The Heartbroker (26 page)

I look up into his face, his eyes glistening from unshed tears.

“I want to be with you. Nothing else matters.” He leans down and brushes his lips against mine. The kiss is so gentle, so tender. It sends a shot of electricity through my body.

It feels so exquisite, so right. It’s like coming home.

He pulls me in close, wrapping his strong arms around my quivering body, and kisses me again, this time more insistently.

“Say you love me, Brooke. Say you want to be with me forever.”

As I look into his eyes I know with such clarity of thought no one else will do. I love him with such depth, such strength, it makes my head spin.

“I love you, Logan.”

And now I know he loves me.

“WHERE DO YOU WANT this thing? Whatever it is,” Logan asks, examining the contents of his hands.

A smile spreads across my face as I look at him standing in his jeans and characteristic white T-shirt, smeared with dirt, as he holds my home pedicure tub in his hands.

“Bathroom, please.” I look around the room, noting with satisfaction that we’re alone. “But first, come over here.”

He puts the box on the floor and saunters over to me, sliding his arms around my waist. “I assume this is what you’re after?” he asks cheekily as he leans down and kisses me teasingly on my lips.

My body quivers in response, the kiss over far too soon. “You’ve got it in one.” I rub my hands down his taut back grabbing his toned butt. I give it a satisfying squeeze.

“Hey, you two. Break it up. There are others present, you know,” Grace instructs as she places a box on the kitchen bench, panting lightly. “We’ll never get you moved into this new place of yours if you keep stopping every five minutes to pash.”

Logan raises his eyebrows at me, whispering in my ear, “I want to do a lot more than ‘pash’ with you right now.”

“Stop it,” I whisper without conviction. Truth be told I could take him right here, right now. “Go. Unpack boxes.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He picks up the pedicure tub and heads to the bathroom, flashing me a wicked grin as he leaves.

Grace sighs. “You two are so cute. A little gross, but mostly cute.”

I flush with happiness. “You’ll have this too, some day.”

“Ha! Not likely. Guys my age are all a bit crap.”

I laugh. “You’ll meet someone. You’re only twenty-four. Just give it time.”

She pulls and face and changes the subject. “This is a great place.” She looks out of the window at the view of Wellington’s picturesque harbour. “You’re going to be so happy here.”

“It is great, isn’t it?” I couldn’t stop smiling if you paid me.

In fact, I’ve not been able to stop smiling for months now. It’s been almost ten months since Logan turned up on my doorstep, and we haven’t looked back. He’s moved to Wellington and we’ve been revelling in our time together, travelling the length of the country and the States too, meeting one another’s families and friends, and getting to know each other really, really well.

I’ve even done a
Middle Earth
tour with him, which I enjoyed. I’m not about to become a fully-fledged Tolkien geek any time soon: I’ll leave that to Logan.

Dylan drops a box with a thud on the living room floor.

“Hey, careful with that,” I say in alarm.

“Yeah, dufus,” Grace chimes in.

“It was heavy,” he protests, as though it were a valid reason.

I read the side of the box, where I’ve scrawled the word ‘plates – kitchen’. “I hope for your sake there’s nothing broken.”

“Nah, it’ll be fine. I didn’t hear anything break,” he replies, skulking back out the door to get his next haul.

Dylan seems to be doing better these days. I hate to say it, but seeing me at an all-time low did him the world of good. I don’t think he’ll be keeping me on that pedestal so much these days.

Although I could have done without the drama, I guess every cloud has its silver lining.

“This box says ‘bedroom’,” Alexis says, standing in the doorway. “Is that master or one of the other ones?”

I peer at the contents through the top of the box. “Take it to the bedroom next to the master. We’ll be needing that stuff in there before long.”

I follow her into the bedroom, passing Logan in the hallway on his way back to the truck. He gives me a little squeeze.

Unlike Dylan, Alexis places the box with care on the floor, straightens up, and grins.

“I can’t believe you guys are going to have a baby!” she exclaims excitedly, eyeing my small belly with envy.

“I know. I can hardly believe it either.” Happiness swells inside me.

We found out I was pregnant after Logan and I had been together for six months. Although it wasn’t in our plan—hell, we were so busy being with one another, we hadn’t even thought about a ‘plan’—we were both over the moon about it. It felt so right.

We decided my townhouse was too small to raise a family in, so bought this beautiful house in Wadestown, a stylish suburb close to the city. Plus, part of me wanted to start afresh, in a place we could create new, wonderful memories together as a family.

“I’m just hoping I’ll fit my bridesmaid dress for your wedding,” I add.

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll have a tarpaulin made up in silk just for you.”

“Very funny.”

“Coming through!” Grace staggers into the bedroom with a large box, a lampshade balanced precariously on top.

Concerned she can barely see I take the lampshade from her as she stacks the box next to the one on the floor.

