Page 191 of The Havenport Collection

Prologue

Luke

November

I was lusting after the devil.

I should clarify that Nora Rossi, the object of my near-painful attraction, was not, in fact Satan.

Her head was covered in shiny black hair with nary a horn to be seen, I had never seen her carrying a pitchfork around town, and somehow I doubted she was hiding cloven hooves in those sexy stilettos.

But to me, she was the devil incarnate. A beautiful, obstinate woman who disliked me with the kind of venom usually reserved for mosquitos and root canals.

I wasn’t proud of it. Trust me, if I could stop being attracted to the most infuriating woman I had ever met, I would.

There was a time, years ago, when I thought maybe something would develop between us. But after I messed things up between us, Nora’s dislike of me grew and grew. It was for the best; by that time my mom had gotten sick, and I was distracted by the sale of my company.

Over time, we had settled into a mutual annoyance, which I worked very hard to maintain.

Fighting my attraction got harder and harder every year.

She was maddeningly perfect—smart, curvy, hardworking, and had the lushest, most kissable lips I had ever seen.

And she continued to torment me with her signature red lipstick, a flashing sign advertising what I would never have.

I prided myself on my superhuman self-control, but even I had my limits.

I tried to stay away, but she drew me into her orbit every time, like a wild siren trying to lure me to my death.

In a town as small as Havenport, it was impossible to avoid each other.

And events like this, well, these usually ended with us arguing or trading insults.

A sane man would avoid this at all costs, but I was clearly too far gone at this point.

I should have brought a date to this wedding. Someone kind and chatty who could distract me. But I knew what I was getting into, and deep down I wanted it. So I came alone, itching for a fight.

The wedding was held at the Thompson Farm, in a refurbished barn. It was rustic and romantic and perfect for my friends Liam and Cece. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice many of the details because I couldn’t keep my eyes off a certain bridesmaid.

The navy dress contrasted beautifully against her pale skin and showed off miles of spectacular curves. Her dark hair cascaded down her back, and her lips were painted her signature deep red.

Nora was stunning. She was also the only person in this entire town that hated me.

And try as I might, I could not seem to hate her back.

She was loud and pushy and had a resting bitch face that could stop the heart of a lesser man.

But I couldn’t stop my stupid eyes from following her as she laughed, talked, and danced the night away.

As the party wound down, I found Nora alone at the bar.

I knew I should walk in the opposite direction, but my stupid legs headed straight for her.

She looked up at me through her long eyelashes. “What do you want?”

I sidled up to the bar next to her. “Just the pleasure of your company.” I was already regretting this.

“Cut the bullshit.”

“I came over here because you look upset and all your other friends are dancing. I can’t let you drink alone.”

She gave me an exaggerated eye roll. “And they say chivalry is dead.”

“What are we drinking?”

“Shots.”

“Are you kidding? This is a wedding, not a kegger.”

“It’s my best friend’s wedding, and I’ve spent weeks helping pull this together and make it amazing for her.

I’m tired, my feet hurt, and I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact that she is married.

The girl who used to sleep over at my house and profess her love for Channing Tatum is someone’s wife, and I’m just standing here next to a man I detest.”

“When you put it like that, I guess shots are called for.”

She patted my hand like I was a child. “You’re smarter than you look, Luke.”

“I don’t remember giving you permission to call me Luke,” I teased.

She bit her lip and I felt my pants tighten. “Lucas is so formal,”—she waved her hands around—“and I like to take you down a peg.” I suspected as much but it was satisfying to hear her say it.

I smiled. “Joke’s on you because my friends call me Luke. Must make us friends.” I gestured to the bartender. “Whiskey, please.”

“Make it Fireball,” she said, a gleam in her eye. “And leave the bottle.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” I took off my jacket and rolled up my shirt sleeves; apparently we were not messing around. I caught her staring at my forearms and smiled. Huh. I guess even Nora wasn’t immune to my charms.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is mister tech billionaire too fancy for Fireball? I’m sure you usually drink unicorn tears.”

“Actually, unicorn tears give me terrible hangovers. This will do.” I held the glass of amber-colored liquid, knowing full well I’d be drinking Pepto straight from the bottle tomorrow.

We clinked glasses, and I swallowed the shot. It was tasty and fiery and only burned a bit on the way down. It had been a long time since we’d been acquainted.

I watched Nora lick a drop of liquid off her lush red lips and had the sudden and overwhelming urge to kiss her. I clearly needed more alcohol to kill whatever brain cells were attracted to this harpy.

“Another.” She refilled the glasses, clearly meaning business. “To the happy couple.”

We clinked and downed our shots once more, and I examined the bottle, trying to buy time before she made me drink another shot.

“You’re much less annoying when you’re not talking,” she said. “What is so fascinating about the bottle?” She leaned in close, and I got a whiff of her scent. It was distressing how good she smelled. Feminine and light with a hint of spice. I needed to investigate further.

I pointed to the label. “It says, ‘Tastes like heaven, burns like hell.’”

“It’s not wrong.”

I could feel myself growing bolder, the fiery whiskey flowing in my bloodstream. “It makes me wonder,” I whispered.

She leaned in closer, her dark eyes gleaming “About what?”

“If that’s true about you as well?”

I expected her to slap me in the face. Or scream at me. But I did not expect what happened next.

She leaned in close, her heels only bringing her up to my chin, and crooked her finger at me seductively.

I leaned down, and her warm breath tickled my neck. “Come find me later, maybe I’ll let you find out,” she said quietly.

And then she sauntered back to the dance floor, leaving me questioning both my sanity and my self-control.

