Sweet Attraction (A Slow Seduction Novel) - Munton Melanie(ang

Table of Contents Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Acknowledgments About the Author If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases… Scoring with the Wrong Twin The Bad Girl and the Baby Bachelor Games Make Me Yours

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Copyright © 2018 by Melanie Munton. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher. Entangled Publishing, LLC 2614 South Timberline Road Suite 109 Fort Collins, CO 80525 Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com. Brazen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit www.brazenbooks.com. Edited by Nina Bruhns Cover design by Cover Couture Cover art from Shutterstock ISBN 978-1-64063-369-8 Manufactured in the United States of America First Edition January 2018

For my parents

Chapter One Dr. Phil could kiss her ass. Jade Hollingsworth scowled at the road in front of her, her insides quivering with anxiety as she drove down the highway. What had the good doctor said during the one episode of his show she had ever watched? You can’t play the game of life with sweaty palms. Well, she was sure as hell playing the game of life now. And her damn palms had never been sweatier. But none of this was a game. And she should never have listened to a TV psychologist in the first place. It would have been a lot more helpful if the dude had shared what to do when your palms got so sweaty you could barely maintain your control on the steering wheel of life. Buy a stronger antiperspirant? The drive from Washington, DC to Shell Grove, South Carolina was over seven grueling hours. After driving five, she was on the verge of throwing

up her greasy fast food dinner. Not because she was carsick or had the flu. No. She was ready to toss her cookies because of the huge, life-altering decision she was making. Although, Dr. Phil never told her to open up her own swimsuit shop in a strange town where she didn’t know a single person. But he’d implied it with the whole sweaty palms comment. She would have been a coward if she didn’t do it, right? And she didn’t want to be a coward. So, she’d said sayonara to her bitchy boss at the swanky bakery where she’d worked in downtown DC, flipped off all the asshole customers she would never have to deal with again, slammed the door on her hated stepmother and pig of a stepbrother, and packed up her car for greener pastures. Actually, she didn’t know what the pastures were like in the coastal town of Shell Grove, because she had never seen the town in person before. Everything she knew about it was based on internet research. Her Realtor had found her a house there and a storefront for her swimsuit shop. But other than that, she might as well have been moving to Timbuktu. Was it risky? Definitely. Could she fail? Absolutely. Was she terrified beyond all belief? You bet your ass.

It hadn’t been her intention to start this journey off on such a melancholy note. But hey, no one had ever accused her of being an optimist before. Maybe a realist. After all, failure was a real possibility, and she had to prepare herself for— Oh God. She had to pull over. Thankfully, she spotted a decent-looking hotel chain at the next exit and whipped her five-year-old BMW convertible into the parking lot. After turning the ignition off, she fought to get herself back under control by taking deep, calming breaths. She could do this. She had to do this. She had taken far too many steps to get where she was, and she couldn’t turn back now. She glanced over at the shoebox in her front seat. The meager cardboard box held all of her most prized possessions, which was why she hadn’t risked it to the fates of the rickety moving truck that had picked up her furniture the day before. The contents of the box haunted her, always making their presence known in her subconscious. She had to pry her eyes away. Focusing back on the hotel, she pushed out a heavy breath. Time to sleep in the bed you made for yourself, sweetheart. Having left DC much later than she’d planned to, night had already fallen, and besides, the moving

truck wouldn’t be at the house she’d rented in Shell Grove until the next morning. So, she had some time to kill. Two more hours on the road didn’t sound as appealing as drinking her worries away in a bottomless glass of wine. Or vodka. She grabbed her luggage and purse, checked herself into a standard room with a queen-size bed, and trotted back down to the hotel’s restaurantslash-bar. She didn’t bother changing out of her high-waist shorts and crop top because one, it was hot, and two, she didn’t give a rat’s ass what she looked like. Okay, so maybe she’d touched up her beehive ponytail just a little. And she may have reapplied her trademark plum lipstick. But so what? If she was going to attend her own pity party tonight, she wanted to be dressed for the occasion. She wasn’t completely devoid of pride. Dignity, maybe, but not pride. She made a beeline for the bar and immediately flagged down the bartender. “Dry martini and a shot of the best stuff you have,” she told him. “I don’t care what it is.” He tossed her a half grin. “The last woman who said that to me, I ended up marrying.” Jade glanced down at his bare ring finger. “And that charming smile wasn’t enough to keep her around?” He chuckled, the sound coming out gravelly,

making him seem older than he was. She’d bet he was a smoker. “No, the smile was fine with her. It was my rule of monogamy that wasn’t.” “Sounds like you’re better off.” He winked. “My thoughts exactly. Let me get those drinks for you.” He sauntered down to the other end of the bar where he pulled a bottle filled with amber liquid off a shelf. She hoped he wouldn’t try to make conversation with her all night. He was cute, though she suspected there was too much manscaping going on down under for her liking. And although he seemed nice and looked to be about her age, she was going to spend the rest of her evening giving herself one hell of a pep talk. She simply had no time—or motivation—for polite chitchat or subtle innuendo. The bartender dropped off her drinks. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.” She was relieved when he walked off without another word. As she sipped her martini, letting the alcohol slowly slide down her throat, she took the opportunity to scan over the other patrons. There were a few couples scattered around the restaurant area, other individuals seated by themselves— traveling on business if she had to guess—and a table of three older gentlemen in the bar area. Surprisingly, she was the only one actually seated at the bar—

Except for him. Her attention caught on the hulking figure who sat at the end corner of the bar, facing her direction. Wow. The guy was…big. Not, I pump iron three times a day and pop steroids like M&M’s big. More like, I work my ass off for a living and this is the result big. And judging by his lack of suit and the beer bottle in front of him, she had a feeling he was not someone who pushed papers behind a desk all day. He probably looked better in that fitted T-shirt than he would in a suit, anyway. She was trying to get a better look at his face when his head suddenly turned and his eyes connected with hers. Flustered, she quickly averted her gaze and focused on the television in front of her. Had he caught her staring? Probably, because that’s how her day was going. She hadn’t gotten a good look, but from what she’d seen, the guy was well proportioned. His jaw had appeared as strong as the rest of his body, and she’d definitely noticed a five o’clock shadow peppering his cheeks. She tried peeking out of the corner of her eye to get another look, but he was just a dark, blurry mass. And she was too embarrassed to actually turn her whole head again. But she could feel his eyes on her.

She didn’t have to get a good look at them to know they were glued to her, searing through her. It was strange. She hadn’t really seen his face to know what he actually looked like, and all he could see of her was her profile. But she knew his gaze was intense. She could feel the way he was studying her, and a thrill shot through her. Whoa. What are you doing, Jade? She had just told herself she wasn’t there for conversation or flirting. She had to move to her new life tomorrow, and more than anything, she had to get her fears under control. At the reminder of what she had gotten herself into, she tipped her head back and downed the shot of…oh yeah, that was whiskey. Gah. Her attention was once again drawn to the Incredible Hulk when the bartender went over and asked if he wanted another round. She took advantage and subtly watched their exchange. “I’ll have another Bud,” the guy responded, the deep rumble of his voice easily reaching her ears. She was already in love with the South. If all men down here had an accent like that, well…conversing with the opposite sex certainly wouldn’t be a hardship. As if he was as aware of her as she was of him, the Hulk’s gaze flew back to her the second the bartender walked away. Dammit. She had been too

distracted by his voice to pay attention. She knew he’d caught her that time. And was he grinning at her? She thought she’d detected a small quirk of his lips just before she darted her attention back to the TV. She squirmed in her seat, feeling like an animal at the zoo, making her hyperaware of herself and everything around her. It was that feeling like when you wanted to check every five seconds to make sure your boob wasn’t popping out even though you knew it was impossible. Or make sure you didn’t have food in your teeth even though you hadn’t eaten anything. Or that your lipstick wasn’t smeared from cheek to cheek like the Joker. She sat there sipping her martini, staring at the TV while she fought to block the mysterious stranger out of her mind and concentrate on what she had to do over the next few days. Tomorrow, she was moving into her new house in a new town. Tomorrow afternoon, she was going to meet with her contractor. Actually, she was going to go cuss out the jerk of a contractor who had just quit on her. The guy hadn’t even started the renovations at her swim shop yet, and he’d sent her an email— earlier that morning—explaining that he couldn’t do the job due to time constraints. He’d offered his

apologies and recommended a few other companies in the area. But his half-assed apology did nothing to assuage her irritation. She didn’t have the time or money to waste on finding someone else and going through the entire process again. She was going to track down the d-bag and—if she could keep her temper in check—somehow convince him to change his mind. She was done getting walked all over by people who thought they could control her life. Done with people who didn’t give a damn about how much their selfish actions hurt her. Done with getting her heart broken by people who cared more about money and prestige than simple human feelings. Done. Done. Done. But for now, she was going to let all that fuel her pissy, the-world-is-ending attitude, because it was therapeutic. After she handled the issue of that jerkface, reneging contractor, well, then she was going to make some new friends. Okay. That was a good start. See? All she needed were a few minutes to gather herself and she would be fine— The bartender placed another martini down in front of her. She looked at him in confusion, then down at her empty glass. Huh. When had that happened? Her fingers reached for the stem as she mumbled,

“Thanks.” He tipped his head toward the Hulk. “From the gentleman.” What? Cautiously, she turned in the man’s direction and watched as he slowly raised his head and locked eyes with her. Her heart pounded as they gazed at each other, neither smiling nor moving an inch. She experienced tunnel vision as she got lost in his dark eyes. There could have been a Chinese New Year parade traipsing through that bar and she wouldn’t have noticed. Play it cool, girl. It took more effort to smile than it should have. But she pulled it off, raising her new glass to him in thanks. He returned the smile, tipping his beer bottle at her in salute. As he took a drink from it, his eyes never once strayed from her. She was mesmerized by the way his throat muscles bobbed when he swallowed. And when his hand rose to rub across his chin and move over his jawline, she about drooled dry martini all over herself. Holy hell. How could one small movement—and not even a provocative one—be so damn sexy? The next thing she knew, he was pushing up off his stool, grabbing his bottle, and slowly making his way over to her. Oh my God. He’s coming over. Okay, no big deal.

She could talk to an intimidatingly gorgeous man like him. No problem. Just don’t do that weird giggle thing you do when you’re nervous— “Hi,” he said in a low, smooth tone. She swallowed thickly, clearing her throat. “Hi.” “Mind if I sit here?” He pointed to the stool next to her. Mind? He could have shown her the toenails he’d removed from all thirty of his murder victims and she wouldn’t have minded. “No, go ahead,” she replied, waving at the stool. She tracked his movements as he sat down, bringing his body closer to hers. Maybe too close. Not close enough. “Thanks for the drink, by the way.” “You’re welcome.” His expression held amusement. “Looked like you needed it.” She cringed. Great. Did she look like a lush or something? “Is it that obvious?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the bar. “That you seem to be having a rough day? A little bit.” She sighed, wondering why he’d even bothered coming over at all, if she looked like a hot mess. Because, apparently, she did. “I was afraid of that.” He chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry. You didn’t

have Resting Bitch Face or anything like that.” Her gaze snapped up to see his mouth spreading into a wide grin. Okay, he was teasing her. To most women, that would have been obvious. But Jade had enough experience with assholes to know that a lot of people who said things like that meant them in the most insulting ways. “Well, that’s a relief,” she said, taking a long sip of her drink. “Because if I did, I’d have to really question your motives for coming over here.” He released a full-bodied laugh. She couldn’t help but appreciate the way it made the lines of his face relax. “Oh, I’ve become very adept at spotting that look, and trust me, I would have steered clear,” he said, his hand once again scratching his stubbled chin. “You just looked like you needed to unwind a little.” She lifted an eyebrow as she shifted her stool to the side, facing more of her body in his direction. “Very astute.” “That’s what they all say.” He winked and she had to smile. “I have a sister. So, recognizing those types of looks from an early age became a means of survival for me.” She laughed. “Are you saying that a big guy like you is afraid of his sister?” The look he sent her was full of mock horror. “You would be, too, if you knew her. I barely

escaped my childhood home with my life.” She laughed harder, shaking her head. Maybe this was what she needed to really take her mind off everything. A nice conversation with a funny, charming stranger. Admittedly, she hadn’t had one of those in a long time. “So, what brings you to this particular bar this evening?” he asked. She was about to respond with the truth but paused. He could actually have a toenail collection in his pocket. Weren’t a lot of serial killers normallooking, unassuming people? Best not to risk being ax-murdered, and just stick to vague facts. “Just passing through,” she responded. “You?” He narrowed his eyes, and she knew he could sense she wasn’t going to reveal much. Wisely, he followed her lead. “The same, I guess.” He took a drink, studying her over the bottle. “So, does that also mean I don’t get to learn your name?” She touched the tip of her nose with her finger. “Like I said, you’re very astute.” He nodded, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “Okay. What is it you do for a living, Red?” His gaze traveled over her mane of bright red hair, looking pleased with himself. “Original,” she muttered. He sent her another wink. “I’m a simple man,

what can I say.” She thought about how to answer his question without being too specific, and went with, “I’m an entrepreneur. I own my own business.” His eyes turned thoughtful, though he didn’t press. “I have a feeling that’s all I’m going to get about that, so we’ll move on. And since I know you’re going to ask, I’m in construction.” Sounded about right. His body sure as hell showed the fruits of his manual labor. “You like your job, Bob?” she asked. He choked on his beer. “Bob?” She nodded. “Yeah. You know, like Bob the Builder?” She flicked her wrist in an absent wave, feeling the effects of the alcohol. “Plus, it rhymed with job.” His expression turned wary. “I’m not sure what it says about me that I remind you of a children’s toy.” She giggled—not the giggle, Jade!—and abruptly stopped. She let her gaze briefly roam down his body before coming back to rest on his face. Where she saw the biggest shit-eating grin. Yep. He’d definitely seen that. She shrugged as if to say Can you blame me? His grin got bigger. But she wouldn’t let herself be embarrassed just because she’d checked him out. She’d felt him checking her out earlier, after all, so she was simply returning the favor.

“I don’t think anything about you could ever be described as childlike,” she said, hearing the involuntary drop in her voice. Bob’s eyes darkened, noticeably heating. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.” She nodded, returning her attention to her drink. “You should.” “I feel a little better, then. Bob, it is.” The air between them sparked with tiny jolts of electricity. She could practically see the way the mood had shifted, ever so slightly, in a different direction. A sexier, more naked one. Damn martinis, putting thoughts of sex into her head. She was not having sex with this guy. She didn’t do onenight stands. Never had a single one before in her life. Sex with someone she hardly knew made her nervous—it just wasn’t her thing. She maintained her fascination with the two olives submerged in her drink. “You never answered my question. Do you like your job?” He hesitated for a second before he responded. “Most days. There are highs and lows just like any other job, but overall I enjoy the work. Do you like owning your own business?” What a loaded question. And one she couldn’t really answer. “We’ll see.” His brow furrowed in question, but the bartender approached them before he could speak again. “Another round?”

They both looked at their empty drinks, and Bob raised an eyebrow to her. “What do you think? Can I buy you one more?” What the hell. She’d never see this guy again, and she was enjoying the conversation. What could one more hurt? “Sure.” Half an hour later, she almost had vodka coming out of her nose. They were telling each other stories from their jobs, resulting in fits of hysterical laughter. “I kid you not,” she said, struggling to catch her breath. “The mother actually wanted the cake to say ‘Congratulations on Getting In, Dick.’ Her son’s name was Richard, went by Dick, and he had just gotten into law school. I tried to talk her into something else, but to her, it made complete sense.” Bob was clutching his stomach as he wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. “And when the sister came to pick it up,” Jade added, “she just looked down at it with a sigh, shook her head, and said, ‘Not again, Mom.’” They burst into another round of guffaws. Jade had mentioned that her last job had been as a baker, so she was pretty sure he now assumed the business she owned was a bakery. She wasn’t about to correct him. “Okay, okay, I got one,” he said after he collected

himself. “When I was in high school, a buddy of mine asked me to help him with a job of putting polyurethane on the floors of a house. So we start rolling it on—mind you, neither one of us had ever worked with the stuff before—and after a while, we realize that we’re both feeling weird. Lightheaded, a little dizzy, and really spacey. We stop for a minute to go outside and get some fresh air, when it hits us.” “What?” she asked, riveted. “You got sick?” Bob shook his head, stifling a smile. “We were both high as fucking kites. We should have been wearing masks the whole time around that stuff, but we didn’t think about it. The rest of the day, we were stumbling around everywhere, our eyes glazed over. Hell, I was afraid to go home because I didn’t want my parents thinking I was on drugs or something.” “Nope,” she mused. “Just huffing chemicals.” “Then I got all paranoid that I was going to get drug tested and not be able to play football. Of course that was ridiculous, because it’s not like they test you for polyurethane exposure.” His eyes crinkled with restrained laughter when he looked at her. “I still pissed like a pregnant woman, though, thinking I needed to get it all out of my system. I was a complete dumbass.” She about fell off her stool from laughing so hard, knowing full well she looked like the dumbass. At

some point between her hunching over to catch her breath and trying to keep from spitting her drink all over the man, her hand had drifted down to his thigh. Which did not go unnoticed by him. He stared at her hand with a clenched jaw, his nostrils flaring. She knew she should remove it, but the alcohol was slowing down her reaction time. Majorly. She could tell herself she had grabbed him for balance, needing purchase to keep from faceplanting on the floor. It was probably half true. But somewhere in her subconscious, as she’d been delighting in his stories and reveling in his humor, she decided she wanted to touch him. Really, really wanted to touch him. If she had been schooled in the ways of seduction, she could have transformed herself into a confident sex kitten, turning him on by purring sweet nothings into his ear. Instead, she felt like a frazzled alley cat, aimlessly wandering around, waiting for someone to show her the way home. Real sexy. As he slowly lifted his head, his gaze trailed up the length of her body, scanning over every inch of skin as if searing it to his memory. She let out a heavy breath when their eyes finally connected. Lust. That was all she saw on his face.

All she felt in her body. “You have a room, Red?” he said on a rasp. She nodded. Yes, she did. “You want to take me there?” She nodded again. Yes, she did. He gave her a curt nod. “Let’s go.” He paid their tabs and practically shoved her toward the door. The whole elevator ride up to her floor was fraught with tension. The good kind. The kind where two people knew they were about to get naked with each other, and they couldn’t decide where they wanted their mouths to go first. They stood close, arms rubbing against each other as they faced forward. For her, being that close and maintaining her self-control until they reached the privacy of her room intensified the moment. She tried really hard not to be nervous, but hell, she had never done this before. Rather, she had never done this before. Sex, yes. Sex with a complete stranger? No. People do it all the time, she told herself. She could be one of those people tonight. Because if she didn’t do it, she would have to go back and drink a lot more alcohol until she eventually passed out. Otherwise, her overactive mind would keep her up the entire night. So, there you have it. One-night stands had many practical purposes and could be easily justified.

This way, instead of contemplating her future, she could contemplate the number of orgasms she was going to have. Plural? Could she have more than one? Was that possible? Focus, girl. When they entered her room and she shut the door behind them, it felt as though they had fallen into a black hole. Like nothing else existed in the world outside that little room. The only sounds filling the silence were their labored breaths. The only light in the room was coming from the bathroom, casting a small beam across the floor through the crack in the door. The rest of the room was bathed in darkness. There was enough light to see his face, though. And his body. The way his broad chest rose and fell as he slowly turned to face her. The way his head was slightly lowered and his eyes undressed her from head to toe. The way his hands were forming fists at his sides. And damn, the way he licked his lips when he focused on the sliver of skin exposed by her crop top. “Christ Almighty, you’re stunning.” She wasn’t sure why the compliment jarred her, but it did. He was just so…sincere about it. Maybe it was the Southern accent. It made him sound so

harmless, as if he would never have the power to break a woman’s heart. Oh, but she knew better. This guy had heartbreaker written all over him. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t getting near her heart. Because no man ever would. That was a promise she had made to herself long ago. One she planned on keeping. He took a step toward her, eyes intent, but stopped before he reached her. His forehead creased, head tilting to the side as he assessed her expression. “You sure about this?” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, I’m sure. Why do you ask?” “You’re biting your lip.” Her teeth released her lip. She hadn’t even realized she was doing it. “We don’t have to do this,” he said. “I can leave.” Panic shot through her. Oh hell no. She needed him, in more ways than one. “No, stay. Really. I want this.” He looked skeptical but slowly nodded. “Okay. You don’t have to worry, you know. We can go as slow as you want. I’ll make you feel good. I promise.” She believed him, but she also didn’t want to take it slow. Truthfully, it had been too long since she’d slept with anyone. And she had a lot of sexual

frustration built up that she needed to purge. She threw her purse to the floor. “How about we stop talking now?” His eyes darkened, hearing the permission in her voice. He stalked toward her and brought their bodies closer together. He framed her face in his hands, touching her with reverence, as if afraid she would crumble under his touch. “I’ve wanted this from the second you strutted that hot little body up to the bar,” he said in a low voice. “But only if you do, Red.” She went up on her tiptoes and mirrored him, grasping both his cheeks. “Well, I’ve wanted to get that shirt off of you ever since I saw how big your arms are. So, that should give you some insight into what I want, Bob.” He squeezed his eyes shut as though in pain. “Do me a favor and don’t scream out that name while I’m fucking you.” Her insides caught fire at his confident tone. “Who says I’m going to be screaming?” He huffed, like the question offended him. Then he leaned down and got right up in her face, until their noses were touching. Against her mouth, he whispered, “I do.” Then he smashed their lips together. It was tentative at first, yet insistent. More like a kissing exploration. To figure out how their tongues moved together, the techniques they preferred.

Oh man. He was definitely good at it—and totally knew what he was doing. Obviously experienced in the ways of pleasing a woman. She could tell he was used to taking the lead by the way his tongue demanded entrance, the urgent way his lips sucked at hers. She moaned. When she pressed her lower body against his, right up against the hardness in his jeans— That was when he snapped. All of a sudden, the kiss wasn’t gentle or tender anymore. With a rumbled growl, he turned it into something hot and hungry and wild. He backed her up against the wall, pinned her arms above her head, and started to grind that hardness into her barely covered mons. Her shorts had ridden up, and it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to shove them aside and take her right there. His goal seemed to be getting her naked, though. Fine with her. As long as he was, too. He ripped his mouth away and clutched her waist, guiding her movements against him. His eyes went to where their bodies were connected. The contrast in their sizes couldn’t have been greater. She was barely five two with narrow hips. And he was like…Goliath. No further explanation necessary. “Yeah, Red,” he muttered. “Work yourself on me. Roll those sexy hips against me.”

His voice was sending her arousal levels through the roof. Her panties were already soaked through. “That feels good,” she murmured. “Yeah?” he asked on a grunt. “You like getting yourself off like that? Rubbing your pussy against my dick?” His mouth latched onto the skin of her neck. Sucking, biting, soothing. “Fuck, I need to see you.” No sooner had he said it than he had her top off and on the floor. He gazed at her breasts in her hotpink bra. It wasn’t lacy or super sexy—she hadn’t planned on getting laid tonight—and was more of a comfort bra, though the color was pretty. And it fit her B cups perfectly. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious. Maybe he was a big boobs guy. Which meant he was probably disappointed in hers, since they were barely big enough to be handfuls. Whatever fears she had were obliterated when he reached around and unclasped the bra, revealing her pale flesh to him. He covered both of her breasts with his large tanned hands. The calluses on his fingers scraped against her sensitive nipples as he rubbed over the puckered tips, forcing more moans from her. “These are perfect,” he said with awe in his voice. “So soft. Just the right size for my hands.” The next thing she knew, he put his mouth on her. Kissing her nipple, flicking his tongue over it before

sucking it into his mouth with breathtaking force. She snaked her hand to the back of his head, holding him there. “Oh my God.” Too soon, he pulled his mouth away, carried her over to the bed, and pushed her gently onto her back. She looked up to see her hands had made his hair stick out in every direction. And his eyes had gone so dark they were practically black. He looked dangerous. With that mouth, he was. Without breaking their eye contact, he kicked off his boots, stood up, and removed his shirt, revealing a hard, masculine abdomen. He didn’t have a clearly defined six-pack. He wasn’t perfectly toned like an underwear model. And he definitely didn’t manscape. What he had going on was so much better. He had thick ropes of muscle across his shoulders and down his arms that were evident of someone who actually put his body to work every day. And he had chest hair. Real chest hair. Not just a thin happy trail leading down to his goods. She had never liked a man with a shaved chest. They always looked too much like boys, and she wanted a man. This man was built like the gladiators of ancient Rome. And she so wanted to see his sword. “Look all you want, Red,” he managed. “It’s all yours tonight. Look, touch, do whatever you

fucking want.” Obliging, she leaned forward and slid her hands up his torso, across his chest, over his pecs, and back down to the top of his jeans. His breath hitched as she began to slide his belt through the buckle. When she looked up through her lashes, she noticed his eyes had fallen closed, as if savoring her touch. But she was having trouble releasing the buckle. “I can’t do everything I want if I don’t have full access,” she purred. He covered her hands with his and took over. “Allow me.” He shoved his jeans down his thighs, making them disappear in seconds, along with his briefs and socks. Every last bit of him was exposed, and it knocked the breath out of her. Holy. Shit. He was beautiful. Perfect size. Perfect shape. His manhood jutted out, long and hard and clearly eager to be inside her. Moisture coated the tip, and she had to lick her lips as she imagined how it would feel inside her. Arousal pooled between her legs— “You might want to close your mouth, Red,” he said on a tortured groan. “Unless you plan on putting my cock in there. Right now, you’re just teasing me.” She snapped her jaw shut.

Looking more impatient by the minute, he flipped open the button of her shorts and roughly pulled them down her legs. As soon as he got her panties off, he lowered himself to the floor and knelt between her spread legs. He acted as though he couldn’t be bothered with anything aside from staring at her bare sex. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was shooting laser beams at it, from the rising heat she felt accumulating down there. “Jesus, that’s a pretty pussy.” Her hands grasped the sheets beside her, her hips arching up as he ran a single finger down her slit. “Smooth and wet. God, you’re beautiful.” She was just getting used to the circles he was rubbing around her clit when he suddenly flattened his tongue against her and licked all the way up her folds. “Oh shit.” He picked up speed. He lapped at her slick flesh with furious swipes of his tongue, and sucked her into his mouth as he had with her nipples. The way he was moaning against her skin was driving her crazy. He acted like he was enjoying doing it as much as she was enjoying having it done to her. That was hot. “You taste even sweeter than I thought you would,” he mumbled. “Fuck, you’re every man’s

fantasy woman come to life.” She couldn’t tell if he was speaking the truth or if he was just caught up in the frenzied moment. Not that it mattered… Between those words and the way his tongue speared into her, she reached her tipping point ridiculously fast. He held her hips to the bed when her orgasm slammed through her, careening her entire body upward. She was writhing, shaking, as he prolonged her pleasure, forcing her to ride it out as long as she could. By the time he licked her clean and lifted his head, she was trembling from the most powerful climax she had ever experienced. She looked down at him in bewilderment. What greeted her were scorching eyes and an expression full of dangerous intent. “What the hell was that?” she managed. It wasn’t her experience that a man knew precisely how a woman liked to be licked. Most just weren’t clued in to what felt good and what didn’t. One would think this man had ESP or something. He opened a foil packet and slowly slid on a condom. “That, Red, is what I call an appetizer.” He stroked himself a few times while she watched, entranced. “And this”—he pointed his dick at her, thrusting his hips forward—“is the main course.”

Chapter Two “How’d that meeting in Harperville go yesterday?” Hunter Sparks looked up at his best friend, Finn Caldwell, and shrugged. “About as good as it could have, I guess. I gave him my bid. He said he’ll look it over and get back to me within the next week.” Hunter had started his own company, Coastline Construction, three years ago, and now had a goodsize crew working for him. Though Shell Grove wasn’t the biggest town in South Carolina, he had been able to get enough jobs over the years to keep the stream of money coming in steady and sufficient. Recently, however, he’d been working on expanding his reach beyond the Shell Grove area and building up the Coastline name. Finn winked at the waitress when she stopped by with their coffees, and the poor girl turned as red as a strawberry. With his playboy good looks and megawatt smile, it was the reaction Hunter was used to seeing from the female population whenever Finn was in the room. Around Hunter, women were usually a little more

hesitant, sometimes even intimidated. Hell if he knew why. Though, his size and gruff exterior might have something to do with it. Finn drew his attention back to him. “You’re almost done with the preschool in Crystal City, right?” Hunter nodded. “Now it’s on to the new store here in town and then this bid in Harperville, if you get it?” The hand Hunter was using to pour sugar in his coffee froze over his mug. “Actually, uh, I’m not doing the store job anymore.” Finn’s eyes narrowed. “Why not? What happened?” Hunter concentrated on stirring his coffee. He didn’t want to look his best friend in the eyes when he said it. “Rebecca happened.” Finn cursed under his breath—the usual reaction when Hunter’s ex-girlfriend was brought up. Life in a small community where everyone knew each other’s business could be annoying at times. And unfortunately for Hunter, he had dated the wrong woman. Should have seen that from the beginning, dumbass. “What did Shell Grove’s classiest little harlot do now?” Finn asked. Hunter took a sip of the scalding coffee and was grateful when it burned his tongue. The sting gave

him something to concentrate on other than his anger over his current situation. “She’s roadblocking me.” Finn leaned forward in the booth. “How?” Hunter let out a frustrated breath. “You know the new condominium development that Seaside Properties is going to break ground on in a few months?” Finn slowly nodded his head. “Yeah. I heard they paid good money for that land. Supposed to be a huge project.” “Yeah, well, Rebecca insisted that if I wanted a shot at winning the bid for it, I had to drop the store job.” Hunter shook his head. He couldn’t believe he had ever dated the woman, selfish man-eater that she was. “She assured me I wouldn’t stand a chance otherwise.” Finn’s head reared back. “What the hell? Why didn’t you tell her to screw off? She has no control over you.” Hunter leveled him with a look. “Have you forgotten who her new boyfriend is? Dan Ottman owns Seaside Properties, man. All she has to do is snap her fingers and she can get him to do whatever she wants. Why do you think the last three jobs I’ve bid on for Seaside have been turned down?” It didn’t take a genius to figure out why Coastline had been getting shut down left and right. Rebecca’s twisted idea of revenge. Even though

she was the one who’d cheated on Hunter, he was the one who’d dumped her ass. She still felt wronged by him. Like he’d tarnished her stellar reputation or something. God, he hated small-town bullshit. The waitress came back with their plates of food, and Finn immediately shoved two pieces of bacon into his mouth. “Okay. But I still don’t get why you’re giving her what she wants.” Did he not think the whole thing was eating Hunter up? “Because Coastline needs that condo job,” Hunter replied. “It’s a ton of money, and I could hire on more guys. I mean, we’ve been doing all right. Been staying busy. But I need bigger jobs if I want to expand operations and build a name for my company. I could give a shit less what Rebecca wants. But who needs the grief? Giving in to her seems like a small price to pay for that kind of opportunity.” Finn shook his head but said nothing. He had to know Hunter was right. Rebecca was a vengeful bitch. Best to avoid riling her, no matter how aggravating it was. “Besides,” Hunter continued, “the store renovation was a small job, anyway. Wouldn’t have paid very much. I can easily get by without it.” “Why is Rebecca threatening you, anyway?” Finn asked. “She’s with Dan now. Why does she

even care if you take the job or not?” The woman never needed a reason to be a royal pain in the ass. Though, Hunter had his suspicions in this particular case. “You know all the talk that’s been going around about the new store owner,” Hunter said as he smothered his pancakes in maple syrup. “Pretty young thing from DC. No friends or family in this area. All by herself. I’m guessing it’s a jealousy thing with Rebecca. This new woman’s got the entire town’s attention and she isn’t even here yet. Rebecca’s social throne being threatened is probably driving her crazy.” Finn grunted. “I swear she’s a fucking viper, man. Poisonous and vicious.” And didn’t Hunter know it. Frankly, he was sick of dealing with the backlash of her childish antics. But he had responsibilities, and he didn’t want to risk not getting the condo job. Seaside had turned down his last three bids. If pretending to cave to her demand would help him break through the roadblock, he was willing to swallow his irritation. Greater good, and all. “Why don’t you send your sister and Maggie after her again?” Finn asked, amusement lacing his words. “They’d straighten her out right quick.” Hunter tipped his head back and groaned. Reminders of his sister, Mia, and cousin, Maggie, and all of their wild escapades were usually

accompanied by a pounding headache. “First of all, I never sent them after Rebecca when I found out she was cheating on me. How many times do I have to say that? Second of all, you know it was Maggie dragging Mia along, like she’s done their entire lives. That whole slashing of Rebecca’s tires thing had Maggie written all over it.” Finn laughed, his eyes sparking with admiration. “That’s classic Mags, all right.” About a year ago, Rebecca had cheated on Hunter with some pediatrician over in Ridgefield. After Hunter had broken up with her, she then dropped the doctor’s ass and moved on to Dan. The common denominator between those two men? Money. All that mattered to the woman was linking herself to the guy who had the most bills in his bank. Which was definitely not Hunter. The pathetic part was that Rebecca hadn’t been the first woman to leave him for a guy who had money. It was actually becoming a pattern in his life. He was clearly either too blind or too stupid to recognize that gold digging quality in women. Which was why he had no desire to enter into another relationship anytime soon. “And third of all,” Hunter added, “sending Mia and Maggie after Rebecca would only cause a

catastrophe. I’d rather root for the Raiders in the Super Bowl than declare a full-scale war with the woman. I just need to get that condo contract. That’s all I want right now.” “Whatever you say, man.” Both their heads jerked toward the kitchen when they heard glass break, followed by the muffled curses of the greasy spoon’s longtime cook, Al. They tossed each other glances and snickered. Nothing ever changed around the coastal town of Shell Grove. Especially the local diner and its patrons. Other than the popular hair salon down the street, it was the main hub for all town gossip. Though, Hunter only came for the plate-size pancakes. Finn came because Maggie’s dive and surf shop was right next door, making it easier for him to go chat her up. “We haven’t talked about that, by the way,” Finn muttered around his mouthful of scrambled eggs. “Talked about what?” Finn waggled his eyebrows. “The new store owner. A pretty, single woman.” Hunter ignored his friend’s interested tone. “Her name is Jade Hollingsworth. And what are you implying?” “Nothing,” Finn replied, feigning innocence. “Just might be nice to see some new blood around here of the female variety.”

