When finally he collapsed beside me, we lay in the sand, completely naked, until eventually, the sights and sounds of this tropical paradise returned.
“My sister was fucking stupid,” I said, this time voicing my thoughts aloud.
His laugh carried overhead, dancing around us in the wind. “I guess that makes Brad perfect for her.”
Sand had invaded every crevice. I knew a stranger could happen by at any given time.
None of it was enough to expel the sheer bliss and satisfaction I felt lying there beside him.
I giggled.
His head swiveled toward me. “Something amusing?”
“Is that what you meant earlier by cake?”
His deep laughter made my toes curl. “You thought I actually meant wedding cake?”
I grinned up at the sky.
Cake by the ocean. By far, the best kind of cake I’d ever had.
* * *
* * *
I waited until everyone had left the bridal room to change into my dress. My sister still thought I was wearing the burlap sack she’d so lovingly chosen, but I had other ideas. She was probably going to be pissed, but I didn’t care, and by the time she saw me, it would be too late to change and there would be too many spectators for her to throw a fit.
I smiled when I pulled it off the hanger, remembering the dressing room where Kyle and I made out.
This morning, my body ached in places I didn’t even know I had, and I was pretty sure, even though I showered twice, I still had sand hiding out somewhere.
I was just taking off my robe when the door opened and closed behind me, and my hair swung with the force of my turn.
Kyle put a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet as he turned the lock on the door.
When he crooked a finger in my direction, I didn’t hesitate, but rushed across the carpet to his arms. In seconds, he had the robe ripped off me, and a low whistle came out between his lips when he saw the thigh highs, thong, and no bra I was rocking.
Opening his arms, he caught me when I leapt at him, wrapping my legs around his waist as he pushed me against the door. His lips latched onto my breast, and I sighed in delight.
Reaching down between us, I undid his dress pants and pushed at the waistband. With his boxers and slacks around his knees, I grabbed his dick, feeling it was fully willing and already wrapped.
Purring, I wiggled my ass, and he thrust upward.
My body accepted him immediately, clenching around his shaft while he pumped into me. My back slid up and down the cool steel, and little moans escaped me.
The orgasm came on hard and fast, taking us both down at the same moment. My legs were shaking when I leaned into the door and smiled.
Kyle carried me over to the bed, sitting me beside my dress, then went into the adjoining bathroom to clean up. A moment later, he came back out, tucking in his dress shirt and adjusting his tie.
After cleaning up quickly, I pulled on the dress, reapplied my smeared lip-gloss, and slipped my feet into a pair of nude heels.
“You ready for this?” Kyle asked, offering me his arm just before we left for the chapel.
“I am,” I said, realizing I completely meant it.
Today wasn’t going to be easy, and the sting of what the two people closest to me had done might burn forever. But the worst of the pain was gone, and I knew I could move forward without carrying the weight of the past.
“So how long we gotta stay at this reception?” Kyle asked as we walked together toward the ceremony.
Smiling, I raised an eyebrow and inquired, “You have other plans?”
“I was thinking of having another slice of cake by the ocean.”
“I like the way you think.”
I could hear the wedding music playing up ahead, but before we could turn the corner, Kyle pulled me around and took my hand.
“You aren’t just a revenge fling,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss my forehead.
My heart flipped over, and tenderness filled me.
“I just wanted to tell you that before we go in there.”
“It’s okay if I am,” I told him, meaning those words, too.
“Remember when I said I had my reasons for coming here?” he whispered, palming my hip.
I nodded.
“You’re the reason. Ever since that night Lauren told me about your crush, I’ve thought about you.”
“Kyle…” I admonished. Even though these were words I’d wanted to hear, I really wanted him to mean them.
His hand clasped my chin so he could gaze intently into my eyes. “I mean it. I know you don’t think you’re as beautiful as your sister, but, Nat, you are. I swear it. You’re so much more beautiful than she will ever be. Inside and out.”
My heart swelled.
“The day the wedding invite came in the mail, I was happy because as soon as she married your ex, I knew you were fair game.”
“Technically, they aren’t married yet,” I teased.
He kissed my cheek and murmured in my ear, “Close enough. I came to be here for you, knowing you needed someone in your corner, wanting that someone to be me.”
“You are the first person I’ve felt is completely on my side.”
“I am. I always will be.”
“Where is Natalie?” I heard my mom worry from around the corner and down the hall. “If that girl runs off…”
Kyle put his hand on the wall beside my head. “I want to see you when this is all over. I want to show you that there is a man capable of loving you and only you.”
I whispered his name.
My mom screamed mine again.
“Will you let me, Natalie? Will you give me a chance?”
