Raindrops on Roses: Book One of the Favorite Things Trilogy by Millenia Black Read Free Book Online

had always given her that wink she loved,
saying, "More later," as he walked off to class.
    As she put down the phone
now, she stretched in her chair and thanked God she had been able
to land that new client today. He should
be home soon , she thought happily. Her
plan was to heat up the rest of the lasagna, make another salad and
have an especially romantic evening.
    It was time they took things to the next
level.

 

    • CHAPTER SEVEN •

    O n the drive back from Emerald Leas that evening, just as he
was entering the mainland from the Mayfair Causeway, Michael's
check engine light came on. He swore and pulled off the highway to
check his gas cap. Other cars flew passed him as he got
out.
    Sure enough, he hadn't tightened it well
enough when he had filled up earlier; so once he gave it a few more
turns, the light went right off.
    Voila , he thought, snapping his fingers. Simple fix .
    When he got back into the
Stingray he saw the text from Amber. Shit . I
should've called her by now . Truth was,
their pre-dawn tryst had already become a distant memory. More
proof of how routine life with Amber had gotten for him—a
flavorless blend of dull and ordinary.
    Meanwhile, Priscilla was
making him feel passionate in ways he'd never felt. And for Michael, it was
as if a deep, old wound was finally, but finally, beginning to
heal.
    Before he had left, she mentioned something
about the weekend. But he and Amber already had a month-old
reservation at Miraval Resort and they were flying out to Arizona
first thing Friday morning. So whatever she had in mind, he knew he
wouldn't be able to make it and he hated the thought of lying to
her about the reason why.
    The double-dealing felt
bad. Really bad.
It was already taking its toll on him, so he knew he wouldn't keep
it up much longer. The clock's definitely
ticking on it , as his friend Jason would
say.
    And now that he had gotten
Priscilla to agree to start seeing him, he knew that at some point over the
weekend he would have to sit Amber down and break the news to
her...gently. The apartment was in both their names, but as luck
would have it, there was only a few months left on the
lease.
    When Douglas Bauer had interrupted Michael
and Priscilla earlier, he had said he'd needed to have a word with
his sister privately, and without being outright rude, hinted that
Michael needed to get lost. So after they all walked back to the
house together, Michael had graciously made his exit, promising
Priscilla he'd be in touch as she'd walked him out, Douglas waiting
impatiently for her in the wings.
    And Michael had driven away full of
questions. He wished she had asked him to stay, to wait for her.
But he was also keenly aware of who Priscilla Bauer was, and of the
fact that he himself had a devoted girlfriend waiting for him at
home.
    Trouble was, a big part of
Michael didn't want to go home—the part that was yearning for
fulfillment. It urged him to run back to Priscilla and tell her
everything. To confess all to Amber and ensure they parted
friends.
    Friends? he thought. Please! You
know she's gonna be absolutely devastated.
    And although she had her issues and could be
a bit overbearing at times, he had always gotten along well enough
with Amber's mom. He knew Julie Holland would be very disappointed
about a break up after he'd been with her daughter for so many
years and a wedding date should've been imminent.
    But what else can I do?
    He had been on the road
for about an hour when his phone rang. He was surprised to see who
it was. "Hi," he answered, feeling encouraged. "This is a very nice surprise—I
wasn't expecting to hear from you so you just made my
evening."
    Priscilla chuckled. "Well, I'm glad." She
sounded a bit tired. "I just wanted to call and apologize if my
brother's abruptness offended you earlier. I told him he could've
been a little nicer."
    "Hey, no apology's necessary. I know it's a
tough time for your family."
    "Oh, you're so sweet," she
said. "Hey, Michael, are you