A Fall From Grace. Mail Order Bride Western

by Brittany Dreams

  Taken By The Alpha Dragon

  All characters in this book or publication are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons is coincidental.

  Chapter One

  As Sophie’s yellow cab pulled up alongside the beach house in the resort town of Brant Beach on Long Beach Island, New Jersey she gave a big sigh.

  Her mom had all but blackmailed her into taking this summer vacation with her auntie and uncle, Sophie loved them but she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of spending her summer at their beach house. It’d been a long time since she’d visited it and her memories weren’t exactly great.

  The last time she could remember being there she’d only been a child but she remembered it well. Her parents had rented the beach house from her auntie and uncle for a “happy” family vacation, which had turned into a depressing family vacation due to the amount of arguing her parents did. They had divorced not long after that and while they were now both a lot happier for it Sophie couldn’t help but find the house partially responsible. Since then she had shoved that house in to the recesses of her mind and not given it a second thought.

  Stepping out of the cab, Sophie’s memory was gently nudged just by looking at the beach house. The rusty sign swinging in the summer’s breeze took her back to the day her and her dad had fixed it up. It’d been a beautiful summer’s day and Sophie remembered how her dad had let her use the screwdriver by herself. She smiled to herself as she paid the cab driver and collected her luggage.

  The front door of the house flew open and her auntie came running down the small path toward her, “Oh shit, here we go!” Sophie muttered under her breath as her auntie squeezed the life out of her.

  “Wow look at you!” her auntie Angie exclaimed.

  She stood back and glanced at Sophie. Angie was an attractive lady in her forties and Sophie had always got on well with her, she often joked that she was more like her mom than her actual mom.

  Angie brushed Sophie’s long auburn hair away from her pretty face and stared into her blue eyes, “You are beautiful young Sophie, simply stunning.”

  Sophie felt her cheeks growing hot and smiled, “Shut-up,” she rolled her eyes and playfully punched Angie’s arm.

  Angie laughed, “Come on Terry’s waiting inside.”

  Sophie was excited to see them both again, it’d been a long time and she had fond memories of them. A loud wolf whistle met her ears as she followed Angie up the path; she turned to see a guy in his late twenties leaning up against the side of the neighboring beach house.

  “Hey Aaron,” smiled Angie.

  Sophie smiled his way and he flashed her a smile back, his smile was so sexy. Kind of lop-sided and when he smiled his eyes crinkled at the corners. His hair was a sandy blonde color and tied back in a low ponytail. She couldn’t see his eye color. He was hot, very hot standing in his board shorts and deck shoes with a loose fitting t-shirt.

  Sophie tore her gaze from Aaron and followed Angie into the beach house, “Who’s Aaron?” she asked trying her best to contain her interest.

  Her auntie smiled at her and whispered, “He’s the son of the couple next-door. He doesn’t come up here much but he’s here for the week. Hot isn’t he?”

  “Ewww you’re old enough to be his mom!” Sophie laughed.

  “Yes that’s true, but you’re never too old to appreciate a sexy guy when you see one,” her auntie winked at her.

  “You girls talking about me?” Terry said as he appeared from the kitchen.

  “Of course honey!” Angie smiled and winked at Sophie again.

  “Hey Sophie, God you’ve grown,” he said as he hugged her close.

  “Hey Uncle Terry, great to see you both again.” She pulled out of the hug and jerked her head towards the stairs. “I’m going to go and unpack, if that’s okay?” She began pulling her luggage towards the stairs when Terry took it from her and showed her to her room.

  Sophie glanced out of the window at the breathtakingly stunning view of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. This wasn’t something she remembered. Terry left her to unpack after throwing her suitcase on the bed. Sophie opened it but then found her way back to the window, she’d always loved the ocean. She stared out at the vast expanse of deep blue water and then something caught her eye outside the house next-door.

  Aaron was walking out of the little garden gate and heading for the beach with a towel slung over his broad shoulder. As he turned to lock the gate he glanced upward and saw Sophie looking out of the window. She ducked back behind the curtain and then peered around; he was still looking right at the window and waving to her.

