by Komal Kant
“Leo?” I stared at him in disbelief, stopping in my tracks. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, buddy!”
Leo Wayland was an old friend from back in the day whose father was a hotshot studio executive. But after my descension into Hell and self-exile to Pine Bluffs, I’d lost all contact with my L.A. friends.
“Same here, mate. It’s good to see you again.” His gaze wandered over to Blair. “Is this your lady? She looks way too normal to be with your unstable ass.”
Leo wasn’t the kind of guy to tiptoe around serious issues like my alcoholism. It was kind of refreshing.
Blair must have thought so too, because she started cracking up and shaking her head in disbelief.
“Yeah, this is my girlfriend, Blair.” I wrapped an arm around her, trying to figure out the best way to introduce Leo. “This is Leo Wayland. We ran in the same circles before I, uh-”
“Before he turned a bad situation into an even worse one,” Leo finished, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you, Blair.”
“You too.” Blair shook his hand, her eyes shooting between the two of us. “I bet you’ve got some crazy stories about Wade—I mean, Harlen.”
Oh, boy, did he. Leo Wayland knew how to party. He was a serial womanizer, could out drink the best of them, and had a “no fucks given” attitude. That’s why he and I had gotten along so well.
“Bloody right I could.” He gave me that trickster smile that had gotten us into a shit load of trouble in the past. “But that was a long time ago. My days have only been moderately crazy ever since I got engaged.”
That was the last thing I’d expected to hear from him.
“Engaged? Wow.” My brows rose at this information. The old Leo would never dream of committing to one woman. “Who is she?”
“She used to be my neighbor.” A smile crept onto his face, the kind you get when you think you’ve discovered a secret no one else has. “She broke into my house one day, tried to kill me with her terrible cooking, and destroyed my mail box.” There was affection in his tone as he spoke.
None of that sounded the least bit normal. Or safe.
“That sounds like helluva story,” I remarked, wondering how the hell that had turned into a happy ending for them.
“You have no idea,” Leo said, climbing back into the golf cart. “Well, I’m glad to see you back at it again, mate. I gotta run, but we should get some non-alcoholic drinks soon with our ladies.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “Sounds good, man.”
With that, Leo zipped off, giving us a final wave. Blair and I stood there for a second, watching him drive away, before she turned to me, a gleam in her eyes.
“He was an interesting guy.”
“Yeah, he’s a good one, too,” I said as we walked the rest of the way to the catering truck and discovered they had fish and shrimp tacos.
Blair and I went wild at the toppings bar. The catering company had gone all out—pico de galle, tomatillo salsa, guacamole, cilantro, onions, pickled vegetables—this was way more fun than it should be.
By the time we were done dressing up our tacos, the rest of the cast and crew had begun trickling outside for lunch. Blair and I wandered a few feet away, obscured by the other side of the truck, taking big bites of our loaded tacos and laughing at the mess we were making.
Was this my life now? It seemed too good to be true that I could finally breathe without having a mountain of stone in my chest, weighing me down every day. Maybe, just maybe, this was what-
“Harlen.”
The voice shook me, like thunder darkening a glowing day, one that had tainted my memories for years.
It was the one human being I was perfectly happy never setting eyes on again—my ex-wife, Penelope Walker.
Yeah, she still had the balls to use my last name for attention.
When I looked up, there she was—her hair in perfect waves of woody brown, her eyes piercing ice, and her smile one of calculated precision. She was beautiful in the same way a poised predator was before they struck.
Pieces of our life flashed in my mind.
Our first kiss.
Falling for her smile.
The way my heart had felt the day we’d gotten married on the beach in the Bahamas, surrounded by our smiling friends and relatives.
Then it had all turned to ash.
That same ash had come spiraling down, shrouding me in a world of darkness. I would never go back to that forsaken place.
So, instead of giving in and saying all the cruel words that were trapped in my heart just dying to be set free, I did the opposite.
Sucking in a deep breath, I turned my back on her, my full attention on Blair whose rainbow gaze was trained on Penelope like she was ready to kill.
Shit.
My silence rubbed Penelope the wrong way, so she went for the one thing she knew would get me to react—Blair.
“You must be Harlen’s new squeeze. Aren’t you cute?” Her voice was sickly sweet, dripping with the venom I knew ran through her body.
“And you must be the ex-wife I unveiled as a cheating skank,” Blair snapped without missing a beat, before seizing my hand. “Let’s go, Wade.”
“W-what are-? W-who are you?” Even though she was wearing twenty layers of makeup, Penelope’s face turned visibly red.
“Your worst fucking nightmare,” Blair spat back, her face fire and brimstone. I’d seen that look enough to know this wasn’t going to end well. “I’m the reporter who broke the story on you and your lover.”
Normally, Penelope would have had a biting retort—she wasn’t a woman to stay silent—but right now, her face was a mask of shock, disbelief, and dripping makeup.
Was she sweating?
She had expected me to be with some hot, young thing, but not the hot, young thing who’d brought our marriage crashing down.
