by Arthurs, Nia
“I’ll print pamphlets,” Benson murmured.
Carrie’s soft laughter carried them both to sleep.
* * *
The next day, he left Carrie’s apartment and got ready for the trip. When he was about to head out, he got a message. Benson checked the screen and grinned.
CARRIE: Eagle is on the move. Repeat. Eagle is on the move.
He texted her back and wished them a safe trip. Benson set his phone in his pocket and grabbed his duffel bag. He was meeting Sun Gi and Joon at the docks to catch the next vessel.
The brothers were waiting for him by the docks. Despite the fact that he didn’t know either of them well, he felt at ease. They were all Korean and all in love with incredible Belizean women. That bonded them more than anything else.
“You nervous?” Benson asked Joon after they’d boarded and were on their way. The boat soared over the water. Both the roar of the wind and the motor forced him to shout. “Or are you sea-sick?”
Joon’s pale face looked way too white. The guy needed a stomach pill or a paper bag.
“I’m fine!” Joon yelled.
Sun Gi, Joon’s brother, wore a big pair of sunshades. The wind whipped his thick brown hair and he scowled over at them. “You just had to propose before me, didn’t you, hyung?”
“You’ve barely known Jo for a year.”
“That’s more than enough time,” Sun Gi grumbled.
Benson laughed. “You were really going to propose?”
“I was looking at rings when Jo called and informed me we were going to San Pedro,” Sun Gi said.
Benson hid his smirk by ducking his head. How like Joana to ‘inform’ Sun Gi rather than ask. Carrie and her friends definitely belonged together.
Joon gripped the bottom of his chair when the boat went over a particularly rough wave.
“Whoa,” Benson called. “Steady.”
Sun Gi slapped his brother on the back. Despite his begrudging attitude, Benson could tell that he really cared about Joon. “Why are you acting like this is your first time, man? You already proposed to Hanna.”
“Hanna was different. I didn’t have feelings for her. Proposing was a business decision.” Joon Gi shot his brother a dark look. “As you should know.”
Benson leaned forward. “Did you two… date the same woman?”
“It’s a long story,” Sun Gi mumbled.
“What matters is the present. That’s in the past.”
“Cool.”
Benson decided to give the brothers some space and listened to music until he saw the island in the distance. The sandy beaches of San Pedro glistened like a million stars. Palm trees waved in the wind, welcoming them.
After they’d debarked, the guys strode down the pier and checked into the hotel further in. Benson spotted a familiar face when he walked into the airy foyer.
Carrie.
She noticed him at the same time and her stunning smile almost knocked him over.
“Joon?” Sky’s voice echoed in the room. She galloped toward Joon and threw her arms around him. Laughingly, she yelled, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to surprise you,” Joon said.
“Why? I thought today was a girls-only trip?” Sky shot Carrie a stunned look. “Wait, is this what I think it is?” A gasp tore out of her slim throat. “Are you proposing? Is this really happening?”
Joon dropped his girlfriend and sighed. “You’re so impatient.”
“Where’s the ring?” Sky demanded.
Benson chuckled and snagged his arm around Carrie’s waist when she gravitated to his side to watch the unfolding drama.
“Hey, Car.” He kissed her temple.
She smiled and whispered, “Hey.”
They both tuned back into Joon and Sky.
“Well, this wasn’t where or how I was planning it,” Joon Gi dropped to his knees, “but Sky Johnson…”
“No! No freaking way!” Sky covered her mouth.
“Will you do me the honor…”
Tears streamed down Sky’s face. “Joon Gi!”
Benson really couldn’t understand what the fuss was about. Sky and Joon must have talked about marriage before he popped the question. He glanced at Carrie who was staring at them with a soft look in her eye.
When it was their time, Benson didn’t want any drama. He’d pop the ring on her finger and tell her to pick a date. Plain. Easy. Simple. None of this fluff and screaming.
Joon Gi took Sky’s hand. The ring glinted in the sunlight. Benson heard a few women gasping as Joon said, “Be my wife?”
“Yes!” Sky screamed and jumped around the room, going so high despite her small size he was pretty sure she’d bust through the ceiling. “Yes. I’ll marry you!”
Everyone in the foyer applauded as Joon Gi put the ring on her finger. Sky drew him up and they exchanged a passionate kiss. Jo had her phone capturing the whole thing.
“Congrats, guys!” Jo yelled.
“Good luck with that one,” Sun Gi told Sky.
Carrie blew her friend a kiss while Benson nodded in approval.
Life was messy, unpredictable and filled with tragedy. He’d lost his sister and he’d found the woman of his dreams all in a short few months. Benson had no idea what life would throw at him next, but he couldn’t imagine having anyone else at his side.
Epilogue
The Caribbean Sea roared a melody of its own. The wind pulled the tide far out. Foamy waves snagged their teeth into the sandy shore before being hauled back into the expanse of the velvet horizon.
Carrie stared at the twinkling stars as she sat beside Benson on the beach behind the hotel. The view was spectacular and though the wind chilled the skin exposed in her short dress, Benson’s presence warmed her insides.
