Fighting Temptation

by S. M. Donaldson

  She smiles. “Hey, sexy.”

  I lean down and she kisses me.

  A smaller, pregnant Gabby walks over. “Hey, guys. Thanks again for letting us have Marshall’s pool party here. I can’t believe they can’t get the part we need for ours until next week.”

  “No problem. We’re having a blast. Plus, we never get to have a pool party for Maddie’s birthday. And that water was feeling really good on my big fat pregnant belly.”

  “Babe, you look beautiful. My son is just taking up a lot of room in there, that’s all.” We hear a scream and spin around. Gabby and Daria walk over to Marshall and Maddie, who are fighting over a pool toy.

  “Madison Gabriella Johnson. It’s Marshall’s birthday. Give him the toy.”

  My stubborn four-year-old daughter stomps her foot. “But I had it first and he’s a poopy head.”

  “Marshall, did you take Maddie’s toy?” Gabby asks.

  “It’s my birthday. I’m supposed to do whatever I want.” “Well, you wi ll not be ugly to Maddie.” “I tell you what,” I intervene. “I’ll put this toy away since you two can’t play nice. Maddie, next time you and I go to the store, remind me, and I’ll pick up another one so Marshall has one to play with, too.”

  Russ and Anna come through the back gate. I look at him. “Nice of you to show up. I thought you were going to help me grill, since Linc had to see a client this morning.”

  “We would’ve been here sooner man, but Emma had an accident twice before we left the house. I hate potty training.”

  I slap his shoulder. “Yeah, but you thought it was funny as hell when Maddie was the one hiding to pee and poop in corners.”

  Anna walks over. “I didn’t laugh and it’s not fair.” Gabby smiles. “Man, Marsh was so easy. I mean, Linc was uncomfortable for a little bit, but he finally got used to an audience. Finally, he just did what daddy did, all the way down to looking at a book when taking a dump.”

  I laugh. “Brag now and this one will probably cause havoc.” Daria touches my arm. “I’m going in to get the other stuff we need. Linc should be here any time with the cake.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” A few minutes later, Daria sticks her head out the back door. “Hey, Cade? Can you come in here for a minute, please?”

  “Russ, do you think you can watch this grill for five minutes?”

  “Yes, smartass.”

  I walk in through the back door. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, um, while I was in here, the doorbell rang.”

  “Okay.”

  “Well, there are a couple of people here to talk to you.”

  I walk into the living room. “Hi, how can I help you?”

  A slender blonde girl stands up. “Hi, Cade, I hope you don’t get upset with us for coming here. I’m Scarlet. This is my brother, Gable. I don’t know how else to say this, but you’re our brother.”

  I stumble back and sit down. “What?”

  The boy looks up. “We have the same piece of shit father.” “Whoa. I mean, I guess I knew that I had some siblings since my mom and dad split, but I guess I just tried not to think about things that related to my dad.”

  Gable nods. “I understand that. It was really Scarlet here that wanted to meet you.” Scarlet fidgets with her hands. “I just turned eighteen and meeting you was what I wanted to do for my eighteenth birthday.”

  “Wow. Thanks. How old are you, Gable?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  Scarlet looks at me. “Do you ever hear from our father?”

  “Nope. I haven’t heard a word from him since his and my mom’s divorce was final.”

  Gable looks at me. “Since he got out of prison, we haven’t heard from him, either.”

  “Wow, still a douchebag, I see. He’s such an awesome dad,” I say with sarcasm dripping off my tongue.

  “Yeah, I try to tell Scarlet not to let it bother her, but it does.” Daria stands up. “We’re having a birthday party outside. Why don’t you come out back and meet the rest of our family?”

  Scarlet smiles. “I’d like that. Is this your first baby?”

  “Our second. Our first is probably out there driving the dog crazy or being mean to her cousin. She’s four.”

  We step out the back door and everyone looks at us. Linc must’ve gotten here while we were inside.

  “Guys, this is my brother and sister. Gable and Scarlet.” Everyone comes up to shake their hands. “This is my oldest friend, Gabby. We grew up next door to each other.”

