MR. BIG MISTAKE

An Accidental Marriage Romance

J.P. COMEAU

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Mr. Big Mistake is a work of fiction. All names, characters,

places, and occurrences are the product of the author’s

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“G

Kelly

irl, you have got to dish us the
juicy details,” Roxy told Karina.

nodded

agreement.

“Seriously. You’ve been withholding shit from us
since this all started. How are you and Zane!?”

“We’re good.” Karina smiled, batting her

eyelashes.

My sister rolled her eyes. “Stop that…That’s

what you always say.”

“We want the goods, girl,” I insisted.
“Well, you’re not getting the goods. Not the

kind of goods you want, anyway.” Karina shook her
head.

My head fell back as Roxy groaned, but in the

pit of my soul, I was happy for Karina. Roxy,
Karina and I had been best friends since, well,
forever. We had always been in one another’s lives
in some form or fashion, and to see Karina finally
move on and find a guy that loved her made me so
happy.

Part of me was jealous, though.
I nodded toward her growing belly. “How are

you feeling nowadays?”

Karina pressed her hand against her tummy.

“It’s touch and go. The nausea still comes over me
sometimes.”

Roxy’s eyes bulged. “You’re kidding. You told

us that was only a first-trimester thing.”

I shook my head. “I’ve been reading up. While

most morning sickness symptoms have a certain
trimester where they are worse, the nausea doesn’t
necessarily have to go completely away, even in the
later months.”

“And just exactly how much have you read?”

Roxy asked.

“She’s right, though. I haven’t really had

intense cravings for anything since I hit my second
trimester. But, this nausea? It’s for the birds,”
Karina said with a giggle.

Roxy held up her mimosa. “Better you than

me.”

“Trust me. You say you don’t want kids, Roxy.

But, you’ll end up with the most kids out of all of

us.” I barked with laughter.

Roxy grinned at me. “Says the girl who tears

through men more than she does thongs.”

I tried to fake a smile, but her words hurt. To

the outside eye, that’s probably what it looked like.
I mean, Roxy was pretty rough on men. She
practically chewed them up and spat them out on a
monthly basis. Breaking hearts wherever she went.
And, yes, I had a tendency to bounce around as
well. A date here, a weekend spent at someone’s
place there, but there was a reason why these
budding relationships, if that’s what you call them,
never went past a few dates.

Multiple reasons, actually.
“So, Kelly,” Karina said.
I focused my attention on her. “Hmmm?”
“When are you going to come over so we can

decorate the nursery? Zane’s chomping at the bit to
get started, but I told him we weren’t touching it
without you.”

I sighed. “I’m so sorry. Work has me slammed,

and by the time I get home, I’m crashed out on the
couch without even eating dinner.”

Roxy gasped. “That’s why you look so thin.

That’ll suit you well in the fashion world.”

“Or, you could embrace the fact that women

come in all shapes and sizes,” Karina said,
wrinkling her nose.

I giggled. “Girls, girls. Settle down. Yes, I’ve

lost some weight. But, I don’t intend to keep it off.
You know how I am with food and being lazy. It’ll
come back once I can get through this initial launch
set-up. Because I’m telling you, starting my own
fashion line? Not as easy as I thought it would be.”

Roxy cackled. “Not as easy? Girl, you went to

Stanford for business. How the hell did you think
this was going to be easy?”

“Not ‘easy’ easy, I mean. There’s just a lot of

moving parts that I can’t outsource because I don’t
have the money, and--.”

Karina jumped in. “Didn’t your dad say he

would--?”

“I don’t want his help.”
Roxy groaned. “Don’t get her started. We have

a father who’s set aside accounts for us to do this
kind of thing. Money he’s socked away for us he’ll
never miss, and she won’t touch it.”

I sipped my water. “Look, I don’t want to be

known as the fashion guru who got a hand-out from
her father in order to make it work. I want to make
this business a success on my own. I really do.”

Karina nodded. “And I can respect that.”
Roxy leaned back. “Well, I can’t. This would

be so much easier on her if she just--.”

I rolled my eyes. “Would it help if I told you I

had other plans for that money, anyway?”

Roxy slowly looked over at me. “And just what

are these plans?”

“I think it’s time you filled us in on some stuff,

don’t you?” Karina leaned forward.

All eyes were on me, but I locked up. Why was

it so hard to talk about this kind of personal stuff? I
wanted to use the money in my trust fund for my
future. And not my vocational future. I wanted to
use it for my wedding. For my wedding dress. I
wanted to use it on my children. On a nursery or
two. I wanted to use it for a honeymoon suite
somewhere, or romantic vacations every summer. I
wanted to use that account to spoil the man in my
life.

That man was a very specific one if I could ever

get him to seriously look my way.

Then, Roxy put it together. “Oh. My. God.”
“Fuck.”
Karina paused. “What?”
Roxy squealed. “You’re saving it for someone!”
“Can we not do this right--?”
Karina pointed at me. “Are you seeing

someone? Are you holding out on us?”

Roxy took my hand. “Please tell me he’s

treating you to some romance. Because that last
guy you were with thought romance was tying a
bow around his dick.”

Karina blinked. “Wait, what?”
I ripped my hand away. “No, you guys. I’m not

seeing anyone right now. So, can we drop it?”

We paused in silence as we sat around the table

before Roxy finally reached for a piece of fruit.
“So, that’s why you’ve been so grumpy lately.”

Karina took a bite of her eggs. “I bet if you got

laid, you’d feel so much better.”

“Yeah. You’re right, I’m sure.”
Roxy talked with her mouth full. “I mean, sex is

imperative. You know?”

Karina scolded her. “Let’s chew and swallow

before we speak, okay?”

I nodded slowly. “Probably a good thing.”
Roxy swallowed hard. “All I’m saying is that I

get it at least a couple of times a month, no matter
what. And when I’m in a relationship? Hell, that’s
how I wind down every night.”

“Amen to that,” Karina said with a chuckle.
The two of them slapped hands across the table

as my face turned beet red.

“And, just so we’re clear? The deeper your

relationship is, the crazier your sex is,” Karina said.

My eyes snapped to hers. “What?”
Roxy gasped. “You sneaky little bitch! You’ve

been holding out on us!”

Karina belly-laughed. “That’s directed at you,

too, Roxy. It’s worth it to find someone you want to
stick it out with. Not bouncing around from month
to month.”

“Hey, I’m better than my sister over here. She

only makes it through a few dates.”

I shook my head. “Can we not talk about me

like I’m not sitting right here?”

Karina looked me dead in my face. “Fine,

Kelly. When was the last time you got laid?”

Roxy turned to face me. “I bet it’s been at least

two months.”

I scoffed. “Look, this is private for me. I just--I

don’t want to--I don’t know if I can--.”

Karina scrunched her eyebrows. “I’ve got a

story if you tell me.”

Roxy gripped my arm. “Tell her, woman. For

the love of all that is holy. Tell me! I’m your sister!”

Karina smiled. “It’s a good story, too.”
“Please, Roxy. I’ve never needed you more

than at this moment,” I bit my lip.

“It’s a funny story, too.”
Roxy gasped. “You’re killing me, Kelly. Just

spit it out why don’t you!”

Then, I lost it. “I’ve never had sex, okay!?”
It felt like the entire restaurant came to a dead

standstill. Karina’s jaw dropped to the floor as my
sister’s hand slid away from my arm. I wanted to
die, right there. I wanted to melt into a puddle and
be absorbed into the carpet. That wasn’t how
brunch was supposed to happen. We were supposed
to be having fun.

Now, people were peered over their shoulders

at me, I buried my face in my hands. I wished for
my own damn death.

“You know, I think I’ve always known that,”

Roxy said.

I slowly looked over at my sister. “I hate you.”
Karina flopped back into her chair. “It makes so

much sense now.”

“I’m sure.”
Roxy rubbed my thigh. “I mean, it does. You’ve

never made it past the third date with a guy. You
always come home early if you have a date at his
place. It’s because they want to have sex, and you
don’t, right?”

I didn’t want to say anything, but she hit the

nail on the head.

“Why did you never tell us this?” Karina asked.
I laughed bitterly. “Why? So I can be

humiliated by my two best friends?”

Karina furrowed her brow. “Is that what you

think we would have done?”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing here, right now?”
Roxy squeezed my knee. “If we knew what you

were talking about, we wouldn’t have done this,
no.”

I looked over at her. “And yet, sex is somehow

a different topic? What if I was having sex, and I
just didn’t want to talk about it? What, then?”

The table fell silent again, and I reached for my

water. At that moment, I wished I had ordered,
literally, anything else but water.

Anything with alcohol in it.
“Look,” I said as I took a sip, “I just haven’t

found someone I want to have sex with yet. I don’t
want to have sex simply to say I’ve done it. I want
it to mean something. I want it to be special. And I
sure as hell don’t want to regret it.”

Roxy nodded. “That’s a good goal. Lord knows

I regret my first.”

Karina’s lips parted in shock. “Wait, you regret

Allen?”

Roxy shrugged. “I didn’t even get off. And, he

didn’t give a shit about me. I figured that out later
on.”

“But, the two of you dated for--.
“Can we focus? Just for once, can this not be

about you two after the entire restaurant has been
privy to my secret?”

Roxy grinned. “Hey, you’re the one that yelled

it.”

“Because you two wouldn’t shut up about it.”
Karina walked her chair around the table and

sat down beside me.

“You’ll know when the time is right, Kelly.

Trust your gut, and nothing can go wrong.”

I licked my lips. “I know, I know. And that’s

what I’ve been doing. It’s just that the guys I find
don’t seem to be interested in anything but sex. Is
that so much to ask? Is it too much to ask of a guy
to want me for more than what I can put out?”

“Not at all,” my sister said. “I mean, that’s how

you separate the douchebags from the genuine men

who want what you want.”

I clicked my tongue. “Well, it would be nice to

find one of those gentlemen.”

“I’m proud of you, you know?” Roxy wrapped

her arm around me.

I rolled my eyes. “Just what every virgin wants

to hear.”

“No, I’m serious. You’re taking control of your

own sexuality. You’re pioneering a path where you
exert full control over what you want, no matter
what anyone else wants. That takes serious strength
and guts.”

Karina nodded. “She’s right, you know. But,

just make sure you’re doing this for the right
reasons.”

I gave her a sideways look. “I’m sure I’m doing

it for the right reasons.”

Roxy kissed my cheek. “Good. Because I’d

hate for you to be doing this because you’re afraid
of what it might be like.”

I snickered, but then her words settled in my

mind.

“Wait, is there something to be afraid of?”
Karina shot Roxy a look. “Good going.”
Roxy scoffed. “What!? I just want to make sure

she hasn’t pumped this up in her head or anything. I
mean, the first time always sucks. Am I right?”

I whipped my eyes over to her. “Wait, it does?”
Karina hissed. “Will you shut up?”

Roxy hissed back. “Girl, now I’m worried

about this.”

I nodded. “Yeah. And now you have me

worried, too.”

My sister looked back at me. “Look, here’s the

truth of the matter: adult relationships are going to
require adult actions. You aren’t going to find a guy
around here nowadays that isn’t looking to be
intimate with someone they’re dating. Sexual
compatibility is a crucial thing in a relationship.”

Karina butted in. “Though things can always be

worked on and improved.”

“Right. But, I think if you intentionally lose

your V-card, it’ll give you more autonomy and
comfort in these dating scenarios you find yourself
in.”

“Wait, are you seriously suggesting she plan to

lose her virginity?”

“What? I think it’s a good idea. She gets to be

in control of who takes it. She gets to be in control
of the mood, where it happens, what actually
happens, how the guy treats her. We give her full
control of the scenario.”

Karina shook her head. “I don’t think this is a

good idea.”

As my gaze volleyed between the two of them

like a tennis match, I fell back into the recesses of
my mind. On the one hand, the plan seemed insane.
Hand-picking some guy and telling him exactly

what to do didn’t seem like the epitome of
romance. But, I had to admit that me being a virgin
was holding me back in my dating life. At least, it
felt that way sometimes. The second the guy found
out I was a virgin, I never got a callback. Or a text
back. Or even another date. It felt like my love life
was out of control as it was, so what was the harm
in taking that control back?

Would that really make me comfortable going

forward in dating?

And who in the world would do that for me,

anyway?

“W

Brenden

ell, if it isn’t my favorite oldest
brother!”

I greeted Clint with open

arms as he stood there in Zane’s living room, stoic
as always.

“Come give your middle brother a hug,” I said.
“I’m good,” he murmured and shook his head.
I wrapped my arms around the hulking military

man and squeezed him tightly. Zane was chuckling
as Clint grunted and groaned.

The man hated affection in all forms. Well,

except one.

Let’s just say there’s a reason the ladies that

have seen him at the office whisper about the size

of his package. Even though I doubted it any of
them had experience with him under the sheets —
only in their wildest dreams. Clint was strict and
never, and I mean never, mixed business with
pleasure.

“Oh. I’m so glad you moved back to town,” I

said as I gave him one last squeeze.

Zane pulled me away. “All right, all right.

You’ve tortured the man enough for one day. He’s
been here a month or two, and you act like this is
the first time you have seen him since he got back.”

I grinned. “I bet he’d like it if I had tits, and

today we are embarking on a new journey
together.”

Clint nodded. “You don’t. So, no point. And I

still haven’t given you my answer on your
proposal.”

I chuckled. “Seriously, though. It’s good to see

you standing and well.”

Clint nodded again. “Thanks.”
I sighed playfully. “A man of many words. I

love it. Don’t you, Zane?”

He socked me in the arm. “Come on. I’ve got

coffee in the kitchen.”

“Karina anywhere? I was hoping to get a peek

at that growing belly of hers. How’s she doing?”

“Apart from the nausea, she’s doing great.”
“Still nauseous?” Clint asked.
I gasped playfully. “He cares. Shout it from the

rooftops, Zane! Clint cares!”

Zane barked with laughter. “All right, you can

cut it out now. I think you’ve tortured him enough
for one day.”

“More like one lifetime,” he murmured.
I wrapped my arm around Clint’s shoulders.

“So, I take it your showing up is your way of taking
us up on our offer?”

He slowly looked over at me. “Get. Off.”
I held up my hands. “Okay, okay. I get the

picture.”

Zane snickered. “Finally.”
We all sat down at the breakfast nook and

sipped our coffee. I took stock of my brother as he
gazed out the window as if he were looking for
something. When I peeked over at Zane, I saw the
worry on his face. Even though there were several
years between them, Zane seemed to always worry
about Clint. Especially, after he had enlisted long
before Zane and I went off to college.

His third deployment hadn’t been kind to him.
“I decided not to re-up,” Clint said.
I sipped my coffee as Zane locked his eyes with

Clint’s.

“Want to talk about it?”
Clint shook his head. “I’m good.”
“You know you have a—,” I changed the

subject.

Clint nodded. “I know, yes.”

Zane leaned forward a bit. “So… have you

decided what you’re going to do about our offer?”

That’s when Clint slowly looked over at both of

us, glancing back and forth between us. Clint’s
third deployment had changed him, and not always
for the better. He had became much more stoic.
Much quieter. He told us he didn’t sleep well, and
when he did, he would wake himself up talking.
And Clint had admitted to me once soon after he
returned home, that he woke himself up
intentionally sometimes.

The only time I ever saw him remotely smile

was when he hugged Mom.

“Security for your properties, right?” Clint

asked.

I nodded. “Right.”
Zane added on. “For the properties we own,

yes. But, once we sell them, your responsibilities
are over. The buyer has to provide his own security,
as you might imagine.”

Clint licked his lips. “What if they want my

services as an add-on? Have you guys thought
about that?”

I looked over at Zane with an ‘I told you so’

look. Just because Clint was a bit fucked in the
head didn’t mean he wasn’t like us. The man had a
mind for business, whether we wanted to admit that
or not.

“Well,” I said as I looked across the table at

Clint, “I suppose that depends.”

“On?” Clint asked.
“On whether or not you’d want to build your

own team and create a business for yourself out
here in Vegas. As I’m sure you know, security
companies do very well here. Businesses, hotels,
casinos, you name it. Everyone has to have building
and sometimes private security for their employees.
And the casinos… they usually provide their own.
But there are times they sub-contract out certain
tasks to independents.”

Zane nodded. “What we’re hiring you to do is

secure the properties we own until we sell them.
But what happens after we sell them is between
you and the buyer.”

Clint threw back his coffee. “Noted.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’ll be

responsible for patrols, day and night. If you hire
someone else to help, you’ll have to find a way to
pay them. And we are assuming you will need to
hire several crews.”

“You’re offering me five hundred grand a year

to do this. I’m pretty sure I can afford it,” he said
gruffly.

Zane picked up his mug. “That’s just for your

salary. We can sit down later and do a loan for you
after you get things rolling to take care of your
growing security agency. But only if you find this is
something you want to do long term.”

“And also, you get two weeks of half-time paid

medical leave,” I pointed out.

“And the health insurance.”
Clint held up his hand. “I got it, thanks.”
I sat on pins and needles as Clint’s eyes panned

back out the window. I mean, I couldn't blame him.
Zane’s place was easily the most serene in all of
Vegas. How the hell the man managed to create his
own little slice of quiet paradise just outside of this
chaos, I’d never know. And with the small feminine
touches, Karina brought to the place, it made me
envious of what my younger brother had.

He had a home. A gorgeous view. A wonderful

woman who thought he was everything and a child
on the way. He had everything I dreamed of at
night. Everything I thought was just out of reach for
a crazy guy like myself.

“All right. I’ll do it,” Clint said.
His voice ripped me from my trance. “What?”
My older brother looked at me. “I said, I’ll do

it. I’ll take the job.”

Zane held out his hand. “Shake on it?”
“I’d rather have a contract.”
I slid it out from my coat pocket. “Like this?”
Zane held out his palm and wiggled his fingers.

“You know you want to.”

I grinned. “Shake the man’s hand so he stops

looking like an idiot.”

Clint smirked, but he shook Zane’s hand. And it

didn’t take him thirty seconds to sign the contract
and date it. It wasn’t an extensive document. We
knew Clint was capable of providing high tech
security that would more than meet the needs of
Stonewater Realty. Hell, the man had been a Navy
SEAL, for crying out loud.

Our properties would be in good hands.
“Another coffee?” Zane asked.
“Just water, thanks,” Clint said.
I nodded. “Sounds good. One for me, too?”
Zane scooped up our mugs. “Water for three,

coming up.”

Then, my focus fell back to Clint. “Dude,

seriously.”

He grunted. “What?”
“What’s going on? Are you really okay?”
His gaze didn’t budge from the window. “I

guess.”

“Are you still seeing that therapist?”
His gaze snapped to mine. “How the fuck do

you know about that?”

“You told us about it a few months back. Don’t

you remember?”

His nostrils flared. “Doesn’t mean you have to

bring it up.”

“That good, huh?”
“Yeah. Those VA guys are the best.” His gaze

fell back outside.

I held out my hand. “Clint, if you ever want--.”

“You got a date in mind for me to start?”
I looked over at Zane, and all he did was shrug.
“I mean, as soon as you can. If that’s what you

want,” I explained.

Clint nodded. “Good. I’d like a list of all the

addresses of the properties the agency owns. It’ll
help me get an overview of how to discreetly
surveil them. I need to know where all the
vulnerable spots are before I can draw up an
extensive security plan.”

Zane opened the fridge. “I can have that to you

by tomorrow morning. No later than nine.”

I grinned. “Which means until then, we can

celebrate.”

Zane groaned. “Come on. Not another one of

your parties.”

He tossed me a water bottle, and I cracked it

open.

“Hey, it’s not your celebration. It’s Clint’s,” I

said.

“No, thanks,” Clint muttered.
Zane held out his hand. “See? No one likes your

celebrations.”

I leaned back. “Well, the joke’s on you,

because my parties are amazing.”

Clint snickered. “And boozy?”
I pointed. “Was that… almost a laugh?”
Zane nodded. “I think it was.”
“This is a bad idea.” Clint shook his head.

I leaned forward. “I bet if you come out with

me tonight, I’ll have you laughing by the end of it.”

Zane sipped his water. “There isn’t enough

alcohol in the world.”

“Watch it.” Clint shot him a look.
“Shut up, old man.”
I barked with laughter. “Come on, look at us.

The three amigos again. The three musketeers. The
three wise men. The three…”

Clint stared at me. “No, no. Go on. I want to

see what you come up with next.”

Zane turned to face me. “I do, too. What’s the

next one?”

I palmed my hair. “You guys get the picture.

What do you say? Zane, I know you could use at
least one more night out before that baby comes.”

“I’m not sure Karina would want me going out,

though. Especially since her nausea is worse at
night.”

“Well, I’ll get her some ginger chews, and she

can come with us.”

Clint’s face fell. “Seriously? Ginger chews?”
“My sentiment exactly.” Zane scoffed.
“Oh, come on, guys. Don’t tell me we’ve grown

into old farts already. Here. I’ll see if the girls want
to go out.”

Despite my brothers’ protests, I shot off text

messages to Karina, Kelly, and Roxy. And almost
immediately, I got responses back from the three of

them. To which I turned my phone around and
showed my brothers.

“Still convinced Karina doesn’t want to go out

with us?” I asked.

Zane sighed. “Fuck you.”
“I second that.” Clint raised his water.
I slid my phone into my pocket. “Doesn’t

matter, we’re all going out tonight. We’re going to
celebrate Clint’s joining our team, we’re going to
celebrate his life, and we’re going to celebrate
Zane’s new life he’s bringing into this world.”

Zane clapped my back. “That’s actually really

sweet of you. Thanks.”

“What’s in this for you?” Clint narrowed his

eyes.

“Girls. What else?”
Zane rolled his eyes while Clint groaned, and all

it did was make me laugh. On the inside, though, I
was excited for all of us to go out. It gave us a
reason to bond again. It gave us a reason to catch
up. Lord knows all of us needed to wind down after
the craziness of the past few months, and I sure as
hell needed a drink.

Especially if Kelly was going to show up.
Our flirty banter was something for the movies.

The way she looked at me with those doe eyes of
hers always made me wonder why the hell she had
constantly turned me down in college. No matter
how many times I asked her out, I never could get

her to go on one date with me. That’ll do something
to a man, you know. It dented my self-confidence
for a long time. But, I refused to give up on her.
One of these days, I’d get her to accept my offer
for a steak dinner.

And maybe, just maybe, tonight might be that

night.

“All right, guys. As top quality as this water is,

I’m going to head back to my condo. I need to get
ready if we’re going to meet up with the girls at
nine,” I said.

Clint finished off his bottle and crushed it in his

hand. “Where are we heading?”

Zane butted in. “Where Brenden always wants

to start. Club Verona.”

Clint scowled. “What’s Club Verona?”
“Only the hottest spot in Vegas at the moment.

The music is always on par, the drinks are
outstanding, and the women are drop-dead
gorgeous,” I told them.

Clint’s voice fell flat. “Great.”
I stood from my seat. “Cheer up, big guy. I’m

sure you’ll find someone to keep you warm for the
night. But, if I don’t get out of here, I’m going to be
late.”

Zane snickered. “You’ll be late anyway.”
“Which is why I really need to go, otherwise

I’ll be much later.”

“Just make sure you have condoms. Otherwise,

your flavor of the night may have a surprise for you
in a few weeks,” Clint added.

Zane laughed as my jaw dropped open.
“Was that a joke?” I asked.
Clint shrugged. “I can still make them.”
Zane held his stomach as he continued to laugh.
“Well, I look forward to many more of them

tonight,” I said with a smile. “It’s good to have you
back, Clint.”

He nodded. “It’s good to be alive, Brenden.”
Yes. It sure as hell was.

“W

Kelly

ho in the world is that?” I
asked.

Karina giggled. “You like

what you see?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please, I’ve just never

seen him around before. Who in the world is that
guy?”

“Well, you know the rumored ‘big brother’?”
I slowly looked over at her. “That’s Clint?”
She smiled. “Yep. That’s him.”
“The guy’s that rumored to have -?”
“That’s him,” Karina assured me.
“Oh, my God,” I gasped, looking away out over

the crowd.

Club Verona was a bit on the chill side tonight,

which I loved. Their weekends were always loud
and bombastic. But, during the week? They toned it
down a bit. The lights of the club didn’t flash or
strobe. Instead, the warm white and red lights set
off an ambiance of relaxation while the smooth jazz
music filled the club from corner to corner. A live
band had been booked for the evening, and the
smell of cigar smoke lingered around the entrances
and exits. No one on the dance floor was gyrating
or grinding. Instead, they were swaying and smiling
up at their partners while the rustic band crooned
and ad-libbed into their microphones.

I enjoyed it when things were toned down like

that.

The leather chair greeted me as I sat with my

cosmopolitan martini in my hand. Then, I crossed
my leg over my knee, drawing in a deep breath of
air. Fresh, too, which was almost unheard of in a
club like that on the weekends. While sipping my
drink, I let the taste of cranberry and cotton candy
dance on the edges of my tongue. I closed my eyes,
allowing the alcohol to seep through my veins. The
soft, pulsing rhythm of the plucked bass downstairs
made me sway and sigh. A smile crept across my
lips as I leaned back against the buttery leather
chair.

I could’ve stayed like that all night.
Had the girls simply left me alone.

“Kelly, here, thinks Clint’s cute,” Karina said.
Roxy squealed. “Oh, my God. That would be

perfect. So, so perfect.”

My eyes snapped open. “Uh, what? I didn’t

say--.”

Karina shot me a look. “Come on. A man built

like that. And let’s not forget he was a Navy SEAL,
yum.”

Roxy grinned. “And his nickname. Have you

heard it?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care about any of that

kind of stuff.”

Roxy sat down on the edge of the chair.

“Seriously. He would be perfect.”

“For what?” I asked.
“Seriously? You’re going to act like you don’t

know what we are talking about?” Karina asked.

I shook my head. “No. I’m not going along with

something like that.”

Roxy shoved me playfully. “Oh, come on. You

know it’s going to help you gain some confidence.
A bit of no-strings-attached fun to get you going
and get you some experience, then boom! You’re
ready for the market.”

My drink sloshed onto my hand. “Thanks. You

owe me another one.”

Karina giggled. “Not like you paid for it.”
I blinked. “Yeah, I did. I gave you the money

for it.”

She nodded. “Yep. And Clint usurped me and

bought our drinks. Yours included.”

I quickly set it down. “Wish you would’ve told

me that sooner.”

Roxy sighed. “Come on, you damn party

pooper. I’m tired of seeing you this way. Always
moping, always pining, and never actually getting
out to have any fun. This isn’t college anymore.
You get to own your space now. Go out there and
show them who’s boss. You’ve got your own
clothing line, for fuck’s sake!”

I pointed at my sister. “Almost. I almost have

my own clothing line.”

Karina took my hand. “Whatever. Get up.

Don’t make a pregnant woman work, either. That’s
not a good look.”

With a roll of my eyes, I stood to my feet. I slid

my hands down the skin-tight dress I had on for the
evening and shifted around in my heels. They were
new, courtesy of a belated birthday present Mom
sent me. And while the red-backed, stiletto-black
heels looked spectacular, my ankles were already
screaming for mercy.

And I was pretty sure one of my toes was

already bleeding.

“I need more alcohol for this,” I murmured.
“If you play your cards right with Clint, that’s

exactly what you’ll get,” Roxy said.

Karina slid her arm around mine. “Besides, I

hear he’s really a teddy bear beneath his gruffness.”

I paused. “Wait, gruffness? No one said

anything about gruffness. Why is he gruff? Is he
mean?”

Roxy took my other arm. “Not like it matters

since it’s no-strings-attached. Right?”

My eyes widened. “Of course, it matters! It

matters to--.”

Karina interrupted me. “Hey! Clint! Can you

come here for a second!”

“I’m going to kill you both,” I murmured.
Roxy giggled. “If Clint’s cock doesn’t do you in

first.”

Karina hissed. “Roxy. Come on. Don’t scare

the girl.”

“All I’m saying is I’d love to take a ride on it

myself. Just a little test drive.”

I felt myself blushing. “I’m going to slaughter

you both.”

Clint walked over to us. “What’s up?”
The girls looked at me as if I was just supposed

to blurt it out. But, as I gazed up into his face, I saw
what the girls saw. I mean, older men weren’t my
kind of deal. Anything more than two or three
years, and it felt weird to me. But, he was
handsome for an older guy. A strong jawline.
Sizzling eyes. A piercing stare that made my core
shiver. In a good way, though, if that was possible.
The cologne he had on smelled outstanding, too. It

smelled familiar. Like home, almost.

Where have I smelled that before?
“Kelly? You going to say something?” Karina

asked.

Roxy sighed. “I always have to do everything.

Okay, here’s what’s up, Clint. My sister here is a--.”

I cut her off. “I’m not very confident in the

dating world because I don’t have any sexual
experience.”

Clint blinked. “Okay.”
“And the girls here apparently think that if I

obtain said experience, I’d be more confident in my
dating prowess.”

He blinked again. “Okay. I can understand

that.”

“And, I guess what they want to try and do is

ask if you’re willing to…”

Roxy wiggled her eyebrows. “Offer up your

expertise in the matter.”

I smiled curtly. “You can kill me now. I’m

good.”

Clint’s eye twitched. “My expertise.”
I sighed. “It’s stupid. I know it is. And the girls

really seem to think--.”

Karina leaned forward. “It’s no strings

attached. No dating, no togetherness. Just two
people, enjoying one another while one of the
parties learns the ropes. So to speak.”

Clint nodded slowly. “Uh-huh.”

I swallowed hard. “So, yeah. There it is. My

most embarrassing trait, out there for someone to
judge.”

“Not embarrassing at all.” He shrugged.
I paused. “It’s not?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s not.”
“Oh. Well. Thanks.”
The girls relinquished me and pushed me

forward a little bit more. And I stood so close to
Clint that I felt his body heat radiating against my
own.

Damn, I can see his muscles through his

clothes.

The navy shirt he had on clung to his physique,

showcasing the chiseled lines of his chest. As my
eyes continued roaming his body, I noticed the
dark-wash jeans he had on. They sat against his
thighs, allowing me to trace the outline of them
with my curious stare. He had long legs on him.
Long, powerful legs. And as my eyes slowly
trickled up his arms, I saw veins bulging from his
forearms. I watched them pulse, and some small
part of me wondered what they might feel like
against my tongue.

Get it together, Kelly.
“What’s your name?” Clint asked.
My eyes snapped up to his. “Kelly. It’s Kelly.”
He nodded. “Kelly. That’s a nice name. If

you’re comfortable with this arrangement, I’m

down.”

I blinked. “What?”
I heard the girls chattering and dancing around

behind me as I swallowed hard.

“You’d--you’ll do it?”
He nodded. “I’ll offer up my services. I’ll give

you the night to think about it, and when we wind
things down, I’ll come find you. If you’re still
down, we’ll have a drink and head back to my
place.”

