Only for You

by Marquita Valentine

  Only For You

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2013 by Marquita Valentine

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Cover Image Copyright © GlobalStock, used under license from istockphoto.com

  Professionally Edited by Cynthia Shepp

  www.marquitavalentine.com

  Facebook Twitter

  marquita.valentine@yahoo.com

  ONLY FOR YOU is the conclusion of Cole and Violet Rae's story, but not the end of the Boys of the South Series! True For You (Boys of the South ~ Book 3) will be out in October, starring a whole new couple!

  Loose ends left loose for too long tend to strangle. Cole and Violet knew it wouldn’t be easy. They knew their relationship would take work. But when the press finds out about Violet Lynn’s newest boyfriend, they start digging. And when his past come to light, exposing all of his family’s secrets, their relationship begins to fray.

  Country Music’s Golden Boy, Jaxon Hunter, has it all, except the girl that got away. What she saw, she really didn’t. What she thought happened, he allowed her to believe for reasons so insane that no one would ever have believed him if he had confessed. But now that everything’s out in the open, he’s going to do his damndest to convince her that he’s the only one for her.

  Now Violet must choose between Jaxon— her first love and the guy she thought had cheated on her—and Cole—the guy who helped her heal and love again.

  Or will one of them make the decision for her?

  I hope you love Violet Rae and Cole’s story as much as I do!

  Hugs,

  Marquita

  To my mother, Gwen, who wouldn’t let me leave Cole and Rae just laying in bed, all happy for now. “Give me a happily ever after, “she had said.

  And every good southern girl always listens to her momma!

  To Matthew, because I remember all the times we got your truck stuck in a ditch…or two.

  Prologue

  Violet

  It’s dark on stage. The curtains are closed and the band is ready. Purple earpieces with crystals embedded are secure, but I can hear hands clapping and feet stomping in anticipation.

  Everyone is waiting on me.

  I take a deep breath. This is the moment before the plunge.

  The last time I played a crowd this big, Jaxon Hunter was there to catch me, to encourage me, and to make feel on top of the world. But that was before I found out he’d cheated on me, before I found out I was pregnant, and before I ruined my future.

  Then came Cole Morgan, who didn’t care what I’d done, what I could never do, and loved me for me anyway.

  “Ready,” I whisper into my mic. My stomach drops and my knees begin to shake.

  The curtains part and bright lights blind me. Muscle memory takes over, my mouth smiling, fingers flying over the chords as I belt out the words. I play through the first set and freeze.

  Fans go wild, cheering for me and chanting my name. I take a little bow and gesture in thanks to my band.

  Out of habit I glance to the side, but no one’s there.

  Instead of crying, I smile wider. Instead of falling to my knees, I dance around on stage while launching into my next set. Instead of living with love, I’m learning to live on my own.

  Without love.

  Cole left me months ago, claiming I was a stuck-up princess who paraded her charity case of a boyfriend around when it was convenient for her schedule.

  Three.

  That’s how many more weeks I have to practice Cole’s song and pray to God he changes his mind when I finally sing it on stage… Come the third week of April, I’ll be leaving for a world tour, and won’t be back until next fall.

  A lot can happen from spring to fall. Cole could meet someone new, someone who’s from his world.

  Someone not like me.

  Chapter One

  Six Months Earlier

  Cole

  The worst part about lying—knowing you can never take the words back, no matter how many times you apologize. In the grand scheme of things, you’re a lying son of a bitch, and you’ll always be one.

  Or maybe I’m projecting.

  I run a hand over Rae’s head, her pink-tipped hair silky soft. I groan. Her lips are on my skin, teasing. “Please?” she asks, the tip of her tongue edging closer to my cock.

  “No.”

  “But you said yes before.”

  I give her a cocky grin. “I wanted to get in your pants.”

  “Did you?” She licks me and I shudder, trying like hell to speak clearly. “Yep.” Matter-of-factly. “N-no Co-country.” Another lick straight down the hard length of me. Witch. “Mus—” She takes the head into her hot mouth, and then rakes her teeth down the length of me. “Hell yes.”

  My body shakes as my hips shoot up and off the bed. Rae’s killing me with her mouth and devastating me with her tongue. She’s using that talent of hers against me, trying to get me to see things her way. I can barely smile, because I’m too turned on at the thought.

  But on the inside, I’m grinning like a smug bastard.

  The head of my dick hits the back of her throat and I lose it, my fingers tightening in her hair as I pull her away, her hand replacing that sweet mouth of hers. I sort of growl and groan her name as I come. A minute later, I’m boneless and she’s crawling up me, pressing kisses along the way, a Cheshire smile on her face.

  “You think you won, huh?” I haul her up to me and wrap my arms around her slender body. Her perfect tits press against my chest, hard little nipples reminding me that she needs satisfying too.

  She kisses me softly on the mouth. “You said yes.”

  “To what you were doing, not what you wanted,” I point out.

  Confidence, sexy as hell, gleams in her eyes as she wraps her small hand around my dick. “I wanted both—this in my mouth and a yes from yours.”

