When You Kiss Me (Maine Sullivans) (The Sullivans Book 21)

  WHEN YOU KISS ME

  ~ Maine Sullivans ~

  Lola & Duncan

  Bella Andre

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  A note from Bella

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from The Look of Love

  Excerpt from Breathless in Love

  More Books by Bella Andre

  About the Author

  WHEN YOU KISS ME

  ~ Maine Sullivans ~

  Lola & Duncan

  © 2020 Bella Andre

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  www.BellaAndre.com

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  Lola Sullivan has been stared at by men since she was thirteen years old, but no one has ever seen the real her. Not until venture capitalist Duncan Lyman walks into her textile design studio, and they’re drawn to each other on every level. When deep passion sparks between them, along with a powerful emotional connection, they stay up all night together. By the time the sun rises, she’s sure she’s found The One.

  Duncan never imagined a woman like Lola existed—she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. He trusts her in a way he’s never trusted anyone else, and he tells her everything. Everything but the dark secret from his past that could destroy their budding love. It took thirty years for Lola and Duncan to find perfect love…but will it take only thirty seconds to destroy it?

  A note from Bella

  Books have always been the one thing I can count on to brighten my day and give me solace during difficult times. All my life, I’ve taken a book with me wherever I go in case I can squeeze in another few minutes of reading. When I began writing about the Sullivan family in The Look of Love, I discovered that I loved writing just as much as reading.

  Getting to spend time every day with the Sullivans has brought me so much joy, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to receive your emails and messages on social media letting me know that you feel exactly the same way!

  Women like Lola Sullivan—strong and feisty, yet more vulnerable than they want to admit—are some of my favorite heroines to write about. Especially when they can’t help but fall head over heels for an incredibly romantic man like Duncan Lyman.

  I hope you absolutely love their emotional and sexy story.

  If this is your first time reading about the Sullivans, you can easily read each book as a stand-alone—and there is a Sullivan family tree available on my website (https://www.bellaandre.com/sullivan-family-tree) so you can see how the books are connected!

  Happy reading,

  Bella

  P.S. More stories about the Maine Sullivans are coming soon! Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter (http://bellaandre.com/newsletter) so that you don’t miss out on any new book announcements.

  CHAPTER ONE

  In all the years that Lola Sullivan had been teaching classes in her textile design studio, she’d never had a student like him. Several inches taller than six feet, Duncan Lyman had broad shoulders, a square jaw, and piercing blue eyes.

  As she went to greet her new student, she had to resist the urge to check her hair and smooth her dress. She would never hit on a student. Besides, she was firmly in a there-was-no-point-in-dating stage in her life, as every date she’d had in the past year had been a massive disappointment. Without fail, no matter how promising a man seemed at first, he inevitably assumed she couldn’t possibly have such bountiful curves and also have the brains to add two plus two.

  She approached him with a smile. “Hello, I’m Lola Sullivan. You must be Duncan?”

  His handshake somehow managed to be warm, firm, and innately sensual at the same time. “It’s nice to meet you, Lola.” He held on to her hand for just long enough that her heartbeat started racing. “I’ve been looking forward to your class.” His voice matched his looks, all low and rumbly and gorgeous. Just the way he said her name made her stomach flutter. She’d never realized before how sensual Lola could sound.

  At a surprising loss for words—she wasn’t known as the quiet one in her family, that was for sure!—she gestured for him to take a seat at the large worktable. Turning to speak to her ten students, nine of whom were women between the ages of forty-five and sixty, she said, “I’m so pleased you’re all here today. Before we begin, I’d love to know what each of you hope to get out of the class.”

  All nine women were working toward second careers in textile and pattern design. Only Duncan had a different goal. “I’m interested in cartography. Hand-drawn maps, specifically. The reviews I read of your classes say you’re a gifted teacher.”

  Lola felt like she was glowing from his compliment as she said, “I have an antique hand-drawn map hanging on my living-room wall, so I’m definitely a fan of cartography. I just hope I can help you with the skills you’re looking for.”

  He gave her a smile that made her heartbeat pick up again. “I’m sure you will.”

  It wasn’t until one of the other students cleared her throat that Lola realized she was still staring at him. More than a little alarmed by how quickly a handsome face and deliciously sexy voice had turned her head, she adopted a brisk tone. “If all of you would please turn to the printed materials, I’ll go over today’s class plan.”

  Thirty minutes later, her students were working on the first assignment of the day. Though she enjoyed teaching beginners, she was pleased to see that they were an advanced group. And head and shoulders above everyone else was Duncan.

