Always For You (Always Love Book 1)
Read Always For You (Always Love Book 1) Online
Authors: Tawdra Kandle
Always for You
Copyright © 2015 Tawdra Kandle
ISBN: 978-1-68230-186-9
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Cover design by
Once Upon a Time Covers
Proofreading by
Kelly Baker
Interior Design and formatting by
Champagne Formats
Table of Contents
A sneak peek of Underneath My Christmas Tree
Always For You
Maureen Evans has had a crush on Smith Harrington since they were in college together. She always knew he didn’t see her as anything more than his best friend—just one of the guys—but that didn’t stop her from weaving sexy fantasies about him.
Now, after years of maintaining a long-distance friendship, Smith’s moving to Burton, Georgia, Maureen’s hometown, to become her partner at the veterinary clinic. After all this time, she should be able to handle working with him without getting hot and bothered.
Or maybe not.
The more determined Maureen is to maintain their just-friends bond, the more Smith seems intent on testing those boundaries. And when flirting crosses the line into something more, it ends in a night neither of them can forget.
When friendship is no longer enough, there’s always love.
The Always Love Trilogy is the second threesome of books set in Burton, Georgia. If you want to check out what happened first, The One Trilogy is available in a box set that includes an extra short story not available anywhere else.
And if you want to get ready for The Always Love Trilogy Book 2, Always My Own, be sure to read my short story
Underneath My Christmas Tree
, part of the anthology 12 Christmas Romances to Melt Your Heart.
When I was growing up, my father always said, “The strongest basis of a marriage is friendship. You’ll fall in and out of love with your husband over the course of the years, but if you’re friends first, that will sustain you.”
To a young girl craving romance and happily-ever-afters, that didn’t sound right. But I’m glad I listened to him and married a man who’s been my best friend as well as my one true love for thirty years.
And so this book about friends who become more is dedicated to Daddy, with love. I miss you every day, but your wisdom and your words are with me always.
Six Years Ago
“N
O, SEE, YOU’RE FORGETTING T
o pull out the variable here.” Smith leaned over me, pulled the pencil from my fingers and used it to point to the x in the numerator. I held my breath so that I wouldn’t be tempted to inhale deeply, just to get a whiff of the delicious aroma that was pure Smith. A little bit of expensive cologne, a hint of his shaving gel, a dash of manly shampoo, plus that indefinable something I’d not been able to figure out yet.
“And once you do that—” The pencil flew across the paper as the very tip of his tongue appeared in the corner of his mouth. “Then you cancel that, and you get rid of the denominator.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his gorgeous gray eyes. “Does that make sense?”
At that moment, everything in the world suddenly made sense, because Smith Harrington was here, his arm almost around me as he leaned down over my desk and his face next to mine. If some foreign government took it into its head to bomb the state of Georgia right now, I’d die a happy girl. A horny girl, yes, but definitely a happy one.
I realized he was waiting for me to respond. “Oh, uh, yeah. I think so. I always forget to factor those out.” I shifted just enough that my shoulder touched his fingers where they gripped my chair.
He grinned. “Yup. We all have those little math quirks that trip us up. I’d tell you mine, but you’d lose all respect for me.”
As if
. I managed to smile back. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.”
“Think you got this now?” His mouth was so close to my ear that I shivered when his breath caressed my skin.
“I think so.” I didn’t mean to whisper, but it came out that way. Shaking myself, I straightened up and leaned away. “I mean, yes. I do. Thanks for spending the time to explain it to me.”
“Any time.” He stood up, stretching his back so that his T-shirt rode up and revealed a tantalizing band of tanned abs.
Sweet baby Jesus, save me now.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away.
“So.” I managed a semi-casual sounding voice. “You doing anything exciting tonight?”
Smith shrugged. “Just a date with some girl my mother asked me to take out. I’m taking her to see a movie and then we’ll probably stop in at the Epsilon party. You going?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I’ve got too much to do tonight.”
Plus it would kill me to see you there with another girl, touching her, laughing with her . . . disappearing into one of the upstairs bedrooms with her . . .
“Well, that sucks.” He looked genuinely disappointed, although it might’ve been pity for the poor girl who’d rather do homework than get drunk and party with friends on a Friday night.
“Yeah, well, we can’t all be preternaturally intelligent.” I managed a teasing grin.
“Preternaturally? As in, my intelligence is beyond natural explanation, even beyond the
super
natural, having its genesis in an unknown place boarding on the miraculous? Kind of like . . . dare I say . . . a superhero?” Smith feigned shock.
“The fact that you could spout off that definition so fast proves my point. In your case, the super power is your ability to party all weekend and still ace the midterm on Monday.” I tapped the pile of books on my desk. “The rest of us mere mortals have to actually review the material.”
“I’ll say it again. Sucks to be you.” He grabbed his jacket from the end of my bed where he’d dropped it an hour ago, pausing just long enough to glance at me as he slid his arms into it. “Seriously, Reenie, if you need help, call me tomorrow. I’ll come by and go over the math with you.”
Of course he would.
Because Smith Harrington was just that good a friend. The kind who’d interrupt his Sunday of being awesome to swoop down and save his dweeby friend from failing her exam.
“Thanks. I’ll let you know.”
“’kay. Later.” And he was gone, swinging out the door and down the hall. Before my door clicked shut, I heard several people greeting him in the hallway and his cheerful response. Because, again, he was Smith, and that’s just how he was. Friendly. Happy. Always ready to lend a hand.
I tossed my pencil onto the desk and threw myself onto my bed. Burying my face in the pillow, I screamed out my frustration, beat my fists and kicked my feet against the mattress, only coming to an abrupt halt when I heard the door open again. Panic made me flip over and almost fall off the bed.
“Oh, it’s you.” I settled back down, closing my eyes against my roommate’s quizzical expression.
“Since I just passed him on the steps, I’m going to assume that this little display is brought to us by the letters ‘S’ and ‘H’. And maybe also by the words ‘lust’ and ‘coward’.”
I picked up one of my small accent pillows and threw it at her. “Shut up, Lainey. I’m in agony here.”
She shook her head. “You’re in agony because you won’t woman up already and make a move on the guy. Jesus Christ, Maureen. How long have you known him?”
I slitted my eyes at her. “Three and a half years. And don’t take the name of the Lord in vain.” Yeah, I could cuss with the best of them—I’d won a contest for who could use
fuck
the most times in one sentence at a party sophomore year—but there were certain lines, and when they were crossed, I heard my mom’s voice loud in my head.
Lainey ignored the second part of what I’d said. “Three and a half years of the two of you circling around each other, dating other people, pretending you don’t have the serious hots for the other one—and why? Because you’re afraid to lose his friendship?”
I blew out a long breath. “You’re rewriting history. We haven’t circled or pretended. Well, he hasn’t. Smith doesn’t see me as any more than a good friend, the one he has to help with math on a regular basis. The one he hangs out with when he doesn’t have a regular girlfriend. That’s it.” I grasped another pillow and covered my face with it. “It’s me who’s dying of unrequited love.”
“Buck up, buttercup.” Lainey tugged the pillow away. “This is so stupid. We’re graduating this year, and then you’re going to have four more years of vet school with him. This is the perfect time to finally tell the man how you feel. You could have a wild affair while you’re in grad school together. Or you could both figure out that you’re madly in love and move in together, save some bucks and start your happily-ever-after.” She pretended to gag. “That sounds so perfect, it makes me fucking sick.”