  These are the times I can do no more than stare at her, because my thoughts have all piled up in my head, like a traffic jam on I-85. Only thing I can make out is a flashing sign that says, “Hot Woman ahead. Will turn your brain to mush for the next million miles.”

  “So, this weekend, I get to sing whatever I want?”

  For her, I’d do anything. I’d let her play country music in my bar, I’d not get too jealous over the fact that she used to date the son of my sperm donor… Hell, I’m willing to overlook the fact that the two of us really shouldn’t be together.

  In any other world, in any other circumstance, a girl like Violet Rae Givens, aka country music princess Violet Givens, would have never looked twice at Cole Morgan. Well, maybe she would have looked twice, but nothing would have come of it.

  We sure as hell wouldn’t be in my bed, again, after being apart for mere hours. After I’d opened my mouth and let enormous insecurities take over, let her dad sway my opinion… let him convince me that I owed it to Rae to leave her.

  Only Rae hadn’t allowed me to think that, not for long anyhow. She had walked up to me, bold as hell, and basically called my bluff.

  “Have it your way, darlin’,” I murmur. “Now it’s time for me to return the favor.”

  She gasps and moans my name as I spread her thigh, entering her with a swift thrust. I’m losing mys
elf inside of her.

  Her fingers lace with mine and squeeze. Sex turns to making love, to sweet words and promises of forever.

  Always, she pulls me back where I belong.

  ***

  My leg won’t stop shaking.

  It’s Saturday night, the night that Rae will be singing for all of Forrestville (and then some) to help me save The Double Deuce.

  The bar is all I have to support my brother, our baby sister, and myself.

  Honestly, I’m not nervous about the bar or Rae singing. I’m nervous about the press that’s shown up tonight, and the very real possibility that my dad and his son might show up, despite Rae’s second phone call to them.

  “Normally, I wouldn’t recommend drinking in this situation, but tonight…” Beau Montgomery lets his words trail away and hands me a drink, then runs a hand through his blond hair.

  I take the drink, muttering thanks, and gulp it down. The whiskey burns, just like it should, on the way down.

  Beau smiles, silver lip ring flashing. “How about another one?”

  “Hell no.” I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth. “You know how I get when I’m drunk.”

  My buddy nods. “It’s the only time I get some real love from you, Cole.”

  I roll my eyes. “Bring a date tonight?”

  “Nah,” he says, searching the room. “I have to head out of here in a few, though.”

  “Woman waiting for you at your place?” Always, this guy has a woman or two… or three with him. I don’t know how he does it. Lately, I’ve been noticing that the women have been fewer and fewer. Like tonight for example.

  “Something like that.”

  I check the cash in the till, break up a roll of pennies, and then turn my attention back to Beau. “Any pointers on dating a celebrity?”

  “You’re such a lying asshole,” Beau says, but the smile’s still there, so I know he’s only joking.

  “Gotta protect my girl.” I mean it. I’d do anything for Rae. Tonight proves it.

  “Yeah, that’s mighty grown up of you.” Beau’s smile gives way to a serious expression. “Look, once the press gets your name, it’s not going to be easy. They will rip you open, take out your guts, and search through them to see what they can find.”

  I shake off his words with a shrug. “Everybody knows everything about me in Forrestville.”

  A hardness gleams in his grey eyes. “Forrestville, North Carolina is one thing, but how about the entire country speculating on you, your family… your mother, brother, and sister? The press tends to make it… difficult on a relationship, with their penchant for headlines that sell.”

  Rae had warned me about the press. Her advice—don’t be a hardass, but make them respect your privacy. Say hello, pose for a picture, and then get out of there. “I got this.”

  Beau’s mouth opens and closes before he holds his hands up, palms facing out. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He ticks up his chin in goodbye, then heads out the door, my brother smacking Beau in the shoulder along the way.

  Parker joins me behind the bar, drink orders in hand. “Did you call in reinforcements?”

  Just as I answer in the affirmative, the door swings open and the hair on the back of my neck stands at attentions.

  Wouldn’t you know it, but Everett Morgan swaggers in.

  “Holy shit,” Parker swears.

  “Yeah, nice to know what I’ll look like at that age,” I say, trying to play it off. But inside, I’m just as amazed as my brother. Everett Morgan is me—twenty years older and a million times cockier.

  “I never thought you—”

  I turn to my brother and say, “Dude, you were like three when he stopped coming around.”

  Parker blows out a breath, his green eyes narrowing. “Want me to ask him to leave?”

  “Once he figures out he’s not wanted to needed, he won’t stay long,” I say as I face the man I loathe. “Ain’t that right, Everett?”

  He takes the toothpick out of his mouth and grins. “Oh, I don’t know about all that. Son.”

  *** *** ***

  Violet

  “Are you nervous?” Lacey asks, her big, brown eyes staring at my reflection. She blows her bangs out of her face. She skipped roller derby practice to be here for me, and I can’t thank her enough.