My eighth-grader heart was screaming right now. That girl who thought Kyle would never know I existed could literally die and go to heaven.
And the heart I had now… the one of a woman who had been betrayed…
She wanted Kyle, too.
“I’d really like that,” I confessed.
He smiled. “Yes?”
“Definitely, yes.”
He picked me up, twirling me in a circle, planting a kiss on my mouth before putting me down.
“There you are!” Mom cried, finally finding me. “It’s starting. Let’s go!”
I let her drag me away, my hand staying linked with Kyle’s until it was impossible to keep holding on.
“What are you wearing?” Mom asked, and I winced. She sighed. “Whatever. It’s ten times better than that bag your sister picked out.”
“Mom!” I gasped, giggling.
“I’m not blind,” she said. “And I also saw you kissing Kyle in the hallway just now.”
“I think I really like him,” I whispered.
“Well, how does he feel?” she asked, not whispering.
Kyle’s voice answered behind us. “I really like her, too.”
A bouquet was shoved into my hands, and I was shooed down the aisle.
My sister shot daggers at me when she saw what I was wearing, but I barely noticed because I only had eyes for Kyle.
When at last the ceremony was over, Kyle and I sprinted off down the beach, leaving the past behind and rushing toward the future.
* * *
THE END
About the Author
Cambria Hebert is an award-winning, bestselling novelist of more than forty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of birds (including chickens). You can often find her painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails) or walking her Chihuahuas (the real rulers of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. She has also written ro
mantic suspense, science fiction, and male/male romance. Her favorite genre to read and write is contemporary romance. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, GearShark Series, Text, Amnesia, and Butterfly.
Recent awards include: Author of the Year, Best Contemporary Series (The Hashtag Series), Best Contemporary Book of the Year, Best Book Trailer of the Year, Best Contemporary Lead, Best Contemporary Book Cover of the Year. In addition, her most recognized title, #Nerd, was listed at Buzzfeed.com as a top fifty summer romance read.
* * *
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.
Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in the know about all her cover reveals, releases, and more: http://eepurl.com/bUL5_5.
Text ‘Cambria’ to 7606703130 to sign up for new release alerts
* * *
Looking for another “fling” romance? Check out Mr. Fantasy, Cambria’s brand new full length standalone novel!
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Also by K.K. Allen
About the Author
* * *
Amelia
* * *
A loud hiss shot through the air as I exited my car and stepped onto the shoulder of Latigo Canyon Road. I groaned as my eyes made contact with the damage. I wasn’t even five minutes away from my home when my silver Miata found its way into a pothole. Just my luck.
I crouched slowly, staring at the deflating tire as a slew of curse words flew through my mind. I scolded the punctured rubber with a shake of my head. “You had one job.”
I had approximately sixty minutes to get to Los Angeles, and with traffic, I was already cutting it close.
Looking around, I debated who I could call to get me out of this mess. My parents would call for a tow then a car service to drive me straight home, where I was certain to get a lecture about being aware of my surroundings. Or I could contact my best friend and neighbor, Trinity, who I knew was in the middle of studying for her big chemistry exam.
As much as I hated myself for choosing to interrupt Trinity, it was my only true option. Her response was instant.
Trin: Help is on its way!
My next breath was a deep one, whooshing out of me along with the tension I’d felt moments earlier. Trinity was the kind of friend who didn’t hesitate to help her bestie out in a jam, no matter what was going on in her life. I would buy her Starbucks and convince her to drive me to LA. She could study there.
Ugh. My gut twisted at my selfish thoughts, but I couldn’t stay another day in Malibu. Everything I loved was in LA. Well, besides Trinity. She was the only reason I stuck around as much as I did. But with us both graduating in a few months, I couldn’t hang back while she studied to pursue her dreams. I had my own dreams to fulfill. Big dreams. And they all started with Gravity Dance Complex.
Stuffing my disappointment deep into my chest, I crawled into the passenger seat of my car, turned up the volume of Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake,” and slouched in my seat, propping my heel on the open door.
Not even a minute later, I started at the familiar sound of an approaching engine. No. My eyes widened, my cheeks burned red, and my chest immediately filled with panic. She wouldn’t. That wasn’t the sound of just any engine, and one glance through my windshield confirmed my suspicion.
The newly restored white 1966 Chevrolet C/K was practically a celebrity in our town, always causing a stir wherever it appeared. And it was owned by none other than Tobias James—otherwise known as Trinity’s brother and Malibu’s quintessential heartthrob.
“Malibu Gold” was what the locals called him: a star in the making. He was known best for his high school basketball shooting record, but that wasn’t the only thing we all found impressive. He’d also maintained a perfect GPA throughout school.