  Now she felt completely foolish. Should she stay behind the curtain or show herself? She opted for the latter choice and stepped out in full view, she raised her hand and waved back to him he smiled and waved harder. Then he changed the direction of his wave and began motioning for her to follow him.

  Sophie put her thumb up and he did the same in return, he then sat down on the soft sandy path to the beach staring out at the ocean. She assumed he was waiting for her to join him so she quickly rummaged through her luggage looking for her yellow bikini and shorts.

  She grabbed them out of her luggage and pushed the bedroom door closed. She pulled her Capri pants down over her tanned toned legs. Sophie stood at average height at 5’6” but her long and shapely legs made up at least half of her height. She pulled her silk panties down over her slender hips and daintily stepped out of them. She admired the freshly waxed area between her legs and was now so grateful that she’d chosen to go for a total wax, there was nothing worse than an un-manicured bikini line.

  As she pulled the tiny bikini panties up, she gasped as the cold material brushed against her needy sensitive place. She reached up and pulled her crop top up over her long tumbling auburn hair. She knew why Aaron had whistled, she had to admit that in her crop top and Capri pants she knew she looked sexy.

  Her waist was tiny and her pierced belly button looked terrific with its silver sea turtle body jewellery climbing up her flat tummy. She glanced in the full length mirror and admired the hummingbird tattoo on her slender thigh, her mom had gone berserk when she’d seen it but as Sophie pointed out she was old enough to have it done and that was that.

  She loved it and hadn’t regretted it for a moment. It suited her with its bright blue and orange shades.

  Sophie reached up and unfastened her lace bra watching her reflection as her pert breasts made their bid for freedom from the lace material; her delicately rose-colored nipples were erect. Her breasts stood proudly with their soft feminine curves and were perfectly proportioned to the rest of her small and sexy body. She slipped the yellow bikini top around her perfect breasts and tied the back in a tight knot before taking the halter neck up and around her elegantly slender neck and tying it the same way.

  She had to admit she looked hot in the yellow bikini with her tanned satin-smooth skin and her perfect curves, she hoped Aaron would be impressed. He might have a girlfriend, or be married, or even be gay but there was no denying that he’d given her the once over earlier.

  Sophie pulled on her tiny denim shorts and threw a loose fitting shirt over the top, which she accidently on purpose left unbuttoned just enough to display a teasing amount of cleavage. Her sneakers were the last item of clothing on over her little sneaker socks, she’d never been a strappy sandal type of a girl and she didn’t believe in wearing sneakers without socks.

  She grabbed her beach bag, threw in her sunscreen and her towel and headed downstairs.

  Colliding into Angie at the bottom of the stairs she laughed, “Sorry!” She tugged the handle of her beach bag back up over her shoulder, “I thought I’d hit the beach for a bit.”

  “And your rush wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain young man waiting out at the back now would it?” Angie said as she smiled cheekily at Sophie.

  “Of course not!” Sophie giggled as she walked past her auntie and toward the front door.

  “Be careful S
ophie! Have you got your cell with you?” Angie mothered.

  “Yep I’ll be careful and keep in touch, don’t worry,” she shouted as she headed out of the door in a flurry of auburn colored hair.

  Sophie jogged down the small path and as soon as she made it around the corner she slowed her pace to a gentle walk, she didn’t want to appear too anxious when she came in to view.

  Aaron was sitting in the warm sand with his earphones jammed in to his ears so she was able to sneak up on him, she touched the back of his neck lightly and he jumped up quickly.

  “What the fuck?” he yelled as he pulled his earphones out of his ears. He turned and a wide smile broke out on his soft lips when he saw her smiling at him.

  “Sorry,” she whispered as she played with her hair, a habit she’d never grown out of. Ever since she was a child if she were hiding something from someone or feeling embarrassed she’d fiddle nervously with her hair.

