by M. S. Parker
I ducked into a new-age shop, hoping to find a better yoga mat and maybe some better relaxation music than I already had. That seemed like a good way to get acclimated when I found a new place.
They had yoga supplies, far more than I was used to finding, but then again, this was California. It was probably the yoga capital of the United States.
Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I took my time perusing the shelves, and not just the stuff that was related to yoga. I ended up with a new mat, a few candles, and an adorable dragon dust collector that I had no idea what I’d do with.
But he was so cute. He had a gas mask on and was holding up a sign that said no smoking. It was the perfect whimsical piece to help me find my place. Wherever I ended up, my little dragon would be right at home, which meant I would too.
The last purchase was, to my delight, something I thought I’d have to buy online. This particular herbal tea was something I’d been using as a headache remedy off and on for almost three years now, but it wasn’t easy to come by in stores. Loose leaf and custom-mixed to help fight migraines and severe headaches, I’d discovered it on a shopping jaunt in a store not too dissimilar than this one back in Germantown.
Finding it here was a godsend as I could buy more anytime I wanted without waiting for it to be shipped.
On my way out, I decided to find some place to sit down and eat, which give me time to get online and narrow my search. My resolve lasted all of fifteen seconds because, as I was reshuffling and settling my bags, I glanced down the street and saw a bookstore. Not a huge chain store, but one of those small places where true book lovers could find genuine treasures.
“Talk about a kid in a candy store,” I murmured.
Forgetting about lunch or even hunting for a new home, I marched straight toward the store front, smiling as I stepped inside and took in the familiar scent of real books. I liked my electronics as much as the next person, but there was something to be said for a physical copy in hand.
The bookstore was a nerd’s dream come true. It was set up in what I could only describe as an old English library, fat, overstuffed chairs cozied up to end tables with lights bright enough to read by, the bookshelves the kind you expect to find in a personal library rather than a bookstore. The scent of coffee and baked goods drifted from the little café tucked in the back. The pastries were heavenly. I’d already hit the spot once.
“Don’t I know you?”
A familiar voice took me out of a book haze an unknown amount of time later. Looking up, I saw a tall blonde in front of me. Mind drawing a blank, I studied her for a moment, and then it hit me. “Didi, right? You’re Dash’s friend.”
She grinned at me. “Just his friend?”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes and waved a dismissive hand. “I saw the cutie you were hooked up with at dinner. You don’t swing Dash’s way.”
“So true.” She laughed and sat down in the chair next to mine. “You’re Astra, right?”
As Didi turned to face me, I gave my shirt a discreet look to make sure I didn’t have crumbs on it. She was absolutely gorgeous, and I was just vain enough to want to at least look presentable.
“It’s hard not to observe how you two were wrapped around each other when we were heading out,” I said as I grabbed one of the bookmarks that had been handily placed on the end table between our two chairs and tucked it into the book I’d been reading.
She nodded at said book. “You looked kind of engrossed. Sorry I interrupted.”
I smiled at her. “Don’t worry. I plan to buy it. And those.” As I settled back in the chair, I glanced toward the front of the store and realized the slant of the sun had changed. A lot. “Well, shit.”
“What’s wrong? If you’d rather get back to it...” She nodded at the romance I’d put down.
“No, it’s not that. I can finish it later.” So much for spending the day finding a place to live. Although I had narrowed things down at least. I wanted to be close to this neighborhood. I felt more at home than I had in a long time. “I absolutely love this shop. It just makes me want to curl up with a book and never leave.”
“And that’s what has you so moody?” Didi raised an eyebrow.
“You’re like a dog with a bone.” I laughed as I shook my head. She reminded me of Piety in a way. “It’s nothing. Not really. But I told myself I would spend the day looking for a new place to live. I’m still stuck in a hotel, and I’m tired of it.”
“Did you have any place in mind?” Didi rose with me.
“I don’t know the area all that well, but I like this general location. Especially after finding this bookstore.” I shot her another grin.
“My kind of girl.” She smiled at me approvingly. “I see you found Karma.”
Confused for a moment, I didn’t know what she meant until she nudged the bag at my feet with the toe of one stylish boot. “Karma. They’ve got some nice stuff.”
“Oh! The new-age shop.” Laughing, I scooped it up. “Yeah, it’s nice, but honestly, I prefer the bookstore.”
“If you’re trying to flatter me, there’s no reason. I’m the assistant manager. I can get you a ten percent discount.” She winked at me.
Delighted with her, I said, “I wasn’t trying to flatter you at all, but I won’t say no to a discount.”
We chatted about the weather, specifically the differences between the two coasts, and I picked up another two books to add to my pile, then followed her to the cash register.
While she was ringing me up, she asked, “Are you serious about liking the neighborhood?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly. “I was going to grab something to eat and check online to see if I could narrow down my search a little bit. So far, I’ve found one place that looks like the homeowner’s association requires a stick up your butt to live there. The other one just wasn’t my style.” Making a face at her, I pulled some bills out of my wallet and passed them over.
