Tempting Andie

Chapter 1 – Morgan

MORGAN

New Year’s Eve found me in my favourite place in the world; my parent’s living room, log fire crackling, with one of my favourite people.

My mother’s friend, Andie, though closer in age to me than my mother, was only thirty years old and breathtakingly beautiful.

Andie had spent the last two months with us since she had moved back home from the US, and we had hit it off instantly.

We liked the same books, food, and video games.

She frequently asked me to play a game or two after work, and my feelings for her grew with each passing moment.

We were playing a combat game, and she was kicking my arse. “No, no, no!” I yelled, button-mashing the controller to try to beat her at least once.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Andie shouted back in glee, standing up and doing a little happy dance as her character knocked mine out.

‘K.O.’ flashed on the screen. “Aw fuck, how do you do it?” I said, throwing myself back onto the sofa. I’d lost for the fifth time in a row.

“Well, it helps that I don’t suck.” She laughed, placing her hand on mine and giving it a small squeeze. Her voice was like music to my ears.

“Come on, you two, the car’s outside,” my mother called excitedly through the door.

“Do we have to?” I whined like my younger cousins when told they needed to leave the house.

“Well, you don’t, but I do.” Andie smiled at me as she was putting on her coat.

She looked beautiful in a sparkly blue all-in-one, matching heels, and a long black overcoat that hugged her curves. Her long, chocolate-coloured hair hung in soft curls down her back, with a shiny silver clip in the shape of fireworks placed in the back to hold the longer strands out of her face.

“Yes, you do. You’re twenty-five, not five. Act like it. Now move,” my mother called out.

“Come on, Morgan, you can keep me company.” Andie grabbed my hand.

I ignored how my heart rate sped up when her hand connected with mine, my skin tingling in the heat of hers, and tugged me from the sofa to stand in front of her. I stumbled into her, pushing her off balance. My arm caught around her waist to steady her.

She looked up at me from under thick, ebony lashes.

Something flashed in her eyes I couldn’t read; her pupils were dilated, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and her lips were parted slightly and a slight flush to her cheeks.

Andie’s eyes darted to my lips, lingering there and I involuntarily licked them, she swallowed and licked her own lips.

Clearing her throat, she stepped back and fussed with the belt of her coat. “Shall we get going?” Her voice had turned high pitched and sounded rushed.

“Okay then, but only for you.” I pulled on a grey coat from the hanger by the door.

A quick look in the mirror reflected my short, dark hair as I always styled it; most of it brushed forward with the fringe spiked up. My blue eyes looked dull and tired after being up most of the night with my son, Charlie.

We got in the car Andie had called for us, and headed towards AJ’s, the nightclub she owned. She had invited my parents, Kate and Nolan, and me over to her New Year’s Eve party. I barely looked at the inside of the club when we went in as we were ushered to a booth in the corner of the lower floor.

A dark grey fabric covered the U-shaped booth, and grey table sat in the centre. Champagne and our drink orders were brought out to us, and we could only see the edge of the dancefloor from where we sat. The booths were designed for privacy.

Andie sat on the booth’s edge as there were a few VIPs who wanted to wish her a Happy New Year. I watched as she greeted everyone, happy and smiling, having a short conversation and a selfie until they were moved on and another one would take their place.

My mother and father had been up dancing, and they both looked so happy.

“It’s nearly midnight, folks. Please make your way out the back doors for the fireworks,” the DJ announced. Everyone turned to make their way to the back of the club.

“Hey, you coming?” Andie asked me, getting up and waiting for the crowd to move forward. My mother and dad had already disappeared.

"Nah, fireworks aren’t really my thing.” I waved at her.

“I’ll stay with you.” She slid around the booth until she reached my side. My heart jumped when her thigh touched mine. “I’m not a lover of fireworks either, but the patrons love them.” She smiled at me, her green eyes twinkled in the lights.

“Have you had a good evening?” She took a sip of Champagne.

“It’s been okay.” I nodded, taking a pull of my beer.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to spend much time with you. There’s always someone who wants to talk to me.” Andie tilted her head and offered me a guilty smile.

“That’s okay. You need to network now you’re back home.” I held up my bottle to her.

“Yeah, yeah.” She clinked her glass against my bottle.

I caught her eye; she was beautiful. I licked my lips slowly, noting how Andie’s gaze dropped to my lips, her lips slightly parted. A blush crept up to stain her creamy cheeks. We could hear the gathered crowd outside, all counting down to the New Year.

“Happy New Year.” Andie beamed.

“Happy New Year, Andie.”

Without thinking, I pressed my lips to her soft ones.

For a few moments, she returned the kiss, letting me open her lips with my tongue and slide it inside to tangle with hers.

Her one hand rested on my chest, bunching up the material of my top, the other on the back of my neck, pulling me in closer and I deepened the kiss.

Suddenly she pulled back and looked at me with her eyes wide.

“Shit, fuck, I’m sorry.” I ran my hand up the back of my neck. What the fuck was I thinking? Andie stared at me, her mouth opening and closing. “Andie, say something?” I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs.

“I, uh…” Her hand shot to her mouth, her fingers resting lightly on her lips. My embarrassment was only saved by one of her security guards calling out for her attention.

