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  Rushed

  Book #1 in the Love like Yours Series

  NICOLE GOODIN

  Copyright

  Rushed

  Love like Yours Series – Book #1

  Published by Nicole Goodin

  Smashwords edition

  Copyright 2016 by Nicole Goodin

  All rights reserved. ©

  This ebook is for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Rushed

  First published May 2016

  All rights reserved. ©

  ISBN: 9781311634436

  Cover design by Nicole Goodin

  Disclaimer

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, places, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges all song titles, song lyrics, film titles, film characters, trademarked statuses and brands mentioned in this book are the property of, and belong to, their respective owners.

  Nicole Goodin is in no way affiliated with any of the brands, songs, musicians or artists mentioned in this book.

  Dedication

  This one is for me.

  I woke up one morning with a group of characters, begging me to put their story to paper. Months, and thousands of words later here I am.

  I wrote this without the knowledge of anyone in my real life world. (Aside from that one friend after too many wines on girls night…) And I completed it with absolutely no expectations. As much I would love people all over the world to read and enjoy this book – if it reaches not even one reader, it still would have been worth it, I’ve loved every minute of writing it.

  Author’s note

  ‘Rushed’ is the first book in the Love like Yours Series.

  There is so much more to come with these characters, I hope you like them, and I hope I get the chance to share more of their stories.

  Nicole x

  Table of Contents

  1. Ellerslie

  2. Quinn

  3. Ellerslie

  4. Quinn

  5. Ellerslie

  6. Quinn

  7. Ellerslie

  8. Lawson

  9. Quinn

  10. Ellerslie

  11. Lawson

  12. Ellerslie

  13. Quinn

  14. Ellerslie

  15. Quinn

  16. Lawson

  17. Ellerslie

  18. Lawson

  19. Ellerslie

  20. Quinn

  21. Lawson

  22. Ellerslie

  23. Lawson

  24. Quinn

  25. Ellerslie

  26. Lawson

  27. Ellerslie

  28. Lawson

  29. Quinn

  30. Lawson

  31. Ellerslie

  32. Lawson

  33. Ellerslie

  34. Quinn

  35. Lawson

  36. Ellerslie

  37. Lawson

  38. Ellerslie

  39. Quinn

  40. Lawson

  41. Ellerslie

  42. Lawson

  43. Ellerslie

  44. Quinn

  45. Ellerslie

  46. Lawson

  47. Quinn

  48. Ellerslie

  49. Lawson

  50. Ellerslie

  51. Lawson

  52. Quinn

  53. Ellerslie

  54. Lawson

  55. Ellerslie

  56. Quinn

  57. Ellerslie

  58. Lawson

  59. Ellerslie

  60. Lawson

  61. Ellerslie

  62. Lawson

  63. Ellerslie

  64. Lawson

  65. Quinn

  66. Ellerslie

  67. Lawson

  68. Ellerslie

  69. Lawson

  70. Ellerslie

  71. Lawson

  72. Ellerslie

  73. Lawson

  74. Ellerslie

  75. Lawson

  76. Ellerslie

  Acknowledgements

  Book #2

  Playlist

  About the Author

  Upcoming Titles

  Maybe she needed someone to show her how to live and he needed someone to show him how to love.

  - N.R Hart

  1. Ellerslie

  I walked through the door of my inner city apartment and dropped my stack of unopened mail on to the hall table. Coming back here alone every day was getting old.

  Really fucking old.

  I needed to get a cat… actually, to hell with that idea, what I really needed to do was move – somewhere that was far away from here.

  And further away from them.

  I knew I should have left this place behind a long time ago. Not this building specifically, but this city – a city that did nothing but remind me of what an idiot I was. I looked around the space that was my home and sighed, I really did love this apartment. It had charm, and class, and oh my god, that view. I really did love that view.

  I made my way over to the wall of windows and looked out at the sprawling city below. The sun would be setting soon, and from up here it really looked magical. It never failed to make me feel serene, peaceful. No matter what that particular day had thrown at me, I had grown to count on the sight before me to push it out of my mind, if only for a half hour.