  “So the bigamist really did have more kids, huh?” She sticks her hand out to them. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stand your father. I’ve never been able to.” Gabby smiles.

  Gable laughs. “We already have something in common.”

  I laugh. “So, where are y’all from?”

  Scarlet smiles. “Savannah. I go to SCAD the art institute and Gable plays for a local band and bartends.” I nod. They seem like cool people. Gabby and Anna are the closest things I’ve ever had to siblings, but now I have them. Wow. I hand Gable a beer and tip mine to him.

  “Well, here’s to the secrets of Savannah.”

  Keep looking for the spin-off series

  Secrets of Savannah!

  Other titles by S.M. Donaldson

  The Sam Series Sam’s Choice Sam’s Fight for Freedom

  The Temptation Series Lying with Temptation Acting on Temptation

  Novellas Just the Other Sister part 1&2 (e-book only)

  About the Author

  Photo by Shelly Sale S.M. Donaldson is a wife and mother based on the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle. She’s funny, sarcastic and

  has been known to have a potty mouth. She’s worked in many different fields in her life but, she has always

  dreamed of writing short stories and books. She recently penned her first series of novels Sam’s Choice and Sam’s Fight for Freedom. She has just finished working on The Temptation Series.

  To learn more about S.M. Donaldson visit her at: www.smdonaldson.com

  www.facebook.com/S.M.Donaldson.Author www.goodreads.com/AuthorSMDonaldson Twitter: @ SMDonaldson1

  Here’s a Sneak Peak at the new series:

  Secrets of Savannah

  This is unedited and is subject to change before publishing. Copyright © 2013, SM Donaldson

  Secrets Behind Those Eyes

  Prologue

  Scarlet

  How could I be so dumb? I bust my ass to graduate a year early so I can start SCAD in the fall and now I’m sitting here in a holding cell. He wasn’t worth this.

  “Scarlet Johnson. Come on . You’re bein’ released.” I nod, “Yes sir.”

  Walking out into the front lobby of the police station I see my brother Gable. “Hey kid. What in the hell happened?”

  I hug him, “I’ll fill you in once we’re in the car.” Once we are in the safety of our car, Gable looks at me. “Okay so tell me.” “Well when we got back from meeting Cade last week I felt like something between Dustin and I was off.” Cade is our brother that we’ve just met for the first time.

  “Okay?” “Well this morning I decided to surprise him. I stopped by our favorite coffee shop to grab us some coffee and bagels. When I pulled up to his house I noticed an Audi sitting in the drive way, but I thought it was one of his frat brothers or something. I walked in his apartment and I heard them. Walking back to his bedroom I shoved the door open and I saw them.”

  “Who was he with?” My big brother with the murderous glare on his face. Shaking my head. “Well there was him, his friend Brandon and my friend Katie. They were in the middle of some weird shit. I screamed they looked at me. That dick Brandon asked me to join in. Katie started blubbering and telling me she was sorry. Dustin’s naked ass jumped up and tried to talk to me I shoved him away. I took off running out the door, he grabbed me from behind. Then he had the audacity to ask me not to tell anyone.”

  “Wow that took balls. That still doesn’t explain how you ended up in jail.” “Well when he ask
ed me that I saw red. I grabbed some sort of handle. I think it was from an ax. I swung it at him until he backed up. I was just so angry. So embarrassed. It was like a switch flipped and I lost it. The first lick to his car was pure accident, but that one felt so good I couldn’t stop.”

  “Holy Shit little sister.” “Yeah well the neighbors called the cops about all of the screamin’ and car bashin’. When they got there who were they going to believe? Me part of the working class society around here or three blue bloods? Three blue bloods who don’t want their parents or any of the town to find out they were having some kind of weird sex fantasy shit going on. Oh and that two of the town’s most beautiful blue blooded men have gay tendencies.”

  “Whoa what? I thought they were with Katie?” “Yes but Katie was on bottom, Brandon was on top and Dustin was in the middle.” I get grossed out just thinking about it.