I didn’t know what to say. “O--okay. Yeah.

That--that sounds great. Thank--thanks. Yeah.”

“No problem.”
He turned and walked away from me, and my

eyes couldn’t resist. They dropped to his ass, and I
had to swallow back a moan of my own. The man
was stacked in all the best ways, and he had just
agreed to sleep with me. Which meant my
fingertips would know what the lines of his body
felt like. My tongue would intimately get to know
the crevices of his body.

It filled me with heat as his cologne swirled

around my head.

Where the hell have I smelled that scent

before?

“Oh. My. God,” Roxy squealed.
“You did it!” Karina exclaimed.
The two of them grabbed my arms and ripped

me back to the leather chair while they chittered

excitedly around me.

“This is going to be one hell of a night,” Karina

said.

“You know I’m going to want all of the details,

right?” Roxy asked.

“Maybe he can teach you some things, too. I

mean, there’s so much more to sex than just
penetration.”

“She’s right. There’s spanking and teasing.

Edging and bondage.”

“There’s also anal play, which is fabulous. And

dual oral? Oh, man. You’re definitely going to have
to try that. Have you ever given a blowjob before?
It’ll be much better your first time around with
flavored lube. The taste of a man can be jarring at
first. Also, condoms. Make sure you have them.
Wait, are you on birth control? Never mind, the
first thing you’ll want to try out of the box is sitting
on his face. I think that’s something you’ll--.”

“Girl. Are you fucking kidding me?” Roxy

asked.

I looked up at Karina with wide eyes. “If you

were trying to keep yours and Zane’s sex life on the
down-low, you have officially failed that test.”

Karina blushed furiously. “Just don’t tell him,

okay?”

Roxy squealed so loud I thought the roof would

burst off the club.

“I’m asking you for all of the details later. But,

right now? We focus on Kelly.”

I rolled my eyes. “Lucky me.”
The girls continued to talk over me as I

plastered on the best smile I could. But, the truth of
the matter was that I was panicking. Hardcore,
hands down, flat-out panicking. My hands trembled
so much I tucked them between my legs. I felt the
hairs on the nape of my neck standing on end as if
there were danger afoot. My eyes locked with one
of the exit signs, and I wondered if I could slip
away. If I could silently get myself out of the
scenario and flag myself a cab to go home.

Then, that scent passed by me again.
I looked up, expecting to see Clint. But instead,

I saw Brenden, and it clicked. That cologne. That
scent. I knew exactly where I had smelled it before.

Clint was wearing his brother’s cologne.
The smell of home.
I watched Brenden walk over to Zane and Clint

as they stood off to the side by the balcony. With a
drink in his hand, he brought it to his lips as Zane
talked their ears off about something. Clint was
stoic the entire time. Not once did he crack a smile
or chuckle, or really even move. It was as if he
were a statue.

Not Brenden, though.
His laughter filled my ears and brightened my

heart. The movements of his body were entrancing,
and I found myself staring at him. My fake smile

slowly melted into a real one, and my cheeks began
to hurt. The only time I ever smiled so much that it
hurt was when I was around Brenden. It had been
like that back in college, and it was still true to this
day.

If I had to choose someone to do it with, I’d do

it with him.

But, I knew my feelings would get in the way.

Which would only lead to heartache, with the kind
of player Brenden had become.

You’re about to sleep with his brother.
The thought terrified me. What would Brenden

think of that? My hands began trembling more, and
I squeezed my thighs to get them to stop. A cold
chill washed over me, and I started shivering. I
needed a coat, even though my feet were sweating.
My body felt out of control. I felt out of control.
And as the girls started giving me a pep talk that I
hardly paid attention to, only one thing crossed my
mind.

It’s not like Brenden cares about you anyway.
I sighed. “I need a drink.”
Roxy squeezed my shoulder. “One glass of

liquid courage coming right up, beautiful.”

Brenden

clapped Clint on the back. “Chattin’ up the
girls already, I see.”

“Can you leave the man alone for a

second?” Zane sighed.

“I did that when I went to get another whiskey.

He’s had time to deal,” I told them both, sipping my
drink.

Clint shook his head. “More like they were

chatting me up.”

Zane quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“What the hell does that mean?” He had my

attention.

“They want me to take Kelly’s virginity.”
I almost choked on my drink. “Come again?”

Zane’s jaw dropped. “Uh, what now?”
“Yep. Apparently, the girl’s got a dating issue

because she’s a virgin. So, they’ve requested ‘my
services.’”

“You’re kidding.” Zane chuckled.
I stumbled over my words. “What, uh--what--

did you… they… who asked again?”

Clint looked over at me. “You good? You

seemed more shocked than I am.”

I didn’t know what to say. “Kelly just doesn’t

seem like that kind of girl, you know?”

“She doesn’t strike you as a virgin? Because I

practically see it blaring over her head in neon
colors,” Zane scoffed.

I waved my hand at him. “No, no, no. Not that.

I mean, pointlessly eliciting sex. This has Roxy
written all over it. Karina, too.”

Zane narrowed his eyes. “Karina’s a bit classier

than that.”

“That’s what you think,” Clint murmured.
Zane’s lips parted in shock. “She’s in on it,

too?”

“They all are.”
“And what did you say?” I asked.
“I told her I’d grab her at the end of the night

and see how she felt about things by then. You
know, away from the pressure of the girls. Poor
thing looked like she was about to melt into a
puddle on the floor.”

Zane snickered. “Those girls can get themselves

into anything, can’t they?”

I didn’t think it was funny. Not one fucking bit.

In fact, I was irritated as hell at the idea. Kelly,
sleeping with my fucking brother? He’d tear her to
shreds. I knew the stories. I heard the kind of shit
he was up to whenever he was a teenager. He’d
chew her up and spit her back out without a second
thought. I couldn't let my brother sleep with her. I
couldn't let him hurt her.

Especially since I was the one who wanted to

experience that with Kelly

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I said.
Zane rubbed the back of his neck. “I figured

you’d feel that way.”

“What the hell does that mean?”
Clint chuckled. “Simmer down, girls.”
I shot him a look. “You keep your sense of

humor out of this.”

Clint’s eyes grew hard. “You watch that mouth

of yours.”

Zane polished off his drink. “Look, if this is

something Kelly wants, you really can’t stop her.
She’s her own woman, you know. And this is really
none of your business. He had your chance in
college, and you never got it done.”

I ignored him. “Clint, just leave the poor girl

alone. She doesn't know what she wants. And
besides Zane’s right, she’s been crushing on me for

years. It’s going to make things very, very awkward
for her.”

Clint nodded. “And if she feels that way in a

couple of hours, I’m sure she’ll let me know.”

“Mmm, I don’t think she will. Kelly isn’t that

kind of girl. She’s a people pleaser. She’ll do
whatever it takes to make someone happy.”

Clint shrugged. “Then, like Zane said, it’s none

of your business in the first place.”

I gripped my glass so hard I thought it was

going to shatter.

“And why do you care anyway?” Zane asked.
“That’s a good question,” Clint pointed out.
I scoffed. “Why the hell do I care about a good

friend’s reputation? Gee, I wonder.”

Zane shook his head. “There is more. I’ve

never seen you step up to the plate for someone
like this. You’re always in it for yourself.”

“Wow. Thanks.”
Clint clapped my back. “He’s right. You’ve

always been selfish, and even more so when it
comes to women. If I didn’t know any better, I’d
say you didn’t like this because you want to be in
my position.”

Zane’s eyes bulged. “Do you want to be in

Clint’s position?”

I rolled my eyes. “Fuck you both.”
Clint grinned. “Ditto.”
“Look, you don’t want to settle down with

anyone anyway. So, stop getting butthurt over
stupid shit,” Zane told me.

I stared him down. “I’m fine, all right? Forget I

ever said anything.”

“What did you say again?” Clint asked.
Zane’s head fell back in laughter as I glared at

Clint. He had the cheekiest grin on his face, and I
wanted to smack it right off. I restrained myself,
though. Instead, I turned on my heels and walked
away from them. I walked away from the asinine
adventure, and from the teasing conversation, I
knew it would continue if I didn’t remove myself
from the situation.

And I found my gaze lingering on Kelly.
Her slender features were framed with that long

blonde hair of hers. Softly curled to accent the
roundness of her cheeks, her blue doe eyes looked
two ticks shy of panicked as I passed by her. She
had her hands tucked between a pair of delicious
thighs I’d dreamt about for months back in college.
The diamond earrings her father had gotten her as a
graduation present sparkled against her precious
earlobes as I made my way for the stairs. I resisted
the urge to peek back at her as I carried my empty
glass back to the bar. The soft jazz music wafted
over the heads of the patrons in Club Verona. The
lights slowly moved back and forth. Side to side.
Creating a mesmerizing pattern that could soothe
even the most tumultuous of souls.

“Another drink?” the bartender asked.
I looked up at Clint and saw him staring at the

band as an idea occurred to me.

“Two, please,” I said.
“What’ll it be?”
I grinned. “Two fingers of whiskey on the rocks

and the strongest mixed drink you’ve got for men
on the menu.”

“Coming right up.”
I carried the first round of drinks up the stairs

and handed the mixed cocktail to Clint. He stared
down at it before his eyes moved back to me, and I
held up my hands. The plan had to work. I had to
get him as wasted as possible so he couldn't even
move, much less be coordinated enough to sleep
with Kelly.

And after sipping the drink, I watched him tip it

up.

“See? I told you this place has excellent drink

selections,” I said.

I kept feeding him drinks while Zane shook his

head at me. Clint accepted them, one after another,
until his speech began to slur, and the balcony
railing became his only hope for standing up. Six
drinks in and the man couldn't stand up straight.
Zane had to drop his drink in order to catch Clint
before he fell to the floor when he tried to move
towards Kelly!

Mission accomplished.

“Uh, hi guys. Um, Clint?”
I heard Kelly’s voice behind me, and I turned

around.

“Hey there,” I said.
She nodded without looking at me. “Hey,

Brenden. Clint, are you all right?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I just--.”
He hiccuped, and the moment couldn't have

been more perfect. I felt Zane glaring at me, but I
shrugged it off. I had postponed the ridiculous idea,
which I hope turned into an indefinite thing. Surely,
a good night’s sleep for all of us would bleed some
common sense into these idiots.

“I take it tonight is off the table, then?” Kelly

asked.

I hated how distraught she sounded.
Clint leaned against Zane. “I’ll get up with you

later. You have my word.”

I leaned forward. “I’ll make sure he gets your

number if that’s what you really want in the
morning. Okay?”

Kelly gave me a funny look. “Yeah. Thanks. I

think. Um, Clint? You need help getting home?”

I rushed over to his side. “Already on it. Come

on, big brother. Looks like you can’t hold your
alcohol anymore.”

Clint lowered his voice. “If you want her so

badly, just fucking tell her.”

I ignored his comment. “Everyone! I have to

get Clint back to his place. You guys have a
wonderful rest of your evening, though. Okay?”

I looked back over at Kelly, and she had a look

on her face I couldn't explain. It almost seemed as
if she were bummed. But, there was a mixture of
something else in there I couldn't put my finger on.
I didn’t care how she felt, though. It couldn't
happen. Everyone remembered their first. Hell,
even I did, and I tore through women on a weekly
basis. The first is always important. The first sets a
standard. It sets precedence.

And she deserved better than Clint.
Zane pressed his lips to my ear. “If this is what

she wants, you won’t be able to stop her. Don’t be
that person.”

I put on my best smile. “Have a good evening,

brother of mine.”

Clint and I stumbled down the stairs and out

into the parking lot. It didn’t take much to get him
home. But, getting him into his condo was a
completely different story. He was half-asleep on
me by the time I flopped him down onto his couch.
And when I took a glance around his rented space,
my heart sank into my chest.

The place was devoid of any character, or

happiness, or passion, or delight.

“Oh, Clint,” I whispered.
His honking snores filled the room as I stood on

the scuffed, unforgiving hardwood floors. The

painted white brick of the walls would’ve been a
nice touch if the wooden beams of the ceiling
didn’t look so shoddy. I assumed I was standing in
the living room, but I wasn’t sure. Because there
was a half-way blown-up air mattress in the corner
and some dirty dishes on top of the rickety coffee
table. His couch had various rips and tears in it. I
counted six cardboard boxes of stuff and five
different suitcases.

That was it, though.
That was all Clint had to show for the life he

had lived.

“You deserve better, too, brother,” I whispered.
I backed out of his place and closed the door

behind me. While the automatic part of me wanted
to lock the door, the realistic part of me knew I
didn’t need to. If someone came trumpeting
through that door that didn’t need to be there, Clint
was trained to kill first and ask questions later. He
could take care of himself. Whether or not that was
a good thing, I didn’t know.

But, he could.
I made my way downstairs and flopped behind

the wheel of my car. I sat there, staring at the white
brick facade of the building my older brother lived
in. His words from the club echoed off the corners
of my mind. They rattled around as I cranked the
engine of my Audi convertible and haunted me as I
raced back to my own condo. They followed me up

the elevator to the top floor and obscured the
panoramic view I had of Vegas up on my hilltop. I
raced into the kitchen and poured myself another
drink. I chugged it back, hoping to erase the stern
truth behind Clint’s words. The drunker I became,
though, the louder those words screamed.

And I started screaming back.
If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her.
“I can’t just blurt it out!”
If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her.
“That’s not how it works, Clint!”
If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her.
“Damn it, Clint. Shut the hell up!”
If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her.
“I can’t just bang her and leave her like I do

with other chicks I want. She’s different! And she’s
better than you.”

I flopped down onto the floor as my empty

glass rolled away from my outstretched hand.

“She’s better than all of us,” I murmured.
If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her.
“Maybe I will then,” I whispered.
I didn’t know if I would. As I leaned against the

smooth wall of my kitchen, I stared at my open
pantry. It was empty. Barren. Filled with dust and
cobwebs. I clocked a half-empty bag of flour, a
couple cans of green beans, and a sucker. A fucking
red sucker.

Kelly’s favorite.

“If you want her so badly, just fucking tell her,”

I breathed.

Then, I laid down on the cold, marble kitchen

floor and passed out.

“N

Kelly

o, not like that. Damn it,” I
murmured.

I scratched out the proposed

idea and started sketching what I had initially
brainstormed.

“Quit changing things,” I hissed.
I started sketching out other ideas of cute little

pajama shorts and pants in the middle of crunching
numbers. The website design for my online
boutique had eaten up so much more of my budget
than I had realized. And because of that, my
business partner--and my only other investor--was
making changes to my clothing designs she thought
were cost appropriate.

At the expense of the fashion itself.
“Damn it, I’ll just email her,” I whispered.
Horns honked outside, and people were already

cursing at one another, and it was only ten on a
Wednesday morning. I tried to bury myself in work
to not think about last night, but it was hard. I typed
away on my keyboard and sent the email off to my
business partner, letting her know not to touch my
designs ever again. Not unless she wanted her
money back and to be forced out.

But, you know, in a kind way.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Then I slid off my bed and walked over to my
window, closing it as quickly as I could. I pulled the
blinds before I went to sit back down. And as I
picked up my sketches, my cell phone started
lighting up.

Usually, whenever my phone was on silent, I

didn’t pick it up for anyone. I mean, there was a
reason it was on silent in the first damn place. It
was Roxy, though. Probably wanting to talk about
last night.

And I really wanted to talk about last night.
“Hey there,” I said as I picked up the phone.
“Another working morning?” she asked.
I paused. “Where are you, by the way? I don’t

hear you in the apartment.”

She snickered. “Girl, I’m gettin’ bagels and

coffee. Where the hell do you think I am?”

I giggled. “Can you grab me a--.”
“Blueberry bagel with honey cream cheese and

an everything bagel with ham and regular cream
cheese? Yep. It’s already been done. I’m also
heading back with an entire carafe of coffee from
this place. Because I don’t know about you, but I
need the pick-me-up after last night.”

“And I’m glad you brought that up because I

really want to talk about that.”

“Girl, I knew you would. What’s up?”
I sighed. “Does Clint always get that drunk?”
I heard rustling on the other end of her phone

before Roxy came back to the receiver.

“Sorry. Crossing the street. What was that?”
I groaned. “Never mind.”
“I’m just kidding. Damn. Kelly, I’m really sorry

about Clint’s demeanor the last night. I don’t know
his history or anything like that, but I promise you
that’s not who he is.”

“How can you promise me that? Do you know

him well or something?”

She paused. “I mean, no. But, I know Brenden

and Zane always speak very highly of him. He’s
just getting out of the Navy, so he’s got standards.”

“Because he was a military man, he’s got

standards?”

“Don’t they all?”
I shrugged. “The last man I went on a date with

was ex-military, and he had his shoes on the wrong

feet.”

“Yikes.”
“Yep.”
“Look, I’m not letting last night deter us from

the plan. We’re getting you laid. You have my
word.”

I shook my head. “Roxy, it’s really not that big

of a--.”

“It’s a very big deal, Kelly. This is holding you

back in your dating life.”

“No, I’m holding to my own standard. It’s the

men I’m dating that see it as a requirement.”

“Yeah. And that isn’t going to change. You

aren’t in high school anymore. Men want to be
emotionally and physically close to their women.
You aren’t going to find a man in Vegas that wants
to date you but is totally okay with never having
sex, ever.”

I scoffed. “When in the world did I say--?”
“You get my point. Look, Kelly. I love you. I

want what’s best for you. And right now, you’re not
living life at your best.”

“Says who?”
“Says you, every time you come home from a

date crying because you don’t know why things fell
through. Or you don’t know why you got stood up,
or you don’t know why guys always ‘expect
something’ when they invite you back to their place
for a nightcap.”

I sighed. “Okay, okay. I get your point.”
“I love you. And if Clint isn’t who you want to

lose your virginity to, then we’ll find you, someone.
But Clint is a good man. You know I’ve always
been a great judge of character, and I know--deep
in my soul--that he’s good. He’ll treat you with
care, and he’ll be gentle. I know it.”

“You’ve always been good at reading people.”
“He just had a bit too much to drink. That’s all.

He’s home, he’s got a new job with his brothers,
and he was probably celebrating more than
anything. We’ll make this happen. All right?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Sounds good,

yeah.”

“Great. Wonderful. Okay, I’m heading into the

elevator now. I’m dropping this stuff off and
heading right back out, though.”

“Wait, what? Why?”
She giggled. “Because I have plans, crazy! I’m

going shopping, then I have a spa appointment this
afternoon, then I’m having a late lunch with Mom
at a last-minute charity event.”

“Ew.”
“Yep. So, don’t work too hard and don’t drink

too much coffee. Your heart will explode, and I
don’t feel like dealing with a dead sister right now.”

“Uh, thanks?”
“Mwah. Kisses. I’ll put everything in the

kitchen, and you can come out whenever. Love ya,

sweet cheeks!”

She hung up the phone, and I shook my head. I

still wasn’t sure about the grand plan to get me to
give up my V-card, but knowing Roxy held Clint in
such high regard settled my gut a little bit. If there
was anyone that was dead-on with reading people,
it was her. In my entire life, I’d never known her to
judge someone’s character wrong, even if she’d
only spent a few minutes with them. So, for her to
have such high praise for Clint started my gears
turning.

Maybe that’s what I need for my first time.
I mean, first times were always clumsy, right?

Probably a bit painful. Awkward, to say the least.
The last thing I needed was some guy expecting me
to know what I wanted and instead get, well, what I
had to offer. Which was nothing. If Clint
understood all of that about me already and was
still willing to walk me through it, why not? What
did I have to lose with a good-looking older man
that wanted to treat me with care and walk me
through one of the critical facets of adult
relationships?

Brenden. You’ll lose Brenden.
I saw my phone light up again in the corner of

my eye, and I sighed. That was the kicker. Clint
was Brenden’s brother. And for as long as I had
crushed on Brenden, I knew I didn’t stand a chance
with him. But, the idea of throwing away any slim

chance I might have with him in the future made
me sick to my stomach.

Because surely, sleeping with his brother was a

complete deal-breaker. Right?

My phone lit up again, and I figured it was

Roxy. But, when I saw I had three missed text
messages, I furrowed my brow. I swiped up on my
phone screen and navigated to the messages, only
for my heart to skip a few beats.

It was Brenden.
Brenden was messaging me.
Brenden: Hey, you up?
Brenden: Hungry for an early lunch?
Brenden: Food and drinks are on me. Meet

me at Hard Rock.

“Well, thanks for asking,” I murmured.
Still, I kept staring at his messages. I looked

over at my laptop that still had the mock-up of my
website on it. I cocked my head and gave it a
careful stare. It looked nice enough, but something
was still missing.

I have to get at least some work done today.
I placed my phone down and quickly made

some tweaks. I made the home page a bit brighter
and moved the sales advertisements to the top
middle of the second page. After saving it, I shot it
back to the web designer with a few more notes at
the bottom of how to tweak the site’s navigation
system. Then, I clicked over to my emails.

I didn’t have a response back from my business

partner. So, I took that as a win and slid off the bed.

It took me a lot longer than necessary to get

ready to meet Brenden. I cycled through four
different outfits before settling on one that was
casual but sexy. With high-waisted black pants and
peekaboo-toe black heels, I smiled at myself in the
mirror. The thin yellow belt brought a pop of color
to the entire outfit, especially since I paired
everything with a sleeveless white blouse with
ruffles streaking down the center of it. I pulled my
hair back to the crown of my head and twisted it
into a bun. Then, I found some dangling yellow
earrings to match the belt and even dusted my
cheekbones and nose with a bit of shimmering
makeup to make me look sun-kissed.

Finally, after a spritz of my cotton blossom

body spray, I was ready to head out the door.

Getting to Hard Rock Cafe wasn’t the issue,

because I didn’t live far from it. The problem was
getting the nerve to step inside the place. Why did
Brenden want to see me? I mean, it wasn’t like we
didn’t meet up or anything. But, Roxy was usually
with us as well. Was Zane coming? Holy shit, was
Clint going to be here?

“Just get in there, scaredy-cat,” I murmured.
And already, I knew what Roxy was talking

about.

The fear I had--the lack of confidence--all

stemmed from one place. My inability to get out of
the car stemmed from a lack of confidence in being
able to entertain Brenden by myself. I closed my
eyes and dug deep. I tried to find the root of my
fear. I delved into my soul as I evened out my
breathing, trying desperately to prove her wrong.

But I couldn’t. Because when I sank into the pit

of my soul, there it was. Sneering at me. Teasing
me. Pointing its finger and laughing at me.

You’re just a child. You’ve got no business

doing something like this. Grow up first, Kelly.
Gotta grow up to be a grown-up.

My eyes snapped open, and my lips

downturned. I hiked my purse up my shoulder and
started up the steps toward the front doors. I wasn’t
a girl. I was a woman. A thriving, intelligent, level-
headed woman. Any man would be lucky to be
with me. Any man should thank his stars if I turned
my head in his direction.

“Just don’t lose your nerve,” I murmured.
“Welcome to Hard Rock! How many?” the

hostess asked.

“Actually, my party is already he--.”
“Kelly!”
Brenden’s voice soared above the crowd, and I

saw him flagging me down near the bar. I moved
away from the hostess, entranced by the man’s
beauty, as I moved closer to him. A smile crossed
my cheek as he stood to greet me. He wrapped me

up in a hug I almost melted into as I closed my
eyes. He held me tight. Very tight. And he held me
for a while. A long while. I settled my head against
his shoulder, and I could’ve sworn I felt him sigh,
and it made me wonder what he was thinking. It
made me wonder what he was feeling.

Because Brenden had never hugged me with

more than one arm. Nor had he ever hugged me for
that long.

“It’s good to see you,” I murmured.
He finally stood up. “Good to see you, too. You

look great, Kelly.”

I smiled. “Thanks. And you know you always

clean up well.”

He winked. “Don’t I know it.”
I tried not to go weak in the knees. “So, what’s

up? Everything okay?”

“Here. Have a seat. Would you like a drink

other than water?”

I shook my head. “Water’s fine for me. I

haven’t even had coffee yet today, so maybe if they
have some here?”

“One coffee coming up. Have you eaten?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Well, order whatever you want. Food’s on

me.”

I nodded. “I appreciate that. But why am I

here?”

He sat down in front of me. “What do you

mean?”

“You and I never get together, just one on one.

Is there something wrong?”

“Why would you think that?”
A waiter approached. “Can I get you two

anything?”

I looked up at him. “A cup of coffee, if you

have any?”

He scribbled on his notepad. “Sir? Would you

like another whiskey?”

I paused. “Another one?”
Brenden chuckled. “Just water for me, thanks.

Are you ready to order, Kelly?”

“How many drinks have you--?”
He turned his attention to the waiter. “I’d like a

massive bowl of your cajun chicken pasta, with a
slice of carrot cake for dessert.”

Something was wrong. “And I’ll take a large

portion of your grilled chicken salad, with a side of
bacon cheese fries and ranch to dip it in.”

The waiter nodded. “Anything for dessert?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
Brenden leaned forward. “You can split mine if

you’d like some.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”
The waiter walked away, and I watched

Brenden settle back into his seat. But, his eyes
wouldn’t quite meet mine. Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong. And I no longer

enjoyed being in the dark.

“Spit it out,” I said.
His eyes found mine. “I heard about your

predicament last night, and what the girls tried to
talk you into with my brother.”

I sighed. “Fabulous.”
“I think I have a solution to your issue,

though.”

“Oh, really now.”
He nodded. “Yep. A solution that doesn’t

require Clint.”

“I have to admit, that’s a bit of a relief to me.”
He chuckled. “Clint has an acquired taste. He’s

a good man. He’s got good morals. But, he’s rough
around the edges. He’s got a lot of experience, and
if he’s not careful, he could hurt you.”

“And that would be bad.”
“Very bad.”
I nodded slowly. “So, what do you propose?

Even though I’m not sure how I feel about my
virginity

being

the

focus

everyone’s

conversations lately.”

“I propose that I’m the one to solve all of your

problems.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s never good

coming from you.”

He gasped playfully. “Oh, Kelly. Your words

wound me.”

But, part of me was curious. And a massive part

of me hoped he was involved with that solution of
his.

“So, are you going to spit it out? Or, are you

going to keep me on edge through our whole
meal?”

And when that mischievous grin of his spread

across his face, I knew I was in for a world of
trouble.

Trouble I just might willingly get myself into.

“I

Brenden

have something to admit, first,” I said.

“Oh, boy. You’re going to make this

a whole big thing, aren’t you?” Kelly

rolled her eyes.

“I am. But, that’s because what I’m proposing

is serious. And I want you to really consider it.”

“Consider me, well, considering.”
I chuckled. “I intentionally got Clint wasted last

night, so the plan couldn't go through.”

Her brow ticked. “Wait, what?”
“I know it’s sneaky and conniving, but I wasn’t

comfortable with something like that. And
something tells me you weren’t quite comfortable
with it, either.”

“Why would you think that?”
I grinned. “Would you really have been

comfortable sleeping with my older brother? Some
dude you just met? Just to get rid of your virginity
like the girls are trying to get you to do?”

“They mean well, Brenden.”
“Trust me, I know they do. I’m sure Roxy sees

this as some kind of plot to get you to live life, and
Karina wants you to gain some confidence.”

“Actually, it’s kind of the other way around.

But, essentially…”

I held my hands out. “See? I know more than

you think.”

She smiled. “Is this when you tell me the plan

you have to get me laid? Because something tells
me you’re not talking about dropping this topic
altogether. Oh, and don’t think I’m not pissed off
about last night.”

“Wait, what?”
She leaned forward. “You inserted yourself into

this situation for me when I never asked you to.
Even though the girls are a bit crazy, I was okay
with the plan. Your brother made me comfortable,
actually, and he also gave me an out. You butted
into something that was none of your business.”
Kelly shook her finger at me. “So, don’t think
you’re off the hook for that.”

“Well then, I take it you’re not interested in

making me part of your plan.”

Her eye twitched. “What?”
The waiter interrupted. “Here’s your coffee,

and your food is coming right out behind me.”

Kelly looked up at him. “Oh, thank you. Do

you have cream and sugar as well?”

“It’s coming with the food, ma’am. He should

be--.”

Another waiter popped up. “Cajun chicken

pasta and a slice of carrot cake?”

I raised my hand. “That’s me.”
Kelly reached for the cream and sugar. “The

rest of it is mine. Thank you so much.”

“You two need anything else?”
She looked at me. “We might need a body bag.

I’m still debating.”

The waiters both glanced at me and tried to

bury their smiles.

“Well, if there’s anything we can do, just let us

know.”

I nodded. “Appreciate it. Thanks.”
They both cast me a ‘we get it’ look before

gathering their things. And while the food in front
of me smelled good, I wasn’t the least bit interested
in eating. Kelly didn’t look upset. Her face didn’t
register anything akin to anger. So, was she really
angry at me?

Or, really good at covering it up?
“Kelly, I--.”
She picked up her fork. “Spit out your plan so I

can eat.”

I sighed. “Kelly, we’ve known each other

forever. You, me, Zane, and Roxy. That’s how it’s
always been, ever since college.”

She stabbed her lettuce. “I know.”
“So, why in the world would you be asking

something so important from someone you just
met?”

“Well, Clint did come highly recommended by

two girls I trust.”

I felt my heart slide to my knees as she

chomped away on her salad.

“Karina and Roxy told you to go for him?” I

asked.

She nodded. “Yep. They did.”
“And you trusted them with that?”
“Yep. I did and still do.”
“So, you’re still contemplating this with Clint?”
She sipped her coffee. “Honestly? I didn’t

realize my virginity was such a prized possession to
others. Now that I have choices, why not explore
them?”

I snickered. “That’s not really like you.”
“Everyone else does it. Why can’t I?”
“Because you’re different.”
“Different, how?”
I shook my head. “You’re… decent, Kelly.”
She paused. “What?”
I pushed my food away. “You’re decent. You’re

good. You’ve got a great head on your shoulders,
and you’re destined to do great things with it.
You’re more than what you put out. You offer more
than good looks and witty banter.”

“You think I look good?”
“Any man who isn’t blind thinks you look good.

Men stare at you all the time. Don’t you see it?”

She cocked her head. “They do?”
I sighed. “Fucking hell, you’re serious right

now.”

“I don’t get it.”
I scoffed. “Kelly, you’re a fucking bombshell.

Why do you think I asked you out so many times in
college? You’re smart and capable, and hot as hell.
Which is why I’m putting my bid on the table, so to
speak.”

She set her coffee down. “Say I’m considering

it. What’s your plan?”

Bingo. “The plan is for me to do what Clint said

he’d do. I’ll take your virginity. We can wrap it up
on a date or on a vacation weekend. We can go
anywhere, book a hotel suite in any place, or even
do it in the comfort of your own bed. But, at the
very least, you should entertain someone you know.
Someone you trust. Not some random guy that
comes recommended by Roxy and Karina.”

Her eyes studied me. “Do you know why I

never said ‘yes’ to you in college?”