“You’re with her?” Penelope shot at me, anger flaring in her cold eyes. “Why the hell would you do something so stupid, Harlen?”
She was one to lecture me on doing stupid things.
We were a few feet away now, but I stopped and turned so I could see her one last time, see the look on her face before I erased her from my memory forever.
“I’m with her because even though what she did was selfish and devastating and low,” I started, motioning at Blair.
“Jesus,” Blair muttered under her breath. “Tell me what you really think of me.”
“Even after all that, she doesn’t come close to touching you.” I paused here, looking my ex-wife dead in the eyes as I squeezed Blair’s hand for support. “You’re the one who cheated on me. You’re the one who ruined what we had. I spent years imagining what I would say to you if I ever saw you again, and there’s only one thing to say.” I exhaled. “Thank you. Thank you for what you did to me. If you hadn’t, I would never have met the love of my life. I hope you enjoy all the money you came into because that’s the only happiness you’ll ever get.”
The tightness in my chest faded as I turned to Blair, but not before I caught the flash of rejection in Penelope’s eyes.
My gaze didn’t return to her again. It stayed trained on Blair until I felt Penelope leave.
It was over. It was done.
“Are you okay?” Blair asked in a muted tone, wrapping her arms around me.
Her voice, the feel of her body against mine, brought me back from my murky thoughts. There she was, the woman of my dreams, one I knew I would spend the rest of my life with.
“Yeah, I actually feel great.” My chest was light, my breathing was steady. I had faced my demon and come out on top. “You were amazing.”
“I was so mad I was about ready to-” she started to say, but I cut her off.
“Run her over with a car?” I finished, my tone teasing.
Blair glared at me. “No, that’s reserved only for you.”
The light in my chest was growing, impossible to contain. Cupping Blair’s face in my hands, I kissed her with a fierceness I
didn’t know was possible. Her soft lips moved against mine, and she whispered, “I love you, Wade.”
“I love you too, Goochee.”
That was all that needed to be said. Our story was one that was greater than us, one that had played itself out so seamlessly, it had to be more than just coincidence.
Our past didn’t matter.
Our mistakes didn’t matter.
It was just Blair and me.
Always.
One Year Later
THIS HAD NOT BEEN IN the job description.
Movie premieres weren’t everything they were made out to be.
For starters, I was sweating profusely into a dress that was well into the five-figure range. It was all lilac and feathers and a neckline that was showing way too much cleavage.
It was a ridiculous amount of money for a piece of clothing that could feel a family of four for a year and I was pretty sure made me look like an overstuffed, purple bird.
Oh, god, I sounded like Drew.
Not that I would ever admit it to him, but my brother wasn’t wrong about material possessions. Especially when the money spent on them could have gone towards something better.
Luckily, all eyes were on the female celebrities who clearly loved the spotlight. I managed to duck and hide behind a larger gentleman who was doing security for the event.
He shot me a strange look. “Everything okay?”
“Uh, yes, I, um.” I was a freaking, awkward, purple moron, that was the only thing that was not okay.
Even after dating for a year, I still wasn’t used to all these crazy events. It was strange to think that many years ago, I’d been on the other side, the one jostling and yelling for a picture.
The universe worked in the strangest ways.
“Blair?” Wade’s voice drifted in my direction.
“Oh, hey, I was just letting you do your thing.” Pulling myself together, I gave him a sheepish grin. “Mingle and stuff.”
“You know you’re my publicist, right?” he asked, failing at hiding the teasing smile on his face. “You’re supposed to mingle right beside me.”
Wade’s smile always knocked the wind out of me. Maybe it was because he had been such an antisocial grump for so long that it was finally nice to see smile, or maybe it was because even though we had been together for over a year now, I was still crushing on him the way I had back then.
The flutter in my chest was making me giddy. “I-I know. I was, um, investigating.”
“The security guard’s butt?” he asked, brows raised.
“What? No!” I gasped, turning in the direction of the security guard and realizing that was exactly what it had looked like.
Damn it. Why was I incapable of being normal for one sec-?
Uuuuurgh!
Suddenly, a hundred cameras flashed rapidly in our direction, almost blinding me.
What the hell!
Dazed, and possibly losing sight in my eyes, I turned to Wade, trying to figure out what was going on. Voices clamored in excitement. Bodies moved around us—but all I saw was him.
Wade was on one knee, staring up at me with a small box in his hand. Inside was a large, glittering diamond ring that was the size of a blueberry.
My body suddenly felt very hot, then very cold, then hot again. It was like I was having an out-of-body experience, watching the scene unfold below me.
A broken man.
A guilt-ridden woman.
A love that had healed our dark hearts.
“Goochee, will you marry me?” Wade asked, and in those five words he managed to convey every feeling, every glance, every touch that had ever passed between us.
Wade and I may have been from two different worlds, but every fiber of my being knew we were meant to exist in one of our own creation.
There was nothing I could ever want more than what was happening at this exact moment.
