“That’s awesome.” He lifted me up and twirled me around and planted his warm lips on me. “And?” He eased me down onto two feet.
“I’m going to accept Colby College’s offer.” I held my breath.
“You’re not taking a chance at ASU?”
“My mom always told me to follow my dreams, and baseball stands at the top of my list.”
“And why not UMass’s offer?” His eyes melded with mine.
“Mainly, I need to prove I can live on my own.” The thought of us apart sent a sharp pain through my heart. “You and my dad won’t be far. We can visit on weekends.” I pressed a hand to his sculpted chest.
His arms sucked me in, his mouth crashed to mine, and he kissed me like I was his next breath. My heart beat a wild cadence as I returned the kiss. Minutes had passed. The rain slowed.
We broke away.
“You are my hero, and I love the crap out of you,” he said.
“Ditto, Kade Maxwell.”
Epilogue
Kade
Graduation came and went. In fact, the ceremony and the graduation party were nice, especially with my mom present. I could’ve done without the pomp and circumstance though. I didn’t like all the hype of walking across the stage in front of tons of people. It didn’t matter anymore. My senior year was behind me and the future ahead of me, and I couldn’t be more stoked. Lacey had signed with Colby College. Deep down I wished she would’ve accepted the scholarship to UMass, but I understood her reasoning. She wanted to be on her own and prove to herself that she could take care of herself without her dad or me always around. I admired her and loved her even more for her determination and tenaciousness. My mom was living at home and had been since the beginning of July. I was still working at Rumors, helping out Mr. Robinson. My brothers were with me. My father was working from home more now. We had our family unit back together. I couldn’t help but think of my sister, Karen, as I sat down by the lake on a hot, muggy August day. She would’ve loved it here. She loved the water, and any chance she had, she’d been swimming either in our pool at our old Texas home or in the ocean when we went out on the boat my father had owned.
My heart lit up as I watched my mom. She giggled like a schoolgirl at something my father said. He was grilling burgers while she removed paper plates from the plastic wrap at the picnic table where Lacey was helping her set up the food. Lacey’s shorts rode up on her butt, exposing her pink bikini bottoms as she reached for a spoon.
My girl in a bikini was something I couldn’t look at around people, not if I didn’t want everyone to see my dick getting hard. Water splashed and Becca squealed, diverting my gaze away, thankfully. Kross chased her around the edge of the lake then tackled her into the water. Kody was tuning his guitar on a blanket next to Mr. Robinson, who was lounging in a chair. Mr. Robinson had offered to let Kody play one night a week at Rumors. Today, Kody had promised my mom he’d play her a song he’d written after we ate.
“Kody seems happier,” Hunt said.
He and I sat on my tailgate behind everyone.
“He does.” I wasn’t sure if he’d come to terms with what Sullivan had said the night of the party or if his happier mood stemmed from my mom being home. Either way, a weight had lifted off my shoulders.
“So, are you going to take Pitt up on his offer?” Hunt asked.
Since Hunt had guarded Lacey, he’d found that he liked the job. So Pitt had offered him a spot at the Guardian working for Wes, and he’d extended the same position to me. “I’m going to give it a shot on a temporary basis until Mr. Robinson opens up his new club.” Lacey’s dad had finalized the sale of Eko Records and Zepplins in LA and had purchased another new club in Boston. I’d agreed to work there when it opened.
“I thought you hated the club scene.” Hunt took a swig from his soda can.
“It’s not so bad as long as I’m not cleaning up puke.”
Chloe squealed. She and Kelton were playing horseshoes in a small sandy area off to our left. We’d invited Jeremy and Gloria, but they’d left town for the weekend.
“I’m surprised Pitt hasn’t severed any of Kelton’s limbs yet.” Hunt chuckled.
“Her old man is cool with Kelton.” Although I was worried that Jeremy Pitt, mob boss, would fry my brother in a vat of turkey grease if he did anything to harm or upset the blond beauty. “I don’t think it will last.”
“I agree. Kelton and love don’t mix well,” Hunt said.
He and I laughed as Lacey swayed her sexy hips toward us, her pink swim top covering her ball-squeezing breasts that bounced with each step.
“I’m going to talk to Kody.” Hunt hopped off the truck.
Lacey climbed up beside me. “The last time we sat on your truck like this was at your party back in April.”
“Yeah, but this is better. We’re among family and friends, and I get to see you prance around in that bikini.”
Her luscious green eyes lasered in on Mr. Steel. “He’s awake, isn’t he?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Only one way to find out.” My gaze swept over the swell of her breasts, and Mr. Steel hardened. “So, when does Becca leave?” Becca had gotten accepted into the NYU Nursing Program, and Lacey and Becca had spent more time together since baseball season had ended. It was good to see them hanging and giggling. Hell, it was great to see Lacey with a smile on her face most of the time now.
“Next week. I wanted to help her move into her dorm, but I’m leaving for Maine.”