  “Dinner for one.” I muttered to myself once the glowing light had faded into the horizon.

  Pulling myself away from the window, I made my way into my modern yet homely kitchen. I went through the motions of making myself a Moroccan chicken salad, a variation of my current go-to dish. I ate in silence, at my kitchen bench, and thought about what a lonely fucking loser I was.

  The only positive in being here alone was that no one was going to stab me in the back when I wasn’t looking.

  ***

  “Good morning Ellerslie, I have some urgent messages for you” my assistant Natasha stood as I approached her desk the next morning.

  “Morning Tash” I replied brightly. “Bring them through.” Natasha followed me through into my light and open office space as I sat behind the desk and arranged my laptop and files.

  “Coffee” she grimaced as she placed it on my desk. I cringed, knowing full well, that she didn’t bring me my coffee this early unless shit was about to hit the fan.

  “Great. That bad huh?” I asked as she stepped back and looked at me with a nervous expression on her face.

  “Uh… well, it’s uh… it’s him again, he won’t stop calling. He’s insisting that he speak to you, he told me he won’t stop calling until you hear what he has to say.” Tash looked at me apologetically. I knew how much she hated delivering these messages to me.

  “Good freaking God, can’t he take a hint?” I muttered under my breath. I met her eyes. “Tash, the next time he calls, because we both know he will. Tell him that I would rather stick pins in my eyes than listen to what he has to say.” I heard her try to stifle a giggle. “And then explain to him that I am out of the office for the day, and in fact, every day from now on.” I looked back up at my loyal assistant and sighed. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this all morning.”

  “It’s not a problem Ellerslie” she insisted, with understanding in her eyes. “Is there anything else I can do for you at the moment?”


  There is no way in hell I’m staying in here waiting for the phone to ring.

  “I’ll be out of the office today. If you could let my father know that I’m heading down to the gym, and that I need to speak with him please. Redirect any urgent calls to Victoria.”

  God knows I’m not getting any real work done today.

  “And these” I passed her a folder stuffed with documents “need to be copied and filed please.”

  “Sure.” She nodded and took them from me. “I’m on it.”

  ***

  Walking into the gym, only three floors down from my office, I threw up a silent prayer.

  Please! Please be in here.

  Thankfully someone was on my side today.

  Quinn, my best friend and work colleague pulled her ear buds out as I approached the treadmill she was running on. “What the hell happened now?” she demanded as she took in the expression on my face.

  I looked her over as she spoke. Quinn was absolutely stunning. Even now with anger lacing her features. She was always so quick to stand by me. No one had a best friend like mine. She was loyal to an absolute fault, kind, but also one hell of a firecracker. She punched the stop button on the treadmill and pulled her long brown hair from its ponytail as the machine slowed down.

  “Him Q, always him” I ground out. “He’s been harassing Tash all morning and demanding to talk to me.”

  Absolute fucking tosser.

  “Why he thinks I would want to talk to him is just beyond me.” I shook my head.

  Quinn narrowed her deep green eyes at me. I had never seen eyes that like on a person other than her. They were piercing and deep, yet somehow soft and welcoming at the same time.

  “What does that bastard want from you now?” she hissed. “Hasn’t he done enough?”

  He had certainly done enough.

  “I’m thinking of leaving.” I confessed to her. “Leaving this building, my apartment… L.A.” I looked expectantly at her “I’m going to talk to my dad, We’ve been discussing opening a new office for the last three years. Why not now?”

  She nodded her head at me. “Where are we going?” She looked me dead in the eye and asked without an ounce of hesitation.

  I choked out a laugh. “Well shit, that was easy Q, I had a whole speech ready to try and convince you to come with me.”

  “I’m over this city too” she laughed. “It’s too damn hot. All the men have their heads stuck up their asses. I’m ready for a change.” She stepped down off the treadmill. “You didn’t think I’d let you go without me did you?” She asked in mock horror.

  I smiled widely at her. “I was thinking about Boston. Reeve is there. He could help us get a place to live, show us around.” I told her. Being my only older sibling, Reeve was fiercely protective of me and my younger brother and sister. “I’ll have to talk this all through with my dad, but I think he knows that it’s getting to the point where I just don’t want to be here anymore.”