  “Hey! It’s cool I was lost in my tunes that’s all, ready to hit the beach?” he asked as he stood up. He was around 6’ and she could see now that he’d changed his top to a vest that his arms were beautifully sculpted and his neck was wonderfully broad. His shoulders were wide and rounded with bulging muscles. To Sophie he looked like he’d just got back from the gym. His eyes were green and held a warmth deep within them. On his right arm, there was a tattoo of a wolf.

  She was suddenly aware just how much she was gawking at him and could swear her mouth was actually open, she quickly dropped her gaze to the sandy covered ground and blushed.

  Flicking her long hair over her slender shoulder she glanced back up at him. He smiled at her, “Come on I can hear the ocean calling to us.”

  “By the way, I’m Sophie,” she suddenly said and then felt like an idiot.

  “I know who you are. I asked my parents about you,” he answered as they started walking toward the beach side by side.

  “Really, and they knew me?” she asked regretting how every single word that left her lips sounded so pathetic.

  “I asked about the red-headed hottie next door.” he laughed. “Mom guessed I meant you but said you were a little kid when she last saw you. She remembered your red hair though.”

  Sophie thought of correcting him and telling him it was actually auburn, but then thought better of it and kept her lips firmly pressed shut.

  Chapter Two

  As she walked along the sandy pathway down to the beach beside Aaron, Sophie couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride to be walking beside such a hot guy. Aaron looked across at her as they walked.

  “I just realized I never introduced myself to you either, I’m Aaron,” he smiled.

  “I know as I asked my auntie about you.” she laughed and he started to laugh too.

  “We sound like a pair of creepers, stalking each other through our contacts.” he giggled.

  Sophie tucked her long hair behind her ear and looked up at him smiling as she did, “I just had to know who you were.”

  He held her look and mumbled, “Yeah…me too. You’re pretty cute and the way you were with your auntie when you saw her, the way you smiled and the way you moved it was pretty cool.”

  Sophie was sure that her cheeks must have been glowing as she felt the heat rising in them. Aaron stopped and turned toward her gently lifting her chin up so she was looking at him, “Don’t be embarrassed, you’re beautiful. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward.”

  She smiled shyly and whispered, “I guess I’m not used to compliments, sorry. You know you’re not so bad looking yourself.”

  “Why thank you” he said in an exaggerated tone before leaning toward her. Instead of placing his soft kiss upon her lips he softly brushed his lips against her silky-smooth cheek. His breath was hard and uneven in her ear and its heat tenderly brushed against her cheek.

  Sophie was a little disappointed that his lips hadn’t found hers but at the same time, she reveled in the headiness his warm breath against her ear had given her. He’d ignited the desire inside of her and she could feel it burning hot and fast deep in her core.

  Aaron pulled slowly away from her, he reached down for her hand taking it gently in his and carrying on walking toward the beach.

  Sophie could hardly walk as her legs wobbled from the fury of the passion within. She willed her body to move forward as she switched to autopilot and floated toward the beach. Her whole body was tingling and she could barely catch her breath. Perhaps it was just as well that Aaron hadn’t kissed her lips, she probably would’ve fainted right there.

  What had he done to her? She was captivated, almost besotted by him. They’d only seen each other for the first time about an hour ago, what the hell was going on? Sophie felt a rush of panic as she realized that she was losing control of everything: her body, her breath, her emotions. She’d never met a guy like Aaron. He made her feel special in a way no other guy ever had. When he looked at her, he really stared into her very soul. She felt as though he were glimpsing parts of her very essence that so few people ever had.

  He squeezed her hand tighter as they began to walk over the sand dunes and on to the beach. Sophie tripped and fell to her knees on the soft sand; she started giggling and then saw Aaron drop to his knees beside her.

  “Come on follow me,” he laughed as he started to roll down the dune like a child rolling down a grassy slope, sand flying all over the place.

  She sat and watched him for a moment hesitating at the top and then threw caution to the wind and started to roll after him with her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

  Aaron was sitting up at the bottom of the dune waiting for her arrival, which came quicker than he expected when she rolled straight into him covering him in a swirling cloud of fine sand. She knocked him so hard that he fell backward from his sitting position and ended up on his back in the sand.