Hunter grinned, prepared to call bullshit on his buddy. “We could get new blood that looked exactly like Gisele Bündchen and you wouldn’t so much as glance in her direction. The only direction you want to look in is Maggie’s.” Finn scowled at him—his usual reaction when Hunter teased him about his longtime crush. “Fuck off.” “Said the lovesick puppy.” Finn kept his head down as he shoveled more food into his mouth, grunting something about “asshole friends” and making Hunter smile. Hunter might be Finn’s best friend, but Maggie ranked a close second. The only thing Hunter had on her was tenure, seeing as how she had moved to the area when they were all freshman in high school, and Hunter had known Finn since kindergarten. Hunter silently laughed. Best friend, my ass. Finn had been carrying a torch for Maggie ever since they first met as kids, when she and her parents—Hunter’s aunt and uncle—were visiting from California. Why Finn had never acted on it was one of the great mysteries of the universe. Like Bigfoot. A few minutes later, Finn spoke up again, changing the subject. “I couldn’t help but notice that your truck wasn’t at your house when I went home from the bar last night. You stay the night in

Harperville or something?” Finn owned The Clumsy Clam bar and grill, which had become the primo hangout spot for everyone in town under the age of sixty. If you wanted to eat some good oysters and drink some good beer while watching a good game on TV, The Clumsy Clam was your one-stop shop. “Yeah, the guy had to push back the meeting,” Hunter answered. “I was starving by the time we got done, and after I ate, I was too tired to drive back.” He left out the part about something—or someone—grabbing his attention in good ol’ Harperville. Which had been the real reason for his overnight stay. He raised his coffee mug, signaling to the waitress for a refill, and looked back to see a curious expression on his friend’s face. “What?” As Finn slowly shook his head, Hunter felt dark clouds looming over their booth. “That’s, like, your fourth cup this morning.” Hunter averted his eyes. “So?” “So, I’ve never seen you drink more than two cups any morning. Even when you’re getting up at five to go work on a site. Which tells me you’re tired and didn’t get enough sleep last night.” The bastard grinned and pointed a finger at Hunter. “Why didn’t you get enough sleep last night?” Hunter ran his hand through his hair. “Are we

really doing this right now? I drove a shit ton yesterday and got up early this morning to drive back to town. Big deal.” Finn leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “It is a big deal because you got laid, and we don’t have secrets. Who was she?” “No one you know,” Hunter said through clenched teeth. Finn’s expression was smug, satisfied that he’d caught him in a lie. “Blond? Brunette?” “Redhead,” Hunter blurted out, instantly recalling images of the woman from the night before. Finn groaned, his eyes squeezing shut. “Damn. How was she?” Hunter glared at him, making him chuckle. “That good, huh? That mean you’re seeing her again?” “It was one night, man,” Hunter growled. “She was just passing through. I don’t know where she lives, or anything. Hell, I didn’t even get her name.” Even though he’d been desperate for it. He had wanted a name to put with that heartshaped, sweet-as-sin face. Something to remember their frenzied night together—the best sexual experience of his entire life. All he had was Red. Well, that and the sound of her moans whenever he went down on her. Her gasps of surprise when he finally drove into her. And the shy smile she’d

offered as he lightly kissed her lips when he pulled out of her. Does it feel good? he’d whispered into her perfect mouth. The way my cock is filling you up? Her response still made his dick twitch. Hell yes, it does. Do it harder. He’d had a full-blown erection from the moment she’d walked into that bar. Her silky red hair, her tight little body, her full, painted lips, had all immediately grabbed his attention. She’d sat at the bar, stroking the stem of her martini glass, inspiring images in his mind of her stroking his dick instead. With that luscious red hair and dark lipstick, she’d looked like a stage singer from a 1940s nightclub. The kind that sang into one of those old-school microphones while seducing every man in the building with her husky voice. Yeah. She was that kind of woman. “You didn’t get her name or her number?” Finn asked incredulously. “Have I not taught you anything?” Hunter rolled his eyes. “I didn’t have much choice, jackass. She bailed on me first thing this morning. I woke up and the room was empty. She must have lit out of there at the crack of dawn.” It actually bothered him she’d done that. Not that he’d expected them to snuggle in bed or get breakfast together. But he would have at least enjoyed talking to her one last time.

A quickie in the shower would have also been nice. At minimum, he would have settled for her name. Instead, all he’d been left with was her lingering scent on the pillow. Finn tried to subdue his laughter, but it didn’t work. “She literally ran out on you? It seems I haven’t taught you anything at all.” Hunter was ready to punch him right in the face. But then he’d have Maggie to deal with. Strike that. Maggie would probably laugh and tell Finn he deserved it. “We’re done with this conversation,” Hunter said firmly. He collected his tab and slid out of the booth, Finn following closely behind. “I’ve got calls to make and a business to run. And don’t you have some flirting to do with Maggie?” Finn shoved him toward the register counter. “We’re just friends, asshole.” “Sure you are,” Hunter retorted, turning for the door. “Have fun out there in the friend zone.” “Have fun being a dick,” Finn called back, a little too loudly. Old Mrs. Winters, their second grade teacher, smacked Finn’s arm with her purse. “Finn Caldwell! Don’t make me tell your momma what a potty mouth you have.” Finn hung his head sheepishly. “Sorry, Mrs. Winters.”

Hunter pushed through the door with a big grin, waving to his friend as Finn mouthed kiss my ass. Driving down Main Street on his way to the Coastline office, he passed the empty storefront that would soon be the new home of Chic on the Beach, and felt a twinge of guilt. He felt like a giant asshole for canceling on Miss Hollingsworth at the last minute. But he’d had to do what he had to do. He did wonder about the woman, though. They didn’t get many new residents in town, especially outsiders who had no connections to the area. What would she be like? Would she fit in here? Was she planning on staying for a while? Not that any of it mattered to him. The situation was no longer his concern. He just hoped to God the woman wasn’t a redhead.

Chapter Three As Jade drove through Shell Grove’s small downtown, she realized she was so not in Kansas anymore. Or DC. Or anywhere else she’d ever been. Especially when she got a glimpse of the giant banner hanging in front of City Hall that read: 2017 SHELL GROVE OYSTER FESTIVAL SIGN UP NOW! That was certainly light-years away from the cocktail parties and galas she’d experienced growing up in a very wealthy community in Connecticut. Shell Grove was definitely small. But it was also quiet and…peaceful. She instantly loved the quaint little town. However…even the sight of the sparkling emerald ocean running parallel to her car as she traveled down Main Street couldn’t calm her anger. Not when she was on her way to visit her irresponsible contractor to give him a little—make that a big—piece of her mind. The inconsiderate jerk.

The guy clearly didn’t understand that she needed this store. She needed it to open and to thrive. So she could make something of herself, all on her own. She wasn’t backed by her father’s prominent name down here. No one would recognize her last name in a small Southern town like this. She was embarking on this venture all by herself, building it from the ground up—just as her father had done when he was young. For the sake of her own selfesteem, this business had to be a success. She wanted to feel worthy of being her father’s daughter. That was more important to her than anything else in the world. Because all she had left of him was his memory, and she wanted to honor it. To make him proud. And, well, she also had to start making some money. Soon. Putting everything else aside, making a living was her chief concern at the moment. That’s a little thing called reality. She’d put everything she had into the store, and it was all she had left. It had all been planned out, right down to the exact day her savings would dry up even if she was frugal with her spending. Her contractor quitting wasn’t something she’d accounted for. And that put a major crimp in said plan. If she didn’t have a store, that meant she didn’t

have any food, or a roof over her head, or any means of survival. And no way was she crawling back to her stepmother and stepbrother, admitting they’d been right about her all along. Because they weren’t right. She wasn’t useless. Or weak. Or talentless. But at this point, she was desperate. If this jerkface contractor quit on her, she didn’t know what she would do. Rob a bank, maybe? She spotted an office building with a modest sign that read COASTLINE CONSTRUCTION and pulled into one of the parking spots. Schooling herself for an epic showdown wherein she would assert herself and tell the guy what was what, she climbed from the car and walked through the door with extra pep in her step. There was no desk or reception area at the front. Just a few chairs, a water station, and no people. She looked down the hallway, peered around a corner, but saw no one. Then a door opened, and a young guy wearing a hard hat and mud-covered boots entered the room. “Excuse me,” she said. “Do you know where I can find Hunter Sparks?” His eyes briefly took her in, his expression turning quizzical, and he jerked this thumb toward the room he just came out of. “Boss is in there.” He walked off before she could ask if it was okay to go in. Once again steeling her shoulders, she

made her way to the door but slowed when she heard a voice on the other side. Whoever it was, it sounded like he was on the phone. The voice was definitely male and it was definitely deep. It reminded her of her beautiful, perfect stranger from last night. In fact, his accent even sounded similar. A lot of people have Southern accents down here. But the more she listened to his muffled voice as she stood outside the door, the more it reminded her of Bob’s smooth baritone, and the way he’d growled at her as they burned up the sheets all night long. “Shit,” he’d said in those smooth Southern tones when he first entered her. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in anything so tight. I don’t know how long I’m going to last, here.” “I’ve got all night,” she’d whispered. “Good,” he’d said, low and sexy. “Because I don’t think once is going to satisfy me.” It hadn’t. They’d done it two more times after that, each time feeling even better than the last. And in that time, she’d discovered that plural was possible. Of course, she’d had to bail this morning before he woke up. More out of self-preservation than to avoid an awkward encounter. She’d been afraid

that, if she’d allowed herself to really take in how good he looked sleeping in that bed, she would have started imagining things. Wishing for things. She could have stayed and gotten Bob’s number. His real name. Found out where he lived and—if he’d wanted to—arranged to see him again. Soon. But that was such a dangerous road to venture down. That road led to feelings, which then turned into commitments. Commitments eventually merged into relationships. And relationships…well… They often intersected with pain. Disappointment. And since she didn’t want to wind up tangled in the resulting emotional wreckage—again—she couldn’t stay. She mentally shook herself and came back to the present. She had to forget about Bob and his magical dick. Her life was in Shell Grove now, with her swimsuit shop. That was her dream. A dream this asshat of a contractor wanted to destroy. Not happening. Without knocking, she pushed through the door— And came to an abrupt halt. The man’s back was to her, but— Those shoulders. That hair. That body. It couldn’t be.

She had to be hallucinating. She managed to get out, “A-are you Hunter Sparks?” Please don’t be. Please, for the love of God, do not be— His head whipped around, and he immediately dropped his phone. No. Fucking. Way. “What the— Red?”

Chapter Four What fresh hell was this? Jade’s one-night stand was her contractor? No, no, no! Did that mean he lived in Shell Grove? Because, what the hell? There had to be some sort of mistake. She hadn’t kicked a puppy. And she often gave money to the homeless. She didn’t deserve karma this messed up. “Red?” Hunter—not Bob—repeated. “You’re Jade Hollingsworth?” So this was what going into shock felt like. She had always wondered. She thought she nodded, but there was no way to be sure. “You’re Coastline Construction?” He looked just as flabbergasted about the situation as she did, which made her feel a teensy bit better. “Uh, yeah. I own the company.” Well, he hadn’t lied. Technically, he was in construction. Un-freaking-believable.

“Why were you in Harperville yesterday?” she asked, still trying to make sense of everything. “A meeting. It got out late,” he said. “I didn’t feel like driving home last night.” But her life would have been a whole lot less complicated if he had. Then again, without him she never would have visited The Land of Multiple Orgasms. It was a lovely place she wouldn’t mind vacationing in for a while. Whoa. What the hell was she saying? This, right here, was exactly why she didn’t do one-night stands. She rubbed her temples, and for a brief second, she thought she might faint. That would have been ridiculous, though. So debutante. She fought to steady her feet. Get ahold of yourself. So she’d slept with her contractor. Ex-contractor. So she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him all morning. Big deal. The world was not ending. “You’re from here?” she demanded. He grinned, looking more and more pleased at her frazzled state. She wanted to throttle him. She was reeling at this wildly unexpected turn of events, and he looked almost tickled about it. “I am,” he said. “Lived here my whole life, aside from the few years I lived in Charleston after high school.” She nodded several times—probably looking like

a deranged bobble head. “Well, I would say it’s nice to officially meet you, but we kind of have a problem here.” His top lip curled and he raised an eyebrow. “Do we, Red? How do you figure?” The way he crossed his thick arms across his body caused images of the night before to flicker through her mind. How powerful his body had been. How easily he had dominated her in bed. Stop it. She was not going to think about last night. From here on out, she was putting it behind her and moving on with her life. Then again, maybe she could use the situation to her advantage. After their night together, he surely wasn’t still going to turn down the job. Was he? “It’s Jade,” she said through gritted teeth. “And yes, we do have a problem, because I hired you to do a job and you quit on me.” His smug expression was wiped from his face and his jaw clenched. “I explained in my email my reason for having to back out. I’m sorry, I just don’t have time to work on your store renovations. But I can help you find someone else.” She felt her blood pressure rise. And it wasn’t just from anger. He wears those jeans really well. “I need to be open for summer business, and we had already created a floor plan,” she snapped. “I

don’t have time to start from scratch with someone else. What the hell am I supposed to do?” “I’ll pass everything along to whoever you choose for the job,” he said easily, like none of this fazed him. Of course it didn’t. It wasn’t his life going haywire. “Well, that’s comforting,” she said curtly. “You know, bailing on someone the day before they get into town—through an email, no less—is a pretty crappy thing to do, and certainly not very professional.” He looked away and did the chin-rubbing thing that had driven her crazy last night. Don’t think about it. “Again, I’m really sorry,” he said in a low voice. “Believe me, any other time I’d be happy to help you out. I just— I can’t.” “Save your breath, Hunter.” She pivoted and headed for the door at a brisk pace. She was so mad she was afraid steam was going to start coming out of her ears. “I’ll figure it out without your help.” Crap, crap, crap. If only she knew how.

Chapter Five It took Hunter a good ten seconds to react to Jade stomping out of his office. What the hell had just happened? He was still trying to process the fact that his redheaded dream girl was the woman he’d just quit on…with a callous email, no less. She was right. It had been a pretty shitty thing to do. But damn. He couldn’t stop picturing the woman naked. Remembering what she’d looked like last night as she came with him inside her. If that made him an even bigger asshole, he could live with that. This surprising turn of events was either the best…or possibly the worst…thing that had ever happened to him. Too soon to tell. Time to go find out. He stampeded out the door of his building and spotted her marching toward a BMW. Of course she drove a BMW. It just figured his dream girl

would be from the city and apparently had money. Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off her gorgeous red hair as he approached her. “Jade, wait.” When she jerked around, she pierced him with a glare that only she could have made look sexy. Fuck. He was hard already. He shifted around on his feet in an effort to hide his reaction from her, knowing his aroused state wouldn’t exactly win him any points. “Unless you’re about to tell me you’re taking the job, you can kiss my ass,” she bit out. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Didn’t get enough of that last night, huh?” Good line, asshole. Because that wouldn’t make her want to claw his eyes out. He switched gears before she could say anything. “What I’m curious about is why you stopped in Harperville last night instead of driving all the way through.” He put a hint of challenge in his voice. “It wasn’t that late when you got to the hotel.” She avoided eye contact. Interesting. She lifted her shoulder. “I was tired. Just felt like having a drink. My moving truck didn’t get here until this morning, anyway. Not that it’s any of your business.” He took a small step toward her, and she held her ground. He swallowed a smile. The woman had fire,

no doubt. “I don’t think that’s why,” he said. Her shoulders straightened, but a shadow of vulnerability flitted through her eyes. So he pushed. “Were you having doubts about moving here?” he asked. “Maybe a little scared?” “No,” she said defensively. A strong gust of wind blew a lock of her hair across her face. She pushed it behind an ear. “But there’s nothing wrong with being a little nervous. Moving to a new place by yourself is a big step. I just needed a breather.” He stopped advancing on her, satisfied and a little surprised that he’d gotten the truth. Then again, he supposed there wasn’t much point in them feigning any kind of pretense. They had seen each other naked, after all. “Is that why you bailed this morning?” he asked. “Because you were too nervous to face me?” Those amazing green eyes shot daggers in his direction. He smiled. Yes, he did just bring that up. “No,” she said through gritted teeth. “But what was there to say? Thanks for the sex? Catch you on the flip side?” He tried to ignore how those words affected him. Physically. “For starters. Then you could have followed it up with, ‘You were so amazing last night,’” he said in a dramatic, high-pitched tone. “‘I’ll never forget you as long as I live. Take me

again right here so I can remember exactly how you feel inside me.’” “Is that supposed to sound like me?” He released a soft groan. “Trust me, baby. Your sex voice is much hotter than that. I just wish I could have heard it again before you left that hotel room.” She rolled her eyes. “Guess you’ll have to settle for the memories.” Her eyes widened, filling with panic, and she rushed to add, “Actually, don’t think about me at all. In any way. And don’t call me baby.” He chuckled. “Everyone calls everyone baby. It’s a Southern thing.” He ignored her sigh. “For what it’s worth, this is a great town. I think you’ll like it here.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah. If everyone here is as friendly as you, I doubt I’ll ever get bored.” His grin faded, and he felt his expression harden. He ground his teeth together as he imagined any of the male pricks in town hitting on her, trying to get into her pants. Because he absolutely knew they would. How could they not? She was a vision of perfection. But hell, he didn’t even want to consider her doing anything with them like what she had done with him last night. Because if that happened, he would go apeshit.

Abruptly, he took a mental step back. Where the hell was this coming from? He’d had sex with her…a few times. But that didn’t make her his. Plus, he wasn’t interested in a relationship, or even a casual involvement, with anyone. Regardless, he still found himself saying, “I would use caution making new friends if I were you.” Her brow furrowed. “What is that supposed to mean? You just said Shell Grove is a great place.” He pursed his lips. “Just that new people in this town garner a lot of attention. Some folks will be curious, and some of them will only be after gossip. So just…”—don’t screw anyone but me —“remember that.” She huffed. “You throw one hell of a welcome party, I’ll give you that.” He laughed and lowered his voice. “I thought I did a pretty good job of making you feel welcome last night,” he said pointedly. “We can have an after-party tonight, if you’d like.” God. He loved that he could make her blush. She swallowed, clearly trying to hide her reaction to his words. “Can we not talk about last night? Like, ever again?” “That might be a little hard for me, Red,” he replied. “But I’ll work on it.” “For the last time, it’s Jade.”

“My apologies,” he said. “Jade.” He slid his gaze over her bright red hair that was piled on top of her head, then down to her stunning green eyes. Yeah, she did remind him of a rare and beautiful gem. Something unique that should be treasured for eternity. “It suits you.” Her eyes lowered to his mouth as he slowly licked his lips. Then she averted them to the ground and kicked at the cracked asphalt beneath her feet. “Yeah, well. Hunter is a lot better than Bob, too.” He let out a part grunt, part cough. The way she’d kept moaning his fake name last night…oh, Bob… had been more than torturous. He wanted a do-over, with her whispering his real name as he got her off with his tongue. He cleared his throat. “I’d like to think so. Anyway. Are we going to be able to move past me having to pull out of your job? Or are you going to bite my head off every time I see you from now on?” Her lips thinned at that. “Well, I’ll try to be on my best behavior—” “Oh, I hope not.” A muscle in her jaw ticked. “But this conversation isn’t over. I need that work done.” Once again, regret slammed into him. “I’ll do whatever I can to help,” he said softly. “I just wish I could do more.” Looking impatient, she turned for her car but

stopped to glance back at him uncertainly. “Just do me a favor and don’t tell anyone about last night, okay?” He hadn’t planned to. But it stung, nonetheless. Sure, he wanted to tell the whole damn town about what they did, but that was more so all the single men would know to keep their distance from her. “Why? Ashamed of me?” “Of course not. I just…” She paused. “I need to start things off here on the right foot. I don’t want to deal with any awkwardness. If everyone found out that the first thing the new girl did when she got into town was crawl into bed with the first guy she saw, things could get…weird.” For some reason, that annoyed him even more. “First of all, don’t belittle what we did last night,” he growled. “Second of all, I would never gossip about our time together. Despite what you think of me, I’m not a total asshole.” She didn’t respond for several moments. They just stood there, watching each other in silence. “I should go,” she finally said, but she didn’t move. He slowly nodded. “Right. By the way, I thought you were a baker.” Last night in the bar, he’d actually fantasized about her being covered in icing and cake mix, and so many other delicious treats…which he would then lick off her naked body.

“Yes, I was a baker. I never said I owned a bakery, though.” “I guess that’s true.” He stepped forward and brought their faces closer together. He watched in fascination as her eyes glazed over. He was so tempted to close the scant distance between their mouths and remind her how good it was between them. Instead, he reached over her shoulder and opened her car door. “Well, I bet your desserts taste as sweet as you do,” he whispered in her ear. She froze. He pulled back in satisfaction. “I’ll see you soon, Jade.” He tossed her a meaningful wink before turning away and ambling through the front door of his office. Yeah. Jade Hollingsworth was going to be a problem. But a fun problem. He hoped.

Chapter Six Where were her sports bras? Bras didn’t just disappear into thin air. It was hot, and Jade was sticky and sweaty and she needed a damn sports bra. She couldn’t stand unpacking her house in her oppressive, confining regular one for another second. Okay, think. The night she’d packed up her dresser was the same night she’d gotten that super-nasty phone call from her stepmother, Cassandra. Jade remembered because she’d been holding a pair of stockings in her hand when she answered the phone, and she’d imagined choking the life out of the woman with them. After hanging up, she had opened a bottle of wine— Bingo. She went into the kitchen and, lo and behold, there were her bras, folded up in a box with her wine bottles. She barely had a comfy sports bra over her head when the doorbell rang.

Weird. No one knew her address…except Hunter because she’d foolishly given it to him when he was still working for her. She groaned inwardly. Please don’t let it be him. After hours of working around dust and grime, she didn’t feel like facing him with sweat dripping down her back. She opened her door to a tornado. Dark hair, ebony skin, and a giant fruit basket came barreling at her, shoving her back inside her living room with a giant hug. “Oh praise Jesus! You’re a girl!” Oh no. Her first religious nut. Jade had heard of religious crusaders going door to door trying to convert people, but had never encountered one on her own doorstep before. She never imagined they would be so touchy-feely, though. She carefully peeled the woman off her and was surprised to see she was very striking. Her hair was long and wavy, held back by a brightly colored scarf, her eyes were a deep chocolate, and she was stylishly dressed in a peach maxi dress. “I prayed you would be a woman,” her visitor exclaimed. “And I’m so glad you’re not my grandmomma’s age, or a single mother with five kids, and— Oh, I bet we have so much in common!”

Jade stared, awestruck by her visitor’s presence. Vibrant was the best way to describe her. “I’m sorry, who are you?” The woman shook her head and smacked herself in the face. That sounded like it actually hurt. “I’m such a goof.” She pointed at herself. “I’m Ivy, your next-door neighbor.” In lieu of a handshake, she wrapped Jade up in another hug. “What’s your name, honey?” “Uh, I’m Jade.” Ivy burst into…a cackle? Jade assumed it was her laugh, but the sound had a bit of a witchy flare to it. “Ivy and Jade,” Ivy said, clutching her chest. “Oh my God, we sound like a couple of strippers, don’t we?” Hunter’s warning of being cautious with the friends she made suddenly flashed through Jade’s head. This one might seriously be off her rocker. Ivy didn’t wait for a response but started giving herself a tour of the house. Jade looked down at the large fruit basket in her hands and—wait, no, it wasn’t a fruit basket. Was that a rat trap in there? “So, what brings you to our little hamlet, Jade?” Ivy called out from the kitchen. Jade set down the basket and walked in to find her casually rearranging the magnets on her fridge. “I’m opening up a beachwear shop downtown, right by the marina. Chic on the Beach.” Ivy looked back at her, squinting in thought. “Oh,

right. I’ve seen the coming soon sign. I was wondering what was going on. Love the name, by the way.” Ivy was making her way from room to room, dodging boxes and stepping over random pieces of furniture. Jade followed because she really didn’t know what else to do. “How long have you lived here?” Jade asked, figuring that was a safe place to start. “About five years,” Ivy replied. “I’m from Georgia originally, but my husband, Garrett, grew up here. We moved here after we got married.” She picked up a tank top from one of Jade’s suitcases and held it up. “I have a shirt exactly like this, except mine has penises all over it.” She cackled again. “Got it for my bachelorette party. I made the mistake of wearing it into the pharmacy one time. Within ten minutes, I’d been cussed out, hit on, and an older couple had stopped to pray for my soul.” Okay, so maybe not a religious nut… Ivy’s cackle was becoming contagious, and Jade couldn’t help it. A laugh bubbled up her throat, and it felt…really good. “No penis shirts in public,” Jade mused. “I’ll keep that in mind.” “I suppose it depends on the kind of impression you want to make,” Ivy said, making both of them chuckle. “Garrett works on an offshore oil rig, so he’s away for weeks at a time. I’m left here all

alone when he’s gone. Sometimes I’m perfectly fine with it. Other times I feel like I’m losing my marbles.” “Do you not like it here?” Jade asked. It would be nice to hear an honest opinion from a fellow outsider. Ivy vigorously nodded her head. Woman’s going to give herself a headache. “I love it here. The town is quaint and peaceful.” She pursed her lips. “It’s just…” “I’m sensing a ‘but,’” Jade said warily. “No. There’s just…a lot of small-town thinking around here, you know? Some of these people live in their own little bubbles. They don’t realize there’s a whole big world out there where welldone isn’t the only way to eat a steak. And women can look nice without being called harlots or accused of thinking they’re better than everyone else. Where salmon is both a type of fish and a color. And where people actually know what freaking kale is!” Jade couldn’t explain it, but listening to Ivy’s semi-hysterics made her feel…comfortable. “I love kale,” she said with a grin. Ivy’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank God. Because if I have to listen to one more conversation about why the local grocery store selling Maxim magazine is immoral and disgusting, my head might explode.” What did that have to do with kale?

All of a sudden, Ivy threw her hands up. “Oh, my gift!” She pranced out of the room and returned seconds later with the huge non-fruit basket. “This is my welcome basket for you.” She shoved it into Jade’s arms and started digging through the assorted items inside. “All your moving-in essentials are here. Let’s see. There’s disinfectant wipes, bathroom cleaner, Command strips and hooks, candles, bath oils, and—” “Rat traps?” “Oh yeah,” Ivy said, waving her hand as if rat infestations were no big deal. “It floods around here sometimes when tropical storms blow through, so it’s always good to be prepared for the little bastards.” Jade nodded. Something to look forward to. “And most important,” Ivy continued, “a bottle of some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon you’ll ever have. In my experience, unpacking always goes smoother with a glass of red in hand.” She patted Jade’s arm. “I have a feeling you’ll need it.” Clearly, this woman wasn’t off her rocker. The label of the wine looked familiar, and Jade leaned forward to get a better look. “I may have had this before. What year is it?” Ivy snorted. “We don’t look at years around here, honey. All we care about is the alcohol content, and this stuff has a darn good amount.” Jade was liking her new neighbor more and more.

She was actually feeling a bit warm and fuzzy. Receiving a gift like this—one that actual thought and care had been put into—was, sadly, a new thing for her. She wasn’t used to unprovoked acts of kindness. She was more touched by the small gesture from this flamboyant woman than she could say. Other than her friend, Gwen, she hadn’t had many girlfriends in DC, and she hadn’t even known Gwen that long. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “This is really sweet of you.” Ivy waved her off. “Oh please. That’s nothing, honey. If you really want to repay me, you can let me come over occasionally to drink wine and let me bitch about my job.” “I’d like that. Where do you work?” “I’m a dental hygienist down at Dr. Mayweather’s office. And let me tell you, it isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.” Ivy sighed, getting a faroff look in her eyes. “But man, oh man it makes for some great stories. Like this one time, a patient got so hopped up on laughing gas he started to take his pants off in the chair and sing the chorus line to Oklahoma!” Jade grinned. She could totally be friends with this woman. “Feel free to drop by anytime to vent. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions for you about the goings-on around here.”

“Oh, you definitely will. Maybe—” The loud ring of the doorbell interrupted her. She stopped talking and dashed over to the front windows before Jade could even react to having yet another visitor. Another neighbor? Ivy peered through the windowpane and turned back to Jade with both eyebrows raised. “Woowee, girl,” she said with a low whistle. “What in the world is Hunter Sparks doing on your front porch?” “What?” Jade screeched and sprinted over to the window. Sure enough, there he was. Standing tall in all his gruff, manly goodness. He rang the doorbell again, and she swallowed around her dry mouth. “He’s my contractor,” she whispered. “Was my contractor. He quit.” Ivy clicked her tongue. “I guess it’s too late to warn you about that one.” Yes, it was. Because she had not only slept with him. She had allowed him to infiltrate her thoughts and invade her dreams. But she didn’t care how drool worthy the man was, she was keeping the walls she’d erected around her heart guarded at all times. A veritable fortress of emotional protection. She had to. For her own sake and sanity. She could not take

one more heartache in her life. His eyes darted to the window and spotted her before she could lurch back out of view. He gave her an obnoxious finger wave as if to say I’m not going anywhere until you open the door. She stepped back and tried to straighten her hair, but knew it was a fruitless task. Ivy stood at her back as she opened the door. His smile was waiting for her. For some frustrating reason, her chest felt lighter at seeing it. “Jade,” he said, nodding. “Hello again.” His eyes flicked to the space over her shoulder. “Hey, Ivy.” “What’s shakin’, dollface?” “Same ol’, same ol’,” he replied, the familiarity between them obvious. “Garrett still out?” “Yep. Supposed to be home next Wednesday for four days.” Hunter’s gaze landed back on Jade. “How’s the unpacking going?” She gestured to the room behind her and tried not to sigh. “Slow, but it’s going. You come here to tell me you’ve changed your mind about the job?” Because that was the only rational reason for him to be standing in her doorway. Some of the light faded from his eyes, though he tried to hide it with an easy grin. “Not exactly. I just, uh, thought this might help.” He held out a piece of paper. “I made a list of folks you can call about the renovations. All these guys should shoot

you straight on estimates. I trust them.” She took it from him, squirming when his smoldering dark eyes remained on her. That tooserious look was doing funny things to her insides. “Thanks,” she mumbled. He hesitated for a second, the tension in the air thickening. She was distracted by the way the glow of the sunset behind him lightened his dark beard. He was much too attractive for his own good. All the women in this town must flock to him like sharks to blood in the water. She sensed there was more he wanted to say, but suspected her neighbor’s presence kept him silent. She wasn’t sure if she was grateful or not. She wanted to be mad at him—and truthfully, she was. She should be angry after the bind he’d put her in. But more than anything, she was enamored of the giant sexpot. Completely and totally attracted. And that was even more infuriating. She knew better than to be drawn in by a pair of broad shoulders and a dirty mouth. Fortress of emotional protection, she reminded herself. Eventually, he stepped back. “All right.” He waved his hand toward her living room. “Let me know if you need help moving anything heavy or hanging stuff up. I happen to be pretty handy with a hammer.”

“Oh, I bet he is,” Ivy whispered behind her. Thank God he hadn’t heard that. “Well, when you want to put that hammer to good use at my store, you just let me know,” she called out as he sauntered down her walkway. He stopped to look over his shoulder. “Never give up, do you, Red?” She shook her head. “Nope.” “Good.” He gave a curt nod. “Neither do I.” Leaving her with a rakish grin, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to his truck. With rapt appreciation, she watched the material of his jeans pull across his butt as he strode away. His entire body was just so…brawny. “My Lord, that man is mouthwatering,” Ivy said, breaking Jade out of her stupor. She closed the door and fell against it, taking a deep breath. When she looked up, Ivy was giving her a knowing grin. “You want to tell me what’s going on between you and one of Shell Grove’s most eligible bachelors?” “What makes you think anything is going on?” Jade asked cautiously. Ivy rolled her eyes. “Because my skin was scorched by the heat coming off you two, and I was standing three feet away.” Jade collapsed on the sofa, burying her face in her hands. “How much time you got?”

Ivy’s response was immediate. “I’ll grab the welcome wine. Told you, you were going to need it.”

Chapter Seven “If Mom sees you up on that ladder, she’s going to blow a gasket,” Hunter told his father, knowing his old man was ignoring every word he said. Wayne Sparks harrumphed in response. “Let her. The woman needs to learn that I’m not an invalid. I can still do a man’s work around here and, by God, I’m going to.” Hunter shook his head, smiling sardonically. “Yeah, but then she’s going to chap my ass for allowing you to get up there, and it’s still pretty tender from the last time.” “You mean the time I popped a wheelie on your four-wheeler?” his dad asked, grinning. “Damn, what a rush.” Hunter groaned. “Yeah, that time. And it wasn’t even my fault. That was all Maggie’s doing. But since it was my four-wheeler, I was guilty by association.” A deep belly laugh rumbled out of his father’s chest. “Good times, son. Those two crazy girls should just about be here,” he added, referring to

Maggie and Mia. “Your momma’s about to start dinner, I think.” As if on cue, the sound of crunching gravel reached Hunter’s ears. He whipped his head around to see Maggie’s Jeep Wrangler speeding down the driveway in typical Maggie fashion. She squeezed it right between Hunter’s truck and his mom’s Ford Taurus, slamming on the breaks to come to a complete stop. Even with the way his sister and cousin got out of the Jeep, the differences between them couldn’t have been more obvious. Mia gingerly stepped out of the vehicle, extricating herself from it as quietly and carefully as possible, as was her nature. Maggie, on the other hand, ever the boisterous one, pounced out of the thing with both arms raised in the air and screamed, “Like a glove!” For as long as Maggie had lived here, those two had been nothing but trouble. Together, they were like one ornery little hurricane, always attached at the hip and looking for their next town to mow down. Or at least Maggie was. Mia just went along with their cousin, Hunter assumed, because Maggie had the ability to make almost anything fun. They even had their own theme song, thanks to Hunter and Finn’s brilliance. Taken from ABBA’s classic “Mama Mia,” it went something like, Maggie-Mia, there they go again. My, my, how can we contain them?

