KYLE
Book #3 Scandalous Boys Series
Natalie Decker
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.
Copyright © 2017 by Natalie Decker
KYLE by Natalie Decker
All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Swoon Romance. Swoon Romance and its related logo are registered trademarks of Georgia McBride Media Group, LLC.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-942664-81-9
ePub ISBN: 978-1-946700-02-5
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-946700-01-8
Published by Swoon Romance, Raleigh, NC 27609
Cover design by Najla Qamber Designs
For those of you who love a little scandal.
Ethan and Leeah, you’re the best parts of me.
KYLE
Chapter One
Kyle
Golden blond curls spread across the pillow next to me. I groan and twist myself away from Nina or Gina…I don’t remember her name. Making my way to my already-packed suitcase, I grab a pair of boxers and slip them on. Then shorts, a T-shirt, and a hat.
If we would have been in her room I would have slipped out and went about my day. I do not enjoy the mornings after sex with some stranger. They always like to talk or try to suck me back into bed for cuddles.
The girl I met at the party last night stirs in my bed. I gather her clothes and put them in a pile on the chair. “Hey, um … sorry to get you up, but dorm checkout is in an hour. So, um … I’ve got things to do still and then I need to be on the road.”
She flutters her lashes and then smiles. “Hey, sexy.”
“I found all your clothes.” I point to the chair and hope she gets the hint. Not to be a total jerk, but I don’t do breakfast, lunch, or dinner with hookups. They know this. I have a reputation on campus and back home.
She raises a brow. “Are you kicking me out?”
“Yeah. Sorry. Crunched on time.”
The sheets fall from her body revealing her bare tits and tiny waist. “Do you wanna call me over break, Kyle?” she asks as she slowly dresses.
I inwardly cringe. This is the part I loathe. First, she remembers my name; I on the other hand can’t recall hers. Second, she’s trying to prolong this probably magical moment in her mind. A moment that ended for me as soon as we passed out. I don’t do repeats. I do not make promises or commit to anyone. I’m always up-front, and yet, this shit always happens.
I’m not in the mood to be slapped right now. Before I come off as the ultimate dick of the year, I warned her several times while our clothes were still on. Eight to be exact because she had that look stirring in her eyes that she wanted more than what this would ever end up being. This was going to be a simple hit it-and-quit it-night. No text messages, promises, or phone calls. She agreed. Now, she’s pulling this crap on me.
“No. Sorry. I’m going to be so busy; I won’t be able to stay in touch.”
She frowns at me. Okay, maybe this won’t be so bad. Then she hugs me tight, naked against me. “I’ll miss you, Kyle.”
“Uh … right. Well, have a safe trip.” I pry her away from me and then open the door. She’s not even dressed yet.
“Veronica.”
“What was that?”
“My name. It’s Veronica.”
“Right. Veronica, have a safe trip.”
She stands by the doorway a little longer than I’d like, fumbling with her clothes, but eventually leaves. Once she does, I turn and snatch all the sheets from my bed. After I stuff them into the overflowing hamper, I shut my door and begin pulling posters from the walls. My phone buzzes along my desk. “Hey, sis. What’s up?”
“My flight is landing at noonish. You’re still coming to get me, right?”
“Yes.” I grab my car keys and the laundry hamper to load into my car.
I hear my little sister, Madison, growl at someone. “Thanks, jerk!”
“Maddy?”
“Someone bumped into me and now I’m wearing my coffee. Some people here are total assholes. Two days ago, a guy hit on me at the movie theater while I was on a date with Bryce. I had my ring on too. What kind of douchewad does that? Anyway, Bryce told the guy off, then threatened to rip off his limbs.”
I grin at this. A year ago if you’d asked me what I thought about Bryce hooking up with my sister, I would have said our dickwad next-door neighbor didn’t deserve her, even if they are in the same grade. We called him “trouble” because the dude was always into something bad; but then Maddy started dating him. And I guess he got his shit together. So now he’s almost at my approval stage—almost. Because let’s be honest, my sister is like a saint, and no one can be worthy of her. Not really. Even if he put a ring on her finger.
“Kyle, I have some news to share.”
I grimace. “Is it bad for me or good? If you tell me I’m going to be an uncle, I’ll kill you and Bryce. You won’t even have to worry about Mom or Dad doing it.” I also don’t want her telling me she got straight As. The last thing I want is to come home and have my parents ream my ass about my grades because my genius little sister has pulled off all A’s this semester while hardly trying. Whereas I barely scraped by with a B average.
“I’m not pregnant, you twit! Not that it’s any of your business, but we’re super careful.”
Son of a bitch, I knew it; she got fucking As.
“Well, spit it out,” I growl.
She sighs. “Fine. I got all A’s again, but that’s not the only news. I’ll tell you and Emily when you pick us up.”
I reach my car and toss my laundry hamper in the trunk. Her words glaze over my over occupied mind, as I shut my trunk and make my way back into the building. “Whatever. Wait. Us? Who else am I driving?” I slip back into my room and grab my suitcase. Scanning the room again, I grab my phone charger and my suitcase, and then head down to the lobby.
