Savor (Cottonwood Falls, Book 5) by Aliyah Burke Read Free Book Online Page A

maps. She engaged him,
didn’t just tell and show, but asked him for assistance in finding
things.
    As Piers made them all a dessert, he continually
kept an eye on them as they sat together. London regaled his son
with stories that always had some teaching element in them, be it
geography, math, or the like. All the while, Javier hung on to her
every word.
    ***
    “You’re amazing with him.”
    London looked up from where she sat on the couch,
tying on her shoes. “Javier is a great kid.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “I need to get home. Thanks for letting me have my
minor meltdown.” She grinned. “And for the cookies.”
    Piers licked his lips and stepped closer until the
toes of his steel-toed boots touched her shoes. “Stay.”
    She flashed her eyes to him. “Here?”
    “Yes. Here. Tonight. With me. Go to sleep here and
wake up here the following morning.”
    “What about Javier?”
    “I’m not living my life in secret until he’s a grown
man, London. I’m falling for you. We’re a couple; he needs to know
this and accept it.”
    She shook her head and pushed to her feet. “I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have let it go on this long. I just didn’t know
how to ignore the craving you create within me.” Her tongue flicked
out and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. “I told you I don’t get
involved with the parents of my students. I’ll find my way
home.”
    Her words reverberated through him, but they didn’t
make any sense. By the time he recovered, she was gone and he stood
alone in his living room, the fire cracking and snapping almost
angrily.
    Unused to being summarily dismissed as this woman
had done, Piers stomped to his room. If that’s how she wanted to
be, fine. He didn’t need her.

Chapter Six
    London smiled abstractedly as her friends joked and
laughed on either side of her. Kendria slanted her gaze in her
direction and raised one eyebrow.
    “What’s wrong?” she mouthed.
    Shaking her head, London gave a small smile, not
wanting to go over that right now. Thankfully, Kendria let it go
and just gave her a tiny nod before focusing back on the
conversation flowing around them. It had been three weeks since
she’d walked out from Piers’ living room and their relationship. If I can call it that. She really shouldn’t. They’d been
having sex and talking, but it wasn’t about dating or furthering
their relationship.
    Damn it all.
    She shuddered slightly and licked her lips. She
missed him. All of him. The warmth of his arms around her, how it
was to be against his chest, the scent of his skin. The rasp of his
stubble along her body.
    “London and I will go get that.”
    Kendria’s words snapped her mind back from the Piers
road it was skipping down. “Huh?”
    Kendria stood and beckoned her. London pushed up
from her chair and walked along with the jazz singer. “What are we
getting?”
    “Away from the group so you will tell me what the
hell is going on with you. You were in the doldrums over Christmas,
and you completely skipped the New Year’s party. What gives?”
    She tucked some hair behind her ear then readjusted
her Captain America skull cap. “Just tired is all.”
    “You know there’s a test for that.”
    “Shut it.”
    Kendria laughed, only to sober. “I’m worried. What’s
going on? Does this have to do with your hunky man, Piers?”
    “He’s not my man.” Even saying those words hurt.
    “Right. He watches you like a dying man staring at
the one thing which could save his life. What happened? You two
were having a thing.”
    “Who told you that?”
    Kendria snorted. “Really? You grew up in this town.
You really think the fact you spend the night at one another’s
houses goes unnoticed by the general masses around here?”
    “Damn.”
    Kendria put in the order for five more coffees.
London hunched down in her coat and scowled at the bitter wind
swirling. “Is there a reason we can’t eat inside?”
    “People are nosy inside. We eat outside. It’s