After a good chuckle, he and his dad went back to working on repairing the storage shed in the backyard. Hunter was always making it a point to help his father fix up whatever needed maintenance around the old homestead. He told himself the reason he helped was because his folks were getting up there in years, and they could no longer do all the work themselves. But an even bigger reason was because he knew they couldn’t afford to pay anyone to do the work. Sure, Hunter and Mia had grown up dirt poor, but his parents had never let them go hungry. They’d always provided for them. But it was no secret that when the other kids in town were getting new backto-school clothes and school supplies, he and Mia had been wearing thrift store purchases and using three-year-old secondhand items. His parents had done a good job with what they’d had. But Hunter wanted more for his own future family—for the woman he would eventually marry, and for their children. When he met the right woman, he was ready to settle down. He’d never really been into the swinging bachelor scene. He had played the field since high school, but more and more lately, that seemed…shallow…compared to what his parents had together. The idea of having the dog, the picket fence, and the two-point-five kids was…appealing. Someday. When he met the right woman.

But that picture of his future was why he busted his ass at work, why he fought and clawed for every job he could. And why he desperately needed that Seaside condo contract. A job like that meant big money, and he’d learned over the years that women liked a guy with money. Not that all women were gold diggers, or anything. Just that money made any man a lot more desirable. And he knew what he currently had going for him wasn’t all that impressive. Being a business owner and being a wealthy business owner were two very different things. Sure, he had women interested in climbing into bed with him. But beyond that? Not so much. Apparently, he wasn’t a safe long-term bet. He’d learned that through bitter experience. And it had always come back to money. Everything always did. “Has that new gal in town found anyone to do her store renovations yet?” his father asked. It had been a week since Jade breezed into town, turning Hunter’s world completely upside down, and it definitely hadn’t been a picnic for him. He’d been reliving their night in the hotel over and over in his head every time he drove past her storefront. Hell, anytime he heard her name. All he could do was picture her stark naked and writhing beneath him.

His balls were likely to fall off if this kept up. “Not that I know of,” he rasped. Yeah, and he still felt like an asshole for bailing on her. “I called some guys I know, and I think she’s going to meet with them this week.” A few beats of silence passed before his father spoke again. “You know, I ran into Finn the other day, and we had a quick talk.” Hunter’s head fell as he groaned. “Do I even want to know what he said?” “Probably not, but I’m going to tell you, anyway.” His old man finished hammering in a nail before continuing. “He happened to mention that she’s quite a looker.” Hunter’s spine stiffened. Best friend or not, he didn’t much like Finn thinking Jade was… Shit, he didn’t want him thinking about her at all. Why? You haven’t done anything about it, have you? You have no claim on her, moron. “He said that?” Hunter asked, a little harsher than he’d intended. His father chuckled knowingly. “Calm down, there, son. I believe he was implying that you seem to think she’s quite a looker. And judging by the number of times I’ve seen you with a shaved face lately, I’d have to agree.” Hunter ran his fingers through his short beard. “Does it look like I’ve been shaving?”

His dad threw a dirty rag at his face. “Smart ass. I meant, you haven’t looked as…scraggly, I think your momma calls it. She thinks you’re keeping yourself spiffed up for this new woman. So fair warning, you’re going to get grilled like a fat cow’s tenderloin tonight at dinner.” “Then it’s a good thing I brought extra beer,” Hunter muttered. “So, what is the story there?” He tipped his head back in frustration, knowing this was only the beginning. Between the three women inside the house, he’d get through his entire six-pack tonight and still need to delve into his bottle of whiskey when he got home. “There is no story,” he said evenly. “I had to turn down her job, and she understood.” Sort of. “But since she’s new in town, I’m trying to help her find someone who won’t screw her over on the job. That’s all.” His father’s silence told him there was a lot more going on upstairs that he wasn’t yet voicing aloud. “Which means she needs to make some new friends, right?” Hunter didn’t like where this was going. And his father wasn’t usually the one to play matchmaker. Hunter could normally count on him to have his back when his mother grilled him about marrying and settling down. They had a system for such situations.

His dad did not instigate conversations like this. It was both weird and slightly uncomfortable. “I guess so,” Hunter replied. “I think she made friends with Ivy Ashcroft. She lives next door.” His dad nodded. “That’s good. Ivy’s a good gal. Have you thought about asking her to dinner?” Hunter assumed he meant Jade, not Ivy. He gazed at his dad in bafflement. What sort of foreign being had invaded his father’s body and was making him say such crazy things? “I don’t think she’ll want a brand-new boyfriend the first week she’s in town, Dad.” “I don’t mean that,” his old man said with a grunt. “I just mean befriend her. Show her around, get to know her. It would be a nice thing to do, and I’m sure she would appreciate it.” Hunter wasn’t so sure about that. The woman had been avoiding him since day one. They’d run into each other twice since he showed up at her house that first night—once at the grocery store and once outside the bank—and her shoulder had been so cold he’d gotten chills. He wasn’t sure if it was because she felt awkward about their one night together and the circumstances that followed, or if she just really didn’t like him. He still couldn’t believe that the first woman he’d picked up in a bar in…hell, forever—and a hundred miles away—had turned out to be the new girl in

Shell Grove. What were the odds? It was like an ironic twist of fate. He wanted to chalk it up to the craziest of coincidences… But something deep inside him told him not to brush the whole thing off so quickly. “What’s up with the third degree?” he asked. “Why the concern for some woman you’ve never met?” His father slammed his hammer down and threw up his hands in frustration. Hunter struggled to keep the smile off his face. His dad had always been terrible with subterfuge. “I’m just trying to kick your butt into gear, son. You’re wasting precious time, lollygagging the way you have been the past couple of years. I’m hearing a lot of talk about that woman. Good things. And if you drag your feet long enough, you’re going to lose her to some other schmuck in town.” Hunter snorted. “Lose her? She’s not a prize, Dad. Just because she’s beautiful doesn’t mean she’s my perfect match. I doubt we have anything in common.” That was a real possibility. Jade was so obviously a city girl that compared to his small town, downhome nature, the two of them could have exactly zero common interests. The urge to find out suddenly slammed through him. Damn it, Dad.

“Why would you say that?” his father asked, sounding genuinely curious. Hunter hated that particular tone of voice. The scrutiny in it reminded him of his high school days when he used to get into trouble for coming home past curfew. “Come on, Dad,” he said. “She’s from DC, she drives a BMW, and every purse she owns is Prada.” His dad sent him a look and he shrugged. “I have no idea what that means, either, but I heard Maggie and Mia talking about it. And according to them, it means she’s got some serious dough.” His father tapped a finger against his knee, unimpressed. “Your point?” Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “I think she’s a little out of my league.” “That’s bullshit, son, and you know it,” his father spat. “Do I?” Hunter challenged. “Of all the women I’ve dated in the past, how many have ditched me for doctors, lawyers, or rich businessmen? And that one from Charleston? She ended up marrying a professional baseball player.” His dad’s expression didn’t change. “Those women obviously weren’t for you.” “Or vice versa,” he muttered. “All I’m saying is, Jade and I are from two different worlds.” The words felt like acid on his tongue. He didn’t always like acknowledging the truth. “She’s white collar

and I’m blue. She wouldn’t be interested in a working Joe Schmo like me.” “You don’t know that,” his father said impatiently. “That’s why you get to know her, dummy. Take her out, and if y’all aren’t clicking, then that’s that. It doesn’t have to go any further. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.” Hunter took a long pull of his beer. “You know, this is usually Mom’s territory. When I’m out here with you, I can usually count on having a conversation about who the Patriots just traded, or how much better my new miter saw works compared to my old one. Because as soon as we walk into that estrogen-clouded house, it’s going to be all about what sales are going on this weekend and what happened on the last episode of Scandal. That’s sort of the point of us being out here in the first place. Man time.” “Well, I’m sorry, but your momma and I would like some grandbabies before you three heathens put us in a home!” “Then, how about you go talk to the two women in there who can actually bear children?” His dad cringed, a dark frown overtaking his features. “Neither of those girls even has a man yet. You think I want to be thinking about them having babies when I’m still preparing myself for the day one of them brings a boy home?” That caused Hunter to chug the rest of his beer.

Playing big brother to those two had been one headache after another over the years. Of course, it was just then he heard his mother yell from the back porch, “Dinner’s ready!” He and his dad looked at each other in trepidation. “Maybe we could just eat our food out here?”

Chapter Eight Hunter stared at the questionable-looking dark flecks of…something…in the mashed potatoes. “Maggie, did you make the mashed potatoes?” Maggie glanced up as she spooned a good helping of green beans onto her plate. “Yeah, why?” Mia shot him a wide-eyed glance across the table and subtly shook her head, the universal sign to not say another word. “Nothing. They look great.” Bless her heart, Maggie couldn’t cook for shit. “How’re your momma and daddy doing, Maggie?” his old man asked. “I haven’t talked to them in a few days.” His dad’s sister was Maggie’s mom. Her parents had moved back to California a few years ago to be closer to Maggie’s paternal grandparents. With her dive and surf shop and most of her family and friends all being in Shell Grove, she had declared she wouldn’t move to California for all the medical marijuana in the world. Hunter also suspected that Finn had played a big

role in her decision to stay. Despite the fact they’d both deny it. “They’re doing fine,” Maggie replied. “Momma’s taking surfing lessons. I think she stood up on the board for the first time yesterday. So, naturally, she thinks she’s ready to enter contests.” His dad shook his head, no doubt picturing his fifty-something-year-old sister stumbling around on a surfboard. “That sounds about right,” he mumbled. “So, Sparky,” Maggie said to Hunter, his longtime nickname going unnoticed by everyone. “Word on the street is the new store owner you abandoned in her time of need is pretty hot.” He dropped his fork on his plate, the clanging noise echoing through the room. “Okay, did I miss the memo about it being Let’s Fix Up Hunter with the New Chick Day? Why is everyone suddenly so concerned with my dating life? It’s not going to happen, so just drop it right now.” They would all attack like bloodthirsty piranha if they knew about his night with Jade at the hotel. But he could be a steel vault of secrets when necessary. Maggie’s mouth spread into a shit-eating grin. “Who said anything about fixing you up? I was just going to suggest that Mia and I roll out the welcome wagon.” God forbid. “Oh, you mean like the time you

took the new librarian diving and she had a minor heart attack?” he asked pointedly. Maggie rolled her eyes. “She saw a harmless little mako shark. How was I supposed to know she was deathly afraid of sharks? Plus, she was completely fine.” Mia giggled under her breath. He just stared at their cousin. “Maggie, everyone is deathly afraid of sharks.” “Yeah, well everyone needs to have a better sense of adventure.” He didn’t respond to that—sometimes that was all you could do with Maggie—but caught the way his mom winked at him over her water glass. “So, I ran into Rebecca the other day,” Mia said quietly, looking at him. “With your car, I hope?” Maggie drawled. “I thought we agreed never to speak that name in this house again. It’s likely to cast a curse on our children’s children.” Mia ignored Maggie and kept her sympathetic gaze on him. “She came into the spa the other day for a massage. Acted all surprised when she ran into me. I told another girl to take her. Didn’t trust myself not to strangle her.” His blood ran cold at the mention of his exgirlfriend getting anywhere near his family. He didn’t want her to further taint them with her evil ways.

“That’s such bullshit,” Maggie spat out. “The bitch knows you work there.” “Maggie Ann Breedlove,” Hunter’s mom scolded. “No language at the dinner table.” His mother was the only person on the planet who could actually make Maggie cower. “Sorry, Aunt Bev.” She turned to Mia and Hunter. “But seriously. What’s her game?” Mia shrugged. “I have no idea. I just ignored her. But we all know she always has a reason for everything she does.” Yeah, vindictive nightmare that she was. “I just wanted to tell you to watch yourself, Hunter. Who knows what she’s up to,” Mia said. Unfortunately, he had a pretty good idea what she was up to. Keeping tabs on him, making sure he wasn’t getting anywhere near Jade’s store. He hadn’t told his family about Rebecca’s little threat to nix his newest Seaside Properties bid, because hell would be unleashed if Maggie and Mia ever got wind of it. That was all he needed. Another disastrous run-in with the one-woman apocalypse. “I picked up some fresh tuna yesterday,” Maggie said cheerily. “It wouldn’t be hard to break into Rebecca’s car and—” “No!” everyone shouted in unison. “What?” Maggie asked innocently, a devious grin on her face. “I was just going to say switch out her

air fresheners.” Terrific. Now, he was going to have to watch out for Rebecca and Maggie. And Jade. How had his life suddenly gotten so complicated?

Chapter Nine With weeks to go before the summer season officially began, Jade’s store should have been looking like an actual store. But it wasn’t. To make matters worse, everything she’d ordered for the store had been delivered. And her tables, racks, and shelves were scattered around her main floor in a way that was anything but orderly. So, her merchandise was still in boxes, which were stacked all over the place. Her damaged hardwood floors hadn’t been replaced, the wall she wanted gone hadn’t been knocked down, and nothing had been painted. If she didn’t find a contractor soon, the reality of making Chic on the Beach a success would be as nonexistent as her knowledge of how to tile her bathroom floors. She needed to open the store and make money now. Because what little money she had left was dwindling fast. She’d saved up enough to pay for the renovations and to start the store, but only just.

And trying to hire another contractor had been an absolute mess. One guy had come in so hungover from the night before that he couldn’t tell a wrench from a screwdriver. Even she knew that one. Another place she’d called was run by two brothers who couldn’t agree on anything and had spent the entire meeting with her arguing. The third guy had stared at her ass throughout their entire hour-long conversation and had actually grabbed for it in an ill-conceived “I tripped and my hand accidentally landed there” attempt. Seriously? And the last guy had simply walked into the store, looked around, and said he didn’t have the time or manpower to waste on such a small job that wouldn’t pay much, anyway. Ouch. She had run out of options. So, that’s what had led to her standing on a ladder, paint roller in hand, surrounded by plastic, at eight o’clock on a Friday night. Okay, so she had never painted anything before in her entire life…but how hard could it be to run a roller over a wall? Besides, that’s what YouTube was for. What could go wrong? She was in the process of pouring more paint into her tray when she felt a presence behind her. She would have been freaked out—she was

supposed to be all alone in the store—had she not instantly recognized the presence. She knew that smell. She had been missing it for the last two weeks and couldn’t understand how she had lasted this long without tracking him down and tearing the man’s shirt from his body. The only thing that had stopped her was the reminder that he wasn’t good for her. At least, not for her heart. Her well-protected heart. Her body…well, there might be some flexibility, there. Wait. No. No, there wouldn’t. “You need some help with that?” Hunter asked in the smooth way she had become accustomed to in her dreams. Dammit! He couldn’t be here. Her internal pep talks against getting involved were useful, but they didn’t provide the kind of stronghold she needed against this man. She backed down the ladder, taking steady breaths through her mouth so she wouldn’t inhale more of his scent. “I can handle a brush and some paint.” He chuckled and reached out to take the paint can out of her hands. The action brought his hard chest flush against her back. For just a second, she allowed herself to get lost in the feeling of his large body engulfing her. She imagined him gripping her

by the waist and roughly pulling her against him, touching her everywhere. “I’m sure you can,” he replied. “But since I’m the reason this place still isn’t done yet, maybe you could just indulge me and let me help you.” He walked over to her pile of paint supplies to retrieve another roller and tray. He had apparently just gotten off work because he was still wearing his leather tool belt, loose T-shirt, worn jeans, and scuffed-up work boots. It was the tool belt that really got to her, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was because she was imagining him standing before her with nothing on except that belt. Maybe he’d worn it into the shop tonight just for her… She briefly slammed her eyes shut. And once again, the fact that she’d seen this man naked negatively impacted her ability to have a normal conversation with him. Hell, adults saw each other naked all the time and they moved on. She needed to grow up and stop being so awkward around him. And falling prey to his predatory advances. Even if they were just imagined. She cleared her throat. “What are you doing here?” He didn’t look up. “Like I said, I’m helping you. I saw your light on driving home. Figured I’d stop by to see how it’s going.”

“Does this mean that you’re officially helping me now?” she asked. “In a professional capacity?” He gave her a half grin as he walked over to reposition the ladder against the wall. “You know the answer to that, Red.” He stepped up the ladder and examined the wall. “Looks like you’ve got some splitting in the molding up here.” She didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. Instead of simply waiting for him to get down so she could look for herself, she felt compelled to climb onto the ladder with him, placing her body right next to his. It took her half a second to realize what she’d done, and they both froze. She felt his shoulders tense, and she waited with bated breath to see what he’d do or say next. This was the longest they’d been in physical contact with each other since the night at the hotel. And they were both clearly still feeling the same electricity. The chemistry between them was definitely there, quickly sparking back to life. Gathering her nerve, she whispered, “What are we going to do about that?” She actually heard him swallow. “Can you hand me the caulk over there?” he asked, his voice cracking. She almost choked. Did he say cock? “The what?” she managed. A vein jumped in his neck. “The white gun-

looking thing over there by my toolbox. C-A-U-LK,” he spelled. “So I can reseal the molding.” But that meant she would have to stop touching him. She reluctantly did as he asked. She gave him the distance he needed to complete his task but sated herself by watching the way his arms bunched and rippled as he used the caulk —not C-O-C-K—gun. She may have even released a few sighs of awe as she remembered the way those muscles had pinned her arms to the wall while he ground his hard dick against her. Obviously, her internal pep talks were doing absolutely no good, whatsoever. “So, I hear you went to the Southern Sisters Salon the other day,” he said, turning to face her when he’d finished caulking. She self-consciously ran her hand over her hair. She had just gotten a simple trim. “Why? Does my hair look bad?” He focused on the long braid draped over her shoulder. “Definitely not.” He gave a small shake of his head and blinked several times. “I mean, no, it looks fine. I was just asking because the whole town is talking about you. Even more than before.” She squeezed her eyes shut again, and this time added a groan. “Please tell me it’s just about the store.” His expression turned apologetic. “That, too. But

in case you hadn’t figured it out, those sisters are the biggest blabbermouths on the east coast. Now everyone’s talking about the ‘darling sweetheart with the gorgeous red hair who owns that fancy new bikini store.’” Her head fell forward and she had to laugh. “I should have known never to trust sisters named Virginia, Carolina, and Georgia.” No joke. Those were their actual legal names. “They just seemed so sweet and innocent. Like three homey grandmothers.” He snorted. “Well, they are grandmothers. But everyone knows they also run the town’s rumor mill. They’d sell every last one of their porcelain cat figurines for the latest news on the most recent scandal.” “It’s a good thing I’m not hiding any scandals, then,” she muttered. His eyes flew to hers, dilating with unspoken thoughts. “I don’t know,” he said in a low voice. “Some might call at least one thing you’ve done pretty scandalous.” Her pulse spiked, her insides melting to liquid goo. The man had no idea how potent his attraction was, nor how it affected her. “Then it’s a good thing that scandal hasn’t made its way into the rumor mill.” He seemed to register what she was saying, and his forehead smoothed out in understanding. As

she’d told him from the beginning she didn’t want everyone to know what she’d done the second she rolled into town. She didn’t want a big scarlet A painted on her forehead. To be forever identified as that woman. “I said you don’t have to worry about that. I’ve never had a big mouth,” he said. Oh, but he had such a gifted mouth. And she might have to worry about that. “Good to know.” Silence fell between them as they gazed intently at each other, so many thoughts going unspoken. Everything was so still that when he made a move in her direction, her entire body involuntarily jolted backward. She threw out her arms to catch herself and her hand hit the ladder, knocking over a small can of white paint she’d been using to touch up the wall trim. “Shit!” She watched in horror as white paint splattered onto her freshly painted coral wall, and quickly looked around for something to clean it up. Before she was able to react, though, he sprang into action and started wiping up the spilled paint with a gray cloth. She couldn’t drag her eyes from the mess, hoping she hadn’t somehow ruined that section of wall. When he pulled the cloth away, most of the white paint had been removed, though a distinct smudge

lingered on the coral. Still, she’d expected it to be much worse. She breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then sucked it all right back in. Because that was when she looked over to see him standing there in all his tanned, muscled perfection…half naked. The gray cloth he’d used was his T-shirt. He was standing there in jeans, boots, and a tool belt. Without a shirt on. Was it her birthday? “You’ll just need to repaint that small section,” he said. “But it’s not too bad.” She stared at his chest hair, remembering the way she had run her fingers through it as he thrust inside her. And the way he had moaned as she touched him, asking her not to stop. She wanted to do it again. Those pep talks had definitely not prepared her for seeing any part of him naked. “Uh, Jade?” His voice sounded so far away. “Jade.” Her eyes snapped up. “Yes, hair?” She coughed in an attempt to mask her embarrassment and tried to ignore his wide grin. “I mean, yes, Hunter?” “I was just saying the paint didn’t do much damage.” She glanced back down at the coral wall, attempting to hide her furious blush. “Thanks for that. I forgot to put the lid back on.” His laugh drew her eyes back up to his. “I don’t

know,” he said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. She knew he’d done it on purpose, especially when he subtly flexed his biceps. The man was pure evil. “Maybe your plan all along had been to get me naked.” “Hey, I didn’t tell you to take your shirt off.” His eyebrow raised. “No, but I don’t hear you complaining about it, either.” And he wouldn’t. “I don’t think seeing a man’s chest is going to traumatize me,” she replied. “Besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” His tongue ran over his bottom lip as his eyes roamed over her figure. “And you saw quite a bit that night. Didn’t you, Red? I’d be happy to refresh your memory on the rest.” Her pulse spiked. “That’s not necessary.” He took a step toward her. “Why is that?” “I have a good memory.” He grunted and took another step. “Trust me, I do, too. But memories aren’t as sweet as the real thing.” He continued to stalk her across the room as she retreated. “Some dishes are best sampled only once.” He slowly shook his head. “Not if you develop a craving for them.” “You can’t develop a craving after only one night.” He snorted out a laugh. “Tell that to my dick.”

He couldn’t start talking dirty to her or she would be finished. She had to nip this little encounter in the bed—er, bud. Hunter and beds were a dangerous combination. “Sorry, but I have nothing to say to your dick.” “What a shame,” he said with a sexy smirk. “Because it might be me who spills the paint next time.” “I’m not taking off my shirt to clean it up.” Her voice didn’t sound as convincing as she would have liked. He chuckled darkly. “I was actually talking about using my pants, but I sure as hell wouldn’t stop you. We wouldn’t want to make a mess, now, would we?” It would be so very easy to give in to him. But she forced herself to put her hand up, blocking his path. Of course, he walked straight into it and didn’t stop until her fingers were actually grasping all that wonderful chest hair. “I think it’s time I call it a night,” she said on a rasp, swiftly removing her hand. He hesitated, as if waiting for her to change her mind. When he saw she wasn’t going to, he reluctantly nodded. “Okay. But just remember, I’ve got lots of extra paint cans in my garage.” He bent down, closing the distance between their mouths until his lips were a hairsbreadth away from hers. “We could clean up messes all night long.

Whenever you’re in the mood for that, you let me know.” She didn’t breathe again until he walked out the store’s front door less than a minute later. But his manly scent stayed on her fingers for the rest of the night. Damn chest hair.

Chapter Ten “Just because these parts are numbered does not mean you’ve made the instructions any easier to interpret!” Jade yelled at the piece of paper in her hands. A person needed to have an engineering degree just to assemble a damn elliptical. What the hell had she been thinking, assuming she could put it together herself? She should have gone up to Connecticut to pick up her old elliptical from her father’s house. But no. No way was she diving back into that snake pit. Not with her father gone and buried and the house’s only two occupants her nasty stepmother and bastard stepbrother. She would rather go get an engineering degree. The ringing of her cell phone cut through her angry haze. She crawled across the living room floor to the sofa where she’d left it, and her stomach dropped when she saw the name on the screen. Her bad mood suddenly plummeted to the depths of fiery fury in an instant.

“Why are you calling me?” she barked into the phone. “That’s some way to greet your only brother,” Lane Brigdon sneered over the line. “Stepbrother,” she corrected. “What do you want, Lane?” He sniffed in her ear, as if he couldn’t believe he was actually having to speak to her. “I see that coastal living hasn’t cured you of your perpetual bitchiness. Pity.” His insults glided right off her. After so many years, she knew his game. “Big talk for someone who’s still living off mommy’s ill-gotten golddigging gains.” The snarl he released sent a cold shiver down Jade’s spine. His game might be all too familiar, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still creep her out. “Because you didn’t mooch off your father for your entire life?” he shot back. She ground her back molars together so hard it hurt. The one thing he knew would get her truly riled up was mentioning her father. “At least I moved away and got a job. Found my own place, paid my own bills. Now I have my own business. I’m earning my way, Lane. Which is a lot more than I can say for you. By the way, how did you know I was living on the coast?” She hadn’t dared tell him and Cassandra where she’d moved. The goal was to cut them completely

out of her life for good. She didn’t want them knowing anything about her, especially where she lived. She was going to have to switch her phone number—again. The laugh he bit out held no humor in it. Only condescension, Lane’s specialty. “Please. Do you really think you’re clever enough to hide where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing? We know all about your little bikini shack down there in redneck country. Somehow, your choice of location seems fitting.” “Why the hell do you care?” she snapped. “If you have anything to say to me, you can call my lawyer and leave me the hell alone.” And thank God her father’s estate was paying for that lawyer, because there was no way she could have afforded it. All she had was her savings— every cent of which had been going toward the store—and her small monthly stipend from the trust fund her father had set up before he passed. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to cover most of her meager living expenses. But when her savings ran out in a couple of months, that stipend just wasn’t going to cut it. Not if her store didn’t get on its feet. Lane’s voice turned grave, an edge to the sound that made her skin crawl. “You know what we want. Come back to Connecticut and sign the papers that give Mother control over the trust. Do

that, and we’ll play nice.” As soon as her father had died six months ago, Jade had hauled ass away from her stepfamily so fast she’d left a dust trail. But that didn’t mean they weren’t always there. Hovering like vultures. The second they’d found out about the trust—the one that was in Jade’s name and her name only—they’d become relentless. Trying to find a way to weasel in and steal even more money from her father’s estate than they already had. The monthly stipend wasn’t what they were after, though. Oh no. They wanted to get their greedy little hands on the bulk payout of the trust—over a million dollars. Something Jade wouldn’t be receiving for another three years, on her twenty-eighth birthday. Cassandra would have control over and access to those funds if Jade signed the papers they wanted her to. Her stepmother could possibly receive the payout even sooner than Jade could, which meant all of that money would disappear in about a week. Jade’s father’s money, which he’d earned through a lifetime of hard work. Did they think she was insane? No freaking way was that happening. “Give it up, Lane,” she told him. “You might as well stop trying. You and Cassandra are not going to squeeze one more dime from my family. Let it go.”

“What the hell are you going to do with it?” he said caustically. “Waste it on your pathetic beach shack?” “As opposed to feeding your mom’s Botox addiction?” she retorted. “Or buying you another Ferrari that you’ll just wreck in a month? Definitely.” What her father had ever seen in Cassandra, Jade still could not understand. The woman didn’t have one redeeming quality as far as she was concerned. That went double for her son. She must have put on her innocent Stepford wife face around Jade’s father to get that ring on her finger. But as soon as he was out of the picture, that had morphed into a face of pure malice. “Do you really think you’re going to make it, down there on your own?” Lane snarled. “I give it maybe another two months before you come crawling back up here with your tail between your legs. Only this time, you won’t have daddy to bail you out—” She hung up. She couldn’t stand to hear Lane’s whining for one more second. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she leaned back against the sofa cushions and slowed her breathing. Why had she even answered the phone? She hated that Lane and Cassandra were able to get under her skin. It was the reason she had stayed

away from Connecticut for so long. The one stipulation of Jade’s trust and getting the payout in three years was that she go back up there and sign the inheritance documents. That was it. Just sign the legal docs. A world of difference from signing the papers Cassandra and Lane wanted her to sign. But she hadn’t been able to do even that. It meant going to Connecticut. Ever since her father married Cassandra when Jade was in high school, all she’d heard from her stepmother and stepbrother was how weak Jade was, how much of a letdown she was to her father. How she couldn’t make it in this world without having the Hollingsworth name and money to fall back on. Going back to Connecticut would be like stepping right back into the lion’s den. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid of being torn apart. Sitting here, being reminded of her father, made her heart ache. She missed him terribly. Memories of birthday parties and holidays where he was both dad and mom flashed through her mind. And of summers spent in the Hamptons. Of afternoons riding horses together. And as always when she thought of him, she thought about the letter. The one her father had written to her that she was supposed to have opened months ago, upon his

death, but never had. She’d felt that by seeing his handwriting on paper, hearing his voice in the words, all the pain of his loss would come rushing back, making her relive it all over again. So it continued to sit there, unopened in her shoebox. The box she’d guarded with her life on the trip down South. It now sat on a shelf in her closet, gathering dust, as did the rest of her memories from happier times. Times when her father had been happy because her mother was still alive. After she died, Jade’s father had never been the same again. His heart had been utterly destroyed the day they buried her mother. And when he’d finally attempted to love again, his battered heart had once again been shattered by his new bride’s lying, money-hungry ways, which had only come out after the ring was safely on her finger. He’d been in a perpetual state of heartache for the last part of his life, and Jade hadn’t been able to bear it. One of the many reasons she would never fall victim to the same circumstances. Because she had no intention of letting herself fall in love. Ever. The way she saw it, love eventually resulted in pain. Always. In one way or another. Whether it was through a bad breakup, or from untimely death,

relationships didn’t last forever. And when they ended, misery inevitably ensued. The heart was fragile and vulnerable, and frankly, she didn’t want to wind up miserable. Again. Losing her mother, then her father, had been bad enough. Losing a man she loved would finish her. If she never again surrendered her heart to anyone else, she would never again have to experience heartbreak. That was realistic. Happily ever afters were not. If that made her a bitter cynic, then fine. She would rather be cynical than emotionally devastated. Which was the main reason she’d been avoiding Hunter at every turn. Not that she had fallen in love with him—hell, no! But she felt something for him, and it scared the hell out of her. If they spent any time at all together, the potential to feel even more was a real possibility… Her gaze suddenly caught on something dark crawling across the hardwood floor. Something with too many legs. Something— She screamed. Loudly. Clutching the edge of the sofa behind her, she searched desperately for a weapon. Suddenly her front door flew open with a loud crash. She screamed again. And stared in shock at the large man standing in

her doorway, a fierce, determined expression on his face. “Hunter?”

Chapter Eleven Find the threat. Protect Jade. Hunter scanned the room, his gaze darting between Jade huddled on the floor and the disaster she was surrounded by. Something had clearly happened. Metal and plastic parts were scattered everywhere. Who had made her scream? Had someone broken in and attacked her? Because he would fucking kill the bastard. “Hunter?” she asked in a stunned voice. “What are you…what…?” He didn’t waste time trying to decipher the question. He needed to find the danger and make it disappear. “What happened?” he barked. Her eyes widened at his ferocious tone. “Whwhat do you mean?” Her voice was shaking badly. Damn. He needed to cool it. She was already freaked out. It wouldn’t do any good to add to her stress level. “I heard you scream,” he said, fighting to control

his outrage at seeing her curled in on herself like that. “What’s going on?” I’ll make it go away, baby. Just tell me what scared you. Her eyes stayed glued to him. “I-I saw…a spider.” She whispered the last word like it was blasphemous. As she said it, her eyes lowered to the hardwoods, flitting back and forth in panic. Wait. “A spider?” he demanded, incredulous. She nodded vigorously, and carefully eased herself off the floor and up onto the sofa. “A big one. We have to kill it.” He had to make sure he was understanding this right. “But…you’re okay?” She looked up at him, terror etched in every line of her face. “Of course I’m not okay! There’s a freaking tarantula in my house!” “Considering those are usually found in the Southwest, I highly doubt that’s what it is,” he said gently, his nerves slowly easing back to normal. She swiped up a long piece of metal from the floor and held it above her head, poised for attack. Apparently, in case he needed backup. “Are you going to play Trivial Pursuit, here, or are you going to help me kill this terrorist?” Her voice actually squeaked. He wouldn’t laugh. He wouldn’t. Considering her state of hysteria, he

didn’t think she would appreciate that. But the image she created on that sofa with her fiery red hair splayed around her shoulders and her frantic eyes was definitely the highlight of his day. Once his pulse had returned to normal. There was just one tiny thing he needed to address with her, though, before he went all Dexter on the arachnid. “Why wasn’t your door locked?” “What?” she asked distractedly, peeking over the sofa’s armrest. “Why wasn’t your door locked, Jade? Anyone could just barge right in. What if I had been a crazed serial killer?” That finally got her attention. Her eyebrows pulled together as she considered him. “You told me this is a safe town. That most people don’t even bother locking their doors.” He pushed out a breath. “I didn’t mean that as a single woman, living by herself, you shouldn’t lock your doors. No, I don’t think most people here would bother you, but you never know. There are weirdo transients out there passing through towns all over the country. You hear about them all the time.” He was surprised when she gave a quick nod. “You’re right. I need to keep my doors locked. Now, can we please get rid of this thing? I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight if— There it is!”