Didi burst out into another of those laughs that made me want to laugh too. “Well, there are a number of places around here where the stick is definitely a requirement. If I were you, I would avoid the communities. Renting a standalone place is great, or some of the newer apartments they’ve put in is an option if you don’t mind apartment life.”
I resisted the urge to make a face. “I’m kind of looking for more room and privacy than an apartment,” I said, opting for diplomacy.
The smile on her face told me that she got it.
“You know…” She nibbled on her lip as she leaned forward, hands braced on the counter. “I do know of a place that’s about to be available.”
“Is it bigger than a breadbox?” I countered.
“Much.” She smiled slowly. “And it’s a great place. I wouldn’t exactly say it’s rent controlled, but the landlord isn’t looking to gouge anybody. Mostly, he likes somebody in there so it’s not vacant. It’s a nice place.”
I was intrigued. “Does a friend of yours live there? How do you know about it?”
She continued, “It’s about twenty, twenty-five minutes from here. Not a bad jaunt, and easy enough to get on the highway too. Plus, the landlord is great. If anything needs to be fixed or replaced, he has somebody on it within twenty-four or forty-eight hours.”
“It sounds perfect.” Suspicious now that I realized she hadn’t answered my questions, I narrowed my eyes. “What’s the catch?”
22
Astra
I really hoped the GPS hadn’t gotten me turned around.
Didi had warned me to only take it to a certain point and then follow her directions. That’s what I’d done, and it had landed me here.
With that in mind, if I was at the wrong place, it was likely my fault, but I really hoped I wasn’t at the wrong place because I was already falling in love.
This adorable little house was available?
It damn well better be, or I was going to be heartbroken. It would have been mean to have gotten my hopes up, only to dash them.
“Please don’t let me be lost,” I said softly as I stared at the building, almost wondering if it’d disappear into thin air.
It looked like a fairytale cottage, a deeply sloped roof coming down in a vee on the arched doorway, while sunlight reflected off stained glass windows, shattering like rainbows. Even its cream and chocolate color scheme looked like something from the Grimm brothers. It was an overgrown dollhouse, complete with perfectly kept flower beds in front.
I wanted it.
Putting the car in park, I checked the directions once more.
I was positive I’d followed them perfectly.
Going to open the door, I whispered, “Please let this be the right place.”
I hadn’t even managed to close the door when Didi appeared. She waved at me. “You found it.”
“Yes. And I’m really glad I did because if your directions had been wrong, I was going to track down the owner and try to buy it.” Smiling at her, I closed the door and started up the cobbled stone path.
She grinned at me. “I guess that means you like it.”
Not seeing any point in playing hardball, I nodded. “I love it.” As long as the inside wasn’t the complete opposite of the outside, I planned on signing whatever contract she put in front of me.
“Great. I had a feeling you would. Come on in. Let me show you around.”
I followed her inside, and the old-world, cottage feel carried through. It had a homey sort of elegance that made me feel like I was staying in one of the old manor homes I’d visited when Piety and I took a trip to Europe on one of our few joint family vacations. Yet at the same time, it was updated and modern. Nothing felt out of place. I could see it working with the furniture already here, or if I had to buy my own.
I’d take it any way I could. I was already in love.
“Show me everything,” I demanded in a rush.
She regally inclined her head. “Your wish is my command.”
She led me through a kitchen that was grand enough that I could experiment to my heart’s content, and she didn’t bat an eyelash when I sighed over the big, shiny stove or groaned in delight at the glass-fronted refrigerator.
“I don’t see how you can love that,” she said, shaking her head. “I looked at it and thought…fingerprints.”
“Fingerprints wipe away.” Shrugging, I resisted the urge to open the doors and stare, not because I was nosy, but because I wanted to imagine what I could put in there.
“The appliances came with the place. So they stay with the place. That includes the small appliances. The only thing that’s mine is the coffeemaker.” She heaved a dramatic sigh, but her eyes were dancing with good humor. “Besides, all of Christal’s appliances are top-of-the-line.
“All of them?” Greedily, I looked at the food processor, already planning my first menu, my first dinner party. I would have wanted to replace the basic coffeemaker with something more elaborate anyway.
“For the record, there’s a hair dryer in the bathroom. That’s mine too.” She spoke in a tone dry enough to make me laugh.
“That’s fine. I don’t drool over hair dryers.” Not to mention that they made my curls frizz unattractively.
“I do.” She patted her nearly waist-length hair. “You have no idea how long it takes to dry this much hair.”
With a chuckle, I turned back to study the countertops.
“Come on,” Didi said. “You haven’t even seen the best of the house yet.”
“There’s something better than this kitchen?”
“Yes.” She gave me a smug smile. “But I’m saving the best for last.”
She led me through the living room, showed me a small second bathroom and a guest room, pointed to a deck through the double-doors. She shrugged indulgently when I asked to take a look.
The view was amazing.
Then we started up the steps. The entire second floor was one wide-open suite, save for a door I assumed led to a bathroom and a set of French doors.
“Is this the best part?” I asked, staring at the big bed, almost big enough for a slumber party for five. If it wasn’t custom-made, I’d have been shocked.
