Welcome to Paradise

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Revenge can be sweet. Forgiveness is sweeter.

Welcome to Paradise, Book 1 Singing sensation Charlotte Hill can’t wait for her high school reunion. She’s out to give Nate Bishop—the man who walked away with her virginity—the sexiest ride of his life. Then give him a heaping dose of the same medicine he gave her fifteen years ago. Stomp all over his heart as she walks out the door. Nate has never forgotten the green-eyed redhead who set his body on fire, the one girl who saw past his bad reputation. The heat of those memories still warms his thoughts, even after all these years. After he did the right thing and let her go, rather than let his love chain her to a town she despised. Now she’s back in Paradise looking sexier than ever, and Nate finds himself powerless to keep his distance. And Charlotte, in spite of her resolve, can’t believe she’s so easily falling under his spell. Yet mind-blowing sex doesn’t bury the past. It unearths painful emotions too long buried. Emotions that could stamp out rekindled love before it catches flame…

Warning: Contains a reformed bad boy and a newly minted bad girl with revenge on her mind, feuding families, dirty little secrets, and a lot of dirty sex.

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B Cincinnati OH 45249 Welcome to Paradise Copyright © 2011 by Elle Kennedy ISBN: 978-1-60928-505-0 Edited by Lindsey Faber Cover by Scott Carpenter All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2011 www.samhainpublishing.com

Welcome to Paradise Elle Kennedy

Dedication

To all the small-towners out there. Hope your town is as scandalous as Paradise…

Chapter One

“So are you going?” Nate Bishop collected Lexie’s empty beer bottle and tossed it into the empties bin underneath the walnut bar counter. He didn’t bother asking for clarification about the random question she’d hurled his way. Two seconds ago she’d been discussing the editorial she’d penned for this week’s issue of the Paradise Post, and as usual, the abrupt change of subject made him want to scratch his head. Lexie did that a lot, launched into conversations she was obviously having in her own head. “Nate?” she prompted, leaning her dainty elbows on the counter. “Are you just going to ignore me?” He flashed a grin. “Nope, simply waiting for you to put an end to my confusion.” “The high school reunion,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You know, the one that’s being held in the town square tomorrow night.” “Oh that. Yeah, I might make an appearance.” She puffed out a resigned breath. “Can you believe it’s been fifteen years since we graduated? I feel so old.” Nate had to laugh. At thirty-two, Lexie Price could still pass for a teenager. With her flawless porcelain skin, pale blue eyes and long blonde hair, she was stunning. Didn’t do it for him, though. Their relationship was completely platonic, more brotherly-sisterly than romantic, except for that one drunken kiss several years ago, after which they’d laughed their asses off and decided never to do it again. Lexie was his best friend. The only female friend in his life, and, despite her occasional snootiness, the one person other than his brothers who he had total trust in. It was hard to make friends in this town. The older residents still assumed Nate was the same bad apple his father had been. Still whispered about his mother behind her back only to paste fake smiles on their faces when Della Bishop ventured out of her house. The ones Nate’s age weren’t bad, though most of the women tried to lure him into bed, even the married ones. In spite of all that, he had no desire to leave Paradise. It was his home, and no matter how judgmental and nosy the residents could be, he liked small-town life. He’d been running his father’s bar, Bishop’s Corner, ever since the old man passed away ten years ago, and the rambling cabin his brother Owen had built for him was comfortable and isolated enough that it suited him to perfection. “Do you think she’ll show up?”

Welcome to Paradise

Lexie’s somewhat harsh tone told Nate precisely who she was. He’d been wondering the same thing since the reunion invitation showed up in his mailbox, and each time the thought entered his head, pain squeezed his chest. “I don’t know,” he said with a careless shrug. Lexie, of course, saw right through the casual façade. Her blue eyes narrowed as she studied his face. “Do you want her to?” “I have no opinion on the matter.” “Liar. You want to see her, don’t you?” He gave another shrug and focused on wiping the bar counter with a red-and-white-checkered rag. “She won’t come, you know.” Lexie’s lips tightened in an unladylike scowl. “She’s Ms. Rich and Famous now. Her ego won’t fit in this town.” Nate’s spine stiffened. “Hey. No need to be a bitch.” “Why not? According to Charlotte Hill, I am a bitch.” Nate’s heart promptly began to ache the moment Lexie uttered Charlotte’s name. Damn it. Just hearing it brought an onslaught of memories that he’d tried so valiantly to keep buried all these years. Was it possible to miss someone you hadn’t seen in fifteen years? She probably wasn’t even the same person. The girl he’d loved—that warm, sassy and sweetly insecure girl—probably didn’t exist anymore. Charlotte hadn’t even looked back after leaving Paradise. Not that he could fault her for that. He’d made sure she had no reason to look back. “It’s been fifteen years,” he said in a low voice. “Don’t you think it’s time to let go of your resentment?” Lexie released a heavy sigh. “Yeah, you’re probably right. It just ticks me off when I think about how hard I tried to be her friend and how easily she shot me down.” “She had it tough, Lex. Tougher than my brothers and I did.” “You just can’t say a bad word about anyone, can you, Nate?” He shifted in discomfort. It was funny—people who didn’t know him thought he was a bad boy, the same loud, vulgar hothead his dad had been. But the people closest to him knew that was the farthest thing from the truth. If anything, his family and friends constantly lectured him for being too nice. But when it came to Charlotte, he refused to let Lexie have her way. “It’s true, Lex, and you know it. She didn’t have the best experience with this town. You can’t blame her for thinking of everyone else as the enemy.” “Maybe, but I can still blame her for abandoning you.” Lexie sounded oddly protective. Well, maybe not so odd. Somehow in the days since high school, Nate had grown close to the girl everyone viewed as the ice princess. But like Charlotte, Lexie had gotten a

