Pretty Young Thing: a new adult romance box set

by Coleman, Eileen Cruz

  "Olivia," Elena gasped. "What about Tyler? Are you sure you two are really over? I know things are bad now, but you have been together for years."

  "I don’t see how I can be with someone who won’t even talk to me before making life changing decisions," she sighed. “If he’s acting like this now, how will he be when we’re married?” she voiced her concerns out loud.

  Elena nodded in understanding and gave her a sympathetic look. “I know how happy you two are…were. Is there any way you can work through it?”

  "The only reason he invited me out yesterday was to try and convince me again to move with him. Seriously, who does he think he is? He accepts this job without even talking to me about it and expects me to move with him. Oh, and he was sure to mention how hard I’ve been working to get my degree. Do you want to know what the kicker is?” she didn’t wait for Elena to respond, “he said I could drop out of school and he would support the two of us. Who does he think I am? I have worked too damn hard to get to where I am to just sit idly by the pool every day."

  "Ok," Elena said, slowly, shaking her head, her brown hair cascading over her shoulders. "You've been together for what, three years now? You don't just go out and sleep with a random stranger a few hours after you break up. That isn't like you Olivia," she said, worriedly. "And really. I would love it if a man told me not to work."

  Olivia scoffed. Elena might love that life, but I find it downright insulting. "Please. I don't want to be dependent on anyone. And like I said, I didn't mean to sleep with him, it just…happened."

  "Still, Olivia, it’s not like you to sleep around like that. Even if things are bad with Tyler, this is out of character for you. Are you sure everything is okay? Nothing happened to you?"

  Olivia looked at Elena seriously. “I’m fine. Yes, I acted irrationally, but I was in my right frame of mind. I don’t know how to describe it. There was just something about…Derrick. I felt like I could talk to him about anything. And things have been off with Tyler for a while. Last night was just a breaking point, but it was a one-time thing. A mistake, but a good one, definitely a good one. It’s not happening again,” she assured her friend. “I mean, I snuck out this morning and didn’t leave a number and I don’t have his.” More than likely, she’d never see him again. It was probably for the best. It would give her time to focus on her studies. She only had one more year until she graduated and a dissertation paper to work on. If she was going to get an internship at a wedding planning business and someday open her own, she needed to focus. Now wasn’t the right time to start a new relationship.

  Even if she wasn’t looking for a relationship with Derrick, she doubted she would forget him anytime soon. He had been funny and caring. And it helped that he’d been amazing in bed, but most of all there had been a connection—one that she’d never felt with Tyler. She shook her head. It didn’t matter; it was a one-time thing. She needed to focus on school.

  ***

  Derrick reached out for the brunette, hoping to continue what they had started last night. He'd had his fair share of women, but this one in particular, there was something about her. Maybe it was because he had actually talked to her before they’d had sex. Either way, last night was a night he wouldn’t soon forget.

  His hand continued to fumble through the soft sheets in search of Olivia. The sheets were cold—she wasn’t there. He frowned, opening his eyes so he could confirm her absence. She was definitely gone.When did she leave? Maybe she’s in the bathroom.

  Getting up, he tossed on a pair of boxers and trudged the few feet to the bathroom. The door was open and the light off. She was gone. A feeling of dread filled him and he let out a long breath as he ran a hand through his matted cocoa hair. Since when had he become such a heavy sleeper? Probably around the time he had mind-blowing sex multiple times with a hot brunette. He didn't do relationships, but he wanted to see her again—at least one more time. Perhaps she left her number. His eyes roamed over the hotel desk and end tables. Nothing.

  Chapter Two

  Four days later…

  Olivia shifted on her feet as she stared into the restaurant. Do I go in or run for the hills? Why did I agree to meet with Tyler again anyway? Because he wouldn’t stop calling you, she reminded herself. After the non-stop ringing of her cell, she finally gave in and agreed to meet him at their favorite restaurant. Dread washed over her as she caught sight of him through the glass window. He was seated in the corner at their usual booth. Two filled cups already sat on the table, one for him and the other for her. Coming had been a very bad idea, but she was here now. She sucked in a deep breath before entering and marching to the corner booth.