His arm hugged her waist and settled in her lap. His shoulders pressed against her side. Their legs were entangled together and glittered with sand from where they’d meshed their toes into the ground.
She took a deep gulp of the tangy sea air and let it out on a slow exhale. “I love San Pedro.”
Benson grunted his agreement.
“But my beach is better,” Carrie finished.
Benson held her closer, his chin scuffing against her forehead. “Because it’s where you used to look for seashells?”
“No.” Carrie looked at him with a soft smile. “Because it’s sort of where it all began.” She fingered a lock of her hair away from her face.
“That’s where it would have ended too, if you’d had your way.”
“No one asked you to chase me until I gave you my heart.”
“Don’t worry. I’m keeping it safe.” He tapped his chest. “Right in here.”
Carrie ducked her head as she grinned hard. “Gah. I can’t listen to you say things like that with a straight face.”
“What? It’s true.”
Carrie shook her head. “Just stop.”
“You’re just jealous of my lyrics.”
Carrie snorted and burrowed deeper into his side. “Shut up.”
Benson laughed and brushed her arm with his fingers, lighting her up everywhere he touched.
Maybe his hot pursuit had ended with her surrender, but she’d gained a lot more from losing than she’d ever thought she would.
THE END
* * *
Hello! Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. If you enjoyed this story, I would be honored if you would let others know by writing a review on Amazon. Your recommendation will help other fans of interracial romance find my work and it would mean the world to me. Thank you for your support!
Love, Nia
A Word From The Author
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Also by Nia Arthurs
The Taming Series
Taming Mr. Jerkface
Taming Mr. Charming
Taming Mr. Know-it-all
Taming Mr. Darcy
The Richards Books
Call Me Torn
Call Me Broken
Call Me Lost
Standalones
Chasing Daniel
The Switch
Axle’s Secret
The Good Brother
Something New
Love In Many Shades Series
Cece & David
Cece & David 2
Cece & David 3
Cece & David 4
Lovesick Series
Play
Dance
Trust
Sneak Peek
Swipe on for a sample of the fourth book in the Sweet Treats series featuring Jewel.
Chapter 1
Four years earlier
Dangriga, Belize
“You’ll get a thousand dollars in cash just for walking through that door.” A slender hand pointed toward a tall, iron door. “And don’t forget my cut. You owe me for setting you up with this gig.”
Jewel blinked rapidly. One thousand dollars? “Is it… safe?”
Anastasia narrowed her eyes. “It’s just a door.”
“I meant what’s behind it.”
Silence.
Jewel’s gaze slid from Anastasia to her friends who were staring her down like they knew a secret she didn’t. They were all older than her, juniors in high school. After years of being ignored, Jewel was grateful that they’d even paid her the time of day.
But this…?
It was too risky. She shuffled back. “I-I don’t think I can.”
“If you were just gonna back out like a little rat, why the hell did you waste my time?” Anastasia shoved her roughly. “He’s waited long enough.”
Jewel slammed against the wall. Sparks exploded behind her eyes. “Please… I just… I need a minute.”
Anastasia sneered. “You acted all desperate today at school. I thought you said you’d do anything to help your family?”
Jewel stared at the door again. One thousand…
Anastasia’s lips curled up in a menacing sneer. “That was all talk. You’re not big enough to handle this.” She swung around, motioning to her friends. Her long black hair slid against her lower back, pointing to the exaggerated dip in her tight dress. “Let’s go, guys.”
“Wait!” Jewel pushed off the wall and held a hand out to them.
Anastasia paused. Looked over her shoulder. Her tongue rattled against the back of her teeth like a snake. “Yessss?”
Jewel lifted her chin, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. “I’ll go.”
“Are you sure?” Anastasia bared her gums in a feral smile. “I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured…”
“Just open the door,” Jewel snapped.
“First, let’s look you over.” Anastasia bent down and drilled her fingers into Jewel’s cheeks. She winced as pain shot through her mouth, but she didn’t make a sound. Anastasia’s brown eyes narrowed. She turned her head left, right, up and down.
Jewel stood frozen, like a statue. This month’s bills stumbled through her head—electricity, Juney’s school fees, her textbooks…
One grand. I can do whatever they want for that much cash.
“She’s flawless,” Anastasia spit and then she threw her back so violently, Jewel skittered. “He’ll like that.”
She tried to catch her balance, arms wind-milling at her sides, but gravity turned its back on her. The heels Anastasia’s friends had loaned her were too small and pinched her feet.
Her fingernails scratched the surface of the brick wall. Unable to regain her footing, Jewel collapsed on the floor. Pain ricocheted up her palms and shuttled up her neck.
Everyone snickered.
Shame burning into her dark cheeks, Jewel clamored to her feet, hand against the grimy wall to keep her balance. Her heart trembled. Pounded. Adrenaline rushed through her veins.
A voice in her head screamed ‘run’.
And not towards that big, wooden door with the scary bouncers standing in front of it.
