Lipstick Kisses : A Sexy, Standalone Contemporary Romance by C.C. Cartwright Read Free Book Online

want to. It’s got an amazing view, but the house itself needs a little work.”
    After we finish lunch, we walk back to Lipstick Kisses and I toss Chandler the keys to my Maserati and he drives us to Malibu.
    We pull up to the unassuming front of the house.
    Once you walk through the front door, you’re hit with a breathtaking view of the endless blue Pacific Ocean.
    “Wow,” Chandler says in awe. He loves the ocean.
    “See what I mean?”
    “You made it here,” Jonathan’s voice comes from the living room.
    He eyes Chandler from head to toe, then looks at me with a strange expression. I try and ignore it.
    “Jonathan, this is Chandler. Chandler, Jonathan Frost.”
    They shake hands and exchange hellos.
    Chandler doesn’t know I’ve been with Jonathan, but I’m sure Jonathan can tell that Chandler and I are sleeping together.
    Chandler is very affectionate, and Jonathan notices every touch, every gesture between us as we roam through the house.
    “The master bedroom has the best view,” Chandler says, taking me in his arms.
    “I know, doesn’t it? I want to break out this wall and make it a large sliding glass door, opening to the balcony,” I tell Chandler as Jonathan stands back, listening.
    The way Jonathan watches us makes me feel uncomfortable.
    I pull away from Chandler abruptly, and he eyes me woundedly.
    Once Chandler leaves the room to further explore the house, Jonathan walks up close to me.
    “So he’s your latest Boy Toy?” he says, his voice laced with sarcasm.
    “Shut up, Jonathan,” I bite back.
    “Touchy, touchy. Why, the truth hurts? You can’t possibly be taking a guy like him seriously. Look at him. With his looks, he could be sleeping with half the girls in LA.”
    His words hit me right in my gut. It’s the whole reason I didn’t want to start something with Chandler from the beginning. Jonathan is only stating the obvious, that Chandler could be sleeping with half the girls in town. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it. No one takes our relationship seriously. How can a guy that looks like Chandler possibly be satisfied with just me?
    “Mind your own business.”
    “So, are we going to make an offer?” Jonathan presses.
    “Yes, full asking.”
    “What, are you crazy?”
    “I want this house. With a little work, I could be very happy here.”
    “All right, done. I’ll call the agent.”
    Being in this house with Chandler—it just felt right.
    I’m dreaming, but I can’t help myself. I know I’m falling for him and his down-home charm.
    Chandler returns, and we walk out to my car and drive back to Lipstick Kisses.
    “Jonathan is a little odd, isn’t he?” Chandler asks.
    “What do you mean?” I know what he means but I ask anyway.
    “I don’t know. It’s the way he watches us, as if with a look of disapproval. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he likes you and sees me as some kind of threat.”
    How intuitive of my cowboy to notice. Do I tell him the truth, or play dumb?
    “Jonathan and I have known each other for a while. He’s just being a little protective, that’s all. What did you think of the house?” I ask, changing the subject.
    “That view was incredible.”
    “I made an offer. With a little work, I could be happy there.”
    At the stoplight, Chandler reaches over and takes my hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses it. He glances over at me before the light turns green.
    “I could be happy there too,” he says.
    I wonder if he’s thinking along the same lines as me. We could be happy there together, have a future together, maybe a few kids.
    Dare I hope, dare I dream, that I’m not just a flash in the pan, his flavor of the month like so many speculate?
    Here today and gone tomorrow.

Chapter Eight
Nikki
    We’re enjoying a laid back evening at Chandler’s bungalow tonight. I’ve come to love just hanging out at home here with him. He cooks for me, which makes me feel like a pampered princess, as he likes to call