He whipped around to where she pointed, spotting the little bugger making its way toward the window. And little was the appropriate word here. The thing couldn’t have been bigger than the size of a nickel. Tarantula, my ass. He quickly disposed of it before she spiraled into a full-on meltdown, then freed the grin he’d been fighting to hold back. “Oh, sweetheart. You really are a city girl, aren’t you?” She scoffed, and primly sat back down on the sofa. “Are you telling me that women around here willingly invite spiders into their homes?” His smile spread. “Not really, no. But I don’t think a lot of them would climb the walls to get away from one. I guess they don’t have fly swatters up North?” She avoided his gaze. “I got scared and I panicked, okay? I would have eventually calmed down and killed it if you hadn’t shown up.” “Ah, but aren’t you lucky I was here to save the day?” Though, that still didn’t explain what he was doing here in the first place. It was a good thing she didn’t ask, because he wouldn’t have had an answer. He’d just been thinking about her and the paint incident at her store—more like obsessing over it—and he’d somehow wound up at her front door. Although she rolled her eyes, the corner of her lip

twitched. His chest warmed. He would take a smile if he couldn’t get a laugh. He then took in the carnage of metal and plastic parts littering her floor. “What, exactly, have you mutilated in here?” She sighed heavily and slid back down to the floor, crossing her legs in front of her. “It’s supposed to be my new elliptical, but the instructions might as well be written in Swahili. The letters look like they’re in English, but don’t be fooled.” She waved her arms around at the assorted parts. “It’s like putting together a giant adult erector set.” His grin widened. “It really is your lucky day. I happen to be excellent at erecting things.” His dick twitched in his jeans. Down, boy. She nervously bit her lip, missing the double meaning entirely. “You’d help me with this?” The vulnerability he heard in her voice squeezed around his chest, stealing his breath. Was she not used to people offering their help? “Well, I can’t really leave you alone with it. I think you’ve tortured the poor thing enough.” He belted out a laugh when she glared at him. “Just let me go get my tools from my truck.” Twenty minutes later, the pile of parts was actually starting to look like an exercise machine. He figured it would have taken her days to put this together if he hadn’t shown up. And he was

realizing pretty quickly that he liked doing those types of things for her. Helping her out with something that was difficult, showing her new things she’d never experienced before, teaching her about things she knew nothing about. It made him feel…needed. Now, if only he could make her want him, he’d be in good shape. The question was, what did she want in a man? What did she look for? And would he meet her expectations? If she was looking for someone dependable, she could always count on him. If she wanted a faithful companion, he was her guy. The sweet and caring type? He could definitely be that. Though, he had no problem being the dominant, possessive type, either… But if she wanted a guy who could provide her with lavish surroundings, someone who would keep her wrapped in fine silks and expensive furs—not to mention buy her a new BMW every few years— he didn’t stand a chance. He couldn’t explain the wave of disappointment that rolled over him at the thought. The realization that he was most likely not good enough for her, and never would be. But he did his best to ignore it and enjoy the time he had with her, however brief that might be. “So what brings a city girl like you down to our

neck of the woods, anyway?” he asked, wanting to learn more about Jade Hollingsworth and who she’d been before her life in Shell Grove. She looked at him as though the answer was obvious. “To open the shop. You know, the job you quit working on before ever starting it?” He rolled his eyes, nudging her with his shoulder, looking for any excuse to touch her. “No, that’s what happened after you’d already decided to move here. I’m wondering what made you want to move here in the first place. You don’t have any family or friends down here. It just seems like a really random place for someone coming from DC.” She was quiet for a minute before she responded. “To be honest, it pretty much was. Random, that is. I was getting tired of my life in DC. My boss at the bakery took advantage of me and didn’t appreciate how much I actually did for her. I got sick of the clientele, and I just felt like getting out altogether. I used to visit my aunt and uncle up in Maine all the time when I was young and I’d always loved the beach, so I knew I wanted to move somewhere with sand and surf.” “Why not choose Maine, then?” She fidgeted with a screw in her hands. “They died years ago. And I couldn’t handle the winters in Maine, anyway. Shell Grove was kind of a closemy-eyes-and-point-to-a-spot-on-the-map kind of

thing.” “Do you not have any other family?” He immediately regretted the question when he saw her eyes fill with sadness. “Not blood family, no,” she answered soberly. “My mom died when I was young, and my father passed away six months ago. I have a stepmother and stepbrother back in Connecticut where I grew up. But other than that, there’s no one.” His heart broke for her. He couldn’t even imagine having no family. Aside from those he had in Shell Grove, he had aunts and uncles, grandparents, and numerous cousins scattered all over the South. “I’m sorry about your father,” he said softly. “Are you close with your stepfamily?” Her sarcastic laugh told him that was a big no. “Not particularly,” she replied. “We never got along, even before my father passed away. They’re spoiled, entitled jerks, and I want nothing to do with them. The feeling’s mutual.” Damn. She really was all alone. And someone like her shouldn’t be. She was too good, too sweet and kind, funny and smart, not to share all of that with others. Had no one ever told her that? Because he would be more than happy to be the first. “That must be tough,” he murmured. She shrugged, the gesture half-hearted. “I’ve gotten used to it. I just decided one day that I

needed to get away from all the bullshit. The move down here was supposed to be like hitting the restart button on my life. New town, new job, new friends.” Guilt swarmed him about his role in partially upsetting her plans. “Aside from the new job part, how is it going?” She turned her head toward him. He was relieved when he saw the upward curve of her lips, her expression imbued with an undercurrent of emotion. He was determined to discover what the ulterior meaning there was. Her eyes flicked down to his mouth for a brief second before focusing back on the half-built machine in front of them. “Well, we’ll see how the store does after it opens,” she said. “My life in Shell Grove could be really short-lived if I can’t even get my floors done.” A slice of pain stabbed through him at the mere notion that she might have to leave Shell Grove. He couldn’t understand why that bothered him so much, since he hardly knew the woman. But it did. “Have none of those contractors I recommended worked out?” he asked. She chuckled as she helped him screw a piece onto the elliptical, the way he had showed her. The way she’d been following his instruction felt good.

Too good. “Which one?” she mused. “The one who threw up in my toilet because he was still half drunk? Or the one who was more interested in my ass than quoting me a price? “What?” Rage slammed to the surface. “Who the hell was that?” Because he was going to go pay the bastard a notso-friendly visit. She waved him off. “Artie Lomax. It’s not a big deal, though.” It damn well was to Hunter. And he was going to take care of it. She nudged him with her shoulder. “Despite what you think, I can actually handle myself. We city girls have more spit and fire than you might think.” Oh, he’d seen it, all right. And he’d fucking loved every bit. She reached up to stretch her back, and his eyes automatically drifted down to her exposed stomach. “Anyway. It’s all a moot point if the business isn’t there,” she said. “It’s a beachwear shop. On the beach,” he drawled. “I think you’ll be okay.” “If people like my style,” she said. “It’s not going to be your run-of-the-mill swim shop that most beach towns have on every street corner. The suits will be retro chic and unique. Different from your everyday variety.”

“Kind of like the things you wear?” She looked up in surprise. “Yeah, pretty much. I’m shocked you even know what I’m talking about.” He wasn’t proud of the fact that his face heated. “Only because I’ve heard too many conversations over the years between my sister and cousin about clothes. I guess it soaked in, even when I was trying to zone it out.” Not that he cared much about a woman’s style, but he really liked Jade’s. She always looked like some kind of rockabilly pin-up girl, and it got him hard like no one’s business. Whether it was her curled red hair, or Bette Davis makeup, or short dresses that showed off those creamy thighs, the woman inspired images of her body spread out on a calendar, wearing nothing but a smile and a sailor hat. “You mean Mia, your sister, and Maggie, your cousin, right?” she asked. “Yeah. And do me a favor, if Maggie ever asks if you want a ride on the welcome wagon, please say no.” The look she sent him was slightly fearful. “Uh, what?” He shook his head. “Nothing. Those two are like Hurricane Katrina and Mount Vesuvius all rolled into one. So just have your wits about you if they ever come trampling through your store with

offerings of endless margaritas.” “I love margaritas.” “Not when you’re sucking them back through Maggie’s snorkel gear after she forgot to clean it, you don’t.” He was pretty sure his heart stopped when her head flew back and laughter burst from her mouth. He was a big fan of that laugh. A big fan of a lot of things she did. “They should have been sand-grias,” she quipped. “Get it?” She broke out into more raucous laughter, and his heart swelled bigger. “Your attempt at humor is cute.” He shoved her lightly as she fought to catch her breath. “You weren’t the one swallowing down who knows how many tiny sea creatures. I think it gave me a temporary case of gingivitis.” She laughed harder. He didn’t mind a bit. He had the machine complete and functional in another thirty minutes. Although, it would have been worth working on for ten hours straight if it produced the same dazzling smile she had on her face when he was done. “Oh wow. Thank you so much,” she said as she gave the machine a test run. “This would have taken me forever.” He was entranced by the way her ass cheeks moved beneath the thin material of her shorts as

her legs glided back and forth on the pedals. The way her movements made her muscles tighten, showing off her toned limbs. Where could he sign up for a membership to this gym? “Nah, you would never have finished it,” he said when he came back to his senses. “At the rate you were going, the parts would have eventually risen up and revolted against you.” She stopped pedaling and hopped off the machine. “Ha-ha-ha, the Southern boy has jokes.” He quirked an eyebrow. “And the city girl can’t stop laughing at them.” She pursed her lips as if trying to hold back a laugh. She was quick to change the subject. “How can I repay you for helping me out?” He took a step toward her, his expression hot and full of intent. He saw her breath quicken and her eyes glazed over—just a little, but it was there. She swallowed twice as she watched him approach, though she didn’t retreat. Not even an inch. He got close enough that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. There were a lot of things his subconscious was pushing him to say, but… His father’s words from the other night flashed through his mind, too. Maybe she had just provided him with the perfect opportunity to ask her out. Maybe he needed to heed his dad’s advice and befriend her first,

establish a solid friendship before moving on to anything else. Prove to her that he could be the man she needed. That he had more to offer a woman than just a warm bed and a few orgasms. Then, at the right time, he’d ease it into something more. On the other hand, maybe it was the perfect time to act like an ass… “Model some of those bikinis for me sometime, and we’ll call it even.” And because he couldn’t seem to stop himself from pushing the envelope, he winked at her. That got him shoved right out the door. The woman may have been a tiny little thing, but she had some power in those skinny arms. “Why don’t we say this was your payment for leaving me high and dry at the shop, and we’ll call it even.” “So does that mean the modeling is completely off the table?” “Good night, Hunter!” she said firmly and slammed the door in his face. He took solace in the fact that her blush had spread from the top of her forehead all the way down to the neckline of her shirt when he’d suggested the modeling. She may have been embarrassed, but she hadn’t totally hated the idea. Blushing was good. It meant he affected her, which was what he desperately

wanted. So, summing up…she’d laughed at him, and blushed at him, then kicked him out. He could work with that.

Chapter Twelve “Don’t let me drink a lot tonight, okay?” Jade said to Ivy as they walked toward The Clumsy Clam. “Roger that, Red Ranger.” Ivy abruptly halted in the middle of the sidewalk and tilted her head as she assessed Jade. “Wait. Why not? Tonight is supposed to be about taking a break from all your stress over the store. And nothing melts away stress faster than copious amounts of alcohol. That’s sort of the point of going to a bar.” Jade shot her a serious look. “Because if I’m going to be meeting a lot of new people tonight”— since Ivy had insisted on introducing her to every Shell Grove resident in the joint—“I don’t want their first impression of me to be of an irresponsible, drunken lush.” Ivy waved her off and resumed walking. “Don’t worry. I already hold that title in this town. People have come to expect it of me. So if I start doing body shots and trying to hold a wet T-shirt contest, no one will even notice if you’re slurring your words a little.”

Jade couldn’t help but giggle. The woman was such a trip. When they reached the front door of the bar, Ivy once again paused and turned to Jade with a grave expression. “One important thing to know before you go in there.” Jade’s ears perked up. “What?” “Whatever you do, don’t drink the Maggie’s Punch.” Jade frowned. “As in, Hunter’s cousin, Maggie?” Hmm. That didn’t sound good. Hunter had warned her that anything involving Maggie and alcohol did not mesh well. Ivy nodded. “Only Finn, Maggie, and the bartender know what’s in the drink, but let’s just say it’s not good juju. Everyone knows you only drink the stuff if you’re going through something rough, like a death in the family, or a bad breakup, or a job layoff. If you’re drinking Maggie’s Punch, everyone pretty much knows to leave you alone.” “Have you ever had one?” Jade asked. Ivy’s nostrils flared. “Only once. Garrett and I were going through a tough time. I can’t remember everything, but I do know I was seeing flamingos dressed in tuxedos all night. And the next morning, I woke up in a gazebo next to a moped and a halfeaten Hawaiian pizza.” Oo-kay. That was good enough for Jade. Though, Hawaiian pizza was her favorite…

“Gotcha,” she said. “I’ll steer clear. I appreciate the warning.” Ivy looked satisfied. “All right. Let’s own this bitch!” When they walked through the door into the bar area, Jade took in the atmosphere and was immediately impressed. Everything was covered in rustic wood—the floors, the walls, the ceilings, the bar—and was decorated with old-school fishing gear, mounted fish of various sizes, license plates from all over the country, humorous signs with funny sayings, and artwork everywhere that said “The Clumsy Clam.” It was, like, surf shack meets House of Blues. She loved it. “The dining rooms are through that door,” Ivy said pointing to their left, “if you feel like sitting down to have a meal. This side is just the bar area and dance floor. There’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Finn always finds good bands from up and down the coast. It’s a nice place to kick back, have a drink, and dance.” Jade nodded, looking over the giant space and the high, vaulted ceilings. “You said Hunter’s best friend, Finn, owns it?” Ivy looked over her shoulder and nodded. “He did a really good job with the place.” “Why, thank you,” said a jovial male voice from behind them.

Jade knew it wasn’t Hunter because the Southern accent was just slightly different, and Hunter’s voice was a little bit deeper. When she turned around, she saw an incredibly good-looking guy with short blond hair and a bright smile, complete with boyish dimples. His appearance wasn’t as impressive as Hunter’s, but he still had some goodsize muscles on him and she had no doubt he could handle himself. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Finn Caldwell. And you must be Jade?” Knowing this was Hunter’s best friend, she got nervous all of a sudden. Though, what Hunter’s friends thought of her shouldn’t matter. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, taking his hand. “Pleasure’s all mine,” he replied smoothly. She was sure that half the women in town were probably constantly trying to land Finn, since as far as she knew, he was unmarried. The half that weren’t were probably after Hunter… “Seeing as you’re new in town, the first round is on me, okay?” Ivy cheered loudly and slapped Jade on the back. “That’s what I’m talking about. Now see, even this scoundrel has some good ol’ Southern hospitality.” Finn chuckled and nodded. “My momma taught me well.” “Yeah, with a switch and a boot up your ass,” came a female voice behind Finn. “And you still

don’t listen to her.” Finn’s mouth spread into a smile before he turned around to face the woman. “Says the daughter of the year,” he said. “Tell me, exactly how many times were you arrested before the age of twenty?” Rather than respond, the woman reached up and stuck her finger in Finn’s ear. He lunged away, grunting. “Damn it, Mags. One rule. I have one rule. No wet willies.” The woman winked up at him. “When have you ever known me to follow rules?” Finn got a look in his eyes as he stared down at her, seemingly forgetting his annoyance over the wet willie. His eyes softened, and it was obvious there was a lot more going on between the two than platonic friendship. The woman shifted away to turn her gaze on Jade, a genuine smile forming. She had shiny black hair and striking blue eyes. Her lean body was toned with a golden tan, giving her an alluring, exotic appearance. She was stunning. Jade could see why Finn was infatuated. “I’m Maggie,” she said to Jade. “Only seventy percent of the stuff you hear about me is true. The other thirty percent is folklore.” “Folklore?” Finn asked, sarcasm lacing the word. She nodded. “I’m basically a legend around here.”

“In your own mind,” Finn said under his breath. Maggie didn’t seem to catch it, but Jade did, and it made her grin. Another woman approached them, and Maggie threw her arm over her shoulder. “And this is my partner in crime. My cousin, Mia Sparks. You probably know her as Hunter’s younger sister.” Mia studied Jade in a curious way—though not a judgmental one. She gave her a friendly smile, making Jade feel a little more at ease. She had shoulder-length honey-blond hair—nothing like Hunter’s dark brown—and had a certain ethereal quality to her facial features reminiscent of a fairytale enchantress. “I’d say more victim than partner,” Mia said, making everyone laugh, including Maggie. “Most of the time, I don’t even know she’s up to something until we’re being chased by an angry circus clown or walking into a gay club on Drag Queen Fashion Night.” Jade glanced over at Maggie to see a proud smile. “True stories.” “Pretty much all of them are true stories,” Finn chimed in. “The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.” “Well,” Maggie said, rubbing her hands together, “I believe you said the first round was on you, Finny.” He crossed his arms. “I never said anything about

you.” She flicked his chin, blowing him a kiss. “I’m your best customer. I have a drink named after me, and hell, I helped you come up with the name of this place. My first round is always on you.” Finn’s jaw hardened, his eyes darkening at her words. He quickly wiped the odd look off his face and made his way toward the bar. “Four Cock Chasers coming up,” he announced. The other three women let out high-pitched howls, while Jade looked at Ivy questioningly. She gave Jade a nod of approval, letting her know that at least that drink wouldn’t cause hallucinations of tuxedo-wearing flamingos.

Chapter Thirteen Jade couldn’t remember ever laughing so hard in her life. Maggie slapped her hand down on their table. “So, I told him, honey, if you wanted to look like a twenty-five-year-old Dolly Parton instead of my seventy-year-old grandmother, you should have superglued those suckers to your chest!” Ivy spit out some of her Cock Chaser while the rest of the table broke out in another fit of uproarious laughter. Jade had listened to story after story of Maggie and Mia’s adventures over the years with wonder and intrigue. Even Ivy had thrown in her tales of being a wild twenty-one-year-old college student, making everyone laugh so hard they about fell off their high-top stools. Jade didn’t have any stories like that to share. She tried not to let it affect her, but it was hard when she felt regret climbing into her subconscious, making her envy these courageous women who’d always had the nerve to live life to its fullest.

Was it too late for Jade to have her own adventures? Probably not. But it helped if you had someone to share them with. Which she didn’t. And since she had vowed never to fall in love, being alone was something she needed to accept and get used to. No matter how enjoyable it was to imagine experiencing those adventures…with Hunter. “Oh, hell to the no,” Mia said on a groan, scowling in the direction over Jade’s shoulder. Maggie followed her gaze and released a similar groan. “What the hell is Queen Skankface doing here? Hasn’t she caused enough destruction in this town?” “Who?” Jade asked as she and Ivy turned around. “The living embodiment of An American Horror Story,” Maggie said with a sneer. “A.k.a. Hunter’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca,” Mia clarified. What? Jade scanned over the growing bar crowd and soon found Hunter sitting at a table on the other side of the room with Finn and another man she didn’t know. The woman in question was standing way too close to Hunter, trying to paw him like he was her favorite boy toy. Shit. The woman was quite beautiful, with rich

brown hair, tanned skin, and not one ounce of fat on her body. It was obvious why any man would be attracted to her. “She’s very pretty,” Jade unintentionally mumbled. “But has a soul as ugly as the Wicked Witch of the West,” Ivy replied. “For real,” Mia added. “She’s the devil incarnate. She’s got some nerve, showing her face in here and approaching Hunter like that. Why is she even talking to him? He can’t stand her.” “He can’t?” Jade asked, not proud of the relief that sifted through her that they were no longer chummy. She watched Rebecca snake her hand up his arm, and he shrugged it off. “What happened between them?” To her shame, jealousy ripped through her like a tidal wave just at seeing them together. It didn’t help all that much that Hunter was clearly not interested. Just the mere fact that they had once been an item made a lump form in her throat. Women who looked like Rebecca—was that what he usually went for? Jade felt her stomach sink. She clearly paled in comparison to the brunette beauty. But he found you attractive enough to sleep with you at the hotel. She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse.

It was Mia who answered her question. “They dated for a little while. None of us were big fans of the relationship because we knew the kind of person she was—is. At least, Maggie and I did. Hunter was very good to her, though, and gave her the benefit of the doubt. Then he found out she was cheating on him with some rich doctor over in Ridgefield. He immediately broke it off. As far as I know, she never even apologized to him.” Who in their right mind would cheat on a man like Hunter? The woman had to be insane. Especially since Jade knew what sex with him felt like. That alone would be reason enough never to visit another man’s bed. “And now, from what I hear,” Maggie continued, “she’s using her new boyfriend, Dan Ottman, to keep Hunter’s company from getting contracts. Dan owns Seaside Properties, and I’ve heard he’s turned down the last few bids Hunter’s submitted. They were big jobs, too. Hunter’s crew does the best work around, so there’s no excuse for it. Everyone knows it’s because of her. It doesn’t make any sense, though, because she was the one who cheated on him.” “How long were they together?” Jade asked, trying to sound casual. Mia and Maggie looked at each other in thought. “Six months?” Maggie said. “I think almost eight,” Mia offered.

Still longer than Jade would have liked. Two days would have been longer than she’d like. She nonchalantly watched the two across the room, hoping she didn’t look too interested. She took note of Hunter’s body language. He’d had a frown on his face ever since she’d spotted him. He kept pursing his lips and addressing Rebecca through gritted teeth. And he continued to scoot away from her, as if he didn’t want any part of her to touch him for fear of getting burned. “That’s it,” Maggie said, slamming back the rest of her drink. “The bitch is getting cut. Finn appointed me his unofficial bouncer, and I’m going to go take out the trash.” She started to stand up, but Mia quickly pulled her back down. “Finn isn’t crazy enough to do that, and you are not going over there. Hunter asked us to stay out of Rebecca’s way. He’ll get rid of her on his own.” Maggie pouted. “Can I at least go accidentally spill something on her? Please?” “No,” Mia said firmly. “It’s none of our business.” “How about we go dance?” Ivy suggested. “My ass is getting sore from this chair.” “I thought that was from Garrett,” Jade quipped, pleased when Maggie and Mia burst into guffaws. “Oh, little Mrs. Ashcroft likes it rough, does she?” Maggie teased.

Never the shy sort, Ivy sat up straighter and winked. “Baby, if you knew what Garrett looks like without pants on, you’d want maximum power, too.” Garrett had just left to go back to the oil rig that morning, and he and Ivy had been shacked up for the entire four days he was in town. Tonight was the first time Jade had seen her neighbor in ninetysix hours. “I heard some noises over there last night that I know wasn’t the TV,” Jade told the other two women. “Not unless they were watching Gorillas in the Mist.” They all laughed again as Ivy stood up and finished her drink. “On that note, let’s go shake it like it’s hot.” “You mean drop it like it’s hot,” Mia shouted over the music that had picked up. “Oh yeah. We’ll do that, too.” They danced in a group through several songs, until Jade could feel sweat start to gather and drip down her back. She was having an amazing time with these three women. She hadn’t felt so free in…she couldn’t remember how long. Ever? Losing herself in the moment was a luxury she hadn’t often been able to enjoy in the past. There was always something to worry about or stress over.

Tonight, despite the upsetting scene she’d witnessed between Hunter and Rebecca, she wasn’t worrying about anything. In fact, it was probably a good thing she’d seen them talking. It reminded her to keep her distance from him. Because she could see herself easily becoming way too attached to the man. And that would not end well. Ex-girlfriend or not—ex-contractor or not— Hunter was off-limits, and he had to remain offlimits. She had already put everything on the line for her new life in Shell Grove. She wasn’t willing to sacrifice her heart, too. Ivy got her attention and leaned toward her, raising her voice to be heard over the music. “There’s a guy watching you from the bar,” she said. “His name is Josh Foreman. He’s pretty cute. Just warning you because he looks like he’s about to come over.” Jade maneuvered her body around to get a look at the guy and immediately spotted him leaning against the bar, staring right at her. When he realized he’d been caught, his face spread into a smile. She smiled back. Why not? He was attractive, and Ivy would have told her if he was a weirdo. Plus, Hunter hadn’t come over to talk to her once all night, which was sort of

bumming her out. It bothered her, but she wasn’t about to let it ruin her good night. And as she’d just reminded herself, she wasn’t getting attached to any man. But she could dance with whomever she wanted. If it was all in good fun, where was the harm? She watched as the flannel-wearing Josh pulled away from the bar and slowly made his way over. He was a tall guy but not as muscular as Hunter. He had a little scruff on his face and was wearing a baseball cap. She didn’t feel a stirring in her lady loins like she did with Hunter, but he certainly filled out that flannel nicely. “Hey,” he said when he reached her. “Hi.” “I’m Josh.” “Jade.” “Pretty sure it’s Josh, but I’ll double check.” Okay, he earned a point for making her laugh. “You want to dance, sugar?” he asked, standing at a respectable distance until he got her permission. Were all Southern guys raised with such good manners? Because they sure as hell weren’t in DC. “Sure.” Her heart skipped a beat as he took her into his arms. But as cute as Josh was, she wished he was Hunter.

Chapter Fourteen Apparently, God wasn’t finished punishing Hunter for spitting gum in Mia’s hair when he was ten. He knew this to be true as he glared at his ex-girlfriend, who was currently ruining a perfectly good buzz. He’d come to The Clumsy Clam to unwind from a long first day on his new Harperville job and have a few drinks. And maybe—hopefully—run into Jade at some point. He had not gone there to listen to his cheating, drunken ex try to proposition him for sex. Which was exactly what she was doing, no matter how subtle she thought she was being. Guess she’d already gotten bored with Dan. Poor sucker. “I don’t know what made you think this would be a pleasant conversation, Rebecca, but you need to back the hell off.” He had said the same thing twice already, and he was losing his patience. Finn flanked him, standing just a few feet away, ready to give him whatever kind of backup he needed. Ever the loyal best friend.

God, the sound of the woman’s voice made Hunter’s ears bleed. “What’s your problem, baby?” Rebecca asked. “I was just asking if you wanted to have a drink with me.” That purr of hers had turned into a slur over the last couple of minutes. It was enough to tell him she’d already knocked back a few. Where the hell were the friends he’d seen her with earlier to drag her out of here? He pried her fingers from his arm—again—for what had better be the last time. The woman may have a pretty face, but that was literally all she had going for her. He’d learned that the hard way. “Pretty sure having a drink doesn’t require you to touch me,” he muttered. “And it sounds like you’ve already had plenty. Anyway, no. I don’t.” She sent him a smile she probably thought was supposed to be seductive. All he saw was an insecure woman with a weave. “Come on, Hunter,” she whined. “I made sure Dan paid extra special attention to your bid on the condo contract. Don’t I get rewarded for that?” Wow. The woman had absolutely no shame. Bribing him for sex. Real classy. “Seeing as how you would have convinced your little puppet to throw out my bid had I not quit the swim shop job,” he said through clenched teeth, “no. A reward is the last thing you’re getting from

me. No drink, either. Nothing.” She shot him a sharp look, her drunkenness momentarily forgotten. “That reminds me,” she said. “I heard your truck was seen at the redhead’s house the other night.” Did the people in this town have nothing better to talk about? “So?” he prompted. An evil smirk took over her face. “Dan hasn’t accepted your bid yet,” she said. “It’s sitting on his desk, but I can easily make it”—she snapped her fingers—“disappear.” His grip on his glass tightened. “What the hell are you trying to say?” “You know exactly what I’m saying.” She leaned in closer, smelling like she’d bathed in her cocktails. “Stay away from her.” He shook his head, ready to shut this shit down. “Get this straight right now, Rebecca. No matter how many threats you make or how many times you try to grab my dick, we’re never getting back together.” He leaned in and got in her face. “Ever. I held up my part of the deal and quit the store job. Now we’re done.” The smirk was wiped from her face, instantly turning into the ugly scowl he had become so familiar with. “Besides, wasn’t that all I was good for, anyway?” he asked bitterly. “A good screw? But

when you wanted a new pair of shoes, that’s when you slithered away and found yourself a sugar daddy. Someone rich and easy to manipulate. You picked his pockets while you tainted my sheets.” She was breathing hard through her nose like a bull about to charge. “You’re a bastard.” He snorted, keeping his expression cold and emotionless. “At least I didn’t stick my dick where it didn’t belong. That doctor you fucked, on the other hand…can’t say the same for him. So why don’t you run back to your boyfriend and tell him how mean I was to you when you offered to open your legs for me.” He relished the sight of her opening and closing her mouth a few times, at a loss for words. “Asshole,” she finally hissed. Clever. She backed up a few steps and stumbled into Finn, who had his back to her. He turned around, the polite smile disappearing in a flash when he realized who had bumped into him. “Oh, Rebecca. It’s so not nice to see you.” “Kiss my ass, Finn.” He flashed her an easy, though not necessarily friendly, smile. “No, thank you. I didn’t bring my garlic and crucifix with me tonight.” She flashed one last glare in Hunter’s direction. “Don’t forget what I said.” With that last warning, she stomped off like a

toddler throwing a tantrum. He let out a sigh of profound relief when he saw her gather up her friends and leave the bar in a stumbling, sloppy mess. “Well, that was fun,” Finn muttered. “I need something strong,” Hunter grumbled into his hands. “Way ahead of you, buddy.” He looked down to see Finn holding two full shot glasses. They each knocked one back, and Hunter was grateful for the slow burn of the fiery liquor. Once he felt like his head was clear of the rage that Rebecca always provoked, he assessed the large crowd scattered around the tables and dance floor. He was really only looking for one person in particular. He had spotted Jade the second he walked into the place. He’d been happy to see her with Ivy, Maggie, and Mia, and even more so that she seemed to be having fun. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her as she laughed and smiled, stirring her straw around in her drink. The last time he’d seen her so relaxed and carefree was the night at the hotel. When she was naked with him. And screaming for him. The need to be near her like that again suddenly consumed him as he sat there watching the way her long red hair kissed the middle of her back,

caressing her silky white skin. He was desperate to get close to her, to soak up some of her happiness. Because when she smiled like that, it was like sunshine washing over him, warming him from head to toe. The halter dress she was wearing pushed up her tits so your eyes were drawn to them no matter how hard you tried to look away. Which meant that other guys were also looking at them. Between the dress and those fuck-me heels that showed off her shapely legs, she was going to have all the men in the bar begging for a taste. Cocksuckers. He glanced over and realized the women’s table was now empty. Where the hell had they gone? Group bathroom break? Outside for some fresh air? “So don’t freak out,” Finn said, caution in his voice. Hunter’s eyes narrowed. It was never good when a sentence started out like that. “What?” Finn let out a deep breath. “Bogie at your six.” Confused, Hunter shifted around to where Finn’s gaze was pinned. And a fury like he hadn’t felt in a long while overtook him. His hands automatically formed fists, his nostrils flared, and his eyes saw nothing but red. Just like that, in two seconds, he was ready for a fight.

“What the fuck is Jade doing dancing with Josh Foreman?” he asked murderously. “I don’t know. You want me to go break it up?” Finn actually sounded happy to do it. “Hell, no,” Hunter spat, standing up. “I can handle my own shit.” Finn blocked his path with a hand on his chest. “Whoa, now. You’re not going over there to beat the hell out of him. I don’t need that in my bar. Besides, you’ve got no say over her, man.” Hunter glared at his friend. “The hell I don’t. That, right there,” he said, pointing in Jade’s direction, “is mine. I’m not going to let some prick creep in on my territory. You hearing me, Caldwell?” “I hear you, man,” Finn replied. “But according to her and everyone else here tonight, you don’t have any territory. She didn’t come here with you. But if you want her to leave here with you, you need to step up and make that shit known. Watching her from across the bar and helping her put machines together isn’t doing a damn thing for your cause.” “That’s bull—” Finn raised his hand. “You can’t expect all the men in this town to keep their distance when a woman like that moves in without anyone laying claim to her. So either do something about it, or sit your ass back down and have another beer. Either

way, you’re not throwing punches in my bar over a woman who isn’t even yours. Yet.” The fact that he’d added the last word—yet— made Hunter not want to head-butt the guy quite as much. “Like I said,” Hunter grated out, staring his friend straight in the eyes. “I can handle my own shit.” Finn watched him for a second before nodding curtly. “Good. Because I’m getting sick of you moping around. It’s not good for business.” “Because you can fucking talk,” Hunter said with a friendly sneer. “No female customer even exists to you when Maggie’s anywhere in the building.” Finn shoved him in the shoulder and grinned. “Get the hell out of here and go find your balls. But I swear to God, you hit the guy even once and I’m taking back the Jordan rookie card I gave you.” “You can’t take it back. I won it from you, fair and square.” Heading toward the dance floor, Hunter laughed when Finn gave him the finger as a parting shot. Then he turned all of his single-minded focus on Jade and getting that asshole away from her. Truthfully, Josh Foreman was a pretty decent guy. Which was exactly why he needed to stay the hell away from Jade. Any man who touched her would meet Hunter’s wrath. He didn’t need any competition. He knew good and well he wasn’t the greatest catch in the sea. There were plenty of guys

out there who were better off than him. And as selfish as it was, he didn’t want her to meet a single one of them. He strategically came up behind her so he could look Josh in the eye when he signaled him to back off. And it also made it that much easier for Hunter to slip his arm around her waist and pull her away if the guy refused to back down. He was almost flush against her back when Josh caught his eye, quickly taking stock of the situation. “Foreman,” Hunter grumbled in greeting. She stopped dancing at the sound of his voice. He felt her body tense, but she didn’t look back at him. Josh tipped his head, his eyes narrowing in question. “Sparks.” “I think I’ll be cutting in for a while.” Hunter kept his expression hard, his body poised to step in front of her, if necessary. Josh looked down at her, then back up at Hunter. “And, by a while, you mean…?” He just stared at the guy. Josh wisely got the point and nodded. “All right, then.” Turning back to her, he smiled and said, “Well, it was nice to meet you, Jade. Maybe we’ll bump into each other again sometime.” Not likely. After Josh walked off, Hunter was left all alone with her. Well, along with dozens of other people on the dance floor, but it was progress. He heard

her take a deep breath before she spun around to face him. God, she’s fucking gorgeous. Even with that pissed-off look on her face. “What was that?” she asked him, her voice sharp. He shrugged, letting his gaze drift down the length of her body. Her tits were right in his face. Which meant they’d been right in Josh’s face, too. The realization made him want to go back on his word to Finn and lay the guy out. “I didn’t want you to dance with him,” he said simply. She reared back, shock and disbelief fighting for dominance on her face. “And why is that?” He bent forward, bringing their mouths close together. “Because I want to dance with you, Jade.” She huffed. “And you think whatever you say, goes?” He curved his lips into a smile and sneaked his hands around her waist. He kept his touch light, but it was there and she felt it. “Tell me you don’t want to dance with me, then. Tell me no, and I’ll go away.” When she sucked her lower lip between her teeth and said nothing, he understood for the first time in his life how Tom Cruise had felt jumping around on Oprah’s couch. He nodded down at her. “Okay. Then let’s not

waste time discussing frivolous matters like why I wouldn’t want some other guy’s hands all over you and just dance.” Her expression turned skeptical. “You can dance?” He grinned. “Do I not look like I’ve got moves?” Taking her by the hips, he began to sway their bodies to the beat. It wasn’t really a slow song, but their bodies molded together in perfect syncopation, so he was reluctant to change their position. Her arms laced around his neck. “Oh, I know you’ve got moves.” She giggled and tried to muffle the sound against her arm. Unable to stop himself, he lifted her chin back up with his finger, wanting to see the pink flush covering her cheeks. Whether it was from the alcohol or her happy mood, he wasn’t sure. But her entire face was alight with color, and he didn’t want to miss out on a single second of it. “Baby, you haven’t even seen all my moves yet.” He heard her sharp intake of breath, and without his permission, his dick turned to stone at the sound. “Then are you going to show me?” she murmured in his ear. Shit. He would show her all night long. But Rebecca’s ominous parting shot briefly flashed through his mind, making him pause.