“What?”

“Whenever you asked me out, and I always

said ‘no,’ did you ever figure out why?”

I licked my lips. “Actually, no. I never did.”
She sighed. “It’s because you were always

surrounded by women, Brenden.”

“I mean, I’ve always been a handsome devil.”
“And a player.”
I almost swallowed my tongue. “What?”
“You’re a player, Brenden. A heart breaker.

You cycle through women like popsicles, and when
you’re done with them, they never hear from you
again.”

“Kelly, you have my word that we’d remain

friends. Nothing would change between us.”

“Except everything would change. That was the

great thing about Clint. I had nothing with him, not
even a friendship. So, there’s no getting awkward
whenever he’s around because I’m not friends with
him. So, he’d never be around.”

“He’ll be around now that he’s working with

Zane and me.”

“But, we never hang out. And I don’t suspect

we will. That was the allure of Clint. One night,
very casual, as much bumbling around as I need to
get the job done, and then we part ways.”

“Is that really what you want, though? Because

this doesn’t sound at all like you.”

“None of this sounds like me, Brenden!”
She said it so loudly that the restaurant hushed

to a low whisper. I looked around and saw people
staring at us as Kelly locked her heated gaze with
my face. I drew in a deep breath and forgot about
my food. I reached for my water, wishing to God on
high I’d ordered that whiskey instead. And after
taking a small sip, I gathered my thoughts.

Don’t fuck this up. “Kelly, I--.”
“Save it, because I’ll make this really easy on

both of us.”

“Fair enough.”
“I’d be too nervous with you, Brenden.”
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
She took another bite of her salad. “Hooking up

with Clint was the ultimate package. I didn’t know
him, I’d never seen him, I didn’t have an
established relationship with him. So, if I screwed
something up or tooted on him in the process or did
any number of things I’m sure will eventually
happen, there’s no harm involved.”

I blinked. “Farting happens during sex,

sometimes. It’s normal.”

She glared at me. “Let me finish.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “With you, things would have to

be forced. I’d be too nervous with you because of
our history and because of our friendship. And
forcing sex for the sake of having sex doesn’t
sound fun.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“I mean, I don’t get why it’s such a big deal

anyway. I don’t get why guys can’t just go on dates
with women and be okay with cuddling and heavy
petting and making out. I don’t get why they have
to have sex in order to establish a relationship with
a woman, nor do I understand why they struggle to
tell a girl ‘hey, I’m just looking for sex.’ That
statement alone would’ve saved me a lot of
heartache over the years.”

“I’m so sorry, Kelly.”
“My point is, I think Roxy is right. As much as I

hate the idea of just giving this to someone for the
sake of doing it, it would make me more
comfortable around men. If I lose my virginity, I
could start telling guys, ‘I just don’t have sex until
later on in things’ instead of saying ‘I don’t have
sex at all.’”

“Or, and this is a novel thought, you could

simply tell them you want more than sex.”

She snickered. “I do. And they lead me on

anyway. Until they figure out they can’t get sex
from me because I’m a virgin, and then they leave.
And the cycle starts all over again.”

“So, explain to me why losing your virginity to

some random guy rather than someone you know is
going to help you with that situation.”

“Because throughout all of this, everyone

seems to be focused on the fact that this is for
someone else. When really, it’s for me.”

I paused. “So, you really do want to lose it.”
She nodded. “I do. But, guys never stick around

long enough to prove to me whether or not they’re
worth giving it to. And from the small interaction I
had with Clint last night, he proved more to me in
that regard than any man has. Including you.”

That hurt more than I wanted to admit. Her

words cut deeper than I would have imagined. And
I found myself swallowing a knot in my throat as I
reached for my water glass to chug.

And chug.
And chug.
“You okay?” Kelly asked.
I shrugged. “I’ll get there, sure.”
“It’s not meant as an attack, Brenden. But, I

also don’t think you understand how you come off
to other people.”

“Well, I do now.”
She reached for her coffee. “The idea of having

sex is petrifying to me. For anyone, that would be
enough to go through with it. Just to get the fear out
of the way and feel bolder proceeding back into the
dating world. But, for me? It’s more. It finally feels
like I’ve got control over that unknown part of me.
I had control over it. Control Clint gave to me last
night until you took that away. He gave me control,
and you removed it.”

“I get it, Kelly.”
“Do you really, though? Because you don’t

look like you do.”

I clenched my jaw. “I didn’t realize it would

piss you off so much. I’m sorry. I really am.”

“So, who spilled the beans to you last night?

My sister?”

“No, actually.”
“So, it was Karina? Or Zane? She told Zane?”
“I really don’t want to tell you who told me.”
She nodded slowly. “Clint said something.”
“I mean after we poked and prodded him,

yeah.”

“How much poking and prodding?”
I closed my eyes. “We only asked him a

question, and he answered honestly.”

“Ah.”
My eyes whipped open. “He is a good man.

He’s an honest man. But, his honesty sometimes
comes at an emotional cost to others.”

“I… don’t really know what to do with that

information.”

“Kelly, you have to believe me. Last night

wasn’t meant to hurt you. None of this right now is
to hurt you, either. I just--.”

Her eyes found mine, and all I wanted to do

was take her in my arms.

“I just wanted to give you time to make sure

you were making the right call,” I said.

Her eyes grew sad. “What was your plan?”
“Does it matter?”

“More curious than anything. Say I went along

and said ‘yes’ to you, what was your plan?”

I slumped back, defeated. “I was going to

suggest that we make things as comfortable for you
as possible. I figured that, if you really had waited
this long, maybe the context of marriage might help
things.”

Her eyes widened. “You were going to suggest-

-.”

“Not actually get married, Kelly. Come on.”
“Oh.”
“But, there are plenty of chapels around here I

could’ve paid to do some sort of a fake ceremony.
Something to relax us and get us to laugh. Then, I
was going to suggest we book a honeymoon suite
for a long weekend. Have lots of comfort food,
drink nice wine. Maybe enjoy the sun setting over
the Vegas skyline. You know, make things romantic
before we started exploring. And since we were in
it for a long weekend, we could take it at your
pace. If you didn’t want to get right down to things,
we could take a night or two to warm up, so to
speak.”

She sighed. “That… actually sounds kind of

nice.”

I shrugged. “I thought so.”
Silence fell between us as my food officially

went cold.

“Kelly, I’m not as cold-hearted as you--.”

“I don’t think you’re--.”
“Let me finish.”
She nodded. “Sorry.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not as cold-

hearted as everyone thinks. I just don’t enjoy being
alone. It sucks, being alone. Waking up alone.
Doing everything alone. Even more so, now that
Zane has Karina. I know people see me as the party
guy. As the one with no rules, or whatever. But, all
I try to do is bring light and laughter to those
around me. That’s all I want to do. That’s all I wish
to do for a woman someday if she can ever look
past my goofy demeanor and my checkbook.”

“I didn’t know, Brenden.”
I waved my hand in the air. “We all have our

struggles and our demons. This is one of yours. But,
just so you know, I’m still offering that plan.”

“You--you are?”
I nodded. “It’s still out there, just for you. It’ll

be two friends making one another as comfortable
as possible before I take your hand and usher you
through something that’s beautiful, and magical,
and sweaty, and bumbling, and filled with love.”

“Love?”
Her voice was so soft, and I wondered what it

might feel like against the shell of my ear.

“The champagne in the honeymoon suite will

also help.”

She snickered. “Really, Brenden?”

I grinned. “Hey, alcohol always helps any

situation.”

“Or hinders, depending on what side of the

fence you’re sitting on.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Her eyes fell to her lap. “Well, you better set it

up perfectly because I’m not going to be stuck with
you for an eternity.”

Did I hear her right? “Come again?”
Her gaze found my stare. “I said, you make

sure to set this up correctly. I don’t want to end up
married to you after this is all said and done.”

“Wait, are you saying…?”
She nodded. “I hope you can deliver, too.

Because I heard some insane stories about Clint last
night.”

I smiled brightly. “I promise you I could outdo

all of them before the weekend is out.”

“I don’t know. It sounds like you might need a

full week to do that.”

“You name the time frame, and I’ll make it

happen.”

She nodded softly. “One week of your time, in a

honeymoon suite, complete with the fake marriage
ceremony. And champagne. The good kind, too.”

And without hesitating, I sealed my precious

fate.

“Done.”

Kelly

A Week Later (Friday)

stared at Roxy as she came out of her
bedroom. The black dress she wore fell off
her shoulders and accented the sparkling

diamond necklace that settled itself perfectly
against her bosom. The white belt around her waist
accented the curves I was very envious of, and her
long legs poured forth from beneath the flowing
black skirt that danced with intricate white flowers
sewn into the skirt itself. Her diamond bracelet
matched her necklace, a set she got two years ago
from our father on her birthday. And as her heels
clicked across the floor towards me, the wonderful
berry smell of her body spray wafted up my nose.

“I’m pretty sure the rule isn’t to outshine the

bride,” I said.

She smirked. “Well, get married for real one

day, and I won’t try to.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, like that’s going to

ever happen at this rate.”

“Hey, you’ve got a man fake marrying you

today. That’s more than what I’ve ever gotten.”

“Says the girl who’s gotten more gifts from men

than from our own damn father.”

She looked down at my bag. “That’s all you

need?”

I peeked at it. “What?”
“You’ve only got two.”
“Well, yeah. Why?”
“You’re going to be in a penthouse honeymoon

suite for a week, Kelly. You need more than two
bags.”

“I’m pretty sure the point is to be in as little

clothes as possible for the week. Right?”

She grinned. “You freaky little thing, you.”
“What?! Roxy, the whole point of this--.”
“Girl, I’m just messin’ with you.”
But, it didn’t stop her from putting her hands on

my shoulders and looking directly into my eyes.

“Don’t ask again. I’m tired of answering the

question,” I said.

“One more time. For me, okay?” she asked.
“Fine. Ask.”

“Are you sure, without a shadow of a doubt,

this is what you want?”

I nodded. “Yes. It is.”
“And you don’t have any reservations?”
“None whatsoever.”
“And you two have talked about this?

Extensively?”

“All this past week, every single day, and

sometimes multiple times a day. He didn’t make a
single decision without asking me first.”

“And you’re sure about that?”
I sighed. “He did say he was going to get me a

wedding present, whatever that means.”

“But you don’t know what that is?”
“Roxy, I trust him enough to let him surprise me

with some stupid gift. Okay?”

She cupped my cheek, playfully sniffling. “My

little girl’s growing up so fast.”

I shrugged her off. “I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“I hope you get hit by a car.”
“I knew you loved me.”
I walked over to my closet. “I hope you scuff

your heels today, walking down that aisle.”

She gasped. “Why, I never in all my life--.”
I started laughing. “Get over here and help me

figure out what the hell I’m going to wear today.”

Roxy started rifling through my clothes. “Well,

think of it this way: after all of this is over, you’ll be

ready to move forward and find a guy you can be
confident in having a relationship with.”

“This has nothing to do with men. This has to

do with me. I’m tired of this fear, and this one little
thing controlling every decision I make with a man.
For once, I’d like to relax on a date. I’d like to not
lie to a guy when I say ‘I don’t have sex on the first
few dates’ without feeling like I’m withholding this
dirty little secret. I’m tired of carrying that weight
around.”

She held a pink dress up to me. “Well, I’m

proud of you.”

I held my arms out. “I think that’s a bit too

much.”

“Yeah, me too. Let’s try that navy blue one? Do

you still have it?”

“You don’t think that shows too much

boobage?”

Her face fell. “You’re getting fake married so

you can get for-real laid. No such thing as ‘too
much boobage’ for something like this.”

“Hey, I still want to be classy.”
“You don’t have anything white in here you

want to wear?”

I paused. “I feel like actually wearing white

might make it seem…”

“Too real?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She smiled softly. “I really am proud of you,

Kelly. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you take
charge of something other than your own fashion
line.”

I turned to face my closet. “You know what, I

think I still have that red dress. The strapless one?
Remember that?”

“Oh, girl. Red on a wedding day. I’m all about

it.”

As the two of us dug through my extensive

closet, I tried to shove my thoughts off to the side.
But I couldn't help but remember what might have
been with Brenden and myself. I’d been harboring
that crush on him for years now. Ever since I first
met him. It was my freshman year in college. All
that time, I had hoped and prayed that his eyes
might finally turn my way. That he’d cast off his
womanizing ways and finally see me for what I
was: a girl who’s head over heels for him and wants
nothing but to make him happy.

But, if this was all I’d ever get off him, I’d take

it.

“Found it!” Roxy exclaimed.
She pulled the red strapless dress out of my

closet, and I smiled. That was it. That was my dress
for the night. No bra required, and I could surprise
Brenden by not wearing panties, either. I had
matching red heels with bows on the back that
would be too cute with the dress as well as a set of
real onyx jewelry Mom had gotten me for my

sixteenth birthday.

The ensemble was perfect.
“I could keep the makeup tapered down, too,

with something like this,” I said.

Roxy tossed the dress onto my bed. “Got that

onyx set Mom gave you?”

I nodded. “I was just thinking about it.”
“Always in sync, you and I.”
I paused. “Why did you say that in the tone you

just did?”

“What? What tone?”
I slowly turned around. “Don’t give me that

shit. You had a tone to your voice. Like, I don't
know. Like something was ending.”

“Girl, you really don’t think I know how you

feel about Brenden?”

I froze. “What?”
She giggled. “You’ve been in love with that

man for years. Trust me, your doing this deal with
him doesn’t shock me in the slightest. I was just
kind of hoping you wouldn’t do this to yourself.”

“I’m not following.”
She sighed. “I know you, Kelly. You’re going to

do this, and you’re going to fall even harder, and
he’s just going to go back to being your friend, and
it’s going to break you.”

“Can you give me a bit more credit than that?”
“No, I can’t. Because I see how you light up

whenever you’re around him, and how distraught

you look when he walks in with some new girl. I
see you compare yourself to her. I see those cogs
turn every time he turns up with some new flavor.
He hurts you over and over. And he’ll hurt you
again. It’s why I wanted you to do this with Clint.”

“Well, thanks for that update now.”
“Kelly, I--.”
I waved her way. “I’ve got this. I’ll see you at

the chapel. And you can text Karina to make sure
she’s got the address?”

“She’s actually downstairs, waiting for us?”
My head popped up. “What?”
“I kind of rented you a surprise limo to take all

three of us to the chapel. You know, to have a bit of
fun and really make it feel… real.”

I wish it were real. “I appreciate that. Thank

you.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then. You’ve got around an

hour before we have to head out. I’ll take all two of
your bags downstairs.”

“Thanks.”
Everything was a blur. Slipping into my dress

seemed more like a motion than a moment. Pulling
my hair back seemed more like a requirement than
a picture-perfect idea. Roxy’s words kept turning
over in my head. Even after I slipped into my heels.
Even after Karina shoved a flute of champagne into
my hand. Even after we arrived at the chapel. Even
after we got out and got ourselves positioned.

It wasn’t until Roxy kissed my cheek that I

snapped out of it.

“You’ve got this. You're in control. Never forget

that,” she whispered.

My eyes danced around the wedding chapel,

and it made me snicker. Twinkling snowflakes hung
on strings as if it were snowing. I looked down at
the carpet that my heels settled into, and it was a
crisp, clean white. Something blinked in the corner
of my eye, and I turned my head, smiling brightly at
the white Christmas tree that twinkled with warm
lights.

“Christmas,” I whispered.
“Your favorite.”
Brenden’s voice dawned upon my ears, and

every single part of me woke up. Every time he
entered a room, I felt more alive than before. I
smiled at him as he approached me, and I couldn't
take my eyes off him. The white tuxedo jacket he
wore contrasted with the black pants he picked out.
His brown eyes sparkled with yellow flakes, and,
somehow, my red dress brought out the dark auburn
highlights of his hair.

I grinned. “I thought the groom wasn’t

supposed to see the bride until the wedding.”

He offered me his arm. “She’s not supposed to

walk down her wedding aisle alone, either.”

My heart skipped a beat as I threaded my arm

around his. But, when the music started playing, I

snickered. I rolled my ruby red lips around my
teeth, trying so hard not to laugh. However, as I
watched Karina and Roxy process down the white-
carpeted aisle to the Whoville song from The
Grinch, I couldn't contain myself.

I bent forward as laughter fell from my lips.
“Yah-hoo-ray-moo-blah-dee-doo-poo-

Welcome-Christmas-something-else!”

Brenden sang the made up words at the top of

his lungs as he helped me upright, then the two of
us moved down the aisle. I rested against him,
seeking out his strength as Karina and Roxy
cackled at the end of the aisle. Because right there,
before my very eyes, stood the old man who was
ready to marry us.

And he was dressed like fucking Santa Claus.
“Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Wedding Day!”
My head fell back as I started wheezing, I was

laughing so hard.

“Skip to the good stuff, Mr. Claus. I’m ready to

make this woman mine,” Brenden said.

I snorted. “I’m sure you are.”
He growled softly, and it stirred something

within me. Something that had laid dormant for so
very, very long. I clung to him as Santa Claus
laughed with his ‘ho ho’’s and recited the
traditional wedding vows.

Then, Brenden looked down at me.
“I do,” he said.

Wait, did I miss it?
“And do you, Miss Kelly Brown--.”
Roxy whispered. “Crown.”
“Oh, oh. Yes. My apologies. Do you, Miss Kelly

Crown, take Brenden Hearthstone to be your
lawfully wedded husband?”

I smiled. “I do.”
Santa snapped his Bible closed. “Then, by the

power vested in me by the State of Nevada and
Father Time Himself, I pronounce you man and
wife! You can kiss your bride, Mr. Hearthstone.”

I had prepared myself for many things: sleeping

with Brenden, having to part ways after the week,
simply going back to being friends. But, I hadn’t
prepared myself for our first kiss. His eyes closed,
and I watched his perfect lips come down to mine. I
felt my knees weakening, and I braced myself for
impact, leaning softly against him. His arms cloaked
my back. His strength held me up. And when his
lips touched my own, fireworks burst in my mind.

I’m in deep, deep, deep shit.
I almost moaned against his lips. But, the

second I felt my legs flying out from underneath
me, I squealed. My bouquet of fake roses fell to the
ground as Brenden carried me up the aisle while
that stupid Whoville song kept playing over the
loudspeakers. The girls clapped, and Zane whistled
from the back row. I didn’t even realize he was
there until we passed by him, and I heard his

laughter. All I knew was Brenden’s warmth against
me. All I smelled was his oaky cologne, robust and
earthy. Pulling me in as he walked me out of the
chapel and towards his car.

“Where to next?” I asked.
He set me down onto my feet. “To our wedding

reception, of course.”

I paused. “Wait, our what?”
He opened his car door. “We’re all going to

dinner for our reception. We’re even going to have
a little dance. And I suggest you fill that stomach of
yours because you’re going to need the energy.”

And as I dipped myself down into his car,

electricity buzzed through my body. I was ready for
it. I was ready for him. Come hell, or high water, or
even a broken heart.

“Wait, wait, wait!” a woman cried out.
Brenden looked behind him as I peeked around

his body, only to see a pudgy woman making her
way down the stairs in heels that were much too big
for her feet.

“My apologies. I’m so sorry. I just need your

signatures on these documents, and we’ll be ready
to go!” the woman exclaimed.

I furrowed my brow. “What documents?”
Brenden plucked the pen from the woman.

“The waiver that states this isn’t actually real.”

The woman paused. “Wait, what?”
I held up my finger. “Why does she seem so

confused?”

He handed me the pen. “Just sign at the bottom.

I’ve already dated it for you.”

I looked over at the woman, and she quickly

put a smile back on her face. I wasn’t so sure about
everything, though.

“Just here, at the bottom,” she said.
I looked up at Brenden, and he smiled at me.

And his smile melted my insides enough to go
ahead and get the waiver signed. I scribbled my
name on the paper before reaching for his coat.
Then, I pulled him into the car beside me.

“Come on, handsome. We’ve got a reception to

get to,” I said.

The woman waved at us. “Have fun!

Congratulations!”

And even as Brenden pressed another kiss

against my lips, the smallest part of me wondered
why her ‘congratulations’ seemed so…

So…
Sincere.

“C

Brenden

ome on. Let me at ‘em,” I said.

Kelly backed up. “No, no, no.

You've carried me enough places.”

“And what kind of man would I be if I didn’t

carry you across the threshold of our honeymoon
suite?”

“You’d be the exact kind of man you were

before all of this happened. Trust me, I’m hooked.
You’ve got me on the line.”

I grinned. “That doesn’t mean I can’t spoil you,

though. I mean, what newly-wedded man doesn’t
want to spoil his wife?”

She sighed playfully. “Well, if you’re insisting.”
She jumped with a squeal, and I caught her as

the elevator doors opened. The carpeted flooring
ushered us down the empty hallway before two
men standing on either side of the doors opened
them for us. The sweet smell of wildflowers wafted
up my nose, but it was nothing compared to the
wondrous perfume Kelly decided to wear for our
fake wedding day.

I was ready to devour her.
“Welcome to your honeymoon suite,” I said.
She gasped. “Holy shit, Brenden. This is

amazing.”

I set her down. “Only the best for my bride.”
I looked back and nodded for the two men to

close the doors. Then, I turned back and watched
Kelly walk into the middle of the living room. The
grand foyer greeted us with a crystal chandelier and
a round, handmade wooden table topped with a
large vase of wildflowers. Sprinkled with fake
snow, just as I requested. I smiled as Kelly took in
the sights. The double french doors that led out to a
private terrace with a pool and a hot tub. The plush
furniture with ornate wooden outlines that made it
not only fashionable but sturdy. I walked over to
the bottle of champagne resting in an iced silver tin
on top of the minibar. I popped it open and poured
us two flutes of champagne, then carried one over
to her.

I stood beside her as she gazed through the

floor-to-ceiling windows and surveyed the expanse

of Las Vegas.

“Wow,” she whispered.
I sipped my drink, grinning. “You like?”
She shook her head. “It’s… incredible up here.”
“I know.”
“The view is beautiful.”
My eyes fell down her body. “I know that, too.”
She looked over at me and swatted me

playfully, but I meant what I said. That damn red
dress she had on hugged her in all the right places.
Her heels accented her long, slender legs. Legs I
couldn't wait to feel wrapped around my waist. Her
hair was pulled back in a tight bun I wanted to let
down so I could run my fingers through it.

She looked like my own little slice of heaven.
And I was ready to indulge.
“To us, for the week,” Kelly said.
Her voice ripped me from my trance. “To us,

for the week.”

Then, we clinked our glasses together and took

our first sip alongside one another in our
honeymoon suite.

DIDN

’

EXP ECT

ANYTHING

HAP P EN

THE

FIRST

night. With the ceremony and the dinner and the
live band that played music for us until we couldn’t

dance a second longer, I knew we’d both be tired.
But, I didn’t realize we’d both fall asleep in our
wedding clothes because of it. My eyes fell open as
sunlight drifted through the massive tinted
windows. I raised myself up, groaning when I saw
the wrinkles in my pants and my tuxedo jacket.

“So much for no dry cleaning,” I murmured.
Then, I felt someone stir beside me.
My eyes drifted over to her, and I couldn't have

beheld a more beautiful sight. With her hair
covering her face and one heel cast off her foot,
Kelly’s dress had rolled up to just beneath her ass
cheeks. Part of me wanted to reach out and rub
those smooth, porcelain legs of hers. But, I kept my
cool. I kept myself in check. Because she was in
charge of it, and I promised myself I’d move at her
pace.

And while last night was wonderful, she hadn’t

made a move.

So, neither did I.
“Mmmm, morning,” she murmured.
She rolled over onto her back and stared up at

the ceiling.

“Morning, gorgeous. You hungry?”
She giggled. “I’m always hungry.”
“Noted. Do you want me to order something

from room service?”

She paused. “Actually, can we go downstairs

and eat? I think I saw something down there last

night. Like a… cafe, or something?”

“The Bellagio has both. A cafe and a restaurant

that serves the same menu room service does for
the hotel.”

She looked over at me. “Can we do that?”
I leaned down, capturing her lips softly. “We

can do whatever you want.”

I nuzzled my nose against hers, feeling her sigh

softly against my lips. I pressed mine softly against
hers again, needing more of her than I ever thought
possible. I wanted to feel her. All of her. I wanted
to invade her and hear her moan. I wanted her to
cling to my hair with my face buried between her
legs. I wanted to show her things no man ever
could. Not even my fucking brother.

I wanted to take her right then. Just wake her

up with my cock and a nice orgasm to get our
hunger flowing.

But again, I resisted.
“You don’t taste so terrible first thing in the

morning,” she said.

I chuckled. “I’ll take the compliments wherever

I can get them.”

She leaned up. “Come on. Let’s get changed.

I’m not wearing these heels a second longer.”

The two of us got dressed in more comfortable

clothes, then we made our way down to the
restaurant. I had no idea a woman could look so
beautiful in an oversized sweater and shorts, but

damn it, Kelly was breathtaking. With her hair up in
a messy bun and no makeup on her face, she was
the epitome of perfection.

And after we ordered our coffee and food, I

took her hand from across the table.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“You know, I actually feel okay.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m glad. That makes me

happy.”

“You’ve made me feel very comfortable. Thank

you for that.”

“That’s the goal, Kelly. That’s how I want you

to feel through every step of this process.”

She nodded. “I’ll be able to talk more after

caffeine.”

I grinned. “Not a morning person?”
“Never.”
“I’m usually not, either.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “But you are this

morning?”

I shrugged. “I woke up with a beautiful woman

next to me. So, sue me if I’m already up and ready
to go.”

“Hope you wore some baggy pants, then.”
I chuckled. “You’re cute, you know that?”
She blushed, and it only added to her beauty.

Damn it, that woman was hotter than anyone gave
her credit for. Including myself. It seemed like
everything had simply fallen into place. Not that I

hadn’t worked to make it that way. But, I still
expected to drag myself through hesitant
conversations with Kelly before it all took place.
She seemed relaxed, though. When she told me she
felt okay, I actually believed her.

Like we’re made for each other.
I shoved the thought away. “What are you most

excited about after all this?”

Our coffee came, and she fixed hers up before

taking a long pull.

“Honestly? I’m ready to hit the dating scene

after all of this. You know, take this newfound
confidence for a spin.”

That shut down my thoughts quickly. And

honestly? I was glad. The last thing I needed was to
see it as more than it was.

An agreement between two friends.
“I bet you are,” I said. “Got any guys in mind?”
She shrugged. “Not really. After my last date, I

deactivated all of my online dating apps. But,
maybe I’ll open a couple of them back up.”

“How many do you have?”
She paused. “Five.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “You have five

dating apps on your phone, and you haven’t found
someone yet? How the hell is that possible?”

She giggled. “That’s what I’ve been telling

everyone. I don’t get it.”

“I don't get it either, now.”

Our food came to the table, and things fell silent

between us. I was much hungrier than I anticipated,
and I practically wolfed down my food. Whereas
Kelly was cutting things up with her fork and her
knife before taking the smallest, cutest little bites
I’d ever seen anyone take.

“Huh,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering about something.”
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I could’ve sworn this came with a cinnamon

roll. I was going to split it with you.”

I stood from my seat. “One cinnamon roll

coming up.”

“Oh, Brenden. You don’t have t--.”
I held out my hand. “What my bride wants, she

gets. Give me five minutes.”

She smiled. “Okay. Sounds good.”
I walked my happy ass over to the waiter and

tapped him on the shoulder. After offering up my
grievance, he apologized profusely and went to go
check the kitchen. But, when I turned back around
to approach Kelly, I was hit with something I’d
never felt before.

A wave washed over me, threatening to drag

me under. Like a rip current with a small child in its
grasp. I tried to fight it. I tried to stuff down the
urge. But, when my eyes settled on Kelly in her
short little shorts with her long legs dangling, and

her oversized sweater falling off her shoulder with
little wisps of hair tickling her eyes so much that
she brushed them out of the way… I found myself
entranced.

I’m in deep, deep, deep shit.
I strode to get back to the table. I carved out a

pathway through the crowd to get back to Kelly.
My bride. Well, not really my bride. But, for the
next week, she was. And I wanted to treat her with
all the honor and respect a wife should have from
her husband. Someone cut me off, though. They
slipped in front of me with a silver tray balanced on
their fingertips with a white envelope gracing the
top. The cut-off was enough to throw me off my
rhythm, and I almost tripped over my own two feet.

Until I saw the man with the silver tray headed

for Kelly.

Until I saw him usher the tray in front of her

face.

Until I saw her eyes study the envelope before

her face turned white.

And the panic in her eyes was enough to feed

me with the strength I needed to get back to her.

“Y

Kelly

our wedding certificate, ma’am.”

I stared down at the silver tray

holding the white envelope.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked.
“Your wedding certificate. I was instructed to

make sure you obtained the certified copy sent to
our front desk earlier this morning.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “Th-th-th-

th--the what?”

I looked up at the very confused man before he

motioned with his head down to the envelope. I
plucked it from the tray with my fingertips and held
it in front of me. Mrs. Kelly Hearthstone. The damn
envelope

was

addressed

‘Mrs.

Kelly

Hearthstone’. And as my trembling fingertips
pressed the golden seal upward, I felt my heart drop
to my stomach.

This is some kind of joke, right?
I heard scuffling beside me before shadows laid

across my body. I didn’t pay attention, though. The
only thing I focused on was sliding those pristine
papers out of their confines. My eyes danced across
the top of the first page, and I recognized the
document. It was the waiver I had been instructed
to sign last night. I couldn't catch my breath. I
replayed that scene over and over in my mind’s
eye.

Congratulations!
“That’s why she seemed so sincere,” I

whispered.

I looked back down at the paperwork as I felt

my body being shifted in my seat. I felt my arm
press against the wall before something warm
wrapped around me. A soft kiss was pressed to my
temple, but it didn't pull me out of my trance.
Because right there, at the top right-hand corner,
was the official City of Las Vegas raised, embossed
stamp.

Holy shit. The papers were real.
“What is it beautiful? Talk to me,” Brenden

whispered in my ear.

But, all I could do was show him the papers. I

couldn't get my lips to start working with me.

“Bre--Brend--it--they’re, uh…”
His hand pulled from around me as he took the

papers from my hands. I lifted my eyes and stared
off at the wall on the other side of the restaurant
while our food grew cold. I couldn't think straight. I
couldn't see straight. It felt like I had dropped into
another dimension. I felt Brenden tense beside me
before he slammed the papers down against the
booth table.

And finally, something startled me out of my

trance.

“We’re married,” I breathed.
He ripped his phone out. “There has to be a

mistake. There’s no way.”

I slowly looked over at him. “Look at the

stamp.”

He held the phone to his ear. “Come on,

assholes. Pick up.”

I placed my hand on his thigh. “Brenden. Look.

At the stamp.”

I watched his eyes fall to the glossy stamp at

the top of those stapled papers. He let out the
breath he had been holding.

