Show up in her world. Everywhere she goes, you go. Make yourself a nuisance.”

  This time I’m laughing out loud. “Is that how you wooed your wife?”

  He grins. “No. I offered to help out a mutual friend of mine, ended up watching her kid, and never left. She’d been physically hurt by her ex, as in a hundred stitches running down her back, so I moved my ass in.”

  I jerk my head up from focusing on my heavenly burger back to my friend. Friend. It feels good to think that and know it’s true.

  “You just moved yourself into her house?”

  He nodded. “And her life. She was meant to be mine, man. Knew it straight down to my marrow she was for me. I found an in, and I took it. Best decision I ever made, pushing my way into her life and heart. Now she’s mine for good, and I thank the man upstairs every day for the blessing.”

  I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “Your advice, then, is to…”

  “Push yourself on her. Make yourself a nuisance if you have to, but make sure you apologize first. Luna’s got a mind of her own, but she’s sweet. And if you’re into her, really into her, then you have to take a chance.”

  “What about the fact that I’m going to be obliterating her business and her friends’ businesses?”

  “Find a way to make it work. Get around it. Build somewhere else. I don’t know. Only you know what your business can take and what you’re willing to sacrifice. All I know is a woman like Luna deserves a man who will bend the rules, break his back, fall down on his knees to worship her. The question then is, are you that man?”

  I sip on the whiskey and swirl it in the glass, watching the amber liquid spin a beautiful vortex. “I don’t know; I’d like to be.”

  Clayton pats me on the shoulder. “It’s up to you how you’re going to respond. The way I see it, the way you look right now, all down and out, seems like the woman means a lot more than the potential profit.”

  I want to tell him it’s more than just profit. My father, the investors, they are relentless, ruthless in their desire for more wealth. These plans were already in place before a fairy princess walked through my office door and brought me to my proverbial knees.

  Then there’s the aching need to settle the score with my father. Prove I’m every bit as good a businessman. Better even than he was. Finally show them all I’ve got the chops to grow Winters Group far beyond what they even hoped for. This project was the start of all that. It would show my father and his cronies I have what it takes. Perhaps once in my entire godforsaken life, I might see pride in my father’s face, maybe even an atta boy tossed my way.

  It’s ridiculous that a thirty-five-year-old man would need that kind of recognition and acceptance from his own father, but it’s true. I’ve strived to impress him my entire life, and all he’s ever said was how I missed the mark. Came close, but close was for second place, not winners, not leaders.

  “Luna is not something I planned for…”

  Clayton slaps his thigh a few times. “Women never are, God bless ’em. All I know is I’d be lost without Monet. She owns my soul, and I’d walk through fire to ensure her happiness. When you find the one you’re meant to be with, you’ll do anything to make her happy. I live for her. Plain and simple.”

  He lives for his wife.

  The sentiment seems so foreign to me but not unpleasant. It’s hard to imagine because I’ve never felt anything like it, but I’d like to. Boy, would I like to.

  * * *

  The wind blows against my face as I stand outside of Lotus House the next morning. Clayton was right. I
need to mend the rift with Luna. I haven’t been sleeping well, thinking only of her and how I need to fix things between us. Remembering her lips on mine, the way her fruity scent coated my body for an entire day after I slept in her bed. God, I miss her smell.

  The second hand of my watch lands on the twelve, and out walks a dream.

  My dream.

  Luna waves at someone inside the bakery and turns, smiling. Her steps falter when she looks up and sees me waiting by the door. The smile falls and disappears completely as she makes it to where I’m standing.

  “Why are you here?” Her voice sounds weak and reed thin.

  “It’s your turn,” I state lamely. It’s the only thing I can come up with.

  She tips her head. “But you said it was over and the deal was off. You made it very clear…”

  “Deal’s back on.” I swallow around the thickness entering my throat.

