by C. A. Harms
Conquer
Desired Affliction Series,
Book Two
C.A. Harms
Conquer
Copyright © 2016 by C.A. Harms.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: October 2016
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-838-5
ISBN-10: 1-68058-838-9
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my two little people. You both are the greatest gifts in life. I love you both with everything I am. Your smiles light up my day and your laughter warms my heart. No matter what life throws my way you are both my salvation. Jayden and Tayler, I love you both to the deepest depths and that will always stay true.
Table of Contents
Prologue
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
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Epilogue
Prologue
“Kole, how do you feel about Lexi’s progress over the last few years?”
I looked at Gail like she was insane. How in the hell could I not be happy? Lexi had become such a different person than she was years ago. She had always been strong in my eyes but now she knew it too. She no longer hid from life; instead she grabbed on tight and took control. I smiled as I looked over at the beautiful girl sitting next to me. So enamored by the woman she had become.
“She’s amazing.” Even though that didn’t even begin to describe how much I adored her. “Watching Lexi over the last few years become this strong, beautiful woman has given me the greatest joy.” I squeezed her hand tightly and brought it to my lips. I placed a soft kiss onto her knuckles and let my lips linger a moment before pulling away.
“Well, Kole, I have to agree with you.” Gail smiled at the two of us. “Lexi has really come a long way. The help she has offered here at the center has truly been a great addition.”
She turned her focus to Lexi talking directly to her now. “Lexi, you’ve given the young victims here at the center such hope. They look up to you for your strength and perseverance. It’s an amazing thing to witness and you’ve come so far and still you offer support to others. I hope you continue to volunteer and come in to see me.” Lexi still took compliments the same. She blushed and bit her lower lip between her teeth, tucking her chin toward her chest.
I watched her closely; the sweetness within her still made my heart race.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “Helping others who’ve experienced what I have or a form of it just makes me feel accomplished. I feel like, for a moment, I’m giving someone a piece of their life back. I love helping, and yes, I plan to continue volunteering.”
Gail smiled, seeming pleased before she turned back to me. “So, Kole, last week we touched a little on Lexi’s resistance. I know that you’ve asked her to move in with you. You do understand why she’s questioning that move, don’t you?”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out as I looked Gail straight in the eye. I didn’t want to fight with Lexi again, which was exactly what we had been doing lately when it came to this topic. When we fought it always left me feeling empty. I hated placing tension between us and this topic always did just that. It had a way of pissing me off.
“I do understand where she’s coming from. I just wish she would understand it isn’t like that.”
I turned to face Lexi before continuing. “Baby, it was a long time ago. Just because Miley’s back in town doesn’t make any difference. I don’t think of her that way anymore. I love you, Lexi. She was my past and you are my future. Miley being back isn’t going to change any of that.”
I couldn’t stand her uncertainty. It drove me crazy and I was trying not to get angry. I’d never given her any reason to don’t me, but for some unknown reason she did. I regretted telling Lexi about Miley. She wanted to know why I was so against relationships when I first met her, so I gave her a little piece of my history. I knew I owed Lexi the complete truth, after everything she entrusted to me about herself, I couldn’t lie.
Gail spoke and pulled me out of my thoughts. “Why don’t we talk a little about Miley?”
I began flexing my jaw in an aggravated manner. It was a reflex of mine. “Do we have to talk about her? She really has nothing to do with any of this.” I felt Lexi pull her hand away and I knew I needed to continue. I leaned forward in frustration, running my hands through my hair. Resting my elbows on my knees, I let my focus fall to the floor, taking in a deep breath. I didn’t like talking about ex’s. I didn’t see the point, they were a part of the past.
I let out the aggravated breath I was holding, remembering this was not the time. Looking up at Gail, I continued with a story I didn’t want to rehash for Lexi’s sake. “I met Miley during freshman orientation my first year at college. We were taking some of the same classes and happened to be standing in the same line when we met. We started hanging out and before I knew it we were dating. I had dated a few girls back in high school, but never anything too serious. Miley was my first real girlfriend.” I continued looking forward, the story leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. “We got close, but when I joined the fraternity, things changed. She became different when she was around the house. I went home for the holidays and when I came back I found out she had been sleeping with one of my frat brothers and I immediately broke it off with her. Then I was forced to watch the two of them together through the years. So yeah, relationships became something I avoided.”
