Drawn To You (Taking Chances #3) Read online

  Drawn To You

  Copyright © 2016 by Liwen Y. Ho. All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® , NIV® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. ™

  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Kit Kat, Nordstrom, Sharpie, Goodwill, Miranda Rights, Shut Up and Dance, Milpitas Police Department, Eiffel Tower, Jimmy Choo, Picasso’s quote: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

  Cover and Interior Design: Tugboat Design (www.TugboatDesign.net)

  Publisher: 2 Square 2 Be Hip (www.2square2behip.com)

  First Edition

  For you (yes, you!), my awesome reader. You were what kept me pushing through the hard times to finish this book. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Sam and Lucas’s story. ☺

  ONE

  You’ve got to be kidding.

  Sam Koo heard the wailing siren before she spotted the flashing lights in her rearview mirror. Out of instinct, she stepped on the brakes and steered her red sedan to the side of the road. She eased into a spot under the canopy of a flowering cherry blossom, grateful for the shade it offered. Holding her breath, she said a quick prayer that the police car would pass her by.

  No such luck. The black and white vehicle parked behind her.

  Sam turned off her engine as well and rolled down the passenger window. Beads of sweat gathered on her temple as the suffocating September heat filled the car’s interior. The Silicon Valley neighborhood was quiet at a quarter till nine in the morning since school drop-off had passed. At least no one would witness her run-in with the law.

  “What did I do this time?” she muttered as she rummaged through her purple fringed purse. Pulling out three tubes of lipstick, she chose a dark pink one and flipped open the visor. She had applied the first coat and closed the mirror when the click clack of boots hitting concrete reached her ears. She breathed a sigh of relief when muscular arms and broad shoulders appeared in the side mirror.

  To her credit, she’d sweet-talked her way out of several speeding tickets in the past year. She could handle the male officers, especially the newbies. Fingers crossed that this incident would be just as easy to get out of. Turning toward the window, she licked her rosy lips and pasted on a bright smile.

  An officer wearing dark shades placed his hands on the window frame and peered into the car. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Officer.” The words rolled off Sam’s tongue with a sweet lilt. She batted her long lashes, thankful she had taken time to put on mascara that morning. “How are you doing today?”

  “License and registration, please.”

  “Can you believe this heat wave we’re having? It just makes me want to lay by the pool in a bikini. Don’t you agree?” Winking, Sam leaned on the console and rested her chin on one hand.

  “A bikini’s not really my style, but, yes, it is warm for this early in the morning.”

  “I think you’d look good in just about anything,” she gushed, surprised to find she meant every word she said. Up close, she could tell from the hard curves of his biceps that he worked out regularly. Not only did his physique appeal to her, there was something about his square jaw that made him appear strong and self-assured. Not to mention his mouth. Lips that weren’t too thick or thin, perfect for kissing.

  Which was the last thing she should be thinking about at a time like this.

  A disappointed sigh escaped her lips, which she dragged out to sound more attractive. Tapping one gold glitter painted fingernail against her mouth, she returned to her flattering. “Look at how well you pull off that uniform. There’s just something about a goodlooking man in a uniform.”

  “Your license and registration, Miss.”

  “Of course.” Apparently, her comments and girly giggles were falling on deaf ears. If she didn’t know better, she’d have assumed the guy was blind, too, since he didn’t seem to be falling for her act. This was obviously a seasoned officer.

  Time for a different tactic.

  She pulled her driver’s license out of a star-studded leather wallet and handed it over. “Give me a second to get the registration.”

  Lucas Choi straightened and stared at the card in his hand. The name in black print confirmed his suspicions. Sam Koo. He bent down again to get a good look at the young woman he hadn’t seen in a decade. She had the same heart-shaped face and big brown eyes from high school, but now with the curvy body of a woman. The purple and white polka dotted necktie hanging around her neck by a gold chain reflected the bold, offbeat style she’d had as a teenager. Sam had never been one to follow the rules, a characteristic which both frustrated and intrigued him.

  She hadn’t gotten any better at organization either from the looks of her crammed glove compartment. The rest of her car was also—for lack of a better word—a mess, particularly the backseat that resembled the epicenter of an earthquake. Fashion magazines and articles of clothing lay strewn across the grey seats, and empty water bottles littered the floor.

  “That is a picture of me, in case you’re wondering,” Sam piped up as she sorted through a handful of receipts, candy bar wrappers and elastic hair bands. “I taught at an outdoor art camp the year I renewed my license. My face got so dark, my mother showed up one day to give me her Chinese lady sun visor. You know”—tracing the outline of her face with an index finger— “the ones that cover up your whole face? There was no way I was going to earn my students’ respect looking like a welder, so I ditched the hat. That’s why I’m so tan in the picture,” she added sweetly.

  He grunted to keep himself from laughing. Was she trying to build common ground based on their ethnicity? Of course she would try to charm her way out of a citation. He couldn’t wait to see her put some effort into the performance. As he recalled, work had never been at the top of her to-do list.