  “Oh shit!” “Look if he’d just came out and told me he’s gay or bi whatever. We could’ve went our separate ways, but he embarrassed me. Then to see my best friend involved. Then not one of them said a word when the police put me in the car.”

  “So what are you looking at?”

  “They said probably probation and community service.”

  “Well that’s good. I mean I know mom would worry about trying to come up with money.”

  “Yeah I know. All I could think about was the fact that they may take my scholarship to SCAD.”

  ~*~*~ Looking out the window of the museum my mother works at she demands my attention. “Look young lady, you should be glad they just gave you probation and community service. You did enough damage to that car to constitute a felony.”

  “I know mom. It’s just. If everyone knew the truth of why I flipped.”

  “You will not tell anyone his business.”

  “I’m the one being looked at like the crazy ex- girlfriend.” “Young lady I raised you to b e compassionate to people. You couldn’t tell he was confused when you were together.”

  “No. How would I know about being confused anyway?” “Well I just assumed since you two had been seeing each other for so long. I guess I just thought you guys had been having sex. You know how I feel about sex and all.”

  “Yes mother I know you are completely casual about sex most of the time. But no, we never had sex as a matter of fact I’ve never had sex.”

  My mom stops in her tracks, “Really?”

  “Yes mom really. Oh my God why am I discussing my nonsex life with my mother?” “Hey I’ve always told you sex is an expression with our bodies. I’m okay with you discovering that. Well as a mother I would prefer it be someone who you’ve been with awhile. But the free spirit my parents raised, says go for it.”

  “Mom jeez. I’m going to do my community service.”

  Ryder

  “Son you are nineteen years old. It’s time you get some direction in your life.” My dad spins around. “And by direction I mean a plan other than living off your inheritance, booze and whores.”

  I run my hands through my hair in frustration. “So you’re sayin’ you won’t talk to Judge Griffin about throwing out my community service. I mean shit I could pay all the fines for probation and shit. Hell I’ll even pay that old asshole restitution for the damages.”

  “No son. You need to pay with your sweat and hard work. It’s time that you learned money will not get you out of everything in life. You can’t go around bein’ hotheaded wreckin’ cars and tearin’ other peoples shit up. Also money isn’t going to be all you need in your life. Having friends, family, and people you can trust that’s what matters.”

  “So you keep sayin’.” My dad makes his way across the room putting his finger on my chest. “Son let me explain something to you. I loved your momma with every breath I had in me. I was an incomplete person when she came along. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish that she was still here and not a day that goes by that I can’t wait to see her again. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder if she’d be disappointed in me for how I’ve let you turn out.” He turns walking out of the room.

  Feeling like the biggest douche bag in the world I make my way out of the house to my community service. ~*~*~ Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember my momma. I was only nine when she died. So there’s been a lot of shit since then. Plus those last couple of years she wasn’t herself. She was sick from the chemo and radiation. She wasn’t the momma who would take me pond swimming. He long sandy blond hair had fallen out, she looked frail, but she always tried to put on a smile for me. She always made me chocolate chip cookies even when the smell of something cooking made her vomit. I haven’t ate a chocolate chip cookie since then. The taste, the smell make me nauseous.

  I park at the address given to me for my community service. I’m going to help build a habitat for humanity house. I figure doing this would be better than scrubbing toilets or picking up trash on the side of the road. Plus I get more out of it. I can actually see what I accomplish and I’ll be able to finish up my time sooner than picking up trash every Saturday.

  I walk up to the big guy with a clip board in his hand. “Hey I’m Ryder Abbott. I’m doing some community service here.”

  He huffs, “Good I’m Gus. I was hoping I’d get some good strong guys. They sent me that girl over there and I can tell she’s going to be a hard worker. But the southern man in me says I can’t have her hauling lumber over her shoulder. My granddaddy would roll over in his grave and come back to haunt my old ass.”

  I push my shades up on my head laughing, “Yeah I can see that. So where do I start?”

