by J. S. Finley
Table of Contents
Introduction
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
Falling In
J S Finley
Edited by
Red Quill Editing LLC
Contents
Introduction
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
Introduction
When you hit a free-fall, you embrace it
Thomas:
Working hard comes naturally, but he’s never had to work so hard to get someone to notice him. Clay isn’t interested, or is he?
The trip on his boat is a test, but will it end in his favor? Temptation has Thomas hot, but will Clay leave Florida before he can act? He must take a chance or he’ll never forgive himself.
Clay:
There’s something about Thomas that makes him hot under the collar. It’s not just the Florida heat, it’s the hot man at his side that has him sweating. Clay wants to take a test drive, but how does he raise the subject. Getting involved could end their friendship, and that’s the last thing he wants.
Just one kiss will change everything. Will he be brave when the opportunity comes up, or will he ignore the draw and leave Florida without ever taking a chance?
Author’s Note
Using real towns can sometimes be tricky. Both the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Alexandria (Virginia) Police Department are filled with good men and women who care about their communities. The towns are lovely, and the people there are great. I used both towns as a backdrop for this story because of they are wonderful places.
About those emails…Yes, the first book was written with a lot of emails. It didn’t fit for this story, and instead of trying to force something, I wrote the books the characters needed.
Falling In Copyright © 2017 JS Finley
Cover Art Sara York ©Copyright 2017
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, JS Finley, [email protected]. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from JS Finley.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000. https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/white_collar/ipr/ipr. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author's rights and livelihood is appreciated. Falling In is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
Created with Vellum
No book comes about without help. I want to thank my husband for standing beside me. He’s been good to me, very good, and I don’t deserve him.
I have to thank Red Quill Editing LLC. They’ve been amazing to work with. Without their help, I would have been lost.
My friend who keeps me going, thank you. You are amazing.
To those who spent their lives doubting me, suck it! I’m happy and your doubt didn’t prevent me from succeeding.
1
Clay Simmons wasn’t even off the plane and sweat beaded on his brows. He lifted his hand, wiping the dampness from his forehead. It wasn’t any use; he was in Florida, and it was only going to get worse.
“Thank you,” he mumbled to the flight attendant as he stepped to the jet bridge. On the walk to the terminal, the heat increased. One thing he was sure of, it was hot here—dripping, sweaty hot all the time. How the heck did Thomas live here year-round? His only guess was the water and the beach.
The last time they’d gotten together had been in Tennessee, and the weather had been freezing. There was nothing cold about this place.
Lane had somehow worked his magic in the few days they had to plan a vacation and found the perfect house not too far from the beach for just the right price. The rest of the guys weren’t coming in yet, so for the next few nights he would stay with Thomas at his place. Once the rest of the guys arrived, they would head to the vacation rental.
Clay stopped by the luggage carousel and waited for his bag. He’d packed light but still had to check his bag at the gate because the flight had been full. He was about ready to give up when the light started flashing, indicating the luggage was about to arrive.
He was paying attention to the bags coming down the belt and didn’t realize anyone was standing close until Thomas covered his eyes.
“Guess who?”
A thrill snaked through Clay, and he smiled. “Well, it ain’t my girlfriend.”
“I could be,” Thomas whispered in his ear as he stepped closer.
Clay laughed and turned, throwing his arms around Thomas. They hugged, laughing and slapping each other’s backs. It was good to be back with his buddy. He’d missed the man, though they still chatted a couple of times a week, either through text, Skype, or emails. It hadn’t been too long since Tennessee, but being with Thomas was a relief after all the hell he’d been going through at work.
“Man, how have you been?” Thomas stepped back and held Clay at arm’s length, looking him up and down. “You’ve lost some weight.”
“Yeah, cops either gain weight or lose it. I guess I’m in the lose weight category.”
Thomas narrowed his eyes, and lines deepened on his brow. “Are you working out?”
Clay shrugged, not wanting to reveal how difficult life had become. He might talk about it later, but for now, he wanted to forget everything and have fun.
“When I have time.”
Thomas’ lips twisted before he spoke. “Are you eating?”
He had a sinking feeling Thomas wasn’t going to let him get away with half answers. He would figure out the truth eventually. “I am, sometimes. It’s hard to find something good on the go. I don’t want to stuff my face with junk.”