“They aren’t picking up. We have to go see

them. Now. There’s clearly been a mistake.”

He took my hand and pulled me from the booth.

I snatched up the papers just in time as we
abandoned our breakfast and headed straight for
the doors of the Bellagio. He whistled for a cab,

and one screeched to a stop in front of us. Then, we
practically shoved our way inside.

“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Pristine Angel Wedding Chapel. As quickly as

you can,” Brenden said.

The driver chuckled, and I wanted to wring his

neck. It wasn’t funny. None of it was funny. None
of it was supposed to be real! And yet, there I was,
clutching papers that apparently proclaimed the
fact that we’d actually gotten married the night
before!

I felt myself growing sick.
“I can’t--I can’t breathe.”
He rubbed my back. “It’s okay. We’ll get this

sorted out.”

I placed my hand over my heart. “I can’t--it--

oh, God. I can’t--.”

“Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh. In through your nose, and out

through your--.”

“That shit doesn’t work, Brenden! It never

works!”

His hand fisted my hair, and he pulled my eyes

to meet his. The command of his touch forced my
lungs to inhale. He glared down into my eyes
before they softened. I felt his hand relinquishing
my tendrils, but something in the pit of my gut
didn’t want him to.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He softly kissed my forehead. “Just focus on

me until we can get this sorted out.”

He massaged my scalp with his fingertips, and

my eyes fell closed. The motions were relaxing, and
I felt myself melting against his side. He wrapped
his arms around me and pulled me into his lap,
doing everything in his power to calm me down. It
was cute. It was romantic. It was caring.

It wasn’t at all like the Brenden I knew.
All too soon, the cab ride was over, though.

And the two of us tore out from the back seat.
Brenden practically threw money at the cab driver
to make sure he stayed put. Then, he tugged me up
the steps and inside the small chapel. I stood there
as he headed for the receptionist’s desk. The place
looked so… different, now. There were no
snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. There was no
plush, white carpet. The Christmas tree in the
corner with twinkling lights had been taken down,
and in its place was some fake rose bush that
looked like it needed some serious sprucing up.

Or, a replacement.
“This isn’t the wedding of my dreams,” I

whispered.

And as tears rushed my eyes, I heard Brenden

incessantly ringing a bell off in the distance.

“Excuse me. I need to talk to somebody. Now!”

he roared.

A man scurried into the foyer, and I recognized

him. Santa Claus. The young, rosy-cheeked man

that had actually married us last night didn’t look a
damn thing like Santa Claus. Which hurt, for some
reason.

Everything hurt, for some reason.
“What

happened

last

night?”

Brenden

glowered.

I walked over to his side as the man stumbled

over his words.

“Well, there was a bit of a mix-up with the

paperwork. But, but it is my duty to deliver
certified copies of--.”

Brenden shoved the paperwork against the

man’s chest. “Where the fuck was the waiver!?
How did this get mixed up!? How did our
information get on this paperwork if we didn’t even
fill it out!?”

I rubbed his chest. “Try to take some deep

breaths.”

The man’s eyes grew sullen. “Look, Mr.

Hearthstone. The receptionist that helped you
coordinate all of this quit a few days ago. And we
tried to pull together everything we could. But, I
think my new receptionist got a bit confused last
night, and it just--.”

Brenden’s eyes grew hard. “Let me get this

straight: the woman I spent working and re-working
this fake wedding with for the past week and a half
quit, and you didn’t tell me?”

The man held up his hands. “I called her, and

she walked me through where everything was. She
was convinced this would go off without a hitch,
even if she didn’t work here any longer. That’s why
I didn’t panic about it.”

“You should have told me!”
“I’m so sorry, sir. I really, really am.”
“Look at those papers.”
The man swallowed. “Mr. Hearthstone--.”
“I said, look at them,” Brenden commanded.
The man sighed, but he looked down at the

papers. And the guilt that washed over his face
made me feel so bad for him.

“Does it look like things went off without a

hitch?” Brenden asked.

While the men continued to bicker back and

forth, I mindlessly pulled away from them both. I
wrapped around them and opened the small chapel
doors, taking stock of the plain atmosphere that
greeted me now. The wooden pews needed waxing
and filling. The stained taupe flooring felt
unforgiving beneath my flip flops. My eyes scaled
the walls, taking in the water damage that had
seeped in from the ceiling somewhere. And as my
eyes began to water, I slowly walked down that
aisle. All the way to the front.

I slowly turned around.
It wasn’t the beautiful church I saw myself

getting married in. There were no stained-glass
windows. There was no glorious pipe organ to play

processions. There wasn’t room to fit both sides of
our families or beautiful hardwood floors that could
be coated in rose petals. There was nothing in the
place. Nothing but faded memories, moldy walls,
and the faint smell of mildew hanging in the air.

I let the tears fall freely as I sat down, curling

my knees against my chest.

“Kelly?”
My lower lip quivered as Brenden walked down

the aisle to me.

“Kelly, can you hear me?”
I felt tears flooding my neck as I stared off into

nothingness.

“I think I’ve found a solution, Kelly.”
“I’m married,” I whispered.
He sat down next to me. “Not for long. We can

go to the courthouse on Monday and get this all
taken care of. We can file for an annulment. The
chapel owner has even given me a note signed by
him stating the mix-up.”

I felt the world spinning around me. “I didn’t

even have a decent dress.”

He rubbed my back. “We’re going to fix this.

I’m going to fix this for you. And once we annul
the marriage, it’ll be like it never happened. You
won’t have to report it if you file for another
marriage license. You won’t ever have to tell
anyone what--.”

I sniffled. “It won’t be the same.”

“Sure it will.”
I slowly looked over at him. “No. It won’t. And

I don’t expect you to get that.”

He sighed. “I’m so sorry, Kelly. I should’ve

been more attentive to what we were signing.”

“I knew something was wrong, with the way

that woman was talking. How sincere she seemed
in her congratulations. I should’ve had enough of a
backbone to stand up for myself.”

“Kelly, you couldn't have--.”
I shot up. “If I had any sort of a backbone, I

wouldn’t be struggling with a third of the things I
struggle with on a daily basis.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that. I can’t

stand that kind of talk.”

I spun around on him. “Yeah, well, get used to

it. Because until further notice, we’re married.
Which means your life, as well as mine, isn’t going
to ever be the same. Even if we do get this
annulled, or whatever.”

“I’m trying the best I can.”
“Well, it’s not good enough. This was a stupid

idea. I never should have agreed to it just to sleep
with you. I should’ve just told you how I felt, asked
you to take my virginity, and fucking left it at--.”

I felt something tug against my wrist before I

almost stumbled off my feet. And when I tripped, I
fell into the most comforting embrace I’d ever
experienced. My tears fell quickly. I sobbed against

his warm chest while his heart beat ticked against
my nose. I clung to his shirt, shivering as his arms
blanketed me. Trying to protect me from the harsh
reality of our existence.

“I know it hurts now, but I’ll do my best to get

us both laughing about this before Monday. You
have my word,” he murmured.

“My God, I’m married to you.”
He chuckled. “Could be worse.”
I peeked up at him. “How?”
He shrugged. “You could be married to Clint.”
And as a breathless giggle fell from my lips, he

crooked his finger beneath my chin.

“I’m going to fix this. Okay?”
I sniffled softly. “Okay.”
“Do you trust me?”
“I think so.”
He kissed my forehead. “Then, that’s enough

for now.”

And for some reason, his words comforted me.

Enabling me to breathe a little deeper as he ushered
me back down that aisle for the second time that
weekend.

1 0

Brenden

decided to give Kelly some space once we got
back to the honeymoon suite, but even
entering the penthouse with everything that

had happened seemed, well, off. She pulled away
from me completely and headed straight for the
balcony. Probably just to have some space and
think. So, I gave her the space she needed, and I
made my way into the bathroom.

I needed a hot-ass shower after all the

nonsense.

I stripped off my clothes and ran the water as

hot as I could stand it. I closed the door, letting the
steam wrap around me before I even stepped into
the glass-encasement. The shower could easily fit

four people at a time. I had planned on using it for
some serious fun, especially with the removable
showerhead it boasted. But, it seemed as if that
balloon had popped.

And when a soft knock came at the bathroom

door, I knew what was coming.

“Brenden?”
“Yep?” I said, rinsing the conditioner out of my

hair.

“Can I come in?”
“The shower is glass all around. So, you might

get an eye-full.”

She paused. “Oh.”
“But, if you want to open the door and talk that

way, we can.”

I heard the door ease open a bit as the hot water

battered against my red back.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Kelly said.
“I’m all ears.”
“Do you find it a little weird for us to be staying

in this place now? I mean, with everything that’s
happened?”

I shrugged. “Maybe a bit. But, I’m still down

for our agreement if you are.”

She snickered. “Of course.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Nothing. It means nothing.”
I turned off the water. “No, Kelly. It means

something. So, why don’t you tell me what it

means.”

“It means, of course, you’re still down for sex.

Never mind the emotional turmoil this is giving
me.”

“I said, I’m down if you are. Which means that

if you aren’t, then neither am I. It simply puts the
ball in your court. So, I’d appreciate it if you
stopped painting me as a terrible human being when
I did all of this to make you comfortable in the first
place.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault? Mr. I’m Going To

Get My Brother Drunk So She Doesn’t Sleep With
Him?”

“I was just looking out for you!”
“No, you were looking out for your own

interests. Never mind.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “If you want

to go home, I’ll take you home.”

She sighed. “Is that what you want?”
“Make a damn decision, Kelly. Grow that

backbone you were wailing about in the chapel.”

Silence fell between us, and I shook my head.
“I’m so sorry. I--.”
She clicked her tongue. “I’ll catch a ride back

to my place.”

I reached for a towel. “Let me at least--.”
“No. I’m good. I’ve got it.”
“Kelly, please.”
“I said, no!”

I halted my movements. “Okay. Okay, Kelly.

What do you want me to do?”

“Stay in this damn bathroom until I’m gone.”
I leaned against the wet shower wall. “Yeah. I

can do that.”

Stupid, stupid fucking idiot.
She closed the bathroom door, and I sank to the

floor. I heard her rummaging around in the
bedroom, probably gathering up all of her things. I
dug the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to
find a way out of it. Trying to find a way to salvage
the experience for her. I didn’t want her to leave
with that kind of impression. Not just of me, either.
I didn’t want her to leave with a frown on her face
because she deserved to smile.

Kelly deserved everything good in the world.
But, apparently, I wasn’t the good thing she

needed.

Did you really expect anything else, you

asshole?

“I’m heading downstairs!” Kelly called out.
I scrambled out of the shower and swung open

the bathroom door.

“Let me know when you get home safely?”
“Sure. I’ll have someone text you,” she said.
Then, with a slam of the front door, she was

gone.

“Fuck!” I roared.
I ripped the towel off me and started snatching

my things up. All of the money, gone. The entire
experience, ruined. Every surprise I had waiting for
her, lost. And none of it was refundable. Not that
the money mattered. But, if it was all there,
couldn’t we at least try to enjoy it? Sex didn’t even
have to be on the table. We could’ve just had the
experiences to try and distract ourselves for a little
bit!

“What Kelly wants, Kelly gets,” I murmured.
So, I stuffed my things into my suitcase and left.

I sure as hell didn’t want to stay in the place
without her.

Especially once I knew how wonderful it was to

wake up to her beside me.

I hailed a cab and took my idiotic ass back to

my place. But, the second I dropped my bags, I
realized I didn’t want to be there. I raced back
down to catch the cab as it pulled off before
hopping back inside, and I rattled off the address
for Zane’s place.

I needed some serious advice.
I stared out the window as the world passed me

by. It looked dull and dreary. Even the gray clouds
hanging low overhead boasted of the way I felt
inside. I blew it. I ruined everything. And I knew
there was no chance in hell Kelly would ever let me
make things up to her. I closed my eyes and sighed,
and I felt the cab slowly swaying side to side with
every turn the driver made. Then, my phone

vibrated against my leg.

And when I saw that I had a text from Zane, I

knew what he was about to say.

Zane: Why am I getting a text from Roxy

with instructions to tell you that Kelly made it
home safely.

I typed back quickly before shoving my phone

into my pocket.

Me: Be at your place in fifteen. I’ll talk then.
The driver pulled up to my brother’s estate, and

I paid him well for his efforts. But, when I turned
back towards the house, I saw Clint’s beat-up pick-
up truck in the driveway. Damn it, seriously? He
was here, too?

Time to suck it up, buttercup.
I made my way up the steps and let myself in. I

heard Zane and Clint talking in the kitchen, so I
made my way back there. When I entered the
room, they both fell quiet while I rummaged
around, trying to make myself a sandwich. But,
once I sat down with my food and a bottle of water,
I realized I wasn’t actually hungry.

“So…?” Zane asked.
Clint stared at me. “I take it things didn’t go

well.”

I smirked. “You know how the wedding was

supposed to be fake?”

Clint paused. “Uh, oh.”
Zane’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

I shook my head. “Apparently, the receptionist

I coordinated all of this with, quit a couple of days
before the ceremony. So, instead of signing off on
the waiver at the end of the ceremony, we signed
an actual marriage certificate.”

Zane cocked his head. “How the fuck did your

information get filled out on one of those things?”

Clint chuckled. “Holy fuck, you really did

yourself in this time.”

I glared at him. “Shut up.”
Zane leaned forward. “Seriously. How did it get

filled out?”

I shook my head. “The man told me that they

usually fill out the information themselves and just
have the couples sign because couples come in so
happy to get married that they don’t want to deal
with all the extra paperwork.”

Clint started laughing. “Holy shit, did she

change her name? Is her last name ‘Hearthstone’
now?”

I kicked him under the table. “This isn’t funny.

Kelly isn’t doing well with all of this.”

Zane grinned. “She’s married to you. Of course,

she isn’t doing well with this.”

I pointed at him. “Don’t you make fun of her

like that. She’s torn up about the whole thing. I’ve
robbed her of her perfect wedding, guys.”

Clint clapped my back. “Oh, come on. It’s not

like you knew that was happening?”

“If you don’t stop laughing, I’m going to--.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’d like to see you try, little

brother.”

Zane chuckled. “It is kinda funny. Once you

really think about it. I mean, how many times did
you ask that girl out in college? And it took
marrying her to even get you in the game?”

Clint threw his head back in laughter, but none

of it was funny. So, I sure as hell wasn't going to tell
them everything that was on my mind. Which were
the feelings I felt that morning when I woke up to
her at my side in bed. The spark of electricity that
ignited had stuck with me all damn day. And it
made me wonder how long I had been harboring
such deep feelings for Kelly.

Since college? Is that even possible?
“Well, first thing Monday, my ass is at that

courthouse. The man gave me all I needed to have
this shit taken care of, so that’s what I’m going to
do,” I told them.

Clint tried to catch his breath. “Holy hell, you

know what I just realized?”

Zane buried his smile. “What?”
I hardened my eyes against the profile of Clint’s

face. “Don’t you dare.”

He smiled at me. “You’re the old married guy

now.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I glowered.
“And again. I’d like to see you try.”

DAY

PASSED

BLUR

AND

ENDED

crashing at Zane’s place and woke up to people
laughing and talking in the backyard. The smell of
smoked brats and juicy hamburgers wafted up my
nose, and it drew me to the window in the guest
bedroom. I gazed down at the small crowd while
the smell of chips and dip made its way up to me. I
saw people cracking open sodas and beers. I saw a
bartender slinging cocktails and hard liquors
around. And there was Zane, manning his grill.

Who the fuck threw a cookout after something

like that?

Still, I dragged myself into the shower and tried

to clean up. I stole some of Zane’s more casual
clothes, so I didn’t wear my outfit from yesterday,
and I made my way downstairs. I gazed out over
the backyard full of people while I chugged down
some lukewarm coffee I found in the pot in his
kitchen.

But, when I looked back through the window, I

found Kelly staring back at me.

My heart leaped into my throat. I coughed and

sputtered as my coffee went down the wrong pipe.
I tossed the mug into the sink and bent over,
wheezing and trying not to puke on myself. A door
crashed open next to me. I felt someone’s hand on
my back. And as the soft circles of warmth relaxed

my windpipe, I heard her voice.

That wonderful, beautiful, angelic voice. Right

in my ear.

“You okay? You need something to drink?”

Kelly asked.

I shook my head, but I couldn't stop coughing.

So, she started patting my back.

“Control your breathing. Try to breathe through

the pain, Brenden.”

I blinked back tears as the pain in my throat

finally subsided.

“There we go. That’s better, right?”
I wiped my mouth, looking over at her.

“Thanks.”

She smiled softly. “Anytime.”
I rose up. “How are you--? I mean, are you--?”
I couldn't come up with the right words to say.

So, I bit my tongue and kept quiet. But, Kelly took
the reins. And soon, things fell back into an easy
pace with her.

Despite what happened yesterday.
“I’m doing okay, thank you for asking. I owe

you an apology for yesterday, though.”

I shook my head. “You owe me nothing. I

wasn’t diligent enough, and that’s why we’re in this
place.”

“No, we’re in this place because the head of

that chapel withheld information from you,
pertinent to our ceremony. None of this is your

fault.”

“I still hold some responsibility.”
“And so do I. All of us hold equal responsibility

because I was just as much a willing participant. I
knew the risks going into this. It’s not all on you.”

I grinned. “If you say so.”
She giggled. “Besides, Monday’s just around

the corner. With that signed note the man gave you,
it shouldn't take long to get things back to normal.”

I watched her carefully as she straightened up

the tie I had on underneath the sweater I stole from
Zane. I watched as her fingertips plucked lint from
my shoulder and cast it off to the side. She slid her
hands down my arms before taking my hands
within hers, and I could have sworn it felt like we
had always been a couple.

“There. That’s better. That crooked tie was

really getting to me. You don’t have another pair of
pants you can put on? Those jeans are a bit too
worn for the sweater you’ve got on,” she said.

I smiled. “Already changing my outfits, huh?”
“I mean, I am the fashion guru, you know.”
“Oh, oh, oh. Yeah. Completely. One hundred

percent.”

She smiled up at me. “Want me to go get you

anything to eat?”

I turned her around, my back to the door.

“Actually, that’s my job. So, you go rest, and I’ll
get you something nice to eat.”

I winked at her before I stepped outside and I

felt like everyone was watching me. Especially
when I set out to make two plates of food instead
of just one. I kept peeking over at Kelly, wondering
what she was talking about with other people. Were
they grilling her about the weekend? Were they
pestering her with questions? I needed to get over
there. I needed to run interference, so no one
bogged her down too much with stuff.

I need to protect her from the insanity of all

this.

And that thought stopped me in my tracks.
Why the hell do I feel the need to protect her?
I pushed everything away and finished fixing

our plates. I went to sit with Kelly over at a table in
the corner, and I felt all eyes on us. We were the
talk of our group right now, and I positioned myself
so no one could see Kelly. If they wanted to look
over at us, they could look at my fucking back, for
all I cared.

She smiled. “This looks great. Thank you.”
I handed her a fork. “Of course. Anytime.”
“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow? When are

you headed to the courthouse?”

“I want to be there right when the doors open.

So, I’ll be heading out from my place around eight-
thirty.”

“Can I come with you?”
I nodded. “Of course, if you want to.”

“I do, yes.”
“Then, I’ll come pick you up around eight-

fifteen?”

“I’ll be ready and waiting.”
Without thinking, I picked up her hand and

kissed the back of it. And I felt the entire party still
around me. My eyes locked with Kelly, and I saw
her searching behind me, and I started wondering if
I had blown it again. I don’t know why I even
picked up her hand in the first place. It just felt
natural to do. But, when her eyes came back to
mine, she smiled even brighter.

Before leaning forward and pressing the softest,

kindest kiss to my cheek.

I am in the deepest of shit.
But, whatever Kelly wanted, Kelly would get.

“Y

1 1

Kelly

ou know, if the judge doesn't grant
us this annulment, that means we
have to move in together,” Brenden

said.

I snickered. “You wish.”
“I mean, that’s what happens between man and

wife. Wife move in with man. Wife cook food for
man. Wife lay down with man and massage feet
after long, hard day.”

I cackled. “Is that your version of marriage?”
“Uh, duh. Isn’t that everyone’s version of

marriage?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Okay, then. What’s your version of marriage?”

I cocked myself to face Brenden while we sat in

his car, waiting for the courthouse to open.

“Me, woman. Me drink wine you give me. Me

say ‘no’ whenever I want. Me dress you. Me take
your money. Me make your life hell so you stay at
office, working hard.”

He nodded. “So, that’s why Zane is always

working late.”

My jaw dropped open. “Hey! I bet Karina’s a

wonderful partner.”

He chuckled. “Everyone has their moments.”
“Don’t I know it.”
His hand settled against my thigh. “You had

every right to react the way you did.”

“But I didn’t have a right to use you as an

emotional punching bag. I’m really sorry,
Brenden.”

He squeezed my thigh. “I’m sorry too, Kelly.”
I laid my head against his shoulder and watched

the doors of the courthouse. And once they opened
for the public, we were out of his car and charging
for the right office. We were the first in line to file
for an annulment, and Brenden dumped all of the
paperwork he had onto the desk for the woman.

“I’ll get this to your judge, and you should be in

to see him within the next thirty minutes,” she said
mindlessly.

“Thank you so much,” I said.
But, the woman didn’t even act like she heard

me.

Brenden took my arm, and calmly led me out of

the room. We headed into the waiting room, sitting
in the unforgiving seats of the cold, hard
courthouse. The walls were painted a nice cream
color to brighten things up, but every piece of
furniture was dark. The hunter green carpet was
ugly. The fake mahogany wood the place was filled
with had black streaks rushing through it, adding to
the dark undertones. The chairs were black and
silver, which contrasted everything around it, yet
still added to the lonely ambiance. Even the file
books on some of the shelves lining the walls were
black and navy blue and olive green.

Everything was drab.
Everything was dreary.
And that didn’t help with my spirits.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hearthstone?”
My head jerked up. “Yes! Hi. Yes. That’s us.”
Brenden stood. “Where are we needed?”
The woman thumbed behind her. “Go in and

have a seat. Judge Johnson will be with you
shortly.”

He offered me his arm, and I took it. He led me

into the courthouse, and we sat down at the table
on

the

left,

preparing

ourselves

for

the

embarrassment of the entire thing. I wasn’t sure
what was about to happen, but I didn’t like the fact
that we had to sit in front of a judge like we had a

case to plead. All we did was sign our names to
documents we weren’t aware of.

But we had to go through all of that to annul?
“I don’t like this,” I murmured.
Brenden leaned over. “Just let me do the

talking, okay?”

I nodded. “I can do that.”
“All rise for the honorable Judge--.”
I saw the judge enter the room. “Let’s skip the

formalities. My coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“Not good,” I murmured.
Brenden took my hand. “Just breathe. I’ll

handle the rest.”

I drew in a deep breath through my nose as the

judge sat at his desk. I saw him rifling through the
documents Brenden gave to that woman in the
office, but I couldn't read his face. His lips were
pursed. His eyes were practically slits as he stared
at them through his thin reading glasses. The gray
hair at his temples told me he’d been doing it a
while, and the wrinkles of his forehead told me he
wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

That might work in our favor.
Then again, it might not.
The judge removed his glasses. “All right. Help

me make sense of what’s in front of me.”

Brenden stood. “Your Honor--.”
“You don’t have to stand. Just talk to me.”
He sat back down. “Your Honor, my friend and

I, we--.”

I looked over at Brenden as he struggled with

his words.

“Yes?” the judge asked.
He sighed. “It’s a ridiculous story, but I promise

we had the best of intentions.”

“Then, why don’t you tell me this ridiculous

story?”

He nodded. “My friend here, Kelly Brown--

Crown. I’m sorry, Kelly Crown.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful.”
The judge chuckled. “I know you’re nervous. I

just want to know the story.”

Brenden cleared his throat. “Yes. Right. Okay.

So, my friend here is a virgin.”

“Oh, God,” I groaned.
“And she feels like it’s holding her back in the

dating world.”

“Can I die now? Is that a thing?”
The judge chuckled. “Go on.”
“And what she wanted to do was sleep with my

brother, which isn’t good enough. Not for her. She
needs someone who cares about her, right? Who
knows her.”

“So, you offered up yourself. Right?”
Brenden nodded curtly. “Right. But, I wanted

to make her comfortable and get her to relax and
kind of ease into things. So, I figured, why not stage
a wedding? I could add all of her favorite elements,

make it a Christmas-themed sort of thing. We could
go have dinner, book ourselves a nice honeymoon
suite for a week, and kind of ease into things as she
wanted. No pressure, no commitment, and her
completely taking the reins on this part of her life.”

The judge smiled. “It’s not a terrible idea. I can

see why you thought it would be a good one.”

I wanted to melt into a puddle and soak into the

sewer system. Anything to get out of that
embarrassing situation.

“Right?” Brenden asked. “But the receptionist I

coordinated all of this with quit. And I wasn’t
informed. So, instead of us signing a waiver that
stated the wedding wasn’t actually legitimate, we
signed a marriage certificate that had been filled
out by the new receptionist that had gotten things
confused.”

I sank further down into my chair and pinched

the bridge of my nose.

Brenden started chuckling, but I didn’t hear the

judge joining in. And when I peeked up, I saw him
staring at me. Clear as crystal, with a hard look on
his face.

“Is this what happened?” he asked.
I swallowed hard. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“So, the two of you thought faking a lifelong

commitment might make it easier for you to have
sex.”

I grimaced. “Yes, Your Honor.”

Brenden jumped in. “Sir, if I may--.”
The judge held up his hand. “I’m talking to

her.”

I sat up in my seat. “Your Honor, I know this

sounds--.”

“Crazy? Reckless? Selfish? Asinine? Yes, to all

of those.”

Brenden stood up. “Your Honor, if you could

direct your frustrations at me, that would be--.”

The judge stood. “You don’t give the orders in

this courtroom, I do. Mr. Hearthstone, do you know
how many couples I see just like you? Who use
chapels around here as some idiotic excuse to make
a memory for a night before finding themselves
right in front of me?”

“No, sir. I don’t.”
“Right. You don’t. I’ve spent my entire life’s

work sorting out crazy schemes children like
yourselves get into because all you can think about
is yourselves.”

I stood. “Your Honor, we aren’t children. We’re

grown adults--.”

He glared at me. “Who will take responsibility

for their actions, yes.”

I felt my heart drop to the floor. “What?”
Brenden took my hand. “Sir, please. This

wasn’t supposed to happen. I have a written note
up there--.”

He held up the note. “I see your note. But that

doesn’t mean you’ve learned your lesson. I’ll grant
you your annulment. Once I know you’ve learned
what there is to learn from this blunder.”

I blinked. “Which is?”
The judge picked up his gavel. “In one month,

you come back and see me. And if you can tell me
what you’ve learned from all of this, I’ll grant the
annulment.”

“Wait, Your Honor, you can’t do this. This was

never supposed to--.”

The banging of the gavel on his podium made

me jump. Tears streamed down my cheeks as he
gathered up our paperwork and walked right out of
that courtroom. I felt the room spinning around me.
I felt like I was going to be sick to my stomach.

Four weeks.
I had to stay married to Brenden for four

weeks.

“Your Honor!” he exclaimed.
“Brenden, don’t,” I whispered.
The judge slowly turned around. “Yes?”
Brenden huffed. “What in the world are we

supposed to do for a month? Just sit around and
wait for our next court date to come up? We’re
both busy people. I own the premier real estate
agency in Vegas. Kelly here is starting her own
fashion line. We don’t know if we’ll be--.”

“You want to fight my order? Fine. Let’s back it

up a bit. Not only will you stay married for a month

to make sure this really is what you two want, but
now you get to live together and act like a married
couple.”

I snapped back to reality. “You can’t do that.”
The judge glared at me. “Would you like to test

that bet?”

Brenden took my hand and squeezed it hard to

get me to shut up. And it worked.

“Yes, Your Honor. We’ll make it work,”

Brenden said.

The judge nodded. “Good. Now, get out of my

courtroom. I’ve got another couple just like you to
see in the next few minutes.”

I murmured beneath my breath. “Try not to ruin

their lives, too.”

“What was that?” the judge asked.
Brenden started scooting me towards the door.

“Nothing, si--Your Honor. Nothing at all.”

“Mhm. And if you continue to argue with me,

you two will spend the next month in jail for
contempt of court. Your case is dismissed.”

I felt Brenden guiding me out of the courthouse.

I felt him leading me to his car. But, when he
opened the car door for me, I turned to look back at
the courthouse. The brick facade had worn down
with time and looked as cold and unforgiving as the
judge. Brenden placed his hand on my shoulder as a
tear streamed down my neck, and I felt him brush it
away with his fingertips.

“Four weeks will fly by, okay?” he asked.
I was in too much shock to make a rebuttal,

though.

“Mr. Hearthstone!”
I slipped into the car as the woman from the

front desk came rushing up to Brenden.

“Mr. Hearthstone! You forgot your formal

orders from the judge.”

I shook my head. “You can burn them for all I

care.”

Brenden took the papers. “Thanks. I appreciate

it.”

“And I don’t,” I snapped.
He closed my car door and quickly walked

around to the other side. After sliding behind the
wheel of the car, Brenden’s eyes danced over the
sheet of paper. Even from the corner of my eye, I
saw his face turn white as snow. So, I plucked the
paper from his hands and read it myself.

“My God, he really is serious,” I murmured.
Brenden swallowed hard. “At least we don’t

have to share finances or anything.”

“And I suppose this means I’m moving in with

you since there’s no room for you at my place.”

“Most likely.”
I squinted. “It says here that we are ‘required to

file a weekly report’ with his clerk? Is this man
serious?”

“Apparently.”

I scoffed. “At least it can be done online.”
“This is such horse-shit.”
I handed him the official paperwork. “I know.

But, it looks like there’s no way out of it.”

He cranked up his car. “I guess this means we

should go start packing you up for the next four
weeks.”

“What in the world are we going to tell

everyone? What am I going to tell Roxy? And you
know Karina won’t stop breathing down my neck
until--.”

“To be honest, I don’t really care what your

sister and friend are going to think about this.”

I paused. “Right. Yeah.”
“The only thing I’m concerned about is making

sure we come out of this with our friendship
intact.”

“Wait, really?”
He cranked up his car. “Yes, really. Because if I

lose you in all of this, I might just stalk out that
judge and do him in myself.”

I didn’t know what to make of his words, so I

stayed silent. Part of me wondered if lying to the
judge about what happened would have helped our
case. But, my guess is it would’ve only made things
worse. We meandered through town, navigating
traffic, and rushing through yellow lights to get me
back to my place. However, when I looked up at
my apartment complex to find the window of my

bedroom, I froze.

I don’t want Roxy to see this.
“If you want, I can send someone to help you

instead of helping you myself.”