“You should’ve known the day we first met that I was impossible to shake.” Leaning down, I kissed him fiercely on the lips, sealing our fates. “Yes, Wade Welsecky, I will marry you.”
To my husband
Thank you for listening to my long-winded ramblings and stories as I try to piece together my projects, and for always making me laugh.
Erica, Michelle & Samantha
Thank you for all the input and help you give me during my writing process. You guys aren’t only amazing authors, but amazing friends.
Eden Crane
Once again, you’ve created such an incredible cover for me. After six years, you still never cease to amaze me.
To my readers
You guys are the kindest, most patient readers I could ever ask for. Not only have some of you become good friends, but your constant enthusiasm for my books continues to blow me away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Komal Kant is the international bestselling author of BENEATH HIM. She writes books about falling in love, books that make you laugh, and that one book where you bawled so hard, you needed ice cream therapy immediately after.
Her days are filled with imaginary characters who speak to her in hushed tones before stealing her lunch money, a husband who accepts all her weird writer quirks, and a criminal mastermind Shih Tzu and lapdog American Bully.
You can find out more about Komal and her books on her website: http://komalkant.wordpress.com
Instagram: @komal_kant
OTHER BOOKS BY KOMAL KANT
With Me Series (Can be read as stand-alone novels)
Impossible
Falling for Hadie
Wrong Side of Town
First Chances
Runaway Mortal Series
Runaway Mortal
Stand-alone novels
Unfamiliar
Beneath Him
Twisted Minds
The Jerk Next Door
Junk
Sneak Peak of Beneath Him by Komal Kant
Now available on Amazon
Prologue
Someone once told me that we are only as good as we believe ourselves to be.
I’ve let myself forget for too long.
Chapter One
Sky
The guy standing in front of me was about to get smacked across the back of the head.
Yes, I knew I was only 5’2”—barely.
Yes, I knew I slapped like a girl—obviously, because I had the girl parts to back that up.
Yes, he looked like he was built like a brick wall and could probably knock me down with a single finger if I started any trouble. But he was seriously pissing me off.
The rude tone of voice he was using to speak to the young girl behind the counter, like she was beneath him, was rubbing me the wrong way.
Anyone with half a brain knew you didn’t give attitude to the person who served you. Not unless you wanted to find something in your drink that didn’t belong there. So, either this guy had half a brain or he was just a huge snob.
I was going to go with the latter, considering he was dressed in an expensive, navy suit that could probably pay my rent for a month. The Rolex that I spied around his wrist could easily pay my rent for a year. High roller. Jack ass.
“I specifically asked for my coffee black, so why is there milk in it?” His tone was scathing, and a complete overreaction to the situation. We were talking about freaking milk. Get the hell over it.
“I’m very sorry about that, Sir,” the girl apologized with a forced smile. Her name tag said ‘Aria’. “Let me get you a new coffee.”
He snorted, and I pictured him rolling his eyes. “I don’t understand why it’s so hard for you people to do your job properly. It’s not very difficult to master.”
You people? Wow. What a complete and utter douchebag. What was this guy’s deal?
“Sir, once again, I apologize.” The girl was gritting her teeth like he was really testing her patience. “If you could take a seat, I’ll serve these customers and have your order out to you as soon as it’s ready.”
Nat
urally, The Java Bean was crowded this early in the morning, and this guy was holding up the line over something that didn’t really matter. I’d just spent eight hours on the road—with an overnight pit stop—driving from Carson City, Nevada to Beverly Hills, California, and I needed a coffee fix before I started my new job.
Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed ten people standing in line who appeared just as irritated as I felt. Honestly, I did not have time for this. No one did this early in the morning.
“Hey, pal.” I tapped him on the shoulder.
He jerked away from me as though a leper had touched him. My mouth fell open a little as I was confronted with his face.
The guy was attractive. Really attractive. He had a chiseled jaw with a cleft on his chin, dark hair that fell into azure blue eyes, and a deep tan that was accentuated by his dark suit.
“What?” He narrowed his eyes at me in a “Who the hell are you, and why are you talking to me?” way.
The look on his face was enough to slap some sense into me. Hot or not, this guy was a jerk. Focus, Sky, focus.
“The nice girl has apologized twice already. I think it’s completely unnecessary for you to continue abusing her.” I pointed a thumb over my shoulder at the people standing in line. “I’m sure these other people have better things to do with their time than listen to you complaining about milk. I know I do.”
My words didn’t seem to have any effect on him at all because all he did was sneer at me like I was an ugly duckling who had dared to speak to a beautiful swan.
All of a sudden, I felt naked.
It was like one of those bad dreams where you got up in front of the entire school to give a speech and then for some irrational reason you were naked.
This was one of those moments—one of those cringe-worthy moments—where I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Because that was how he was staring at me; like I was naked. Exposed. Vulnerable. Which wasn’t how I wanted to feel when I was trying to fight for equal rights for early morning coffee drinkers in The Java Bean.