“I’m sorry, Morgan. I shouldn’t have, I mean…fuck.” She shook her head and placed it in her hands.

“Wait, Andie—” I reached out to her, but she was already pulling away.

I liked her, but she made me so fucking nervous. She was stunning, and I was… well, me. I had nothing to offer her. But kissing her was so good.

“Boss, they’re asking for you.” One of her security team approached the table.

It was like she was a celebrity, though she was, in a way. Chants of her name echoed from outside, her patrons wanting her to join in their celebrations. She didn’t look back at me as she left the room to go outside.

Shit, I fucked that up. I laid my head in my hands and rubbed at my face. I waited for her to return so I could explain it was just a New Year’s kiss, and I had taken it too far.

“Hey, time to go. Andie has more work. She’s called a car for us,” my mother said, pulling her wrap over her shoulders.

The following day, my father asked me to go to Andie’s to pick up her plans for the house. I was looking forward to seeing her, but I hoped things wouldn’t be awkward between us; I didn’t want to lose her friendship.

I knocked on her front door, shoving my hands in my jean’s pockets to stop them from shaking.

She opened the door, looking stunning dressed in white joggers and a black loose-fitting t-shirt.

Her dark hair was plaited to one side, and she had no makeup on.

That was the Andie I was used to. Not the label-wearing, full makeup, power woman she was at the club.

“Oh, Morgan, hey.” Her face turned bright red, and she looked everywhere but at me.

“Dad sent me. Said something about plans you had for this place?”

“Yeah, of course, come in,” she murmured and stepped back so I was able to walk past her.

The hallway was light, with cream tiles on the floor and cream walls.

A cabinet stood behind the door in a cherry wood, and there were several brightly coloured paintings on the wall.

I took a deep breath—it smelled like her, fruity and pretty.

A scent I was used to and quickly becoming addicted to.

She closed the door behind us and gave me a small smile. “Follow me.”

I followed her down the corridor to the living area, which was all white, including the tiled flooring. “This place is amazing.”

I looked around. Black and white prints broke up the starkness of the white walls.

At the back of the living room, behind the L-shaped sofa, were floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and windows I could see the pool area through.

The house was more of an elongated bungalow.

When she hired us, she told me her and her brother had bought two bungalows and knocked them into one.

Over time, they added extensions until they were happy with it.

They each had their own side of the house but had an internal door to access each other’s spaces.

“Thanks, not much personality in here, though. It’s all bloody white. I’ll be getting your mum to come down and give every room a makeover soon.” She gathered the paperwork from the white gloss coffee table and handed them to me. “I think everything is there.”

Again, she wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Andie, can you look at me?” I asked softly.

“Can we just leave it a few days?” She shook her head and looked at the floor, one arm wrapped around herself and holding her other arm.

“Why? It’s just me,” I replied softly and nudged her with my hip.

“Because I’m embarrassed and more than a little shocked, that’s why. Look, can we just leave it be and I’ll see you soon?” Her eyes met mine for just a second, but I saw their glassiness. Her whole face was flushed red.

I put the papers down on the matching white gloss sideboard to my left. “Hey, come on. It was just a drunken kiss on New Year’s Eve. Everyone kisses at midnight, right?”

“Yeah, right.” She nodded but didn’t sound like she believed it.

“Come up later, yeah? We can game all night, I’ll even let you win.” I forced a laugh. My heart was beating so hard in my chest I thought it was about to break through.

Andie gave a little laugh. “I’m working, sorry, something has come up. Tell Kate I’ll see her soon.” She bit the inside of her cheek and offered a weak smile.

“Last night was good, Andie, really good. I’m sorry if I went too far. Please come up for gaming later?” I looked down into her beautiful green eyes and felt myself leaning forward towards her lips.

“Uh no, and it’s not you.” She pushed back and stepped away. “I really do have to work, but I’ll come up later in the week to kick your arse, okay?” She forced a smile.

I guess that was the best I was going to get. “Okay, I’ll hold you to that.” I smiled at her and left the house.

When I arrived home, I called my best friend, Baz. “Hey mate, all okay?”

“Yeah, spent last night with Alice. Things are going good. How did last night go with your new best friend?” he joked.

“Uh, yeah, it was good. I kissed her at midnight.”

“Fuck off. Did she kiss you back?”

“She did.” I felt the heat in my face. I didn’t want to explain that maybe I’d gone too far and ruined things.

“That’s amazing, mate. Did you go home with her?”

“Nope. I didn’t ask.” I couldn’t stop the disappointment from sounding in my voice.

“What, why?” he said disbelievingly.

“Because it’s Andie. What do I have to offer her?”

I had a son from a previous relationship and was living with my parents whilst I saved for my own house. Andie had money; her family had money. Forget about being out of her league, I was out of her world.

“Fuck, Morg, you’ve been crushing on this girl for weeks. You finally got the chance to get your dick wet and you didn’t even try?” Baz was the only one I’d told about my feelings for Andie.

“Yeah, but that’s not all I want from her.” I sighed.

“It would have been a good start. You need to stop putting yourself down. Get your confidence back and ask her out.”

“I’ll think about it. Wanna grab a pint?”

“Meet you at the pub,” he said and hung up the phone.