I nodded slowly. “That might be better.”
He sighed. “All right. You head on up and start

packing, and I’ll see when I can get a mover or
somebody over there. It might not be until
tomorrow morning, though.”

I opened the door. “That’s fine. That works for

me. It’ll give me time to find a way to explain this
insane situation to my sister.”

“Do you really have to, though? I mean, who

the hell cares what they think? Right now, all we
need to think about is--.”

I stepped out of the car. “On second thought,

never mind.”

He paused. “Wait, what?”
I dipped down to see him. “I can take care of

myself, thanks.”

“Kelly, wait. You’re going to need some sort of

help to--.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong, Brenden.

Because I really don’t. You’ve helped enough. And
if you really can’t see why explaining this to my
best friends is a priority to me, then that only
confirms my fears.”

“Which are?”
“The fact that you really aren’t capable of

caring about other people.”

Then, I closed the door and walked inside. Not

bothering to look back. Because if he really didn’t
get it--if he was really going to chastise me for
wanting to talk with Karina and my own damn
sister about it--then our decision at the end of these
four weeks would be an easy one.

Because I’d never share my life with someone

so narrow-minded and so fucking selfish as to put
his reputation before my own damn needs.

1 2

Brenden

The Next Day

elly whispered with her sister. “I don’t
want to do this, Roxy. There has to be
another way.”

Roxy rubbed her back. “It’s not going to be that

bad. I mean, look at this condo! It’ll just be the
penthouse honeymoon suite, except for four weeks
instead of one.”

“Yeah, and no sex.”
I tried to act like I didn’t hear them talking, but

it was hard. Hauling boxes in with Clint while he
gave me side glances and held back his snickers
wasn’t helping much. And now, to add the cherry
on top of an already screwed-up cake, one of my

best friends was angry with me.

For good reason, too.
“Hey, come on. Cut him some slack. He did

everything right, and it still bit him in the ass. Give
him some room,” Clint said.

Roxy scoffed. “Well, next time? Tell him not to

reroute our plans without our knowledge, and we’d
be fine.”

Clint lowered his voice. “He was just trying to

do what was right for the your sister.”

Roxy bucked up to him. “And Kelly can take

care of herself. You know, since she’s a grown-ass
woman with her own business.”

I walked past my brother, bickering with Roxy,

and headed to the guest bedroom. Where Kelly
insisted on staying. I mean, I couldn't blame her.
But, part of me was disappointed that I wouldn't be
waking up to her every morning. Man, what a rush
that had been. What a wonderful memory that was
for me.

“Just drop it,” Kelly said flatly.
I placed the box on top of the dresser before

backing towards the doorway.

“Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Or

thirsty?” I asked.

“If I am, I know where your kitchen is now.”
I nodded slowly. “Would you like some takeout

for tonight? You know, to take it easy?”

“What I’d like is for you to leave me alone.

Thanks.”

I turned to walk out of the room and found

Clint behind me, pursing his lips. I glared at him
before I charged back down the hallway, ready to
remove myself from the situation completely.
Maybe Kelly could stay here, and I’d take a
vacation somewhere. We could forge and lie on the
weekly reports and get out of the mess without ever
having to see one another.

Then again, if we’re caught, we’re in bigger

trouble.

“You got anything else!?” Roxy yelled.
Clint grunted. “Nope. I got the last one. She’s

all emptied out.”

Roxy sighed. “Awww, look at this room. It’s so

big. And roomy!”

“That’s usually what a room is, yes,” Kelly

hissed.

“But, I mean, look at it. The flowers he set out

for you. The decorative towels. The desk! That
desk is new. I know new furniture when I spot it.
He pulled all of this together for you at the last
minute. Isn’t that nice?”

Clint turned around and looked at me,

chuckling as I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t give a shit what he did. I just want to

get through these next four weeks,” Kelly said.

Roxy tried to console her. “Girl, just try to look

at the bright side. There’s no sense in both of you

being miserable, especially with this condo. I mean,
look at the view you’ve got from your desk! That’s
all of Vegas, girl. And he’s got a balcony.”

“With a hot tub!” I declared.
Clint barked with laughter. “Like that’s getting

you out of this.”

“You can leave now. Thanks for your help,” I

said.

Kelly poked her head out of the room. “He can

stay as long as he likes.”

I rolled my eyes. “And here I thought you

didn’t want to act like we were married.”

“Don’t you give me lip.”
“Then, don’t sass me like I’m your husband.”
Clint cackled. “Joke’s on you, then.”
I pointed at him. “You. Out.”
Kelly fought me on it. “He stays.”
And before I could catch myself… “I’ll throw

you out, too, if you keep on like that.”

Everyone came to a dead standstill while Clint

shook his head. He made his way for the elevator
as Roxy’s jaw fell to the floor, and I watched Kelly
slink back into her room. Fucking hell, seriously?
Did no one see the situation it was putting me in?

Roxy stared at me. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Try

not to toss her out a window.”

I shook my head. “You know I didn’t mean-”
“It doesn’t matter what you meant. Because

once you say something, you can never take those

words back. You can never undo the damage you
do with them. So, try not to break my sister in the
next four weeks.”

My brother and Roxy left, leaving me alone. In

my condo. With a woman that hated my guts. I
stalked over to my couch in the living room and
flopped down, then lobbed my head off to the side.
I stared through the wall of tinted glass and out
towards the expanse of Vegas. The whole of the
world laid out before me, and I was a prisoner in
my own condo.

With a woman, I wanted to enjoy instead of

hate.

I don’t know how long I sat there. I’m not sure

how much time passed. But, the soft pitter-patter of
feet pulled me from my trance, and I saw that the
sun was setting. My stomach growled with
exponential hunger. I felt myself growing light-
headed.

However, when Kelly sat in front of me on the

loveseat, I focused my attention on her.

“I want to apologize, but I feel that’s overdone

at this point,” I said.

She nodded. “Probably.”
I looked back out the window. “This place is

yours as much as it is mine for the next four weeks.
Whatever you want, I can get it for you. Whatever
you want to eat, I can whip it up. You just let me
know.”

She paused. “You can cook?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Well, now, you do.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry too, Brenden. This is…

rough all around for everyone. And Roxy’s
incessant teasing this morning didn’t really help
matters.”

“Yeah, well. Zane and Clint aren’t exactly

letting me off the hook either.”

She giggled softly, and the sound warmed me

from my toes to my nose.

“Kelly, this really doesn’t have to be a

miserable month. We have the ability to make the
best of it. If you want, you can look at it as a
vacation. And you’re not far from your own place,
so you can always go see Roxy.”

“Can she come here?”
I looked over at her. “Of course, she can. She’s

just as welcome as you are.”

Her face hardened. “Thank you.”
I sighed. “What did I do now?”
“I just don’t know how in the world I ever

trusted you to do something like this. I keep kicking
myself, thinking, ‘this is exactly how Brenden’s
plans always turn out.’ I hear the stories all the
time. I’m just not sure why I convinced myself this
time would be different.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint. But this isn’t all on

me. Just like you said at the cookout. We both hold
responsibility in this. So, I’d appreciate it if you
acted like it.”

She stood. “It’s not my fault you screwed up.”
I stood. “No, the man who owns that chapel

screwed up. Remember? You admitted to that, too.
Don’t turn this on me because you’re frustrated and
want someone to blame. I don’t play that game
with anyone.”

Her eyes filled with fire. “You know what? I

think I’m just going to spend the rest of this month
in my room. Just to make it easy on you.”

“If you want to make that decision on your

own, that’s fine. You know, since you’re such an
independent woman.”

She stomped toward her room. “You’re such an

asshole. I don’t know why in the world I ever
wanted to do this with you in the first place.”

“Takes one to know one!”
And the only sound that greeted me was the

sound of my guest door being slammed.

Yep. I’m in the deepest shit I’ve ever been in, in

my entire life.

1 3

Kelly

wiped at the tears coating my cheeks and
drew in a deep breath. I had to stop crying. I
had to stop being a weak little woman who

grew frustrated at the drop of a hat. I leaned my
back against the door and closed my eyes, forcing
my heart rate to slow down. Forcing the tears to
stop.

Forcing myself to grow a damn backbone.
“Come on. He’s trying. Let the man try,” I

whispered.

I opened my eyes and gazed around the room.

The navy walls contrasted the white crown molding
and the white baseboards. The sprawling king-size
bed had a beautiful white fabric headboard with

silver rivets trailing along the outer edges. And the
desk that sat right in front of the window
overlooking Vegas was sleek. It sat on wheels so I
could roll it anywhere, and the height looked to be
adjustable with a small crank on the underside of
the top itself. But, nothing could have prepared me
for how luxurious the bathroom was.

I gasped as I walked inside.
“Holy mackerel,” I whispered.
The white marble countertops shimmered with

a soft silver texture. The jetted bathtub looked like
it had been hand-carved from a beautiful white
stone. And that stone matched the materials used to
create a walk-in shower without a door. It led me
down a very small corridor before dumping into a
rotunda that had a waterfall shower head and little
holes with black protrusions that dropped my jaw to
the floor.

“The shower is a mist sauna, too?” I murmured.
For a moment, I found myself taken with the

room I’d occupy for the next month. But, the idea
of it being for the next four weeks stirred my
frustration all over again. I cared about Brenden. I
really did. He simply didn’t make sure things were
locked tight with the plan, though. And it’s because
of that last-minute recklessness that I’m married
and living with him for the next month.

I sighed as I walked out of the shower.
Part of me wanted to soak in the tub until I

turned into a prune. Part of me wanted to try out
the sauna in the shower. But, part of me wanted to
flop onto the bed and sleep the next few days away.
I heard footsteps pattering above my head, and I
went back out into the bedroom. I saw my suitcases
and boxes stacked neatly in the corner near the
door, and I figured I could start unpacking. No use
in living out of boxes and bags for that amount of
time.

Then, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
“I can’t believe this condo has a second story,”

I murmured.

‘Condo’ was a toned-down word for what the

place really was. Which was a miniature mansion
suspended in mid-air with a gorgeous view of the
town.

I held my breath as his footsteps came down the

hallway. I heard him pause just outside my door,
and I looked down to see his shadow filtering
through the small crack at the bottom of the door. I
placed my hand on the doorknob. Now that I was a
bit calmer, maybe we could talk.

But, once his footsteps started walking away,

my hand fell away from the knob.

So much for that idea.
His footsteps didn’t stop until I heard his front

door open and close. Then, I found myself alone in
that gargantuan place. Did I go outside and
explore? Did I walk upstairs to see what the second

level was like? Did I get some food? Did I stay in
here?

I didn’t want to do either of those things.
Right now, I needed my Daddy.
“Hey there, sweet pea.”
I sat on the edge of the bed with my cell phone

against my ear.

“Hey there,” I said.
“Uh, oh. What’s wrong?”
I

snickered.

“What

makes

you

think

something’s wrong?”

“I know this tone of voice. I only hear it

whenever something is bothering you, too. What’s
on your mind?”

I sighed. “If I tell you, you promise not to get

angry?”

“Oh, boy.”
“What?”
“Only your sister prefaces stuff she’s done like

that. Something big is wrong, isn’t it?”

I paused. “Let me start from the beginning,

okay?”

“Why don’t you start with the punch line, and

I’ll ask questions?”

I swallowed hard. “All right. You ready?”
“Hit me with it, sweet pea.”
Please don’t see through my lie. “A bunch of us

were joking around the night before with drinks and
such. And it ended up with Brenden and me in a

little wedding chapel doing a fake marriage
ceremony.”

I heard shuffling on the other end of the line

before my father’s voice grew gruff.

“Name of the chapel,” he said.
“Pristine Angel, or something like that?”
“Have you already been to the courthouse to

try and get it annulled?”

“Yes. We saw a Judge Johnson.”
“What was his verdict?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “He wants

Brenden and I to stay married for a month. To think
about whether or not an annulment is what you
really want.”

“Anything else?”
I paused. “We had to move in together, and we

have to submit summaries of how things are going
every week to his clerk to look over before we
appear in a month.”

I heard him typing away. “I know Judge

Johnson myself. The two of us don’t really get
along, but I know his weak spots. I’ve already shot
a message off to my attorney. They’ll make sure to
get things handled. Did your name get changed on
the paperwork?”

“I--I think so?”
“What’s this man’s last name?”
“Hearthstone.”
“Right. That’s right. Okay, sweet pea. Is there

anything else I should know?”

Other than the fact that this all started with

sex? “No, sir. That’s it.”

“I’m glad you called, sweetie. I know that’s

hard sometimes, especially with how independent
you’ve always been. But, I want you to know I’ll
have it handled by the end of the week. Okay?”

I sniffled. “Thank you so much, Daddy. I don’t

know why the judge is making us do this.”

“Some judges feel entitled like they can

improve someone’s life by doling out unique
punishments that open their eyes, or some such
nonsense. You leave this to me, though. If the judge
doesn’t want to negotiate, they’ll find something to
use. Which will be easy, since you two were under
the influence, right?”

Oh, boy. “I mean, not enough to hinder the

idea. I knew what was happening. We just thought
we had stressed to the owner of the chapel that this
was fake. A dare that was being fulfilled with some
friends getting together and blowing off steam. But,
the chapel owner must not have heard us, or
something like that.”

“Don’t you worry. I’m placing a call there, too.

I’ll keep you updated, sweet pea.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”
“Anytime. I gotta go, though. The lawyer is

calling. Talk soon.”

“Talk soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone feeling more nervous than

ever before. So, I decided to throw myself into
work. Hopefully, my father didn’t dig deep enough
to figure out the real reason why it all took place.
Because I’m pretty sure he’d kill me himself if he
ever found out. You know, before killing Brenden.

“Damn it,” I murmured.
I opened up my laptop, and there were a

plethora of issues I had to deal with on the business
end of my life. I set myself up at the desk and
worked until the sun set, then eventually crawled
into bed. I wasn’t hungry. I was much too anxious
to think about food. But, I wasn’t sure if Brenden
had gotten back or anything. I knew he was home
come morning, though.

The smell of coffee lifted me from my dream

state and ushered me into the kitchen.

“Wow,” I whispered.
The white granite countertops were speckles

with flakes of silver and black. The stainless steel
appliances looked like they’d never been touched
in all their years of existence. The breakfast nook
sat in a little triangular alcove with a window that
gazed out over Vegas, and the sun rising streamed
through those windows perfectly. I took another
giant whiff of the intoxicating scent of dark brew
coffee. Then I meandered over to the pot and
rummaged around for a mug. And after fixing

myself a strong cup, I turned to face the kitchen
island.

Only to find freshly-baked croissants on a silver

tray. Still warm from the oven.

“My God,” I groaned.
I walked over and plucked one from the stack

only for a note to fall at my feet. So, I set the
croissant down and picked up the small piece of
paper with my name on it.

Kelly,
I’m

genuinely

sorry

for

everything.

Including the fighting, we’ve been doing. The
things I’m saying out of anger and frustration
are things no one ever deserves to have said to
them. Or about them, for that matter. I want to
make this next month as easy on you as possible,
so let me know what I can do if anything.

In the meantime, I’m having dinner brought

to the condo for us tonight. We can eat together,
crack jokes, and find our way back to being
friends. Like we were before this all began.

I’ll see you after work,
Brenden
A smile drifted across my face before I laid the

note down on top of the island. I snatched my
croissant up again and went to go sit at the
breakfast nook, allowing myself to gaze out over
sun-drenched Las Vegas. I took my time sipping my
coffee, and I devoured four of those damn
croissants before I stopped myself. I couldn't start

tacking on weight now. I had to still model my own
fashions for the website, which meant I had to fit
into those clothes that had already been tailored to
me.

“I’ll have more of you tonight after dinner,” I

murmured.

Then, I topped off my coffee and decided to

meander around the condo.

The hallway from the living room to the kitchen

sported two bedrooms, each with their own
bathroom. The living room was massive. Easily the
size of my entire apartment I shared with Roxy. The
floor-to-ceiling tinted windows reminded me of the
penthouse Brenden booked for us back when the
plan was still a good one. And as I walked toward
the thick glass, I let myself drink in the picturesque
landscape that stretched on for miles.

Then, I set my sights for the stairs.
Slowly, I padded up the black steps. Matte

black, to be exact. It contrasted all of the sleek
white the condo was adorned with, and it made the
staircase a feature design in the entire place. On the
far side of the living room, opposite the kitchen, it
slowly walked up to a lofted portion of the condo.
As I walked down the only upper hallway afforded
to me, my jaw hit the floor.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.
I only took five or so steps down the hallway

before it completely opened up. And it opened up

into a massive room that was severed into sections.
Glass wrapped around the entire top portion,
making the room entirely exposed to Vegas. Not
that anyone could see up here anyway, due to its
tint. But, still, the view was breathtaking. In the
middle of the room sat a massive four-poster bed. I
didn’t know how big the damn thing was, but it was
much, much bigger than my bed downstairs. Over
in the corner sat an ornate, black matte desk.
Decked out with a desktop, a computer tower, a
printer, a scanner, and all the things a working man
could ever need. And directly to my left as I
walked into the room was a glass wall completely
tinted out in black.

However, walking around it exposed the

massive chunk of the room that had been set aside
for the bathroom. And somehow, it was even more
exquisite than the one downstairs.

“What in the world?” I asked.
The countertops of the double vanity matched

mine downstairs. But, that was the only thing that
matched. The claw-footed tub sat against the
windows, so someone could bathe and stare out
over Vegas at the same time. There was a raised
portion of flooring at the foot of the tub that carved
out a square three people could easily stand inside
with elbow room. And above? Another waterfall
shower head.

“This is insane,” I whispered.

I didn’t know what would come for Brenden

and myself. I didn’t know if we’d ever be able to
get back to being ‘just friends.’ What I did know,
however, was this:

I was definitely going to enjoy my stay in his

luxurious condo.

1 4

Brenden

ane wheezed, he laughed so hard. “I still
can’t believe you fucked up this royally.”

I slid down in my office chair. “I hate

you.”

“I mean--holy shit--dude, come on. It just…”
I rolled my eyes. “You can stop laughing now.”
He held his stomach. “I’m trying. I really am.

Oh, man. I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.
Thank you. Holy fuck, I needed that.”

My voice fell flat. “Glad I could help. And by

the way, I don’t find this funny at all.”

Zane was too busy catching his breath to

answer. I was glad he didn’t, either. Because the
last thing I needed to admit to anyone was the fact

that I’d be living with that smoking hot girl for an
entire month that I couldn't even put my hands on.

But, my brother had always been intuitive. And

he called me out anyway.

“Okay, okay, okay. No long faces. I saw you

two at the barbecue at my place. And if you guys’
interactions are any indication of how this month
will go? The two of you will still fulfill the actual
purpose of all of this. Ten times over.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure.”
“No. Seriously, Brenden. The two of you were

in sync at that party. You just have to get back to
that point.”

I shrugged. “What if I don’t want to get back to

that point?”

“You’ve always been a shit liar, Brenden. Don’t

start now.”

“Whatever.”
“You have feelings for her, don’t you?”
I really do. “How are you and Karina?”
“Diverting the topic? Really? Like it wasn’t

obvious?”

I shrugged. “Don’t care what it is. I’m done

talking. How are you and Karina? How’s the
pregnancy going?”

He leaned back against the chair in front of my

desk. “It’s… amazing. Really. The way her body
morphs and shifts and grows this--this life. I mean, I
can’t do that. My body can’t grow things. It can’t

grow a damn human, Brenden. And that’s what
she’s doing. While still working in H.R.”

“And keeping up with you.”
He held his hand out. “Exactly. I mean, there’s

nothing about this woman I don’t love. Even if she
likes to put up way too much pink in our place.”

“Awww, you said ‘our.’”
“I mean, it is our place. We’re going to raise our

family there. We’re going to live out our lives there.
I’m going to have a life I never thought possible for
myself after what happened in that car accident
with my first love, and it’s all because of her. It’s all
because she didn’t give up on me when I’d given
up on myself.”

“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d barf.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. Because if looks

could tell anything, you and Kelly will find your
own happy ending.”

I shook my head. “I need to get back to work.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words from your

mouth.”

“You know, believe it or not, I actually do work

around here. Just because I don’t stay until
midnight like you do doesn’t mean--.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey. It was a joke.”
I glared at him. “Well, it’s not funny anymore.

Apparently, everyone thinks I’m a fucking screw-
up that can’t do anything right.”

He paused. “Did Kelly tell you that?”

I picked up my pen. “Not in so many words, but

yes.”

“Brenden, I’m so--.”
“Out.”
I was glad when Zane stood because I was

about to toss him out a window. I was more jealous
of him than I’d ever been, and I didn’t have the
guts to tell him outright. I was jealous of what he
had with Karina. The love they shared. The
vulnerability and the passion that was now evident
in the way her body kept changing. I wanted that. I
wanted a family. I wanted a woman I could work
alongside and come home to and curl up with at
night. The club nights were tiresome. I’d fucked so
many women coming in and out of Vegas for
bachelorette parties and birthdays that I didn’t even
bother with their names any longer if I ever knew
them.

I wanted something different.
I wanted something more.
And I never realized it until I walked Kelly

down that aisle.

“Damn it,” I grumbled.
Time passed as slowly as it possibly could. But,

once five o’clock rolled around, I tore out of my
office. I didn’t even bother locking my door. All I
wanted to do was get home to see if Kelly got my
note. I knew the food was set to arrive right at five,
and I hoped Kelly would wait for me. I hoped she

wouldn't take what she wanted and shut herself in
her room all night. If there was anything I could do
to convince her to have dinner with me, I wanted to
do it.

At the very least, I wanted the chance to try.
“Kelly!?”
I raced out of the elevator and quickly threw

open my front door.

“Kelly, you here?” I asked.
“In the kitchen!”
I dropped my shit and left the door hanging

wide open as I strode down the hallway.

“I smell the food. I’m hoping the steaks are

still--.”

“Welcome home, dear.”
My eyes lingered along her body as she stood in

front of my kitchen nook. The food had already
been set out: steak and mashed potatoes with
various steamed vegetables, a bottle of red wine,
and fruit with fresh sweet cream for dessert. But,
none of that registered as my eyes drank in the
utter perfection that was Kelly Crown.

“I figured since we’re about to eat and come to

a truce, we’d have a nice dinner together. You
know, since this definitely wasn’t the kind of
takeout I was expecting.”

I spoke mindlessly. “Not a fan of Chinese

food.”

“Don’t like the calories?”

My eyes found hers. “Tastes better in China.”
She giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Kelly, you look…”
She smiled. “Thank you. You clean up pretty

nice yourself.”

I looked down at my day-worn suit. “Here, let

me go change.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”
She caught my hand, and her touch sparked an

electrical storm inside my mind.

“You look wonderful. Come sit and eat with

me.”

She led me over to the table and sat me down. I

couldn't get over how beautiful she looked, though.
Her hair, softly curled. Her eyes sparkling from
amidst the mascara and eyeliner. Her floral summer
dress cinched in at her waist and fluttered around
her legs, drawing my eye up and down those soft,
salacious curves she had. Her cleavage sparkled
with shimmering dust, and her earrings caught the
rays of the setting sun nicely. Her lips donned a
pouty pink that somehow accented her wondrous
eyes. And I found myself falling into her.

Falling for her.
And I wanted nothing more than to fall against

her, too.

“So, how was your day?” Kelly asked.
Her voice pulled me from my trance. “Actually,

I want you to tell me about your day. If that’s all

right.”

She smiled. “You sure you want to hear about

all this boring fashion stuff?”

I picked up my fork. “I’ve been looking

forward all day to hearing about it.”

“Well, then strap in. Because it’s been a hell of

a day.”

“A

1 5

Kelly

nd… yeah! That was my day.”

Brenden blinked. “You weren’t

joking.”

“Yep.”
“That’s a hell of a day.”
I sipped my wine. “Uh-huh.”
“You managed to completely overhaul your

website, volley things back and forth between your
investor, completely change your fall line for next
year, and you went to go pick up the clothes you’re
going to be wearing around town for a while? All
before I got back?”

“Y--ep.”
He leaned back. “And I thought my day was

insane.”

I slid my plate off to the side. “Tell me about

your day. What happened?”

He smirked. “It’s nothing like yours.”
“I still want to hear about it. Please?”
He grinned. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Spit it out.”
He chuckled. “So, my day started with a

fervent teasing and laugh session from Zane.”

I paused. “From…?”
“Yep. As in, he came to laugh in my face again

about this predicament I’ve caused.”

I almost choked on my wine. “Oh, my gosh. He

didn’t.”

He nodded. “Yep. He really did. Laughed until

he wheezed. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him
wheeze before.”

“I didn’t even know he laughed.”
Then, Brenden almost choked on his own wine.
“Warn me before you do that.”
I batted my eyelashes. “Do what?”
“Crack a joke that’s going to kill me. I should

have some fair warning first.”

I winked. “Noted.”
He grinned. “But, after that, work plodded

along. Lots of paperwork to wrap up some sales. I
had to contact our attorneys about getting the last
of Clint’s contract with us set up.”

“What’s he going to be doing, anyway?”

“Security for our properties while they’re in the

process of being sold. With additional opportunities
to make his own business by offering his security
services past our sell date.”

“That’s really nice of you guys to do that for

your brother.”

He lifted his glass. “That man’s given

everything he has to this country, and to us. It’s the
least we can do.”

My heart felt warm. “Anything else?”
He paused. “I thought about you a lot.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “Yes, you.”
“Why?”
He set down his wine. “I’m not going to lie,

fighting with you is rough. I couldn't stop thinking
about how hurt you were yesterday and how much
I’ve really fucked this situation up.”

I reached for his hand. “We’ll get through it,

Brenden. So long as we stop trying to rip each other
apart.”

He took it. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
His touch was firm but gracious. Dinner had

been phenomenal, but his presence put the icing on
the proverbial cake. I enjoyed this. The way things
used to be between us. When we were friends who
flirted around a bit and joked at one another’s
expense.

“Brenden?”

He smiled. “Yes?”
“You ready for some dessert?”
He snickered. “I’d love some. I’ve been waiting

to taste that sweet cream all day.”

“Just the sweet cream?”
His eyes darkened. “Choose your next words

wisely.”

Just because we were cooped up together in a

less than palatable situation didn’t mean we
couldn't make the most of it. And I had to admit,
waking up this morning had been quite lonely. As a
smirk crossed my face, I stood up. I walked over to
the kitchen island and picked up our bowls of fruit
before heading over to the fridge. I pulled out the
cold sweet cream and dolloped generous portions
on top. Ready to take these bowls back to the table
and torture Brenden until he popped.

But, when I turned around, he was behind me.

Hovering. With those dark eyes that boasted of
mischief.

“Oh,” I breathed.
He took the bowls from my hands. “Do you

know what you do to me, Kelly?”

I swallowed hard. “Maybe a bit.”
He grinned. “I know you do, you cheeky girl.”
I felt my face flush. “Can I say something

without judgment?”

He dipped his finger into the cream. “Of

course.”

“Is there any reason why we can’t still, you

know?”

He smoothed the cream against my lips. “Act

like I don’t know.”

I whimpered. “Brenden.”
He slipped his finger inside my mouth. “Act.

Like I don’t know, Kelly.”

I licked the cream off his finger. “Is there any

reason why we can’t still go through with our
plan?”

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask.”
His finger fell from my mouth, and his lips

crashed against mine. It was hot and searing. It
stopped my heart and started it all at once. I raked
my hands through his hair. He gripped my hips,
hoisting me onto the kitchen counter. And as my
legs spread for him, his arms cloaked my back.

Pulling me closer as his tongue danced

wondrously against the roof of my mouth.

“Oh, shit,” I moaned.
He growled down the back of my throat before

fisting my skirt.

“Brenden,” I breathed.
“Up we go,” he whispered.
My arms raised, and he slid my dress over my

head. My body bared it all for him, including the
lingerie I had picked out for tonight. He stood back,
surveying my flushed body while his dark eyes
lingered along the white lacy fabric. The push-up

bra forced my tits together, and the peekaboo
panties held my stockings up with clips, accenting
how long my legs really were in person.

“Oh, you naughty girl,” he growled.
“You like?” I asked.
His eyes snapped up to mine. “You went into

my bedroom and found my wedding gift to you.”

“I… may have done a little snooping.”
“And you’re going to pay for that in as many

orgasms as I wish to give you.”

I reached for him. “Bring it on, handsome.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
I gripped his shirt and pulled him back to me,

our lips crashing together with ecstatic delight. His
hands were all over me, caressing me, and
massaging me. Exploring my body and the length of
my limbs. My head fell back as he kissed my neck.
He sucked a patch of skin between his teeth at my
pulse point, pulling an involuntary moan from the
back of my throat.

Then, he scooped me into his arms.
“Oh!” I squealed.
“You’re coming with me,” he commanded.
I kissed his shoulder. “Take me anywhere you

wish.”

A few minutes later, he tossed me onto his bed.

I bounced and giggled, watching as he undressed
for me. His lean muscles came into view, chiseled
and untamed. Yet, there was a softness to them I

couldn't ignore. A kind of calm and casual look to
them that made me feel comfortable, even in the
presence of exploring something unknown.

“Take me,” I whispered.
He crawled across the bed to me, his body

hovering over mine.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he murmured.
His lips fell to mine, and my legs spread for

him. I felt heat trickling up and down my thighs as
his naked body settled against my own. I felt his
cock throbbing and leaking against my skin. My
eyes bulged as a moan escaped my lips, and I
wondered how in the world something like that
would fit inside my body.

“It’s okay. You’re in good hands. I’m going to

go as slow as you want. All right?”

I gazed up into Brenden’s eyes. “Promise?”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Promise,

promise.”

His fingertips brushed against my pussy lips,

and I jumped. My eyes fell closed as he breached
my folds, and wetness poured forth. I heard him
chuckle as he kissed my breasts. Soft mounds that
jiggled for him as his fingers circled around my
swollen nub. I gasped with pleasure. My body
jumped as he moved faster. Around and around,
filling me with fire as it rushed through the marrow
of my bones.

“Brenden.”

“That’s it, beautiful.”
“Brenden, oh shit.”
“You want to come, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes.”
He slipped his finger inside me. “Then, come.”
“Oh, shit!”
My back arched, and colors burst inside my

head. My eyes rolled back, and my body pulled taut
as ecstasy barreled over me. Then, I felt something
stretching me. Filling me. Pressing against my walls
as my body shook from its pleasure. I gripped the
soft sheets beneath me. My throat let loose an alien
sound I’d never heard myself make before. And as
I felt his rippling abs settle against my stomach, my
back dropped to the bed.

My eyes fell open.
“Hey there, gorgeous.”
My toes curled. “Oh.”
“You okay?”
I panted. “Are you--?”
He kissed my lips softly. “I am, yes.”
I squeezed my walls around him. “Oh, yeah.”
He grunted. “Damn it, you’re tight.”
I giggled. “I’d think so, yes.”
He captured my lips. “You let me know when

you’re ready.”