  “Those middle school kids were so precious. Even though the hours were long and the students could be a handful, it was such a rewarding experience.” She let out a yelp of excitement and waved a piece of paper in front of his face. “Here it is!”

  Lucas breathed in a whiff of tangerine and mint as she passed him the form. The scent tickled his nose, and he had the unexpected urge to take a deep breath. It had been so long since he smelled anything so feminine that he forgot how much he missed it. He took a step back to clear his way-ward thoughts, and scanned the paper. Just as he predicted: an expired registration.

  He opened his mouth to ask for a current one, but stopped when he saw Sam staring at a typed letter in her hands. From the way she furrowed her brows and bit her lip, he guessed she didn’t like what she was reading. Sh
e crumpled the paper and stuffed it in the glove compartment before shutting the door. Her quick action piqued his interest. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, no worries.” Sam cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I loved working in East Palo Alto that summer. There’s no place I wouldn’t go to help underprivileged kids. Now Officer, if we’re done here, I really need to get going. I’m late—”

  “We’re not done yet,” Lucas interrupted, pointing to the form. “Your registration expired last month.”

  “It did? I had no idea.” She took the form back from him and muttered under her breath, “It would’ve been nice for the last guy to tell me. Now I have to pay a late fee!”

  “The last guy?”

  Sam’s cheeks reddened. “The last, um, officer who pulled me over.”

  “When was this?”

  “Maybe two weeks ago?” she shrugged. “It was such a minor incident; he didn’t even write it up.”

  “Obviously, that officer was paying attention to the wrong details,” he smirked, knowing full well one of the rookies had fallen under her spell. He couldn’t blame the guy though. Sam was a rare combination of sexy and sweet with her sassy mouth and the light sprinkling of freckles across her cheekbones and nose. She was not only attractive, but bold and smart. Bold enough to do whatever pleased her, and smart enough to know she had earned the right to wear that smug smile on her face. “But little gets past me. I spotted the old sticker on your plate twenty feet away. You’re breaking the law by driving with an expired registration.”

  “Yes, yes, and I totally feel bad about it. I’ve just been so overwhelmed with work and family and life, but I promise I’ll go to the DMV today and get it done.” She clasped her hands together in a dramatic pose. “Can you give this girl a break? Please, Officer”— she stole a look at the silver plated name tag on his uniform—“Officer Choi. I’ll be forever grateful. I’ll buy you a drink. I’ll call your boss and tell him what an awesome job you’re doing. I’ll even name my future kid after you, assuming your name doesn’t have a trendy spelling, like Aiden with a “y” or Ryan with an “i”. Those poor kids can never find a key chain with the way their names are spelled.” Her voice rose as she pled, “Please. It would mean the world to me, actually the universe, if you would give me a pass, just this once. Pretty please, with sugar on top?”

  Lucas chuckled. He’d lost count of the times Sam used that line. There was no shortage of guys in their senior class who would’ve done anything for her had she asked them to. One glance at her puppy dog eyes and pouty lips was all it took for them to hand over their notes or homework assignments. He was probably the only male who had not only resisted her charm, but also called her out on it. “I appreciate your offers, Miss, but I don’t drink on the job. There’s no need to call my boss since I already got a good review this year. And even though my name is spelled the traditional way, I prefer to keep it in the family.” He paused for a beat as the color drained from her face. He felt guilty that he enjoyed watching her squirm, but someone needed to say no to her. For today, that someone was him. “I hope you know you can’t sweet talk your way out of everything, Sammie Koo.”

  Sam’s ears perked up. Where had she heard that line before? Pursing her lips, she took a good look at the officer. Jet black hair. High cheekbones. A dimple in his chin. There was something familiar about him, particularly that dimple. If only she could see his eyes. “Do I know you? No one calls me Sammie anymore.” Her eyes roamed over his well-defined chest and over his name tag again. “Choi. Wait a minute. Lucas Choi, is that you?”

  The officer lowered his sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose. “Hey, Sammie. It’s good to see you, too.”

  Her jaw dropped when she met his gaze. Those eyes. She would recognize them anywhere. Brown irises so light in color that they had flecks of green and gold in them. Once upon a time those eyes, so uncommon for an Asian, made her envious, but now they completely infuriated her. Judging from his haughty expression, she could tell he was taking way too much pleasure in tormenting her. It figures he went into law enforcement. Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes loved nothing more than following the rules and making those who didn’t pay for it.

  Not much had changed since the last time they crossed paths, except that she had her hands free today. She looked around for something to throw, settling for a fistful of candy wrappers, and tossed them at him. “How long were you going to mess with me? I can’t believe you let me beg you for mercy! Stop wasting my time. I know you want to write me up, so do it.”

  He brushed off an orange Kit Kat wrapper stuck to his pressed shirt. “Hey now, settle down, Firecracker. I could arrest you for assaulting an officer.”