Stay away from her. People around this town did talk. And if word got back to his ex about him and Jade looking all cozy on the dance floor, it could seriously screw up his chances of getting the life-changing condo contract. He had to think of his business. Jade stepped closer, pushing her full breasts against his chest. Fuck that. Let people talk. Right then, none of it mattered. Not the contract, not the gossip. Not even the fact that Jade was way beyond his reach and probably always would be. None of that mattered because he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to be close to this woman. The woman he’d been obsessing over since the second he first saw her.

Chapter Fifteen Hunter kept his hands deliberately slow as he slid them up Jade’s waist, grazing the underside of her breast before snaking them around to her back, his fingers doing a dance of their own along her skin as their joined bodies continued to move to the thumping rhythm. He cupped her ass, pulling her in closer, and she only smiled, allowing the intimate touch. Thank God. He needed this. Badly. The air surrounding them became thick, the connection between them growing intense. He could practically taste the light sheen of sweat covering her skin. He smelled the sweet aroma of her hair, felt her heavy breathing hit the skin of his neck. The white skin exposed at the swell of her breast was shining like a beacon, driving him crazy with the desire to bury his face between her curves. One kiss. He needed just one kiss to hold him over until they could get out of there and he could reacquaint

himself with her luscious, naked body. He leaned down to take what he desperately craved— And the song changed. The crowd erupted in cheers when the familiar tunes of an old-school R & B beach song blasted through the speakers. He tipped his head back and groaned, forcing himself to breathe through his nose and get his dick under control. People around them were organizing themselves on the dance floor, coupling up and gently pushing the two of them to the side. Knowing their moment had been severed, he glanced down to see Jade’s confused expression as she looked, not up at him, but at the crowd of people all doing the same swing dance. He smiled, a different sense of excitement coursing through him. One that had nothing to do with his dick. Well, maybe a little to do with it. “Have you never shagged before?” he asked. Her head snapped up. “Excuse me?” He couldn’t suppress his laughter. “It’s called the shag. Originated here in the Carolinas. It’s a partner dance, kind of a swing thing.” She shook her head and looked back at the crowd. “I took ballroom lessons when I was younger.” Of course she had, because she was rich. “But the shag wasn’t exactly part of the

curriculum.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the floor. “Well, come on, then. I’ll show you. Learning how to shag is a required part of the initiation for living here.” He deliberately waggled his eyebrows at the word “shag,” delighting in her automatic blush. He frowned when she started to play tug-of-war with his arm, planting her feet. But he softened when he saw her nervous expression, watching the other dancers with worry. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Hunter,” she said. “I’ll look ridiculous.” You could never look ridiculous, baby. He stepped forward and framed her face with his hands, forcing her to look up at him. “No one cares what you look like, Jade. You’re here to have fun. So stop worrying about what everyone else thinks of you and just let loose. Okay?” It took her a second, but she eventually nodded and allowed him to lead her onto the floor. Stopping in a small corner, he took her right hand with his left and positioned their bodies to face each other, a couple of feet apart. “Okay, it’s triple-step forward, triple-step back, rock step,” he said, and showed her how. She watched his feet, carefully studying his every move. “That’s it?” she asked when he’d quickly finished the set.

“Yep. It’s all a variation on those steps. The turns and fancy stuff all use those same basics. Ready to try?” She looked at him nervously. “I…think so.” “Easy as pie.” His hand burned at her touch, sending a tingle through each of his fingers. “Start with your right foot.” They did several practice sets and then she allowed him to steer her onto the dance floor among the other couples. “Don’t be surprised when I throw in some turns,” he said. “Just follow my lead.” He was fascinated by the way the smile on her face slowly grew bigger and bigger as the song progressed and she caught on to his moves. Within no time, she had the dance down and was swinging and turning, following him like a pro. And the few times she messed up, she laughed with total abandon. She really had the best laugh. She needed to let it out way more often. Much too soon, the song was over and her face was flushed from giggling. “Didn’t think I had that in me, did you?” he asked as he led her toward a table, away from the dance floor. “You’re definitely full of surprises.” Without realizing it, he had backed her into a dark alcove near the hallway that led to the

bathrooms and storage room. He’d been aiming for an empty table, but her smile had distracted him and he’d walked right on past it. Now, he had her alone, in the dark, and he didn’t want to share her with anyone else. “I’m glad you’re having fun,” he murmured. He felt himself grow thick as the thought of lifting up her dress and fucking her right there against the wall swirled around in his head. She seemed to sense the change in him when she looked around their secluded location. “Um, yeah, I am,” she said. “Having fun, I mean. I’m happy I came out tonight.” He continued to walk forward until her back was against the wall, biting back a groan when the words “I came” left her sweet mouth. He lifted his arms to cage her in, and she plastered her hands against the wall, as though she needed to hold onto something to keep herself upright. The nervous twitch of her lips would have stopped him had he not glimpsed the spark of excitement in her eyes. “So you like it here?” he asked. “In Shell Grove?” Her gaze flew over his face and landed on his mouth. She swallowed slowly. “I’m liking it more and more every day.” Holy fuck. That was as close to a green light as he ever hoped to get.

“Allow me to show you just how much better it can be.” He leaned in, ready to brand himself on her skin when she placed a hand on his arm. “Hunter, everyone will talk if they see—” “I don’t give a shit, Jade. I want you. Now.” He swallowed her next words as he crashed his mouth against hers. With all the restrained sexual frustration that had built up between them over the last few weeks, there was no easing in gently or starting slowly. There was only raw lust. He moved in with impatient hunger, his mouth rough and his tongue demanding entrance with fevered intent. She responded to his urgency with breathy moans, throwing her arms over his shoulders, writhing against his body, clearly chasing her own needs. And when her first frustrated whimper reached his ears, he decided he was going to give her exactly what she needed. He couldn’t deny her when she so obviously craved his touch. Couldn’t push her away when she sucked on his tongue like it was her favorite lollipop. And he definitely couldn’t shove her aside when she arched into his arms, placing her pussy right into his damn hand. I read you loud and clear, baby. With a muffled growl, he pushed her dress up her thighs and hooked one of her legs over his elbow.

Moving in front of her, he blocked her body from anyone who might happen to spot them at the end of the darkened hallway. She panted into his mouth when his fingers sought out her center, and he immediately shoved her panties out of the way. His middle finger ran down her slick folds and he died a little. “Damn,” he whispered, the throbbing in his dick turning painful. “You’re dripping for me. Your panties are fucking soaked.” He traced his finger along her slit as his eyes were drawn to her heaving breasts. “Oh God, Hunter.” Her fingernails dug into his arms and her head fell back against the wall. “Please. I need it so bad.” Fuck me. So do I. “I know, baby.” He lowered his mouth to her and licked along her collarbone. “Let me take care of you. I’ll make it all better.” Lifting her up his body, he plunged his fingers into her wet heat, savoring the feel of her tight channel. He vividly remembered how good that tightness felt around his dick. He laid open-mouth kisses all over her chest, his mouth dying to get under that dress. She worked her hips against his hand, thrusting onto his fingers as if they were his cock. “Jesus, you’re fucking sexy,” he growled into her skin. “I want to feel you come, baby. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes,” she said on a moan. “Oh, just a little more. Yes.” He felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment when he felt her clench around him. She bucked her hips uncontrollably as her orgasm washed over her. He had to seal their mouths together to prevent her from screaming the place down, even though he wanted nothing more than to hear those sounds. Afterward, he watched as she caught her breath and slowly opened her eyes. Her expression was soft as she stared up at him. And then it all changed. In an instant, her eyes filled with purpose. Her hands dropped to the button of his jeans and quickly worked to open the fly. “Whoa, what are you doing?” He hadn’t expected her to return the favor. He’d just planned on having an intimate evening alone with his hand when he got home. Not as if he hadn’t done that a hundred times since meeting her, anyway. “Jade, baby. You don’t have to do that.” Her gaze remained locked on his as she deftly unzipped his jeans. “I know you need it.” Damn straight, he did. And if she really wanted to give him his turn, he didn’t think he had it in him to deny her. His head fell forward when her hand reached into

his briefs and grabbed hold of him. “Christ.” He braced his hands against the wall above her head, preventing himself from giving his cock what it really wanted. To be crammed balls-deep inside her pussy. Her hand worked him, stroking with fast pumps, her fingers feeling even better than he’d fantasized. “Oh yeah.” He fucked himself into her fist, driving his hips forward. “Squeeze me tighter, baby.” She did. “That’s it. Faster. Yes.” He couldn’t recall another time when he was so desperate to come. When he felt like his balls would literally explode if he didn’t get his release. He couldn’t believe that after weeks of fantasizing about a scene just like this with her, he was finally living it for real. Of course, a lot of those fantasies involved her using her mouth instead of her hand, but this was working just fine. They would get to the next step soon enough. “I’m going to come,” he told her, his voice strangled. He was almost there. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he would have to walk around for the rest of the night with cum soaking the inside of his jeans. But who the hell cared? Getting off by Jade’s hand was more than worth it.

He felt the need bubbling to the surface. Felt it slowly working its way up his length. “Fuck, I’m coming. I’m—” Warmth suddenly engulfed his straining cock. Something hot and wet and tight was gripping his shaft. His head snapped down to see her on her knees in front of him, tits almost popping out of her dress, and his cock in her mouth. Holy fucking shit. He came so hard. There was no way in hell he could have held back after seeing her willingly go to her knees to swallow his cum. He held her head in place as he shot down her throat, the feeling of her sucking it all down almost too much for him. When he eventually finished and she cleaned him off with her eager tongue, his mouth was as dry as a desert and his heart was beating so erratically, he was actually afraid it might forget how to function. He watched in awe as she stood back up and primly wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingertip. The contrast between her well-mannered, pedigree-infused demeanor and the unrestrained, passionate goddess of moments ago were causing all of his cognitive processes to short circuit. He opened his mouth to express his overwhelming gratitude when a call interrupted him. “Jade!” Ivy’s voice reached his ears from the

doorway. “Jade? Is that you?” Damn it, Ivy. That was the second time the damn woman had cock-blocked him from Jade. Well, not really cockblocked this time, since he’d just come. But the annoying woman was calling Jade away from him, and he wasn’t finished with her yet. He needed to tell Garrett to have a chat with his wife. Jade’s eyes widened, probably in fear of what they looked like standing there together. “Yeah, it’s me,” she called out. “I’m coming.” She moved to walk away, but Hunter grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. “Come home with me,” he pleaded. Her expression turned apologetic. “I can’t. I should go.” She left him with a knowing smile. “But I had fun.” That smile allowed him to let go of her. It had hope in it. Something there was telling him it was okay to leave the evening where it was because there would be more to come. His insecurities made him hope that more meant they weren’t just going to be confined to the bedroom. Not that he had a problem with that. But it wasn’t the only thing he wanted with Jade. Suddenly, he wanted all the other couple stuff people did when they were in a relationship. Despite all the many reasons he shouldn’t, all the

red flags warning him he was a fool, all the hard lessons he’d learned in the past…he felt compelled to give them a try. As a couple. So dangerous. To his heart. To his sanity. Shit, to his company. But there it was. He wanted the cute first date at a carnival where they shared cotton candy and he won her a stuffed animal. He wanted to take her to dinner and make every other man in the restaurant jealous of what he had. He wanted her smile to be the first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning. He wanted to be able to call her his. Did she want that, too? Was he good enough for her? He was determined to find out. Reluctantly, he watched her walk away, suppressing every instinct he had to go after her. “I’ll see you soon, Jade.” She looked over her shoulder at him. And winked.

Chapter Sixteen Well, the store was still a long way off from being done. But Jade was officially open for business. Sort of. She had racks and tables of merchandise on the sidewalk outside her store and just inside where the floor wasn’t completely destroyed. She hung up PARDON OUR RENOVATIONS signs everywhere and put a cheap mirror and chair in her unfinished dressing room so her customers at least had the option of trying things on. It wasn’t the best setup ever, but it was definitely getting attention. Business was already decent. Her free triple chocolate chunk muffins probably didn’t hurt, either. Jade had once thought she’d found her calling as a baker. But after working ten-plus-hour days in a bakery in DC for over two years, she’d realized that for her, baking should be more of a hobby. Owning her own place, being her own boss…now this she could be happy with.

It was a good thing people were stopping in, too, because she had been nervously watching the number in her bank account getting smaller and smaller. She didn’t have a whole lot of time left before she would be living off of Ramen noodles and carrot sticks. And if things got that bad, she would be tempted to walk down Main Street modeling her merchandise, if it prompted people to come buy something. Hopefully, it would never get to that point. She was rearranging a rack of swimsuit cover-ups when she heard a car pull up to the curb. She glanced up expecting to greet a new customer and was instead struck by Hurricane Maggie-Mia. “Hey, Ginger!” Maggie cheerfully greeted. “Maggie!” Mia scolded. “Redheads don’t actually like to be called gingers.” Maggie went straight to the sunglasses and started trying on each pair. “No, they don’t like to be called Fire Crotch. Ginger is a compliment. It sounds like a movie star’s name, like Ginger Rogers.” Mia just rolled her eyes, shrugging at Jade as if to say What can you do? Jade smiled, already used to Maggie’s eccentricities. She found them amusing. They just made her all the more likable. “How’s everything going here?” Mia asked, her eyes flitting over the sidewalk tables and racks.

“Looks like you’re making it work, despite the setbacks.” “Trying to,” Jade replied. “Business has been surprisingly good so far.” “Well, it’s no wonder,” Mia said, holding up a retro halter one-piece. “You’ve got great taste.” “Speaking of great taste,” Maggie mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate muffin. Her eyes closed dramatically. “Oh my Gawd. I think I just died and went to food heaven.” The two cousins browsed for about ten minutes before circling back around to stand in front of Jade. “Okay, we have to confess, we had ulterior motives for coming here,” Mia said. “We want to invite you to our family barbecue tomorrow. It’s down at Bradford Beach. We’ll have all kinds of food and drink”—she grinned—“but if you feel like baking some more muffins, I don’t think anyone will complain. And definitely bring your bathing suit.” Everything inside Jade’s head came to a standstill. The thought of spending that much time around Hunter and his family sounded…nice. If a bit unnerving, since she didn’t have much of a family dynamic so she wasn’t quite sure how real families operated. Big families…who actually loved each other.

Not to mention the fact that she would be meeting Hunter’s parents. Which sounded a little… serious. Didn’t it? And she and Hunter weren’t serious. They weren’t…anything. Right? Right, she told herself firmly. No falling in love. Period. “Hunter’s going to be there,” Maggie added before Jade could respond. She glanced away, hoping to hide the desire that flooded through her just hearing his name. She forced a laugh. “And that’s supposed to entice me?” Maggie scoffed. “Oh please. I have eyes, honey. And last night, you two were all over each other. Like fleas on a dog.” Mia flinched. “Not the best analogy, Mag.” “Like stink on a skunk.” “Not an improvement.” Maggie waved her off. “Apples and oranges.” “That doesn’t make sense.” Maggie put her hand over Mia’s mouth. “Hush, woman!” She turned back to Jade with an inquiring eye. “So, can we tell everyone you’re coming?” By everyone, Jade assumed she meant Hunter. What the hell. It wasn’t as if she had any other plans tomorrow since the store was closed on Sundays. And in such

a small town, they’d definitely find out if she decided to ditch them, only to stay home. Besides, she really wanted to see Hunter again. The feeling of wanting to be near him all the time grew stronger every day. Which made no sense at all, since he was the reason her shop currently looked like a giant yard sale. The big jerk. She nodded at the two women. “Sure, I’ll be there.” Maggie clapped so loudly Jade’s ears started ringing. “Fabulous! And whatever you do, don’t bring anything with peanuts in it. Uncle Wayne is extremely allergic.” “Yeah, Mag tried to assassinate him with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich one time.” Maggie threw her hands up. “I didn’t realize peanut butter would be a problem, okay? I thought it was strictly peanuts.” Mia stared at her blankly. “Peanut butter comes from peanuts.” Maggie glared. “Well, you’re next on my hit list, so you better watch out.” Jade laughed as they continued to argue their way back to their car. She waved at them as they drove away, but not before Maggie stuck her head out the passenger window and shouted, “One o’clock, by the way! See you there, Ginger!”

Chapter Seventeen Hunter was definitely losing his mind. And becoming a stalker at the same time. Once again, he found himself walking through Jade’s front door, at night, uninvited. Only, this time, it was her shop he was strolling into without knocking. Damn woman still wasn’t locking her doors. With an impatient exhale, he locked it behind him. He’d seen the light on, but he knew the store had closed for the night. If she was doing work around the place, he figured he could help out again. It was the least he could do. She was nowhere in sight as he walked around the main salesroom. The store’s speakers were blasting a slow rock song, so he assumed she hadn’t heard him come in. Jesus. He’d given her the speech about crazed serial killers, hadn’t he? Stepping farther into the stop, he heard movement coming from one of the back rooms. A curtain hung across the doorway had been left

open, and he approached cautiously. Then he about had a damn heart attack. Holy. Shit. She was standing in the center of the small cubicle with her back facing him… Half naked. She had on some tiny-ass bikini bottoms and was in the process of placing a microscopic top over her perky rose-tipped breasts. He had a good view of those rosy peaks, too. She was standing in front of a full-length mirror that was providing a beautifully unobstructed view of her mostly naked form. God, her skin was flawless. Creamy. And it was always so silky soft every time he touched her. He wanted to lick her from head to toe. She was checking out the suit and her body, twisting and turning to get a better look at herself. And she had a fucking frown on her face. He couldn’t understand that. What was she seeing that he wasn’t? Because as far as he was concerned, she was damn near perfect. But the massive erection now tenting his jeans was not. He reached down to adjust himself, which of course, had to be the moment she finally glanced up and saw him. She jumped about three feet in the air and let out a noise that was half scream, half squeak. “Oh my God!” She whipped around, her hand

flying to her chest. “You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here?” That was a good question. Right now, he was hard as stone as he wordlessly watched her, imagining all the filthy ways he wanted to be inside her. Rein it the hell in, man. But he couldn’t help when his gaze lasered in on her chest. His breathing suddenly became heavy. “I saw the light on,” he croaked. “What have I told you about locking your doors?” “How long have you been standing there?” she asked. Her gaze drifted over his body, arousal overtaking her features, and his blood ran faster. He met her gaze. “Long enough to know your nipples are hard.” And hardening more by the second… His dick swelled in victory when he took a step toward her and she didn’t retreat. Even if she did, he would follow. She wasn’t getting away from him. Not this time. Especially not with the image of her taking his dick into her mouth last night still so fresh in his mind. “What do you think, Jade?” he asked, tilting his head. “Have we waited long enough?” She looked as if she was having difficulty pushing air in and out of her lungs. “Long enough for what?” Once again, he let his gaze slowly track down her bikini-clad body. “For the second time to be even better than the first.” He took another step toward

her. Her back hit the mirror, positioning their bodies in the exact way they’d been the night before at the bar. “Don’t you mean, like…the fourth time?” she asked breathlessly. For some reason, the question made his need to fuck her amp up to a furious urgency. “True,” he said. “Let’s go with second night.” “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “That first one will be hard to beat.” His head started spinning. The corner of his mouth tipped up in approval. “Maybe. But I say we give it the ol’ college try. Because, baby,” he said, closing the distance between their faces and whispering against her mouth, “I really want to suck on those hard nipples.” His breath mingled with hers, their gazes soaking each other in for two seconds before— He lunged toward her at the exact moment she went for him. Their mouths fused together. He palmed her breast, shoving aside the triangle of material with his fingers as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, meeting her own with a flare of passion. He made quick work of her top, untying the strings and throwing it to the floor. He pulled his mouth away and gazed down at her exposed breasts. The rosy tips puckered even more under

his scrutiny. He was barely conscious of muttering, “You drive me fucking crazy,” and then he feasted on her breasts. He sucked on them with wild abandon, his tongue lapping at her nipples while his hands ripped her bottoms down her legs. Hell, he was prepared to rip the material to shreds if he couldn’t get to her right now. He leaned back and yanked his shirt over his head. She started running her hands down his chest and…all over. When her fingers reached his waistband, he almost lost it. He wanted every last barrier between them gone. “Get your pants off,” she demanded. Good thing she was on the same page. His hands were frantic as they pushed his jeans and briefs down, but not before he pulled a condom out of his back pocket, which he shoved into her hand. “Put it on me.” There was no point in trying to be sweet or tender. She clearly had no more self-control left than he did. They both wanted each other desperately. He hoped she was ready for the kind of animalistic fucking he was craving. The kind they experienced their first night together. After she rolled the condom over him, he grabbed her under her thighs and lifted her up his body. She

immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing his dick right to her entrance. Oh, she was so ready for him. Without words, he pinned her to the mirror and pushed inside. She gasped and he groaned. Shit, he’d almost forgotten how fucking amazing it felt when she sucked him inside her. Almost. “Ah, baby,” he said, pushing all the way in. Taking deep breaths, he brought their foreheads together. “How are you even tighter than before?” “Hunter…” He knew she needed him to move, but he had to take a second to just breathe. “I’m getting there,” he said, panting hard. “You just feel so damn good. I don’t want this to be over too soon.” Dream on. He wasn’t going to be able to last for shit. Not with Jade. “But damned if I can wait anymore,” he growled. “Your pussy’s squeezing me too tight.” Once he started drilling into her, any thoughts of pacing himself went out the window. There was just something about fucking her up against a wall that made everything feel so raw and…fantastically dirty. It was the driving force of his overpowering lust. Who needed a damn bed? He heard the glass against her back creak and, fuck, but he wanted it to break.

But he also… “I want you on top of me.” His voice cracked like a whip. He dragged her away from the mirror and fell into the plush easy chair in the corner of the room, pulling her onto his lap. At this angle, with the bright spotlights beaming down on them, his hungry eyes could finally drink their fill of her. For the first time ever. The hotel room had been mostly dark. Now, there was no place to hide. And he took full advantage. He took both of her breasts in his hands as she slowly slid herself onto his thick length, straddling his hips and bracing her hands on his shoulders. “That’s it. Take my cock, baby.” He wriggled his hips around, massaging her inner walls. “I want to see your tight little body struggling to take all of me inside you. Need to feel your pussy choking on me.” At his words, he felt whatever reservations she had slip away. She started moving with more confidence, sliding down on him with urgent pumps. Oh yeah. Just like that. He gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her skin, guiding her movements. His thighs lurched up and he pounded into her with short, powerful thrusts, forcing himself deeper inside. “Christ. You feel amazing.”

He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. “Shit, Hunter. You’re so big…and hard…and, oh my God…” He looked over her shoulder and— “Fuck, yeah,” he panted. “That’s a damn fine ass you’ve got there, baby. And it looks so fucking hot riding my cock like that.” The chair was directly in front of the mirror, giving him a mouthwatering view of their joined bodies writhing in ecstasy. He was pretty sure he’d never seen anything so erotic and…sexy as all hell. The image launched him over the edge. She was right behind him. Her screams met his roar as they both descended into blissful madness. He pulled her up and down on him with blinding force until both were spent, slick with sweat from their exertions. He snaked his arms around her when she collapsed, her body melting against his chest. They sat like that for several minutes, just listening to each other breathe to the beat of a sensual soul tune playing over the speakers. “You’re coming to the barbecue tomorrow, right?” he asked hopefully when he was again able to breathe, and to think. She leaned back, and he was surprised to see a shadow of vulnerability in her expression. But then her mouth spread into a genuine smile. He was

almost positive that was…eagerness? With that smile, he lost another part of his heart to her. Which had been happening a lot lately. “If I’m still invited, yes,” she said. He gave her a kiss. “Are you kidding? Absolutely.” She played with his chest hair and shot him a coy smile. “Let me get this straight. You were too much of a coward to invite me, so you sent Maggie and Mia to do your dirty work?” He huffed. “Not even close. Half an hour after our parents told us about the barbeque, Mia called to tell me she and Maggie were parking in front of your shop to pay you a visit. Those little twerps cut me off at the pass.” Jade giggled. It was probably the cutest thing he’d ever heard. “Well, their plan worked. I’ll be there.” “Good.” He glanced down to the floor where their shucked clothing lay in a crumbled heap. “I liked that suit you had on,” he said, tipping his head down at the cock-tease of a bikini. “Wear it tomorrow.” “So you can picture yourself ripping it off me again?” He pulled her face down for a hard kiss. “Who says I won’t rip it off you again?” “Uh, there will be no hanky-panky going on with your parents around,” she warned.

He let out an exaggerated moan. “I love it when you talk dirty.” She poked him in the chest, unable to keep a straight face. “You, sir, have the dirtiest mouth of all.” Proving her point, he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, giving it a quick nip with his teeth. “Damn straight, baby. Damn fucking straight.”

Chapter Eighteen Jade hadn’t bailed on him, had she? Hunter tossed the football to Finn and discreetly pulled his phone out of his swim trunks pocket to check the time. She was only fifteen minutes late to his family barbecue. He didn’t need to freak out yet. “Did you scare off the new girl already, Mags?” Finn asked Maggie as he threw the football at her. She smirked, unaffected by the comment. “Are you kidding?” She nodded toward Hunter. “I’m looking forward to watching lover boy over there fall all over himself around her. Why would I screw up such a golden opportunity?” Finn laughed and Hunter rolled his eyes. “It’s just nice to see him falling over someone with both a brain and a heart,” Mia said. “Since his last girlfriend was missing both of those qualities.” “Yeah, and real hair,” Maggie muttered. Hunter made jazz hands. “Hello,” he muttered. “You know I can hear you guys, right?” “Plus, Jade can cook,” Mia offered, ignoring him.

“Or at least bake.” “Whoa,” Finn exclaimed, his throwing arm halting in midair. “No one told me the woman can cook.” Mia grinned. “She had homemade triple chocolate chunk muffins at the shop.” Finn groaned, then looked pointedly at Maggie. “Maybe she could teach you a thing or two in the kitchen, Mags.” Maggie glared and launched the ball right at his gut, though he easily caught it. And laughed. “Again, I’m standing right here,” Hunter said, exasperated. “So?” Finn said. “We’re not talking about you.” Hunter was about to check the time on his phone again when he caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He glanced around to see Jade gingerly walking down to the beach as she balanced a giant beach bag, a chair, and two Tupperware containers in her arms. Her long, thick locks had been corralled under a retro-patterned scarf. The flimsy dress thing she was wearing didn’t hide what she had on underneath. The wind was blowing the material about, providing him with glimpses of her brightly colored swimsuit. The one he’d told her to wear. The one he’d ripped off of her last night. Shit, there went his dick.

This was going to be a long day. Suddenly, Mia yelled, “Hunter! Jade!” He whipped around as Maggie shouted, “Heads up!” Crap. He quickly looked back at Jade. She dove to one side, sending her bag and chair flying. The football missed her head by mere inches. She held onto her containers, though, clutching them to her chest as if her life depended on it. “What the hell, Maggie?” he yelled, but didn’t waste time scolding her. “Jade!” He ran toward her at full speed. She glanced up as he reached her, her eyes focusing on his bare torso. He’d lost his shirt earlier when the sun came out full blast and was only wearing his swim trunks. He was abundantly pleased that she seemed to be appreciating the view. “Jade?” he repeated. “Are you okay?” She shook her head, snapping out of her —hopefully—lust-induced trance. “I’m fine,” she said. “No harm done.” He knelt down and helped her to her feet, then gathered her bag and beach chair. She adjusted her scarf and tried to brush the sand off as Maggie, Finn, and Mia approached. “I’m so sorry about the football, Jade,” Maggie apologized. “Sparky, here, forgot that I have a

cannon.” Hunter shot her a glare. “I wasn’t even looking when you threw it!” “Yeah, we know where you were looking,” Finn mumbled under his breath, forcing Hunter to turn his glare on his soon-to-be-ex-best friend. Maggie snatched the plastic containers out of Jade’s hands and held them high above her head. “Good news, folks. The desserts are safe!” “What’cha got in there?” Finn asked, looking over Maggie’s shoulder as she lifted one of the lids. “Apple pie bites and cherry limeade cupcakes.” Everyone spun around to look at Jade, shock and amazement on their faces. “What?” she asked, at once uncertain. “We’re usually lucky if someone makes cookies. Brownies on a good day,” Mia answered, awe in her voice. “This is like…a whole other level of… feasting.” “She used to work as a baker,” Hunter said proudly. Jade smiled. “I can’t really help myself. When I have an excuse to bake, I sort of go overboard. If I made this stuff for myself all the time, I’d weigh a ton by now.” “Oh, we’re definitely not complaining,” Maggie said, shoving the containers into Finn’s hands before reaching up and pinching Jade’s cheek. “You’re already going to be in Uncle Wayne’s good

graces. Let’s go introduce you to the rest of the fam.” Hunter saw the nervous way Jade bit her lower lip, though she tried to play it off with a polite smile. He held her back with a light touch on her arm. “We’ll be there in just a minute,” he told the others, who scampered off to the picnic area they’d set up surrounding a grill that was billowing smoke. He was already gazing down at Jade by the time she met his eyes. “Hey,” he said. Her mouth stretched wider. “Hi.” “Glad you made it.” He took in her sand-covered front with amusement. “And in one piece.” “Maggie threatened to set her pet boa constrictor loose in my store if I didn’t show up.” She shivered. “Does she really own a pet snake?” He bit back a sigh and nodded, leading Jade toward a group of chairs, his hand on her lower back. “Yes, she does. A giant one named Sly. But don’t worry. She would never have done that. Maggie’s bark is a lot worse than her bite.” He halted midstep and looked over at her in caution. “I take that back. Her bite can be pretty vicious, too.” Jade laughed. “I’ll do my best never to get on her bad side, then.” He stopped in front of two chairs and placed her bag on the sand beside them. “I’m really happy you’re here.”

He couldn’t mask the blatant honesty in that statement even if he wanted to. But he figured, hey, he’d fucked her in her fitting room the night before. And fingered her in a very public bar. He could be open with her. Even about his scary feelings. Feelings he probably shouldn’t be having for a woman like her. Someone who had grown up worlds away from his poor childhood. Someone who was used to the finer things in life. No doubt expected those things to always be there. Someone who, as he’d told his father, was miles and miles out of his league. She had to realize all of that. If the differences between them were so obvious to him, she couldn’t have missed that fact, either. In other words… Yeah. Feelings he definitely shouldn’t be having. But she held his gaze with a bright, unrestrained smile, making him momentarily dismiss every damn thing he’d just warned himself about when she whispered, “Me, too.”