The three of us wander back to the living room. “I’m sorry I can’t bring in all our stuff. You guys are amazing. Thank you so much.” Tears well in my eyes.

That’s the other thing: since falling for Logan and the demise of
Live It
I’ve gone from being that crab with the tough exterior to a total sap.

I’m not sure I’m overly happy with this new development, but it appears to be here to stay.

“Hi everyone. We wanted to drop by and give you this,” Jennifer says, handing me an orchid pot plant.

“And this,” Dad adds in as he hands Logan a bottle of Bollinger, my favourite champagne.

“Shame I can’t partake,” I comment, my hand automatically going to my middle.

“As if we could forget you, kiddo,” Dad adds, handing a bottle of sparkling grape juice to Logan.

“Thanks.” I let out a laugh. “This orchid is beautiful. Hey, you look great, Jennifer.”

Jennifer’s treatment was a success, and we celebrated her remission a few months ago. She has to keep up the hormone therapy for the next four or more years, but she looks strong, healthy, and full of life.

“So do you, sweetheart.” She puts her hand on my belly. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, thanks. A bit nauseous at times, otherwise great.”

“I still can’t believe I’m going to be a grandmother,” she replies, shaking her head.

“You’ll be the best,” I respond, knowing full well she will be.

I’m still working at Dad’s company and loving it, although I’m due to take an extended leave of absence in a few months’ time of course. He’s asked if I would like to become a full partner in the business. Tempted as I was, I decided not to.

Work doesn’t come first, second, and last in my world anymore. What does? Love. It turns out, that’s all you need.

THE END

(For those of you not from
Godzone
)

Belly up – going wrong

Bloke – man

Blow me down – that was unexpected

Bonk – sex

Box of budgies – happy

Brassed off – angry

Brew – tea

Bust a gut – work hard

Corker – something really good

Chook – chicken, term of endearment

Crack on – get on with it

Cuppa – cup of tea

Dag – something funny

Fella – man

Fizzy – soda

Gave it heaps – tried your best

Godzone – God’s own country, New Zealand

Good as gold – great

Good on ya – well done

Guts for garters – make someone pay for what he/she has done

Hard yakka – hard work

Hissy fit – dramatic outburst, usually unnecessarily over the top

Hob nob – talk

Hunky dory – good

Looker – good-looking

Mum’s the word – my lips are sealed

Naff off – go away

Park yourself down – sit down

Pike out – quit

Rattle my dags – get a move on

Right as rain – fine

Right wally or wally – a silly person, an idiot

Righto – right, okay

She’ll be right – everything will be just fine

Skite – show off

You can’t slip a fast one by me – you can’t fool me

Stoked – overjoyed

Strewth – oh dear

Suss out – look into something, work it out

Ta – thanks

The hots – sexually attracted to someone

Throw a hissy fit – get upset

Too right – that’s correct

Up at the sparrow’s fart – up early in the morning

Worth a crack – worth a try

Yank – an American

Yoo-hoo – hello

Thank you so much for reading
The Heartbroker.
I so hope you enjoyed it!

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The Heartbroker
is the second novel in the
Wellywood Series
. The first novel,
Styling Wellywood
, is also available on Amazon. You can buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K7MMIGU

Jessica Banks doesn’t want to be back in her New Zealand hometown one little bit.

So long London, The Centre Of The Glamour Universe—hello hometown, The Land Of Been There, Done That.

And she’s got a lot to deal with. There’s her prim and proper overbearing mother, the craziness of her fledgling fashion business, not to mention the bizarre disappearance of her best friend.

Thank goodness she has the one beacon of sanity in the madness of her life: her longtime friend, Ben. He's great company and cute to boot, and always has a broad shoulder for her to cry on.

Then sexy tennis pro Scott explodes into her life and everything else falls by the wayside. But Scott has secrets. Secrets that will rip Jessica's fragile new life apart, unless she opens her eyes and heart and sees what's been staring her in the face all along.

Novels in the
Wellywood Series
:

1. Styling Wellywood
   
2. The Heartbroker
   
3. Falling for Grace
   – early 2016
   

Deciding long ago that feel good stories and happy endings shouldn’t be limited to just children’s books and fairy tales, I decided to create such worlds through my writing. Because life can just sometimes suck, can’t it?

I’ve loved chick lit and romantic comedies since I first encountered Bridget Jones as a young, impressionable writer. It really was a match made in chick lit heaven for me! I like to take on serious subject matter and wrap it up in warmth, wit, and humour.

I’ve been a teacher and a sales executive, but am now content as a mother, madly writing all the ideas I’ve accumulated during my time on this planet we call home.

I live and love in New Zealand, with my wonderful family and my two very scruffy, naughty dogs.

I would love you to keep in touch!

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Or email me at [email protected]