One Night Stand

by Brooks, Sarah J.

  One Night Stand

  Sarah J. Brooks

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Special Invitation

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Preview of “One Night Bride”

  About the Author

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Copyright © 2018 by Sarah J. Brooks

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Facebook: Sarah J. Brooks

  Special Invitation

  Hey Sweetie,

  do you want to get THREE romance novels sent directly to your Facebook Messenger inbox? Simply click here and I will reach out to you personally!

  With love and talk soon,

  Sarah

  Chapter 1

  Nina

  Inside my head, I was fuming. But outside, I was keeping that veneer carefully and pointedly controlled. Even though I wanted to toss the boxes against the door just to hear the bang, I put one foot in front of the other and promised myself that I wasn’t going to make myself look crazy in front of my new neighbors just yet. Though if they knew what I’d been through, perhaps I wouldn’t seem quite as crazy.

  I carefully balanced a box full of books on my hip, pushed open the door, and dumped it in the center of the small living room. Glancing around, I still couldn’t believe that this was where I was living now; that this was my fresh start. Away from Fred, away from all of it. My heart twisted in my chest, and I wondered if I’d made the right choice or not.

  No. I couldn’t think that way. I’d done the right thing walking away from Fred. What else could I have done? I had walked in on him balls-deep in another woman for the love of God. If I’d taken him back after that, I would never be able to respect myself again. He begged and pleaded with me, and I ignored him, packing up my stuff as swiftly as I could and putting every realtor in the city on speed-dial so I could find a new apartment. He would be stuck with the one we had once shared, with the crappy peeling paint and the mildew spreading over the corner of the bedroom wall. Seemed appropriate, that rot so obvious that we had both ignored until now, as though not focusing on it would get it to vanish.

  I had known there was something wrong with Fred for months—hell, maybe even since we had moved in together. It had been his idea to lock me down like that, but he probably only wanted it so he could guarantee that his rent was going to get paid every month for a change; he was on the brink of being booted from his old apartment for failing to deliver on time. I was the one with the job, even if it was just bussing tables in a coffee shop down the street, and that meant he could use me to wring money from and make sure that his lifestyle was upheld. If you could call sitting around smoking pot and playing video games while keeping a secret phone full of other women’s numbers a lifestyle, which he probably would.

  I’d had my suspicions for a long time, but I had put them to the back of my mind because, well, what else was there? All the time that we had been together I watched my friends get together with these amazing partners, people who valued them, laughed with them, seemed to actually love them and not care who knew it—and then there was my boyfriend, who would check out other girls right in front of me, who my friends would apologize to me for. But what else was there for me? I was hardly a catch myself, drifting through life with no career and no plans to settle down. It wasn’t like I was going to find anyone better, so I just stuck it out with Fred in the hopes that he would improve. Spoiler alert: he didn’t, and now I was two years down, moving my stuff into a new apartment and trying to scrub the memory of his pimpled ass as he fucked some woman I’d never seen before.

  Ugh. I shoved that memory to the back of my mind where it wouldn't bother me anymore and ran down to the moving van outside to grab another box. But before I made it out the front door of the building, I ran into someone. Someone I’d never seen before. Someone I knew I’d recognize if I had.

  “Hey.” I slowed my roll, even though I was paying for the moving van and knew they were getting impatient as it was.

  “Hey,” the man replied with a smile. He was a little older than me, maybe by a few years; he had deep, oak-brown hair with a slight wave to it that curled down to his ears like he hadn’t had time to get it cut in a while, and matching eyes that glinted playfully in the morning light. He was lean and strong, broad shoulders leading down to toned arms.

  “I’m Nina Harrison.” I extended my hand to him. “I just moved in upstairs. Well, actually, I’m still in the process of moving in upstairs.”

  “Logan,” he introduced himself. “So you’re the one with the moving van outside?”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” I replied. “But it’ll be out of here soon. Just a few more trips.”

  “You want a hand?” he asked, and a smile curled up on to his lips like he was suggesting something else entirely. I shrugged, pretending I didn’t hear the flirtation, playing the game.

  “I’d love that,” I replied. “Thanks.”

  He headed back outside with me and heaved one of the boxes into his arms. I was grateful for the help but even more grateful for the company—it was lonely, coming out to this part of the city all by myself, even if I was dropping some serious dead weight in the process.

  “You just moved to the city?” he asked conversationally as I fumbled with my keys. I shook my head.

  “Nope, lived here all my life,” I replied. “But this is my first time on the West side.”

  “You’ll love it,” he replied and then corrected himself. “Well, you won’t hate it. It’s not the most glamorous part of town, but it does the job.”

  “I don’t know about glamour,” I joked, gesturing to my current outfit—sweats and a tee with my hair pulled back and my face scrubbed clean, firmly in practical territory.

