Back to Me without you (Sibling Love Book 1)

by Christie Mack

  They were wise words uttered by his new sister-in-law.

  Had Justin married someone smarter than him?

  Maybe Jessica was right. Maybe he did spend too much time dwelling on the breakdown of his marriage to allow fresh love into his life. Maybe he ought to give love a second chance in his life. Not everyone was like India.

  “She might surprise you.”

  Something about Jessica’s words had him thinking she knew more than either of them was willing to admit. Had Jessica noticed the chemistry between her sister and him? Was this her way of saying she approved of he and Abby as a couple?

  Sam knew what had to be done.

  But what if it was too late?

  Abby could hardly contain her excitement. She had just landed back in New York City from Australia after a twenty-hour flight. She felt fatigued, but she just couldn’t wait to go back to the two-bedroom apartment she called home.

  While some would call it insignificant, it was spacious to her. She had a kitchen, dining-slash-living room, bedroom, bathroom and even a tiny corner where she did the majority of her writing. There was nothing better than curling up on the couch in front of her laptop computer and allow the words to flow.

  When the pilot had announced they were approaching JFK airport, Abby was jubilant. She had departed Sydney the previous morning but was still arriving on the same day as she had left, just at a different time. She could thank the time difference for that one.

  She was walking through the tunnel towards the terminal with her carry-on in tow, ready to head straight to the baggage claim to retrieve her luggage before hailing a taxi and going home.

  Abby wasn’t scheduled to meet with her editor for another couple of days, which was a good thing because she’d need that long to sleep off the jet lag. She would need to stop at a grocery and pick up a few things for her fridge, but after that, she didn’t plan to leave the apartment until she was completely rested up.

  It wasn’t until Abby neared the exit that she spotted a familiar scruff of blond hair in the crowd of people at the gate of the terminal.

  Sam.

  What was he doing here?

  How had he made it back before her? Last time she checked, he hadn’t left for the airport yet.

  She wove around people until she ended up in front of him, her heart beating fast.

  “Hi.” He spoke first, his voice husky from exhaustion.

  “How did you get here so fast? I thought I left before you.”

  “Guess you paid for a slow plane, while I flew on a faster one than yours,” Sam joked with a grin. Then he turned serious. “Truth be told, I haven’t been here very long. I stepped off the plane a mere ten minutes before you.”

  “What? Why? Did you follow me to New York City? I thought we made it clear that it’s just not going to work out between you and me. We don’t want the same things.”

  “Yeah, about that,” Sam began. She could hear the nervousness in his voice. He took hold of her hand. “I like you, Abby. I like you a lot. I can’t imagine never seeing you again.”

  Her heart skipped a beat at his confession, but she willed herself to stay focused on the reality of their incompatibility. “What about your commitment phobia? I thought you didn’t know if you could be in another relationship, risk getting hurt all over again.”

  Sam dipped his head down to her level and gave her the sweet, sexy smile she had seen him wear when she walked down the aisle at Jessica’s wedding.

  “I’ve had a little time to process everything, and I know that you’re not like my ex-wife. You wouldn’t do half the things she put me through because you’re so much better than she ever was. I don’t want to be afraid to open up to an incredible woman anymore. Your sister is smart—smarter than I think you take her credit for.”

  “Jessica? What she does have to do with this?”

  “She convinced me to chase after what I want and to follow my heart.”

  “She did?”

  Abby was shocked. Jessica had a change of heart? Didn’t she think it would be too weird for the two of them to be with brothers?

  Had she seen the connection that Sam and Abby shared, knowing how perfect they were for each other?

  “I’d like to take this slow, but if you’ll have me and you’re willing to give it a go, then I’d like to see you again.” He stepped closer and gently brushed strands of hair away from her face. She loved the feel of his touch. It was warm and sweet.

  Abby bit her lower lip and gazed into his eyes. “I... I’m still not sure. We have a lot to discover about one another, but I think I would like to see where it could lead.”

