Sacred Serenity (Lotus House Book 2) by Audrey Carlan Read Free Book Online Page A

mesmerizing eyes visible. “And your father? Where’s he at in all this?”
    Again I shrugged. “Don’t know. No one does, though I have a sneaking suspicion my grandparents do but plan on taking the information to their graves.”
    Dash clenched his teeth. “That’s really not for them to decide.” His words came out short and curt.
    Without even realizing it, I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. He held mine instantly. “It’s not a big deal. You can’t miss what you’ve never had, right?”
    He brought my hand closer to his face, leaned forward, and rested his lips against the back of it. “In my experience, it’s the road not traveled that we miss the most. The same can be said for lost connections.” His eyes were laser-focused on mine. “I think you do miss them because they are a part of what makes you you . The same way the soul calls out for its missing half. It’s why men and women go through so many relationships, because they’re aching for what they’re missing.”
    I tamped down the urge to laugh. “You’re referring to soul mates. You believe in that?”
    A smile stole across his face, one I could feel against the tender skin of my hand.
    “You don’t?” One of his eyebrows quirked up into a point.
    I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. “If it’s true, I haven’t met mine yet.”
    “Hmm, that’s interesting. I feel the exact opposite. I may have just recently met mine.”
    Ninja quick, I tugged my hand out of his grasp and sat back. “Are you always this forward?”
    “Yes. Mincing words is for people trying to hide who they are. Sugar coating, telling people what they want to hear. Moving around what you really want to say is exhausting. I believe in being honest.”
    “And you honestly believe we are soul mates?” I coughed and took a sip of my water. My throat suddenly felt as though it was filled with cotton.
    Dash crossed his arms, leaned back, and pulled one knee up to rest his ankle on the opposite leg. “I can’t answer that yet, but there’s something here I’m eager to explore.”

    * * *
    A fter Dash’s rather profound statement, his phone rang. Within moments of the call, he’d apologized and taken his leave, claiming it was his publisher, and there was some type of issue with his manuscript. I hadn’t even known he was a writer. Something else I’d have to ask the overly forward Tantric teacher the next time I saw him, which wouldn’t be until Friday’s class. That would be the workshop where I’d have to wear shorts and a sports bra, and Dash’s hands would be all over my bare skin. I could barely stand the heat of his hand on my knee today.
    I sighed and pushed open the door to the only home I’ve ever known. My nana calls it a cottage, but I didn’t think a four-thousand-square-foot three-story home, in the heart of Berkeley, walking distance of the university, could be considered a cottage. We were surrounded by thick, luscious trees that had been alive longer than I had. My grandparents had built this house from the ground up back in the day when it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to live in the Bay Area. Now it was worth millions, but they’d never sell. They told me they planned on dying here and leaving me the home in their will. I, in turn, told Nana and Papa to sell it and live like kings in their golden years. They wouldn’t have it.
    To this day, my grandfather drove a school bus. That was fun when I was in kindergarten. Not so much when I was in high school. At least Papa was cool to the few friends I had. Mostly, I hung out with Genevieve, the girl next door. We’re only three years apart in age, and since I skipped a grade in elementary school, we had two solid years together in high school. Freshman and sophomore years were my best. After that I hit the books hard, making sure that I was valedictorian and the head of every club that mattered to the Berkeley board of admissions. It had paid off now that I’d been accepted to