Someone Like You (10 page)

blinking open. He twisted in his seat and watched her silhouette racing down the street.

He stood up and swayed, tiredness pulling him down. He’d barely slept for the past two

weeks and he’d come straight here after having stopped at his condo to take a shower

and change his clothes. He’d wanted only one thing, and that was to see her. Take her

in his arms and feel her softness wrap around him. Why had she left like that? Was she

really that mad at him?

“Who’s Mia?” The short-order cook came to stand beside him. He had keys in his

hands and it was clear he wanted to close the café for the day.

“What?” Nick blinked. How did he know about Mia? Had Leah told him? Did

everyone know about his erstwhile obsession with his friend’s wife? Shit!

“You said her name. Guess that’s why Leah left. Bad move, man, very bad

move.”

Oh no, he hadn’t? He had. “Fuck.”

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“Yup, good luck.” The usually jovial man clasped his shoulder in a meaty grasp

before motioning him out of the door. “You’re gonna need it.”

Nick found himself standing on the pavement, his mind in disarray. He’d called

her Mia again? The news sunk into his brain and he felt despair crawl inside him. She’d

never forgive him. Not this time.

* * * *

“I hate you,” Leah told her TV set.

She might not have returned Nick’s calls or answered the door when he’d come

knocking, but she hadn’t been able to think of anything else. He’d hurt her before, but

that last one had thrown her for a loop. The worst thing was, it was all her fault. She’d

known he loved Mia, but she’d been confident she could make him forget about her.

Yeah, right. He’d chosen her because she looked like her, and just that fact should have

made her run for the hills. It was time to face it: she’d never be able to compare to Mia.

And even as she’d switched the TV on, unable to stop herself from watching him

play in a charity football game, she’d known it was time to let go. He’d been hers for a

few days and she should be content with that. Who could say that after all? She’d been

in Apollo’s arms and he’d loved it! They’d had sex! Go her!

Shaking her head at her silly thoughts, she grabbed her bottle of nail polish and

settled on the floor. She’d give herself a pedicure and listen to the game. She’ll try very

hard not to look at him too much, even if the thought of him in a tight football uniform

was making her heartbeat accelerate.

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Her plan worked, up until the TV commentator announced he’d managed to

interview Apollo Hamilton earlier that afternoon. Leah’s head jerked up at the sound of

his name and she started as his face appeared on her screen. Her gaze ate him up,

from the way his eyes sparkled at the thought of playing again, to the way his mouth fell

into an easy smile. God, she missed him. She shook her head and forced herself to

concentrate on the interview instead.

“So, Apollo, how does it feel to be back on the field?”

“Amazing.” He smirked at the camera and added, “I don’t regret my decision, I

love my life now and what I’ve managed to achieve, but I won’t lie. I do miss it.”

“I watched your training earlier and you look in top form. Are you sure you’re not

ready for a comeback?”

Nick laughed. “No, Fred, no more football for me. Today is an exception,

because it’s such a good cause.”

“You’ve got that right, Apollo. So what’s new with you? I see no wedding ring?”

Leah froze to a standstill. What would he respond to that?

“Actually, Fred, thanks for mentioning it. I have a public announcement to make.”

“Sure, here’s the mike.”

Nick grabbed it and took a deep breath before saying, “Leah, if you’re watching

this, I’m sorry.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

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Nick shrugged, his eyes darkening. “You know us, Fred. We, men, always screw

up.”

“That bad, uh?”

“Yeah.”

“So, who’s the lucky lady?”

Nick licked his lips and looked once more straight at the camera. “A very special

person.”

The moment passed, the interview moving on to football tactics and what Nick

thought would happen during the game; but Leah still sat there, her thoughts in jumbles.

What the hell had just happened? Nick had apologized on national TV, that’s what, her

mind replied. She fell onto her back and stared at the ceiling. He was still thinking of

her. He wanted her to forgive him. He’d announced he was taken to everyone on the

planet. Her heart missed a beat and her palms got clammy. She had a lot to think

about…

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When the doorman announced he had a visitor, he felt his pulse kick up. Hope

would do that to you, as he well knew. He’d been hoping, all these weeks, for a sign of

her. Of course, he had no way to know that she’d been watching TV that day, that she’d

seen him apologize. But still, someone would have told her surely. Right?

“Who is it, Tim?” he asked, his tone bordering on earnest.

“Lady by the name of Leah, Sir. Should I let her come up?”

Oh god, finally! “Yes! Thanks, Tim.”

“Have a good evening, Sir.”

“You too, you too.” Nick hung up the receiver and stared at the blank wall. He

needed to regain his control, be calm and collected, so when she arrived he didn’t

pounce on her. He squared his shoulders, took a few deep breaths and opened the

front door. He watched the elevator’s doors open, revealing a dress-clad Leah. She was

wearing make-up meant to entice: her eyes beckoned, her reddened lips teased. He felt

his blood spike and grabbed the doorjamb in one hand, anchoring himself into place.

“Hey.” She didn’t reply, just kept on walking towards him slowly. He traced the length of

her legs with his eyes, his gaze moving upwards until it stopped on her cleavage. He felt

breath leave him at the sight of the deep décolletage, soft skin and shadows calling out

to him. Shit!