  Aaron laughed so hard that his laughter became silent, “Wasn’t that so much better than simply walking?” he said while gasping for breath.

  Sophie managed to shift herself so that she was lying beside him also on her back and trying to brush all of the sand from her face she said, “Yep.” She paused briefly. “You’re crazy, you know that right?”

  “You know you love it.” He smirked at her. “Oh yeah I should’ve told you to shut your mouth before rolling,” His smirk softened as he reached across, attempting to brush the sand from her waves of auburn hair.

  “So…do you do this often?” she asked.

  “What roll down sand dunes with beautiful girls? Oh yeah at least twice a week.” he scoffed at her while winking. She playfully punched his arm and he feigned hurt.

  “Oh shit, my cell’s in my bag!” she shrieked as she began to rummage around in her bag that had become more of a twist of cloth in the journey downhill, “hopefully it survived the rolling.”

  She pulled it out of her bag victoriously and switched it on. Luckily it seemed fine as it burst into life.

  “You won’t get a signal on the beach.” He nodded his head toward the sandy hill they had just rolled down. “The dunes,” Aaron said.

  “Shit! I’m meant to stay in touch with Angie,” Sophie sighed.

  “It’s cool we can walk along the beach in a few. Once you’re out of the dune’s range you can sometimes pick up enough of a signal,” he said reassuringly.

  Clambering to his feet, Aaron held out his hand toward her. She quickly threw her cell back into her bag and grabbed his hand. He pulled her to her feet with ease and as she attempted to brush the sand from her denim shorts, he helped her.

  “Your hands are too warm and moist, the sand’s sticking to them, look,” he said, and as she turned her soft hands over she could see he was right, her hands were covered in sand.

  “Let me, my hands are dry, I hardly ever sweat,” he mumbled as he began brushing her tiny denim shorts off for her, his fingers against her thighs tickled and she squirmed like a wriggling fish.

  He smiled at her, “You need to keep still or I’ll never get it all o
ff!”

  “You’re tickling me I can’t keep still!” she laughed as he carried on brushing and tickling and she continued to wriggle.

  “I give up!” he laughed as he jerked his head toward the flat beach. “Come on, let’s find a space on the beach between all of these people.”

  She liked his sarcastic nature, the beach was quiet, in fact they were practically the only ones there apart from the odd surfer and a couple walking their dog. Sophie followed Aaron as he found a spot not too far from the dunes and began laying his towel down on the soft sand. She reached into her bag and pulled her towel and sunscreen out.

  He pulled his vest top over his head shaking his sandy blonde hair as he did, it wasn’t tied back now and Sophie noticed how much it shone in the sun. His physique was just so chiseled and his bronze tanned skin tone complimented his rippling muscles.

  “Want some sunscreen?” was all she could think to say.

  “If you insist. You can put some on my back if you’re sure you’ll be able to control yourself!” he laughed and winked at her.

  She sighed and rolled her eyes, but in truth, she didn’t know how she was going to react when she touched him. Her hands were already shaking as she bent down to grab the bottle of sunscreen. When she stood upright she noticed his eyes following her slim body as she moved.

  “Where do you want me?” he asked with playfulness in his voice.

  “Just sit down so I can reach your shoulders,” she ordered and giggled as he saluted her and flopped on to the sand in front of her.

  She knelt down behind him and flipped the lid open on the sunscreen with shaking fingers and as she began to massage the fragranced lotion into his skin she recoiled, “God your skin’s abrasive you should moisturize more.”

  “Yes, mom” he said. “My skin’s always been dry, I guess it’s because I spend so much time outdoors. It probably doesn’t help that I never wear sunscreen.” Sophie swatted his shoulder.

  “You should always wear sunscreen, it’s terrible for your skin to always be exposed to the sun.” She realized that she really was beginning to sound like a mother and she shut her mouth.