Chapter 1
The club was not a lousy one, Julie had to agree. From the moment she had come in, she had seen nothing but a sophisticated crowd, consisting more of women than men, enter through the glass doors at the front of the building.
The tall glass of alcohol in her fingers was a solace to her. Her cheeks, previously wet with shed tears now were all dried and with a bit of pinching the plump flesh, she had managed to bring back some color in them.
Stupid fucking Kevin.
When she had woken up that day, she had been the happiest bride-to-be. Everything had been perfect. She had strictly followed the pre-wedding diet. Her dress was beautiful. Her skin hadn’t betrayed her and produced a zit on its surface. The bridesmaid dresses had been delivered and had been the exact shade of turquoise that she had so badly wanted. The flowers smelled just right. And her mom hadn’t lost her cool since the past two days, something that had been a constant occurrence for almost two months.
They had been the perfect couple.
Or so she had thought.
High school sweethearts, their marriage was supposed to have been the love story that their family would speak about for the next many generations.
But that asshole had to go ahead and ruin it.
She had been sitting in front of her dresser while the beautician had been painting her face, an array of brushes and all sorts of powder and lipsticks placed right in front of her, when she had gotten his message.
He hadn’t even considered calling her to let her know that he was eloping with his boss’s thirty nine year old ex-wife.
Jerk.
Seven years of her life gone down the drain.
Now she had been left to face all her family members and relatives, not to mention the bitches at the school where she taught, who she knew were already betting as to how their supposedly solid relationship had collapsed. Julie had only revealed the true reason to her mom, and her best friend, knowing that they would take the secret with them to their grave. She had just casually told everyone else that the motherfucker had gotten cold feet. It was a plausible explanation and she had grabbed it with both hands.
After she had made all the necessary phone calls, she had packed an overnight bag and had left.
Driving around aimlessly for almost two hours, her heart shattered and her eyes red and puffed up from crying, something she hadn’t been able to do in the presence of around forty people in her home, she had finally gotten hungry and had stopped at the first light she saw.
And now, here she was.
Alone and heartbroken.
Taking a sip of the cocktail that the bartender had placed before her she stirred the drink, absently stroking the bare skin of her finger where her engagement ring had sat proudly before.
She checked her watch.
It was past ten already.
She had deliberately turned her phone off and hadn’t bothered to switch it on again.
Deciding that it was probably time to leave now, she took a last look around the place, her eyes wanting to memorize the scene. Then she lifted her glass, took a long swig and then placed it back down.
Paying the bartender for the drink, she slipped off the stool and ran smack into a chest.
Lucas grunted as his hands automatically came up to steady the woman.
The top of her head barely reached his shoulder and she gave a tiny yelp when she bumped into him.
A frown clouding his features, he glared at top of the red hair visible in the dim light of the club. His foul mood getting the better of him, he snapped.
“Damn it, lady. Watch where you’re going, will you?”
Her head suddenly jerked up and he caught a glimpse of her face.
He froze as fiery brown eyes met his.
Holy shit.
He felt like he had just been gutted.
Suddenly aware of the smooth soft skin of her upper arms where he held her in his grip, he bent himself so that he could look at her more clearly.
He saw her eyes narrow and she took him by surprise when she slapped his hands away.
“Watch where you’re going, asshole.“, she hissed as she made to walk past him.
Acting on impulse, he grabbed her before she could make a move, his brain refusing to form a coherent sentence.
She was dressed in jeans and a drab looking formal shirt. Something that a woman quite older than her should wear.
Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he saw a look of panic invade them.
Yet he took his time in studying her.
An almost round face. Healthy cheeks that had gone pale. Wide eyes that shone in the light. Full plump lips that made him wish they were wrapped around other parts of his anatomy. Her body was curvaceous, in a way that made him wonder what she would look like underneath him.
Her chest heaved slightly as she tried to pull away. But he didn’t let her.
“I’m sorry for bumping into you like that.“, he found himself saying.
Liar.
Her shoulders visibly relaxed and she looked away.
“It’s fine.“, she tugged on her arm.
He released his grip only a bit, shifting so that she was trapped between his body and the back of the bar. Her brown eyes widened again and then narrowed.
“What are you doing?”
“I might ask you the same question.“, he said softly, his thumb caressing the underside of her arm where he still held her.
Give me something.
He felt a shaft of desire pierce his gut when she trembled and stiffened.
“My name is Lucas.“, he lowered his voice to a husky tone, his eyes raking over her figure boldly, already thinking about the many ways that he could strip her bare and get her naked in his bed tonight.
She looked up at him and nodded her head lightly.
“I-I’m Julie.“, she said in a small, resigned voice.
A/N:- Hello everyone! This is book 5 of the Love and Lust Series and is the story of Lucas Price - son of Gage and Emily (from Her Perfect Rebound).
I've entered this book in Inkitt's Valentine's Day Romance Contest and would really be so happy if you guys like the story and decide to support it with your engagement.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it and more!
xoxo Rose