  “Boston. Eeeeek!” Quinn screeched. “Snow! I am so in.” Laughing together, we linked arms and headed to the changing rooms, me to change into gym gear, and Quinn to shower and change for work.

  I got dressed into my workout clothes and trainers. “I’ll call you later Q” I called into the shower, trying to be heard over the version of ‘Bang, Bang” that Quinn was currently belting out.

  “Sweet El, let me know what he thinks.” she yelled back before starting back up at the chorus, twice as loud as before.

  ***

  I had pounded out ten kilometres on the treadmill by the time my father found me.

  Jefferson Rush was a powerful looking man, especially here in his business suit. At about 6’1”, he was tall. I had inherited that particular trait from him. He had broad shoulders and light brown hair. I had also inherited his eye colour, light sky blue. Those very eyes were looking at me right now, assessing what he was walking into.

  Here we go. Time to sell it.

  I slowed the treadmill to a walk and wiped the sweat that was pouring off my face onto my towel.

  Too bad I can’t wipe my other problems away so easily.

  “Sweetheart” Dad looked me up and down. “Natasha said you needed to speak with me, and frankly, her tone made me nervous.”

  I looked down at my pink and black Nike trainers before stopping the treadmill and stepping off. I met my father’s anxious gaze “Hi Dad, um… yeah – we do need to talk.” I tried to reassure him with a smile. “I want to get out of here Dad. I’ve been thinking about the expansion we’ve been working towards” I decided I’d better just get it all out before he could stop me. “And I think it should be now, I want to do this Dad. In Boston. Reeve is there, he can support me. Quinn wants to come with me too. This could be really great Dad – for me, and for the business” I panted a little as I got it all out – out of breath and nervous for his response.

  “El” he sighed. “You don’t have to do this. Natasha told me he’s been calling here again. You don’t have to run.”

  I sighed. “I’m not running. Not really. I just need this. I need a new start. New place, new people, new challenges Dad. I need to breathe again. Unless you don’t think I’m the one for the job? I can take Nelson with me if you want. I can just help him with setting it all up, more of a supporting-”

  Dad raised his hand at me. “Stop sweetheart.” I stopped talking and dropped down to the exercise mat in the centre of the floor to start stretching. “I have no doubt about your abilities. Hell, you’ve been here with me since day one, I know you are more than capable.”

  I knew he was right. I had been supporting and watching my father create and grow this business for my whole life. I still remember being sixteen years old and coming here with my father to see what this building could offer.

  “What do you think sweetheart? This isn’t just my future, it’s yours too.”

  Ten years ago. Ten life-changing years. I had come on board as a partner and shareholder as a fresh faced twenty year old, and the company had thrived under my influence in the past six years. I knew my father was proud of my work here. I caught him bragging about me often enough – embarrassing as it was. But he always just smiled and laughed

  “I won’t apologise for being proud of you sweetheart.”

  I had worked and studied hard to get where I was, I was definitely capable. “What is it then?” I asked him. “I can see the hesitation written all over your face Dad. Is it Boston? Do you think another location would be better?”

  “No, Boston would be perfect, it has one of the finest ports in the world, we already have a solid number of contracts there and the economy seems to be doing well.” He looked over at me as he sat down on the edge of the weight bench. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to feel like this is your only choice sweetheart. I can handle that little bastard if he’s the only reason you’re so desperate to leave?”

  I snorted. “I’m not going to lie to you Dad... Being away from him would be a huge bonus, but it’s not just about that. I need to do this Dad. I really need to make some changes in my life – like I said, I just need to breathe again.” I sighed and pulled at a thread on my black gym pants.

  I was waiting for it. For him to let me down gently – present me with some other idea that might sway my thoughts.

  “Well then sweetheart, I will back you one hundred percent.” My head snapped up and I met his gaze, I think my mouth must have been hanging open with the complete shock running through my system. My father chuckled as I leapt up from my spot on the floor, and threw myself across the space and into his waiting arms.