Away. Past the drugged-up men and women dancing aimlessly to songs that made her ears bleed. Past the parking lot and the warehouse that hid this underground club from the cops. Past the river and the school, until she made it home.
But Jewel ignored her own fright.
She had to do this.
There was no other way.
Anastasia’s heels clipped against the concrete. Jewel winced with every step she made. Click. Click. Click. Three shots to the heart. She pressed a hand to her chest, hoping that the contact would slow down her pulse.
It didn’t.
Anastasia’s tan fingers circled the knob. She pulled. The lever snapped. The door swung open, a yawning gap that leaked into a hazy, dim hallway.
Fear swallowed Jewel whole.
Panicked, she turned to Anastasia and begged, “C-can’t you come with me?”
“You have to go alone.”
Her throat pulled tight. Jewel shot another nervous look at the older girl. “You promise no one will touch me?”
“Yes. I swear.” Anastasia nodded soberly.
Jewel sucked in a shuddering breath. Deep inside, she knew that Anastasia was lying. What kind of gig paid so much money and required nothing? But she was too desperate, too pathetic to listen to that voice.
Jewel chose to believe Anastasia was telling the truth, whether it was foolish or not.
“Go on.” Anastasia tilted her head. The lone bulb splayed against her honey-brown skin and shrewd brown eyes. She whisked her fingers in the air. “I’ll see you soon.”
Jewel turned around and opened her mouth to ask what that meant when Anastasia thrust her forward and slammed the door locked behind her.
Darkness swallowed her whole. A scream barreled its way up her stomach, but just before she let it loose, Jewel noticed a light at the end of the corridor. She shuffled forward, drawn to the light and to the money awaiting her there.
“Think of Juney,” she mumbled, trembling. “Think of him.”
Her little brother hadn’t asked to be born to such a loser family. Juney was smarter than her, coming home with straight A’s and glowing reports from his teachers every day.
“He’ll do great things,” they said. “Great things.”
So Jewel could do all the dirty, ugly things instead.
The light grew brighter. She felt the warmth of it and yet goosebumps popped over her skin as if she was about to dive into frigid waters. Maybe she was. But she didn’t care.
Nothing mattered.
She didn’t matter. Not after all she’d been through. Whatever was waiting in that room couldn’t be worse than what her mom’s boyfriend had done, what her own boyfriend had done.
They’d taken away her choice, but now she was the one in control.
Jewel squared her shoulders and walked in.
The room was surprisingly large. It had a plush red sofa lying in front of a soft-looking white rug. Fancy lamps thrust a golden glow on the bare concrete walls that seemed stark in comparison to the lush furniture.
She glanced around, looking for… Jewel didn’t even know what she was looking for. The roaring in her head subsided when she realized there was no immediate threat.
Had Anastasia played a trick on her? Was this some prank to make fun of her, the freak who ate alone at lunch?
Anger burned in Jewel’s heart, but she also felt a glimmer of relief. No one would hurt her.
It also meant that no one would be handing her any cash.
The thousand dollars Anastasia had promised was a bust. So what? She’d move on. There had to be another way to make that kind of money. She wouldn’t be able to do it in one night, but…
The door she�
�d entered through creaked open.
Jewel spun and saw Anastasia. Her slender body seemed to glide over the floor. An excited glimmer sparkled in her brown eyes. She lifted her chin confidently, as if she’d won some prize.
Jewel’s lips flattened into a stern frown. “What’s going on?” Her words faded when she saw another man entering behind Anastasia.
He was… beautiful. Thick, luscious brown hair. Sandy-colored skin. Deep, soulful brown eyes. Thin lips. A jaw carved by an expert sculptor.
Jewel blinked rapidly. He was younger than she’d expected. Couldn’t be more than twenty-four or twenty-five.
“Is this her?” he asked. His voice was deep, causing her to second guess his age. That voice and the searing gaze belonged to an older man with a hundred years of experience under his belt.
Anastasia planted slim hands on her hips. “What do you think?”
Instead of responding to her, the handsome man stared at Jewel. It wasn’t a lecherous gaze. Unlike Stanley, her mother’s ex-boyfriend, who undressed her with his eyes, this man’s gaze was slightly removed, as if he were admiring a statue.
Suddenly, he nodded and spoke in a low voice. “Take your clothes off.”
Her heart exploded with a mixture of unease and nerves. Jewel stiffened but, strangely, she felt no horror, no fear. Something about this man made her usual resistance melt away. She wanted to please him.
What was wrong with her?
Jewel’s fingers trembled as she raised her arms to find the button at the back of her neck, but when she heard the sound of fabric thumping against the ground, she whipped her head to the left.
Anastasia stood in the golden light.
Buck naked. Her dress pooled around her bare feet.
Confusion spread in Jewel’s head as she watched Anastasia walk over to the man. He offered his hand. Anastasia took it and dropped to the rug, splaying her long black hair out behind her.
The man glanced at Jewel, smoothly ignoring the young girl prostrate in the thick fibers. His deep voice washed over the back of her neck and down to the tips of her toes. “Watch.”