At that moment, I wanted to hold her and never let go. My dreams had always been nightmares until Lacey had come into my life. I hated that I wouldn’t see her every day or spend every night with her. I hated that I wouldn’t be there if any of her PTSD symptoms surfaced or if she woke from a bad dream. Most of all, I hated that my heart would split in two the moment she drove away. I knew we loved the crap out of each other. I knew without a doubt I would marry her someday. I also knew that as long as we had each other, the world would right itself.
Dare to Dream
Playlist
Music tells a story, defines a mood, makes you laugh, cry, dance, scream at the top of your lungs and most of all it grabs your soul. When I write, music does all that to me. It helps to define my characters and their moods.
“Lips Of An Angel” by Hinder
“Fear” by Blue October
“Broken Arrows” by Daughtry
“Love Gone Mad” by Stars Go Dim
“Hoping for Tomorrow” by Stars Go Dim
“Thinking out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Hanging By A Moment” by Lifehouse
“Without You” by Hinder
“Apologize” by OneRepublic
“Never Say Never” by The Fray
“One Last Breath” by Creed
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe
“Outside – Original” by Staind
“My Destiny” by Katharine McPhee
“Diamonds” by Rihanna
“Follow You Down” by Matthew Mayfield
The Look of Love
by
Wendy Kupinewicz
A smile in the sunrise, a giggle in the air;
A tear that rolls down reddened cheeks, an un-averted stare.
A promise and a purpose; a wish, a dream, a feeling;
A flattering reflection, a charm that’s most appealing.
A portent of the future, a memory of the past;
A sweet deliberation, expectation far surpassed.
Wendy has written and dedicated this poem to Kade and Lacey, and to anyone and everyone who dares to dream! Thank you, my friend. Your words warm my heart.
Dare to Love
Dedication
To all my
readers, fans, and bloggers, thank you for taking this journey with me.
Prologue
Kelton Maxwell
I’m a knight in shining armor, I’m Prince Charming on a steed;
I am Superman and Rocky; Hell, I’m all you’d ever need.
I’m a lover AND a fighter, even angel from above
But I won’t be your ever after, ‘cause I don’t do love.
No matter how you spin it, I’m not willing to commit.
There will be no soulful promise, only sarcasm and wit.
My family is my focus and of course, there’s getting paid.
I’m running all the bases; modeling and getting laid.
Stand in line and wait your turn, there’s lots of me to share.
Baby, you’re a booty call, I ain’t got time to care.
This lifestyle was made for me; it fits like hand in glove.
I told you when we started that I don’t do love.
I have seen my older brother fall, a victim to romance.
The girl he’s got is a keeper but I can’t take that chance.
I know that I’ll be tempted. It’s hard to beat that rap.
But every day I need a different lady on my lap.
Short and curvy, long and lean, brunette, ginger or blonde;
The women keep on coming, I’ve got the magic wand.
Many chicks will try and fail, but when push comes to shove
They’ll walk off broken-hearted, ‘cause I don’t do love.
Consider this a warning, in time you all will see
The only way that I’d do love, is if it’s doing me!
Chapter 1
Kelton
My nuts were about to freeze to my groin as I hurried across campus.
“Kelton!” Chloe Pitt’s voice carried on the breeze. “Wait up.”
I closed my eyes briefly, not wanting to deal with her. We’d broken up well over a month ago when the words I love you fell from her lips. Not only was that my cue to get the fuck out, but it sobered me up. She wanted the big house, the good-looking husband, kids, and someone to boss around. I certainly wasn’t that fucking guy.
She walked up wrapped in a parka and a thick orange scarf. February in New England can be brutal with below-zero temperatures, and today was one of those days. I guarantee that if I’d taken a piss right then it would have frozen before it hit the ground.
“I’ve been calling you. Why haven’t you picked up?” she asked, licking her lips.
Because I didn’t want to get married. “What are you doing at BU?” I asked through lips so cold they were having a tough time moving. “Aren’t you supposed to be in class at Harvard?”
“It’s Friday. I don’t have classes on Fridays.” She rolled her eyes like I was supposed to know her schedule. I could barely keep track of my own. “Are you on your way into Mr. Brewer’s art class?”
She knew my schedule. I’d bet she even knew when I took a shit. “Chloe, we’re not getting back together.” She’d been trying every possible angle, including having her cousin, Lacey, talk to me anytime she was home from college.
“You’re an ass. I need a date tonight for the art benefit my father is hosting, and you owe me.” She pulled her hood up over her blond hair as her nose started running.
“Owe you?” The only thing I owed her was a big fat no. She was definitely a sweet girl, and we had loads of fun in the sack. But she wasn’t my future.
Two people ran past us and into the warm building that was calling my name.
“That’s right. I kept you from getting killed by my bodyguard,” she reminded me in a snarky voice.
I vowed every day to stay away from women who wanted more than I could give—the women who wanted my heart in the palms of their hands, the women who wanted a life of forever. I didn’t do forever, and I wouldn’t open my heart to anyone. I’d seen how torn up my brother, Kody, was over the loss of his girlfriend and how my old man hurt when my mom fell apart after the death of my sister, Karen. The door to my heart was shut so tight that it would take someone with superpowers to pry open the lock. I bit my tongue. She wouldn’t leave me alone until she got what she wanted, and right now I didn’t have the patience to deal with her.