And when I bucked against him, he drew his

hips back.

He slid slowly back into me, filling my gut with

a pressure I never wanted to be without ever again.
My legs locked around his. My hands gripped his
forearms. I tried to keep my eyes open, but every
time he thrust, they fell closed again.

“Brenden. Oh--my--Jesus.”
His forehead fell against mine. “Ready to

party?”

“Oh, hell, yes.”
His hips snapped against mine, and I groaned.

My toes pointed, and my back arched as his face
fell to my cleavage. He kissed me and sucked at my
skin. He toyed with my nipples using his tongue
while his hips rolled effortlessly against mine. I felt
my juices dripping down my ass crack, covering me
in my own debaucherous mark.

Then, Brenden slid against a spot that made me

jump.

“Oh!”
His eyebrows rose. “Right there?”
He swiveled his hips, and the world started to

fade.

“Oh, shit. Oh… oh, fuck.”
“Ah, yes. Right--right there.”
“Brenden!”
He swiveled his hips again. “Say my name.”
“Shit, shit, shit, shit.”
He gripped my hair. “Say my name, gorgeous.”
And when he swiveled his hips one last time, I

felt myself about to burst. “Brenden. Oh, please.

I’m so close. So, so close. Brenden. Brenden. Oh,
God. Please.”

He swiveled and bucked. He thrust and

snapped. I felt out of control in all the best ways for
the first time in my life. My body molded to him.
His lips wouldn't stop pressing kisses against me.
And as my walls clamped around him, I locked my
legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper as
his lips fell against mine.

He growled while I moaned. He grunted while I

groaned. I swallowed his sounds while he
swallowed mine as his cock pulsed against my
walls. I felt my body milking him for all he had. I
felt my world spiraling out of control. And as his
cock continued to jump, I felt his threads of arousal
coating me. Marking me. Making me his.

At least, for the month.
“Damn it, Kelly,” he grunted.
“Oh, oh, oh my God,” I breathed.
And when his body collapsed on top of mine, I

wrapped my arms around him.

Holding him close as I fell asleep with him

inside me.

“ B

RENDEN

?”

My arm flopped to his side of the bed and fell

against cold sheets.

“Brenden?”
I heard him sip something. “I’m here. Just at my

desk.”

I peeked an eye open. “The sun isn’t even out

yet.”

I heard him sip again. “It’s three in the morning.

Go back to sleep.”

“Then, come to bed.”
He sipped once more. “After I’m done.”
I sat up. “Whatcha drinking?”
“Whiskey.”
“At three in the morning?”
“Helps to focus my mind when I’m working.”
I rolled onto my side. “What are you working

on?”

“Just this project.”
“A property?”
He shook his head but didn’t say anything.
“What are you working on, then?” I asked.
He sighed. “Well, while I know I’ll always be

part of Stonewater Realty, I’ve been working on
getting my own production company up and
running. You know, as a side project.”

“I didn’t know you enjoyed stuff like that.”
He shrugged. “Just a way to expound on my

own dreams.”

“What are your dreams?”
“Well, at one point in time, it was to be an

actor.”

I bolted upright. “I didn’t know you wanted to

act.”

“Yep. I mean, Dad thought it was frivolous, and

Mom thought it was just a phase. But, at one point
in time, it’s really what I wanted to do.”

I scooted to the edge of the bed. “Why didn’t

you pursue it?”

“I don’t know. I guess what my parents said

really got to me. But, now that I’ve got the money
to do something like this, I figured this is another
avenue I can use to pursue something in the
performing arts. Which I’ve always loved.”

“Wow.”
He snickered. “That’s hard to imagine?”
I cocked my head. “Not at all, actually.”
He peeked over his shoulder and smiled, and

there was something in his eye I’d never seen
before. Dedication. I didn’t think it was possible for
Brenden to ever dedicate himself to something--or
be serious about anything. Yet, here he was,
developing a way to carve out a path toward his
original love.

The performing arts.
“Well, I, for one think, it’s a great plan.”
He turned back to his computer. “Thank you

for that. It means a lot.”

And the sincerity of his voice also broke my

heart. Because it came from a place of sadness. It

came from a place of longing. It came from a place
of emptiness.

Maybe Brenden wasn’t the kind of man we

thought him to be at all.

Maybe, just maybe, he was playing a part that

had him pigeonholed.

“S

1 6

Brenden

One Week Later

o, Bebe. How are things at work?”
Mom asked.

Zane interjected. “Things are

going really well, actually. Just offloaded another
three properties this week, and Clint here’s offered
his security services to all of them in case they
want to keep him on retainer.”

Dad nodded. “Good work, son. You got

contracts worked out yet?”

Clint took a bite of his sandwich. “Working on

it. Gotta tweak ‘em, then I’ll shoot them an offer.”

Dad grinned. “So, they are interested, then.”
Zane took a sip of his water. “Two of the three,

yeah.”

Mom sighed. “That’s so great, CeCe. And

we’re so glad to have you home.”

I finally spoke up. “And I’m sure he’d say it’s

good to be home.”

Dad glared at me. “You’ve never known when

to reel in that humor of yours.”

I shrugged. “Figured if everyone was answering

for everyone else, then I could continue the trend.”

Mom clicked her tongue. “BeBe, stop. We’re

just trying to enjoy a peaceful lunch.”

Zane chuckled. “Yeah, BeBe.”
I glared at my brother. “I’ll kill you in your

sleep, ZeZe.”

Dad pointed his fork at me. “Not at this table.

Understood.”

I saluted him. “Got it, boss.”
Zane cleared his throat. “So, Dad. How are

things on your end of the spectrum? I know it’s
been a tough year for you guys. Everything going
okay?”

Dad sat back. “Ah, well. I’ve had to lay off

quite a few people, and I’m not happy about it. We
could only offer them partial severance, too. I’m
not sure what I’m going to do yet. I’m consulting
with my investors' first thing in the morning to see
if we can come up with something.”

I peeked over at him. “Do you have a side

business or something new you can draw from?”

Dad looked over at me. “I don’t enjoy parting

my attention with multiple projects like that.”

Zane furrowed his brow. “Why not? I thought

you liked my rental property idea.”

“Well, yes. Because that falls in line with the

work you currently do. It’s not really a focus-
shifter. It’s just an offshoot of what you already
do.”

I took a bite of my food. “So, I shouldn’t bring

up the fact that I’m in the beginning stages of
starting my own production business.”

Mom gasped. “What!? Oh, sweetie. That’s

phenomenal! When you were younger, you always
wanted to--.”

Dad’s face fell. “You still haven’t given up on

that foolish dream yet?”

I shook my head. “I’m not becoming an actor.

I’m just--.”

“Giving other foolish dreamers hope before

crushing their dreams. Is that really the kind of man
you want to be?”

Zane looked at me. “I didn’t know you were

starting something like that.”

Clint paused. “Wait, you didn’t even tell

Zane?”

Dad shook his head. “Irresponsible, at best, not

to tell your own damn business partner about
possibly leaving.”

I sighed. “No one said anything about leaving.

I’ll always be part of the--.”

Dad pointed at me with his fork. “That’s

exactly what my first business partner said before
he left to start his own small-town bank chain. You
want to know what happened with that?”

I rolled my eyes. “I already know. You bought

him out--.”

“Two years into his fun little adventure, yes.

You’ve already found success at Zane’s side. No
use in abandoning your own brother for some
dream you can’t let go of.”

Mom whispered. “Don’t be so hard on him,

honey.”

Dad’s eyes fell to his food. “Then, he needs to

stop making such asinine decisions.”

I looked over at Clint, and he seemed to be the

only person who had sympathy in his eyes for me.
It didn’t matter, though. It was always like that.
Clint came to Zane’s defense all the time. But, me?
The middle child? I took care of myself. I was the
punching bag for Mom and Dad. I was the referee
between Clint and Zane. I was the loner. The
impossible child. The weird one.

And obviously, that would never change. No

matter the kind of success I found.

“BeBe, I’d like to hear more about this

production company of yours. Does it have a
name?” Mom asked.

Dad waved his hand in the air. “Stop

encouraging him. The last thing we need is to--.”

I nodded. “It does, Mom. I’m calling it ‘Top

Notch Productions.’”

Clint grinned. “You gonna do that with your

little wifey?”

The entire table paused as Mom’s fork fell from

her hand.

“What did you say, CeCe?” she asked.
Clint’s eyes met mine. “Wait, you haven’t told

them?”

I wanted to kill him. “No, Clint. I haven’t.”
Dad’s voice grew gruff. “Did he say ‘wifey’?”
I closed my eyes. “It was an accidental

marriage. A dare gone bad. I’m taking care of it.”

Dad shot up from the table. “You got married in

a Vegas chapel, and you didn’t tell me!?”

Mom grabbed his arm. “Sit down.”
I leaned back. “Remind me never to tell you

guys anything ever again.”

Clint shrugged. “How was I supposed to

know?”

I leaned forward. “You used those loose lips of

yours when you asked, fuckwad.”

Mom snipped at me. “No language like that at

the table.”

“And once again, I have to clean up your

messes. Let me get in touch with my attorney.
They’ll have it handled before the day is out.” Dad
threw his napkin down.

I shook my head. “No, thanks, actually. I got it

handled.”

“Nonsense. You need to be out of this sooner

rather than later. Before the bimbo, you’ve
married--.”

I stood. “Excuse me?”
Dad glared at me. “Before the woman, you

married bleeds you dry of all your money. You
know damn good and well women in this town--.”

I pointed at him. “Don’t you dare talk about

Kelly that way. She’s a bright, intelligent, beautiful,
down-to-earth woman who anyone would be lucky
to marry. And I don’t need you, or your money, or
your influence, or your damn attorney to babysit
me or do me any favors. Some days? I think you
forget who got my business up and running before I
even offered Zane a slice of the pie.”

Zane nodded. “He’s right, Dad.”
I watched his face turn red. “Get out of my

house.”

I threw my napkin down onto my plate. “Trust

me, I’m two steps ahead of you.”

With Mom bickering and Clint finally stepping

up to the plate for me, I stormed out of the house. I
hated coming here. I hated family get-togethers. I
hated sitting down anywhere with my father and
trying to talk to him about shit. I was okay with
Mom. I could run my own damn drug empire, and
so long as I paid my bills, she’d pat me on the back.

But, Dad?

If I wasn’t Zane or Clint, I was nobody.
“Fuck him,” I murmured.
Smoke poured from my ears on the ride back to

my place. And by the time I got up to my front
door, I already had a plan in the works. I didn’t
want to be here any longer. I needed some time
away.

As far away as I could get.
“Kelly!”
I slammed the door behind me and marched

toward her room.

“Kelly!” I roared.
She poked her head around the corner. “Hey.

You okay? How did lunch go?”

“You want to go for a ride?”
She smiled. “Sure. Yeah. Where are we

headed?”

“Anywhere our hearts desire. Pack an

overnight bag, just in case. Two or three outfits
should be enough.”

“Oh, surprise trips. I love these. I take them

with Roxy all the time.”

“Get packed. We’ve got an hour before we

need to catch our ride.”

1 7

Kelly

furrowed my brow. “I thought you said we
were going for a ride?”

Brenden opened his door. “This is our

ride.”

“This is a jet.”
He offered me his hand. “My private jet, yes.”
I paused. “You have your own jet?”
“One of the first purchases I made for the

company, especially once Zane got passionate
about taking us international a few years back.”

I looked at his hand. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. Come on.”
I slid my hand into his as someone started

unloading my bag from the trunk. With his hand in

mine, we boarded the plane, and the luxuriousness
inside made my jaw drop to the floor. The plush
carpet beneath my heels and the buttery leather
seats waiting for us to sit down made me dizzy. But,
it was the lavishness of the food and drinks I
smelled that started my gut churning with need.

“Is that a bedroom back there?” I asked.
Brenden led me to our seats. “It is, yes. For the

longer trips. But, we won’t be on the plane that
long.”

I sat in the seat he ushered me to. “Noted.”
Brenden held my hand for the entire flight. We

didn’t say a word, but it wasn’t as if the silence was
uncomfortable. On the one hand, I wanted to ask
him about how lunch went. But, on the other hand,
I kind of already knew.

I just didn’t know if he wanted to talk about it

or leave it in the past.

After taking a short catnap on Brenden’s

shoulder, I woke up to him buckling me in. I lifted
my head, and he smiled at me, tucking a strand of
hair behind my ear. I giggled as his fingertips trailed
against my cheek. Warming me and enticing me,
and making me wonder if we could steal a few
moments in that back bedroom. But, before I could
ask, the intercom came on.

And the captain started speaking.
“Good afternoon. We have arrived in San

Diego. The city of sun, sand, and surrealism.

Today’s high is 72, and the low tonight is a cool,
chilly 42. We hope you enjoy your stay here in this
fair city and thank you for trusting your flight to me
and my team.”

I gasped. “San Diego?”
Brenden nodded. “I remember you saying one

time that you loved it out here.”

“I don’t even remember saying that.”
“Is it true, though?”
I nodded slowly. “San Diego is one of my

favorite places in the world.”

“Well, get ready for a few days of shopping, spa

retreats, and so much food it’ll make your head
spin.”

I smiled brightly. “We’re in San Diego!”
He kissed the top of my head. “Yes, beautiful.

We are.”

We got off the plane and had our things stowed

into the back of a black town car. But we didn’t go
to the hotel first. Instead, Brenden instructed the
driver to head to Prospect Street.

I gasped. “Brenden, look! Look, look, look!”
“I see that. You like that shop?”
“Oh, my gosh. They have the most brilliant

gems and some of the most unique jewelry pieces
I’ve ever seen. You need to check it out sometime.”

“Why don’t we go inside now?”
I looked over at him. “Because there’s

somewhere else I want to go first. Driver?”

“Yes, ma’am?”
“Can you take us to that little Mexican hut

down by the water?”

“Certainly.”
Brenden furrowed his brow. “A Mexican hut on

the water?”

“Best fish tacos we’ll eat on the West Coast.

Guaranteed.”

The food was fantastic. The sea breeze tickled

my cheeks, and the smell of the ocean intoxicated
me as fresh white fish was piled high onto crunchy,
homemade taco shells. The vegetables and dips
were organic. The Perrier water tasted better than
what I had at home. Everything fell into place as
Brenden’s feet nestled against mine underneath the
rickety table.

Then, it was time to head to the hotel.
“So, where are we staying?” I asked.
“The Del,” he said.
I blinked. “The Del, in Coronado?”
He nodded. “That’s the one. And, I got us a

suite with two separate bedrooms. You know, in
case you didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the
same room.”

Thoughtfulness wasn’t a trait I would’ve ever

assigned to Brenden. But, with each passing day, I
saw a new side of him. A dedicated side. A
passionate side. A caring side, and now a thoughtful
side. I wondered what else our spontaneous trip

might bring. I wondered what other surprises were
in store for me.

My question was answered when we got up to

the suite, though.

“Oh. My. God,” I said.
Brenden wrapped his arm around me. “You like

it?”

I slowly walked over to the windows at the far

end of the room, looking out over the ocean.

“Can we sleep with the windows open so we

can hear it?” I asked.

He chuckled. “We can do whatever you want.”
I turned back toward the view. “I didn’t bring a

bathing suit. I didn’t know I needed to pack one.”

“Well, there’s a shop downstairs. I’m sure we

can find something that fits your body perfectly
down there.”

I blushed. “Won’t that charge the bathing suit

to the room, though?”

He shrugged. “So?”
I sighed. “I don’t want to take your money,

Brenden.”

“And you’re not. It’s a bathing suit, Kelly. Forty

bucks tops.”

“If you say so.”
The soft gray walls and the white crown

molding and baseboards lent a soft palate of color
to the bright blue and yellow accents. The
microfiber furniture looked plush and ready to

welcome my body, and the knotty pine wood used
for furniture accents took my breath away. Each of
the rooms had its own en-suite master bathroom
with a jetted tub and a glass-encased shower. The
accent pillows sparkled with blues and yellows,
swirling with floral designs, and the king-sized beds
called to my entire body.

I felt Brenden’s hand on the small of my back,

though, and it pulled me back to the present.

“What do you say about hanging out around

here tonight?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I’m okay with that. What would

you like to do?”

“Well, this place has a hotel restaurant and bar.

Plus, it’s got a tiki bar by the pool and three
different hot tubs.”

“Oh, sounds nice.”
“Mhm. So, here’s what I’m thinking: we go

snag you a bathing suit and enjoy some cocktails by
the hot tub. We wait out the sun until it sets, then
we come back up here, get dressed, and go enjoy
the five-course meal the hotel restaurant offers.”

I giggled. “Sounds delightful.”
He held me close. “Great. I’ve been told that if

you sit by the hot tub outside, you can watch the
sun set over the ocean while sipping cocktails and
enjoying the warmth pouring from the jets, without
actually getting in.”

“Well, I’m getting in the hot tub. They’re so

relaxing.”

He smiled. “Noted.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “You seem to be taking a

lot of notes there, mister.”

He grinned. “Maybe I am. Does that bother

you?”

“No. Doesn’t bother me. Just makes me wonder

what you’ve got brewing in that mind of yours.”

He rubbed my back. “Look out towards the

water.”

“What?”
He nodded. “Look.”
I scanned my eyes over the horizon before I

saw what he was referencing. Black dots appeared
before they got closer and closer, and I noticed
what they were.

“Are those ships?” I asked.
He pulled me close. “Even better. Those are

Navy ships in the distance, all moving in a line.
There’s probably a cadence of some sort being
called right now.”

I looked up at him. “How do you know all of

this?”

He looked down at me. “Clint.”
“That’s right. He was a Navy SEAL.”
“Uh-huh. And if I’m guessing right, those are

SEALs out there right now.”

“Wait, seriously?”
“Mhm. It’s called ‘hell week.’ Five intensive

days of training, drilling, cadence-calling, and cuts
before a new SEAL team is formed and ready for
active duty. Clint told me during his hell week that
he never got more than four hours of sleep.”

“A night?”
“Nope. Overall.”
My jaw dropped. “What!?”
His eyes turned back out towards the water.

“Yep. Our military men and women go through
literal hell to make sure we’re safe. To make sure
we can prosper and be what we are. And while I
don’t always agree with Clint, I’ll always respect
him for what he’s done. Because I sure as hell
could never do something like that.”

I placed my hand on his chest. “You’re a good

brother, Brenden. And a good man. Don’t ever let
someone tell you differently.”

I watched something crawl across his face

before he sighed.

“I needed to hear that. Thank you.”
I laid my head against him. “Of course.

Anytime.”

He drew in a curt breath. “So! Ready for that

bathing suit? I’m thinking a nice stringed bikini with
those little triangle nipple things.”

I shook my head. “You wish.”
“Trust me, I really do.”
And that’s when I figured it out. That’s when I

realized it. Brenden wasn’t the kind of man we

thought him to be at all. It was a facade for the type
of man he had become because, for some reason,
the man he had become wasn’t good enough for
someone. I knew what that looked like, too,
because I’d gone through it myself. With my own
father. Though, I never really talked about that
much.

Maybe I should at dinner.
Maybe if I talked about it at dinner, he’d talk

about what was on his mind.

And the thought made me eager to skip right to

the food.

“A

1 8

Brenden

nd here’s your door, milady.”

Kelly giggled. “Milady, huh?

You’re a proper drunk, aren’t you?”

I held up my finger. “Excuse me, miss. I am not

drunk.”

She snorted with laughter as I leaned against the

door in front of her room.

“I’m merely tipsy.”
She snickered. “Very tipsy, actually. That door

is holding you up, okay?”

I nodded. “It’s treating my shoulder very well,

yes. It’s the most action I’ve gotten in a while.”

“Oh, boo. I find that one hard to believe.”
I paused. “Why?”

She blinked. “Well, because you always have

someone you’re interested in. Or, someone you’ve
got on your arm. Or, in your bed.”

“I do?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah, you do.”
“And you've noticed?”
“Everyone notices, Brenden.”
“But, you notice?”
I gazed into her eyes as she finally nodded at

me.

“Yeah. I always notice,” Kelly said softly.
I’d been so smitten with her all night that all I

wanted to do was kiss her. So, I did. I bent forward
and captured her lips, tasting the red wine still on
the tip of her tongue. Warmth trickled through my
veins, and I felt my body gravitating toward her. I
felt her hand slide softly against my cheek, cupping
it as we stood there in front of her hotel room.

“Goodnight,” she whispered against my lips.
Then, she disappeared.
Leaving me wanting more of her as her words

tumbled around in my head.

Yeah, I always notice.
Kelly’s words knocked around in my mind as I

stumbled my way back to my own room. I got
inside and threw the patio door open, allowing the
sounds of the ocean to filter in. I stood there and
sighed as the cool breeze wafted against my body.
But, the entire time, I wished that it was Kelly

floating against my body.

“That doesn’t make sense,” I murmured.
But, to my heart, it did.
“You’re in dangerous territory,” I whispered.
It didn’t stop me from thinking about her,

though. It didn’t stop me from stripping down,
crawling into bed, and wishing she were next to me.
As I stared out over the water with my cheek
pressed against the down pillow, I thought about
our dinner. How wonderful it seemed, and how
great our conversation flowed, and how easy it was
to be around her.

But, I also couldn't shake the notion that there

was something she wanted to mention.

You’re overthinking things, Brenden.
“Just need to sleep it off,” I murmured.
Yeah, I always notice.
“Fuck,” I groaned.
I flopped onto my back and let my eyes ease

themselves closed. I felt the alcohol pulling me
under, forcing me to get a good night’s sleep. It
didn’t stop my want, though. No, no, my need.

I needed Kelly next to me.
I needed her in my arms.
I needed her against my body and my soul and

my heart.

“You’ve got it bad, man,” I murmured, before

sleep finally swallowed me whole.

Kelly

: R

OXY

, I

G OT

P ROB LEM

. A

B IG

ONE

. C

ALL

me?

I didn’t wait five minutes before my sister rang

me on my phone while the sun rose over the ocean.

“Hey there,” I said groggily.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“So, I’m with Brenden in San Diego, right? And

we’re in this gorgeous oceanfront hotel, and we had
this fabulous dinner with--.”

“You’re in San Diego?”
I paused. “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Uh, no. You didn’t tell me you were going to

San Diego with Brenden. When the hell did this
happen!?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yesterday?

The day before? I’m still a bit hungover from last
night.”

“Oh. My. God. Did you guys have drunk sex?”
I blinked. “No, we didn’t. That’s kind of my

issue, though.”

“You wanted to have drunk sex, and he

didn’t?”

“Not quite like that. But, I mean…”
She paused. “Oooooooh. Okay, I get it now.”
“I hope you do because I really don’t.”

“What’s holding you back from sleeping with

Brenden?”

I rolled over. “I don’t know. Everything?

Nothing? Myself?”

She giggled. “All good answers, sis. But, no.

What's holding you back from sleeping with him is
the idea that he’ll break your heart. Like he does
with every other girl.”

I sat up. “Well, now that you’ve thrown it out

there.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t play that game with me.”
I snickered. “I know, I know. I just--.”
“I mean, you’re married to the man right now,

right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean--.”
“And you’re attracted to him, right?”
“I’ve always been, yeah.”
“And he’s attracted to you?”
I smiled softly. “He is, yes.”
“Then, get out of your own way, Kelly.

Seriously. You’re always mucking things up for
yourself. If you’re in San Diego in this fabulous
hotel with a guy you have to be with for the next
month or so anyway, why not have some fun with
it?”

“What if it hurts to leave, though?”
“If this were your business, would you see the

risk differently?”

I paused. “Well, yeah. Because my business

isn’t going to leave me, Roxy.”

“Yeah. And for the next few weeks, Brenden

isn’t going to leave you.”

“But, he will eventually, right?”
“Does that matter if you want him as badly as

you do?”

I blinked. “Kind of.”
“Will the heartache kill you if you indulge and

then don’t get what you want?”

I sighed. “No, it won’t.”
“Then, get out of your way and have some fun.

Lord knows you deserve it. Allow yourself to take
what you want, for once. Because if you’re going
to succeed in any other part of your life, you have
to learn to go for it, despite the risk.”

I flopped back down. “When the hell did you

get so smart?”

She giggled. “Girl, I’ve always been smart.

Fuck you.”

I smiled. “Love you, too.”
“All right, I’m gonna let you go. But, I want

some juicy details filling my inbox by tonight. Got
it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“Love you, bye!”
“Love you, too.”
I tossed my phone back to the bed and stared

up at the ceiling. My sister had a point. A very good
point, actually. And as I laid there, thinking about

our conversation, I found myself becoming bolder.

“I can do this,” I said to myself.
Then, I slid out of bed.
I rushed into the bathroom and cleaned myself

up a bit. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I
slid on a bit of lip gloss and fluffed out my hair. I
reached for my robe and wrapped it around my
naked body before I padded out of the room and
across the hotel, aiming for Brenden’s door.

But, the second I got there, he swung it open.
And there he stood, naked as a bird.
“Mmm, morning,” he murmured.
He let out a massive yawn as my eyes fell down

his body.

“What’s for break--uh oh.”
I slowly looked up at him. “Well. That’s a hell

of a morning greeting.”

Our eyes met, and I watched him study me. His

eyes fell to my glistening lips before he scooted
them down the rest of my form. I smiled as I
reached for the bow around my waist, pulling on it,
so my robe fell open. I bared it all for him, allowing
his eyes a monumental look at my body. With all its
peaks, valleys, and imperfections, I slid the robe off
my arms and cast it to the side.

And when his eyes met mine, a fire sparked

behind them.

“Morning,” I said giggling.
Before I could think straight, his hand flew to

my hair. He fisted it and dragged me close to him,
pulling me in for a knee-weakening kiss. His tongue
pressed through my lips, commanding my attention
as my head tilted off to the side. I threw my arms
around his neck, feeling his cock already bulging
against my stomach. I stood onto my tiptoes as I
walked him back into his bedroom, and we didn’t
stop moving until the two of us collapsed against
his bed.

“Mine,” he growled.
And as he rolled me over, I felt his hands all

over me.

“Oh, Brenden. Yes.”
He kissed down the valley of my breasts. He

lapped at my nipples as his hands spread my legs.
He sank to the floor, on his knees, and I felt his hot
mouth hovering over my lower lips. His hands were
commanding against my body. He molded me and
moved me precisely as he wished me to be. He
tossed my legs over his shoulders. He gripped my
hips. He pulled me close to him as his tongue
pushed against my wet pussy. My eyes widened
with pleasure as he lapped up my slit, gathering my
juices on the tip of his tongue.

Then, he started teasing me.
To a point where I almost snapped.
“My God. Brenden. I--I need--.”
He slowly traced my clit with his tongue as I

bucked against his face.

“What is it you need?” he murmured.
I panted. “More. More. I need more, please.”
“More… what?”
I raised my head. “I want more of you.”
I reached down for him, and he flew up my

body. Our lips crashed together as he wrapped his
arm around my waist. And together, we scooted up
the bed. I dug my heels into the mattress while he
helped scoot me up. Then, he collapsed on top of
me, pinning my wrists above my head.

While I moaned down the back of his throat.
“Fucking hell, Kelly. The things you do to me.”
I felt his cock fall between my legs. “Fill me up,

Brenden. Do it. Now.”

The second he eased himself into me, the rest of

the world faded away. The ocean didn’t exist, the
place didn’t exist, and not even the hotel existed.
As I looked up into Brenden’s eyes, feeling him
working for my own pleasure, I felt my heart give
way a little more to him. I felt my body succumb to
his movements and his motions as our bed banged
against the wall, signaling to the entire world that
he was mine.

And I was his.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” I moaned.
“Oh, fuck. Kelly. Jesus Chr--oh, oh, oh, oh.

Shit!”

I met him, thrust for thrust. “You like that?”
“Oh, yeah, I do.”

“You like it when my body swallows you

whole?”

His eyes darkened. “My God, yes, I do.”
“You like it when I’m--shit--beneath you? Like

this? At your command?”

He captured my lips. “Tell me how you want

it.”

I breathed. “Harder.”
“Tell me again.”
“Harder, Brenden.”
“Say it louder.”
“I need you harder, Brenden. Please, fuck me!”
The sounds of skin slapping skin filled the room

as my legs locked around his waist. I pulled him in
further while his cock throbbed against my pulsing
walls. I felt my juices dripping down my ass crack. I
felt his heart beating against my own. My eyes
rolled back, and my toes curled as my end crashed
over me, drowning out everything except for him.

Brenden.
As he chanted my name.
“Kelly. Kelly. Kelly. Oh, fucking hell, Kelly!

I’m coming. I’m coming. Kelly, fuck!”

I dropped to the bed as he filled me to the brim.

I watched pleasure waft over his face as he
collapsed on top of me, dripping with sweat. I
leaned my cheek against his face. I felt his arousal
painting my walls with his mark. And as I kissed his
shoulder softly, feeling him trembling, I closed my

eyes.

Just so I could commit every feeling in that one

moment to memory.

“W

1 9

Kelly

Two Weeks Later

ater in,” I murmured.

I poured the water into the

back of the Keurig.

“Coffee pod in,” I yawned.
I placed the pod into its rightful place before I

closed the top.

“Time to brew,” I whispered.
I pressed the series of buttons I had learned

while staying here at Brenden’s place, and the smell
of coffee soon filled the kitchen again. I picked up
the spoon and stirred the creamer into my coffee as
the sounds of Brenden’s coffee poured into the mug
in front of me. I had cinnamon rolls in the oven.

Not fresh, of course. Sweet roll containers and
coffee were the only two things I could handle first
thing in the morning.

“Hello there, gorgeous,” Brenden said.
He came over and kissed the hickey on my

neck, and I giggled.

Okay, I guess there are more things I can

handle in the morning.

I grinned. “Morning, handsome.”
“That my coffee you’re making?”
“Mhm. Got mine made, and the timer’s about

to--.”

The timer started beeping, and I pointed to the

oven.

“Can you get them out and ice them?”
He kissed the top of my head. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not I can use the extra icing on

you.”

I snorted as he nipped at my bare shoulder, and

I felt my stomach turn over. I cracked the oven
open before turning around, and his hands fell
immediately to my hips. He picked me up like he
did every morning and sat me right on the counter. I
picked up my coffee and took a sip before he
picked his up and mocked my movements.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are

every morning?” he asked.

I blushed. “I think it’s because I’m wearing

your shirt.”

He grinned. “You should do that every morning,

too.”

I leaned forward. “Well, wake me up the way

you did again, and maybe I just will.”

“Perfection.”
He kissed my lips softly before he stepped to

the side, ready to take out the cinnamon rolls. As I
sat there, allowing the caffeine to flow effortlessly
through my veins, I studied the marks I’d left on
him last night. The way my nails raked down his
back, creating red lines I didn’t want to stop
looking at. The way my teeth bit into his shoulder,
leaving soft red indentions, I wanted to run my
fingertips over. I wanted more of him. All of him.
Every day, so long as he’d let me have it.