  Heat flared from her neck up to her cheeks, likely causing her complexion to match the red highlights in her hair. Oh, how she hated his nickname for her. “Oh, please. Assault you with what—paper cuts? Or maybe the overpowering aroma of chocolate? If you want to arrest me, Squealer, go ahead. It’s not the first time you got me put in handcuffs.”

  “Now, now, there’s no need for name-calling, Miss Koo. We’re both adults here.”

  “You started it.” Sam wrinkled her nose at how juvenile she sounded. Why did he have to bring out the worst in her? And how did he manage to look so cool and composed? It wasn’t fair. She swiped at some wisps of hair that were stuck to her damp forehead. “I don’t know why you enjoy tormenting people. What did I ever do to you?”

  “Someone has a short-term memory. Need I remind you that you left me to do all the experiments in chem class and then tried to copy my answers? We weren’t assigned as lab partners so you could flirt with the jocks while I did all the work.”

  “Ah! I see what’s going on. You were jealous.”

  “Jealous?”

  “Of all the attention I got. Admit it. You’re still jealous I got elected Student Body President and you didn’t.”

  “You got lucky. There were more guys than girls at school. Of course they voted for the prettier candidate. It was a no-brainer.”

  Sam covered her open mouth to feign shock. “Did you just say something nice about me? What’s the catch, Lucas? Do you have a hidden police cam on you?”

  “I said you’re prettier than me, but we both know I’m the more handsome one. Let’s not forget who got crowned Homecoming King.”

  A genuine smile crossed Sam’s face for the first time that day. Lucas was still as charming as ever, in an annoyingly appealing kind of way. “You’re still such a dork. We both won that night. I was Homecoming Queen.”

  “I remember. It was the one time we didn’t try to kill each other.”

  “You almost maimed me with your gigantic lead feet. Come on, how hard is it to slow dance without stepping on your partner’s toes?”

  “Apparently, very hard when the girl doesn’t allow you to lead.”

  Sam crossed her arms and faked a laugh. “Ha! You just don’t know how to handle a strong, independent woman.”

  “I think the word you meant to say was stubborn.”

  Choosing to ignore his comment, she continued, “That’s why you always dated mousy girls who followed you around like robots. Yes, Lucas, whatever you say, Lucas,” she imitated in an emotionless voice. “I’m sure that made it easy for you to take charge. Sounds like a boring relationship, if you ask me, but whatever floats your boat.” She paused as a memory came to her. “Say, who was that girl you took to Senior Ball? Linda? Lana?”

  “Lauren.”

  “Yes, Lauren.” The telltale twitch of Lucas’s jaw muscle confirmed the fact that she had struck a nerve. Gone were her plans of avoiding a citation, but she didn’t care. The joy of egging him on was worth every penny she’d have to fork over later. “We had a few classes together, but I don’t think I ever heard her say a word. Talk about quiet and submissive. Whatever happened to her?”

  “I married her.”

  “Oh, wow, I had no idea.” She spotted his left hand resting on the window frame. No ring. “Guess things did
n’t work out? Sorry about that.” Despite their history of bad blood, she would never wish a failed marriage on him. She knew the pain of lost love all too well. The somber expression on his face added to the guilty, unsettled feeling in her stomach. She decided it was time to play nice. “That’s totally her loss.”

  “Thanks. But the loss was mine.”

  “If you say so.” She admired how he didn’t speak badly of his ex. It took a lot of courage to show grace, something she knew she needed to practice more of. She might as well start now. Sticking out her hand, she gave in, “Just give me the ticket. I broke the law; I deserve it. Write me up before I change my mind.”

  “Are you serious? You’re going to let me win?”

  The sparkle in those mesmerizing light brown eyes tugged at her heart, and she was speechless for a moment. Darn those emotions. Old habits died hard, but she could fight harder. She was not going to let him affect her. “No, no way. I wouldn’t call it a win, more like a temporary cease-fire.” Narrowing her eyes, she added, “But I can’t guarantee I’ll back down next time.”

  “All right. Contrary to what you may believe, I do like a good challenge. Especially with an equal opponent.”

  Before she could answer, Lucas’s walkie talkie crackled to life. A female voice came over the line. Code purple at Lincoln High School. Possible gang fight. Two officers on site requesting backup.

  Lucas listened and responded, “Ten four. This is four-five-one. On my way.” He gave Sam a nod before placing his sunglasses back on. “I need to run. Make sure you get that registration renewed.”

  “Of course. I promise.”

  “Today, Sammie. You won’t get a free pass from me or anyone else if you get pulled over again. Understood?”

  Giving her most innocent smile, she cooed, “Yes, Officer Choi.”

  “It was good seeing you, Firecracker. Take care of yourself and stay out of trouble.”

  “You too,” she called out as he walked away.

  She watched his car drive off in the rearview mirror and, for a moment, contemplated what other laws she could break to see him again.