Free Tempting Fate by Amber Lin Page A

to the studio, rain began to fall in fat drops on the windshield. I slowed down once I turned off the highway. Light from the streetlamps and signage bounced off slick surfaces, creating a dark, glittery cavern. I passed the storefronts where the coffee shop next door was spilling over with a mix of college kids gearing up for the night and tired execs grabbing a latte so they could make it through the bedtime routine. Everyone was huddled against the chilly rain, dashing between their cars and the overhang in front of the shops.
    I pulled around to the small parking garage behind the building and slid one of the automatic cards into the slot. The gate lifted, and I found a safe, dry spot inside. Smiling, I slipped the spare key into the bag. Maybe I’d give it to Drew when we met. If it didn’t seem too forward, too presumptuous.
    Though I didn’t think so. Things were moving fast but right on track. And maybe not so fast if I considered the years he’d spent waiting for me to be ready—when I’d been waiting for that too.
    I spent the next hour taking measurements of the walls and the windows for the renovations, big and small, that I would do. The upstairs was mostly unfinished and, I was disheartened to realize, would take more work to turn into a living space than I had thought. Maybe I should snag an apartment nearby and leave this as a break room. And we’d need a staging room for costumes at some point. I’d ask Drew when he showed up.
    My phone vibrated on the bare tiled floor, the glow lit with four letters.
    “Hey, you.”
    “Sorry I’m running late. Work ran over.” I could hear the swish-swish of the wipers in the background.
    “Tell Philip you get to leave early now that you’re dating his sister.”
    “I don’t think that would go over so well, but I’m glad you told him about the studio.”
    “He didn’t freak out.”
    “He won’t freak out about us either.” At my silence, he amended, “I’d deal with him if he did.”
    “I’ll tell him soon, I promise. How far are you?”
    “One minute. I already stopped by my place. I wanted to…well, I guess you’ll figure it out at some point. I wanted to pick up a little in case I lured you back there.”
    Something warmed inside me that he had planned to ask me to stay the night with him—and that he cared what I thought of his place. “So you’re a bit of a slob, is what you’re telling me.”
    “A consummate bachelor,” he confirmed. “You’ll have to beat it out of me, I’m afraid.”
    “I know I’ve told you I’m not into the kinky stuff.”
    “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. I’ve been told I have an ass that turns a lovely shade of red.”
    I laughed, blushing until I was sure my cheeks were a similar color.
    “We’ll only do what you’re comfortable with. I can promise you that, Rose.”
    “I liked what we did last time. I’m not sure how much further I can really go…or what else is out there.”
    He was quiet a moment, and I heard shifting in the car. “I didn’t just mean sex. I mean us. I’m serious about being with you. I’m serious about you , Rose.”
    My eyes fell shut. I wasn’t sure I could get the words out—but I didn’t know the right ones anyway. There was only a mass of desire that had little to do with physical acts, kinky or otherwise. I wanted him with an intensity that stole my breath and roused a fear that I would somehow lose him. Invisible arms waited in the wings to snatch away the things I wanted most.
    “You don’t believe me?” he asked quietly.
    “I believe you,” I said slowly. “I guess I can’t believe I actually have you, that I deserve you. It’s all so quick.”
    I heard the smile in his voice. “Sweetheart, I’ve been waiting for you to come around for years. If this is your idea of quick, I’d hate to see you take it slow.”
    I grinned. “Ah, but that’s all going to change tonight. I only need to spend a few more minutes here, and then we can head