“Hey,” she finally said, as she stopped right in front of him, the skirt of her dress

swaying against his legs. “I will forgive you, but on one condition.”

He started. “What? I mean, okay. Uh, what condition?”

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“That you never confuse me with Mia again. I don’t think I could… that I could

take it. I know you love her and that I’ll always be a replacement but I-“

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her forward, interrupting her. “Don’t

say that!”

She blinked. “Why not? It’s true, isn’t it? You love her, you don’t love me, I get

that.”

“Leah, come on, I never said that!”

“No, but you implied it.”

“I didn’t!”

“You did!”

Incensed, his right hand shot out and wrapped in her hair. Jerking her to him, his

lips found hers and before she knew it, he was licking her lipstick off. His tongue slipped

into her mouth, his hands slid down until he was cupping her ass. He brought her on her

toes, her chest crushed against his as his embrace tightened. He broke the kiss but it

was only to start nibbling on her lower lip. “I haven’t thought of her once over the past

weeks. It was just you. Remembering you, yearning for you. Wanting you.”

Her eyes opened at his words, and she pushed on his shoulders so she could at

his face. “Is that true?”

“Why would I be lying to you?” he asked, his voice gentle. His question was

warranted, she realized with a shock. It’s not like he couldn’t find another girlfriend with a snap of his fingers. He was Apollo and he wanted her. He’d told the whole while world

he’d screwed up. He’d pulled her out of her shell…only for her to slam right back in.

He’d told her in one of his messages what’d happened after their weekend together,

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how he’d forgotten all about his two-week trip. How he should have apologized in

advance for the lack of communication, but that he’d been so out of it, it’d slipped his

mind. At the time, she hadn’t believed him. But maybe that had been a mistake. Maybe

she was as much at fault for never trusting him? Her hands tightened into fists, her nails

digging into her palms. “Leah?”

She looked back up, his gaze meeting hers. “Nick…”

“What’s going through your mind, baby? You look so sad.”

“I-“ She licked lips that had suddenly gone dry. “I believe you,” she finally found

the courage to say.

A smile formed on his face, a smile that disappeared almost instantly at the look

in her shuttered eyes. “That’s great. Right? Leah?”

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, lowering her face so she was

contemplating the floor.

“What about we start by getting into my apartment and then we can discuss it

some more?” She nodded, following him inside and sitting where he told her to sit. She

remained silent as he busied himself around her, offering her a drink, something to eat,

anything. But she only shook her head, her back held up straight as if she didn’t trust

herself to relax. He sighed inwardly at the sight. She was still holding herself back.

Thinking up a plan of action, he sat down beside her and wrapped his arm

around her shoulders. She stiffened as he tugged her against his side, and it’s only

when he forced her head into the crook of his neck that she allowed herself to start

enjoying his embrace. By the time his hand had started an up-and-down motion on her

back, she was considerably closer than at first. Smiling at the softness surrounding him,

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Nick closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. “I think we should start over.” He felt her

tense once again and added, quickly, “Hear me out, baby! Don’t you think it’d be best if

we forgot what happened? Just start over, you and me. Go on a few dates, have fun,

make love.” He cupped the back of her head and forced her to look at him. “Please,

Leah. I need you in my life. These past weeks have been hell. I didn’t know how much

you mattered to me, until I couldn’t see you or talk to you.” He spotted the tears

glistening in her eyes and added, his voice soft, “I missed you.”

“Me too,” she whispered, fighting the urge to cry. “So much. I hated you for what

you’d made me go through, but I still missed you.”

He smiled at her admission. “So, what do you say?”

She gazed at him, unable to ignore the way he was staring back at her. Emotions

were swirling in his eyes and even if she couldn’t decipher them all, she still understood

something quite clearly: he needed her. So, she said yes.

And as they hugged and kissed, as they fell onto the floor and clothes went flying

in all directions, as their bodies joined and they started losing themselves in each other,

love hung in the air above them…ready to land, whenever they were.

The

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ABOUT EMMA HILLMAN

Emma Hillman never plans her stories. She just lets the characters have fun and

hopes the ending will make sense. It usually does.

She lives in Paris with a husband, a toddler and two loud pets. She speaks

several languages but only reads books in English because she says it sounds

better. She’s been running her fiction web site for years and has made many

friends and fans across the world, and is very thankful for their continued

support and inspiration.

Between working full-time and taking care of her family and house, she can be

found reading fiction, cooking or watching Playhouse Disney—don’t ask.

If you enjoyed SOMEONE LIKE YOU,

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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

By Emma Hillman

Mia Adams keeps bumping into her fantasy. Literally. From crashing her car into

his to ramming his shopping cart at their local supermarket, each encounter

brings her closer to the man she’s always dreamed of: Kevin McIntyre, a former

pro football player with an attitude and a propensity for swearing.

He seems perpetually angry but she has to admit the look suits him. She’s pretty

sure experience makes perfect too because the man has some serious skills.

Let’s just say she’s been screaming his name a lot lately. Although, sometimes,

it’s to shout at his disappearing back. She shouldn’t care, however, that he

doesn’t seem to remember her name or that he keeps leaving as soon as he gets

what he wants. They’re just having some fun after all.

Then why is he inviting her to his house? Did he change the rules and forget to

tell her about it? The sex must have gone to his head, there is just no other