  “Well go over there where I’ve got Scarlet handing out hard hats and tool belts and she’ll give you the info.” “So little Miss Blondie over there got community service?”

  “Yep smashed the shit out of some guy’s car or something. What did you do?” “Um kinda the same . Except well I smashed up my car doing about 110. Taking out some guy’s barn and a cow.”

  “Wow it’s a wonder that man didn’t kill you over that cow. The price these days.” He walked off shaking his head.

  I step up to the table where blondie is handing out everything. “Hey I’m Ryder. Gus sent me over here to get some information and stuff from you.” She has her blonde hair up in messy bun. She wearing ripped up jeans, a white tank top that accents the gorgeous set of tits she’s got and a pair of cheap mirrored sunshades. Damn she’s fucking hot.

  “Yeah. I’m Scarlet nice to meet you.” She sticks her hand out to shake mine. I take her tiny hand shaking it. She smiles. “So here is your hard hat, your tool belt, a set of daily instructions and the OSHA guidelines.”

  “So what did a pretty little th ing like you do to get community service?” Giving her my signature get a girl into bed smile.

  Pushing her shades up on top of her head and putting her hands on her hips. “Well I took an ax handle to my ex’s car. You?”

  “Me I was stupid racing a car. So he was stupid enough to dump you? He deserved it.”

  “No I dumped him.” Flags fly up in my head. She’s a crazy ex. We all have one. The one you half expect to come home one day with a rabbit boiling on your stove fatal attraction kinda crazy. “So then what exactly did his car do to you?”

  “Look I’m not going into this. I’m here to do my time. I don’t need to deal with another blue blooded, conceited, spoiled rotten, selfish bastard. So just stay out of my way.”

  “Hold on sweet tits. What gives you the right to think you know a fucking thing about me?”

  “I don’t and I’d like to keep it that way.” I spin around walking away from her. Damn. She’s a crazy bitch. But the crazy ones are always the hottest in bed. Self- challenge accepted.

  Check out a couple of Sneak Peeks by Kasey Millstead

  Town

  Kasey Millstead

  PROLOGUE

  Life doesn’t always hand you the happy ever after you dreamt of. Sometimes, living happily ever after is a choice, not a given. Live happy with what y
ou have – not what you thought you would have.

  “Happy birthday, Eden,” Matt whispers in my ear. “Hmm,” I stretch out in his bed, “Thank you.”

  He kisses my cheek and then nibbles down my neck to my collarbone, “You’re most welcome.” I feel his grin against my skin. Turning slightly onto my side, I run my hands up and down his sculpted back. I have always liked Matt’s toned, long, athletic body. Just thinking about it hovering over me causes a shiver to run through my body. I run my fingers up over his shoulders and into his perfectly trimmed sandy blonde hair, ruffling it with my fingers. I moan when he takes a nipple into his mouth and laves it with his tongue. He pays each nipple special attention until he’s satisfied, then he spits some saliva on his hand and wipes it on his cock (for lubrication because he never takes the time to get me really excited), then he positions himself over me and thrusts inside in one swift movement.

  “Ah,” I cry out, arching my back.

  “Oh, yeah,” he grunts. He thrusts a few more times before emptying himself inside of me.

  “That was great.” He kisses the corner of my mouth before rising out of bed and heading for the shower. Three years, and every time was the same. Slam, bam, thank you ma’am.

  I lie there for about five seconds before I reach into my overnight bag and pull out my toy. Slipping it underneath the covers I switch it on and I’m rewarded with an enthusiastic buzzing sound.

  My hips jerk when I first touch it to my clit and I moan softly, careful to keep the noise down so Matt doesn’t hear. Rolling my nipple between my thumb and forefinger, I use my other hand to work my toy down below until I stiffen, then shudder. I bite down on the corner of my pillow to muffle the drawn out moan that rises from my throat as I convulse. I hear the shower cut off and I quickly place the toy back in its place before taking my shower and readying myself for work.

  I hear the bathroom door open as I rinse the conditioner from my hair.