Close Proximity, Book 2
Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.
Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.
Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.
All of this changes when the two best friends move in together.
Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb. This is the second book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.
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I shift in my chair. “I can’t have a relationship with Charlie.”
“You already do.”
“Yes, but it’s as friends.”
“It’s been more than friends for a long while, Misha. The two of you have just never realised it. You’re the reason his relationships never work.”
“That’s a shitty thing to say,” I say, stung.
He shrugs. “It’s the truth. He gets what he needs from you. He doesn’t look to other people, and you’re the same.”
“Then maybe I should back away and let him have a relationship,” I say, irritated by how hard it is to say that. He looks at me, and his smugness annoys me like he’s rubbing a stinging nettle on my chest. I rub that spot. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I don’t think you can do that. You’re already too far down the path to draw back.”
“Okay, Little Red Riding Hood. You’re wrong, and I’m going to prove it.” I reach for my phone.
He shifts, some of his confidence dying away. “Wait. What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for Doug’s number.”
“Doug Henshaw?”
“Yep. Handsome teacher Doug with his own house, a good job, and all his own teeth.”
“And you’re totally ringing him for his dentist’s number, aren’t you, Misha?”
“No,” I say triumphantly. “I’m ringing to see if he still fancies Charlie. He’s always had a massive crush on him.”
“Oh, my God.” He advances towards me, waving his hands. “Hang up the phone,” he says urgently. “Don’t do this, Misha. Misha, put the phone down and–”
“Hello, Doug,” I say cheerfully. “It’s Misha Lebedinsky.”
Rupert grits his teeth and sucks in a breath, obviously struggling for calm as we talk.
“Anyway, Doug,” I say cheerfully, trying to ignore the upset feeling in my stomach which must be down to something I’ve eaten. “I’m ringing to see if you fancy coming clubbing with us tomorrow night? Who’s us? Oh, me and Rupert and Charlie. You remember Charlie, don’t you?” I pause, listening to him speak and swallowing the lump in my throat. “He’s single at the moment, and I think he’d love to see you.”
We talk for a few minutes more, and then I click End. “Sorted,” I say grimly to Rupert. “He’s meeting us there. He’s very …” I stop and swallow. “He’s very excited to see Charlie.”
Rupert shakes his head. “Misha, Misha,” he sighs. “You’re such a ginormous cockwomble.”
To celebrate Lily’s new release, we are giving you a chance to win your choice of any book from Lily’s backlist! Three winners will be chosen!
Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.
Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.
She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!
She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.
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