Love Me Not Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-One

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  This book is licenced for your personal enjoyment only. This book might not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electric or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact author at [email protected]

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  LOVE ME NOT

  First edition. July 29, 2022.

  Copyright © Paulina Baker

  Written by Paulina Baker.

  Cover Design By: The Pretty Little Design Co.

  Formatted by Jennifer Laslie

  This book is proof that if you really want something, there is absolutely nothing that should stand in your way. (I almost gave up on writing so many times, and now look what you’re about to read!)

  Live your life where you’ll never ask yourself

  What If.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Brooke

  She looked at him with hunger. She wouldn’t back down until she got what she wanted. Ryle Anderson was the devil made by angels. How can someone so beautiful be such a douche? But Clara hoped–no, she knew she could make him go on his knees for her. She was a confident woman, not afraid of a challenge.

  I stop typing on my laptop, and I take a sip of my wine. Confident? God, I wish I was confident, but it’s all fiction, right? The characters in books are always confident and unafraid to speak their mind. Clara freaking Morris knows how to get men to bow to her feet, and here I am, sitting in my leggings and an oversized hoodie, writing a book about a woman who has it all. I’m not a writer, but I thought I’d give it a go. I love getting myself lost in others’ realities where I can spend my days with handsome rich men and spend holidays in fucking Bora Bora. And when the book finishes, here I am again, in my tiny London apartment.

  It’s my love for books that pushed me into the world of editing. I finished my internship at Pandora Publishing, but it was a small company and I’m planning on going big. So I applied for a position as editor for Alstons House — The biggest publishing company in the UK.

  I get up and walk to the kitchen to put the wine glass in the sink. The clock shows it is 1:30pm. They should have called by now if I got it, surely. I check my phone and I see a missed call from Aaron. Not sure how I missed that, but just when I’m about to call him back, an unknown caller rings me. Oh my god, is this it… is this them calling me, offering me a job? I quickly straighten myself and clear my throat before answering.

  ‘Hello, Brooke Summers’ speaking.’ Breathe woman, breathe.

  ‘Hi Brooke, this is Amanda from Alstons House. How are you?’ She sounds cheerful, so surely it must be good news? The interview went ok; I think. The HR lady seemed friendly enough, and we just had a general chat about books and what I like to read, but she said they had hundreds of applicants, so as someone who has barely finished their internship, I don’t see myself getting it. But, hey! A girl can dream, right? I’m only 25, so the world is my lobster… or is it oyster?

  ‘I’m good, thank you. How are you?’ My face is aching from the massive grin I’m faking to sound nice and happy. I am a cheerful person, but right now I have a large bile up my throat and I struggle to swallow.

  ‘Also good, thank you. I’m sorry I’m calling you so late, but Mr. Alstons had a meeting I had to attend. But anyway… I am thrilled to offer you a full-time position for our editor role if you’re still interested?’

  Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

  ‘Yes, of course! Thank you so much!’ I scream into the phone and jump in joy.

  ‘I’ve done your references from Pandora Publishing and they were sad to see you go, and only said amazing things about you. So are you ok to start tomorrow at 9am?’

  ‘Tomorrow 9am it is.’ I now have the most genuine grin on my face, teeth showing and all.

  We finish the conversation and I quickly type out a message to Aaron.

  Me- I GOT IT!!!

  Within seconds, I get a reply.

  Aaron- You go, girl! Let’s celebrate at Fazzo.

  Me- Sounds good!

  Fazzo is this posh club where drinks are way overpriced and everyone is always overdressed, but it’s also a perfect place to celebrate. Aaron has been my best friend since Uni and even though we’re deep into our careers now, we still find time for each other. I just need to make sure I’m not out till late if I’m going to look presentable tomorrow morning.

  ‘Nala girl. Come here.’ I call my beautiful border collie, who comes running in with her wagging tail from my bedroom where she loves to nap. I fill her bowl and put it down for her before closing the laptop. Clara will have to wait with her story, as mine is about to begin.

  I’m standing outside Fazzo, waiting for Aaron to appear, hugging myself to stay warm. Him being a journalist often means he works past his finish time and even during weekends I could find him writing, researching and watching news. I remember the first night of college. I headed to the library to check out what books they have and Aaron was already there, already doing his research for his first assignment. We got talking, and we started meeting up pretty much every day. Both of us were focused purely on our degrees instead of partying and the few parties we did attend, we left quickly as the ‘getting drunk to unconsciousness’ just wasn’t our thing.