Thomas blew out a breath and nodded once, but Clay wasn’t fooled, this subject would come up again when he was least expecting it. For now, he was in the clear.
“We’ll see what we can
do while you’re here.”
Clay laughed and slapped Thomas’ shoulder. “You always were good at taking care of me.”
“I kept you from losing your head on more than one occasion.”
“My arms and legs too.” Clay glanced at the baggage carousel and saw his suitcase coming around. He reached through a sea of people who were staring at their phones and grabbed his bag. Thomas took it from him, giving Clay a harsh stare when he tried to take it back.
“I got it. Come on, I’ve got plans for us.”
“Awesome.” Clay’s heart did the little flutter thing it did sometimes when he was around Thomas. He’d never told anyone about his interest because they’d think he was stupid, but he’d come to accept his response to his friend in ways he never responded to anyone else.
It was weird though. Even with the girls he’d dated, he never felt like he did with his friend. When they’d first started talking again, he’d been overjoyed when Thomas wrote. On their Skype calls, he always watched Thomas. The guy was his best friend now, someone he could count on through thick and thin.
Clay trailed behind him, noticing how good his friend looked. He’d lost a little bit of his bulk, too, after leaving the service, but the guy was still impressive. His arms were packed with muscles, and his waist was trim. Thomas had a healthy tan, though it looked like he covered up since he didn’t have the overbaked look some of the tourists appeared to have.
The walk to the car brought on more sweat, and he shuddered to think how bad it would be if he couldn’t find any air-conditioning. Thomas pulled his keys from his pocket and clicked the key fob. The lights on a truck flashed.
Thomas turned, and their gazes met. Staring into his friend’s eyes was like coming home. It had to be the way they’d spent their life in the Marines, living crisis to crisis, holding on by a thread to a reality that didn’t include bombs or bullets. Clay swallowed and pushed away the feelings, which threatened to bubble over.
“This is my ride.” Thomas’ deep voice trailed along his nerves, and he almost shivered.
“Awesome. It’s nice. New, I’m guessing?”
Thomas’ lips stretched even wider. “Sure is.”
“It’s awesome,” Clay said as he slid his hand over the smooth metal. Is awesome the only word I can say today? What is wrong with me?
Maybe it was exhaustion. He really was happy to see Thomas, and he was happy his friend had a new toy, which obviously filled him with joy. His insides twisted, and he suppressed a shiver.
His gaze met Thomas’ again, and his heart squeezed. If questioned, he would be lying if he said he hadn’t seen something more than friendship in Thomas’ eyes, but maybe he was wrong. His friend wasn’t into guys. He was happy for Jake and Brent, but in the real world, Thomas had never once expressed interest. No relationship, no longings for more, just good friendship and fun times. He pushed away thoughts of him and Thomas, not willing to even contemplate what his desires meant. He was Thomas’ friend, nothing else, and he wasn’t going to risk ruining their friendship.
He moved to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. He hoped the beast of a truck had air-conditioning, because if it didn’t, he would complain.
Thomas stored Clay’s bags in the backseat before settling in the front and cranking the engine. The truck roared to life, and Clay chuckled.
“What?”
“This truck suits you.”
Thomas’ eyes crinkled as he grinned. He popped the gear into reverse, backing out before moving the shifter into drive and taking off. Clay pulled his gaze away from Thomas’ hands and focused on the sights outside. He sighed as cool air flowed from the vents, drying some of the sweat, which made his clothes clammy and uncomfortable. A tiny droplet snaked its way down the side of his face, and he wiped it away. He turned and stared at his friend, not seeing one drop of moisture on his face or neck.
“Everything okay?” Thomas asked.
“You aren’t sweating at all.”
Thomas chuckled and shot Clay a look before winking. “I live here.”
Clay rolled his eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You get used to it. Like you get used to being in the cold.”
Clay shook his head. “Damn, I may never get used to this.”
“You will. You did overseas, and you will here.”
Clay was silent for a while, his thoughts on the last tour they’d served together. It had been hellish over there. Memories of gunfire and bombs going off made his muscles clench. They were lucky to be alive. He didn’t want to think about how bad it was, so he shoved the memories away and focused on the sun, sand, and surf they would enjoy this week.