“Getting there.” She pointed to the French doors at the end. “You’ve got one of the best sunset views you could hope for.”
I shot a look at the regular door off to the side but went to go peek outside first. There was a chaise lounge and a small table on a pleasant little balcony. I could read out there. Sunbathe. Just stare at the water. Have some peace.
“And finally, there’s this.”
Turning around, I saw Didi open the other door, and my heart thudded up into my throat when I stepped over the threshold.
“Wow.” Breathing out a sigh of relief, I looked around the bathroom. It was done in colors of autumn, gold and bronze everything, from the deep copper sinks to the claw-footed whirlpool tub placed directly in front of windows that went floor to ceiling, facing directly out over the water.
“I’ve spent a lot of evenings just watching the sun fade away,” Didi said, sighing. “I’ll tell you what, I like this house, but I love this bathroom. It’s the one thing that’s really hard to give up.”
“Then why are you?” Sighing dreamily, I went over to the tub and sat down, stroking a hand along the lip of it, already imagining the nights I could spend inside this daydream of a tub, thinking about nothing and everything.
“Because I want to be with Christal.”
Glancing up, I saw her toying with the silver cuff she wore on her wrist. She met my eyes, smiling a little. “This place is bigger…and nicer. But it’s not mine, you know?” Her eyes strayed to the window.
I followed her glance, rising. That was when I noticed that the road I’d assumed led around to a garage in the back actually led a lot farther back.
Frowning, I followed the twisting line of it and caught sight of what looked like another house. A much bigger version of this one. More like the palace in a fairy tale rather than the cottage.
“Is this a guesthouse?”
“I rent it, but, yeah.” She looked vaguely sheepish. “I was going to tell you–”
A door opened downstairs. I tensed, but Didi just moved to the stairway as a deep, masculine voice drifted up.
“Didi, you got company?”
Shit.
I knew that voice.
“I told you, Dash.” Didi shot me a look and rolled her eyes before moving out of the room. “You really are the picture of the absent-minded professor. I told you yesterday that someone was coming to look at the place. That saves you the trouble of finding a new tenant.”
Dash.
Footsteps fell heavy on the steps, and my heart started to thud back in my chest once more, moving in time with the sound of those treads.
Fuck me.
“Dash is your landlord,” I said softly.
I barely spoke loud enough for Didi to hear me, yet somehow, Dash heard too. His footsteps paused, and then there was a change to his rhythm, like he’d started taking the steps in twos and threes before they went muffled. The carpet in the hallway.
I felt frozen where I was, unable to move.
Move. Mentally, I commanded myself again. Move.
But it wasn’t until he appeared in the doorway that I was actually able to do anything.
“I should have known there would be one giant flaw in this perfect house,” I snapped without thinking.
“What in the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.
“I was looking at Didi’s house.” Sniffing, I crossed my arms over my chest. I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted this place until the moment I knew I couldn’t have it. “Then you showed up.”
“Why were you looking at it?” Dash planted his hands on his hips, looking ridiculously sexy in a rumpled t-shirt with some sort of chemistry element on it. I had no idea what it was since chemistry had never been my strong suit. He wore it with a pair of equally rumpled and faded jeans, and I wanted to bite him.
&n
bsp; Of course, I always wanted to bite him.
It was a sickness.
That was all there was to it.
He continued to stare at me, and I realized he’d asked me a question. And I was staring at him in return. But not for the same reason. I was staring at him because I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to sink my teeth into that firm ass of his.
What had he…?
Oh.
“Because I’m tired of living in a hotel, you jackass.” Scowling over the thought of staying there for a few more weeks when I’d just had a beautiful glimpse of the end, I rubbed the small of my back. “I don’t care how expensive it is, the bed’s shit.”
“I didn’t think it was…” He glanced at Didi. “If it’s that bad, why didn’t you just ask Piety if you could stay with her?”
“Piety just got married,” I reminded him. Rolling my eyes, I edged past him, pausing in the doorway to give the perfect bathroom and the perfect tub and the perfect sunset view one last look. “She’s expecting a baby. Moving on to a different part of her life. How much of a friend am I if I’m constantly hanging around her neck like some…”
Shit.
Now both of them knew how pathetic I was. My cheeks heated.
“You’re trying to give them space,” Didi said philosophically. “Sounds like a good friend, but I bet Piety would knock you one if she heard you describing yourself as hanging around her neck.”
“You’re right.” I echoed her tone, shrugging as I eased between her and Dash without letting myself touch him. I felt his heat though, and it scalded me. “But it wouldn’t be the first time. Nor would it surprise her. Anyway…” Putting myself in the middle of the room, I turned back and met Didi’s eyes. “Thanks for showing me the place. I’ll get back to you, okay?”
When hell freezes over.
Didi frowned, her face a picture of confusion. “I thought you loved the place.”
“I do, but I should probably look around a little.” I gave her a nonchalant smile and lifted a shoulder.
“If you love the place, then why are you looking around?” Dash’s eyebrows drew down low over his eyes, a frown twisting that perfect mouth.
