and Vaughan
14
chatted up the real estate agent and I just wanted to look at the
15
one house and come back. But of course Vaughan wants to nail
16
her so we had to look at other houses and really, a few we saw
17
were also pretty awesome and great options, so that meant calls
18
back to Ezra. Herding cats. That’s what our mom says we’re
19
like. She’s right.”
20
“I can’t even imagine being a real estate agent and having
21
you three show up. My lord. All that charm in one place. It’s
22
lucky she didn’t pass out. Did you choose one?”
23
“I think so. I sent pictures to Ezra. He’s going to look them
24
over and get back to me in the morning.”
25
“Ezra is the oldest, right? He runs the ranch with your dad,
26
you said?”
27
He nodded, wondering if she knew the story.
28S
“He’s the stable one? Ryan is the stable one in our family.
29N
Cal is a hothead, though not at work. I’m the artsy one. My
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Lush
dad— who is a retired ironworker, by the way— says I’m fl ighty.
01
But he smiles so it’s not an insult. Ryan is a schoolteacher. Math
02
and biology. At a middle school. I don’t know how he does it.
03
But the kids love him. He never loses it with them. He’s the one
04
I talk to about my business stuff. Cal sets up my business paper-
05
work, but Ryan gives the best advice.”
06
Being with her was . . . surprisingly normal. He didn’t sit
07
around after sex, drinking beer and talking real estate with
08
other women. He couldn’t have told anyone about their back-
09
grounds or what their families were like.
10
“Ezra used to be in the band. He started it actually. But it was
11
not easy for him. He decided to leave and focus on the ranch.
12
It was his idea to start the hay crop. He and my dad are a lot
13
alike. He’s a hell- raiser. Or he was, he’s mellowed.” Since he got 14
out of rehab and worked all day long on horseback or in a truck.
15
The physical nature of the job seemed to fi ll a need in him.
16
“It’s nice you guys can do this for your parents.”
17
“It’s one of my favorite things about fame. Having the money
18
to do things for my parents like this. They’ve done so much for
19
us. It’s a good thing to take care of them.”
20
Later that night, as she fell asleep against him, he realized
21
he’d gotten used to her awfully fast.
22
23
24
25
26
27
S28
N29
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
7
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
16
an I just tell you you clean up well?” Damien looked
17
her up and down. She wore a smart navy- blue dress
18
with towering heels. Truly she was absolutely gorgeous
19
and elegant and he was very glad he was with her that evening.
20
“As many times as you like.”
21
Her smile was saucy. She was saucy. He liked it. Liked her.
22
“I’ve got a cab ordered for us downstairs. We have some time
23
fi rst. Would you like a drink?”
24
“That’s nice of you. Yes. I’d love one. Here or . . . ?”
25
They were set to head off to some swank and ridiculously
26
hard to get a table at restaurant. Adrian had buttered some
27
people up and scored a reservation for two and she’d chosen
S28
him as her plus one.
N29
• 83 •
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
“They have a bar at the restaurant. I looked it up. Not that
02
I needed the bar. I mean I wanted to see what I was getting into.”
03
God, he was fucking this up. She made him nervous. Not
04
because she was
14
chatted up the real estate agent and I just wanted to look at the
15
one house and come back. But of course Vaughan wants to nail
16
her so we had to look at other houses and really, a few we saw
17
were also pretty awesome and great options, so that meant calls
18
back to Ezra. Herding cats. That’s what our mom says we’re
19
like. She’s right.”
20
“I can’t even imagine being a real estate agent and having
21
you three show up. My lord. All that charm in one place. It’s
22
lucky she didn’t pass out. Did you choose one?”
23
“I think so. I sent pictures to Ezra. He’s going to look them
24
over and get back to me in the morning.”
25
“Ezra is the oldest, right? He runs the ranch with your dad,
26
you said?”
27
He nodded, wondering if she knew the story.
28S
“He’s the stable one? Ryan is the stable one in our family.
29N
Cal is a hothead, though not at work. I’m the artsy one. My
• 80 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 80
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 80
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
dad— who is a retired ironworker, by the way— says I’m fl ighty.
01
But he smiles so it’s not an insult. Ryan is a schoolteacher. Math
02
and biology. At a middle school. I don’t know how he does it.
03
But the kids love him. He never loses it with them. He’s the one
04
I talk to about my business stuff. Cal sets up my business paper-
05
work, but Ryan gives the best advice.”
06
Being with her was . . . surprisingly normal. He didn’t sit
07
around after sex, drinking beer and talking real estate with
08
other women. He couldn’t have told anyone about their back-
09
grounds or what their families were like.
10
“Ezra used to be in the band. He started it actually. But it was
11
not easy for him. He decided to leave and focus on the ranch.
12
It was his idea to start the hay crop. He and my dad are a lot
13
alike. He’s a hell- raiser. Or he was, he’s mellowed.” Since he got 14
out of rehab and worked all day long on horseback or in a truck.
15
The physical nature of the job seemed to fi ll a need in him.
16
“It’s nice you guys can do this for your parents.”
17
“It’s one of my favorite things about fame. Having the money
18
to do things for my parents like this. They’ve done so much for
19
us. It’s a good thing to take care of them.”
20
Later that night, as she fell asleep against him, he realized
21
he’d gotten used to her awfully fast.
22
23
24
25
26
27
S28
N29
• 81 •
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
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9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 82
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
7
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
16
an I just tell you you clean up well?” Damien looked
17
her up and down. She wore a smart navy- blue dress
18
with towering heels. Truly she was absolutely gorgeous
19
and elegant and he was very glad he was with her that evening.
20
“As many times as you like.”
21
Her smile was saucy. She was saucy. He liked it. Liked her.
22
“I’ve got a cab ordered for us downstairs. We have some time
23
fi rst. Would you like a drink?”
24
“That’s nice of you. Yes. I’d love one. Here or . . . ?”
25
They were set to head off to some swank and ridiculously
26
hard to get a table at restaurant. Adrian had buttered some
27
people up and scored a reservation for two and she’d chosen
S28
him as her plus one.
N29
• 83 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 83
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 83
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
“They have a bar at the restaurant. I looked it up. Not that
02
I needed the bar. I mean I wanted to see what I was getting into.”
03
God, he was fucking this up. She made him nervous. Not
04
because she was
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