  He chuckled. “Hey, glamour comes in many different forms,” he pointed out, and I felt my heart flutter as I watched him trace the shape of me even through these clothes. How long had it been since I had actually let myself flirt with a guy or since I had let a guy flirt with me? When they tried it with me at the coffee shop, I would shut them down swiftly, letting them know that I had a boyfriend and that they were wasting their time pursuing me. But I didn’t have the dead weight of another half anymore, and the way this guy was looking at me …

  “Okay, let’s grab another box.” He placed the one he’d been carrying down in the center of the apartment, and I blinked, remembering suddenly what he was doing here in the first place. Maybe he really was just a good Samaritan who wanted to lend a new neighbor a hand. But I was pretty sure I hadn’t been imagining the way he looked at me just then.

  We ran up and down the stairs with various boxes and bags until I was all unpacked; I paid the moving truck driver, f
linching at the amount of cash I had to hand over to him, and then headed back upstairs to begin the long, arduous process of actually unpacking. I had so much shit accumulated over the years that I didn’t know where to begin. When I arrived back at my apartment, I was surprised to see that Logan, my white knight, was still hanging around. I grinned and closed the door behind me. Anything to give me some small reason to procrastinate, right?

  “Thanks for helping me out.” I leaned up against the door and noticed the way that his hair shimmered in the light pouring through the window; there were flecks of gold buried up in there, catching the sun and making my heart flutter.

  “No problem,” he replied. “Got to make a good impression on the new neighbors, right?”

  “Well, I’ll make sure to pass this along to everyone else in the building.” I nodded, faux-seriously. “They’ll all know about your gallantry, don’t worry.”

  “Good to hear it.” He grinned, picked himself up off the counter he’d been leaning on and seemed set to head for the door. My heart looped. I didn’t want him to go yet. But I wasn’t sure how to make him stay. And then it hit me.

  How long had it been since I’d hooked up with anyone else? Years now? And the universe blessed me by dropping this gorgeous, sexy, helpful guy straight into my lap like it was trying to point me in one specific direction. I had never done anything like it before, but I took a step toward him, moving close enough that I could catch a whiff of his aftershave; clean and old-fashioned like freshly-washed laundry.

  “I’d offer you a coffee, but I haven’t unpacked my machine yet,” I blurted out. Was this seduction? I guessed I would just have to cut to the chase with him. I moved a little closer, shifting so that our bodies were only a few inches apart, and I prayed to all things good and pure that he wouldn’t reject me, because I didn’t think my little heart could take it right about then.

  “I guess you could make it up to me some other way,” he suggested, flashing me a wicked smile that made my knees buckle a little. My heart bounced up in my throat, and before I could stop myself, I reached up, leaned forward, and kissed him.

  As soon as our lips met, it was like someone had lit a fuse between the two of us. That was the only way I could describe it. It was so intense it made my head spin, my body burn—he hitched me up off the ground and deposited me down on the counter he’d been leaning on, and I wrapped my arms around him and hung on for dear life. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe how turned on I already was by his touch; he sank his fingers into my sides as though he wanted me to remember that I was his, and he moved between my legs, parting them, and grinding himself against me. I could already feel him growing hard even through the denim of his jeans, and I pushed my fingernails through that golden-tinged hair and lost myself to him.

  He pulled me against him roughly, as though this was what he’d been thinking about from the moment he laid eyes on me down there in the lobby; I knew, in my head, that this was seriously stupid and that hooking up with a neighbor on the first day I moved into the building was only going to earn me a reputation I wanted nothing to do with, but I couldn’t have given less of a damn right then and there. He made this noise against my mouth—something close to a growl—and he scooped me off the counter once more and carried me through to the bedroom, where I hadn’t had time to make up the bed yet. I giggled as he laid me down on top of the covers, and I squirmed against the mattress in anticipation of his touch once more.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I murmured as he dived back down on top of me, his mouth on my neck, his hands pushing up my shirt.

  “Me neither,” he replied, his voice lower and harder-edged than before.

  “Oh, like you don’t make a habit of this,” I teased him. “Helping out women in need and then …?”

  “Then waiting for them to put the moves on me,” he reminded me playfully. His hand found my breast, and he pinched the nipple between his fingers and drew a moan out from between my lips. I forgot all about that smart mouth of mine, and he kissed me again and continued to move his hands confidently over my torso, his fingers tracing every inch of me like he didn’t want to forget a thing.

  He stripped me down quickly, as though he was well-practiced, tossing my shirt and my sweats aside until I was lying there in nothing but a pair of panties; he was standing over me and grinning widely as he eyed me like he was pleased with his handiwork.