But, the idea of all of it coming to an end kept

me from taking any more than what he willingly
gave.

“So,” he said as he iced the cinnamon rolls, “I

have to go into work today.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you do.”
“I know it’s a Saturday morning, but there’s a

massive project coming up that requires all hands
on deck every day until next weekend.”

“Oh? Care to elaborate?”
“We could do that over dinner if you’d like. I

can bring home something nice.”

I smiled. “I’ll hold you to it, then.”

He pecked my lips. “Wonderful.”
He offered me a bite of his cinnamon roll, and I

gladly took it. But, I ended up getting icing all over
the sides of my mouth. Brenden grinned as he
leaned in closely, allowing his tongue to lick up the
traces of sweetness against my skin.

“You taste wonderful with this icing,” he

murmured.

I captured his lips and kissed him deeply.

Making him drop the cinnamon roll as he moved
closer to me.

“Pick some up from the store and let’s see

where else it tastes wonderful,” I whispered.

He growled. “Done.”
I leaned up. “Wonderful.”
Brenden pointed at me. “Don’t think you’re not

an ass for bringing this up just when I have to go
start getting ready, though.”

I shrugged. “Gives you something to look

forward to.”

“Yeah, and something to distract me all day.”
“Since when have you ever seen me as a

distraction?”

He smiled. “Since the first time I laid eyes on

you, Kelly.”

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. Wait, was

he being serious? I wasn’t sure how long I sat there
with a stupid look on my face, but by the time I
pulled out of my trance, he was halfway to the

kitchen doorway.

“Thanks for the coffee and the cinnamon roll,

gorgeous. I’m going to go get ready.”

I drew in a short breath. “Asshole!”
He barked with laughter. “You know you love

it!”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, and I

distracted myself with my own cinnamon roll. I
picked it up from the pan and shoved it into my
mouth, trying my best to get my body to focus on
something different. It couldn't, though. I couldn't
focus on anything else. Not after those words.

Since the first time I laid eyes on you, Kelly.
“I have to call Roxy,” I whispered.
With the cinnamon roll in my mouth and my

coffee in hand, I rushed out of the kitchen. I
bounded up the stairs to Brenden’s room and
quickly unplugged my phone while he was in the
shower. I looked at the mangled, tangled mess we
had created of his bedsheets, and it made me smile.
I still smelled our lingering scent of debauchery,
even with his body wash infiltrating the room. I
finished off my cinnamon roll before I made my
way downstairs, walking myself out to the balcony.

And as I sat down in one of the lounge chairs

with my coffee, I called my sister.

“Seriously, Kelly? Nine in the morning?”
I blinked. “Don’t tell me you were still

sleeping.”

She groaned. “What do you want?”
“He said ‘since the first time I laid eyes on you,

Kelly.’ That’s what he said. I heard it with my own
ears.”

She paused. “Please tell me there’s more to this

story. Because I don’t have it in me to decipher you
right now.”

I leaned back. “We were talking in the kitchen

while I was making coffee and cinnamon rolls, and
he mentioned that I’d be a distraction all day. And I
said, when in the world have I ever been a
distraction to you? And that was his answer.”

“Since the day he laid eyes on you?”
I nodded. “Yeah. That’s how he responded.”
“How did you respond back?”
“I couldn't. I was so damn shocked that I

couldn’t move, much less speak.”

“What happened between you two? I mean, did

you have morning sex or something?”

I paused. “Or something?”
I heard shuffling on the other end of the line.

“Kelly? What did you guys do?”

I shrugged. “I mean, nothing, I guess. I--well--I

have been sleeping in his room with him ever since
we got back from San Diego.”

“You’ve been sleeping in his bed with him for

two weeks!?”

I blinked. “Yes.”
“And I’m just now finding out about this?”

“I mean, you know I’ve been busy with the

launch of my fashion line. Which is coming up, by
the way. You ready for it?”

“No, no, no, no. I want some details. What else

are you two doing to cozy up in that condo of his?”

I gazed out over the skyline. “I mean, we just

have our established routines and all. I do coffee
and cinnamon rolls in the morning. He takes care of
dinner. We go out for lunch if we’re doing lunch
together.”

“You guys have a daily fucking routine. That’s

insane. Are you sure we’re talking about Brenden?
The same guy I know?”

“There’s more to him than you could ever

know, Roxy. I’m serious. He’s not just some wild
and crazy guy. He’s got passions, and wishes, and
dreams for his life. He’s dedicated to the things he
truly wants in this world. It’s a beautiful side of him
to see. He’s not just some player, you know?”

“Uh, oh.”
“What?”
“Kelly, don’t do this to yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not falling in love with

him. Come on.”

“Oh, no. I’m not talking about that. We all

know you love the man.”

“Wait, no, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
I sat up. “No, Roxy. I’m not in love with

Brenden.”

“Don’t be dumb, Kelly. It’s fine that you are.

We’re all okay with it. It’s just--.”

I stood to my feet. “Listen to my words, Roxy. I

am not in love with Brenden. At all.”

“Well, then you’ve been doing a damn fine job

of fooling all of us.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that.
“All I want to say is, be careful. Okay? It seems

like you guys are getting very, very cozy. But, this
month is almost out. We’ve only got a week or so
to go. Don’t set yourself up for heartache.”

“I won’t, Roxy. You have my word. It’s just

some fun, that’s all.”

“Well, judging by the sound of that ‘fun,’ you

should be completely good to go in your dating life
once you get out of there.”

I should have found that funny, but I didn’t.
“Anyway, I have to go. Got lots more stuff to

take care of since he’s slipping into work himself,”
I said.

Roxy sighed. “I love you, girl. Just be careful,

okay?”

“You know I always am.”
Then, I hung up the phone so I didn’t have to

endure another moment of that conversation.

I sighed as I peered into the condo. I thought

about the past couple of weeks and all it had
brought us. I felt closer to Brenden. I felt as if I

were his equal. As if he were finally seeing me for
the first time. And I loved it. Not him, but that. I
loved the idea that he was finally seeing me instead
of all the girls around me. It made me smile. It
made me feel beautiful. It made me feel important,
and that’s what I wanted to be to someone.

“You’ve got this,” I whispered to myself.
Yes, I knew it would all be done soon. So, why

not live it up? Why not go all in and not hold back
anymore? I mean, what good did it do me to hold
back if there was something sleeping next to me
every night that I wanted?

Time to get gussied up.
I did have work to do, sure. But, I also had a

plan forming in my mind. He said he was bringing
dinner home, so I wanted him to walk right into a
scenario where he’d want dessert first. As I sipped
my coffee, I made my way back inside. The first
thing I needed to do was pick out an outfit. Then, I
needed to go get my hair and nails done. After that,
I could knock out some work, slip into my sexiest
outfit, and wait for Brenden to get home.

Yeah. That’s what I’d do for him.
And, it’s what I’d do for myself.

2 0

Brenden

stared at Clint. “I’m telling you, these past
three weeks have been phenomenal.”

He nodded. “Of course they have. You’ve

had a crush on that girl for years.”

“No, no, no. Not like that. I mean, it’s just--.”
“Just what?”
I leaned back, sighing. “I’ve had all these girls,

right? And they’re great. Really great girls. But,
there’s something about Kelly I’ve always come
back to.”

“She was the forbidden fruit.”
“Clint.”
He shrugged. “What? No use in not acting like

you don’t have pride. You nailed the girl you

haven’t been able to since college. I’d be happy
myself.”

“It’s not like that, Clint.”
He threw a fry into his mouth. “Sure about

that?”

I shook my head. “I knew you wouldn't get it.”
“What’s there to get? You two are living it up.

That’s good. At least you’re not miserable obeying
the judge’s orders.”

“Where's Zane again?”
He took a gulp of his soda. “Working late.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course. You’d think he’d

be home with his pregnant fiancé.”

“Oh, she’s with him. They were eating dinner

when I left.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. Kelly and

I jive like that. We’re totally okay with being
anywhere or doing anything so long as we’re with
one another. I’ve never had that before.”

He paused. “Are you saying you want to keep

seeing her or something?”

“Yeah, man. I think I do.”
He shook his head. “You’re jumping into things

way too quickly.”

“When the hell have I not done that?”
“You say she’s different, though, right?”
I nodded. “Right.”
“So, treat her differently if she’s, in fact,

different. Don’t do the shitty thing and rush stuff

only to have it explode all over your face. No one
likes a random hot load in their face.”

I grinned. “You’d know, wouldn't you?”
He chuckled. “You’re damned right, I do. She

let me make it up to her, too.”

“I can only imagine how you did that.”
He leaned forward. “By putting my next load in

the right place.”

I snickered. “You’re a dog, you know that?”
He took a bite of his burger. “Of course, I know

that. I know exactly who I am and--.”

I held up my hand. “Swallow, Clint.”
He gulped his food down. “I know exactly who

I am, and that doesn’t bother me one bit. But, if
you think you can meet some girl who’s different
and treat her the same? Then, you’re just an idiot.”

“So, you’re saying I should keep up with this.

Maybe ask her to keep staying with me after this
whole thing is dissolved?”

“I mean, why not just stay married?”
“What?”
“Sure! You fucked her, you guys eat dinners

together, you hang out on weekends. Why not just
stay married and grow old together? Fuck
courtship. You guys are already there.”

I blinked. “Stop being sarcastic.”
He laughed. “Finally. Took you a while to catch

on.”

I groaned. “Okay. I’m done talking about this.”

“Dude. Brenden. You're my brother, okay? I’m

not gonna lie to you or shit like that. But, you’re a
bachelor. You had to set up an entire room for her
that’s different than the rest of your place because
you don’t live the life she wants to live.”

“That isn’t true. I could settle down and be a

damn good husband.”

“But you don’t want to.”
“I might want to with her.”
“It’s fun right now because it’s new. You’re

fucking some girl in a new atmosphere with a new
problem, and it’s exciting. Like having sex in the
back of your car for the first time. But, that
newness will wear off, just like it does with all the
other girls I’ve seen you cycle through. Then,
what?”

I pushed my food away. “She’s different. This

thing we have is different.”

He gulped his soda again. “Maybe it is. But,

Kelly seems like a decent-enough girl. She doesn’t
need to be tied up with a guy like you if you’re just
going to continue being a bachelor.”

“I don’t want to be. Not with her.”
“Then, be sure about it. Otherwise, you’re

stuck. Same sex, same woman, same routine, for
the rest of your life. And the rest of your life is a
very, very long time to go without touching another
woman except her.”

I stayed quiet for the rest of our lunch, turning

his words around over in my head. I figured Clint
would’ve been more supportive of me than that.
But, then again, he wasn’t about to become the
family man.

I should’ve canceled and had dinner with Zane.
“Anyway,” Clint said as he wiped off his

mouth, “I’ll pick up the tab. You just keep yourself
out of trouble, all right?”

I nodded mindlessly. “Yeah.”
“Oh, you want one of their milkshakes? I love

their salted caramel pretzel milkshake. I can’t get
enough.”

“I’m good.”
“You sure?”
I slowly looked up at him. “I’m fine, Clint.”
He held up his hands. “Suit yourself. I’ll have

them bring you a to-go box for your stuff.”

As he walked away from our table, my eyes

gravitated outside. I saw the blinking signs of the
casino across the street and figured I could use a bit
of a distraction. After loading my food into the
container and seeing Clint off, I left my food in my
car.

I strolled across the street.
“Get the hell outta my way. It’s a fucking

crosswalk, asshole!”

The car horn blared as I crossed the road, and I

flicked them off. I didn’t give a damn how it made
me look, either. People in Vegas were always so

damn moody all the time. And it was times like that
that I was jealous of Zane living outside of
downtown Vegas. With my hands in my pockets, I
strolled into the casino. One of the waitresses came
over promptly to take my drink order while I
scanned the tables. As far as my eyes could see,
there were people playing poker. Blackjack.
Roulette, and slots. There wasn’t a free seat in the
fucking place at one o’clock in the afternoon on a
Tuesday.

So, I took my drink from the waitress, tipped

her, then started walking around.

“Hooray!”
“Here they come!”
“Oh my God, take pictures. Get your phone

out. Hurry!”

I spun around as everyone in the casino stood

and held their drinks in the air. I furrowed my brow
as I watched the doors of the place burst open,
revealing a very happy bride and groom. Everyone
yelled and clapped. Some even whistled and
hollered. The bride threw her bouquet into the
crowd, and I heard women screaming while they
reached for it, hoping to be the lucky woman to
catch the falling flowers.

“I got it, I got it!”
Everyone clapped as the bride rushed over and

hugged the woman holding the flowers. Men patted
the groom’s back and handed him a drink. An older

man with salted hair at his temples lit a cigar for the
young man before shoving it between his lips. I
sipped my drink as I made my way into a corner,
trying not to detract from their moment.

And every time the couple looked at one

another, I saw love in their eyes.

Kelly.
She was the only person I could think about as I

threw back the rest of my drink. While the blushing
bride kept hugging people, I kept envisioning Kelly
in a beautiful, flowing white gown. I thought about
the cigar Zane would want to share with me after
being my best man at my wedding. Because I knew
damn good and well, my father wouldn't give a shit.
Or, more aptly, would find some reason for it to
disappoint him.

Nonetheless, I couldn't stop daydreaming about

Kelly and the kind of wedding she’d actually want.

“My stars, is that Brenden Hearthstone?”
The familiar voice pulled me from my trance,

and I automatically wished I had another drink.

“It is, it is,” I said.
LaShonda sauntered in front of me before she

plucked my empty glass from my hand. Before
exchanging it with another drink that was identical
to the one I had been sipping.

I chuckled. “How long have you been watching

me?”

“Such a terrible word, ‘watching.’ Maybe I

simply noticed you when you walked into a room.
And I do know your habits, Brenden.”

“That’s very true.”
She giggled. “So, what are you doing crashing a

wedding party?”

I paused. “You know the bride and the groom?”
Her hand fell against my chest. “Shows how

much you remember from when we dated. That’s
my sister, sweetheart.”

I paused. “Right.”
She patted me. “It’s okay that you forgot. I

always thought that trait was endearing.”

“I’m sure you did.”
She stepped a bit closer to me. “So, what are

you doing for the rest of your day? Got the day off
work, by any chance?”

I threw the drink back with one swallow.

“Actually, just coming off my lunch break.”

“So, I take it, that means you can’t stay?

Maybe have a dance or two with me?”

I slipped away from her. “I need to head

home.”

She followed me. “I thought you were heading

back to the office.”

“I’m heading somewhere, yes.”
“Come on, stay with me. Just one dance. That’s

all I’m asking.”

I set my glass down at the bar. “No, LaShonda.

I have to go.”

She took my hand in hers. “Just one dance. And

if you can honestly resist me after that, then I won’t
ever pull you aside again.”

“Ever?”
She winked. “If you can resist me, that is.

Though, if I remember correctly, that never
happened.”

“LaShonda, I have to--.”
“This’ll be fun. Come on.”
And even as I tried to find an exit that wasn’t

rude as hell during a wedding reception, I couldn't
find one.

Just leave, Brenden. That’s all you have to do.
So, why did I have such a hard time doing it?

2 1

Kelly

paced the living room back and forth while
trying not to look at my cell phone. I mean,
sure, Brenden wasn’t home. But that wasn’t

something to be concerned about, right? He was a
big boy with his big boy business, and I’m sure he
had a lot on his plate with projects and things.

Right?
“Come on, Kelly. He told you he’d be home for

dinner and a movie.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. I

turned towards the massive windows in the living
room and gazed out over Vegas. The sun had set.
The stars were out. And we were supposed to be
enjoying a movie on the couch together. But

instead, I was here--alone--with our Thai food
growing cold.

“Where the hell are you?” I grumbled.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and crafted

a text to Brenden. I wanted to know where he was
and what time he’d be home because frankly… I
was starving. And if something had come up at
work, all he had to do was tell me.

But, I didn't get a response back from the

message I sent off.

So, I called his brother.
“Hello?” Zane asked.
“Zane, it’s Kelly.”
“Oh, hey there. Everything all right?”
I heard Karina giggling in the background, and I

furrowed my brow.

“Didn’t I call your office phone?” I asked.
He snickered. “You’re fine, it’s okay. I was just,

uh, taking a break.”

Karina started giggling again, and I rolled my

eyes.

“Ew, gross. Okay. Do you know where Brenden

is?” I asked.

Zane chuckled. “Uh, wait. Wait, wait. Brenden?

You don’t know where he is?”

“No. He hasn’t come home yet.”
“Karina, stop it,” he whispered. “Kelly, you

there?”

“Yep.”

“Let me shoot you Clint’s number. Clint had

lunch with Brenden today, and he never did make it
back to the office. I thought he went home to work
and spend time with you.”

“Well, he’s not here. So, I’d like that number.

I’m worried about him.”

“Sure thing. Give me a second.”
He hung up the phone on me, and I almost

called him back. Until his text rolled through with
his older brother’s number. I shot off a quick ‘thank
you’ before I dialed the number, hoping and praying
that there was a logical explanation for all of it.

“Yeah?” Clint answered.
I blinked. “Clint?”
“Yep?”
“It’s Kelly.”
“Hey there.”
“Hey. Uh, listen. You had lunch with Brenden.

Right?”

“Yep.”
“Have you seen him since then?”
“Why?”
I paused. “Because he’s not home yet, so

you’re the last one to have seen him.”

“I mean, that’s not unusual. Sometimes,

Brenden blows off work after lunch to drink and go
play some slots.”

“Wait, he actually does that?”
“I mean, yeah. He works hard. Why not?”

I shook my head. “Never mind. Any chance

you might know where he is now?”

“Probably at his usual place.”
“That place got a name, Clint?”
“Yep. Lucky’s 8. We had lunch across the

street.”

I sighed. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
I ended the phone call abruptly and tossed my

phone onto the couch. If that slimy little shit
thought I was going to stand around and wait for
him while he got drunk, gambled, and forgot our
plans, then he had another thing coming. I shook
my head as I pulled my Thai food out of the bag. I
marched into the kitchen and threw it into the
microwave, but I paused before I started it up.

Why should I stay here mad at him?
“When I could just go get him,” I murmured.
I abandoned my food and made my way for the

elevator. I could have sworn that Brenden had
turned over a new leaf. That we were building
something special and amazing while we were
cooped up with one another. But, if that was how
Brenden thought things would be if we were
together, he had another thing coming.

He doesn’t think you guys are together.
“Shut up,” I whispered to myself.
I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know how

to feel. All I knew was that Brenden and I had
plans, and there was a possibility he’d thrown me to

the side to get drunk. I hailed a cab and rattled off
the name of the place, hoping and praying that
Clint was wrong. Hoping and praying that Brenden
was, literally, anywhere else right now.

“Please don’t be right. Please don’t be right.

Please don’t be right.”

I softly chanted those words all the way to

Lucky’s 8. I paid the driver before I headed inside,
and the sheer amount of drunk people stumbling
around me was insane. Glitter covered the floor.
There was a half-eaten cake set up in the corner.
Champagne was flowing, and the slot machines
were glowing, and everyone around me seemed to
be dressed to the nines.

“Are you with the bride or the groom!?”
One of the waitresses yelled at me to get over

the noise, and I shook my head.

“Neither! I’m just looking for someone!”
“I can’t let you in, then. I’m sorry!”
I sighed. “Look, I’m only here for a little bit.

I’ve lost someone, and I want to make sure they’re
not here. That’s all.”

“Bride, or groom’s side?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
She looked around. “Fifteen minutes!”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Then, I started my search.
I walked up and down the aisles of the casino. I

passed through cigar smoke and men yelling at one

another while sitting at poker tables. The smell of
rum and vodka and wine-filled the air as women
stood against the walls, drinking and giggling with
friends. Lights flashed, and people yelled over my
head. Someone spilled a drink to my left, and I felt
it splatter against my bare leg. I tried not to grimace
as I pushed through the crowd while music blared
over the loudspeaker system.

I finally emerged at the bar, ready for a drink

myself.

Until I heard a familiar voice at my side.
“LaShonda. You’ve had a bit too much to

drink.”

A woman giggled. “Oh, Brenden. You’ve

always been so caring, deep down. You’re really
not a player, are you?”

I slowly looked over, and I proved myself

wrong. There wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather that
man be. His gambling and being drunk would’ve
been a beautiful, romantic scene compared to what
I saw unfolding at the corner table beneath a light
that didn’t work.

“LaShonda--.”
“Oh, man. You still cut nice in a suit, Brenden.

You know that? Come here. Give mama a kiss.”

I turned my back to the scene just as she leaned

in. I couldn't take it any longer. I had to get out of
there. I pushed my way back through the crowd
and charged out of the casino. I flagged down yet

another cab before I paid him extra to race me back
to Brenden’s place. I felt as if I were moving in a
fog. An angry fog that kept looming over my head.

I didn't come to until I zipped up my last

suitcase. Alone.

Just like I’d been from the start.
“You're an idiot,” I said breathlessly.
I clutched my heart as I blinked back tears of

hatred and regret. Tears of guilt and sadness.
Maybe Brenden never was mine to have in the first
place. Maybe people didn’t change. Perhaps people
simply were who they were, and that was it.

Maybe he’s exactly the kind of man we think he

is.

I dragged my things down the stairs and toward

the elevator. I’d come back for the rest in a week.
But, right now, I had to get out of here. I had to
leave that place.

Not before shooting Brenden a text, though.
One he probably wouldn’t see until after his

night with that slut.

Me: If you wanted to have a good time with

LaShonda at the casino tonight, you shouldn't
have treated me as if we were in a relationship.
I’ll see you in a week for the annulment hearing.

Then, I reached for the elevator button. Ready

to leave his place for good and put that entire
shitshow behind me.

2 2

Brenden

One Week Later

’ll see you in a week for the annulment
hearing.

My eyes grazed over that line multiple

times. I wiped at my phone screen for the
thousandth time, wondering if, by wiping at it, I
might reveal another part to the text message Kelly
sent me a week ago. I’d read it so many times I
could repeat it to myself. And I did, multiple times.

Like, in the shower, when I wanted her there

with me.

Or, in bed, at night as I stared at the ceiling.
Or, getting ready for some sort of business

function where I wanted her at my side.

“If you wanted to have a good time with

LaShonda at the casino tonight, you shouldn't have
treated me as if we were in a relationship,” I
murmured.

You’re an idiot, Brenden.
I leaned back against my chair as I turned my

phone off. I slid it back into my pocket and looked
up, staring at the empty judge’s bench. Then, I
slowly looked over and saw Kelly sitting there, her
hands folded in her lap. She wore the most amazing
dress: a high-necked, sleeveless black dress with
petite pearls around her neck and sensible, close-
toed black heels. With her hair piled high, her neck
seemed longer. More of an expanse for me to kiss if
she’d let me close enough to touch her.

I knew she wouldn't, though.
Even though I wanted to tell her how much I

loved her.

“All rise.”
I stood mindlessly as Judge Asshole made his

way to his bench. I stared at the wall as I folded my
hands in front of me, ready to get that shit over
with. I knew there was no talking to Kelly, no
matter how much I wanted to. I wanted to explain
myself. I wanted to explain what she really saw in
the casino. I wanted to explain to her the real
reason why I never left, even though LaShonda
came onto me. Because it wasn’t as bad as
everyone thought.

But, I had a reputation.
So, of course, it looked worse than it already

was.

“You may be seated.”
I sat back down in my chair, ready to take

whatever punishment was dealt. I mean, I’d already
lost the woman I fell head over heels for. I couldn't
be relieved of much else. Zane wasn’t talking to me
because he didn’t want to start arguing about it
with his very-pregnant fiancé. Every time I called
Clint, all he did was chuckle and tell me how I
always had a way of ‘fucking up life.’ While I
resolved myself to leaving Kelly alone so things
could blow over, that didn’t stop me from sending
her exactly twenty-three text messages and leaving
twelve voice messages over seven freaking days.

You’re an idiot and a mess, and she deserves

better.

I hated how right my brain was sometimes.
“Do either of you have this last week’s

summary to turn in?” the judge asked.

“I do,” Kelly said.
“Approach.”
I watched as Kelly walked up to the bench and

handed the judge a note. He peered down beyond
his small eyeglasses, with his lips downturned into a
frown. He harrumphed to himself before looking at
me, and I could only imagine what that note said.

“You know, she’s the only one who turned

these in this month,” the judge said.

I shrugged. “You dictated that only one of us

had to file.”

“So, you made her file all four weeks? You

didn’t split the workload or anything?”

I blinked. “I understand that I’m a selfish man.

It’s why she wants out.”

The judge held up the note. “I’ll read it out

loud.”

Kelly held out her hand. “You don’t have to do

that, Your Honor.”

He cleared his throat. “Judge Johnson. In light

of the ruling you made four weeks ago, I can now
say with full--.”

I stood to my feet. “Your Honor, this sounds

like it’s of a personal nature--.”

The judge glared at me. “I want you to hear

this.”

I nodded. “And I understand that. But, it’s

obvious to me that Miss Crown is embarrassed at
having it read out loud. I won’t allow you to
embarrass her. So, if I need to see it, I can read it of
my own volition.”

I felt Kelly’s eyes on me as the judge narrowed

his eyes.

“Let me remind you that you’re in my

courtroom.”

“I understand that, Your Honor. But, the

requirement was to turn them in, like they’ve been

turned in. There wasn’t a requirement of reading
anything out loud.”

Kelly spoke softly. “It’s okay. He can read it.”
I looked over at her. “Are you sure about that?

Because it doesn’t have to happen. I can call a
lawyer within two seconds and have this entire
thing--.”

“Just let him read it so we can get out of here.”
Her voice sounded so weak. So defeated. So

hurt. And I wanted to strangle our judge. But, I
stilled my anger long enough to look back at the
man. Who, for some reason, was now grinning.

“All right. What does it say?” I asked as I

stared at her.

He cleared his throat. “Judge Johnson. In light

of the ruling you made four weeks ago, I can now
say with full capacity that this marriage was a
mistake. I thought maybe things could work, but
after catching Mr. Brenden Hearthstone with
another woman in a casino, I had to leave. I
understand if you need to punish me for not living
in Brenden’s place for the last week, but I just
couldn't be in the same space as him. Not after
falling for him and watching him be happy with
someone else as if I didn’t exist. I just want to
move on with my life after this, and try to find
someone who enjoys me in the same way I enjoy
them.”

I didn't take my eyes off her. “Is that really how

you feel?”

She sniffled. “It is.”
“I need you to look at me and say that.”
She slowly turned her eyes toward me. “That’s

how I feel Brenden.”

And I saw the sincerity behind her eyes.
“Care to add anything, Mr. Hearthstone?”

Judge Johnson asked.

I finally turned my attention to him. “I agree

that we had something. I agree that your
punishment was almost a blessing in disguise. But, I
screwed things up. I made a poor choice, I took
some wrong turns, and I can see that there’s no
getting us back on track. So, if this annulment is
what she wants, then I want her to have it. Because
all I want is for Kelly to be happy.”

“You do?” she asked.
I couldn't stand to look at her. “Just grant us the

annulment, Your Honor. This isn’t fair to either of
us any longer.”

He stared at me for a long time before he

picked up his gavel.

“A word of advice?” the judge asked.
I nodded. “Of course, Your Honor.”
He peeked over at Kelly. “Women are more

understanding than many of us give them credit for.
Learn to talk to them, above all else. I hereby grant
the aforementioned annulment.”

Then, his gavel hit the podium.

I didn’t bother looking over at Kelly. I didn’t

bother thanking the judge. All I did was gather my
things and walk out. I didn’t give a shit about
whatever came next. All I hoped was that Kelly
was happy with it. That she found a man that was
better than me and could love her more than I ever
could.

I walked mindlessly out of the courthouse and

passed by my car. I kept walking down the street,
crossing intersections while car horns blared at me.
I meandered around, with no end destination, until I
found myself standing at a bar.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked.
I blinked. “A margarita, on the rocks. Sugar on

the rim.”

Kelly’s favorite.
“I figured I’d find you here.”
I peered over my shoulder at Zane. “What the

hell are you doing here?”

“I was waiting outside of the courthouse for

you since Karina wanted to come pick up Kelly. I
saw you walk off, and I was yelling for you. But, I
guess you didn’t hear me.”

“Here you go,” the bartender said.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
Zane furrowed his brow. “I’ve never known

you to drink tequila.”

I took a small sip. “Kelly’s favorite.”
He sighed. “Oh, boy.”

I bellied up to the bar. “Want a drink? It’s on

me.”

Zane sat beside me. “Nope. It’s on me because

I think you need to talk.”

“Nothing to talk about.”
“Whiskey, on the rocks, thanks,” Zane ordered.

“Now, what’s this about having nothing to talk
about even though you’re drinking Kelly’s favorite
drink after your annulment with her?”

Even the bartender whistled underneath his

breath. You know, before he started making me
another margarita to have on deck.

I shrugged. “I did something stupid, Clint

mocked me for it, and now the annulment is over.”

Zane turned to face me. “By ‘something

stupid,’ do you mean another woman?”

“I didn’t sleep with another woman if that’s

what you’re asking.”

“That’s exactly what I was asking.”
I smirked. “Does everyone see me like that? As

some playboy who doesn’t have an emotional bone
in his body?”

“Easy to see when that’s all you portray.”
I threw the rest of the drink back. “Well, there’s

more to me. And Kelly saw that. She brought that
out in me.”

“Did you tell her that?”
“I wanted to tell her more than that, Zane.”
He sighed. “You got it bad, don’t you?”

“If you mean I love her? Yeah, Zane. I love

Kelly.”

“Why didn’t you tell her, then?”
“Because she caught me at a wedding reception

with an ex-fling, and things got out of hand.”

He paused. “I feel like that’s a hell of a story.”
“It is.”
“Care to tell it?”
I reached for my second margarita. “I had lunch

with Clint about a week ago and found myself in
Lucky 8’s across the street. I just wanted to have a
drink and play a few slots, but I had stumbled into a
wedding reception before it had started. The bride
and groom came in. I’m caught off-guard. Then, I
go to leave, and LaShonda’s in my face.”

“Wait, the LaShonda?”
“Yep.”
“The one that wanted to take the rubber ducky

and--.”

I nodded slowly. “Yyyy--ep. And the thing is,

we weren’t even up to anything. I mean, she came
onto me, but I didn’t accept her advances.”

“You just stayed at the reception with her?”
“She was drunk, Zane. I mean, completely

plastered even before this thing started. And after I
got her to stop hitting on me, she broke down. I
mean, just sobbing. The girl was a wreck, Zane, and
I didn’t want to just leave her alone like that. So, I
sat with her at the bar. I kept ordering her waters to

make sure she didn’t get too drunk.”

“That’s all that happened?”
I looked over at him. “I swear, that’s all that

happened. I kept telling her I had to get her home,
or at least make sure she was safe because I had
plans that night. I told her all about Kelly, and she
was so happy for me. But, I guess Kelly saw us
because when I got home and saw she wasn’t there,
I checked my phone and had this.”