Chapter Nineteen It didn’t take Jade long to realize there hadn’t been any reason to feel nervous about coming to the barbeque. Hunter’s parents, Wayne and Beverly Sparks, were two of the most down-to-earth people she’d ever met. She visited with them while Hunter and Finn grilled the burgers and hot dogs. They asked about her family—not much to tell there—and her former life in DC. Hunter’s mom seemed particularly interested in her time as a baker. They even shared a few recipes. “You’re a very brave woman,” Mrs. Sparks said to her out of nowhere, startling her. “To change jobs, open your own business, and move to a town where you have no ties or connections.” Hunter’s mom smiled warmly at her. “That’s a courageous thing to do. I can see why he likes you.” No one had ever called Jade courageous before. Or brave. Though, being those things was one of her biggest aspirations. Along with being self-sufficient. She

was still working on that one, too. She bit her lip, wondering if it was appropriate to grill a mother about her son’s feelings. But she certainly didn’t want to give the woman ideas, because Jade had no intention of being in a relationship with Hunter. She was determined to protect her heart from that kind of pain again. She couldn’t do it. No matter how wonderful the day was turning out to be, nor how much she enjoyed his family’s company. They weren’t dating. They weren’t involved. And wouldn’t be. At least, not emotionally. Physically…maybe. Oh, who are you kidding? She decided to play it safe by keeping her responses vague. “I like Hunter, too, ma’am. He’s been a good…friend.” Friend? They’d been strangers, then lovers, then enemies…sort of…but what were they now? Fuck buddies? She could feel a blush cover her entire face at that thought. “I know it’s probably not my place, but I think my son sees you as more than a friend.” Mrs. Sparks chuckled at Jade’s expression. “A mother can always tell these things. I’ve never seen him so smitten with a woman.” Ho, boy.

Despite the lecture she’d just been giving herself, she didn’t want to hurt his mom’s feelings. So she felt compelled to be honest. “I’m pretty smitten with him, too,” she said softly. His mother’s face brightened. “I thought as much.” Jade laughed and took a sip from her lemonade to cool herself down. “I don’t know what he’s told you,” Mrs. Sparks continued, “but if it seems like he’s moving a bit slow in the relationship department, be patient. His former girlfriend was a little tramp—excuse my language—and that’s made him…cautious about getting involved.” Jade felt panic course through her veins at the mention of a relationship. Had Hunter been telling his mother they were dating? Is that what he thought? “Maggie and Mia filled me in on the basics of what went down between him and Rebecca,” Jade said. “Trust me, I have no problem with slow. I hadn’t exactly planned on getting involved with anyone right after moving to town.” Although she and Hunter had certainly jumped right into bed together… Before even knowing each other’s names. Probably best not to tell Momma Sparks that. She’ll be calling you the tramp. “Probably wise,” his mom said, hunkering down

in her beach chair. “Still, I can see a lot of similarities between you and my son. I think you would make a darn good couple.” Bewildered, Jade was about to state that she and Hunter were complete opposites when Finn appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her out of her chair. “Football time, newbie! You’re on my team!” She tried to dig her feet in the sand to protest, but Finn easily pulled her along. “I don’t know how to play,” she objected. “Plus, I’m terrible at sports. You’re going to lose with me on your team, Finn.” Plus, she needed to go grab her cover-up because there was no way she was going to run and bounce around in just her bikini. Talk about a Janet Jackson moment waiting to happen. He didn’t even spare her a glance, though, and just kept pulling her along. “Nonsense. Not only am I a fantastic player, I’m also an amazing coach. I can turn anyone into a winner. I’ll have you throwing spirals and running patterns in no time.” Sure, maybe in an alternate universe. She was more realistic about how severely she was about to humiliate herself. Finn finally met her eyes and must have seen the terror lurking in them. “Look, I’ll only throw it to Mia, and you can just run the ball. Hunter will take it easy on you.” He glanced across the field marked

out in the sand at the opposing team consisting of Hunter, Maggie, and Mr. Sparks, and sighed. “Maggie, however, is another story.” As if she hadn’t already felt exposed around Hunter’s family, with all of their questions and curiosity about her life. Now, she felt almost…on display. Not just because of her minimal coverage. It was as if they were testing her, seeing how she’d handle their family activities. But even though she didn’t have a clue what the hell she was doing, it also occurred to her that she could use this opportunity to her advantage. Hunter’s eyes had been following her around all afternoon, rarely leaving her body. He had shoved his own muscles in her face countless times, taunting her. Almost poking at her obvious attraction to him. Needling her. Maybe this was her turn. Maybe it was time to give him a little taste of his own medicine. Steeling herself, she followed Finn, adding a confident sway to her hips. When she knew she had Hunter’s attention, she made an extra show of adjusting the ties of her suit. Grabbing certain areas she knew would…jiggle. He suddenly coughed and she smiled, though she didn’t look at him. Although when she reached up and gathered her hair into a ponytail, she chanced a glance his way. His eyes were glued her chest, his lips parted. She

stretched her back even more, pushing her breasts out. His eyes flew up to hers. She grinned deviously. He glared. And slowly shook his head in warning. If he thought that was going to stop her, he had another thing coming. Game on. Finn and Mia tried to explain the rules to Jade, but all she really got out of it was that it was twohand touch, and they had to run past the big red cooler on the other end of the field to score points. Never having watched a single football game in her entire life, she didn’t understand a word Finn said as he called plays. Wisely, he ran the ball down the field himself on the first play and scored. This might be easier than she thought. She could just stand there the whole time and let Finn do all the work. “All day, Hunter!” Finn smacked his best friend on the shoulder as he ran back down to Jade and Mia. “You can’t touch this All-Conference running back!” “College was over eight years ago, dude,” Hunter shot back. “And you stiff-armed me, Caldwell!” This from Maggie. The game went back and forth, each team taking turns holding the lead. Thankfully, Finn and Mia mostly caught and threw the ball to each other the

whole time. He’d passed it off to Jade once, but she’d only gotten about a step and a half before Maggie tagged her. After that, Jade was content doing what Finn generously called “blocking” for him and Mia when they had the ball. But despite Jade’s complete ignorance of the sport, she was having a lot of fun. Plus, Hunter was shirtless. Shirtless. Sweaty. And smoldering hot. And he kept sending her sly grins and winking at her every chance he got. Because the two of them were playing a whole other kind of game. The way his eyes trailed down her body…she was burning up. Despite being half naked in her bikini. The blistering sun had nothing on his sexy smirks. But dammit, he was not going to win this round. She had no idea how long they’d been out there playing, but Mr. Sparks suddenly announced that both teams had one last play. The teams were tied up, so whoever scored would win. She did her duty and tried to guard Maggie—or whatever it was called—though she didn’t think she was doing much good. When Hunter’s team couldn’t “convert the downs,” it was her team’s turn to run their last play. Finn gathered them into a huddle. “Okay, Mia, I want you to run a slant route.” Mia nodded. Holy hell, did she actually know what that meant? “Jade, you’re going to run the ball. I’ll block for

you.” Wait. What? Jade adamantly shook her head. He’d obviously lost his mind. “No way. Why can’t you just throw Mia the ball?” “Because they aren’t expecting us to give it to you,” he said. “Maggie’s backed off of you. I promise, they’ll be looking at me or Mia. They’ll never expect you to bring it home.” Mia squeezed her arm, smiling reassuringly. “You can do it. Hunter’s got a bad knee, so juke to the right if he comes after you.” “I don’t know what that means,” Jade protested, starting to panic. Mia calmly placed her hands on Jade’s shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. She had a real knack for putting someone at ease. “Just dodge to his right. Sidestep him. You’ve got this.” Finn bumped her shoulder. “I’ve got a week’s worth of free drinks at the bar for Mags on the line here, so…we’re all counting on you.” Mia smacked him on the back of the head and he laughed. “Hey, I’m kidding. You’ll do fine.” Jade glared at him. “Not the best pep talk, coach.” They stepped up to the line, her heart beating out of control. She was so going to lose this game for them. No, you’re not. You can do this.

“Down, set, hut!” Finn shouted. He immediately turned to Jade and tossed her the ball. She caught it and took off. She sensed the other team’s momentary shock at her having the ball before they gathered their wits. Hunter headed in her direction, his moves quick and agile. His big, hulking figure was stampeding straight toward her when Mia’s words popped into her head. Bad right knee. Go to his right. Repeating those words over in her mind, she stared him down and pushed her legs faster. There was a confident smirk on his face, as if he knew he was about to have her wrapped up in his arms. She was inches away from his outstretched hands, and… She lunged to the left—his right. Thrown off balance, he stumbled, and couldn’t turn his body around fast enough. She sprinted the rest of the way down the field, holding off Maggie and Mr. Sparks long enough to pass the red cooler. It didn’t actually hit her until she heard Finn’s and Mia’s raucous cheers. She’d scored! They’d won! Aside from academic awards in high school, she had never won anything in her life. And as silly as it was to get all excited about something so trivial, she was super proud of herself. Especially when

Finn and Mia practically tackled her to the sand, then made her join them in a victory lap around the field. “Losers eat dessert last!” Finn yelled, and pointed at Maggie. “Suck it, Breedlove!” Jade was vaguely aware of Maggie’s shouted response back at him—complete with expletives— as Hunter slowly made his way toward her. Or rather, stalked his way toward her. The man looked like he had all sorts of ideas spinning around in that dirty little mind of his. God, she was turned on. Had been all afternoon. “Congratulations, Red,” he told her, smiling. A thrill spun through her. “Thanks.” He leaned in and murmured, “That was cheating, by the way. Playing in your bikini like that. Distracting me on purpose.” She gave him a coy, sideways glance. “One must use the assets one has.” “Not into playing fair, huh?” he asked, hands on his hips. She waved down at his half-naked body. “Like you’re any better.” He tossed her a wry grin. “I never said I play fair. Those were some nice moves at the end. How’d you know to go to my right?” “Mia gave me some tips.” Feeling emboldened, riding her high, she stepped into him, close enough their chests were touching. “She said you just can’t

handle quick little redheads who are trying to score.” He choked out a heavy breath, as if she’d punched his gut. “Oh, sweetheart. I’ll let you into my end zone any day.” She tipped her head back and laughed. “If I wanted cheese, I would have moved to Wisconsin.” “She’s got jokes now, does she? Well, we’ll see about that.” A look came over his face that forced her to back up a step. His grin widened. She stuck a hand out, attempting to hold him back. “Hunter, don’t you dare.” He leaned forward and whispered, “It’s not nice to make a guy’s dick hard in front of his parents, you know. I’m supposed to look like a gentleman around my momma.” “You are no gentleman,” Jade murmured, her body going crazy. His expression turned lecherous. “Exactly.” Crap. She took off at a sprint. About four seconds later, he easily caught her and threw her over his shoulder. Her bikini top shifted in her struggle, and she had to do some quick maneuvering before there was a full-on topless situation. Though, when her nipple grazed his bare skin, she had the sudden urge to just rip the whole thing off and let their slick bodies rub against each other.

“Guess you’re not so quick now, are you?” He headed straight for the water. “Don’t you do it, Hunter!” “What? I thought you liked getting wet.” “Damn you! I swear, I’ll—” Fifteen minutes later, she was eating her dessert soaking wet from head to toe, balancing her plate of food on her lap, and towel-drying her hair. “Hunter Sparks,” his mom scolded him. “I can’t believe you almost drowned that poor girl.” “My own fault,” Jade said with a pout and glared at Hunter when he winked at her. “I provoked him.” She may have been pouting on the outside. But on the inside, she was positively glowing. It was amazing how creative the man could get with his hands underwater, while appearing perfectly respectable above the waves. Gentleman, her ass.

Chapter Twenty Her desserts had been demolished. After an afternoon of everyone lazing around in the sun, playing games, and sharing stories, there was hardly any food left at all. Everyone was just kicking back in beach chairs around the fire pit, relaxing. As Jade was applying more sunscreen, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her bag and saw a private number. Concerned that it was one of her suppliers calling about her merchandise, she answered the phone. Big mistake. Her stepmother’s high-pitched voice came over the line. “Jade, dear. How are you?” She immediately got up and walked away from everyone, heading down the beach. She didn’t want them to hear her conversation in case she suddenly started screaming or swearing in anger. “Why are you calling, Cassandra?” she asked flatly. “You and I have nothing to discuss.”

The other woman was silent for a moment, as if she hadn’t expected Jade’s harsh tone. “We haven’t spoken in so long, darling. I was calling to see how you are. How are you enjoying South Carolina?” She wasn’t buying a word of Cassandra’s faux concern for her welfare. It was always an act with her. There was always some kind of angle. “Everything is fine,” Jade bit out. “Although you should already know that, since you and Lane have been keeping tabs on me.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, dear.” She scoffed. “Please. Lane called me two weeks ago. You two have been spying on me. But it won’t do you any good. You’re not getting a red cent out of me. So I suggest you leave me alone.” Cassandra sighed, as though Jade’s words had hurt her. Bullshit. The woman had to have a heart to feel pain. “I was only calling to invite you to my birthday party in a few weeks.” That stopped Jade short. “What?” “My birthday is in a few weeks and Lane has been planning a little get-together. It would be so nice to have the whole family together again, dear. To have my kids here with me would be the best birthday present I could ask for.” Oh, that made Jade see red. Cassandra had never treated her as anything but a

squished bug on the bottom of her stiletto heel. She and her son had been cut from the same evil, greedy cloth. All they had ever cared about was money. Certainly, not Jade. That’s it. “Or maybe the money from my trust fund is the best present you could ask for,” she bit out. A moment of silence, then, “I don’t know what you mean.” Jade ground her teeth, tightening her grip on the phone. “Oh, I think you do. You’re trying to lure me up there so you and your asshole son can swindle me out of the money my father left for me. Lane’s attempt to muscle me into submission didn’t work, so what is this? Your way of trying to soften me up by acting like a mother hen? Because your acting needs some work, Cassandra. I’m not buying a word of it.” Jade could hear her stepmother’s deep breathing over the line and smiled in satisfaction. Cassandra could control her temper for only so long. A leopard never changed its spots. “You ungrateful little bitch,” she spat in Jade’s ear. “Here I am, trying to be nice and invite you into my home, and all you can do is be nasty and rude. I was your father’s wife. I deserve more respect than this.” “Being married to my father doesn’t make you respectable,” Jade responded, raising her voice.

“And certainly not my mother.” Cassandra scoffed. “Well, knowing her daughter, the woman must have been a real gem.” “Do not talk about my mother.” Jade wanted to reach through the phone and pull the woman’s hair out by the roots. Cassandra must have understood that tactic wasn’t working. “I can’t believe you won’t even try to make amends with us. Your father would be so ashamed of you right now.” Jade released a dark laugh, shaking her head and suddenly missing her father so terribly she could barely stand. “After all those years of being married to him, you still never knew my father. All you wanted was his money, and don’t pretend otherwise. If you think I’m stupid enough to believe that you would ever want to make nice with me, then you’re even dumber than I thought. I wouldn’t step foot inside my father’s house with you in it for all the wine in Italy. Don’t ever call me again.” She hung up, seconds away from chucking the phone into the ocean. Would she ever be rid of Cassandra and Lane? Or would she forever have to put up with their leering presence and snide remarks? The whole scene had just been another reminder to Jade of how much pain and destruction could be caused from foolishly falling in love. The decision her father made to marry Cassandra had

irrevocably changed their family. And had changed her father, who’d slowly seen the kind of woman he’d married and realized the mistake he’d made. He’d suffered over that. Who knew how long Jade would have to continue suffering for it? She wouldn’t go so far as to say that love was always a lie. It hadn’t been with her mother and father. But it didn’t last. One way or another, it always ended. And for the person left behind, it always ended in pain. How soon would her situation with Hunter end? How fleeting were their feelings for each other? Because she had to admit, there were feelings involved. Whether she liked it or not. For the first time in her life, she wished her realistic outlook on love and relationships was all wrong. She wanted to believe in fairy-tale romance. Wanted to believe that spending eternity with your soul mate was possible. And more than anything, she wanted to believe she’d actually found her soul mate, and that he was within her grasp. But she couldn’t do it. Happily ever afters were just for the movies.

Chapter Twenty-One Hunter wanted to punch whoever had upset Jade. When her phone rang, he had watched her walk off—more like stomp off—and grown increasingly worried as she’d flailed her arms out and kicked at the sand while talking. He needed to make sure she was all right. He approached her hesitantly. “Jade? You okay?” He took in her red face and marks on her lower lip where she’d been digging her teeth into it. He had never seen her so flustered. And he didn’t like it one little bit. She blew out a breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just family drama. Everyone has it, right?” He wasn’t convinced. Whatever was going on, it sounded more serious than that. She’d once mentioned not getting along with her stepmother and stepbrother. Had the phone call been from them? “You want to talk about it?” he asked softly. Her gaze shot to him, then immediately darted away. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to hear the

bullshit.” Wrong. He wanted to hear everything about her life. “Don’t be so sure. I’m a really good listener.” When she shifted around on her feet, poking her toe into the sand, he had a sudden urge to take her into his arms and help her release some of her frustration. That little bikini she had been wearing all afternoon was about to drive him out of his damn mind. Trying to play football with her bouncing breasts in his face had been an enormous challenge. Yep. He was officially a jackass. She needed an understanding ear, not a horny boyfriend angling to get into her pants. For a second, he froze. And hit rewind. Boyfriend? Was that what he was? Her boyfriend? He shook off the thought. A relationship debate was not what she needed right now. “Come on,” he said, gently guiding her farther away from the group gathered around the fire pit. “There’s a place I want to show you. You can tell me the whole story on the way.” So she did. As they walked along the surf, shielding their eyes from the setting sun’s bright reflection off the water, she opened up about everything. And his heart broke for her all over again. He couldn’t understand how anyone could treat

such a sweet, kind, loving person like Jade with such menace. It made him hurt for her and want to wrap her up in a tight, safe cocoon forever so no one could ever again cause her pain. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that,” he said, wanting so badly to reach down and hold her hand. He wasn’t sure how she would react to that in public, though. Not to mention if word got back to Rebecca about their blossoming relationship. He had still not heard anything from Seaside Properties about the condo contract—they were really dragging their feet choosing which bid they were going with. He had a sinking feeling his ex had something to do with that delay. Probably pissed off about him shutting her down at the bar the other night. After that incident, the last thing he needed was for her to hear about him hanging out with Jade and go postal, killing his chances. Again. So, he kept his hand at his side. “My family’s got its issues, but I can’t imagine having a family that nasty and dysfunctional.” “I didn’t used to,” she replied softly. “My father was wonderful. Since I was young when my mother died, he and I were really close. My aunt and uncle were always good to me, too, but I lost them years before my father passed.” And now I’m alone was the unspoken part of that statement. “Are you ever going back to Connecticut?” he asked carefully. “I mean, to sign the paperwork for

the trust? That has to be signed before you can receive the bulk of the trust, right?” He watched as tendrils of her red hair whipped around her face in the breeze. The sun’s glare had softened as it descended in the sky, casting orange beams across her skin. Her hair looked like fire. He wanted to wrap it around his fist and pull hard. So badly. “Yeah. I’d have to go back up there to sign the documents in person, even though the payout won’t be for another three years. And the longer I wait, the longer I have to put up with Cassandra’s and Lane’s harassment. They’d do anything to get their hands on that money.” Anger poured through Hunter at the thought of anyone harassing Jade. He could put an end to that real quick, if she’d let him. “So why don’t you just go up and sign?” he asked. She pursed her lips. “They’d get wind of it and be sure to turn up. And I just…don’t know if I can face them.” She shook her head, her gaze cast downward. “Honestly, I don’t want to see them again. Ever.” “I’d go with you.” He’d said it before he even realized the words were on his tongue. Her head snapped up. “Up to Connecticut?” Her expression was a mask of shock. He nodded. “If it would help. You know, to make

sure they don’t mess with you. I could be your hired muscle. I’d scare them off before they could get anywhere near you.” He playfully flexed his biceps, feeling pleased when her gaze zeroed in on them and widened. She swallowed slowly. “I’ll, um, keep that in mind.” There was a slight tremble in her words. Satisfied, he continued to stroll with her down the beach. Hues of pink and gold streaked across the twilight sky. When they reached a grass-covered dune, he pulled her over to a narrow wooden walkway that led over it, and indicated she follow him. The walkway was mostly hidden behind overgrown sea oats and was easy to miss if you didn’t already know where it was. “I knew I should have put on bug spray,” she grumbled behind him, making him smile. “Do you realize how many bugs are hiding in this damn grass? My legs are going to be covered in bites. Do you not feel them crawling all over your skin as we speak?” When they reached the other side of the dune, he glanced over his shoulder to see her gingerly stepping along the sandy path, peeling aside the tall grass as she went. “You get used to it,” he answered. “Growing up here, I think I’ve become immune. I don’t even get bitten that much anymore.” She bent down and started slapping at her legs,

hopping around like she was being attacked. He couldn’t help it. Laughter bubbled out of him before he could stop it. “Not funny!” she yelled. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you should see it from my end.” He walked over and scooped her up into a bridal carry, making her gasp. “How about this? Better?” He felt her breath quicken against his neck. “Yeah,” she murmured. “This is good.” He continued along the path. “Good. Can’t have those pretty legs covered in bites. They’re much too precious, and I have plans for them.” She chuckled, the sound sending blood rushing down to his dick. “Is that right?” He nodded, fighting to keep his growing erection from punching through his swim trunks. “Absolutely.” Carrying her may have been a bad idea. Having all of her bare flesh rubbing against his, seeing those delicate strings that kept her breasts covered… There was a word for situations like this. “Torture.” He finally reached a clearing in the grass and stepped out onto a narrow crescent of white sand bordering a rocky tide pool that hardly anyone knew about. “Here we are.” Her breath caught. “Oh wow. Hunter, this is…

beautiful.” He followed her gaze along the white sandy beach visible from where they were standing, the rolling dunes, and the two giant rocks jutting out into the water that curved around and formed the tide pools. “This is sort of my spot. No one else really knows it’s here.” That he knew of, anyway. “Every now and then I come out here to find some peace. Someone’s always showing up at my house or calling me when I’m trying to relax. This is the only place I can really get away.” It was his little slice of paradise. “It’s perfect,” she whispered. He carried her over to one of the big rocks and carefully set her down on top. The surface that jutted out into the ocean was fairly flat, so you could stretch out on it, which he often did at night to look up at the stars. God, he sounded like those movies Maggie and Mia liked to watch so much. The kind with sappy dialogue and mushy endings. Admittedly, the setting, the gorgeous woman, and his growing feelings for her were not lost on him. His life was turning into one of those movies. “Somehow, I’ve been able to keep this place a secret from everyone,” he said as he sat down beside her on the rock. “Even Maggie. So, let’s keep it to ourselves. Okay?”

“’Kay.” She laid her head on his shoulder when he slid his arm around her. That felt good. It felt right. “You’re lucky to have people like your family around you,” she said wistfully, stretching out her legs on the rock. “Everyone loves each other so much, and they’re all so loyal. It’s nice to see.” The note of melancholy he heard pierced his heart. “My parents did a good job of raising us, even though we didn’t have much growing up,” he said. “I just hope I can give more to my own kids. Make things easier for them, you know?” She looked up at him quizzically. “Easier?” He realized his family’s financial status had never come up in any of their conversations before. That his parents still didn’t have a dime. And that every single thing Hunter owned, he’d gotten the hard way—by earning it with his own sweat and determination. But none of that had impressed the women he’d been involved with in the past. “Let’s just say, you grew up rich and I grew up dirt poor,” he said, dropping his arm from her. He picked up a rock and threw it into the ocean to cover the movement, and as an excuse to avoid eye contact with her. “Things weren’t always easy, but we made do.” He felt her studying him. “Well, if I’ve learned

one thing in my life,” she said, “it’s that money doesn’t make the man. I mean, look at Cassandra and Lane. They’ve lived on piles of money their whole lives, and they’re two of the most miserable people on the planet. Your family might not be wealthy, but they seem fine with that. They all seem happy.” “Because we’ve had to be,” he replied philosophically. He laid back on the warm rock and stacked his hands beneath his head, gazing up at the clouds floating by. “We couldn’t change our situation, so there was no point in being depressed about it. Mia and I just ignored our hand-me-downs as best we could. But I definitely want more than that for my own family.” “How so?” she asked, resting back on the rock, too. “I want my wife and kids to have the best of everything,” he said. “It’s why I work as hard as I do. I want them to live in a nice home and go on family vacations to exotic places. I don’t ever want my kids to wonder why their friends have new clothes and they’ve worn the same stuff for years. Or why their daddy never has enough time to play with them because he works so much in order to barely scrape by.” Damn. That was more than he’d meant to say. “Still, it doesn’t sound like you and Mia had a bad childhood,” she said, turning toward him and

resting her head on a palm. She lightly ran her fingers along his arm and goose bumps shivered over his skin. “But I get it. You want to provide for your kids and take care of your family. That’s commendable, Hunter. I just wonder…” She trailed off and pressed her lips together. “Never mind.” “No, what?” She met his eyes. “All right. For a guy who’s so keen on making a ton of money, you’ve been awful adamant about not taking the job at my store.” She held up a hand. “I know it wouldn’t pay a lot. But it’s something. And I know you finished your Harperville job last week.” Instantly, guilt slammed into him. He still hadn’t been able to find anyone to take her job. It was the beginning of the summer rush and everyone he knew was busy with big commercial projects or long-term residential work. He’d been trying to pull in favors left and right… but still nothing. “I’ve already told you that was a timing error,” he said, feeling like a total jerk that he wasn’t being completely honest with her. “But now that I’m done in Harperville, I could probably do some side work for you at the store.” As long as a certain bitch never finds out about it… He sensed her mood perk up. “You’d have time?” she asked hopefully. He couldn’t look at her. “Well, it might be a little

sporadic. But yeah, I think I can squeeze some stuff in. Evenings. Maybe weekends. Most of what you want done isn’t that time-consuming. Besides, I owe you.” “Yes, you do.” He snapped his head around to see a warm smile on her face. “But I owe you, too,” she added. He frowned. “For what?” She waved her hand at the beach. “For bringing me out here today. For introducing me to your family. I’ve had a really great time.” He felt his chest swell with pride. “Well, that makes me happy to hear.” “Why is that?” she asked, clearly holding back a smile. He captured her gaze, letting her know how serious he was. “Because I plan on keeping you around for a while.” They both stilled as his words sank in. The air around them crackled, and he could feel the mood shift. Turning intense. Having her around his family today, seeing how easily she fit in, had changed something in him. It made him seriously think about how much more there could be between them, relationship-wise. How a future with her might be more possible than he’d initially thought. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d been thinking

about it, too. He’d seen how quickly she’d fallen in love with his family and sensed how desperately she craved that kind of closeness and belonging in her life. The crashing waves slammed against the base of the rocks, the spray sprinkling her cheeks as he gazed at her. Her long hair blew around her arm, back-dropped by the blue of the ocean, making her look like a gorgeous mermaid come to shore to tempt him. He scooted a little closer and lifted a hand to brush the strands out of her face so he could take in the way she was looking at him. Her creamy white skin had a tinge of pink on it from the sun’s rays. Her nose had a sprinkling of freckles that gave her a sweet, angelic appearance. Almost innocent. But the desire he saw in her eyes, that was definitely not angelic. And the way she licked her lips as she studied his mouth, that was so not innocent. “Ah, Jesus,” he said on a groan. “I’m going to fuck you right here on this rock, aren’t I?” She reached for him. “I certainly hope so.” He leaned over and covered her mouth with his. She fell back against the rock, showing no protest when he canted over her, taking control of the situation. He covered her body with his, grinding against her, dominating her. Hell, yeah. He’d been building up to this, holding himself

back all afternoon, but the leash on his control was now gone. He pulled back and yanked his shirt over his head as her frantic fingers worked to lower his shorts and get his cock out. When he saw the way her eyes glazed over as she freed him, he could have come all over her bare thighs right then. The way she was taking in his body, from his wide shoulders, to the muscles of his arms as he held himself over her, to his hard, straining cock—seeing her expression of need kicked up his arousal about ten thousand volts. Getting her out of her bikini took nothing more than a flick of his wrist. And soon their naked bodies were sliding together on the sun-warmed rock as the sunset sky cast a warm orange glow over their glistening skin. As he pushed both of her breasts together, bringing her nipples to his hungry mouth, he knew that taking her there on that rock, after the day they’d shared and the conversation they’d just had, was a critical move. Deep down, he knew there was no better time to make his intentions known and to brand her as his own. He felt if he didn’t do it right then, it was never going to happen. He didn’t give a shit about Rebecca and her stupid ultimatums. This was his life, and he could do whatever the hell he wanted, with whomever the hell he wanted.

And he wanted Jade. He wanted her like crazy. For more than just sex. He wanted to make a go of this…whatever this thing was between them. But did she want him, too? Did she truly not care that he wasn’t rich like she was? Would she stay with him even if he didn’t get that lucrative condo contract and his business fizzled? He had to know for sure. Which was what drove him as he brought his cock to her slick entrance, prepared to claim her for his own. He halted just in time. Fucking hell. He didn’t have protection. The condoms were in his wallet, along with the rest of his stuff…back with his family. That was a huge problem. “It’s okay,” she whispered to him, reading his mind. “I’m covered. You can be inside me like this.” The sweetest words he’d ever heard in his life. He pushed into her, bottoming out immediately as her wet heat welcomed his invasion. His desire for her exploded through him, driving him to grind against her with jarring thrusts. He kept one hand under her backside to keep the rock from cutting into her soft skin as he pumped in and out of her. “You’re mine, Jade,” he growled, an edge to his voice. “Do you hear me? This is all mine. No other man is going to touch you like this. I’m the only

one who gets to have you from here on out.” They panted into each other’s mouths. Not kissing or licking, but simply breathing hard together. He inhaled her sweet, musky essence as he drove her toward a powerful climax. He could tell she was getting close when her head tipped up and her eyes squeezed shut. “Tell me you understand, baby.” “I…understand,” she said between breaths. “Say the words, Jade. I need to hear the words.” He rammed himself in deeper, emphasizing the seriousness of his statement. “Oh God!” Her hands gripped his waist in a tight grasp. “I’m about to—” He brought his other hand to her head and pulled her face down to look at him. “Give me the words, baby, and I’ll give you your pleasure.” She didn’t take her eyes from his when she said, “I’m yours, Hunter. Only yours. You have me now.” A growl ripped from his throat as he slammed in, plowing deep into her. “Come, baby. Now!” Her inner walls tightened around him at the same time he spilled inside her, coating her. Marking her. There was no greater intimacy than what they just shared. Knowing she was going to go back to his family with his seed dripping down her thighs made all of his primal, possessive instincts amp up to full force. He loved knowing she carried evidence of

their fucking. Loved knowing she could feel it— him—as she walked or sat down. But what they had just done was more than mindless fucking. They’d solidified a connection. Despite the roadblocks, that connection had been strengthening ever since their first night in the hotel. They had made whatever it was between them real. Without saying the words, they’d brought their emotions out into the open. There was no going back. Not now. And he didn’t want to go back. Not ever.

Chapter Twenty-Two “Seriously, Hunter,” Jade said from behind him in the dark, “I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not cut out for it.” He looked over his shoulder to watch her wade through the three feet of water with measured steps and a worried expression on her face. The hipwaders she was wearing almost swallowed her whole. But he’d never get her out here again if he laughed at her. “If you’re going to date me, which you are”— even if he’d had to convince her of the fact, and even if they were being careful to keep their relationship on the down-low until the condo contract was awarded—“then you have to know how to gig for flounder.” She shot him a disgusted look. “So handling live, slimy, stinky fish is a requirement to date you?” It was true that fishing really was a big part of his life, and he wanted her to be involved with it somehow.

“Don’t forget about cleaning them.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I like a girl who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.” Her eyes narrowed. “Cleaning them? As in, washing them off?” He gave her a wide grin. “Gutting them, sweetheart. Preparing them for cooking.” She shook her head and turned back toward the shore. “Nope, I’m out. I am not touching any fish guts. Not unless you want to wear my dinner on your shirt.” He reached out and snatched her wrist, holding her in place. “You’re not going anywhere, Red. You have been citified for too long. It’s time you learned where the food you eat comes from.” She looked up at him, biting her lip. “Fine. But you are not making me cut them up.” “We’ll work on that.” For further encouragement, he bent down and took her luscious mouth in a hard kiss, plunging his tongue inside for several seconds before pulling away. He just smiled when she glared at him. “That’s not fair,” she complained. “Kill some fish tonight and I’ll give you more of that action.” He gave her another kiss, and whispered, “On a different set of lips.” She blushed, and he had to pull away before he really lost himself in her taste. He continued wading through the water.

