What the Heart Wants – Love With Strings Read Online Nikki Ash

Categories Genre: Contemporary, Taboo Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
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I chuckle at Hayden, never having seen him act like this before. We’ve been friends since elementary school—only being separated during high school when his parents sent him to boarding school—and have shared an apartment since our freshman year of college, so I’ve seen plenty of women come in and out of his life, but I’ve never seen him act like this before—especially not after only talking to her a couple of times.

“You ask her out?” He glares my way, and I bark out a laugh. “You struck out.”

“It’s for the best.” He shrugs, playing off the rejection. “She’s business, and the last thing I need is to mix business with pleasure.”

My phone goes off with a text from my stepmom, Savy. We miss you! Dinner tomorrow night? And bring Hayden.

“Dinner tomorrow night at my parents’?”

“Sure,” he says. “Maybe I can pick your dad’s brain as to how I should handle this lease situation.”

“So that’s all she is? A work complication? You’re not going to try again?”

“Nah.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “I need to focus on the endgame. Plenty of other fish in the sea.”

I eye the box of brownies. “Maybe I’ll stop by the coffeehouse and pick up a dessert. I bet Savy and Penelope would love some of these brownies.” Both my stepmom and sister have major sweet tooths.

My words, of course, get Hayden’s attention, but before he gives anything away, he schools his features. “You can do whatever you want.”

“Like ask her out?” I taunt.

“Go for it. But don’t be surprised when the only thing you leave with is a box of brownies.”

“Welcome to Heart’s. What can I get you?” The second my eyes land on the woman—the one with the blond hair, blue eyes, and sexy as fuck dimples—I know this is the woman Hayden was referring to… and holy shit, he was dead-on. She’s beyond gorgeous. When I mentioned asking her out, I was only messing with Hayden, but now, it’s on.

“A half-dozen brownies…” I eye the display, checking out the delicious sweets. “A few of those cupcakes…” I point at the vanilla ones my younger sister will love. “And your number,” I say, giving her my panty-dropping smile women can never turn down. Forward much? Maybe. But I know what I want, and in the business I’m in, having the confidence to back up the brains is the difference between those who dream and those who achieve.

Aubree—or Bree as it’s mentioned on her name tag—splutters. “Excuse me?”

“Brownies, cupcakes, your number…in any order.” I extend my hand. “My name is Brody Fields, and I want to take you out.”

Another woman—who appears to be around the same age as Bree—yeah, I’m going with Bree since we’ll soon be on a personal level—chokes on whatever she’s drinking.

“Did you put him up to this?” Bree hisses at her friend, her hands going to her hips. “This is not—”

“I swear, I didn’t.” Her friend raises her hands in a placating gesture.

Bree turns back around to look at me. “She didn’t tell you to ask me out?” Before I can respond, she leans over the counter and whispers, “Did she pay you?”

I quirk a brow in confusion while her friend barks out a laugh. “I can honestly say she did neither.” Why the hell would this beautiful woman need someone to buy her a date anyway?

Bree glances back at her friend, who shrugs, then, with a sigh, she looks at me. “All right, I’ll go out with you,” she mutters, making her friend snort out a laugh.

When my brows rise, wondering what the hell is going on, she flinches. “Sorry,” she says, perking up slightly. “If you don’t want to go out with me anymore, I’ll understand.”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” her friend says. “He asked you out, so you’re going out with him.” She rips a piece of paper and scribbles something across it. “This is Bree’s number. Text or call to make plans. She’s going out with you.”

I look at Bree, who almost looks sick at the thought of going out with me. Did I forget to brush my teeth this morning? I glance down, and I’m dressed in one of my usual suits. I recently got a haircut, and I shaved a couple of days ago, so I’m not too shabby.

“Here are your treats,” her friend says. I glance down at her name tag and see her name is Lacey. “Don’t forget to call or text.” She hits me with a pointed look, and as I walk away, I can’t help but wonder what the hell just happened.

It’s been twenty-four hours since Bree, er, I guess her friend, gave me her number, and I’ve considered whether or not to call. On the one hand, she’s gorgeous, and I’d love to take her out, but on the other hand, she didn’t seem all that into it. It was almost as if her friend was forcing her to go out with me.


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