by Skye Turner
She loves me?! She just said she loves me.
Yeah, she also said “screw you”.
Not important, I can work with that.
Bradi sees me and her face drops. Her mouth hangs open and dread crosses her features as she looks toward Melonie. I know the instant Melonie realizes I’m here, because her back goes ramrod straight and she turns slowly. Her tear streaked face is looking right at me.
I implore her to let me talk.
The color drains from her face as she whirls away from me. Grabbing her purse, she tries to get past me. She’s wobbly on her feet. I reach out. I can’t stop myself. As my hand touches her arm, she wrenches it back from me and loses her balance. She falls, but I catch her before she hits the ground.
She struggles as I hold her tightly to me. Everyone is staring at us. The girls are all standing with open mouths and the guys are watching us as they hold their breath. Shaking her slightly, I grunt out, “Stop trying to get away. Stop.”
She glares at me and turns her head to make sure she captures everyone in her frigid gaze. “You set me up.” Then looking at me with rage, she mutters, “Fucking. Let. Me. Go.”
Jesus. She’s furious. But she’s so beautiful. Don’t let her go. Don’t you dare let her go.
I don’t.
Standing up, I lift her with me. Setting her on her feet, but holding onto her shoulders, I whisper, “I’ve missed you, Mel.”
She closes her eyes and holds her stiff posture. “Let me go, Dade.” Her voice is flat and emotionless. It scares the shit out of me.
Yet, she just said she loves me.
Taking a risk and preparing to hurt, I lean down and kiss her. She struggles, but I hold her firmly while my mouth gently persuades her lips to open. She clamps them tight and screams with her mouth closed, yet I’m relentless. My lips brush over hers again and again until I feel her soften. Victory is not yet mine. Her mouth is still closed, but it’s not tight anymore. Running my tongue slowly along the seam of her mouth I stay diligent. Finally, she moans and opens for me. Her tongue meets mine and her head slants to allow us both better access.
Yes!
She goes limp in my arms. What the hell?
Leaning back, she stares at me flatly. “Don’t do this, Melonie.” I brush another kiss whisper soft against her mouth. Her eyes track my every movement with distrust. “Don’t throw me away. You love me. You just said you love me.”
She shoves me. I let her go. “So what? I love you. So fucking what?!”
Dropping my hands in utter defeat, I say as clearly as I can, “So, I love you, too.”
Her eyes go luminous, before I see the shutters fall over them. “So what? You love me. Ok. So what? You don’t trust me, Dade. I don’t care how much you love me. It’s not enough.”
If she walks away, this is really it. She can’t walk away. It is enough. I fucked up. I know that. But it’s enough.
“It is enough. I love you. You love me. I fucked up. I know that. Everyone knows that. I’m admitting it. In front of everyone. I fucked up. I was jealous and I fucked up. I assumed things I shouldn’t have instead of doing what I always do and finding out the facts.
I am sorry. I will apologize for the rest of my life if you want me to, but don’t push me away.
I love you.
I’ve only said that to one other woman, ever. She’s right there and she’s my baby sister.
I’m asking you not to do this, Melonie. We have something. It started as a fling, but it’s so much more now. It’s real. You infatuated me for a short time, but more than that, you made me open my eyes about everything. You made me take stock. You invaded my heart and now you’re in there. There’s no room for anyone else. Just you.
You can leave. You can really end this. But if you do that… if you do that, you end me, too.” I walk over to her and take her hand and place it on my chest, right over my pounding, terrified heart. “This… this is yours. All of my faults, all of my goodness, everything I am is yours… If you want it. If it’s not too late. Please accept it.”
I’ve said my piece. I laid it on the line. It’s up to her now.
She says nothing as she stares at me.
Sighing, she steps back from me and her hand drops. The room is quiet except for the country music blaring through the speakers. I refuse to look away from Melonie, though I can see everyone else staring at the two of us, too.
She turns and my entire world crashes. It’s too late. She’s really leaving. We’re done.