“Just promise I won’t get stabbed in the ankle by a stingray,” she said. “Or attacked by a lemon shark, or something.” “Lemon sharks are found in more tropical waters,” he said. “Besides, do you really think I’d let anything happen to you?” “Oh God, what about snakes?” she shrieked. He grunted. “Jade, quit being a sissy and get that fine ass moving.” They were only about twenty yards from the beach—not in the middle of the ocean or tromping through swampy waters—but he knew she was nervous. She had never done anything like this before. In fact, he wasn’t sure if she had ever handled a live animal in her life, except maybe a puppy. He shone his flashlight on the water, searching for evidence of fish on the bottom. “Hey, come here,” he called. When she was next to him, he pointed down at the water where his light was shining. “See those indentations in the sand?” “Yeah.” “Those are flounder beds. Flounder like to rest on the bottom like that and wait for their food to swim by, like baitfish or shrimp. The little fish probably just left the beds, so we’re getting close.” It had been about two weeks since they’d made their dating status official—though no one else

knew about it. Except for Finn, who’d probably told Maggie, who had most likely informed Mia. But that was it. He and Jade had agreed to keep things hush-hush until they’d been together a little longer— ostensibly to prevent the town’s gossipmongers from breathing down their necks. But the truth was, he didn’t need his crazy ex getting wind of his relationship with Jade and somehow ruining his chances with the Seaside Properties condo contract. He’d just received word last week that Seaside was taking his bid to the next level. They were now in negotiations. Nothing had been signed yet, but it was looking good for his company. This deal represented everything he’d worked so hard to achieve all these years. He wasn’t about to lose it because his ex was a jealous psycho. After the contract was signed, he’d tell Rebecca to go stuff it. Truthfully, though, he hadn’t had a lot of time to worry about her threats. He’d been too busy enjoying hanging out with Jade and showing her things. Teaching her things. Practical stuff that no one had ever taught her before. Like how to change a tire on her car, how to properly grill a steak, how to use her new lawn mower, and even how to start her own small garden. Watching her soak up the various elements of his everyday life was like witnessing someone

discovering a new world. That she was eager to learn from him was refreshing. It made him feel valued, relied upon. That he had a purpose. Aside from just…being with her. Which was the best part of all. He spotted movement in the water in front of his left foot and froze. Yep, that’s a fin. “Okay, here’s one,” he announced. “Come here.” She hesitated. “Won’t they get spooked?” He shook his head. “Nah, they can’t really see anything from this angle.” She came up next to him, her two-pronged gig held tightly in her hand. He had his own at the ready if necessary, but he was going to let her take the lead. “All right, this one’s yours. What you want to do is—” “Why don’t you get the first one?” she asked nervously. “So I can see how it’s done.” “Because I’m holding the light. And also because you won’t be so freaked out once you get the first one out of the way.” “Okay, fine.” She took a deep breath and spread her feet. He bit back a smile. That’s my girl. Her damn stepmother and stepbrother didn’t give her enough credit. She was a strong, capable woman. Brave and unflappable. Always willing to take on any challenge. Which was all a testament to her willpower. Apparently, all her stepfamily had ever done was

tear her down, make her feel less than worthy of anyone’s love or praise. Instead of encouraging her, over the years they had done everything they could to break her. And that pissed him the fuck off. But she wasn’t letting their negativity ruin her. No way in hell. Considering all she’d been through, she had a remarkably positive attitude about life. “All right, so you want to hit it right above its head, behind the gills,” he explained. “When you stab it, thrust hard and hold it there against the bottom for a minute until it stops wriggling. But don’t lift the gig straight up out of the water. You want to ease it up at an angle, like you’re shoveling something out of the ground. That prevents the fish from sliding off the prongs. Think you’ve got it?” “I think so.” She lifted the gig up above the water and paused. “But what if I miss and it swims away?” “Then we’ll move on and find another one,” he said with a shrug. “No worries. There’s plenty of fish out there.” She nodded and took a few deep breaths, a look of steely determination settling over her features. That was the inner strength coming out in her that he loved to see. The look that said she wouldn’t let anything or anyone conquer her. That she would take on the world, one flounder at a time, if she had to.

When she struck with her gig, he immediately knew the shot was true. He moved the light, and there was her flounder, stuck on the end of her prong. “Holy crap, I did it!” He laughed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I knew you would, baby. I had no doubt.” Her head lifted at his words. “Really?” The grateful look she gave him nearly tore his heart in two. “Of course.” Her eyebrow quirked. “Even though I’m a city girl?” He chuckled. “Even city girls can be converted.” She lifted her gig up the way he’d instructed, allowing him to pry the fish off the tines. “Don’t be so sure of that,” she said. “I might go gigging with you and eat fried food instead of a salad. I might even say y’all once in a while. But there is no way I’m ever going to favor football over tennis, or trade in my wine for beer. Those are the facts of life. Deal with it.” As long as she never high-tailed it back to her old life in DC or Connecticut, he was fine with all of it. Hell, he would start drinking wine if it prevented her from ever leaving him. He just wanted their life in Shell Grove to be good enough for her. He wanted to be good enough for her.

He shook his head at her in mock disapproval. “I’ve done all I can here.” He held his hands up in surrender. “I wash my hands of the situation.” She nodded, smiling in satisfaction. “Thank you. Now, let’s go find you a fish.” “And then we cut them open.” Her smile disappeared, her face paling. “I just threw up in my mouth a little.” He nodded, unconcerned. “Yeah, that might happen the first time. And you might find a bone or two in your filet at some point, but you just spit them out. No big deal.” “Ugh! Hunter!” Yep. This was what he’d always wanted. This was making him happy. He just hoped to hell it would last.

Chapter Twenty-Three JADE: WANT TO COME OVER FOR DINNER? Jade sent the text to Hunter as she was walking through the grocery store buying ingredients for the night’s meal. HUNTER: WHAT’S ON THE MENU? JADE: CHICKEN PARMESAN, GARLIC BREAD, AND LOTS OF DESSERT. ;) HUNTER: CAN WE EAT DESSERT FIRST? :D Her pulse spiked as she imagined exactly what type of dessert he would be eating. Needless to say, her evenings with him over the past few weeks had been far from boring. JADE: ALWAYS. I’LL HAVE IT WARMED UP BY THE TIME YOU GET HERE. HUNTER: DON’T YOU DARE. THE WARMING UP IS MY JOB. Even with innocuous texts, the man had a knack for conveying all of his dirtiest thoughts. HUNTER: MIGHT HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE LATE TONIGHT. COMING BACK FROM RIDGEFIELD. OKAY IF I’M THERE BY 8?

JADE: NO PROBLEM. SEE YOU THEN. :) For some reason, she hadn’t been able to stop baking since she and Hunter had started…he was calling it dating. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she always had the urge to whip something up. It wasn’t that she missed being a baker—hell, no. She just felt like she was in such a good place that she could finally revisit that part of her life. Enjoy baking again, instead of grumbling about it because it was her job. Now, she could have fun with it. Hence the strawberry shortcake Rice Krispy treats and s’mores cookies sitting on her kitchen counter. Total food-gasm. Hunter was going to flip. Two hours later, she was showered, her hair was curled, her makeup applied, her house picked up, and her dress painted on. There wasn’t actually much point in getting dressed at all because he was going to rip everything off her later, anyway. But she had been dying to wear her new skintight red dress for him. It was very Jayne Mansfield. She figured the little Donna Reed apron she had on over it was also a nice touch, one he would appreciate. Definitely going to flip. She was tossing the ingredients for the sauce into a pan when the doorbell rang. The time on her

clock told her it was too early for him to be there. Maybe he’d left work sooner than expected. She double-checked her lipstick in the hall mirror, took a deep breath, and opened the door wearing her most seductive smile— That immediately vanished. Oh God, please let me be dreaming. Her devil of a stepbrother darkened her front porch, a sneer on his face as his gaze raked over her. “My, my, Jade,” he said in a singsong voice. “You’ve certainly filled out over the years. I must say I didn’t expect this kind of reception, but I’ll take it. Good thing we’re not actually related, huh?” He’d been there two seconds and already she wanted to vomit. Feeling much too exposed, she crossed her arms over her chest. Lane was not supposed to be the first one to see her in this dress. Or ever see her in it, for that matter. His slimy perusal somehow made the garment feel tainted. “What the hell are you doing here, Lane?” she snapped. He smirked, spreading his arms out. “What? I can’t visit my only sister at her new home?” “Stepsister,” she curtly corrected. “And no, you can’t. I didn’t invite you, you’re not welcome, and I have company coming over.” His eyes traveled over her once again, pausing on

her chest. “I’m sure you do. Didn’t take long for you to saddle yourself with some small-town loser. Desperate much?” She dug her fingernails into her arms in an effort to keep from screaming bloody murder at him. “Leave. I want you off my property right now.” “I’ll leave after we’ve talked,” he said firmly, and attempted to push his way inside her house. She pushed him back forcefully. “No, Lane. I told you to go away.” She started to shut the door in his face. His foot stopped it. Before she could throw all her weight against the door and break every bone in his foot, he shoved it open and pushed past her. He was nowhere near as muscular as Hunter, but the guy wasn’t scrawny, either. Plus, his height gave him a slight advantage over her. “It won’t take long,” he said once he was inside her living room. “It’s not as if I enjoy being in this shithole of a town.” “We have nothing to discuss. How many times do I have to tell you?” She pointed to the door. “Get. Out.” He planted his feet stubbornly, his face darkening with anger. “I’m not leaving until you listen to what I have to say.” She grunted in frustration and slammed the door shut. Standing on the other side of the room, she

wondered how quickly he would go down if she hit him over the head with a table lamp. “Fine,” she gritted out. “Speak. And make it quick. Then I never want to see you again.” He straightened his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets, looking as confident and arrogant as ever. “You haven’t yet signed the paperwork on your trust that would give you access to the remaining funds. Correct?” Here we go. It was like a broken record. Money, money, money. She narrowed her eyes. “You know I haven’t. It’s the reason you two have continued harassing me.” His jaw tightened, making her smirk. Lane had always been the type who could dish it out but couldn’t take it. Hunter would have eaten him alive. “I’ve come to negotiate the terms of the trust with you.” She gave an unladylike snort. “Nothing to negotiate. It’s my name on that trust. Not yours.” “It could be.” She stared at him blankly. “Excuse me?” “You have the power to sign the trust over to Mother,” he said, pacing the floor. “If you do that, give us total control over the payout, then we’ll write you a check for your share, and you never have to see either of us again.” She almost choked. “My share?”

He turned his glare back on her. “If you don’t, we’ll never leave you alone. And you know us, Jade. We can make your life a living hell. Signing it over to us is the easy way out, believe me.” She could not believe the nerve of this asshole. “What the hell makes you think I would ever do that?” “Because you hate us just as much as we hate you,” he answered, a curl in his upper lip. “It would be more than enough to sustain your”—he glanced around her living room in disgust—“lifestyle down here. This way, everyone has money and we don’t have to see each other again. It’s a win-win.” He was certifiably insane. “Except for me,” she pointed out. “Because you’d be stealing half of my father’s money.” He took a quick step toward her, forcing her backward. His face filled with rage. “That should have been our money, anyway!” he shouted. “My mother was married to that bastard. He left her nothing but a pile of junk! At least half of that money is rightfully ours!” Ours, not hers. He really needed to get off mommy’s tit. Smug satisfaction made her smile. “I see what’s going on here,” she said. “Mommy blew through the money her daddy left her. Plus the money your daddy left her. So now she wants the money my daddy left me. Classy, yet somehow not surprising.”

She saw the moment something flickered in his eyes that made him change tactics. “You’ve wanted to get rid of us since the day your father died.” Actually, it was the moment she’d met them. “If you do this,” he said, “we’ll be out of your hair for the rest of your life. Isn’t that what you want? To live down here in your new house, with your new store and your new man, without us interfering?” His expression turned threatening. “Because I can promise you, there will be no peace in your new life if you don’t agree to this. It’s an easy call.” Never having to see or speak to Lane and Cassandra again sounded like a real blessing. But that wasn’t the point. Her father had left that trust for her. It was his hard-earned money that he had built up from the age of seventeen. He’d created an empire from nothing. The last thing she wanted was for two selfish, spoiled assholes to get their greedy hands on it. It wouldn’t be right, and she knew it wasn’t what her father would have wanted. His memory deserved to be honored. Not squandered. She glared at Lane. Would she break her hand if she punched him? Because with the amount of fury coursing through her, she was ready to go Mike Tyson all over his ass.

“You know what?” She stuck her face right in his. “Bring it on, fucker.” He tried to hide his shock, but she detected a slight widening of his eyes and it spurred her on. “I dare you to do your worst,” she continued, moving back from him again. “Because, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn. In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve got all the power here, and you can’t touch me. So why don’t you run on back up to mommy and sit around on your spray-tanned ass and mooch off her marriages.” Suck on that, dickweed. He lunged at her. She gave a startled gasp as he grabbed hold of her arm in a surprisingly tight grip. “I’ve about lost my patience, you little whore,” he snarled. “I’m to the point where I’m not asking nicely anymore. Let me tell you this in a way you’ll understand.” He got right up in her personal space, his eyes full of menace. “Get your fucking ass up to Connecticut, sign over that trust to my mother, or so help me God, I’m going to make you wish you’d never met me.” Too late for that. She had never seen him so pissed before. She was ashamed to admit a spike of fear shot through her at his threatening stance. But she shoved it aside and let her anger take over. By driving her knee up and connecting with his crotch.

He doubled over and let out a howl of pain. She leaned over him. “Don’t you ever lay your hands on me again. And I wouldn’t advise coming back here. Because if my small-town loser boyfriend heard you speak to me like that, trust me, you’d get much worse than a swift kick to the nuts.” It was the first time she’d called Hunter her boyfriend. And surprisingly, she hadn’t spiraled into a panic attack after she’d said it. Well, not over that, anyway. Her stepbrother slowly, carefully, rose to his feet and inched toward the door. “This. Isn’t. Over,” he gritted out. “Yes. It is,” she replied, smiling in gratification. He stumbled to his car without another word. As she stood in the doorway, watching him peel out, she heard footsteps approach. “Hey,” Ivy said. “Everything okay? I heard shouting.” Jade managed to nod her head. “Yeah, I’m fine.” “Who was that?” Ivy asked, nodding toward the vanishing car. “My evil stepbrother.” Her friend’s brow hiked. “And I’m guessing his visit wasn’t the pleasant sort?” The question didn’t need to be answered. There were so many thoughts ricocheting around in Jade’s head, her brain felt like it was going

haywire. Her emotions were all over the place. She needed Hunter. Now. But he wasn’t supposed to get home for another hour. His spare key. She knew where it was, and she could go wait for him until he got home. She just needed to be away from her own house and the stench of her stepbrother’s memory. She grabbed her purse, locked her front door, and rushed down the walkway to her car. “I’ll be back later, okay?” Ivy followed her. “Jade, wait! Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to talk?” “Everything’s fine. We’ll talk later. I promise.” Without looking back, she got into her car and sped off toward Hunter’s place. Surprisingly, she started to feel…damn amazing. The scene at her house marked the first time in… ever…that she’d actually stood up to her stepfamily and told them where they could shove it. She felt changed. Like a new, stronger person, who could do anything she wanted. Be anything she wanted. Have anyone she wanted. And suddenly, everything became clear. She had been holding part of herself back from Hunter. Convinced that if she were to give him all of herself, her heart would somehow, at some point, be smashed into a million pieces. But now she

realized she no longer wanted to hold back her emotions. Keeping herself closed off wasn’t fair to Hunter—or to her—and she wanted to give their relationship a fighting chance. They liked each other—really liked each other— and they wanted to be together. At the end of the day, that was all that mattered. She wanted Hunter to be hers. All hers. And now, she was ready for him to know it.

Chapter Twenty-Four Hunter took the fastest shower of his life. He’d busted his ass to get home as soon as humanly possible so he could get over to Jade and her desserts. He was an hour ahead of schedule. He was scrambling around his house looking for a clean shirt when someone knocked on his front door. Damn it. He sped across his living room. He didn’t have time for— “Rebecca?” His ex stood on his doorstep wearing a dress that would have made Miley Cyrus blush, a devious smile plastered on her face. Hell, no. He really didn’t have time for this. “What do you want?” he asked impatiently. She didn’t react to the ire in his tone, but sashayed inside. “I just came to check up on you. You know, see how you’ve been. Hear how work’s been going.” He gripped the doorknob tightly in an effort to not throw her out on her ass. “Work would be a lot

better if your boyfriend would sign off on the damn contract,” he bit out. “What the hell’s taking so long?” “Oh, I don’t know,” she said nonchalantly, running her finger along his mantelpiece. “It might be because a certain someone persuaded him to take his time making his decision. You know, to figure out if you’re the right guy for the job.” Hunter’s shoulders tensed. “What? We had a deal —” She spun around to face him. “Yeah, a deal that you reneged on!” He kept his face carefully blank. “What are you talking about?” She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t play dumb. You’ve been screwing that slutty redhead for weeks.” She shrugged. “I thought maybe you’d wise up, but you haven’t. We had an agreement, Hunter. You don’t work on that bitch’s store, and you sure as hell don’t sleep with her. Otherwise, I convince Dan you’re not quite up to the task of the condo project.” Hunter clung to his temper and shook his head. “This is ridic—” “The rules were simple,” she said, cutting him off. “And you broke them. All you had to do was stay away from her. Obviously, you don’t care about the future of your company. That bitch has you so pussy-whipped you’re willing to turn down a

huge deal like this for a cheap lay.” Red hot fury whipped through him. This time, she’d gone way too far. He opened his mouth to tell her so. “Call me a bitch one more time,” an angry female voice said from the doorway, “and I’ll drag you out of here by your goddamn weave.” He jerked his head around. Ah shit. Jade.

Chapter Twenty-Five This was not happening. Jade couldn’t believe what she’d just overheard. She desperately fought the tears of anguish welling up in her eyes. She had just been riding the highest high of her life. It was not supposed to be directly followed by the lowest low. “That was why you quit the store job?” she demanded of Hunter, her voice cracking. “Why you kept refusing to help me? Because of her?” Please, please don’t let that be the truth. “What?” Rebecca said with a sneer. “You actually thought he cared about you?” Hunter spoke before Jade could sling insults at the skank. “Baby, please, let me explain.” She tried to prevent the pain of betrayal from showing on her face. But the reflection of hurt in Hunter’s eyes said he could see exactly what the discovery was doing to her. Total devastation. He took a step toward her, and she automatically retreated, sidestepping into the room.

He halted. “Not because of her,” he said. “Turning down your job was purely a business decision. A decision I made before I ever met you. Remember? Before…the hotel.” “And afterward?” she challenged, her voice rising. “After we had sex? Even after I met your sister and your parents, you still…went along with your ex-girlfriend’s wishes? Or maybe she’s not your ex?” Rebecca snorted. “Not for much longer, anyway.” “Shut up, Rebecca,” Hunter snapped. He kept his attention focused on Jade and put his hands out to her as if begging for forgiveness. Or mercy. “Of course she’s my ex. Jade, please understand,” he said evenly. “That decision was about what’s best for my company. I needed that condo contract. I still need it. Turning down your job was never personal.” “It was personal to me!” she shouted. “This whole time I’ve trusted you and respected your decision. But she’s been pulling the strings all along? And the worst part is that you lied to me.” “Nobody has been pulling my strings,” he argued. She could tell his control was starting to break. “This is about my whole future. What I’ve been working toward for the past ten years. Okay, yeah, I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t know

how.” His tone softened. “None of that takes away from us. Everything that happened between us was real, Jade. None of that was a lie.” She helplessly lifted her arms and let them fall back to her sides. “You weren’t honest with me. You knew I desperately needed help. That I was running out of money. You could at least have told me what was going on. But you didn’t. That was also your decision. One you made all by yourself.” She whirled and stalked toward the door. “Buh-bye,” Rebecca said with unabashed satisfaction. Jade spun back around to face the woman. “I might be a lot of things, but at least I’m not desperate enough to throw myself at a man who clearly wants nothing to do with me. Hunter throwing you out on your cheating ass should have been your first clue.” Rebecca hissed out a breath and opened her mouth to retort. Jade waved her off, pivoted, and marched out the door. After the whole Lane episode, the last thing she could deal with was a devastating betrayal from the man she had fallen in love with. Because, yes, she had fallen in love with Hunter Sparks. But now the jerk would never know it. She was done with him. Done with this town. And done with being a fool.

She’d been right all along. Love never lasted. It was all just a big lie. And it always, always ended in pain. “Jade, wait!” he shouted, running after her. He snatched up her arm and tried to slow her down. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what was going on. Please don’t—” “Stop.” She yanked her arm out of his grip. “I can’t deal with this right now. Not on top of—” She slashed the air with a hand. Screw it. She heard his heavy footsteps behind her when she kept stalking toward her car. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Did something happen?” Her head felt like it was about to explode. “Just leave me the hell alone, Hunter.” She needed time to think. About what all this meant. About what she intended to do, now that her pretty fantasies had all come crashing down to reality. She got behind the wheel, but he grabbed the door before she could slam it shut. “Talk to me, Jade. What’s wrong?” She shook her head, wanting to laugh at herself for being so freaking naive. “What’s wrong? What isn’t? I can’t believe I was so stupid. I moved here to make a fresh start, and what happens? I fall into bed with the first man I meet, run into nothing but roadblocks with my business, and can’t even

escape my miserable past. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about any of this.” Words were coming out of her mouth faster than she could think. “Baby, I didn’t mean to lie. I just—” She waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever. I guess we didn’t exactly establish a solid foundation of trust from the beginning, did we.” A statement, not really a question. “That’s bullshit, and you know it,” he growled. “Do I?” She looked up at him, not expecting an answer. She didn’t really want one. “I was fooling myself that I could just move here on a whim and make something good happen. Be happy. Real life just doesn’t work that way. I should have known better. Especially when things started feeling too good to be true.” “Stop it,” he urged. “You are happy here, Jade. It has been real. Rebecca—” “Has nothing to do with it,” she finished with sudden clarity. “You’re right. This is about you and me. Obviously, I don’t mean enough to you to be honest with me. So, what’s the point?” “This is unbelievable,” he ground out. “You can’t seriously—” “What’s unbelievable is that I actually thought we could make it all work. That I could just pack up my life and a new one would magically appear when I moved. Clearly, that isn’t in the cards. Bad

things have a way of following me wherever I go.” “What bad things?” he asked, his voice stern. “I know something else must have upset you. Other than Rebecca. Tell me. Please,” he added when she remained mute. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly. “Let go of the door, Hunter.” Her tone was like steel. She’d be damned if she was going to let a single emotion shine through to make herself even more vulnerable. He watched her for a minute, hurt and anger written all over his face. “You’re going to leave? Just like that? Without even trying to fix this? Us?” She wouldn’t let his words affect her. She was the one who’d been wronged, here. He had no business looking like a kicked puppy. “Please let go of the door.” He didn’t move for a moment. When he eventually did, taking a step back, he didn’t say a word. He just gazed at her in a way that made her heart break all over again. Driving away from him was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life.

Chapter Twenty-Six How had all this shit happened so quickly? Jade groaned, dropping her head onto the steering wheel, waiting for the fourth red light in a row. A cosmic sign, no doubt. Her life in Shell Grove could not be falling apart so badly. She had put too much time, effort, and money into making her life down here a success. She could not lose all of it in the blink of an eye. Hunter was the one person in Shell Grove—hell, in the entire world—she’d thought she could trust, no matter what. But tonight made her question that. And by extension, made her question everything about her new life. Going on autopilot, a few minutes later she found herself pulling into the parking lot of The Clumsy Clam. Her subconscious apparently knew exactly what she needed right now. She beelined it for the long wooden bar, plopped herself down onto a stool, and got the bartender’s attention. The barkeep’s nametag read Destiny.

Really? The universe had one sick sense of humor. “Hey, honey,” Destiny greeted cheerily. “What can I get’cha?” Jade didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll have a Maggie’s Punch, please.” Destiny’s body froze, her eyes widening. “Um…” “And do me a favor. Keep ’em coming.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven Holy shit, what had just happened? Hunter stalked back into the house. Because it sounded a lot like Jade had just told him she couldn’t trust him, and that she was leaving Shell Grove. That could not happen. For many reasons. But mainly because he’d recently come to the conclusion that she was it for him. The One. He was not going to lose her. Especially not over a stupid misunderstanding. There wasn’t anything in the world he would let come between them. Nothing he’d allow to jeopardize their relationship. Speaking of which— “Well, now that she’s gone…” Rebecca crooned behind him. “Get out, Rebecca,” he snapped. “Now.” “What?” She sounded way too damn cheery, considering the level of destruction she’d just caused. “I thought we were going to—”

“Out!” he yelled. He swiped his keys off the kitchen counter, pushed her out the front door, locked it behind him, and jogged to his truck. He had to fix this. Quickly. Before there was nothing left to fix. “Hunter!” Rebecca screamed. “Where are you going?” He turned to glare at her before shutting the truck door. “If you ever try to interfere in my life again, I’m going to tell the entire town about your nose job. And don’t for a minute think I won’t.” It sounded weak. But since she actually cared—a lot—about what other people thought of her, he knew it was a direct hit. He slammed the door in her face, gratified at her outraged expression, then backed out of his driveway, tires squealing. Jade’s house was the first place he went to find her. It was quickly apparent she wasn’t there. Her car wasn’t in front and all the lights were off in the house. He stood on the front porch, gripping his head with his hands, trying to figure out where she could have gone. “Are you looking for Jade?” a female voice called. Dropping his hands, he looked over to see Ivy standing at the foot of the driveway with a worried expression.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Have you seen her?” She gave a small nod. “Sort of. I’m looking for her, too. She ran out of here earlier after her stepbrother paid her a visit.” That put Hunter on high alert. “He’s in town? Are you sure it was him?” Ivy walked closer, nervously fidgeting with the fringe on her vest. “Yeah, it was definitely him. I was outside watering my plants, and I heard shouting coming from over here.” Shouting? Shit, that didn’t sound good. Based on what Jade had told him about her stepfamily, they were nothing but trouble. “I walked in as soon as he left,” Ivy continued. “I tried to get her to tell me what was going on, but she just took off. Told me we’d talk later.” The whole situation was making him even more apprehensive. He didn’t have a clue why Lane would be in town, but it couldn’t have been for anything good. And having that close encounter with Rebecca right afterward probably hadn’t helped Jade’s state of mind. Definitely hadn’t. His cell phone rang, breaking him out of his anxious thoughts. He reached in his pocket, praying for a miracle that it would be Jade. Frustration spiked in his blood when he saw Finn’s name instead. “What?” Hunter answered tersely.

“So, you might want to get your ass down here,” Finn said cautiously. Hunter’s body stilled. “Why? What’s going on?” “Jade’s here at the bar and…she’s pretty drunk.” Finn grunted. “I wasn’t here when she showed up, but apparently she’s been downing Maggie’s Punches like water. I cut her off, of course, but she’s refusing to go home. Figured you might want to come handle this yourself.” Hunter’s eyes closed with relief at knowing where she was. But a sense of foreboding wasn’t far behind. Getting drunk alone wasn’t like her. “I’m on my way.” He hung up and ran for his truck. “Come on,” he said to Ivy. “She’s down at The Clumsy Clam, laying one on. I’ll probably need your help to talk her off the ledge.” Ivy climbed into his truck, eyeing him speculatively. “Why?” He sped down the street, his hands tightening on the wheel. “We kind of got into an argument, and she’s pretty pissed at me.” He was grateful when Ivy didn’t ask for an explanation. The spike piercing his heart drove in deeper when he walked through the door and saw Jade slumped over the bar, propped up on a stool as the bartender handed her a glass of water. Ivy rushed toward her, but he hung back for a second, catching Finn’s eye near the end of the bar. Hunter nervously rubbed the back of his neck and

slapped Finn’s shoulder. “I appreciate the phone call. Thanks for looking out for her.” “No problem,” Finn replied. “What the hell happened, anyway? You don’t choose to drink Maggie’s Punches lightly.” Hunter shot him a look. “Rebecca happened.” Finn nodded in understanding and returned the shoulder slap. “Well, good luck, man. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.” No shit. Probably all he could get. Hunter blew out a heavy breath and headed toward Jade, who was gesturing wildly to Ivy, as if in the middle of telling a story. But when Jade’s eyes fell on him, the smile instantly left her face and her hands dropped to her sides. If that wasn’t the most discouraging thing, he didn’t know what was. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Ssssparky,” she mumbled, wagging her finger in his face. “I wasth…wasssted a perfectly good dress on you.” Oh, he’d noticed the damn dress, all right. And that she was still wearing it. She must have come straight here from his place. Thank God it was Finn’s bar she’d waltzed into wearing that killer dress. Anywhere else, and she would have been mauled by every man within a two-hundred-foot radius. It made him even angrier that she’d gone to all that trouble wearing it for him and he hadn’t been

able to properly appreciate it. Or express that appreciation. Because the night had been shot to hell, and all that. Ivy wrapped an arm around Jade and helped her from the stool. “Come on, honey. Let’s go home, okay?” Jade fell into a fit of giggles when she tripped over her own feet. “Shucks, ya know…they weren’t lying about Maggie’s Bunch. Packsss a wallop.” She laughed hysterically. “Wallop. Is that a Southern thing?” He shot out a hand to help steady her as she teetered and wove toward the exit. She immediately slapped it away. “No touching,” she muttered. “Not after you lissstened to that trollop when she told you to ssstay away from me. That— Hey! Trollop rhymes with wallop!” More laughter. He would have laughed along if he weren’t so damned angry and annoyed. “Jade, I told you. It was never about going along with Rebecca’s stupid schemes. I—” Oh, what the hell. Jade was drunk. There was no point in arguing. Even if just hearing her insinuate that he gave a flying fuck what his deranged ex wanted, bothered him to his very core. “Ssave your breath.” She squinted up at him and took turns closing one eye at a time, making it look

like she had a tick. “I’ve got two eyes and I can see both of you just fine. I know what’s going on here. I’m not ssstupid.” He bit back a sigh and didn’t say anything as he and Ivy carefully placed Jade in the backseat of his truck. Ivy sat in the back with Jade’s head in her lap as he drove back to her house. By the time he got there, Jade was semi-passed out. Ivy unlocked the door, and he carried Jade back to her bedroom. While Ivy was busy getting water, aspirin, and a change of clothes for Jade when she woke up in the morning, he had a few moments alone with her. He laid her gently on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open when he brushed her hair off her face. “I’m mad at chou,” she murmured. “I know, baby. I’ll make everything better, though. I swear.” Her mouth tilted in a sad smile as her eyelids drooped. “Can’t.” Her breathing started to even out. “Going back to Conticennicut. Money’sss there. Famwy…” She hummed out a drunken sigh. “Go ’way forever.” What? Her babbling wasn’t making any sense. Was she going back to Connecticut? Forever…? What the hell had that asshole Lane said to her? The money must mean her trust. But she’d told Hunter she couldn’t face the stepmonsters long enough to sign the papers to get it. Had she finally

decided to go back…for the money? That didn’t sound like her. She’d been so determined to make her business a success all on her own. Besides, hadn’t she also said she wouldn’t get the payout for another three years? Or… Had he once again been dumped by a woman looking for a man with a bigger bank account? He knew better than to take the ramblings of a drunk woman to heart but… Alcohol didn’t exactly make a person lie. It just lowered one’s inhibitions, oftentimes allowing the truth to explode to the surface. Maybe the money was more important to her than she’d let on. Maybe she’d just been downplaying it to spare his feelings. Or his ego. Because he didn’t have enough zeroes to his name. Hell, maybe he didn’t really know her at all. He rose to leave when he felt her falling asleep, but stopped at the sound of her soft, muffled voice. “Just sucksss ’cuz…think I…love…you.” Those were the last words she spoke before slumber carried her off. And he was left there, staring down at her in shock.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Jade felt like one of those cartoon characters with her head in a vise. She was afraid to even open her eyes for fear of the pain the sunlight would bring to her already pounding head. “Just let me die now,” she groaned into her pillow. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She popped upright at the sound of Ivy’s voice and immediately regretted the action. She managed to crack open her eyelids to see a blurry vision of Ivy sitting at the foot of her bed, holding out a glass of water. Jade took it gratefully. Her friend just sat there silently regarding her, apparently waiting for her to speak first. “They should rename that drink The Devil’s Nectar,” she grumbled into the glass. Ivy chuckled. “I warned you not to go down that road. Though, I think Maggie’s Punch to the Face should also be nominated.” Even laughing hurt Jade’s head. “I’m sorry I got

so drunk. I don’t remember everything that happened last night, but I know you brought me home. So, thank you. For taking care of me.” Ivy looked every inch the concerned friend. “You’re welcome. Everyone’s entitled to let off a little steam every now and then by getting hammered.” She lowered her head and added in a softer voice, “Though, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will solve anything.” Jade nodded, then winced. “I know. I’m sorry this all fell on you.” Ivy’s head jerked up, her brow furrowing. “It wasn’t just me. Do you not remember coming home last night?” Jade thought about it, fighting through the thick fog that clouded most of her memories after the first Maggie’s Punch. She remembered fighting with Lane, Ivy showing up, running away and going to… Hunter’s place. She cringed. Rebecca. The bar. Tuxedo-wearing flamingos… Suddenly, she had a fuzzy recollection of Hunter helping her into bed. Damn. “You and Hunter brought me home,” she whispered. She scrubbed her hands down her face, sighing. “And I most likely made a giant ass of myself.” Ivy lay down on the bed beside her. “As I said,

everyone’s entitled. You were mumbling stuff about what happened last night. I didn’t catch all of it, but…you know there’s nothing going on between Hunter and that bargain basement hooker. Right?” Jade’s heart twisted painfully. “I know that. But there were other things going on that he never told me about. I just feel tricked. Shouldn’t he have been honest if he truly cares about me?” Ivy hummed in agreement. “Yes, he should have. But if I’m understanding the situation correctly, he made his decisions before he ever met you. And I get why he would have gone along with Rebecca’s twisted demands. I’m sure he didn’t like doing it. But he’s trying to grow his business, and jobs like that condo development don’t pop up around here very often. At the time, I’m sure giving up your renovation job seemed a small sacrifice for the greater good.” The truth of those words nagged at Jade, insisting she believe them. “It’s just…” She sighed, trying to organize her thoughts, though the hangover was making that a bitch of a task. “Why couldn’t he be open with me about it? Didn’t he feel he could trust me?” Ivy was silent for a moment. “I don’t know, sweetie. But Rebecca is the most manipulative person I know. And Hunter is the most honorable, aside from my Garrett. Whatever his reasons, I know he would never intentionally do anything to

hurt you.” Jade eased herself up and off the bed with great effort. “It still hurts. But, whatever. Right now, I’ve got other things to handle.” “You mean your stepbrother,” Ivy offered. “What was all that about?” Jade pulled her suitcase out of her closet and started throwing random pieces of clothing inside. “It’s a long story, but basically, he and my stepmother want me to sign over my trust fund to them. Lane proposed a trade, of sorts. I give them unlimited access to the funds after I get my portion of the payout, and they stay away from me for good.” “Seriously?” Ivy looked skeptical. “Are you going to do it?” That was—literally—the million-dollar question. But Jade already had her answer. “Hell, no. Parasites don’t get to thrive.” Ivy chuckled. “Someone needs to put that on a Tshirt.” It finally seemed to dawn on her what Jade was doing as she took in the suitcase and scattered clothes on top of the bed. “Wait. What are you doing?” “Packing.” “Why?” Ivy asked, her voice shaky. “I’m going back to Connecticut,” Jade answered emotionlessly. “I have to go up there and sign the inheritance papers so I can finally get this over

with. Once and for all.” Ivy shot to her feet, her face showing panic. “You’re coming back, aren’t you?” Jade paused again. “I think so.” She laughed mirthlessly. “Sometimes I don’t even know why I moved here in the first place. When I think about it rationally, the whole idea sounds insane—that moving here would suddenly make my life better. Everything I was running away from ended up finding me, anyway.” Ivy walked around the bed to stand in front of her. “Girl, that’s crazy talk. You own your own business now. You have a house here. Friends. You’ve made a good life here for yourself. That doesn’t sound insane to me.” Jade smiled sadly. “Easy for you to say. You have a wonderful husband who loves you. And people don’t gossip about you every time you walk down the street. Ever since I moved here, there have been signs everywhere telling me I just don’t fit in. I guess I’m just now starting to pay attention to them. But, hey, at least I tried, right?” Ivy scoffed. “You really think people don’t gossip about me?” she asked pointedly. “There’s always gossip in a small town like this. You can’t listen to it.” That confused Jade. “Why would people gossip about you? Everyone here loves you.” Ivy’s face softened. “Not everyone. Let’s just

say, there are still some people in this country who don’t like seeing a white man with a black woman.” Jade’s breath caught in her throat. “That is so last century.” “Things are changing. But there are still smallminded prejudices I have to deal with every now and then.” Jade had stopped packing, giving her friend all of her attention. “I’m sorry,” she said, laying a comforting hand on Ivy’s arm. “I guess I’ve never noticed anything like that. Why have you guys stayed here, then?” Ivy shrugged. “Unfortunately, there are people who still think like that all over the country.” Her mouth spread into a sincere smile. “Besides, we both love it here. Garrett’s job and family are here. My family is only a few hours away. This is a great place to raise kids.” Jade pulled her in for a hug. Ivy shot her a serious glance when they broke apart. “All I’m saying is that you need to give Shell Grove a real shot. I can tell you’re happy here. This thing with Hunter is just a big misunderstanding and will blow over. You’ll see. Please don’t leave for good, especially not on bad terms.” Jade squeezed her hands in reassurance. “I’m just going to take it one step at a time,” she said. “I need to deal with the stuff up in Connecticut first. I can’t figure out anything else until that’s resolved

and behind me.” Ivy studied her for a second before nodding. “I understand. Are you going to talk to Hunter before you leave?” Jade swallowed. “I don’t really think I have the emotional capacity to discuss last night with him. Not yet. One thing at a time.” Ivy looked like she wanted to argue, but kept her opinions to herself. “At least tell Hunter where you’re going. For my own peace of mind.” Jade chuckled. “Yes, Mom.” “Not to mention the fact that you owe me,” Ivy added with a smirk. “I know,” Jade said with a sigh. “For taking care of me last night. I’ll buy you a nice bottle of Merlot, okay?” Ivy raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t we call it a case? Because you didn’t exactly make it to the toilet in time last night. And Maggie’s Punch punched its way onto your bathroom floor. Luckily, I have an iron stomach.” Jade fell back onto her bed, groaning in humiliation. “Oh God. A case, it is.” “By the way, has anyone ever told you that you hiss like a snake when you’re drunk?”