  As for guys, I’ve had an occasional date or two, but males at college were pretty much about one thing only and as much as it was fun, I couldn’t be bothered with the 2am booty calls. Aaron had a boyfriend in his first year, but then he ended up moving to South Africa as a nurse to help the less fortunate. Aaron tried to understand because how can you be angry with someone for deciding to help others? He was still very much heartbroken, and I was there to pick up the pieces. After uni, I got my internship with Pandora Publishing and got my little apartment outside the city centre. The neighbourhood wasn’t anything amazing, but it did just fine for me.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Brooke. My parents called again and they wouldn’t stop talking.’ Aaron calls as he reaches me by the entrance. His parents call often, wishing their only son would move back to Cornwall to be close to them again, but he loves London just as much as I do. The city life here is just something else. If you live in London, you’ve pretty much seen it all. I once saw a guy almost get hit by a bike as he was on his phone and instead of moving back to the pavement, the idiot took a step further into the road and got hit by the cab. Ouch.

  ‘That’s fine. I haven’t been here long myself.’

  ‘Love the new dress, chick.’ I look at my short, black, leather dress that’s tight and revealing and smile to myself as I bought it to start a new chapter in my life where I love myself and no one else.

  ‘Thank you. It is pretty badass.’ He smiles at me and we go inside. We take the last 2 seats by the bar between a group of guys in suits who are drinking and laughing about something and a group of young girls who are having a time of their lives, or at least it looks that way as they have a couple of guys chatting them up.

  I order my sex on the beach cocktail and Aaron orders himself a mojito. We have a quick catch up about our day and I tell him Nala sleeps more throughout the day now. She’s a border collie I rescued from a shelter just after my recent breakup because I finally could. I always loved animals but my ex was allergic, so I had to say goodbye to my dream of owning a pet. But now that I’m a free woman, I do things I want to do without asking for permission. She’s an elderly dog, and that’s probably the reason she had no interest in the rescue. People prefer puppies at the end of the day, but the moment I saw her eyes, I knew she needed me and I needed her. I knew we wouldn’t have much time together, but considering she’s a 15-year-old dog, she still has the energy of her breed.

  ‘So, are you excited about your new job?’ Aaron asks as he takes a sip of his drink.

  ‘Of course. You know how much I’ve been dreaming of working with books and now I’ll be helping authors achieve their dreams. Doesn’t get better tha
n that.’ I grin at him as he knows exactly how much I’ve been wanting this job, especially for the biggest publisher company in the UK as well.

  ‘Maybe between time, you’ll be able to work on your book too and maybe Mr. Alston will publish it too,’ He winks at me and I know he’s trying to be supportive but maybe I’m not cut out to be an author. Aren’t you meant to be writing what people want to read? What if they don’t want to read my stories? It feels way too stressful for me.

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m not good enough to be published.’ I shrug as I glance over Aaron’s shoulder at the young women, who are giggling like little girls. I can’t even remember what it was like to have a stress-free life.

  ‘You are good enough. I read some of your work and I would definitely buy it if I saw it in the shop.’ He’s more serious now. He doesn’t like when I doubt myself, which I do a lot, but he loves me either way.

  ‘£100 for a book then.’ I watch him with a smug on my face.

  ‘Only if you sign it.’ He puts out his hand to make the deal with me.

  I sit up straight, ‘Deal.’ and we shake hands.

  We spend the night either dancing or drinking at the bar. It’s always fun to be out with Aaron, as he’s such a free spirit. Journalism is a perfect job for him, but he’s hoping to have a free rein soon so he can write about what he wants. By the time we’re having our… 5th or is it a 6th cocktail? Aaron brings up the subject that I very much dislike.

  ‘Ok girl, now it’s time for the truth. How long has it been since your kitty cat had some serious attention?’ Oh, dear lord…

  ‘Do we really have to talk about my sex life tonight? In the public?’ I think the group of men behind me must have heard us as they suddenly went rather quiet and the man sitting right behind me seemed to stiffen. Or maybe I am wrong and they’re just talking about something very serious between themselves. Not that I’m paying any attention to them. I have paid no attention to men lately. Maybe that’s a problem?

  ‘Brooke. You know I love you, but it’s been almost 6 months since you’ve had sex and I really feel you need some fun. Wouldn’t it be great to shake off that douche tonight just before starting a new job?’ Well, he’s got a point, but after so many drinks I really don’t know what I’m doing and probably shouldn’t be trusted, in case I bring a serial killer home, or worse…. an accountant.

  ‘Please, let’s change the subject,’ I plea as I take the last sip of my cocktail. ‘Let’s dance.’ I grab his hand and pull him onto the dance floor. We dance for about a minute before Aaron shuffles closer to my ear and says,

  ‘I think the guy who was sitting behind you is checking you out.’