  She shakes her head. “You can’t do that. I can’t go through that again. Grant, you hurt me…”

  Fear ripples up my spine, and I lose all rational thought. I can’t hear her reasons why she won’t let us have another chance, not when I need her. Need her body against mine, her taste on my tongue. Without a second thought, I grab her around the waist, and her body slams into mine. Before she can say another word, I’m kissing her. I cup her cheek and tilt her head, opening my mouth and licking her lips. She opens on a moan, and it’s all the invitation I need.

  I take from her lips. Take her sweet mouth in a searing hot press of lips until she’s kissing me back with as much passion as I have for her. She’s starved for it. Her body wiggles against mine as she tries to get closer, pressing her soft tits against my chest.

  I hold her close and devour her mouth. Eventually, we need air, so I pull back but keep my forehead pressed to hers. “Lamb, give me another chance. I know I don’t deserve it, but I want it. I want another chance. Please.” I grip her body tightly to mine.

  Her breath comes in little puffs against my wet lips. She opens her eyes, and her gaze breaks my heart. In them, I see her hesitance, her fear and anxiety, but more than that, I see her hope. It’s flickering a mile a minute in her gaze, and it wounds me, the knife of that desire cutting deep.

  She thinks I’m going to save her.

  How does she not see she’s the one saving me?

  Chapter Eight

  If we immerse ourselves in the energy from our crown chakra, we will find a state of blissful union with all that is and all that is meant to be. Essentially, spiritual ecstasy.

  LUNA

  It was the last please that got to me. Not just his minty breath puffing against my face or the sorrow and remorse he’s clearly showing in his sapphire eyes, but the word itself, which wounded me in a very deep place.

  Please.

  A plea. I would venture to bet this man has never begged for anything in his entire life, and here he stands, wearing his emotions on his sleeve for me to see, touch, and feel.

  A bone-crushing ache starts up in my chest. “Grant…I want to. I really do, but I’m scared,” I whisper, my head still tilted down, my gaze focused on nothing, even though my heart is pounding a harsh rhythm in my chest.

  Grant lifts my chin and keeps my body wrapped tightly against his. “Don’t be scared. Don’t ever be scared of me. I’d never hurt you.”

  I swallow around the lump in my throat. “Don’t you see, Grant? You are hurting me.”

  He shakes his head. “No. We’re going to give this a second chance. You’re going to show me everything you want to save, and I’m gonna…” He lets out a labored sigh. “I’m going to find a way to make it all okay. I don’t know how exactly, but right now, I want nothing more than to be standing right here. With you. On your street, in front of your yoga studio, holding you close.”

  My heart squeezes, and my mind fills with a million stray thoughts. Could he really be suggesting that he’s going to try to find a way to save the street?

  “What does that mean?”

  His lips flatten into a thin line. “Lamb, I don’t have the answer just yet. For now, just give me a second chance. Can you do that?”

  I close my eyes, and the answer is so simple. There really is no other option. When it comes to Grant Winters, I lose all reason and fight.

  “Yes. For you, I will.”

  His lips form an ear-to-ear smile. The beauty of it is blinding, and I love that it’s pointed at me because of something I said to him.

  “You’re not going to regret this. I won’t let you regret this.” He nods as if he’s making a deal with himself.

  I cup his cheek and run my fingertips from his temple to his jaw. “Your second chance still comes at a price.”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “Everything comes with a price, baby.”

  “Every single week you are going to meet me here for a class of my choosing. No complaints, no get-out-of-jail-free card, no negotiations. I want a solid commitment.”

  He runs his tongue over his front teeth. “If that’s what it takes to be near you and get a second chance, then I agree to your terms. You still have to go out with me once a week as well.”

  I frown. “Technically it’s you asking me for a second chance, so really, I shouldn’t have to do anything,” I remind him.

  He chuckles and wraps his arms low at my waist, keeping me close. “Are you telling me you don’t want to go on dates with me? Get to know me better in my world?”