Chapter Twenty-Nine Jade chickened out and sent Hunter a text instead, like a coward. Maybe it should have said more than: JADE: WENT TO CONNECTICUT. WE’LL TALK LATER. But she quickly sent off the text and turned her phone to airplane mode before she could secondguess herself. She closed up her store, leaving a CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE sign in the window. Then she hopped on the first plane to Hartford without giving herself much time to think about any of it…including what she was heading into, or how little money she had left in her account after buying the ticket. She needed to do this. Now. And she had to stay strong if she was going to face off with Cassandra and Lane. And if she was going to finally read her father’s letter… Right before she dashed out her front door, she’d opened her treasure box and grabbed it. It had taunted her for too long, screaming at her to read it. She didn’t know if she was ready, but then again… Would she ever be ready?

It was dark by the time her flight landed and she checked herself into a hotel. She had set up an appointment with the trust accountant first thing the next morning. So, for the rest of the night, she would raid the hotel’s mini fridge, indulge in the harmless-looking tiny liquor bottles, and read her father’s final words to her. Despite getting her ass kicked by Maggie’s Punch the night before, she needed some liquid courage to read his letter. Hopefully, the alcohol would numb some of the pain that had never left her since his death. After several deep breaths, she settled onto the bed, pulled the letter out of her purse with shaky hands, and opened it with slow, reverent movements. Her eyes immediately watered when they landed on her father’s elegant cursive handwriting. She had once told him if he’d lived back in the Middle Ages he would have been a scribe. She could still remember the way he’d laughed at that. Once she started to read, it didn’t take long for the tears to start streaming down her cheeks. My darling Jade, If you are reading this, it means I am now gone. I wish we could have spent more time together, but I have accepted that my health will not allow me to live long enough to see my daughter get married or bounce my future

grandchildren on my knee. I know you must be grieving, but I do not want you to mourn me. I have lived a good life and have seen all I wanted to see. I have loved deeply, in ways I never thought were possible. And I am leaving behind a beautiful, intelligent daughter who has brought me nothing but profound happiness as I have watched her grow from a delightful, bubbly little girl into an amazing young woman. I know you have never been one to care for materialistic possessions, for which I am immensely proud of you. But I have put the vast amount of my life’s fortune into a trust for you upon my passing. I also know that you have become a most remarkably independent woman, and you have done a wonderful job of earning your own way in life. Though I realize you do not need (or probably want) this money to live on, I still ask that you use it. Travel to Paris as you have always wanted, or buy a horse, or indulge in a beach house. I want to leave this world knowing that all of my hard work over the years will benefit you, allow you to achieve your dreams, and live the life you wish to lead. I have wanted nothing in this world but for you to be happy. And if this money helps to accomplish that, my final wish

is for you to use every last cent of it. I have left specifications for the trust to be transferred into your name upon your 28th birthday. Call me a sentimental old fool, but it’s the same age your mother was when I met her, and I felt it was appropriate. I have told you so many times how much like your mother you are, and it has always been the truth. Like her, you are gentle and kind, passionate and loyal, and strikingly beautiful. Not to mention you could both have a bit of temper when pushed. I always assumed it was the red hair. Your mother was the great love of my life, and I have missed her every day these many years. I pray that you will know that kind of love one day, Jade. That your heart will give itself to someone worthy of your love. That he will take care of you and cherish you every moment of every day, because, as we both have learned, life can be so very fleeting. You deserve to find someone who will make you the light of his world, as your mother was mine. If I have one regret, it is that in my desperation for companionship during my loneliest years, I fell victim to Cassandra’s wiles. It was an old man’s folly, one I subjected you to, and for that I am sorry. As a man of principle, I felt I had a responsibility to uphold, which I honored. But

if I can make one final request, I ask that you not allow Cassandra and Lane to erase the memory of our true family and all that we once were. Stay strong in your convictions, as you always have, and protect what is most important. Now that I am gone, you must think you are all alone, but you are not, my darling girl. Your mother has watched over you since she left us, as I am now doing with her. I hope you know how much we love you. You will always have us with you, wherever life may take you, and I want you to live that life to the very fullest. You deserve every magnificent thing this world has to offer. May you find peace and joy and a love so great that nothing else around you seems to exist. Be happy, my precious daughter. Until we see each other again, Your loving father Heart-wrenching sobs ripped from her throat as she collapsed against the plump hotel pillows. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to see her father again. No matter how much time had passed, the pain was as fresh as it had been the day she buried him. She drew herself a hot bath and sat there in the dim lights of the bathroom for an interminable amount of time, repeating her father’s words over

and over in her mind. Reflecting on every message he’d offered, and every request he’d made. Despite the feeling that she’d lost him all over again, it also felt as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. That unopened letter had haunted her these past months. She had been so afraid it might say she didn’t live up to his expectations, or that he wasn’t proud of the person she’d become. Now she never had to wonder about that again. Her heart warmed at her father’s last praises and encouragements. It gave her the courage to finish what she’d set out to do. To protect what was most important. Starting with signing those damn inheritance papers.

Chapter Thirty What the hell did she mean she went to Connecticut? When Hunter received Jade’s text, he’d barely been able to stop himself from shattering his damn phone against the wall. She was going to Connecticut, but she didn’t say if she was coming back. They would talk later, she’d said, but not when or where or what the conversation would be about. What was he supposed to think? Because after hearing her drunken mumbling the night before, he was imagining all kinds of things, and none of them were good. Was she choosing the money over him? Was she giving up on Shell Grove altogether? Every time he wanted to call her and get some answers, a voice inside his head whispered indecision into his brain. He was losing his ever-loving mind without her. After a long day of throwing himself into his work, he drove out to his parents’ place. He didn’t

want to be alone tonight, and he knew Finn had his hands full with an engagement party at the bar. When Hunter pulled into the driveway, his dad was walking toward the house, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. “Hey, boy,” his dad greeted him with scrunched eyebrows. “I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.” Hunter shrugged, attempting nonchalance. “Haven’t seen you and Momma in a few days. Figured I’d drop by, see what you needed done on the shed.” Because as long as he kept his hands busy, his mind wouldn’t be. His father’s face showed skepticism, though he nodded. “I reckon I could use a little help moving some of these new boards.” He gestured toward the bed of his truck where several large pieces of lumber lay. “The chicken ’n’ dumplins your momma made for dinner are prob’ly still warm if you haven’t eaten. And I guess there’s fruit salad for dessert.” When Hunter shot his dad a questioning look, his answering expression said don’t ask. “She’s trying to get us on another health kick.” Hunter laughed. “You would think she’d have learned after all these years.” His father shook his head. “That’s what I keep trying to tell her.” He walked to the truck and

started hauling away a wooden plank. “Grab that other end, would ya?” They were halfway to the shed when his dad spoke up. “Something on your mind, son?” Yes. “Why do you ask?” The old man chuckled. “Because you’ve been with your new girlfriend every night for the past three weeks. That’s why we haven’t seen you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “And tonight you’re not. Just wondering why.” Hunter tried not to let his frustration with Jade show. “She’s out of town for the weekend. Visiting family.” “I didn’t realize she had any family nearby.” “They’re her stepfamily, up in Connecticut. She had to sort out some stuff with them and her late father’s estate.” His dad hesitated for a second before he asked, “And she didn’t want to take you with her?” Hunter pursed his lips, tempering his anger. That had been the plan. “I didn’t really have a choice in the matter,” was all he said. They worked in silence for a while. After they unloaded all the lumber from the truck, they sat down in the rocking chairs on the front porch and popped open a couple of beers. “Everything going okay with you and Jade?” his father asked. “I don’t know if your momma and I ever told you, but we like her a lot. She’s a good

one.” Although their blessing was nice to hear, it didn’t do much in the way of easing his anxiety. “Actually, there was sort of a misunderstanding between us, and now I don’t really know what’s going on.” His dad narrowed his eyes. “What kind of misunderstanding?” Hunter explained everything that had happened the other night at his house with Rebecca, followed by Jade storming off. He left out the part where she got drunk as a skunk. “So, now she’s up in Connecticut doing I have no idea what, and she said we’d talk ‘later.’ Not when she got back, not tonight, just ‘later.’” “Well, damn, boy,” his father said, bewilderment in his tone. “Then what the hell are you still doing here?” Hunter blinked. Had he missed something? He said in confusion, “Because she said we would talk later.” His father scoffed, shaking his head. “Read between the lines, son. That’s woman-speak for ‘I want you to chase after me.’ Women are complicated creatures, and you can’t always wait for them to come to you.” Hunter fought back a grin. “Just because it always worked for John Wayne doesn’t mean it’ll work for me.”

His dad held up a finger. “Hey, even the Duke would tell you that love isn’t always patient. Sometimes you gotta push. Sure, that might piss ’em off at times. But other times, it could be the best thing you ever do.” “Yeah, well…” Hunter cleared his throat. “I’m not as worried about pissing her off as much as I am about keeping her around for the long haul.” His dad’s head swiveled toward him, but shame wouldn’t allow Hunter to meet his old man’s eyes. “What’s that s’posed to mean?” Just bite the bullet and say it. “She comes from money, Dad,” he explained. “A lot of it. She’s accustomed to certain luxuries that, well…” He pushed out a breath. “Hell, I probably can’t even afford to pay her phone bill, let alone keep her in fancy sheets and diamond jewelry. And with her going up to Connecticut and being reminded of her old life, she’s going to realize that slumming it down here with me was a fun little adventure for a few months, but not long-term. She’ll never be happy with an average Joe like me.” His dad peered at him incredulously. “Damn. I know I’m not hearing this,” he bit out. “You know it’s true.” His dad was well aware of Hunter’s previous failures with women. His father’s face was a shadow of disapproval— one that Hunter didn’t like being the target of. “I didn’t realize they were still messing with your

head like this,” the old man grumbled. Hunter feigned ignorance. “They, who?” His father rolled his eyes. “Those witchy women. The one from high school, then the one in college. That girl down in Charleston who married the baseball player. And how could we ever forget Rebecca?” “Rebecca’s not messing with my head,” Hunter replied evenly. “Maybe not directly,” his father said. “But her running off with that rich doctor screwed you up for a long time, which is understandable. Especially after those other women had also taken off with dollar signs in their eyes. That kind of history would give any young man’s ego a good kick in the pants.” Hunter snorted and chugged down some of his beer. “I don’t need a self-esteem lecture.” “Sure about that?” his dad said in his authoritative, fatherly voice. “You are not inferior to that Ridgefield doctor, or to Dan Ottman, or to any other man, no matter how much money he’s got in his pocket. And regardless of what happened in the past, it sure as hell doesn’t mean the next woman who comes along would have to lower her standards to be with you, no matter how much money she has in her pocket. Whatever lifestyle Jade is used to, she’s nothing like Rebecca.” Hunter knew that. But he hadn’t thought any of

those other women had been like that, either. Not in the beginning, anyway. “Yeah, she’s not now,” he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “But what if I don’t get that Seaside Properties project, or anything else like it, and my company goes nowhere? Will I still be good enough for her? Everyone cares about money to a certain degree. You need money to raise a family and provide for them. The life I can offer Jade isn’t the least bit flashy or impressive.” “You’re a hardworking man,” his dad pointed out. “She knows that, and she respects it. That much, I do know.” “Even if she accepts that kind of lifestyle now, she might come to resent it one day,” Hunter shot back. “Good money in my line of work is never a guarantee, especially around here. I’m out there busting my ass, but if we have a bad month or two, it means, ‘Sorry, honey, I can’t take you out to dinner tonight.’ Or ‘Sorry, but we can’t afford that new rug you wanted for the dining room.’ In my experience, women aren’t okay with financial uncertainty.” “Doesn’t mean Jade is like that.” “Doesn’t mean she isn’t, either,” he countered. “I just need to prove to her—and maybe to myself— that I’m never going to be…” He trailed off, choking back his words when he suddenly realized how insulting they would sound to his father.

“That you’re never going to be satisfied with what you had growing up.” His father’s voice wasn’t caustic in any way. More than anything, it was calm and reserved. Hunter’s whole body filled with shame. Yep. He was officially an asshole. There he was, complaining about how shitty those women had made him feel about not having enough money to please them, when he was doing the exact same thing to his own father. Hunter looked up apologetically. “That wasn’t what I meant. It’s just—” “Son, let me ask you something.” His dad leaned forward in his chair and faced him, looking straight into his eyes. “Did you have a happy childhood? I mean, were you and Mia happy growing up here with your momma and me?” “Of course,” Hunter answered immediately. “That’s never been in question, for me or for Mia.” His father nodded. “That’s because your momma and I made sure you were always happy. When you two were growing up, our focus was on raising you, not on how much money we could bring in each month. Sure, more money can make things easier, but it doesn’t always make them better. We both knew from the day we got married we were never going to be really well off. But as long as we always kept family first, things would be okay.” Hunter contemplated those words, feeling the

wisdom of them in his gut. “We wanted you to know the true value of a dollar,” his dad continued, “but also to realize that money is not the most important thing in life. Above all else, your momma and I wanted you to know that you were loved. Happiness can be found whether you’re rich or poor. It’s all about love.” Hunter’s mind went to all the fond memories he had of growing up. And he knew how incredibly lucky he’d been. “I don’t think you and Mom could have done a better job as parents,” he said sincerely. That seemed to please his dad. “We’d like to think so. I look at people like Rebecca—people whose parents bought them brand-new cars when they turned sixteen. Who never had a real job until they got out of college. Who treat people without money like garbage. And then I look at you and Mia, and am proud of the individuals you’ve become. That’s why I don’t regret a damn thing about the choices we made about what was most important in our lives.” “So, you’re basically saying I shouldn’t worry about money,” Hunter stated skeptically. “What I’m saying is, being a successful husband and father isn’t about bringing in more money. It’s about keeping your values and principles at the forefront of your marriage and the raising of your kids. Which I have no doubt you’ll do.”

“Easy for you to say…” Hunter murmured, his voice coming out raspy. His father leaned back in his chair. “Providing for a family is about a lot more than putting money in the bank. It’s about attending to your family’s needs and being the glue that holds everything together during rough times. It’s about never giving them a reason to question whether or not you love them. And it’s about putting their happiness before yours. That’s the kind of man you are, Hunter. Because that’s how I raised you. So, trust me, you’ll do just fine.” Damn. All those years of the old man busting Hunter’s balls for this and for that, and it turns out he’d had a purpose for everything the entire time. “You really think that will be enough to make Jade happy?” Hunter asked warily. “You tell me,” his father replied. “Though, you should already know the answer. Seems to me there’s a reason she moved here in the first place. That when she was ready to make a change in her life, she didn’t go back to what was familiar in Connecticut. She came here, instead. Sounds like maybe she doesn’t really want that life of privilege she grew up with.” Hunter lowered his head. “She did tell me she was happy here,” he murmured. His dad grunted. “Which is why I can’t figure out

why you’re still sitting here.” Hunter turned to see his father’s knowing expression focused on him. “Because…?” “She can’t change her past.” He shrugged. “The future’s a different story. Seems to me she’s doing her best to change that.” His dad was right. Hunter wasn’t being fair. Jade had never once looked down her nose at him, or anyone else in town, for that matter. Not for any reason. He needed to trust that whatever decisions she made about her life—and him—money was not her primary motivation. So it couldn’t be his, either. From now on, he couldn’t let the pursuit of wealth rule his life. Or the lack of it decide his future with Jade. If they still had a future together… Holy shit. Why the hell was he still sitting here? He shot up from his chair and slapped his father on the shoulder. “You know, you’re a hell of a lot smarter than we give you credit for.” His dad snorted into his beer bottle. “Again, something I’ve been telling y’all for years. If only your momma could see it.” “Oh, I see plenty, dear,” came his mother’s voice from the front door. Hunter peeked around to see her standing behind the screen door, gazing lovingly at his dad. “How

long have you been standing there?” Her eyes remained on his father. “Long enough to know that your daddy hasn’t been ignoring me all these years. That he actually does listen to what I say.” “Woman, I hear everything you say, and usually wish I hadn’t.” Hunter chuckled and took a last sip of his beer as he got to his feet. But he didn’t miss the look his parents sent each other before his mother shook her head and walked back into the house. His father waggled his eyebrows. “Well, this conversation sure earned me some major brownie points. Looks like I’ll be having more than just fruit salad for dessert tonight.” Hunter spit beer everywhere. “Eww, Dad. Gross.” His father cracked up, slapping his knee. “What? Your momma is still as fine as the day I met her, son.” Hunter groaned and set down his bottle. “I’m so going to need therapy.” His father just laughed harder. “Well, I’d love to go clean out my ears and pretend the last thirty seconds never happened,” Hunter said, hurrying down the porch stairs, heading for his truck. “But I’ve got a plane to catch.” And some plans to make. “The Duke would be proud, son!”

Hunter smiled and gave a backward wave. He was going to bring Jade back to Shell Grove and keep her here. Forever.

Chapter Thirty-One She’d finally done it. Jade had signed the paperwork. The trust her beloved father left for her was now officially in her name. No one else would possess the rights to those funds. Ever. “You’re absolutely sure about the rest of it?” she asked the trust accountant. “Those are really my father’s instructions?” The man in the suit adjusted his glasses and nodded. “He specified everything in detail and signed off on it before his passing. Legally, it’s all airtight.” The lawyer had told her the same thing about a dozen times during the last hour, but she still could hardly believe it. She was free and clear of…everything. “What in the hell is going on here?” Lane’s voice suddenly screeched from the open doorway. Well. Almost everything. She looked up to see her seething stepbrother

stomp into the conference room. He was followed closely by Cassandra, whose ramrod straight spine looked as if it was about to snap any minute. Jade took immense satisfaction as she leaned back against the desk chair, taking in both of their furious expressions. The tables had finally turned in her favor. Why the hell had she waited so long to do this? “Excuse me, Mr. Brigdon,” the accountant said politely, “but this is a private meeting between myself and Miss Hollingsworth. No one else is authorized to be present.” “Wrong. We have every right to be here,” Lane argued, and pointed down at the paperwork in Jade’s hands. “Our lawyer is on his way, and we are contesting these documents. My mother was Mr. Hollingsworth’s wife, and she is entitled to a portion of his estate.” Here comes the fun part. Jade grinned as she stood up and rounded the desk, a feeling of contentment washing over her. “Well, then you would be mistaken,” she said, handing him the paperwork. “Because I don’t see either of your names anywhere on these documents. So, you are entitled to exactly nothing.” He snatched the papers out of her hands and quickly looked them over, Cassandra reading over his shoulder. His gaze snapped back up to Jade’s,

his face darkening. “You’re going to regret this,” he said with a sneer. “Our lawyer will see to it that you have nothing left after he’s done with you.” Jade wasn’t worried. She would never again be affected by his threats. “You might want to reconsider your next move. Especially since this document is binding. Why don’t you go ahead and read paragraph six?” Lane and Cassandra peered back down at the papers, and Jade waited with bated breath for their reactions. Cassandra looked back up at her in panic and spoke first. “That can’t be right. He left it to me. It’s in my name.” The accountant started to speak, but Jade stopped him with a hand. “Argue all you want. Call all the lawyers you want, but that won’t change anything. With my signature, this document officially transfers the deed of your house—excuse me, my father’s house—into my name, which now makes me the official owner. Furthermore, my father’s entire estate is now under my sole ownership, giving me full legal rights to do whatever I please with it.” Lane sputtered. Cassandra blanched. Jade stepped forward, placing herself in an authoritative position directly in front of them. She gave them a pleasant smile. “And I am kicking you out.”

Cassandra’s face went slack with shock and Lane’s turned red with rage. “You can’t do that,” Cassandra said hoarsely. “I can, and I am,” Jade replied. Revenge was not a pretty emotion, but it was oh so satisfying. “We’ll destroy you,” Lane said with a snarl. “You can try,” she replied, unaffected by the lethal edge to his voice. “But since I know you’ve liquidated all of your assets and burned through all your money, leaving you essentially penniless, I don’t think you’re going to have a lot of influence around here. Let alone the wherewithal to pay an attorney.” Cassandra naturally decided to play the helpless victim card. “You can’t just kick us out on the street,” she whined. “We have nowhere to go. Where is your compassion?” Jade turned her sharp gaze on her icy stepmother. “The same place yours was when you went out and bought a new Maserati the week after my father died. Or when you sold half his possessions to pay for your timeshare in the Cayman Islands.” Cassandra was at a loss for words. “I—” “Save it,” Jade said coldly. “Come after me in any way, and I will have my well-paid team of lawyers bury you.” She smiled sweetly. “You have a month to vacate my house. And then I never want to see or hear from either of you, ever again. Do

not set foot on my property, and do not attempt to contact me, or there will be legal consequences.” God, that felt good. For the first time in years, she could breathe again. They stood there staring at her in disbelief. When they didn’t move, Jade added, “You may go now.” “I’d be happy to show them the door,” said a rough, masculine voice behind her. No way. She knew that voice. Knew the deep timbre. Recognized the restrained anger in the tone. She slowly turned around in confusion. “Hunter?” What was he doing here? How had he found her? He spared her a quick, affectionate glance, then turned a murderous glare on Lane. “You heard the lady. Get moving.” Lane laughed darkly. “Well, if it isn’t Jethro, here to save the day. Come to take your rich girlfriend back to your hovel down there in Podunkville? Wouldn’t want to let all that money slip through your fingers.” Hunter inhaled sharply, and Jade knew he was reaching his tipping point. “I wouldn’t—” she began. Lane pinned her with an evil smirk. “And, here, I thought you couldn’t stoop any lower. You’ve gone

from being your daddy’s little spoiled brat to a redneck gold digger’s whore of a meal ticket. Congratulations.” She saw it coming. But she wouldn’t have stopped it even if she could. Lane’s last word had barely reached her ears when Hunter pulled back his fist and slammed it into Lane’s jaw. The weasel’s head snapped back as his legs collapsed under him, and he fell to the floor, quivering and bleeding at Hunter’s feet. Her hero. Hunter stood over her former stepbrother with clenched fists. “Never speak to her again.” He reached down and grabbed the lapels of Lane’s jacket, hoisted him to his feet, and shoved him toward the door. “Now, get the fuck out of here.” Lane held his hand over his bleeding nose as he stalked out wordlessly, Cassandra rushing after him. Jade was tempted to call out, “I did warn you…” but somehow refrained from the parting shot. She’d won. That was all that mattered. Lane sent her one last glare over his shoulder, and then they were gone. Gone. For good. A profound sense of relief poured through her. Along with… A prickle of nerves.

She was vaguely aware of the accountant quietly excusing himself from the room and shutting the door behind him. She turned back to Hunter. He was slowly approaching her. “W-what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaky. Damn. She had just told the stepmonsters to go to hell, and now she was feeling apprehensive? “I came to find you,” he said, coming toward her with measured steps. Oka-ay… “Why?” He stopped about a foot away and raised an eyebrow. “Why did you leave without me? I told you that you didn’t have to come up here alone. Why’d you leave without even telling me?” She swallowed, searching for the right words. And couldn’t find them. Or maybe she was just terrified to say them. She opened her mouth…and wimped out. “You first.” Smooth. His upper lip curled. “I came to tell you that you’re never doing this again.” That got her attention. “Excuse me?” “That’s right.” He inched forward. “You’re never leaving me again. Or cutting me out of whatever is going on with you, without so much as a phone call.” She pushed out a breath and ran her hand through

her hair. “I shouldn’t have done that. I know I didn’t handle things the best way—” “You’re damn right you didn’t!” he blurted out. “You can’t do that to me, Jade. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Or if you still hate me…” “I’m sorry!” she said, her pent-up emotions fighting for release. “Please don’t yell at me. Of course I don’t hate you. I made a mistake.” His breathing was labored, as though he’d just finished running a 5K. For several moments he just stood there studying her, his muscles rigid. “You scared the hell out of me,” he finally whispered. Guilt washed over her. She’d been so selfish. Only thinking about her own hurt feelings. Never considering how he had felt about what had happened the other night. “Not just because you left without telling me.” His eyes held pain, his words a desperate plea. “But because I didn’t know if you were ever coming back. When you shut me out, and suddenly you were just…gone…it— Shit. It hurt. Of all the things you could have said or done after our fight, leaving like that was the worst.” His heartfelt words gutted her. She hadn’t once thought about how her taking off had affected him. While she’d been crying all alone in that hotel bathtub, what had he been doing? Damn. A tear escaped and trickled down her cheek,

followed by another. “I really am sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I was angry and didn’t think before I simply…reacted. I just felt I really had to resolve this part of my life”—she waved around the office—“before I could move forward with…the next part.” She bit her lip. “And?” he asked. “Is this part of your life resolved?” She nodded. “Yes.” “So, what’s next? What do you want now?” he asked. The uncertainty in his voice bothered her. She had never seen him look more nervous. And vulnerable. And wonderful. “You,” she answered, steady and confident. He hesitated, though his expression was starting to look a bit hopeful. “Are you sure? I’m really what you want?” She furrowed her brow. “Why wouldn’t I want you?” He pursed his lips. “Because I’m kind of a package deal. I’ll never leave Shell Grove. I’m happy there, my family and friends are there, my business is there. And then you moved there. I have everything I could ever want, right there. But do you? Is a life with me in Shell Grove good enough for you? Aren’t you going to want…more than that?”

She couldn’t stay away any longer. She stepped forward and went up on her tiptoes, grasping his face between her hands. Urging him to hear the sincerity in her reply. She had figured everything out last night in her hotel room. She knew what she felt for him, and exactly what she wanted—needed —from him. The fact that he’d tracked her down a thousand miles away to fix everything only confirmed her feelings. “There is no ‘good enough’ when it comes to a life with you,” she said. “Because you’re it for me. All I ever had in my life was my father, and he’s gone now. But in Shell Grove… I made a true home for myself. With my store, with my new friends, with you. How could I ever want more than that? Or want to leave you? You mean everything to me.” His eyes searched hers, blossoming with joy. “You’re really happy there?” The hopefulness in those words sent her heart aflutter. “Yes. I’m really, so very happy there.” He stepped back from her, his hands fumbling with something below his belt. “Well, in that case…” He got down on one knee. Omigod. He pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket, holding it out to her. “Jade Hollingsworth…”

Oh. My. God. He opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond solitaire on a platinum band. “From the moment I saw you walk into that hotel bar, I knew I had to make you mine. I never imagined being this happy in my life, not until you walked into it with your fiery red hair and your goofy stories.” More tears tracked down her cheeks, but she was smiling bigger than she’d ever smiled in her life. The love shining in his eyes as he smiled back made her knees weak. “You drive me completely crazy, and I want that. I want you to drive me insane every day. I started falling in love with you that night at the bar, and I’ve fallen deeper and deeper every day since.” He lifted the box up higher. “Please, Jade. Will you marry me?” She’d been wrong earlier. Now she had never seen him look more nervous or vulnerable. Or absolutely wonderful. Out of all the things she might have expected him to do or say after he walked in five minutes ago, this wouldn’t even have made the top twenty. She opened her mouth, but was still so stunned she couldn’t form words. Unfortunately, he took her silence as uncertainty. He frowned down at the ring, drawing it back. “I know it’s nothing super fancy. But I’ll save up and get you something nicer—”

Oh hell no. “Shut up.” She swiped the ring from the box and shoved it onto her finger. He frowned at her uncertainly. “Not exactly what a guy wants to hear when he’s proposing.” She brushed at her wet cheek, unable to tear her eyes from the gorgeous ring on her finger. “Then maybe you should try again.” She heard him breathe deeply and watched as he stood up. He took hold of her chin and lifted it, satisfaction sparking in his eyes as he captured her gaze with his. “Marry me, Jade.” She smiled even wider. “Yes. On one condition.” The nervous expression came back to his face. “Which is?” “You can’t ever buy me a new ring.” “But—” “This is the one you picked out, and this is the one I’m keeping. End of story.” He nodded once in approval. “Deal.” He pulled her into his embrace, pure elation on his face, and brought their mouths together. “I think it goes without saying,” she whispered between kisses, “but I’m totally in love with you.” His arms tightened around her. “I know. But even if you weren’t, I’d still have dragged you back to Shell Grove with me. I wouldn’t have given up.” She kissed him again. “I know. You’re stubborn that way.” They kissed and kissed, and kissed some more,

and held each other tight, brimming with happiness. Finally, she lifted her hand and allowed herself to look once more at the ring on her finger. Really look at it. It was perfect. She had no idea if it was a two-carat diamond or a cubic zirconia. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that he wanted her to wear it. So he could show the world that she was his. Which was a good thing, because she had been telling him the truth. He was it for her. He was everything she’d ever wanted. Everything she’d always love. And she couldn’t imagine anything sweeter than that.

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Acknowledgments The first person I have to thank for even making this book possible is my wonderful, angel of an editor, Nina. Whew! Our first two books are now out of the way! You’ve been absolutely amazing from the very beginning. I especially appreciate your patience because I know my inexperience probably drives you bonkers. But you have already shaped and molded me into so much of a better writer, and I can’t thank you enough. I truly love working with you, and I can’t wait for our future books together! As always, to my husband, Sean, I probably never would have started writing if it wasn’t for you. You’ve supported and encouraged me from day one, and made me believe that I could accomplish great things. YOU make my dreams possible. Thank you for that, and for every other beautiful thing you bring to my life. To my parents, as I embark on a new chapter of my writing, I’m constantly reminded of the foundation you both provided as I was growing up.

You have influenced more of my decisions in life than you could possibly know…in good ways. Your love and support over the years has led me to where I’m at today, and helped me become the person I am. To the rest of my family, it would be a cliché to say that you all inspire me. But you do. You inspire my stories, you inspire my characters, and you inspire my determination to do the very best I can with each and every project I take on. Despite all my quirks and craziness, you guys have always had my back through everything. Which makes me quirky and lucky. To the rest of the team at Entangled, I have to thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this fantastic group of fabulous people. You’ve opened more doors for me as a writer, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Lastly, to all of my readers, those who have been with me from the beginning and those who are brand new, THANK YOU times infinity. Your feedback over the years has been amazing, and your support has been overwhelming. I know that if you guys aren’t happy, then I’m not doing my job, so I always want to hear from you. Thank you so much for hopping on this rollercoaster with me, and for sticking with me throughout my journey! I so so soooo appreciate all of your love!

About the Author Traveler. Reader. Beachgoer. St. Louis Cardinals fan. Pasta-obsessed. North Carolina resident. Sarcastic. Bit of a nerd. Author of the Slow Seductions, Cruz Brothers, and Possession and Politics series, Melanie loves all things romance. From lighthearted comedies to sexy thrillers, she likes to mix it up, but loves her some strong alpha males and sassy heroines. Go visit Melanie’s website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects! You can also follow Melanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Goodreads. Discover the Slow Seductions series…

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