Title: The Thirty-Eight Series box set
Author: Len Webster
Release Date: Oct 13, 2015
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Nolan Parker and Clara Lawrence never saw eye to eye. In fact, if you asked Clara she would tell you that Nolan hated everything about her. They never shared any form of connection beside Alex Lawrence.
She was Alex’s bratty sister and he was Alex’s best friend, they never stood a chance.
That was until the very moment Clara opens her front door to find Noel at her doorstep.
Falling in love with each other was the last thing either of them expected.
But then it happened.
And sometimes, you just have to love for all your days and all your reasons.
Little by little he hoped somehow she’d let him in. The way the rising sun hit her skin and her messy curls had him remembering the times he woke up with her in his arms. The way the light radiated from her as she slept was a memory he reflected upon frequently. What he didn’t like was the way Liam’s hoodie kept her warm from the morning chill. The sudden urge to lift that hoodie off her was animalistic. Noel watched as a shy smile appeared on Clara’s beautiful face.
God, I miss that smile.
“Okay,” she breathed out.
Noel stared at Clara as she tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled again.
“Okay?” he asked, unbelievably.
Clara had moved the cup from one hand to the other before she looked up at him. Those big brown eyes still had their way with him. “We’ll have the sunrise together, Noel...”
His breath caught in his throat and a need to throw his arms around her strengthened. He just needed her in his life again.
“But only in the most platonic of ways.” For now, it would be enough. He knew she wouldn’t be willing to offer more, not just yet. He’d find a way for them both to have more.
“Right, you and me, platonic. Got it.” He winked. Noel stepped around Clara, ensuring his hand brushed against hers. Clara tensed at his touch.
There’s no way I’m going to let us stay platonic. It’s impossible.
Noel walked across the porch and sat on the step that led down to the paved path. He set his ceramic mug down next to him as he watched the sun rise above the tall trees. He didn’t hear a sound behind him, and he feared she had snuck back inside. Noel turned to see Clara staring at her cup with that little frown.
“Thought we were watching the sunrise together, Clara?”
She glanced up and her frown disappeared. Instead, a sweet smile replaced it.
“We are,” she said. Clara wrapped both hands around the mug, walked over to the step, and sat next to him, her body close. The temptation to wrap his arm around her filled his system. If it had been different, he imagined Clara resting her head on his shoulder and telling him that he was what she needed.
Clara brought the mug to her lips and sipped on the tea. She didn’t say anything to him as she continued to watch the sun start to climb. The way she looked at the sky with such wonder reminded him of the first time he watched her make cupcakes. The inspired expression on her face was truly beautiful.
“Noel.” She breathed out his name, and her eyes met his. He noticed a slight pink colour tint her cheeks. Clara placed her cup between them and squinted at him. “Stop staring at me. The sun is that way.” She pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
Noel let out a chuckle and watched as Clara’s hair untangled from behind her ear. Leaning forward, he brushed her loose lock out of her face and tucked it behind her ear again. Clara’s eyes widened. Noel settled the palm of his hand on her right cheek. The contact of his skin on her warm cheek had his heart clenching.
This moment is ours.
Noel looked straight in Clara’s eyes. He expected her to pull away, but all she did was stare at him. At that moment, he was very aware of how much he loved her.
“You’re my sun, Clara. When I see you, I am always drawn to you. And when you go away, you take my heart with you.” All he had was the truth to give, and with such circumstances against them, the truth was all that mattered.
Len Webster is a romance-loving Melburnian with dreams of finding her version of ‘The One.’ But until that moment happens, she writes. Having just graduated with her BBusCom from Monash University, Len is now busy writing her next romance about how a boy met a girl, and how they fell completely and hopelessly in love.