  I do. So much it fills my heart with joy and my body with butterflies. I tip my head as if I’m considering it. “Well…when you put it like that…”

  Grant laughs out loud, nuzzles my nose, and kisses me softly. His lips are warm and velvety. I could kiss him for a lifetime and consider myself blessed. When he pulls away, he grins. “I figured you’d see my side of it.”

  I shrug and spin out of his arms. “I think it’s time you start your second chance right now.”

  He glances down at his pristine suit. He looks absolutely edible in the charcoal-gray suit and light-blue dress shirt. The hue of the shirt makes his eyes look even brighter.

  “Not exactly dressed for yoga today, lamb.” He smirks.

  I purse my lips, cross my arms, and tap my foot. “If you really want to get back into my good graces, it shouldn’t matter what you’re wearing. Besides, for the class we’re going to take, you’re dressed perfectly fine.”

  He cringes. “Why does this feel like you’re setting me up?”

  I glance over my shoulder, unlock the door to Lotus House, and push in to shut off the alarm. “Because you don’t trust anyone?”

  He clears his throat, and his eyes pierce mine as he responds. “I trust you.”

  I smile huge. I can’t help the happiness that flows through my form like healing balm. “Then come in. Class will start in twenty minutes, and it’s always completely full. You’ll want to get a good spot up front.”

  He follows me into the building. I chance a glance over my shoulder, and as expected, his eyes are on my bubble-butt. Heat picks up around my neck, probably staining my cheeks a bright red. I sway my hips as I walk, wanting to give him a bit of a show, hook him deep.

  I can’t believe he came today to ask for a second chance. When I saw him standing by the door to Lotus House, my stomach dropped and my heart squeezed. It was as if everything inside me went perfectly still. I was afraid to breathe in case he’d disappear. Perhaps I was seeing a mirage, but the hope inside my soul sprang to the surface, and I knew it was real. He was there waiting for me…ready to beg for a second chance.

  Grant leans against the reception desk as I stow away my things. The door opens behind me, and Atlas Powers enters alongside his wife, Mila. They met here and have taught a couple classes a week to keep up with the practice that brought them together.

  Atlas has a mess of curls flopping all over his head as he hooks an arm around his wife’s shoulder. She’s looking stunning as usual, her honey-toasted Latina skin tone making my glow-in-the-dark self envious as alw
ays.

  “Luna, babe, how goes it?” Atlas shuffles up to me, lets his wife go, grabs me by the shoulders, and pulls me up to the desk so he can lean over and kiss my cheek.

  I ruffle his curly hair. “Did you even bother brushing it this morning, or did you just roll out of bed ready to come teach?” I laugh.

  Grant watches from the side, his expression one of serious contemplation.

  Atlas laughs and runs a hand through his hair, the curls flopping all over the place.

  “Curly doesn’t care what his hair looks like.” Mila purses her lips and sets an arm on the desk to lean in. “I keep telling him he should cut it off, try something a little more business-like, but what do I know?” She levels a fiery glare his way.

  Atlas jerks his head back, and a horrified look crosses his chiseled face. “Wildcat, don’t you dare lie. You know I’m never cutting my hair.” His voice dips low, and he palms his wife’s neck, bringing his face much closer to hers. “Because my sexy-as-fuck wife turns into a tigress the second I get my mouth on her and likes to run her fingers through it and hold on for dear life. So no, I’m not cutting my fuckin’ hair. Get that shit outta your head…right”—he kisses her forehead—“fucking”—he kisses her nose—“now.” He lays a deep kiss on her, wrapping one arm around her waist and plastering her to his chest while he takes her mouth.

  I step back and move over to where Grant is standing. He instantly claims me by hooking my waist to his. “Those two newlyweds?” he whispers.

  I laugh lightly and shake my head. “No. They’ve been married a while and have a three-year-old daughter.”

  “Damn…” Grant breathes, awe coating his tone while he watches the couple.

  The crazy-in-love duo stops making out when the door opens and patrons start filing in. They break away from one another but only far enough that they can walk side by side.

  “Hey, guys, who’s got Aria?” I ask about their daughter.