  "You came," he grinned, his face relaxing as he got up to hug her.

  "Would you have left me alone otherwise?" she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice as she sat down. Nothing had changed between them and his constant pestering was annoying her. Can’t he just accept that we are over?

  "Olivia,” he frowned. Tyler reached out, clasping one of her hands with his.

  Olivia recoiled, but he held her wrist tight. "Tyler I've already told you how I feel," she hissed. If this was another ploy so he could tell her how their new life together was going to play out, she was going to be livid.

  "You were right, Olivia,” Tyler blurted. “I didn't think it through. It wasn't fair to you, and for that I am so sorry. I told my office I couldn't take the position. I don’t want to lose you, and asking you to quit school and move across the nation…God I don’t even know what I was thinking. I just got excited and didn’t think about you. Please forgive me," he begged, grasping her hand with his clammy one.

  She sat in a stunned silence. He gave up his promotion for her. And he was apologizing profusely. "Oh," she squeaked. I’m the worst girlfriend ever.

  "Olivia. I love you and I am so sorry,” he reiterated. “I want to take care of you. I want us to have a life together in a place that we’ll both be happy. Please give me another chance. Give us another chance. I don't want to lose you." He squeezed her hand as his blue eyes met hers.

  She bit her lip. Tyler was safe, and they did complement each other well. And they’d been together forever. She already knew everything about him—had met his family—who loved her. But what about passion? She shook her head avoiding the voice of reason clawing at the back of her brain. "You know I can never give up school. After I graduate, I plan to open my own wedding planning business. I will never be a stay-at-home wife. I don't have it in me." She really didn't. Sure she wanted kids at some point, maybe, but right now she wanted her career and her life.

  "I know, Olivia. I know. I don't want to lose us. I love you so much," Tyler pleaded, meeting her eyes.

  "I love you, too," she conceded. She did love Tyler, she really did, but a part of her was nervous and unsure about what kind of a future they could really have. I’m not ready to take the next step. I can’t lead him on. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath before leveling her gaze at him. "Can we just go back to how things were for right now? After everything that happened this past week, I just…" she paused, watching as he flinched and slowly withdrew his hand from hers. “I just don’t think I’m ready to be engaged. Not right now.”

  Tyler’s jaw clenched and unclenched as he stared down at the table. The silence stretched endlessly between them. Finally, he looked up, plastering a smile on his face. "Of course, Olivia. Anything." His hand stretched back across the table, his palm up. Tentatively she entwined her fingers with his.

  She sighed wistfully, willing there to be a spark—any spark—from the connection, but there wasn’t.

  ***

  Olivia finished stirring the creamer into her coffee and set the spoon in the sink, when she heard one of her roommates’ door creak open. She suppressed a groan when Rachel, her other roommate, came out making a beeline for the kitchen. Rachel was by far the most vocal of her roommates and no doubt had picked up on Tyler’s presence last night.

  "So, I saw Tyler’
s car in the lot last night," Rachel sneered as she plopped up on one of the island stools and fixed a pointed glare on Olivia.

  "Yeah. We’re trying to work things out," she whispered, lifting her mug to take a long swig of coffee. The hot liquid burned as it slid down her throat and she cringed, setting the cup on the counter.

  "Ugh, I thought you were done with that douche?" Rachel inquired, pouring a cup of orange juice.

  "He apologized," she shrugged.

  "Olivia, apology or not, you ended it for a reason," she pointed out.

  Olivia flinched. Sometimes she hated how to the point her friend was. "I love Tyler, Rachel," she said, leaning on the counter.

  “And did he propose again? Did you accept?” Rachel asked, peering over her glass as she drank her juice.

