Cherry Crush by Stephanie Burke Page B

meditation.
    Laney didn’t bite. She realized what he was doing, seeing her escorted back each night, but said nothing, allowing him this act of gallantry. She decided that if he wanted to play the big brother to see to it that she was safe, who was she to quibble?
    She enjoyed his company and conversation, though he never really talked much about himself or his family.
    And although it almost seemed like a smack to her independence, she could not overlook the benefits of having a kung-fu master walking her about the dark streets.
    Soon she began making up late rent payments with tasty gourmet meals she prepared and brought home from the restaurant, and Chan became her favorite food tester for when she was feeling a little bit experimental. With Chan’s taste for exotic flair and his amazing knowledge of herbs and spices, her situation soon developed into an ideal paradise. She loved to cook, and he loved to eat; it was too perfect.
    Chan had become her mysterious best friend and confidant, trading secrets, bolstering her spirits when she felt low. And with the lessons he insisted upon her taking during off days and free time, she became his attentive student and best gal to pal to hang with.
    She was so comfortable with him that it was only now, after she made her offer, that she realized her somewhat hair-brained idea to become lovers might seriously endanger their relationship.
    And from the look in his eyes, it was clear that Chan was not thinking the same thing.
    “I don’t know what to say,” he finally got out, running his hands through his waist-length hair, tugging it free from its normal neat braid.
    Laney forced herself to keep the smile on her face while she wondered if making the offer had been the right thing to do.
    Even now with her almost regretting what she had just asked, she couldn’t help but notice how that confused and weary look on his face was endearing and oddly hot as hell.

    What Chan expected when he walked into Laney’s apartment that night had been nothing but great food, better wine, and his best friend to laugh and joke about the day’s events.
    What he didn’t expect was this proposition from his cute and passionate upstairs boarder.
    There was a lot about him that Laney didn’t know, nor did he feel she could comprehend.
    At first meeting, Laney seemed a gutsy little thing, so unsure but determined to make it through this life on her own terms.
    He felt sorry for the dark-haired waif that knocked on his door with a backpack and a cautiously hopeful look in her eyes. But after speaking with her, he had a good reading on her soul. He knew she needed him to protect her.
    He also had an odd knowledge that maybe someday something romantic could happen between the two of them, but that day was a long way off. She needed to grow and develop, to become surer of herself and her talents, to seize her independence. Then maybe they could make an attempt at a relationship.
    But...but had that time come so soon?
    As the legend goes, there was someone for everyone on this planet; that somewhere there was a person who could perfectly fill the oddly shaped hole in one’s soul, becoming the one who could complete him or her fully. It was a concept that he fully believed in with his whole heart and mind, though Chan had begun to have serious doubts about ever finding a proper mate.
    He still hadn’t a clue if Laney was the right person for him, but his instincts drove him to offer the apartment over the dojo to her at a discounted rate and to see to it that she remained as safe and sheltered as possible.
    Just by looking at her, he could tell she needed the money and would do almost anything to make it on her own; almost exactly like him when he first left his village and his people back in the Kurama Mountains of Japan.
    That she was attractive as hell was an added bonus.
    But what she asked of him…it was unprecedented.
    “I…I don’t know what to say…,” he stuttered.
    “Then don’t say