He turned his gaze back to Thomas. “So, what do you have planned for us today?”
“It’s a surprise. But you’d best get used to being hot.”
Clay chuckled and nodded, wondering if he’d been too ambitious coming down here for eight days. He and Thomas had four days to themselves before the rest of the gang showed up. Thomas did have to work one of those days, and he would be on his own. He counted himself lucky getting any time with Thomas.
They passed scrubby communities. There were a few tall trees, but most were short palms or magnolias. He caught a few glimpses of water, but then they turned down a street with a bridge in view.
“We’re headed over the bridge now,” Thomas said.
“Nice.” Clay sat up straighter and, for a moment, felt like a kid trying to get a glimpse of something magical. He noticed a community of trailer homes in the middle of the waterway perched on a sandbar. “Wouldn’t they get demolished in a hurricane?”
“Yeah, probably so. When the last one blew through, they were lucky. Who knows about next time? It’s crazy what people do here.”
Clay stared at the community as they drove past. “That’s frightening. I mean, living in a trailer on a little strip of land. Who in the world would live there?”
“It’s Florida; we get all types. But yeah, I totally agree. It would be dangerous.”
“So how far away is—oh my God, it’s beautiful.” He’d stopped staring at the trailers and was looking at the river or lake, or whatever it was they were crossing over.
Thomas chuckled. “It is. I love the view. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Wow, I was wrong; beautiful doesn’t even come close. What is it?” Clay turned in his seat, looking over his shoulder as they descended on the other side of the bridge. He tried to keep the deep blue water in his sights, but it was fast becoming impossible. “It’s amazing.”
“The Intracostal Waterway. It’s our main boat route protected by the barrier islands.”
Thomas laughed again as Clay continued to try to watch the striking scene. The truck leveled out, and he couldn’t see the water any longer. He turned to face forward and sighed. It was weird being here. Palm trees lined the roadway and the buildings were shorter than where he was from. He guessed high pitched roofs would blow away in a storm so the buildings had to be shorter.
“Have you heard from Jake or Brent?” Thomas asked.
“I talked to them two days ago. Jake is excited about the prospect of moving. He went to school in Atlanta and has been there for a while. He’d like a change of scenery. It’s hot in the city, and he’s having trouble adjusting to non-school life.”
They were stuck in a bit of traffic, nothing bad, but they were barely moving.
“How is his new business doing?” he asked.
“Good, I think. He seems happy. He said something about companies who worked with NASA and specifications, and how this place would be good.”
Thomas grunted. “I hope they can find a place. Living on the island isn’t for everyone.”
They slowed to a stop as traffic built even more. Clay turned to stare at Thomas, taking in his strong jaw. He had to force himself to focus on the conversation as he got lost in how Thomas’ eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled and laughed.
�
�Really? What isn’t so great?” Clay asked.
“Well, first off, it takes forever to get to the mainland and back on the island when it’s busy season. You learn to do without or stock up. Sometimes the drive from this point down to my house is way too long, and it drives me crazy.”
“How far of a drive is it from your place to your work?”
“Not bad. About ten minutes on a busy day.”
Clay threw back his head and laughed. “Ten minutes really isn’t bad. In Virginia, I can get stuck in traffic for hours.”
Thomas shook his head, then turned to stare at Clay. His eyes crinkled in the corners again, and the warmth from him was almost overpowering.
“Hours in traffic would suck.”
They were moving forward slowly and Clay hadn’t been paying attention while they talked, but then he caught a glimpse of the ocean and gasped. “Oh, my god, it’s…I don’t know. Beautiful.” He stretched the word out, going quiet as he stared at the scenery in front of him.
Clay turned and caught Thomas staring, his smile wide, his eyes full of joy. Clay’s insides twisted. He looked back at the ocean, though the weird feeling stayed with him. Being with this man left him on edge. He couldn’t explain what was happening. Thomas was special, but what if—nope, not going to think about being more than friends with him.
“Just wait,” Thomas said.
He glanced over, and his heart flipped. “Oh, my God, Thomas, it’s so… Can I say beautiful one more time?”
Thomas chuckled, the sound rumbling through Clay. “I’m glad you like it.”