The wedding reception had long since wrapped, but the after-party was still going strong.

My group of friends had migrated over to the firepit where people were drinking and chatting.

I kept catching glimpses of Nora across the fire.

I could tell she was telling a story because Emily and Violet were laughing and Nora was gesticulating wildly with a Solo cup in her hand.

Nora was dramatic and expressive and told great stories.

Her dark eyes twinkled with mischief, and I wished I knew what she was talking about.

“You could make a move, you know.” I turned and found Astrid standing next to me. She gestured toward Nora and raised an eyebrow at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I huffed, staring at my feet.

“Sure, boss.”

“I need to get going soon anyway,” I said with absolutely no conviction. “I’m going to head back to the barn and find my jacket.”

I strode back toward the barn, kicking myself for letting my guard down where Nora was concerned. What did I think would happen?

Nora despised me. And it was a good thing.

Because she was fiery and feisty and very much my type.

Thankfully, her shrewish personality distracted from her physical allure.

Sure, I knew she was kind and generous when no one was looking, and I knew that she was an incredibly loyal friend.

But I had spent years watching her, wanting her, and she had maintained her hatred consistently.

I did not get involved with anyone from Havenport.

I loved this town, but privacy was impossible, and I certainly didn’t want to ruin the goodwill I had spent years cultivating by screwing around with locals.

This town had given me so much—community, support, purpose, and beautiful memories with my mother.

I would never compromise that. Plus, I had a vast network of dating options all over the world; I never hurt for female companionship if I wanted it.

I had walked into the barn, grabbed my jacket, and turned to go when I felt all the hair on my neck stand up.

“Luke.”

I turned and saw her standing there, illuminated by the moonlight, and all my carefully constructed self-control began to crumble. My loneliness swirled with the alcohol in my bloodstream, and I found myself walking toward her, draping my jacket around her shoulders.

She leaned over the bar and grabbed a bottle of champagne. “Take a walk with me.”

Wordlessly, I offered her my arm and we set off.

We walked silently as we traipsed through the farm. I admired the neat rows of crops, the old barns, and the massive tractors. It was such a lovely space, and I knew that a lot of work and care had gone into preparing it for this wedding.

“You should host some events here,” Nora said. “Violet could use the business, and it’s a unique space.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t host events very frequently.”

She stopped walking and turned to me. “Oh please. Rich people love to get together and measure their money dicks, right?”

“Um…not in my experience, but I don’t hang out with many super rich people.”

“Spare me the faux modesty, Luke, your adoring public isn’t here. You can be your usually cocky self. Please, tell me how amazing and brilliant you are and how you are superior to us mere mortals.” She perched her chin on her fist and batted those insanely long lashes at me.

“You talk a lot of shit.”

“I know. It’s a talent.” She winked at me. “One of many.” I almost tripped over an exposed tree root. Why was she so infuriatingly sexy?

We wound our way through the apple trees, mostly picked bare, and into a small copse of trees with a large stone bench. We swigged champagne from the bottle and sat under the stars.

“You look beautiful tonight,” I said.

She turned toward me, those big eyes wide. “You don’t have to say that.”

I grabbed her hand. It felt so small and delicate in my own. “Take the compliment, Nora. Feel it. Accept it.”

She nodded, and I raised her hand to my lips. Our eyes locked as I gently kissed the top of her hand. My heart thundered in my chest as I felt her sharp intake of breath.

I gently tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in, gently brushing her lips with mine.

She tasted like cinnamon and smelled like beautiful flowers. This woman was doing things to me, things that I did not understand. I ran my fingers through her thick, shiny hair as I pulled her closer, deepening our kiss.

I pulled back and stared at her. Her eyes met mine, and I saw pure fire.

She grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer, our mouths crashing desperately. This was not a sad kiss. It was not a kiss of loneliness, confusion, or desperation. It was a kiss of pure, beautiful lust. Every cell in my body burned for her. I pulled her onto my lap, desperate for more of her.

Her hand toyed with the hair at the back of my neck as I kissed her neck, easing one of the straps of her bridesmaid dress down her shoulder to give myself more access.

I was a man obsessed. I wanted to kiss every inch of her gorgeous skin and taste her everywhere.

I had waited years for this moment, and I was not going to pass it up.

A breathy moan escaped her lips, and I captured her mouth again. I couldn’t believe I was here, in a beautiful orchard, kissing the sexiest and most infuriating woman I had ever met.

We clawed at each other, and I felt her unbuttoning my shirt. I didn’t care; this woman could do whatever she wanted to me. Having my hands on her body was a dream come true. I didn’t know where this was going, and it didn’t really matter. I just wanted more of her.

“Nora?” We broke apart and Nora stumbled off my lap, tripping on her heels before righting herself.

I looked up and saw Violet Thompson and Callum Quinn standing in the orchard with flashlights.

“Hi, guys,” Nora said, casually pulling her dress down and trying to act dignified.

“We came out because we heard noises,” Violet said, clearly embarrassed.

“Oh, wow. I lost track of time. I need to get home.” Nora handed my jacket back to me and turned toward Violet. “Are you guys walking back toward the barn? I need to find Emily and Derek; they’re my ride.”

I was dazed and forced myself to speak. “I can drive you home, Nora.”

She turned and looked at me with fury. “No need.” She took Violet’s arm and started walking back to the barn, and I felt my heart sink.

I watched her walk away from me under the night sky, trying to recover from the most intense and surprising kiss of my life and praying that I could kill the attraction surging through my veins. Because Nora Rossi was like the Fireball we spent the night drinking. Delicious but deadly.