  “No. We’ve definitely taken a few steps back in our relationship. We talked a lot last night. He’s upset, but he wants to move past this,” she explained. Upset was putting it mildly. Tyler had been devastated when she’d told him about Derrick—well she hadn’t used his name. And dear God, she was not telling Rachel about her random hookup. Rachel would only use it as more evidence that she needed to end things with Tyler. Tyler hadn’t taken the news well; any prodding from Rachel would probably push him over the edge. He’d barely wanted to touch her after she’d confessed. But she’d had to be honest. It wouldn’t have been right to continue on like nothing had happened. She and Tyler had been together for years.

  "I just think you could do so much better," Rachel persisted. “He’s so uptight and rigid all the time.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. She loved Rachel dearly, but sometimes she could be too blunt and pushy.

  Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but was cut short by a door opening. Rachel grinned as her boyfriend, Marc, strolled out of her bedroom.

  "Morning, Blondie," Marc said, placing a kiss on Rachel’s forehead. "Duty calls, beautiful. Off to work, but I will see you tonight."

  "Bye, Marc," Rachel smirked, smacking his butt.

  Olivia waited until after Marc left before turning on her friend. "So, speaking of relationships?"

  "Don't even start," Rachel replied, shaking her head.

  Olivia gave her friend a sympathetic look. Rachel was head-over-heels for Marc, but he was wrong for her. Not only was Marc a professor at their school—thankfully Rachel wasn’t one of his students—but he was also nearly a decade older than her. Olivia just hoped her friend knew what she was doing.

  Chapter Three

  Derrick watched as his little sister moved about the tiny hotel room. Her lip curled up in obvious distaste as she stared out the large window and at the large building next door. “You’re not worried about someone peeping in?” she inquired, drawing the thick curtains closed. “You need to find an apartment ASAP. I can’t believe this place is a five star hotel. The room is tiny, the view is awful, and I don’t even want to know how bad the room service is.”

  Derrick chuckled to himself. Only his sister would worry about something like that. “I thought that was the reason for your visit today. Speaking of, shouldn’t we be on our way,” he said, motioning to the door.

  Rachel’s brow quirked up as she lifted his brown leather satchel from the chair and pulled out a few sketches. "You really need to do something with these," Rachel said as she shifted through his designs.

  "I plan to," he obliged.

  "When?” she asked, looking at him.

  “I’m talking to someone in New York. That’s one of the reasons I moved to this Godforsaken college town. It’s close to the big city,” he said.

  “And here I thought you moved to be near me,” she teased.

  “Oh, yeah, that too.”

  Rachel scoffed and pointed. “When’s the last time you had housekeeping in here?” she asked, cocking her head at the dirty tumbler with Olivia’s lipstick on it.

  “I don’t want people going through my things. Everything I own that’s important to me is in this room,” he said, his hands gesticulating as he spoke.

  “You’ve been here over a week now. We’re finding an apartment today,” she insisted.

  He motioned to the door. “Then, we should get going.”

  Rachel forced a smile as she passed him and led the way into the hall. They walked in silence as they entered the elevator. He jammed his finger on the white button and watched as it illuminated. The doors shut, and his stomach dropped as they began their descent.

  “You should come out with me to lunch tomorrow. I’m having lunch with a friend…”

  "You have friends?" he interrupted, teasing her. “That’s surprising.”

  "Oh shut up, Derrick," she said, swatting at him. "I’m having lunch with my roommate and I think it would be good if you got out and started interacting with people."

  He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face, scratching at his stubble. "Please tell me you’re not trying to set me up?"

  "Of course not," Rachel chided. "She’s in a relationship. And I would murder you if you even thought about dating one of my friends."

  "And yet you want me to go to lunch with you and your female, attractive friend," he grinned, watching as Rachel flustered. Her face reddened and she ground her teeth.

  The elevator dinged and he hopped out, hoping to end the conversation. Her heels clicked loudly against the tile as she followed after him.

  "Derrick. Please let me help you. She's a good friend and very social. It’d be a good trial run for getting out and meeting people in this town.”

  “You saw the glass. I’ve met people,” he smirked.

  “I’m talking about the kind of people who have connections and can help get you a job. You can’t stay hidden away forever in that hotel with whatever girl you pick up," Rachel insisted, giving him a pointed glare.

  “Sounds like fun to me,” he argued with a grin.

  Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, blinking her eyes at him as if daring him to fight her on this.

  "I don’t suppose you’ll leave me alone until I agree," he commented, rolling his eyes.

  “Is that a yes?” she asked, impatiently. "Derrick," she growled when he didn’t answer.

  "Rachel," he responded.

  "Look, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but I do want you to meet Olivia," Rachel pleaded.

  "Olivia,” he said, slowly. Was it possible that Rachel’s friend was the same Olivia that had been plaguing his thoughts? “Is she hot?" he goaded.

  "She’s seeing someone, and she isn't the type of girl who just falls into bed with a random guy," she said, scowling at him. “And since she is my friend, that makes her off limits.”

  "I'm not a random guy. I'm your older brother. And for not wanting me to hit on her, you sure are being awfully insistent I meet her," he beamed, enjoying seeing Rachel flustered.

  "I'm not going to introduce you to her if you’re just going to try and seduce her. Olivia was my first friend here and is my best friend. I won't let you screw it up," she threatened.

  Olivia. There’s that name again. His interest was definitely piqued. It was highly unlikely they were talking about the same woman. Olivia was a fairly common name. But it wouldn’t hurt to meet her, just in case. "Where am I supposed to meet you tomorrow?" he asked, silently hoping it was the same girl. Why is Rachel so set on me meeting this friend? There has to be an ulterior motive. "It doesn't mean I'm going. I just want to know in case I decide to show up," he warned.

  Rachel clapped her hands together excitedly. "We’re meeting at South Station Grill. I promise you won't regret this."

  "I never said I was going," he smiled.

  ***

  Olivia sat at the table with Rachel, trailing her finger around the brim of her glass. Rachel peered around the corner as she tapped her foot incessantly on the wooden floor. Rachel’s brother was late. Her roommate’s unease only made her more nervous. In the four years she had known Rachel, she’d never met any of Rachel's siblings. She had seen a picture a few years ago w
hen they had lived together in the dorms, but other than that, Rachel's family life was a mystery to her.

  "I'm sure Derrick will be here soon. He always does what I ask. He just isn’t timely about it," Rachel huffed.

  Olivia shuddered at the name Derrick. She knew that there were about a billion people in this city named Derrick and thought nothing of it. Still, just the name sent tingles throughout her body. Why couldn't her boyfriend turn her on like that?

  "Too bad you can't wrap Marc around your finger like that," she joked, smiling.

  Rachel beamed. "Who says I haven't?"

  Olivia rolled her eyes. Her friend’s relationship confused her. Rachel and Marc dated on and off. She wasn't even sure Rachel knew what was going on.

  "By the way,” Rachel started. “Don't mention Marc to Derrick. He gets all big brotherly and protective over me."

  "It's moments like these that make me sad I'm an only child."

  "True. If you had a big brother, he would have kicked Tyler to the curb by now," Rachel shot back.

  Olivia shook her head. "Tyler's a decent guy."

  "Key word is decent."

  Olivia sighed. She still didn't understand what it was that Rachel didn't like about Tyler. She'd asked several times and had never gotten an answer—at least not a concrete one. It was probably one of those things she would never figure out. Oh well, no use dwelling over it.

  She picked up her cup and sipped some of her ice water.

  "Derrick," Rachel called, standing up.

  Olivia followed Rachel’s gaze as she continued to drink. The water lodged in her throat, causing her to cough as she caught sight of the man walking toward them. She’d recognize those piercing blue eyes anywhere. Derrick’s cocoa hair was spiked and perfectly messy. His stubble was thick and she shuddered remembering how it had scratched her as they’d kissed. Oh crap! He is Rachel's brother. Judging by the sly smile on his face, he remembered her also. Heat flooded her cheeks and she swallowed. Now what am I going to do? Life was way too cruel. Still, she couldn’t help the shiver of anticipation shooting through her as she recalled the night they met.