I unlocked my phone and showed him the text

message before Zane threw the rest of his drink
back.

“I’m gonna need another,” he said.
The bartender nodded and promptly got to

work.

“So, that’s all that happened,” Zane said.
I nodded. “You have my word. That’s all that

happened. She hit on me. I batted her off. I felt bad
that she was drunk at her sister’s wedding reception
because I know the feud those two have had their
entire lives. So, I sobered her up and finally got her
home around eight. I charged back to my place
with flowers and a bottle of wine in the hopes to
tell Kelly how much I loved her and how sorry I
was for being so late. I texted her several times, but
they were never delivered.”

“Do you really love her, Brenden?”
I sighed. “More than anything on this planet.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Well, if

you love her--I mean, truly love her--then you have
to tell her. No matter what her reaction might be.”

“You think she’ll even listen to me?”
“I don’t know. Worst case scenario, she shuts

you out for good. But, if there’s a best-case
scenario that might happen? You better be ready to
commit for good. Because I know for a fact that
girl is crazy about you.”

I paused. “Really?”
“Are you an idiot? Ever since college, asshole.

That girl has had nothing but eyes for you since we
were teenagers.”

My back straightened. “I want her, Zane. More

than anything. Even if I lose everything. If I’ve got
Kelly in my life? Then, I’ve got the world.”

He smiled. “Love looks good on you, Brenden.

But, be ready for anything at this point. Okay?”

And as I hugged my brother, I knew exactly

what I had to do.

Which is why a plan started forming in my mind

immediately.

“N

2 3

Kelly

One Month Later

ow, these are the outfits we’ve
outlined for our spring arrivals
next year. It comes off the heels

of the fall line, and we’ve dragged some elements
from our fall line out into the summer. For instance,
these boots. While they’re muted tones in our fall
line, these same boots have bright, fun-colored
prints. Some of them are covered in glitter, while
others are draped with flowers. What was a small
accessory for the fall is now our biggest item for
summer, so it cuts our costs and gives us a
trademark piece.”

Dad nodded. “Customizable boots.”

I snapped my fingers. “Exactly. That’s what I

want my fashion line to be known for. Dad, we’ve
got removable, interchangeable heels on the
market. There are purses whose outsides you can
switch. Shirts that turn inside out. Ties with double
sides. But, when it comes to boots? There’s
nothing. It’s one shape, one form, one purpose, one
color. Every time. I want to change that, and that’s
why I’ve outlined two years' worth of fashion
debuts. Because I want you to see how this boot
evolves over time, the ideas I have for it, and--
eventually--how we make them interchangeable
and customizable.”

“And what about that rental space you were

talking about?”

I flipped over the page of my presentation. “So,

those numbers we ran earlier? All of the money I’d
save on boot prints alone because of the
customizable idea would cover my rent for a small
business space for the next year. I’ve already got
schematics drawn up for it, and it would be my
personal office. But, could also double as a--.”

“Storage facility. Or an advertisement space.”
I smiled. “Or both.”
He leaned forward. “If you want to do this boot

thing, you’re going to have to come out of the gate
doing that. Because if anyone in the business
catches wind that it’s what you ‘eventually’ want to
do, they’ll do it before you can even get it to

manufacturing. You’ll have to scrap the idea.”

“Which is why I’m actually coming to you for

help.”

He leaned back. “I figured this meeting was a

bit off, especially since you wanted to do it
yourself.”

“I know we’ve butted heads in the past. I’m

stubborn, but I’m not stupid. I wanted to show you
everything that I have in the works because it’s all
pinned down. The hard work is done. The clothes
are being manufactured for a pop-up debut in a
month. I’ve gotten really good deals on places
where we can erect a runway for cheap and have
modeling friends that I know in the area come walk
my clothes for a small audience. Hopefully, filled
with bloggers and fashion icons alike.”

“Sounds like you’ve got this all planned out.”
“But, for me to roll out these customizable

boots from the beginning, I need upfront capital.”

“Which you don’t have.”
I went and sat down by my father.
“I’m

not

asking

for

your

permanent

involvement. If you want, we can make this a loan.
I’ll need twenty grand upfront to do the
customizable fall and spring boots. I want to release
the fall ones immediately and start advertising the
spring line and taking preorders while getting a
jump start on making that inventory.”

He took my hand. “Sounds like you’ve got it all

figured out, though, princess.”

“A loan. Not a grant. Not something that’s

forgivable. You’ll recoup your money, even if this
tanks and I have to work as a waitress somewhere
until I pay you back. It will get paid back.”

He kissed the top of my hand. “From the

second you called me and told me you needed my
ear, I was already prepared to say ‘yes.’”

I blinked. “You--you were?”
“Yes, princess. Of course, I was. I’ve wanted to

be in this with you from the beginning. But, I also
understood the reasons why you wanted to do this
yourself.”

“You--you do?”
He nodded with a smile. “I do, princess. You’re

my little girl, and you always will be. But, to be part
of your business like this? It’s one of the proudest
moments of my life.”

“Daddy, you’re going to make me cry. And you

know how frustrated I get when I cry in front of
people.”

He snickered. “Then, consider me in. Twenty-

five grand, no interest for the first two years, and
one percent interest will kick in if its not paid off by
then. Sound fair enough?”

I threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you,

thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

He held me close, chuckling. “I’m so proud of

you, Kelly.”

I kissed his cheek. “I love you so much. Thank

you seriously.”

He cupped my cheek. “Anytime. And I mean

that.”

“I know you do, Daddy.”
After nailing down hard and fast dates with my

father on when things needed to be set in motion, I
packed up my presentation. I tossed my things into
the trunk of my car, then raced home to catch Roxy
before she left again. I wanted to tell her the good
news. I wanted to celebrate with someone. I
wanted to at least have a glass of wine with her
before she dashed out the door to spend time with
whatever man she was entertaining that week.

“Roxy! Roxy! Roxy! Guess what!?”
I charged through the apartment door, and I

found her standing in the living room with two
glasses of wine in her hands.

“Did you really think Dad would say ‘no’ to

you?” she asked.

I closed the door behind me. “I can’t believe it.

We have release dates. In three months’ time, my
fall line is going to be debuted. I can’t believe it!”

We embraced as I plucked my wine from her

hand. We clinked our glasses and chugged them
back before I reached for the bottle on the coffee
table. We both sat down on the couch as I refilled
our glasses. Then, I slid my heels off and crossed
my legs.

“My God, I feel so much better,” I groaned.
Roxy patted my knee. “It’s good to finally see

you smiling about something.”

I grinned. “Yeah. That Brenden thing was pretty

fucked up.”

“But, I know you well enough to know you’re

not out of the woods yet. Are you?”

“Do we really have to talk about this --?”
“Oh, oh, oh! Hold on. Have you told Karina

yet?”

I shook my head. “No. Why?”
“She’s calling. Hold--wait. Yeah. Okay. Just--

hold on. One second. Okay?”

I furrowed my brow. “Is everything all right?”
Roxy held up her finger to me. “Hey there,

Karina! Let me get into the kitchen.”

I paused. “Wait, is Karina all right? Is it the

baby!?”

My sister waved me off. “She’s fine, just hold

on!”

I turned around and watched as my sister

tucked herself into a dark corner of our small
kitchen. I watched her set her glass of wine down,
so I did as well. I slowly got up and tried to make
my way toward her, but she scolded me with her
eyes and held her hand up. Every once in awhile,
though, she peeked over at me. And that’s how I
knew they were talking about me.

“You’re not very good at this, you know!” I

exclaimed.

Roxy quickly hung up the phone and came

back into the living room.

“Okay. So, that was Karina. She and Zane want

to throw you a congratulatory party tonight at the
club.”

I blinked. “Seriously?”
“What?”
“Karina’s how many months pregnant? And she

wants to do something at the club?”

“It’s just something low-key. You, me, her,

Zane.”

“Is Brenden going to be there?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I specifically told

her that he wasn’t allowed to come. And she was
just fine with that.”

I paused. “Something about this feels off.”
She took my hand. “Girl, all we wanna do is

treat you to something. So, yeah. Sue me, if I told
Karina this would all be fine. We’ve had this party
in the works since you told me yesterday you were
going to finally approach Dad. We just want to treat
you to something nice. Let us do that, okay?”

I really didn’t want to. But, I saw how much it

meant to my sister. And I knew better than to tell a
pregnant Karina ‘no.’

“Give me ten minutes,” I murmured.
Roxy clapped her hands. “Yes! All right! It’s

time to party, girl. We’re going all out tonight.”

I made my way into my bedroom and decided

to get gussied up a bit. I mean, why not? It was my
night of triumph, and I deserved it after everything
I had been put through. I pulled my hair up and
wore my best jewelry. I changed into a flowing
dress with a sparkling belt around my waist. I slid
into my best heels and threw on a bit of makeup,
making sure my eyes sparkled and popped with a
careful smoky eye.

After gathering everything I needed into my

cream-colored clutch purse, Roxy and I set off for
the club.

“Girl, you look hot. If Brenden were coming,

he’d be jealous as hell,” she said.

I grinned. “You really know how to make me

feel better, you know that?”

“Remember that sentiment when we get there.”
I paused. “Wait, what?”
Roxy cackled as we pulled into a parallel

parking space in front of the club. And while I
knew it was still a bit early for a crowd, I didn’t see
anyone outside at all.

“Are you sure they’re open?” I asked.
My sister opened her door. “Just come on and

stop asking questions, would you? Damn it, you’re
worse than Dad.”

I furrowed my brow. “I just want to know

what’s going on. Is that too much to ask?”

“It is when there’s a surprise to be ruined. Now,

get your ass out of this car and come on, girl!”

I had no idea what I was walking into, but I did

as I was told. Roxy linked her arm with mine as we
approached the doors to the club, and two men
inside appeared as they opened them for us. Roxy
nodded her thanks while I looked warily at them,
trying to figure out what the hell was about to
happen.

I figured the dance floor would be pretty empty,

given the fact that it was still only six in the
evening. But, I didn’t expect the place to be
completely empty.

“See you upstairs,” Roxy said.
“Wh-wh-wh-wait. Uh, what--where are you--

Roxy!”

She pointed to the floor. “Try to give him a

chance, all right?”

And as Roxy disappeared into the darkness, my

eyes slowly panned back over toward the dance
floor.

Watching, as Brenden emerged into the

spotlight shining down in the middle of the floor.

2 4

Brenden

he was a vision. Draped in a beautiful dress
with heels that made her legs pop, she
didn’t seem to walk. No, no, she glided

across that floor. With her arms crossed over her
chest and her lips pursed in frustration, even in
anger, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever
set eyes on. I had to get her back. It had to work. I
knew it was last minute, and I knew Zane pulled off
a lot for me to make it happen, but I was desperate.

I couldn't go another day without Kelly Crown

in my life.

“What do you want?” she asked.
I drew in a deep breath. “Your perfume smells

wonderful.”

She blinked. “Don’t change the subject. What’s

going on? My sister dragged me down here for
some congratulatory party, and I find you standing
in the middle of an empty dance floor. With dust.”

She waved her hand in the air, and I smiled. Her

forehead wrinkles beckoned to my lips. The
frustration behind her eyes only made me want to
kiss and pet and soothe away her woes. I was proud
of her. Prouder than I’d ever been of anything in
my entire life. I knew how hard she had worked for
something like that. For her fashion line and her
debut day and her own office space. I had listened
to her type away on her laptop and take 10 P.M.
phone calls for the past month. All of it, building up
to the moment when she finally had everything she
could have ever wanted.

And I wanted to be able to walk alongside her

during that journey.

“Brenden Michael Hearthstone, if you don’t

start talking right--.”

I put my hands up. “I come in peace, Kelly. I

promise.”

She snickered. “Just tell me what you want.

This is supposed to be a good day. And seeing you
only makes me hurt.”

I slowly lowered my hands. “I’m here because I

want you back.”

She ran her gaze down my body. “Well, you

should’ve thought about that before you decided to

galavant off to some casino and leave me to wait
for you. We had plans that night, remember?”

“I do remember, yes.”
“And yet, you chose to stay with some other

woman anyway?”

“LaShonda, yes.”
She scoffed. “Why? Why, when you knew

damn good and well how I felt about you, when
you hurt me like that?”

“Nothing happened between us.”
“She was hanging all over you.”
“She was drunk, and not once did I touch her.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You better have a more

convincing argument than that, Bee.”

I blinked. “What did you say?”
“I said, you better have a more convincing--.”
“You called me ‘Bee.’”
She paused. “Well, yeah.”
I grinned, “Since when did I have a nickname

with you?”

She couldn't hide her blush. “Let’s get this over

with so I can have a drink, please.”

I took a step toward her. “Before I went to the

casino, I had lunch with Clint. And I have to admit,
the conversation I had with him rattled me.”

“Why did you have lunch with Clint.”
“Because Zane wasn’t available.”
She blinked. “Well, what did the man say to

you that spooked you so much?”

“The shortened version? That I was making a

mistake. That how I felt for you was fabricated
because of our predicament. And that if I really
cared for you, then I needed to be prepared for a
life of long nights, even longer days, with one
woman for the rest of my life.”

She clicked her tongue. “Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t realize you hated having me around so

much.”

I reached for her hand. “That’s not it.”
She backed away. “Then what is it? Just put me

out of my misery and get it over with.”

“I realized that’s exactly what I want, Kelly.

That’s why I’m here.”

“I’m not following.”
I reached for her hand again, and she finally let

me take it.

“That’s what I want with you. One woman, for

the rest of my life. One woman to experience
everything with for the rest of my life. One woman,
one bed, one home, and one love. Forever.”

Her eyes started watering. “You haven’t

answered my questions about the woman in the
casino.”

I closed the distance between us. “She’s an ex.

Not even that. We didn’t date. We hooked up from
time to time. When I went over to the casino after
lunch, it was to have a couple of drinks, play some

slots, then come home early and talk with you.
Kelly, I prepared myself to come home and tell you
how much I love you.”

She paused. “You--you what?”
I smiled. “I love you, Kelly Crown. The

wedding reception was just a coincidence. I walked
in, got a drink, and all of a sudden, a bride and
groom came in a few minutes later. LaShonda
comes up to my side, and she’s already drunk, and I
know why, too.”

“Why?”
“Because her sister was marrying the man she

was in love with.”

“Oh, that poor girl.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “I didn't want

to leave her to make a fool of herself. But, I
certainly didn’t intend on staying as long as I did. I
just wanted to sober her up, talk to her, and leave
her in a better place than when I found her.
Because I knew how hurt she was. It’s the hurt I’ve
experienced every time you told me you’re going
on a date with someone else when you never even
gave me a shot in college.”

She smiled softly. “Because you were a

heartbreaker in college, Brenden.”

I kissed her forehead. “Well, I’m not now. And

if you’ll let me, I want to be the man you love.
Because you’re the woman I love, Kelly. And that’s
never going to change.”

Right on cue, the music started up. I took

Kelly’s hand in my own and held it up softly,
swaying us side to side on the dance floor. The
spotlight illuminated us while drowning out the rest
of the world, and I lost myself in the way she felt.
The way she clung to me. The way she laid her
head against my chest and sighed, hopefully with
relief.

And I waited until it clicked.
“Wait a second,” Kelly said.
I chuckled. “Is it coming back?”
Her eyes darted up to mine. “This is the same

restaurant were our reception was held.”

“Do you remember what we did other than eat

dinner?”

She paused, then smiled. “We danced to this.”
I nodded. “Mhm. Our first dance as a married

couple.”

She snorted. “You’re insane, you know that?”
“I’m insane for you. Kelly, these last few weeks

have been some of the greatest of my life. I never
thought I could be so happy with just one person,
not in all my life. I don’t want to be the man
everyone thinks I am. I want to be the man you
know I am. You know me better than anyone at this
point, and I don’t want that to change.”

“I don’t want it to, either.”
I spun her around and drew her back into my

embrace.

“I know we aren’t married anymore. I know the

annulment has happened. But that doesn’t mean we
can’t be together. Right?”

She paused. “Hmmm, I’ll have to think about

it.”

I chuckled. “You’re going to milk this, aren’t

you?”

“I mean, can you blame me? I’ve never seen a

grown man grovel as much as you are right now.”

I scooped her into my arms. “I’ll grovel for the

rest of my life if it means having you at my side. I
love you, Kelly. I’ll never be capable of loving
another person the way I love you. Stay with me.
Let me try this again. Give me one last chance to
be the man I’ve always been whenever you’re in
the picture.”

She threaded her arms around my neck. “You

sure you can give up your old ways?”

My forehead fell against hers. “I did that the

moment I said ‘I do.’”

“Oh, Brenden.”
I closed my eyes. “You make me whole, Kelly.

I’ll only live half a life if you’re not--.”

The second I felt her lips against my own, I

pulled her against my body. I picked her up off her
feet as our song wound down to a close and swung
her around. I pressed my tongue through her lips. I
tasted her as her hands threaded through my hair. I
placed her back onto her feet as happiness gripped

my heart. It was a happiness I hoped never went
away.

“I love you too, Brenden,” she whispered.
I nuzzled my nose against hers. “Does that

mean you’ll take me back?”

She giggled as she gazed up into my eyes. “Yes,

Brenden. I’ll take you back.”

“Yeah!” Roxy shouted.
“Way to go, man!” Zane exclaimed.
“I knew you had it in you!” Karina yelled.
Kelly jumped against me as her eyes bulged.

She looked around as the lights came up, and along
the upper balcony stood those who mattered the
most to us. Zane, with his arm around Karina;
Roxy, with her hands over her head as she clapped
and whistled; Clint, with his thumbs up and that
trademark smirk on his face; and Kelly’s parents.
Who, despite the entire blunder I got us into, had
smiles on their faces while they both applauded us.

“Daddy!” Kelly gasped.
I held her close. “I certainly wouldn’t do

something like this without them here.”

She looked up at me. “I love you so much.”
I cupped her cheek. “I love you, too.”
Roxy cupped her hands over her mouth. “Can

we come down and dance, too!?”

I pointed at her. “Only if you drag Clint down

here and make him dance. He needs to cut loose a
bit!”

Roxy howled with laughter as she grabbed

Clint’s hand. “Come on you big jerk, let’s dance.”

Kelly’s father shouted. “You hurt my little girl

again, and I’ll kill you myself!”

I looked up at him. “That’s never going to

happen, sir. Not on my watch. You have my word.”

Everyone filtered down the stairs and joined us

on the dance floor. Out from the kitchen of the club
came a couple of waiters with silver trays donning
drinks for all of us to snag. Wine and champagne
for the ladies, whiskey, and champagne for the
men. I plucked both of us a drink before handing
the crystal flute to Kelly, then I clinked my glass
against hers.

“A toast to our future,” I said.
She smiled brightly. “May it be less rocky than

our beginning.”

I chuckled. “And may it be full of nothing but

wonderful things to come.”

She sipped her drink. “I don’t know how you

threw all of this together in such a short amount of
time.”

I shrugged. “I had some favors to cash in with

some people, and they were more than happy to
oblige.”

“Is that code for ‘you twisted their arm behind

their back’?”

I winked. “And if it is?”
She wrapped her free arm around my waist.

“That’s kinda hot.”

I growled lowly. “You haven’t seen anything

yet.”

An upbeat song came on, and I held up my arm.

I let Kelly dance her way underneath it as we
sipped our drinks and danced around the floor. I
couldn't take my eyes off her. The way her hair
moved and the way her legs shifted. The way she
smiled up at me and the way her eyes twinkled
whenever ours locked. When I pulled her back to
me, my hand pressed against the small of her back,
I dipped her toward the floor.

Before planting my lips against hers.
The woman was my world. My life. My hope.

She was the reason I smiled whenever I got up, and
she was the single-most holder of my heart. She
was the only woman I’d ever come across that was
more important than my career. Or my reputation.
Or my individual pursuits. She was more important
than the world I have carved out for myself, and
without her, I had nothing.

And with her, I held the world.
“I love you,” I murmured against her lips.
I brought her back up before her lips found my

ear. Whispering a set of words that made me
hopeful for the future and what life might bring our
way.

“I love you too, Brenden. Forever, and for

always.”

E P I L O G U E

Kelly

One Year Later

gasped. “My gosh, she’s so tiny. How old is
she now?”

Karina smiled. “Eight months.”

Zane chuckled. “She’s chunked up a bit since

she first hit the scene. But, despite the
complications, she’s as healthy as can be.”

I cradled Sophie in my arms as Brenden’s hand

settled against the small of my back. I cooed down
at the beautiful baby girl that had Karina’s eyes and
Zane’s smile. She was the spitting image of her
mother, and it warmed my heart. And as I held the
small baby in my arms, I wondered what it might be
like to one day hold my own child.

A child I’d have with Brenden.
“So! How was the honeymoon?” he asked.
Zane kissed Karina’s temple. “It was fantastic. I

owe Karina’s parents a serious favor for coming
into town and watching Sophie while we were in
Hawaii.”

Karina sighed. “It was magical. We had our

own little private bungalow with a private stretch of
beach that was all ours. The same one were we
stayed on our first work assignment together.”

“And don’t forget about the cabana boy.”
“Oh! We had a cabana boy, you guys! He

brought me drinks and fruit whenever I wanted.”

Zane nodded. “We also had surf and turf every

night while we were there.”

Karina held out her arms. “It was picturesque.

But, I missed this little girl. Come here. Come to
momma. Oh, I missed you so much, you perfect
little thing.”

I leaned against Brenden while I watched my

best friend of numerous years kiss on the cheek of
her first child. I saw the pride in Zane’s eyes
whenever he looked down at his daughter, and I
saw the love he had for Karina every time he
looked at her. It was perfect. They were perfect.

But, I had my own slice of perfection standing

right beside me.

“You think you want one of these, one day?”

Zane asked.

I smiled. “Maybe one day.”
Brenden kissed the top of my head. “Whenever

she’s ready, I’m ready.”

Karina looked up. “Wait, what?”
My gaze fluttered up to his. “Do you mean

that?”

He pulled me close. “I’d want nothing more in

this world than to start a family with you, Kelly.”

I looked over at Karina, and she gave me a nice

little head nod.

“Love looks good on you, Brenden,” Karina

said.

Zane chuckled. “Told you.”
I furrowed my brow. “What? Did I miss

something?”

Brenden rubbed my back. “Just a small

conversation we had back last year. No biggie.”

“It sounds biggie.”
He winked at me. “I’ll tell you all about it over

dinner tonight. How’s that sound?”

“Dinner in? Or, dinner out?”
“Which would you prefer?”
“I mean, dinner out is always nice. But, dinner

in might give us some time for a practice run. Or,
two.”

“A practice run of what?”
Zane barked with laughter. “Man, you really

are thick-headed.”

And when Karina motioned with her head down

to the baby in her arms, Brenden grinned deviously.

“Dinner in, it is, then,” he said. “Tomorrow.”
I paused. “Tomorrow?”
He sighed. “I kind of booked us reservations

tonight for all of us to go out. Baby included, of
course.”

Zane paused. “Where are we headed?”
I pointed at him. “You remember that Indian

cuisine place that opened up downtown a couple of
weeks ago?”

Karina gasped. “You got reservations to

Bombay Sitar? I hear that place is booked out until
the end of the year!”

I giggled. “Another one of your favors,

Brenden?”

He shrugged. “I have my talents. But, we need

to get going if we’re going to make them. Our
reservations are in an hour, and I figured you two
would have at least wanted to change or shower or
something.”

Zane smiled. “Or something.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “Do you guys need a

moment?”

Karina swatted at him. “We’re fine. We can

wait until this evening after dinner.”

She passed Sophie back to me, and I got to

entertain the baby while Karina and Zane went to
clean up. Brenden and I sat on the couch next to
one another, cooing and talking softly to the

beautiful bundle in my arms. I passed her to
Brenden and leaned back, watching him cradle the
small baby in his arms. And as my eyes danced
over the happiness in his face, I mindlessly settled
my hand on my stomach.

One of these days.
“So, how are things going with the launch of

your line?” Brenden asked.

Sophie started laughing and kicking her legs,

and I’d never seen him smile so brightly.

“Hey! I’m curious about that question, too!”

Karina exclaimed as she came barreling down the
stairs.

Zane appeared from the kitchen. “What

question?”

Karina scoffed. “Seriously? You’re eating, and

we’re about to leave to go eat?”

He shrugged. “Consider it an appetizer?”
Karina rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Men. Am I

right?”

I threw my head back with laughter. “Oh, you

are so right.”

“Wait, what did I do?” Brenden asked.
I patted his back. “Come on, handsome. We

need to get going.”

He stood with Sophie in his arms. “But what did

I do?”

All of us headed to the restaurant where we met

up with Roxy and Clint. The two of them were

standing outside of the restaurant waiting for us,
but for the life of me, I couldn't find Roxy’s car in
the parking lot. We always parked next to one
another, so we could talk and gab up until the very
last second.

“Guys, do you see her car anywhere?” I asked.
Karina gave Zane a look before she turned

around in her seat.

“There probably isn’t any room beside her

anyway. Zane’s going to take this spot over here on
the side, and we’ll just walk. This place looks
packed.”

I looked over at Brenden, and I saw something

rushing behind his eyes. But, I didn’t pay it any
mind. If there was something going on, I knew
Roxy would eventually tell me what was up. And
until then, it wasn’t any of my business.

However, I was curious and would find out as

quickly as I could.

“So, can I ask again now?” Brenden said.
We all sat down at a table in the corner, and I

noticed that Roxy was sitting a bit close to Clint.

Gotcha.
“Yes, you can ask now,” Karina said.
I giggled. “I take it you guys want to know how

the launch is going?”

Roxy raised her hand. “I know! I know. I know

how the launch is going.”

Clint chuckled. “Fill the rest of us in, then.”

I nodded. “Fair enough. I know you guys know

about the snags I hit along the way. The issues with
the office. The leaking pipes. Stuff like that. Well,
suffice it to say, I didn’t think things were going to
go well after I had water literally dripping onto a
distributor’s head. But!”

“But…?” Karina asked.
I smiled. “I’ve been invited to participate in

fashion week in New York City this fall.”

“Oh, my god!”
Karina leaped out of her seat and threw herself

at me. Tears of happiness rushed my eyes as Roxy
stood and clapped her hands. Zane shushed the
baby softly as Brenden rubbed my back, and soon I
felt his lips grace my cheek with a kiss.

“I’m so damn proud of you,” he murmured.
I tilted my head back and captured his lips,

needing to feel a bit more of him.

“So, how are your sales?” Zane asked.
“Are your customers coming back?” Clint

asked.

Karina took my hands. “You did it, girl. You

really did it.”

A tear slid down my cheek. “Customers aren’t

only returning, it’s like I’ve built a cult following
around these boots. I mean, I knew it was a good
idea, but I didn't realize it would take off so quickly.
Everyone is obsessed with customizable and
interchangeable boots. And my sales are through

the roof. Every time I announce a new product or
boot design or fashion line, my pre-orders come
and go within a weekend. Every slot fills up, and it
shocks me every time it happens.”

Karina cupped my cheeks. “And you deserve it

so much, Kelly. I’m so proud of you.”

Zane nodded. “Why don’t we ask how

Brenden’s production company is going since we’re
on the topic? Didn’t you take on your first movie
bid a week or so back?”

I whipped around. “Brenden, I didn’t realize

that--.”

My eyes widened when I saw him sitting there

with a small box in the palm of his hand. He picked
it up and cracked it open, revealing the most
incredible pink diamond I’d ever seen. It sparkled
in the light that shone down onto our table, and as
the waiter silently divvied out the drinks we had
ordered, I slowly looked into Brenden’s eyes

“How’s your production company?” I asked in

shock.

He chuckled. “It’s fine. We can talk about that

later. But, right now, I want to ask you something.”

I nodded slowly. “So, the movie business is

good?”

Everyone at the table laughed softly as he took

my left hand within his palm.

“Kelly, I love you. In truth, I’ve loved you since

the first time you turned me down for a date in

college. And I admit, the love I had back then is
different than what I feel for you now. But, it all
comes from the same place.”

He pressed my hand against his heart, and I felt

it beating rapidly. And it made me snicker.

“You’re so nervous.”
He nodded. “Because I’m about to ask you

something really important. So, I need you to have
a clear head. Are you ready?”

I drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
He smiled. “Will you help me with the laundry

when we get home?”

The table fell apart in laughter as I pushed him

away playfully.

“You’re a dick, you know that?” I asked.
He took my hand again. “I joke, and I kid, but I

do all of it just to see you smile. I make a fool out
of myself every time we go out just to hear that
wonderful laugh you’ve got. I love it, just like I
love every part of you. Like, the way you slurp
your ice cream when eating it with a spoon. Or, the
way you sip your coffee in the morning and always
manage to burn your tongue coming right out of the
gate.”

“I always forget how hot coffee is.”
He smiled. “I even love the way you snore like

a lawnmower in my ear.”

My face fell. “I don’t snore.”
He kissed the back of my hand. “My point is, I

love you. Every high, every low, and everything in
between. So, Kelly Crown, I want to ask you
something.”

“Yes.”
“Will you mar--what?”
I smiled. “Yes, Brenden. I will marry you.”
The shock that rolled over his face warmed my

heart. I threw my arms around his neck and planted
a big, wet kiss against his lips. Our table burst into
applause, along with the rest of the restaurant.
When Brenden slid that rock of a diamond onto my
finger, I couldn't contain my tears of happiness.

Somehow, someway, I got what I wanted.

Success from my fashion line, a life I could be
proud of, and the man I’d been in love with since
my freshman year of college.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Brenden

asked.

I kissed his cheek. “And you get to experience

it every day for the rest of your life.”

He chuckled. “Bring it on, gorgeous. Because

we’ve got all the time in the world to experience it
together.”

_____________________________
If you haven’t already read the first book in the

Kinda Cocky Series, Mr. Big Shot, grab Zane and
Karina’s story

here

I should have never asked him out.

But don’t judge me.

It was a dare.

He looked hot at the nightclub, even though he

stuck out like a sore thumb in a perfectly tailored

suit.

Long story short – He said no when I asked him

out.

Well, screw you, Mr. Big Shot.

That turned us from strangers to enemies pretty

quickly.

And then… I applied for a new job.

It was a secretarial position.

Nothing fancy.

And definitely not at a firm that he owned.

Of course, I forgot that Mr. Big Shot does, in fact,

own half of Las Vegas.

So, now here I am…

Standing in front of my worst enemy with a resumé

in hand.

He gives me a smirk and checks me out.

And his next words will determine my fate.

You think I’ll get the job?

Curl up in bed and enjoy this fun standalone

romance with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a

satisfying happily ever after!

Yes, take me to Mr. Big Shot

now.

Document Outline

Title Page
Copyright
Let’s Stay Connected
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue

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