Bradi gasps and says, “Are you fucking serious?! Don’t be stupid, Melonie. He just poured his heart out to you and you love him. Don’t be an idiot.”
I hear the zipper on her purse open, but I can’t look up from the floor. I start as she stops right in front of me. She holds out her hand. What? I raise mine and she places something in my palm and closes my hand around it. Then… she steps back.
I open my hand… and grin. My eyes fly up to meet hers and she slowly smiles at me.
Blue screeches. “What is that? What the hell did she give you?”
Holding my hand out, palm up, I show them my treasure. It’s a clam shell we found on the beaches of St. John. It was the second day we were together on the island. Melonie was so excited because it was perfectly formed into the shape of a heart.
Lexi clutches her throat and Clove leans back into Liam’s arms as he hugs her.
A song comes on and they all start singing. Everyone takes a part. At just the right moment, I sing as I stare at her. Her face lights up.
As the song ends, everyone stops singing and we wait. Melonie laughs and launches herself at me. I catch her, but lose my balance and roll. She’s on top of me.
Bradi chuckles. “Always on top! Hold onto the power, sista!”
Looking around at my friends, I mutter, “Nosey bunch of people. This is private. Go away.”
Liam winks and calls out, “Make good choices,” as he leads Clove from the room.
Jessie and Blue exclaim at the same time, “This is how we roll.”
Everyone laughs.
I look up and Melonie is looking down at me, “You had to sing me Luke Bryan, didn’t you?!”
Grinning, I exclaim, “Whatever works.” And pull her down to my face as I kiss her.
She kisses me back.
When we’re done, we look around. We’re alone in the room and she pulls off of me and sits up.
I sit up too and tuck her hair behind her ear before kissing her softly. “I love you, Melonie Rayne Bird.”
She leans back and her green eyes sparkle with merriment. “I love you too, Dade Rodrigue. You’re not off the hook, but I love you.”
I groan, “I’ve been miserable without you. Don’t ever leave me again.”
She chuckles before looking at me sternly. “Don’t ever distrust me again. You have no reason to.”
Nodding, I agree. “I know that. I think I always knew that. It was more me than you. I’m so sorry.”
Leaning up, she kisses me again and then stands and offers me her hands. “Ok. But one more thing…”
I smirk. Taking her hands, I stand with her. I know what’s coming. “What’s that?”
“You have to sing me Luke Bryan.”
I throw my head back and laugh. Leaning down, I kiss her again, “Deal. Can we go home now? To my house. Where you’re going to live too?”
She smirks as she cups my face and then laughs. “I thought you’d never ask.” Leaning in, she presses her mouth to mine.
As we break the kiss, I take her hand and we join the rest of the gang before heading home…
Playlist
Jason Derulo – It Girl
Breaking Benjamin – Breath
Scorpions – Rock You Like A Hurricane
Zedd – Stay The Night – featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore
12 Stones – Lie To Me
Katy Perry – Walking On Air
Linkin Park – In The End
Radiohead – High And Dry
Rascal Flatts – Rewind
David Guetta – Titanium (feat. Sia)
Maroon 5 – Get Back In My Life
Nickelback – S.E.X.
Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations
Puddle Of Mudd – Famous
Christopher Cross – Sailing
Lenny Kravitz – Again
Pam Tillis – Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)
Warrant – Cherry Pie
Daughtry – High Above the Ground
Florida Georgia Line – This Is How We Roll
Hunter Hayes – Nothing Like Starting Over
Darius Rucker – Radio
Heart – What About Love?
Saving Abel – 18 Days
Luke Bryan – Play It Again
Three Days Grace – Never Too Late
Trapt – These Walls
Sia – Chandelier
Rihanna – Stay
Eric Church – Give Me Back My Hometown
Lady Antebellum – Bartender
The Gillis Silo – She’s My Hurricane
Gloriana – [Kissed You] Good Night
Joe Nichols – Yeah
Big & Rich – Look at You
Lee Brice – I Don’t Dance
Florida Georgia Line – Dayum, Baby
Bruno Mars – Treasure
Saving Abel – Addicted
Shinedown – Second Chance
Lee Brice – Hard To Love
Doves – Catch the Sun
Kenny Chesney – Come Over
Jason Derulo – Talk Dirty (feat. 2 Chainz)
ALLURING SURRENDER
Book 5 Bayou Stix
By
SKYE TURNER
Dedication
This book is dedicated to everyone who’s ever had someone look down on them.