  He moved down on top of me, kissing from my breasts to my belly, finding that soft, sensitive spot below my navel that made my entire body feel like it was going to crumple up with pleasure. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, reaching down to grip his hair, and realized that for the first time in what felt like forever, I actually felt desire. Not just the urge to have sex because I knew it would get my man off my back. No, I wanted this, wanted him—and I took hold of the feeling in both hands and leaned into it before I could think twice.

  “Fuck me,” I gasped, and he glanced up from where he was almost down between my legs.

  “You sure?” he asked, letting his mouth linger there a little longer—it felt so good that I nearly changed my mind, but I stuck to my guns and nodded.

  “I need to feel you inside me,” I told him, wondering where this dirty-talking had come from; I was usually awkward as hell in bed, but now I was with Logan, it felt like my inhibitions had dropped away, just like that. Maybe because I knew I was never going to have to see him again after this, so I could say whatever I wanted and not have to worry about retribution.

  “Condom?” he asked, moving back on top of me; he was stripped to the waist but still wearing his jeans, and somehow that was sexier than if he’d just been naked. I ran my hands over his well-muscled chest, feeling the way his heartbeat raced at my touch and felt that dizzying spin of power take over me. This was happening—really, actually happening. This gorgeous man wanted me, and I was all too happy to give him what he wanted.

  “That box,” I pointed to one that I had left next to the bed. “Here, let me …”

  I dived into the box, rummaged for a second, and then produced a condom; I pressed it into his hand, and he swiftly undid his pants and sheathed himself. His erection was bigger than I’d expected, and it made my skin prickle with anticipation; he moved between my legs, pushing them back so that he could get into me deep, and then guided his cock against me.

  “Ready?” he breathed, and I planted a kiss on his mouth to give him all the answer he needed. And with that, he moved into me.

  “Oh,” I groaned as soon as he was inside of me. How long had it been since sex had felt this damn good? Just pleasure, the two of us finding this sweet pleasure with one another and losing ourselves to it, letting ourselves vanish into it in this bright summer morning. He pressed his head to my shoulder, and I could feel his breath coming quickly, catching at the back of his throat as though he could hardly restrain himself. He moved in deep, and I hooked my ankles behind his back, drawing him in further, letting him know that he could do pretty much anything he wanted to me right now and I would have been just fine with it.

  “You feel so good,” he groaned in my ear, catching the lobe between his teeth and tugging lightly; I wriggled beneath him, shifting a little to change the angle, and slipped my arms around his neck. He pulled back, pushing himself up on the bed and looking deep into my eyes, and for a moment, I felt as though I was falling through space—I wasn’t sure what it was, but the way he was looking at me, it was as though those eyes went on forever. And then he kissed me again, and I lost them, and I focused on the feeling once more. No need to get all silly about this. It was just sex, just fucking, a chance to blow off some steam after what happened to me.

  And I realized that I was getting close—slowly but surely, inching to the edge, the pleasure building up like a gasket that had been waiting to blow for ages. I moved back against him, rocking my hips against his, and soon enough I felt myself cresting. I slid my hand between my legs and touched myself in time
with his thrusts, and he pushed his tongue into my mouth just as I found my orgasm.

  I made a noise I’d never heard come out of me before as I came, my entire body trembling from head to toe as it hit me. He seemed to absorb the pleasure, letting it pass from my body to his, and moments later, I felt him reach his own release inside of me; he let out something close to a growl, and then stilled himself, holding himself inside me like he wasn’t ready for this to be over yet. But eventually, he rolled off me and disposed of the condom, leaving me staring at the ceiling, catching my breath, the waves of pleasure only then beginning to subside.

  “That was …” I turned to him and furrowed my brow when I saw that he was already getting dressed.

  “Hey, you can stay a while if you want,” I offered, trying to sound sultry instead of desperate, but he shook his head and glanced at his watch.

  “I actually have somewhere I really need to be,” he replied, shooting me an apologetic look that seemed sincere. But then, I had proved these last few weeks that I was hardly the best at reading men, so maybe I shouldn’t have gone with my gut on that one.

  “Oh, right, yeah.” I rolled my eyes where he couldn’t see me. I’d heard that one before. Did he really expect me to believe that he just had to get out of here mere minutes after he’d finished inside me? That was a likely story. He was just a jerk looking to get his hole and nothing more, and I’d been an idiot to think anything else.

  “I’ll see you soon though, right?” He glanced over at me, and I raised my eyebrows.

  “Sure,” I replied gamely, confident that he wasn’t going to take me up on that offer. “See you soon.”

  And with that, he finished dressing, headed for the door, and avoided my gaze as he walked out. I stared at the ceiling, butt-naked and surrounded by boxes, and silently cursed myself for doing what I’d just done. Hooking up with a neighbor on my first day—no, my first hour—in this place? Yeah, smart move there, Einstein. And now he had hit the bricks, and the most we would probably share were some awkward interactions on the stairs.