Granger, a guy from my basketball team, slaps me on my shoulder. “Yo, Issac. You bouncing, man?” The whole basketball team calls each other by our last names because there are too many Daves and Brads and shit gets confusing as all hell.
I temporary forget about my unanswered questions with my sis and nod at Granger. “Yeah, brother.” I give him a half-slap bro hug and then continue toward the woman sitting on the overstuffed couch in front of the coffee table.
“Kyle?” My sister says, still on the call. “Remember we’re taking Emily home with us? I’ll see you at noon.”
Wait—Emily, as in Emily Emerson? Shit. I don’t remember to agreeing to that, but it’s too late now. She’s the only girl I’d give anything to do wicked things with, but never will. Why? Because as tiny as my little sister is, I’m pretty sure she’d chop off my nuts and shove them down my throat if I even so much as looked in Emily’s direction with a boner. It’s complicated. We’d flirted a lot during Thanksgiving break, and we may have almost hooked up during Christmas break. I swear I had blue balls for a fucking week after.
“How’s Florida been treating her?” It sounds like an okay question to ask.
“Fine,” she mumbles.
That right there is a sign of bull crap. She knows more than she’s saying. I can’t ask
my sister about it now because I’m next in line to drop off my key. “Maddy, I’ll talk to you in a little bit. I’ve gotta check out.”
“Okay. Drive careful.”
“I will.” We hang up, and I step toward my dorm advisor. She peers at me through small glasses perched on her nose.
“Name?” she sighs heavily, as if she doesn’t have all day.
“Kyle Issac, room 412.”
She nods, looking at me suspiciously. “If there are any damaged items that you failed to report, we will be sending you a bill within five days. Any questions?”
I shake my head. “Same song and dance every year. We’re good.” I sign the paper she shoved in my face stating that I have returned my key, and then I leave.
Granger follows me to my car. “Hey, man. There is a bunch of us heading to the beach after the fourth. You wanna come?”
“Um … I might hit you up on that. Call me with the deets.”
“All right, man. Tell your family I said ‘hi.’ ”
I nod. “Thanks, man. I’ll see ya.”
Chapter Two
Emily
“Babe, are you leaving?” Vince asks.
I shudder as I haul the last of my bags to the overpriced cab. I’m not answering him. Which is pissing him off. I can tell from the huffing behind me. I need to keep walking. Once I’m in the cab, he can’t hurt me, stalk me, or ruin me. The nightmare will be over soon enough.
“Damn it, Emily! Why can’t you just answer me? Don’t just walk away!” I feel a grip bite into my shoulder. Instead of turning and facing him like he wants, I bolt to the cab. Freeing and probably bruising my already sensitive flesh.
“Miss,” the driver says.
I shake my head, toss him my bag, and open the back door.
“Em!” Vince yells.
Tears blur my vision as my palms shake. I slam the door shut and try to take a deep breath. I can’t wait to get the hell out of here and be in the comfort of my room. I’ll hide there all summer long. Possibly the rest of my life. One thing is for sure; I’m never coming back here ever again.
A fist smacks against the window of my cab. I flinch at the sound. Please go away. Please just go away. “Em! You stupid bitch! I’ll find you. You hear me? I’ll find you!” he screams as the cab pulls away from the curb.
My body won’t stop shaking. Will he find me? The tears streak down my cheeks. The cab driver’s voice pulls me from my mess of thoughts. “Don’t worry, miss. It’ll be all right.” Suddenly tissues are slipping between the small gap where dollar bills transfer through.
“Thank you,” I whisper even though I don’t believe his kind words. Swiping the soft cloth under my eyes, I keep chanting to myself, home is safe. At least for now.
Vince’s threat creeps in. “I’ll find you!” Then my whole body convulses all over again.
Please God don’t ever let him find me.
Stepping off the plane and walking up the long makeshift ramp, I can’t help but notice the odd stains on the carpet. Some brown, some black, a bright orange one —not sure why or what could have caused that. It makes me cringe.
Before Vince, I was unaware what my shoes could contract or what I might have stepped on. I was never one to just stare at the ground and walk. Vince changed all that. My past self, I wouldn’t know what she was like if I ever saw her. This me, I freak out if someone brushes against me. I’m terrified of making eye contact with strangers. I feel more comfortable by myself. The old me didn’t like being alone. I used to be fun and full of life. Vince tore that from me.
I thought he was perfect for my next fix of fun. Plenty of girls wanted him so he could have moved on from me easily. At least this is what I thought. I missed all the warning signs.
He texted at all hours of the night. I assumed it was a typical booty call. No big deal. The texting didn’t stop though. Not after I ended it. Then he’d magically be at the same place as me. The strange notes on my dorm door, which I guess were supposed to be endearing but ended up creeping me out.
He was stalking me hard-core. I thought I could ignore it. Shut him out. Everything would be okay if I could just get out of the relationship. He’d find someone new. I tried getting the police involved, but it was hard. They said there wasn’t strong enough evidence to remove him from campus. I didn’t even have any classes with him. He wasn’t physically threatening me at the time. They couldn’t really do anything about a guy giving me the creeps.