YOU define YOU. The only way others can is if you give them the power.
Dream big. Be true to you.
Define yourself!
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my amazeballs Beta readers: Betsy Whitley, Cover to Cover Book Blog, Joely Bogan, Kristin Blay, Lindsey Lawson, Noelle Riviere, Stephanie Dillander, Thomas Noble, and Tiffany Tyler, Reading in Black and White.
Thank you Kari Ayasha of Cover to Cover Designs for once more giving me EXACTLY what I wanted! You are a rock star babe!
Thank you to Michael Meadows of Michael Meadows Studios for the awesome cover photography.
THANK YOU to my awesome readers and Street Team, Bayou Belle’s and Beau’s! Love y’all for loving me and my characters!
For my other amazingly supportive bestie author/blogger friends, thanks for being awesome. Ma Boo-TH Snyder, JM Witt, LL Collins, Kathy Coopmans, Joanne Schwehm, Gabbie Duran, SK Hartley, AD Justice, Jamie Whitley, and so, so many more.
And finally, but most importantly… Thank you to my awesome, sexy, supportive husband, James, and the two perfect little hellions we created together. Writing is my job and my passion, but you three are my WORLD.
Chapter One
Cruz
“Are you going to see Tifanie tonight?”
I sigh as I look around Java and Sweeties and I try to avoid Jude’s question. It’s packed today. There isn’t an empty table, chair, or couch in the entire place. Luckily, since Jude is married to the owner of the most popular coffee shop/bakery in Baton Rouge, we never have to worry about having a place to sit here. We kind of have a “reserved” table in the corner by the huge windows.
A kick under the table alerts me to the fact that I am not going to be able to ignore the question. I look up into the grinning face of Jessie. “So, are you seeing the hot paramedic tonight, Cruz?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. We don’t typically make plans to hang out in advance.”
I don’t like talking about this. Tifanie and I have been hanging out for a couple of months now. We’re friends and we have good conversation and laughs together. She’s sexy as hell but I just don’t… we’re friends.
A throat clears and I look into Dade’s curious brown eyes as he stares at me. “You seem to hang out a lot lately.”
I shrug again. “Yeah, she’s pretty fun.”
Jessie chuckles. “She’s fun?! No, she’s fine. With a capital ‘F.’ Have you tapped that yet?”
I glare at him and grip the table top to stop from punching my friend in the face. Jude smacks him in the back of the head and mutters, “Don’t be a crude ass, Jessie!”
Jessie rubs the back of his head and smirks. “I wasn’t. I was just trying to get a rise out of him.” He nods in my direction and I can see Dade smile. “He just seems to be spending an awful lot of time with fun Tifanie lately.”
“Why do you need to get a rise out of me?” I ask.
Jessie laughs. “Because dude, she’s FINE and she wants you. Yet, you don’t seem to be willing to make a move!”
I mutter under my breath, “Yeah, well…”
He needs to mind his own business.
Liam nods at me. “What’s the deal, Cruz?”
Why are they so damn curious about my life?! It’s not like that with Tifanie and me.
“It’s not even like that. We’re just friends. We hang out and have fun. Stop making it more than it is. We’re just friends.”
Jessie laughs. “Right.” He drags the word out. “So, who are you trying to convince of that, man?”
“Screw you. It’s not like that!”
Dammit… it’s not like that. We’re just friends. It’s all we can be. Tifanie is sexy and sweet; she doesn’t press me and we have a good time. She’s easy to talk to and I enjoy her company, but I can’t… no, I won’t go there with her.