  I tilt my head to one side, and give her a confident smile. “Butterflies are multiplying but that’s to be expected.” Butterflies? Ha, more like dive-bombing cat-birds have taken up residence.

  Lacey perches on the edge of my chair, one leg swinging. The tennis shoes she wears are dull in color and have seen better days, but they’re clean, like the rest of her clothes. She lives with her parents and has ten brothers and sisters that she helps homeschool on her days off.

  I don’t know if I could be that unselfish of a person at nineteen, but Lacey’s nature is sweet, giving, and caring. She brings out the best in me, unlike my former best friend, Callie Hughes.

  But I’m pretty sure the whole ‘she slept with my ex-boyfriend while we were dating’ tends to color my opinion of her friendship.

  I gloss my lips, snap back on the top, and stand, grabbing the set list that Parker put together for me and hand it to Lacey. “What do you think I should sing first?”

  Scanning the list, she mouths a few titles and looks up at me, her brows drawn together. “Cole doesn’t like country music.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” I agree.

  “Then why would you sing these songs in his bar?”

  Lacey’s view of things is firmly black or white. Nuances or teasing, a lot of the time, are lost on her. “Because he said that I could sing them tonight. But only tonight.”

  She looks at me suspiciously, but I don’t get mad, because I know her thinking. If Cole gets upset, then that means Wyatt Tanaka (his best friend) will get upset, which will make Lacey upset.

  “I promise, Lacey. Cole’s okay with it.”

  Satisfied with my response, her gaze lowers to the list again. “I like that one.” She points to the fifth one down, and I gulp a little. “You sound so in love when you sing it.”

  Holdin’ On To You.

  It’s the one I used to sing with Jaxon whenever we went on tour. When I saw that song on the list, I’d purposefully ignored it.

  I lick my lips. “I don’t think Cole would like it.” Even if he wouldn’t have a clue that I sung it with Jaxon first.

  “But now you’re singing it to Cole.” Her eyes widen and she smiles. “You could get him to come on stage and sing together. Cole has a very nice voice. He likes to sing while he cleans.”

  I laugh. “Maybe I should get him to clean for me, then. The only time I’ve heard him sing was in the bar and he was riffing off Lady Gaga.” But his musicality had surprised me, and the tenor of his voice. It was full-throated and sexy. Like him.

  There’s a knock at the door before it opens. Parker sticks his head and smiles, dimples flashing. Looking at that boy would make any woman smile. He’s all golden skinned with golden hair and green eyes, and a sweet disposition to match.

  He never gets mad or angry. He’s the voice of reason and calm in the storm of his family, especially with his brother.

  But I prefer the storm. I prefer Cole Morgan, and there’s nothing that anyone could do or say to change my mind.

  “Ten minutes, ladies.” Parker’s smile disappears, and then the door bangs open. “Hey, you can’t go in there.”

  In walks my past, all six-foot-three, strawberry blonde hair, and baby blue eyes of it. I blink, stunned to find him here. Stunned to see him so… happy to see me.

  I hear Lacey swallow audibly. “Oh my God,” she whispers loudly. “He looks like Prince Harry and Alexander Pettyfer got married and had a baby, but now he’s older and not a baby.”

  His Royal Pain smirks. “Don’t encourage him,” I say to Lacey, who unfortunately looks starstruck. He winks at her and she blushes before he turns his attention back to me.

  “Hey baby
girl, ready to sing?”

  “Without you, always.”

  Jaxon crosses the room to stand right in front of me. “You can’t perform. Contract and all that shit.”

  “I’m not singing as Violet Lynn.”

  He bites the side of his lip and shakes his head. “Baby doll, that contract of yours is locked tight. Nothing better come from these lips.” He touches my mouth before I can slap his hand away. “But Everett is generous enough to let both of us sing for the Save The Double Deuce Benefit.”

  God, no. “Parker,” I yell.

  “My bodyguards are helping him back to the bar, where he belongs.” Jaxon walks to the couch and sits down, cowboy boots scuffed just so. His jeans are frayed at the bottom and the dark purple, button-down shirt does things to his eyes that girls love.

  Lacey can’t take her eyes off him, and I want to groan. “Where’s Wyatt, Lacey?”

  “Waiting for me,” she says, still riveted by the asshole on my couch.

  “Don’t you want to go to him?” I ask, taking her hand and tugging her to the safe side of the room.

  She looks at me, and then at the door. People walk by—tons of people that weren’t there before. They are carrying equipment and instruments. “I can’t go out there,” she says, her voice thin.

  I take her phone from her pocket and gently grab her hand. “Let’s text Wyatt together, okay?”

  Jaxon catches my eye, a frown marring his forehead. He looks… concerned. So fake, I think. Before we can finish the text, Wyatt comes through the door, like a man on a mission.

  But one look at Lacey and he settles down. “Sweetheart, let’s go outside and see the stray cat that Cole keeps feeding. Maybe we can figure out a good home for it.”

  She says nothing, just keeps staring at the hallway and chewing on her lip, her poor body shaking like a leaf.