  I turn my head, but he’s busy talking to others and I can’t see his face. It’s probably some mind games Aaron is trying to play to get me to talk to him.

  I ain’t falling for that, mister.

  ‘I very much doubt it.’ I look back at Aaron and shake my head. Suddenly, his eyes widen in horror as he looks just past my shoulder.

  ‘I think we should go,’ He says and so I turn around to see what’s going on and right there, walking in, I see Tyler, looking right back at me. Fuck. No. I’m out of here. I turn back to Aaron and nod in agreement, but before we can start walking, someone grabs me by my wrist.

  ‘Brooke, please talk to me,’ Tyler looks down at me, pain in his eyes. What a great actor.

  ‘Let go of me now,’ I snap, trying to pull my arm free. Tyler was the love of my life, or at least that’s what I thought until about 5 months ago. Been together for 2 years, and I even ended up moving in with him. All going great, I mean, who wouldn’t want to date a hot musician who knew how to sing himself into your heart? I’ve attended all his gigs and met all of his friends. But just when I thought we might reach the engagement chapter of our lives, I found him in our bed, tongue deep in some random chick’s pussy. Long story short, I moved out the same day, got my own little place, and decided to never trust another man again. What is it with them and sex? Is it in their DNA to be as horny as they can and not care who they do it with? Maybe I should switch sides. Surely women aren’t as bad as men?

  ‘Please. You can’t keep ignoring me. I’ll do anything, Brooke. Please give me a chance.’ He steps forward, being inches away from me and I can smell his Diesel cologne, which I used to love so much. But now it makes my stomach turn in disgust. A flash of memory shows in front of my eyes, me running to our bedroom, hoping for a nice evening with my boyfriend, only to find some blonde slut spread across our bed, blindfolded while his head was between her legs and the sound of her moans filling our room. I’m going to throw up. I need to think quickly if I want to escape.

  ‘I’m here with someone,’ I snap without thinking it through. What have I done?

  His eyes widen in shock and… fear, is it? Hard to say based on how many drinks I’ve had.

  ‘Who?’ He asks. Anxiety spurts through me when I look at Aaron and he looks as confused as I feel. He has no plan, so it’s completely up to me.

  Then I remember the guy sat behind me. If Aaron was right, maybe he’d be willing to help?

  Oh god, no.

  But I think he is my only hope.

  ‘He’s at the bar with his friends, so excuse me, but we better go back and join them.’ I yank my arm free of his grip and his face reddens with anger. Using my other hand, I gesture to Aaron to follow me and as he does, I head towards nicely suited men and I pray to God this works and that they’re not gonna blow my cover. I can feel Tyler’s gaze burning on my back, so I put my hand on the man’s shoulder, who was sitting right behind me, and he looks up.

  Oh. my. God. He is a man out of a book, alright? His deep brown eyes look right at me and a line between his brows forms. I’m giving him please help me look and then I smile and sit on his lap. Fuck me. What am I doing?

  ‘Hi baby, I’m back.’ And I kiss him. Yes, I kiss a stranger. I put my hands around his neck to make it look realistic and, oddly, he kisses me back. I’ll thank him later. He puts his hands on my waist and I feel what I can only describe as an electric shock shooting down my spine from his touch. The heat pulses between my legs when he pulls me closer.

  I guess it has been a long time.

  He is a pretty damn good kisser, too, which isn’t helping. I clench my legs and I think he can tell, as I swear I can sense him smiling through the kiss. Boy, I haven’t been touched in a while and now I’m here, kissing a stranger, wondering what it’d be like to have him between my legs. A scent of whisky enters my nostrils and at this moment, I realise I don’t want to break this kiss that is making me melt on his lap. Hang on. Is that…? Oh my god, he’s hard. I can feel his erection under my ass. Brooke, stop this. You’re losing all control. Stop. This.

  I pull away quickly, eyes wide open and he looks at me… disappointed? I look around and see all his friends and Aaron staring at us as if we just had sex in front of them. Tyler is gone when I look in the direction where he was. I can’t see him anywhere. Snapping back to my fake date, I say, ‘I’m… I’m really sorry about that.’ My eyes drop to his tasty lips, wishing I could taste them again. I take him fully in now. His dark, short hair with a slight curl on top and stubble, which is so sexy. He’s well built, broad shoulders, tight muscles I can see underneath his suit. I then realise I’m still sitting on his lap with my arms around his neck. I definitely had way too much to drink. He hadn’t pushed me off, so I jump off quickly.