Entangled Intimacy: Intimacy Series, #2

By Hanleigh Bradley

Intimacy, real intimacy costs. It's never free. It's a risk. A danger.

Entangled Intimacy is the second book in a Complete Contemporary Romance Series from Internationally Bestselling Author, Hanleigh Bradley.

What are you supposed to do when everything inside of you cringes away from the one you love? When one touch is enough to make you scream? One kiss enough to make you run?
Jarrod Thorpe promises to wait for her.
It's everything she'd normally want to hear but now... it's too much and everything inside her tells her to run for the hills.
Finally, she's told her friends about what happened in Brighton but she can't face the idea of telling Jarrod.
What if he doesn't love her anymore? What if he gives her the same look everyone else is giving her?
What if he pities her?
She just can't face it.

Entangled Intimacy is the second book in a complete Contemporary Romance Series.

This is a story of bravery and overcoming immense obstacles. It's about choosing to trust again when your every instinct tells you not to.

"I was surprised but the way the story ended and can't wait to read the next one." - Amazeball Book Addicts

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hanleigh Bradley
• Release date: Jun 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386493617

Hanleigh Bradley

British Author Hanleigh Bradley writes Contemporary Romance about British twenty somethings in London.

Book preview

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Hanleigh’s London Saga

All the books in this Contemporary British Saga have interwoven plotlines, returning characters and places. These books are best read in order to avoid spoilers.

The Rules Series

Broken Rules

Enforced Rules

Revised Rules

A Secret Melody

The History Series

Repeating History

Deleting History

Forging History

A History In Paris

The Intimacy Series

Damaged Intimacy

Entangled Intimacy

Forceful Intimacy

Call Me Doctor

The Fate Series

Inescapable Fate

Inexplicable Fate

Irreversible Fate

A Bleak December

Hanleigh’s London Standalone

Dr. Xmas

Hanleigh’s London Boxsets

RULES

HISTORY

INTIMACY

FATE

Find out more about Hanleigh’s Books on her website.

Hanleigh’s London Saga

CHAPTER ONE Jarrod

CHAPTER TWO Tallulah

CHAPTER THREE Jarrod

CHAPTER FOUR Tallulah

CHAPTER FIVE Jarrod

CHAPTER SIX Tallulah

CHAPTER SEVEN Jarrod

CHAPTER EIGHT Tallulah

CHAPTER NINE Jarrod

CHAPTER TEN Tallulah

CHAPTER ELEVEN Jarrod

CHAPTER TWELVE Tallulah

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Jarrod

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Tallulah

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Jarrod

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Tallulah

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Jarrod

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Tallulah

CHAPTER NINETEEN  Jarrod

Preview of Forceful Intimacy

Preview of Dr. Xmas

THANK YOU!

Hanleigh Bradley’s Newsletter

About Hanleigh

Hanleigh’s London Saga

Dear Reader,

Sometimes it hurts to fall in love.

There’s always an element of risk when you trust someone with your heart. You’re giving them the chance to completely destroy you.

Some people aren’t worthy of your love while others will treat your love like it’s the best gift you could ever give them.

I hope you all find your own Jarrod.

Hanleigh

Intimacy, real intimacy costs.

It’s never free.

It’s a risk, a danger.

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CHAPTER ONE

Jarrod

S

ix months.

That’s how long Tallulah Conway has been in my life and as of yet, she’s refused to let me love her.

But I haven’t given up.

I met her on the fourth of November and for months we seemed to dance on a tightrope, not quite in a relationship but certainly not friends. She was damaged, fragile, broken… from what I couldn’t say but I had a feeling it had something to do with her ex-boyfriend.

Rich Roderick.

She hadn’t told me anything, but I’d read between the lines and had been almost certain something bad must have happened.

I’d promised her that I would wait for her. I loved her even if she didn’t want to love me.

I had watched her fight with herself as she tried desperately to hold back her own emotions. It had been horrible to witness, and it had practically destroyed me when she ran away from me, fear etched across her face.

Being with her was scary, every action felt risky, as if that one move could be the one that would cause me to lose her completely.

I’d hoped that things would improve between us after we both attended our friends Aurora and Landon’s engagement party at the beginning of January, but it hadn’t.

She’d been at the centre of my every thought for months, but she’d tried her very best to forget my existence. What had started with her sitting in my restaurant drawing the people that walked past the window had quickly eroded into nothingness.

We didn’t see much of each other throughout the month that followed. Whenever I heard the door open at Thorpe’s I’d look up to check if it was her, but it never was.

I’d heard from Landon that she was back at Uni and seemed happy enough. Landon and Aurora occasionally passed me titbits of information about her life, but it wasn’t enough

Being on the outside, looking in was killing me.

I’d long since accepted that I loved her and that love instead of making my life light and carefree was a weight around my neck because the woman I loved wouldn’t let me in.

By February, I was on edge as I anxiously waited for her to come back into my life. I frequently considered how I could barge into her world, but I knew that I couldn’t actually do it. I’d made her about a million promises and I wouldn’t break them.

Not even one of them.

Not even the one I hated most.

She’d made me promise not to let her fall in love with me. That had been the worst promise I’d ever made in the whole of my lifetime. I had already been fully in love with her and couldn’t imagine a world where she wasn’t in my arms when I made that promise.