Athletic, smart, and good-looking—that was Malibu Gold. Beyond the white sandy beaches and being home to a Pepperdine University campus, Malibu had Tobias to give the locals bragging rights.
At least that had been the case until he’d bailed halfway through his first season of playing college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves with no explanations or apologies. He’d simply dropped out of school before winter quarter and stayed gone for weeks. No one could find him, and the police wouldn’t do anything since he was no longer a minor.
When he’d finally returned a few months later, he didn’t try to go back to school, and the Waves had already ended their basketball season with a losing record, which—of course—they blamed on Tobias. He was the obvious easy target since he hadn’t even tried to defend himself, but it was still wrong. All of it.
The once social butterfly was now a recluse, a drifter who came in and out of town as he pleased, picking up odd jobs at the local body shop or working on his truck. He was stoic, quiet, and disgruntled. The drastic change made me wonder how much of what Trinity had told me was true. She’d said her brother’s behavior was all for nothing. Or maybe there was something she was hiding. My gut, and Trinity’s inability to look me in the eyes, told me it was the latter.
Trinity had mentioned he was in town again, not that she’d had to tell me with the way gossip in our neighborhood worked, but I didn’t understand why she would send him to rescue me. Tobias and I had barely spoken a word to each other since elementary school. Not only that, but every time I was around him, my senses jumbled into a big, tangled ball, triggering every inch of awkwardness I owned.
He slammed the door of his truck, snapping me to attention as his long strides brought him to me. The slight angle to his jaw appeared hard as a rock, and there was a deep crease between his brows as he eyed the tire that had failed me.
“What happened here?” he grumbled. My imagination was strong, but the utter annoyance in his tone was one-hundred-percent real.
“Pothole.” I stepped out of the car and stood near him, folding my arms across my chest. “Shredded my damn tire.”
His frown deepened before he knelt to inspect the damage. “Shredded would be the correct word.” He wiped his hands on his jeans and stood up. “Got a spare?”
I pointed at the trunk. “Be my guest.”
I watched him work in silence since I assumed that was how he would want it. While he did, I looked at him up close for what felt like the first time. His dark hair curled just below his ear lobes, and his wide shoulders stretched the white fabric across his back. His legs were so thick, I could see that even through his jeans, they carried a definition that could only be built by an athlete.
I’d gotten good at pretending he wasn’t around when he very much was, because avoidance was better than the repercussions would be. Trinity would never approve of my attraction to her brother. She’d said as much when we were fourteen and mock-cheerleading a basketball game in our neighborhood park.
“You can’t date my brother, you know?” Trinity had said, her eyes narrowed on me as I executed a perfect toe touch.
I faltered slightly on my landing before doing a double take. Her stare was so accusing, like she knew about the crush I’d always had on her brother.
“That would just be weird.” She let out a breathy laugh before rolling her eyes. “And we could never be friends again.”
Why she’d decided to speak up in that moment was beyond me. Had I been staring? Probably. But it was her idea to show up in those damn mini-skirts.
When she jumped back into the cheer, like she hadn’t just crushed my soul, I’d made my decision to let whatever feelings that had been festering for Tobias go. My friendship with Trinity was too important, and I would never let a boy come between u
s.
When he spoke again, my eyes jumped in his direction, locking on his grayish-blue ones. They appeared almost silver with the way the sunlight hit them, matching the key that dangled from a chain he wore around his neck. I was so busy staring, I completely missed what he’d said.
“Do you have far to go?” he repeated, irritation seeping into his tone.
“Um.” Where am I headed again? “Yeah. LA, actually.” My eyes caught on his grease-stained hands. “Thanks for taking care of this. I might actually make it in time.” I stepped around him and toward the front of my car, relief filling me in a rush.
“Whoa.” His arm shot out, blocking my path. “You can’t drive to LA on that tire. You need to get it replaced with a real one.”
My face fell, and I groaned, crossing my arms to hug myself as the weight of disappointment crushed my chest. I’d only waited my entire life for this audition. If I didn’t get to LA that day, my dreams were over. I couldn’t let that happen. This was my chance, and I could feel it so deeply, it reached my bones. My entire body ached at the vision of what waited for me by the end of the day. I just had to get there.
When I peered up at him again, a thought struck me. “Can you take me?”
His gaze snapped to mine so hard, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it triggered whiplash. “Take you where?”
“To LA.”
His chest rose, and lines began to gather on his forehead. “That’s an hour away, Amelia.”
“An hour and a half with traffic,” I corrected. Probably not the best move on my part.
He blew out a breath and shook his head. “Look, I promised Trinity I’d help you get home. She said nothing about driving your ass to LA. Don’t your parents have a driver or something?” He shook his head and shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
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