  “I’m glad,” Sam whispered, placing one finger on her chin and tilting her face up a little more. “Can I kiss you?”

  Abby’s heart was pounding so loudly, she could barely hear her own whispered, “Yes.” And then his lips were on hers, kissing her sweetly, his hands cradling her face.

  When Abby wound her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, he hugged her tightly against him and spun around.

  A few cheers from passers-by erupted around them.

  They shared one more kiss before breaking into soft laughter.

  “We’ll continue this later,” he murmured, his breath was warm against her ear.

  Abby didn’t think she’d ever be able to wipe the smile from her face. She was most definitely looking forward to continuing things later with Sam.

  Of course, she knew they would have their problems, and they weren’t going to rush into a relationship with each other. But Abby liked the idea of spending more time getting to know Sam. He intrigued her, and she couldn’t think of the last time a man did that.

  There was a time not too long ago when Abby had all but given up on love. She believed she was simply unlucky in love, and no one could love her as much as she could love. So instead Abby threw herself into writing about romance instead.

  Abby didn’t expect to go home for Jessica’s wedding and find love.

  What a trip it had been! She had been going back to visit her family and ended up revisiting a lot of memories and feelings she’d been too scared to face. Her mother and father were never coming back. She was at peace with that now and finally at peace with herself. It felt good.

  And along the way, she hadn’t just found herself, but she may have found her future as well. Love had finally burst into her world. She had a feeling Sam was going to be her everything, just as she hoped she was going to be his.

  I did it. I’m back to me without you, she thought to herself, as she clutched at the heart shape pendant hanging around her neck, a gift from her parents on her twenty-first birthday.

  And she knew they’d be smiling down at her from above.

  Now, she could only hope that the same would happen for Steven.

  For Now...

  Read other books by Christie Mack

  A Sneak Peek at the prologue of

  Five months ago at Jessica’s wedding...

  Steven couldn’t remember the last time he felt so damn good to a woman. Well, he could, but he didn’t want to call attention to it that this moment with Alex wasn’t the first time he was hooking up with her.

  Why did she have to be so damn desirable to him? These feelings that he had for Alex were new to him, and he had no idea how to turn them off.

  He had tried forgetting about her but couldn’t. And as hard as he did try, the moment he saw her working his sister’s wedding reception proved to be even more of an internal struggle. There was no denying it anymore. One more fling wouldn’t hurt.

  He had to touch her, feeling her skin against his own. Her body pressed him as they ignited into passion.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this. I should go back to work. I should be out there,” Alex moaned between kisses.

  She made no attempt to pull away from Steven even though she knew she shouldn’t be making out with him in a bathroom stall.

  “Mm, you’re right. We shouldn’t be doing this,” Steven
whispered even though he had no intention of stopping. What they were doing was wrong, but it felt oh so right.

  Alex allowed Steven to run his hands down her back to the waistband of the short black skirt she was wearing as her work uniform. Alex flicked the button on the top of Steven’s pants, sliding them down his legs and giving her access to the growing bulge deep in his trousers. She had to have it. She wanted to feel her hands wrapped around his dick before he slipped inside her.

  Her hands touched the length of him. Steven moaned at her touch as his hands found their way to each button on the white blouse she was wearing. It fluttered to the floor, as did the matching bra when Steven unhooked it from its clasps.

  Alex wrapped her legs around Steven’s waist, bringing them even closer together. Her hand gripped the side of the cubicle for support. Steven dragged his mouth down her neck, his kisses making Alex powerless to desire. Within a matter of seconds, Steven was inside of her, sending Alex farther and farther over the edge as though she was high on ecstasy.

  Neither Steven nor Alex cared that there were most likely people outside wondering where they were. She also didn’t care if someone walked into the restroom at this moment, witnessing their tryst. Both were in heaven as well as a sweaty mess as Steven pushed deeper into Alex, determined to allow Alex to hit her highest peak. It was all Alex could do to ensure Steven’s name was a soft cry on Alex’s lips.