I turned my head slightly to look at Lexi. “Until I found you, Lexi. Then it changed and I found that I wanted more. I love you. Please don’t question that love.” I saw her swallow hard and I grabbed her hand once more.
“Lexi, how do you feel about what Kole has said?” Lexi blinked and a tear fell; my chest ached. I fucking hated this. Why the hell did Miley come back here an
yway? Her family wasn’t around here. She transferred out of UNC after our second year and until now, never found a reason to turn back.
“It makes me nervous that she’s back,” Lexi said with honesty. “When we ran into her last week at the coffee shop, it felt so out of place. It was hard. The way they looked at each other made my chest ache and not in a good way. I could tell he cared about her and it was pretty evident that she still felt some type of connection too. It was a little uncomfortable.”
This entire situation was making it hard to sit there and not react. I wanted to force her to understand the depth of my love for her.
Part of me wanted to get up and leave the room, but I knew that wouldn’t help. Lexi was feeling insecure about our relationship and I had to fix that. I had to make her realize how much she meant to me. After all this time, I would think it was something she would already know and understand.
Chapter 1
Lexi
“Is that her?” Megan asked from across the table where we were sharing coffee. I glanced up just as Miley and two other girls entered the café. She was so tall and thin, my version of perfection. Her blonde hair flowed with the breeze that followed behind her from the opened door. She smiled at something her friend said as she stepped up to the counter.
“Yeah, that’s her.” I pulled my eyes away to look back at Megan, trying my hardest not to reflect what I was truly feeling.
“Lex, you gotta let it go, sweets. Kole loves you. Miley was a long time ago.”
Just then I caught movement to the left and looked up to see her approaching. She had on a tight red shirt and a skirt that was extremely short, showing off her long fit legs. She was smiling at me.
I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until Megan whispered, “Breathe, Lex. Don’t let her make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Hi, Lexi, was it?” I turned to look up at Miley as she stood staring down at me, with a fake smile plastered on her face.
I forced a smile in return. “Hello. Miley?” I knew her name and I was more than sure she knew “Lexi” was mine, but I had to play along. I didn’t want to let on just how much her being back worried me.
I offered a polite introduction between Miley and Megan, and she forced herself to be polite. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said with the same fake smile she’d shown me.
We talked very briefly before she excused herself and joined her friends at a corner booth. “She’s beautiful,” I whispered without realizing I said it out loud.
I looked up to find Megan giving me a disapproving stare. “Stop. Now, Lex! You’re who Kole wants. Don’t do this to yourself.” I looked down at my hands as I popped my knuckles in a nervous state. The ugly sense of jealousy washed over me once more.
“You didn’t see them together, Megan. It was obvious that they still had feelings for each other. I can’t let that go unnoticed.” I wanted more than anything to forget that first interaction between Miley and Kole. Only I couldn’t.
“Where’s Kole?” Megan asked and I noticed by her tone she was irritated with me.
“Signing papers for the gym renovations and then he’s supposed to call me. He’s having furniture delivered to his apartment at two and he didn’t know if he’d be done by then. I may need to meet them for the delivery.”
Megan lifted her cup to her lips and finished off the contents in one gulp. She stood from the booth, grabbing her purse without a second thought. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t like the sudden change in atmosphere and you need to stop torturing yourself.”
I grabbed my things and slid from the booth because she gave me no other choice but to follow. But I couldn’t shake the insecure feelings inside me. Just before I let the door close, I took one quick look behind me and instantly regretted my choice. Miley was watching us leave and our eyes connected. She smiled slightly and offered a wave. I returned the gesture and walked out with a knot still lodged deep in my stomach.
I had just reached Megan’s car when my phone began to ring in my purse. I dug around in my bag and finally found it buried at the bottom. Kole’s name lighting up my screen brought on an uncontrollable smile.
“Hello,” I said, speaking just above a whisper to hide my insecurities.
“Hey, baby. What are you doing?”
I knew Kole loved me. I just feared that he still loved her too. “Megan and I just had a coffee and now we’re on our way back to the dorm. Where are you?”
I could hear him shuffling around through the phone. “I just finished signing all the papers. I can be there in two minutes. Can you wait for me?”
I immediately turned to look back at the café. I didn’t want him and Miley face to face again. “I can just meet you at the dorm.”
Kole laughed lightly, “Lex, the dorm is even further away. I wanted you to go back to the apartment with me. Can’t you just wait there? I’m on my way already.”
I let my head fall forward as I stared at the ground, kicking the gravel beneath my feet. “Okay, I’ll wait.”
I hung up the phone and threw it roughly into my purse. I looked up at a very puzzled Megan. She was watching me with her eyebrows lifted.
“Looks like Kole’s on his way here. Maybe you’ll get to see the way they gawk at one another.” I turned around and rested myself back against Megan’s hood.
I heard her approaching as she drug her feet along the pavement. Coming around the front of the car she sat next to me, placing her hand on mine. “Lexi, you’re gonna drive yourself crazy. You’ve got to be insane if you can’t see how much that guy loves you. Kole worships your every breath. He has a past with her, but it was for a short time, long ago. You can’t keep feeling like at any moment he’s gonna rush back to her. Stop with this crazy insecurity.”
Before I could answer her I heard the crunch of tires approaching. I looked up as Kole pulled in next to us. He had just bought himself a new Avalanche and I still wasn’t used to seeing him behind the wheel. Everything was coming together for him. The gym was finally on its way to completion. Having it so close to campus was great for business because the jocks seemed to flock there. The renovations for the fitness rooms were under way and before he knew it, classes would start. He had already started the training sessions and private instructions for the few clients he had signed up. Once the rooms were done he could take on more. He just didn’t have space at the moment.
It was amazing how, still to this day, every time he looked at me my heart would feel as if it skipped a beat. I was so attracted to every part of him, inside and out. I felt like I couldn’t breathe without him. He smiled at me as he climbed out of his truck and walked toward me as I remained seated on the hood.
I tried to hold my smile back, but it was pointless; I loved him like crazy. He had his snug jeans on with a dress shirt folded up at the sleeves. He looked completely yummy and I fought the urge to attack him. I watched him as he got closer and my insides melted.
Once he reached me he didn’t speak; instead he grabbed my belt loops and pulled me toward him, making me slide down the hood. He tightly gripped my hips and lifted as I wrapped my legs around his waist tightly. His mouth met mine and I ran my tongue over his lip teasingly. I could feel him smile against my lips before doing the same to me. When I sucked the tip of his tongue, he groaned loudly.
“Okay, seriously guys, stop with the PDA, soft porn or whatever you want to call it. You’re on my hood, for Christ’s sake.” Megan was laughing behind us and I couldn’t help but smile.
Kole pulled back and looked at me as he brushed my hair back and tucked it behind my ear. His smile lit up his face. “I missed you.”
Chapter 2
Kole
Lexi looked up at me from under her long lashes. She had to know by now what she could do to me with one look. She was like an addiction, one I had no desire to break. I kissed her once more because I couldn’t stop myself. Wrapping my arms around her waist I lifted her slightly; I needed her closer. With her toes barely touching th
e ground I attempted to kiss her until she was numb. I wanted more than anything to get her alone for an hour.
“Hey, Kole.”
I felt Lexi immediately stiffen in my arms at the sound of a woman’s voice. I slowly lowered her to the ground and watched her eyes closely. She looked past me and at that moment I almost picked her up and carried her to my truck. I debated on turning around. I knew that move was only going to cause the unwanted tension to return between Lexi and me.
I slowly turned only to come face to face with Miley and her friends. “Hey.”
She was smiling at me, fluttering her eyes and I hated it. The sexy demeanor she was trying to portray was unwanted. She bit her lip, and when she did, it was nothing like when Lexi bit hers. I watched her as she looked over her shoulder at her friends, with a smirk on her face.
“You remember Katie from when we were together.” I could tell she was trying to throw it in Lexi’s face. I felt Lexi attempt to pull her hand from mine, but I squeezed hers tighter, forcing her to remain at my side.
The first time I ran into Miley with Lexi, I was surprised. I knew I fumbled through that one. This time I was prepared.
“Not really, Miley. That was a long time ago.” She just smiled and then licked her lower lip. “Listen, I got things to do, I just came to pick up my girl.” I pulled Lexi closer and she looked up at me with what I already knew was a forced smile. I kissed her forehead and turned toward my truck, dragging her along.
“Maybe later we could catch up with each other and hang out,” I heard Miley call as I led Lexi away, placing my hand on her lower back. When we reached my truck I opened the door to help her in.
“I don’t think so. Not really much to catch up on, but thanks anyway.” I walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door, looking back at Megan.