I glanced around. “Where is the jerk, by the way?” Chloe always had a bodyguard on her ass, compliments of her father, Jeremy Pitt, head of the Russian mob in Boston.
She shrugged. “I ditched him.”
If anyone was good at fleeing the confines of her father’s hold, it was Chloe. I flipped up the collar of my leather jacket. “I didn’t ask you to fight my battles for me.”
Chloe had shown up at a recent frat party. She’d scowled when she saw a girl sitting on my lap. Before the girl had had a chance to move, Chloe had her hands in the girl’s hair, pulling her off me. Needless to say, we got into an argument even though we weren’t dating, and her dense bodyguard had come in and tried to manhandle me. I was about to punch his lights out when Chloe maneuvered her curvy body in between Scar Face and me. My fists shook so hard with the need to hit the fucker. Not only for trying to rough me up but because the jerk had held a gun to my head once, and in the three years since the incident, I hadn’t had a chance to show him my gratitude for him almost shooting me.
“Regardless, you owe me.” Chloe touched her nose with the back of her gloved hand.
She wasn’t going to let this go, and I was about to become an ice sculpture. “If I take you to this artsy crap, then we’re done. No more trying to trap me into your love web. I’m not that guy. I’ve told you that.”
“Fine.” She smiled as though she didn’t believe me.
She knew I didn’t pass up sex. I stalked closer to her, my breath steaming as I exhaled. “I’m dead serious. You will not come between me and any of my dates. We will not sneak off and have sex.” Like we had the day after we’d broken up. I was a moron for leading her to believe I wasn’t serious about our breakup. Since then I’ve kept my distance. “And we sure as hell aren’t getting married.” There, I said it. Not in this fucking lifetime and not with a mafia princess.
Her smile vanished as snot slid out of her nose. “I said fine. Besides, Mr. Brewer will be there, and I’m sure he would want you to see some of his students’ artwork.”
I sucked in my bottom lip, the ice beads melting on my tongue. “We’re through after tonight.” I hesitated for a moment, drilling my gaze into her, then headed toward the building.
“Eight p.m. Malia’s Art Gallery on Newbury Street. It’s black tie. So wear your tux.”
Fucking penguin suit. I hated it. I had one tailored for me last year when I attended a few of her father’s charity events. He was always donating money to some cause. For a mob guy, Pitt wasn’t a bad dude. He was fiercely protective of family, a good businessman, and in the three years I’d known him, I still didn’t know what he did for the mob. I wasn’t about to pry either. The last thing I wanted was to get involved in anything illegal. Not when I wanted to protect and defend the law as a future lawyer.
I jogged into the classroom. A myriad of perfumes bombarded me. The scent of lilacs, lilies, clean rain, and jasmine seeped into my nostrils. The last one almost made me stumble. That scent was imbedded in my memory and took me to a place I wanted to forget, yet remember, but didn’t dare. I rubbed my nose lightly as I blew out some air, trying to rid my senses of a girl with dark hair, blue-gray eyes, and lips I could kiss all day long.
Fuck.
“You’re late,” Mr. Brewer said as he tried to quiet the whispers filling the room. “Undress and get on the platform.”
The whispers all but died when he said to undress. Thankful for the undivided attention, I grinned as I scanned the room. Four men sat among the sea of women whose gazes were riveted on me. Some women shied away w
hen I set my eyes on them. Others stuck out their chins, while others licked their lips. I’d bet my life half the women in the room weren’t even artists. They were horny twenty-year-olds attending a class to get a glimpse of Kelton Maxwell. It always amazed me how women reacted to the male species. Maybe that was the reason I took the job. Maybe I should have majored in psychology rather than math. But I dumped that thought. I wasn’t there to analyze anyone. I was there for the adrenaline rush. I was there because I loved the attention. My brothers thought I was way beyond crazy. But I was never the cautious brother. Fuck caution. “You’re hiding behind something,” my old man, the psychiatrist, had once told me.
Maybe so, but posing and showing the world the physical side of Kelton Maxwell was a high like bungee jumping, and I needed that rush like a junkie needed his next fix. Because I sure as hell wasn’t about to reveal my fears or secrets.
I sauntered over to the makeshift dressing area in the corner of the room. Once behind the wooden wardrobe panel, I toed off my boots then peeled off my clothing right down to nothing. The room was warm, and my body began to thaw. Mr. Brewer always kept the temperature high. He’d mentioned something about the warmth keeping the body at its natural state and coloring.
As I wrapped a large terrycloth towel around my waist, Mr. Brewer doled out instructions to the class then added, “Since a couple of you are new in here, I also want to point out that we’re all adults. The human body is a beautiful specimen. I’m certain that most of you ladies have seen a naked man before. Therefore, refrain from giggling and talking and concentrate on the model.”
The Maxwell Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 63