She’d never promised me anything.

She’d never made me believe there was more between us than there actually was. She’d been honest from the start and perhaps I shouldn’t have pushed it.

Except, I’d tried hard not to push.

I’d tried to keep my distance. I’d treated her the way I would treat a bird with a broken wing, as if she was the most fragile thing in the world, as if one touch could ruin her.

I’d been careful to protect her, but I’d failed to protect my own heart.

I was more distracted than I should have been. My focus was off. She was all I could think about.

I either needed her next to me or I needed to try and forget about her. Things were getting unmanageable.

I needed to sort my shit out.

I was in the middle of launching a new restaurant and I was beginning to piss Jack off with my inability to make any logical decisions.

Midway through February our friends took pity on me and invited us both over for dinner. Landon and Aurora were preparing for their upcoming wedding and wanted to discuss the details with us both.

I’d been anxious as I grabbed a bottle of Malbec and a cheesecake from the supermarket before heading around to their apartment.

I’d almost changed my clothes several times, as I’d wanted to make a good impression. Except I knew that she wouldn’t be impressed by anything I might wear. This was a girl who wrapped herself up in multiple scarves during winter.

She wasn’t like the other girls I’d known.

Two And A Half Months Ago…

I ring the doorbell and wait patiently.

My foot is tapping on the floor as I consider what will be waiting for me inside the apartment.

I can’t wait to see her.

I’ve not seen her in about six weeks. It’s been excruciating, waiting for a phone call or text that might never come.

When Landon opens the door, I can hear her laughter. It’s completely unique and it calls to me.

Alright?

Landon gives me a bear hug as he lets me into the apartment.

Not bad.

I grin at him.

Landon is one of my best friends. He’s also the half-brother of my half-brother, something we only recently learnt and that I’m still trying to come to terms with. It hasn’t affected our friendship at all fortunately. We’re still as easy going as ever.

Landon leads me into the kitchen, where Aurora and Tallulah are sat at the breakfast bar. I kiss Aurora on the cheek and present the bottle of wine and cheesecake to her.

Oh Jarrod! I love cheesecake! Aurora practically squeals.

Glad to hear it.

I smirk at my best friend’s future wife. She’s perfect for him. It seems strange to say it because Landon has never been one for relationships, but with Aurora he is completely different.

I turn to Tallulah but I’m not at all sure how to greet her.

Should I kiss her cheek? Should I give her a wave? What is the etiquette when greeting the woman you love when she doesn’t want to care about you?

It’s not that she doesn’t love me.

She does.

She’s told me as much.

She loves me but doesn’t want to. She’s scared. Scared of what I don’t know. Scared of me?

I lean across and take the risk, kissing her on the cheek.

Hi Tallulah.

That’s all I say before I pull back and divert my gaze to the others in the room.

Hi. Her voice is quiet, but I hear it.

So, what’s for dinner? I ask cheekily.

Aurora laughs merrily.

We’re having roast duck.

Nice. I love duck. Who did the cooking? I smirk at Landon. Better not be Landon; I don’t want to be sick tomorrow.

Ha ha. Landon grimaces at me. I can cook pretty well, you know.

Yeah yeah… I tease him.

Anything to keep myself distracted from the tension that surrounds me whenever I’m where Tallulah is.  There’s electricity in the air between us but I try to ignore it.

I glance at her every chance I get, checking that she has gained weight, that she’s looking less tired…

The black marks that were under her eyes when I first met her are now almost completely gone. She’s gained at least four pounds and her body has lost that half-starved look that it had once had.

Her smile is less sad, although her eyes still seem to be tainted by whatever is in her past that she doesn’t want to share with me.

I can’t help but wonder if she has finally told her friends about what happened in Brighton. I hope she has told someone. It doesn’t have to be me, so long as she’s told someone.

Aurora sends me and Tallulah through to the dining room, telling us that dinner is almost ready.

Walking through to the next room, it’s awkward.

It’s strange feeling this uncomfortable with the person you feel most at home with. She takes a seat at the table.

How is Thorpe’s?

Good. I’ve not been there too much recently. We’re set to open The Conquering Nomad next month.

Wow, so soon?

She looks genuinely impressed. We’d discussed it back when she’d been my friend.

Been my friend… That thought tugs at my heart and leaves me feeling a little darker than before.

That’s really awesome.

You should come to the launch, I tell her.

I’d ask her to be my date, but I doubt she’d accept.

I’d like that.

Her smile is addictive. She’s beautiful. Her golden hair is down, curling gently as it falls down her back. She’s wearing a grey jumper and a pair of jeans. She looks casual, comfortable in her own skin, but I can tell from the way she is holding herself that she’s as on edge as I am.

I don’t know if anyone else would be able to tell but I definitely can.

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CHAPTER TWO

Tallulah

I

’d hoped seeing him would get easier, that after the time apart, I’d be able to put aside my feelings and be his friend. I hadn’t anticipated just how strong my feelings were though.

Even after six weeks… Six long, torturous weeks, I still can’t act indifferent towards him.

I hate myself for the mess that I am.

I never used to be like this!

I used to be confident. I used to rush into relationships, fall in love easily and never look back even when it fucking hurt because I knew that that’s what love was… a risk.

I had always been okay with the risk. I’d