I was too embarrassed to tell anyone, so I didn’t.
I continue walking through the airport terminal to Baggage Claim. I glance up every once in a while, to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. Mostly my focus is on the ground with my hood pulled up. It’s probably eighty degrees outside, and I’m waltzing around in an unzipped hoodie and shorts. Throw in some huge sunglasses that practically cover my face, and yes, I look like a freaking weirdo.
I stand by the steel carousel and wait for my luggage. A tap on my shoulder causes me to scream in fright and jump like a thousand feet in the air.
Maddy, my best friend since forever, looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Jeez, Em. It’s just me.”
Clutching my chest, I pant out, “Sorry.”
Cool air hits a sliver of my exposed skin since the jacket slide off a bit during my freakout moment.
“Are you okay?” she asks, then she zeros in on my shoulder. “Em, what happened to your …”
“Nothing!” I quickly slide up my hood and smile. “It’s nothing. So how long were you waiting?”
“Not long. My flight arrived about twenty minutes ago.”
“What happened to your car?”
She rolls her eyes. “That thing. Ugh. It is definitely on its last leg. Bryce didn’t want me stranded somewhere on the side of the road, so that’s why I left it at the apartment’s garage. The apartment’s paid up for the entire year so the car’s okay to remain there for the whole summer. Not like I’d actually care if someone tried stealing it.”
“Right. Boy Toy isn’t coming to pick us up, is he?” Not that I don’t like Bryce, I do. I just don’t want to witness their cute, perfect lovefest on the drive home.
“Nope, he’s in Elizabethtown until tomorrow. Kyle’s coming.”
Aw snaps. I take it back. I’d rather stomach the lovefest than see Kyle. I’m not ready to face him after our little moment during Christmas break. We were literally just three articles of clothing shy of having sex. Not that Maddy knows any of this. She’d kill me. Well, both of us.
Kyle cannot see me looking like some lost puppy. I chew on my lower lip. “It’s hot in here, isn’t it?” I wave out my cami underneath my unzipped hoodie and Maddy’s eyebrow pops up.
“It’s probably hot because the doors keep opening up, and it’s a sweltering 80 degrees out. Take the jacket off and you’ll be fine.”
Not an option. I turn away and watch as bags finally descend. “What color are your bags?” Maddy asks.
“Hot pink.”
“Oh, I think I see one.”
Yeah there are only two bags. I don’t tell her I left behind clothes, shoes and more suitcases because someone was pounding on my door like a psycho.
She grabs it and I get the other and I pull them away.
“Is that really it?” she asks with disbelief lacing her words.
“Uh huh.”
We step out the door and I smack into something solid. A deep sex laugh builds as the solid wall shakes. I take a step back and look up.
Holy saints! His mesmerizing green eyes hold my attention. “Hey, Emily. If you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask,” Kyle teases.
How is it even possible that he is even hotter now than he was at Christmas break? My heart pounds like crazy in my chest; then I quickly remember myself. I give him a small smile. Damn that boy is bad for a girl’s health.
I fan my face to calm my hormones. Keep yourself in check. You don’t need a repeat of what happened in Florida. Not that I think Kyle is the type, bu
t hey, I didn’t think Vince was the type either. He seemed like a typical manwhore. It was perfect. Until … well … it wasn’t.
This summer will be all about forgetting, and I pray I succeed.
“Maddy, come here and give me a hug,” Kyle says, wrapping his sister up in a big bear type hug. She groans, and I stifle back a laugh. Oh wow, I haven’t wanted to do that in a while. Laugh, that is.
“Get off, you goof!” She laughs as she shoves him.
He chuckles too and grabs our bags. I try to help, but he steps in front of me with a frown. “Nope. Em, dang it, you know the rules. Boys do the lifting while the girls do the sitting. Hop that pretty little butt of yours in the car before I smack it.”
I don’t know why, but his words make my skin burn. I probably resemble a tomato. Making my way to the back, Maddy waves me off. “I’ll sit back here. He’ll actually let you change the radio stations. God knows I can’t stand that metal punk crap he likes to listen to.”
Sliding into the passenger seat, I sigh. Not because I’m relieved to sit in the front next to my best friend’s super-hot brother. I’m relieved that I no longer have to worry about Vince hunting me down and turning up at every shop I’m at. We’re miles apart for now. There is also Kyle’s protective nature over his family, so I know no matter what if Vince did show up he wouldn’t live long.
The trunk shuts, and Kyle slips into the driver’s seat. He smirks at me and then starts the car. “You’re awfully quiet.” He tries to tickle me. I smack his hand away.
“Stop it.”
“Ugh. You two are gross. Quit flirting with each other, or I’ll need a barf bag soon.”
I gawk back at Maddy, who’s pretending to be gagging. “You’re one to talk. You and Bryce practically dry hump each other as soon as you see one another. Get a room.”
“Yeah,” Kyle agrees.
Kyle (Scandalous Boys Book 3) Page 1