  For the next several hours, she gave each student as much individual attention as she could. Unfortunately, as soon as she began working one-on-one with Duncan, her heart began to race again. It didn’t help that he smelled so good, like a refreshing breath of the sea, or that he was even more attractive close up. Sitting beside him now, she noticed not only the flecks of gold in his blue eyes, but also that he already had a hint of a five o’clock shadow on his jaw, though it was barely noon. He was wearing a beautifully tailored button-down shirt and had on a watch from an exclusive brand, but he still looked so rugged. Duncan looked like a man who’d been born to climb mountains and cut down trees. Or, given his appreciation for hand-drawn maps, to build and sail ships around the world.

  Duncan was likely wondering why she continued to stare at him instead of teaching the new drawing skills he’d signed up to learn. She silently berated herself for acting like a schoolgirl with her first big crush. Working to clear her expression of any possible hint
s of attraction, she said, “Not many of my students have used dip pens and calligraphic nibs before. Watching you work with them this morning, I’m thinking you could teach me a thing or two.”

  It wasn’t until the words were out of her mouth that she realized how they sounded. First, that she’d been watching him all morning. And second, that she was fantasizing about all the things he could teach her…

  Her face flaming, she intended to move away, desperate now to put some space between them so that she could beat her unruly hormones back into submission. But his intense gaze held her captive. Spellbound in a way that no other man ever had before, without so much as a touch, or a kiss.

  “I’ve been watching you too,” he said, his deep voice resonating through every cell in her body. “Your talent is astonishing. Even your quick sketches when you’re illustrating a point are more polished than I could ever hope for my work to be.” His gaze moved to her hands, then back up to her face, making her skin tingle as though he had actually touched her. “Show me, Lola. Tell me your secrets.”

  Lola knew he was simply asking her for drawing pointers. And yet, somehow it felt like he was asking her for more. For something she hadn’t given a man since college. Not only for her deeply held secrets, but also for a piece of the heart she had learned to keep carefully protected.

  The sound of laughter from two students at the other end of the worktable brought her back to reality. She forced a smile, the kind she would give to a friend, rather than someone whose sheer presence made her breathless. “Have you ever tried the Number Five Superior School Pen by Tachikawa?”

  When he shook his head, she pulled one out of her tool drawer for him. “It holds ink well and is stiff enough to help you maintain thin lines, but has enough flexibility so that you can vary the thickness when needed.”

  He drew several lines from .2 mm to .4 mm wide. “You’re right, this is an excellent pen.” The smile he gave her warmed her all over, in places that had been cold for a long time.

  Jumping up from the seat she’d taken next to him, she said, “Who’s hungry?” When everyone agreed that they were ready to break for lunch she suggested, “Let’s go down the street to my mom’s café. She makes the most delicious home-cooked Irish food you will ever eat.”

  When they got to the restaurant, Lola planned to make sure she sat at the very opposite end of the table from Duncan. Otherwise, she risked making a fool of herself…again. And yet, once all of her students were seated, Lola realized she had lost the game of musical chairs. Because the only seat available was the one beside Duncan.

  A few of her students gave her surreptitious smiles. Lola barely held back a sigh. Clearly, some of the women had noticed her reaction to him and had visions of pairing them up.

  Normally, Lola would be happy to play along and harmlessly flirt with him. But nothing felt normal today.

  Still, once everyone had ordered and started to chat with one another, she couldn’t sit there and ignore him, could she? “You’re very talented. How long have you been working as a cartographer?”

  “That compliment means a lot coming from you,” he said with a smile that made her heart skip around inside her chest some more. “Especially since I’m just a hobbyist. I have a long way to go if I ever want to call myself a cartographer.”

  “Hand-drawn maps are a dying art, aren’t they?” Thankfully, talking about art helped her relax around him.

  He nodded, then gave the waitress a smile as she brought over his coffee. Aileen’s face went bright red at his attention before she ran off to giggle with the other waitress. Clearly, both women found him extremely attractive.

  “I admire modern-day mapmakers,” he said, “but a part of me feels like you lose a bit of heart and soul with a digital map. Whereas, all the imperfections on hand-drawn maps are what give them such character.” His grin was ridiculously sexy as he added, “At least, that’s what I tell myself about my mistakes—that it gives my maps character.”

  It was extremely rare for Lola to meet a man who was both humble and good-looking. Most handsome men, in her experience, loved to expound on their seemingly endless virtues. What’s more, Duncan had been a perfect gentleman in class, both with her and with the other students. And she couldn’t agree more about imperfections being a crucial part of any piece of art. Some of her best designs had come from mistakes.

  She was just thinking how much her mother would like him when Beth Sullivan pushed through the kitchen doors to come say hello to the group.