  Back in the Day – Parmalee

  Back to Me without You – The Band Perry

  Believe in You – Jared Porter

  Champagne – Cassadee Pope

  Done is Done – Rachele Lynae

  Finest Hour – Gavin DeGraw

  Hey Girl – Billy Currington

  How could I Want More? - Jamie Lynn Spears

  I Can’t Wait (Be My Wife) – Ben Rue

  I Don’t Dance – Lee Brice

  I Want to Be in Love so Bad – Tyler Hilton

  I Won’t Give Up – Jana Kramer

  Just South of Heaven – Blake Shelton

  Just Watch Me – Kate Voegele

  Leaving Home – Katie Armiger

  Lie with Me – Lady Antebellum

  Lonely Eyes – Chris Young

  Loved – Lucy Hale

  Moonlight Kiss – Murphy Elmore

  Need – Gavin DeGraw

  Nobody Ever Told You – Carrie Underwood

  Perfect Storm – Brad Paisley

  Pray for You – Sara Evans

  Ready to Run – One Direction

  Ring Around It – Kira Isabella

  Sing it to Me – Dustin Lynch

  Still Fallin – Hunter Hayes

  We are Tonight – Billy Currington

  What We Ain’t Got – Jake Owen

  You could Break a Heart like That – Joel Crouse

  I’m 29 years old from Sydney, Australia, who loves nothing more than finding a good romance book you can’t put down until the characters get the happily ever after that they deserve. It was through reading that I decided to put pen to paper, or in this case, fingertip to the computer screen, and jot down the stories my brain comes up with. When I’m not reading books, I can be found tucked away with my laptop in front of me as I write about the many characters begging me to tell their story, one book boyfriend at a time. You can drop me a line at any of the social networking sites listed below.

  Facebook

  Twitter

  Goodreads

  E-Mail

  I’m a little surprised that I’m even writing the acknowledgements of this book. Back to Me without You had been finished for a while and sitting on my computer for almost a year after getting it back from my editor but I didn’t look at it until a month ago due to work and life commitments. Last year I made the decision to further my day job working with children by studying a course and ultimately attaining another qualification to my name. While I’m still working towards the completion of this course, unfortunately, writing became something that I simply pushed aside. Until now.

  I am so glad that I now have the opportunity to not only finish this course but also publish this first book in a new and exciting series about siblings. Book 2 is well underway and called Small Bump. It is centred around Abby’s brother Steven and will hopefully be published sometime towards January 2017. There are also plans for a third book that will be like a prequel to this story, and it will be centred around Jessica and how she comes to meet Justin followed by a fourth and final book that will reunite the siblings and their partners together and loosely tie their stories into a cute little bow.

  I’d like to thank my mum for pushing me to continue to write again through the struggles of my course or this book probably wouldn’t be published. You’re right, Mum. I do need to find a balance between my day job as an early childhood educator and strive to continue on this path as a published author because writing is a passion of mine that I will always love.

  I’d like to thank Jacquelyn Fox at Happy Endings Editing for polishing my okay manuscript and turning it into something even better. Your suggestions and ideas didn’t go unnoticed. I think I used them to make this story as great as I know it could be.

  I would also like to thank Emily Tippetts of E.M Tippetts Book Designs for their creative designs of my book cover and formatting. I didn’t have any particular idea as to what I wanted in a cover, but this cover turned out more perfect than I could ever imagine.

  And as always to my readers—old and new—thank you for taking a chance on this budding writer. It does mean a lot to me.

  BACK TO ME WITHOUT YOU

  Copyright © 2016 by Christie Mack

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Editing by Happy Ending Editing.

  Cover design and interior design and formatting by

  www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com

  Table of Contents

  TITLE PAGE

  BOOKS BY CHRISTIE MACK

  ABOUT BACK TO ME WITHOUT YOU

  DEDICATION

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  SMALL BUMP

  PLAYLIST

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE