"Hey," she said. "Come in."
She stood back and Tom and his friend walked into the room. Immediately memories of the last time the guy she was sleeping with walked into a room with another man pummeled her brain. Surely, it couldn't be happening again?
No, she couldn't be that unlucky. Could she?
"Caryn, I'd like to you to meet my agent, Aaron Madison. Aaron, this is Caryn Stapleton."
Caryn held out her hand and it was engulfed by the other man’s. "Hi, Aaron, good to meet you.”
"Ms. Stapleton." His formal tone puzzled her.
"Don't be an ass, Aaron. I told you she's not playing me."
"Excuse me?" The last thing she would ever do would be to use a person for her own personal gain. "I don't know what you think of me. But I can guarantee that whatever it is, you're wrong. Now if you're here to insult me, you can leave. And I don't care if you are Tom's agent. In fact, if anyone should be suspicious, it’s me. I mean, the truth comes out and your agent conveniently turns up. How do I even know he’s your agent?"
Tom turned her to face him and hooked a finger under her chin. She had no option but to look him in the eye. “Yeah, I know it does seem super convenient, but he arrived this morning to go over a new endorsement deal. He also looked into trying to find out who Brad Jones really is, but it seems the guy doesn’t exist. And I know, after everything I’ve done, it’s a lot to ask you to believe me. But that’s what I’m asking.”
“Maybe I can help with that?”
A rectangular card appeared between her and Tom, effectively shearing the tenuous connection that had grown between them.
Caryn took a step back and read the card. The proof she demanded was displayed in neat black and white typeface.
Aaron Madison
Director – Madison Media Agency
Tom's arm slid around her shoulders, and she shivered when he began to caress her neck. After a few seconds the uncertainty he was still lying drained out of her. She slipped her own arm around his waist and relaxed against him.
"Now that we’ve got that sorted, Aaron, can you tell Caryn here how long you've known me and that I'm a stand-up guy?"
Aaron studied her closely and she lifted her chin, challenging him to come at her again. After a few seconds, a small smile stretched his lips. "Tom has been a client of mine for the past ten years. He is, as he bragged, a stand-up guy, and in all the years I've known him he has never lied to me once. The only reason the show is a success is because of his hard work. If only all my clients worked as hard as him."
Tom squeezed her shoulder. She turned her head and looked up at him. He quirked his eyebrow, as though asking her if she needed anything more from Aaron.
There was no cockiness in his stance. If anything, he looked like he expected her to still want more proof that he wasn't lying to her.
Caryn placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart, and locked her gaze onto his. "Thank you, Aaron. I don't need to hear anything else."
Tom's smile was brighter than the sun currently shining outside her villa. Her hands moved and cupped his cheeks, bringing his head closer to hers. They stood there for a few seconds just gazing in each other’s eyes. The faint sound of the door clicking shut reached her ears. They were alone and all that mattered was the man in her arms.
"I believe you, Tom Carrington. I think I believed you before you brought Aaron here, but thank you for you doing that."
"Thank you. And it was lucky that Aaron was here to give you the assurance you needed. I wanted to give you something more than my word."
Her heart melted a little further.
She had no idea whether she moved or Tom did, but they were kissing each other as though it were their last day on earth. They ripped the clothes off each other, and when they were both naked and on the bed, she pulled her mouth away from his.
"I'm so glad I took the plunge and swiped right. Even though you weren't who I expected, I'm pretty sure you're my Mr. Right. I’m falling in love you with you, Tom Carrington."
"Thank you whoever you are, Brad Jones. Your loss is most definitely my gain. I’m falling in love with you, too, Caryn Stapleton."
She laughed and captured Tom's lips once again.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Roxanne St. Claire for asking me to be part of her Barefoot Bay Kindle World. It’s been .
Thanks to Julie Sturgeon and her sharp editing eye for helping me to improve and enhance Caryn and Tom’s story.
A chance meeting at RWA 2016 with an Aussie, led to coffee, led to the inspiration for this story. It was a joy to spend time with you Carol Nassif. I know where to look if I need more story ideas!
To my beta readers Abigail Owen and Wren Michaels. Thanks for insights.
To Jennifer Greeff of More Than Words Promotions, you’ve done a wonderful job again on creating a beautiful cover and helping me with all things promotion.
To my family, your support means everything to me.
About the Author
If you enjoyed this book you can subscribe to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/TZazH to receive notifications about new release, sales and other pieces of news. Please also consider leaving a review. Reviews help authors.
On her very first school report her teacher said ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’. Many years later she eventually sat down and wrote her first book.
Nicole writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.
Learn more about Nicole Flockton at http://www.nicoleflockton.com.
[email protected]
Available Now
Fighting for Love - The Elite Book 3
“Wow, so stunning.”
Brooke peered out the small, rectangular window as the Boeing 747 banked gracefully over the sparkling blue waters of Sydney Harbor. The view reminded her of the beaches in Brazil where she’d been a short time ago.
She couldn’t believe more than three weeks had passed since she’d marched out into a stadium full of people proudly wearing her USA team uniform, ready to compete in her first Olympic Games.
Recalling the chatter from a couple of the Australian competitors, the beaches in Sydney were some of the best in the world. She couldn’t wait to see how Bondi Beach compared to Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana.
Bittersweet memories from her last day in Rio bombarded her mind, images of herself and Dane laughing and kissing on the sands of the picturesque Copacabana Beach. A day spent making beautiful memories, while both knowing a goodbye was just a couple of hours away.
The Games were over and so was her time with Dane Parkland. An Olympic fling, that’s all it was, one of the many hook-ups that had occurred during those two weeks when hormones flew in all directions from thousands of competitors.
Why she’d hoped her fling with Dane would be different, that it could be more than short term, she had no idea. Maybe because her good friend Julia reconciled with her true love Mitch, and they’d gotten engaged at the Games. Realistically, Brooke knew she and Dane would never have worked. Long distance relationships were hard to maintain with half a world between them. Impossible seemed more like it when you added in their rigorous training schedules.
So why did her heart still ache whenever she thought about Dane?
Brooke had no choice but to push the despondent thoughts away. This trip to Australia was a once in a lifetime chance to train with up-and-coming diving coach, Susie Hamilton. A week after she’d arrived home from Rio, opportunity knocked, and she’d jumped all over it. Making the switch from synchronized diving events to individual events shouldn’t be difficult. Being on the springboard, knowing that she would be diving into the air alone, scared and excited her all at the same time. For her whole diving career, she’d always trained with a partner, always had someone standing next to her. It had been comforting. Unfortunately, that was in the past. Lulu, her
partner, had retired directly after their disappointing performance at the Games.
Brooke still wanted to dive, though. There was nothing stopping her from teaming up with someone else, forging a new partnership. Only the thought hadn’t appealed. After talking everything over with her parents, with their full support, she’d decided to take on the challenge of going alone. Walking a new path and being in charge of her own fate. Her new destiny: qualifying for the 2020 Games and winning an Olympic medal.
This was why she now sat on a plane about to land at Sydney Airport.
All by herself.
The start of her new career venture.
Life went on.
Bruised hearts healed, and wonderful times spent with a man became wonderful memories.
“Cabin crew, prepare for landing.”
Excitement replaced the melancholy that had taken up residence in her soul. She was in the land down under, Dane’s home country, the place he’d told her so much about. Part of her had hoped he’d ask her to come visit him. He hadn’t, though. That last day, he’d given her a hug, kissed her until breathing became impossible, then walked away. Although he did glance back and blow her a kiss.
The chances of seeing him during the next six weeks were pretty slim. He’d told her he lived in Melbourne and she would be staying in Sydney. She’d thought about contacting him, let him know she was flying in, but she’d held off. He hadn’t reached out to her and she hadn’t reached out to him. Fear of rejection had prevented her from taking the plunge.
No, she’d be better off forgetting all about Dane and concentrating on the task at hand—getting in with this new coach so that at the next Olympics she would be standing on the podium receiving a medal instead of watching it happen to others.
Brooke walked through the double glass sliding doors that separated passengers from family and friends waiting to greet them. The letter from Diving Australia had informed her a driver would meet her and take her to an apartment where she would be living for the duration of her stay.
She had no idea if she had the apartment to herself or if she’d have a roommate. If she had a roommate, she hoped like heck she’d like the person. Nothing would be worse than being stuck around people she disliked and pretending to play nice with them. Whatever happened, she’d deal with it. She’d have to.
For once, being five foot ten came in handy, and she spied a man at the back of the crowd holding a sign with her name blazoned across it. She pushed the cart with her suitcases on it through the mass of people toward him.
“Hi, I’m Brooke King.” She pointed to the sign and stopped in front of him.
“G’day, love, I’m Eric Smith, Diving Australia’s official driver. Welcome to Australia. Let me get that trolley for you and we’ll be on our way.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later, her bags were in the trunk, or boot as Eric called it, and they were on their way.
God, she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep and the smooth motion of the car wasn’t helping.
Brooke had no idea how long they’d been on the road but eventually they came to a stop, jolting her out of the semi slumber she’d slipped into.
“Here we are, love. This is Homebush, where the 2000 Sydney Olympics were held.”
She remembered them well. After watching the diving on television, she’d decided she wanted to attempt it. Brooke had loved watching the competitors leap into the unknown, twisting and tumbling, then hitting the water with the precision of a knife cutting through cake. Her parents thought it was a passing phase and looked around for a place that would provide the cheapest lessons. They’d been shocked and surprised when they found out how much Brooke loved it. And that she was good at it, especially when she’d been paired up with her first partner and they kept winning competitions. Since then, getting to the Olympic Games had been her main focus, which she’d achieved when she’d made the team for Rio.
Now her career trajectory had changed and, for the next four years, her focus would be on individual events and eventually qualifying for the 2020 Games. No matter what sacrifices she had to make, she would stand up on that podium.
Eric efficiently lifted her cases out of the trunk and moved forward to the building to the left of her. It was a square block, about ten stories high. The gardens at the front looked well cared for, giving her confidence that her apartment was going to be clean and not a dingy number with peeling wallpaper.
“You’ll find everything you need, like the entrance code and instructions on how to enter the in-house gym and pool, are right here.” He handed her a large brown rectangular envelope. “Susie has made sure that your every need will be met while you’re here.”
“Great, sounds perfect, thanks.” She smiled. “I might even check out the pool right now. Take a swim to keep me awake.”
“You do whatever you need to do to settle in, love. I’m sure Susie will be in touch.”
“Okay.”
Eric left and Brooke entered her new home. Though sparsely furnished, the apartment contained the necessities—a couch, a coffee table, and a television on a generic wooden stand.
She checked out the one and only bedroom. Everything was decorated in neutral colors, the red comforter the only splash of color in the room. It was a nice apartment, and she had a feeling she’d be very happy here during her short stay.
The lure of a swim to wash away the cobwebs threading through her mind was strong. She could almost feel the cool water wash over her as she dived in.
Once dressed in her swimsuit, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and perused the instructions Susie left with the access code for the front door and the pool. Luckily both the same, so she didn’t have to spend her time trying to memorize different codes.
With her keys in her hand and a bounce in her step, she headed for the pool, wondering if she would meet another diver or someone else she knew. Now that would be cool.
Also by Nicole Flockton
The Elite
Fighting to Win
Fighting to Dream
Fighting for Love
Fighting for Redemption
The Freemasons:
The Victor
The Hunter
Sweet Texas Secrets
Sweet Texas Fire
Sweet Texas Series Boxed Set
Bound Series
Bound by Her Ring
Bound by His Desire
Bound by Their Love
Bound by The Billionaire’s Desire - Boxed Set
Lovers Unmasked Series
Lovers Unmasked: The Complete Series
Masquerade
Rescuing Dawn
Seducing Phoebe
Emerald Springs Legacy Series
Daniel’s Decision
Emerald Springs Legacy Collection
Novellas
Tangled Vines
Melt My Heart Anthology
Tango Love
A Vacation Affair
Swipe for Mr. Right - Barefoot Bay Kindle World
Wrong Time for Mr. Right - Barefoot Bay Kindle World
Protecting Lily
Protecting Maria - Special Forces Operation Alpha Kindle World
Swipe for Mr. Right Page 8