  Lola got up to loop her arm through her mother’s. “This is my mom, Beth. She’s responsible for this amazing food.”

  “And an amazing daughter too,” a student named Janice said.

  Lola’s mom grinned. “The most amazing daughter in the world.”

  “Just wait until I tell Cassie and Ashley you said that,” Lola teased. “I always knew I was your favorite.”

  Beth laughed. “Sometimes it’s a minefield having seven children,” she joked to the group. “Now, I’d love to hear more about all of you, if you have a few minutes to chat with me before you head back to class.”

  Everyone was delighted to share the details and pictures of their projects. Lola’s mom had a way of bringing out the best in everyone. All the while, however, Lola knew her mother was taking special note of Duncan.

  Beth Sullivan badly wanted each of her children to find their one true love. The same powerful love that Beth shared with Lola’s father, Ethan. Though her mother’s matchmaking had yet to work, she hadn’t given up. Clearly, from the gleam in her eyes as she looked between Lola and Duncan, she was dreaming of wedding bells.

  “Now, Duncan,” Lola’s mom said in her gentle Irish accent, “tell me why you’re here today.”

  The smile he gave her mother only made him more handsome, which undoubtedly filled Beth with far more matchmaking encouragement than she needed.

  “Lola has a reputation as a brilliant teacher,” he told her mother, “and after one morning in her class, I can confirm that she is indeed brilliant, on all fronts. Although I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that.”

  Beth beamed at him. “I’m very glad to hear you think so too. I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy to carve out time away from your wife and children on a Sunday.”

  Lola almost groaned out loud, and it was only by great strength of will that she didn’t drop her head into her hands. She was a full-grown woman. If she wanted to hook up with Duncan, she could manage it on her own without her mother’s help, thank you very much.

  But she had no intention of hooking up with him, because she was done with men. Lola had run out of fingers to count the lies she’d been told over the years by men she’d dated.

  That they were single.

  That they were solvent.

  That they weren’t controlling.

  And that they respected her brain and talent as much as they lusted after her body. That was the biggest lie of all—and the one that cut the deepest.

  Lola didn’t have it in her to be disappointed again. Besides, she was perfectly fine staying single. She loved being a doting aunt to Kevin and Ruby and any other nieces and nephews who were sure to come along in the future. Frankly, getting a half-dozen cats and being a happily eccentric spinster whom no one lied to sounded nice.

  Fortunately, Duncan didn’t seem bothered by her mother’s less-than-subtle information-fishing expedition. “It’s just me in Boston, so I haven’t left anyone behind.”

  “Mom,” Lola interjected before Beth could say anything else, “I think Annie needs you back in the kitchen.” Lola took her mother’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “I’ll be back in just a minute so that we can get back to work in the studio,” she told the group, keeping her smile in place until the kitchen door swung closed behind them.

  “Seriously, Mom,” Lola said when they were out of earshot, “that was mortifying.”

  Beth didn’t look the least bit sorry. “Duncan is gorgeous, clearly intelligent�
��and he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”

  Working to cover up any outward sign of her own interest in him, Lola replied, “You have no way of knowing if he’s actually interested in me. And besides, even if you’re right and he is, I’m the one who isn’t interested in dating anyone right now.”

  “I know dating hasn’t always been easy for you, honey. You are such a wonderful woman, with so much love inside of you.” Beth pulled Lola into a hug. “I just want you to be happy.”

  Lola instantly forgave her mom for asking Duncan such an embarrassing question about whether he had a wife and kids waiting for him at home. After all, Beth had only her best interests at heart. “I am happy, Mom. And if one day I magically fall head over heels in love like you and Dad did, I promise I won’t fight it. But for now, you’re going to have to accept that I’m unlikely to have a whirlwind love affair with a man who signed up for one of my classes.”

  Her mother finally looked contrite. “You’ve always been special, Lola. Right from the moment you were born, your father and I knew that you had broken the mold. You’re right to hold out for someone who appreciates every part of you. I’m sorry I meddled. Could we blame it on the fact that Duncan reminds me a little of your father from way back when, so I couldn’t help myself?”

  “You’re right that Duncan is easy on the eyes,” Lola agreed. “He’s incredibly talented, and modest too.”

  When Beth’s eyes started doing that twinkling thing again, Lola knew she had better make her escape before the matchmaking devil inside of her mother rose back to the surface.

  “Thanks for feeding my students so well for lunch. I’ll see you at dinner on Friday.”

  She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and was about to head back into the restaurant when she decided to make a quick pit stop in the bathroom. She wasn’t tidying her makeup and hair for Duncan. But if people wanted pictures with her at the end of class and they posted them on their social media feeds, she wanted to look her best.