Even though she fills out a pair of jeans like a dream. Dammit, stop thinking about her ass in her jeans, Cruz! She’s your friend. You’re her friend. That’s it. That’s all it is. Friends. Even though she seems to occupy a little too much of your mind lately.
No, fuck that. We’re friends. It’s all we can be.
Dade is being Dade and watching my face. He sees I notice and he winks at me. I mutter under my breath and look away.
He laughs out loud.
Jude diverts everyone’s attention from me by leaning forward and asking about Clove, Liam’s wife and Dade’s baby sister. “How’s she doing with the bed rest? Lexi says she’s miserable being confined to a bed.” He seems really interested in the answer.
Liam grimaces. “Yeah, it’s not fun. She hates being on bed rest. All she can do is stay in bed except when she has to go to the bathroom, but we have to keep him in there for a bit longer. They say if we can make it another few weeks, we’ll be good.”
Clove is a good friend. We’ve been friends since we were kids and now she’s married to one of my best friends and band mates. They are great together, but I am worried about her. Not because she’s married to Liam; he adores her. But, she’s had a rough couple of months with her pregnancy.
Jude sighs. “We’re all hoping for that and I’m hoping we don’t have to deal with bed rest with our own baby, though that morning sickness shit is no joke either.” He shrugs sheepishly and looks at Liam. “No offense, dude.”
Liam chuckles. “None taken. I hope Lexi has smooth sailing.”
Jessie interrupts, “Yeah well, can we stop all the baby talk?” He rubs the back of his neck and pulls his lip ring into his mouth. He always does that when he’s antsy. He mutters, “I’m not ready to deal with all that yet. Don’t give me the water you two are drinking!”
I laugh at him. “Jessie, I don’t think the world is ready for any little Jessies right now anyway!”
A laugh at the tableside draws everyone’s attention. We look up into the sparkling eyes of Blue, Jessie’s fiancée. “Yes, no babies yet! My man-child is all I can handle right now.” She fakes a shudder. “God, don’t curse me with another one of him.”
Jessie mutters, “Hey, woman! I’m fucking amazing. But, yeah, when we make babies, I want a mini-Blue so I can kick some boys’ asses when sh
e gets older! For now though, we can keep practicing. Three to four times a day!”
We all laugh as Blue grabs his face and kisses him.
Coffees are delivered to the table and our publicist, Bradi, sits down. “Ok, boys. Let’s get down to business. Enough baby talk since Micah and I don’t have any… yet!” She laughs, but then gets right to it and we go over the schedule for the arena tour we’ll be starting in about eight weeks.
We’re wrapping up the meeting when my cell buzzes with a new text.
“Tifanie:
Pizza and beer tonight at Walk-Ons to watch the LSU game?”
I look up and see Jessie laughing at me. “So, having fun with legs tonight?”
Blue glares at him. “Why exactly are you noticing Tifanie’s legs?”
He blows her a kiss. “Because they are long and shapely.” She frowns. “Simmer down, woman! I prefer your legs. They are attached to that fabulous ass I’m so fond of.”
She laughs and presses a quick kiss to his neck as she squirms out of his lap. “You are incorrigible, Jessie Adams!”
He grins and pops her ass as she stands up. “Yup. You love it!” He wiggles his eyebrows and pulls on his lip ring.
She rolls her eyes as she walks away. “True story!” She wiggles her fingers at us as she disappears into the kitchen.
Bradi stands up and calls over her shoulder as she also heads toward the kitchen. “Y’all behave.” She winks at me and smirks. “And Cruz, have fun with Tifanie tonight!”
What the hell?! Everyone is out to get me. They all have the wrong idea about Tifanie and me. Way wrong. We’re just going to watch the game. That’s it!
I sigh as I text her back to tell her I’m in. I see everyone smirking at me as I type. I flip them off.
Chapter Two
Tifanie
God, what a long twenty-four hours it’s been! Is there a full moon tonight? We’ve dealt with nothing but crazy people today.
Luckily, a gorgeous man kept me sane. Well, not him, but thinking about him and his haunted blue eyes did.