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bad rap too. It wasn’t her fault she was the daughter of one of the super-wealthy town founders, just like it wasn’t Charlotte’s fault her mother had been a promiscuous woman and a lousy role model. Still, Lexie didn’t need to protect him, especially since she had no idea what had really gone down between him and Charlotte. He’d never told Lexie the real reason Charlotte left. No point in alienating one of the few people who actually saw his worth and looked past his genetics. “You don’t have to protect me, Lex. I can take care of myself.” “Sure you can,” she mocked. “Look how well you handled the Evelyn situation. I told you from the start that the woman was up to no good.” Bitterness crawled up his throat. He tamped it down. Fine, so maybe he hadn’t listened to Lexie’s warnings about Evelyn, but when it came to Charlotte, everyone knew that Lexie was far too biased to remain objective. “It’s in the past,” Nate said with a sigh. “Just forget about it.” She offered a bemused grin. “And nothing like a high school reunion to make you forget the past, huh?” Nate grinned at the sarcastic note in her voice. “It won’t be so bad.” “No, of course not. It’ll be fun. Like a root canal. Aren’t those fun?” With a laugh, he tossed the rag into the sink and rounded the counter. “Let me lock up and then I’ll drive you home.”

“‘The town of Paradise cordially invites you to the Fifteen-Year Reunion of Paradise High’s graduating class of 1995. Let’s laugh, share and reunite!’” Georgia Lewis set down the hand-printed letterpress invitation and burst out laughing. “Let’s laugh, share and reunite,” she echoed. “Jeez, who wrote this?” Charlotte Hill reached for the invitation, tracing her index finger over the gold lettering on the expensive off-white paper. “Probably Lexie Price. I heard she runs the newspaper now.” “Lexie…is that the snooty lawyer or the former cheerleader ice princess?” “The ice princess. Bree Lockhart is the lawyer.” “But we don’t like either of them, right?” Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh. For some reason, her young assistant was fascinated by Charlotte’s past. Barely out of college, Georgia had been working with her for three years and loved hearing about her famous boss’s early days in Paradise, no matter how dark the stories tended to get. Confiding in Georgia was easy—the twenty-two-year-old was a great listener—and it was nice having someone to talk to, even if she was technically paying Georgia to be at her side. Charlotte had told the other woman countless stories

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Welcome to Paradise

about Paradise and its citizens. Lexie Price, Bree Lockhart, the other kids at school who used to ostracize her, Nate… Charlotte quickly banished the thought of Nate Bishop from her mind. “We’re indifferent to them,” she corrected with a wry smile. “But they made your life a living hell. There’s nothing wrong with holding a grudge.” She had to grin. “Remind me never to cross you.” With a thoughtful look, Georgia gestured to the invitation. “So are you going?” “Nope.” That one syllable slipped out without any hesitation. Charlotte hadn’t been home in fifteen years, not even to attend her mother’s funeral, and she had no plans to ever return to her hometown. Growing up in Paradise had been pure hell. Why would she ever want to go back there? She rose from the comfortable brown leather couch and moved toward the huge window that overlooked Manhattan. Her loft boasted endless sixteen-foot ceilings, polished hardwood floors and a view most people would kill for. The main room offered a spacious living area, a shiny black grand piano and her collection of acoustic guitars. The walls held a mixture of contemporary art from local artists and framed photos of her album covers, magazine covers and platinum records. To the left was a state-of-theart kitchen; to the right, a spiral wrought-iron staircase that led to an enormous sleeping platform and an equally enormous bathroom. A far cry from the dilapidated two-bedroom house she’d grown up in. Just picturing the broken yellow shutters, overgrown yard and sagging roof made her want to cringe. She wasn’t a materialistic person; if anything, growing up poor had made her all the more grateful for the lifestyle she had now. No, the memory of her childhood home didn’t make her cringe because of its appearance. It was the woman who’d lived there with her, the people who’d turned their noses up at her, the kids who’d thrown eggs at the front door while speeding past on their bikes—that’s what caused the cringing. “You’re rich and famous now, Charlotte.” Georgia’s voice pulled her back to reality. “No one’s going to be a jerk to you if you go. If anything, they’ll apologize and bow at your feet.” Yeah right. No matter how successful she was now, no matter how many albums she put out or how many sold-out concerts she performed at, the people of Paradise would always view her as the hand-medown-wearing, born-out-of-wedlock daughter of the town whore. She didn’t say that aloud, though, merely shrugged instead. “I have no desire to see any of those people. I don’t want or need any of their apologies.” She moved back to the couch and flopped down, suddenly feeling on edge. “Not even Nate?” The breath promptly drained from Charlotte’s lungs. “I already told you, I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”

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Georgia’s brown eyes softened. “I know, but I still think you should. Jeez, Charlotte, the guy is ruining your love life.” A sigh rolled out of her chest. Yep, that about summed it up. Nate Bishop, the guy she hadn’t seen in fifteen years, had interfered with every relationship she’d ever had since him. Charlotte wished she hadn’t confessed it to Georgia, but after the painful breakup with Russ, she’d needed someone to talk to. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget about Nate. Her first love. Her first lover. His callous parting words had succeeded in making it impossible for her to sleep with another man. When she did, those old feelings of inadequacy reared up like an angry dragon, effectively breathing fire on any chance of ever achieving an actual orgasm. And when she was able to let go of the insecurity and let herself feel desire for a man, like she’d done with Russ, she ended up calling out Nate’s name during her climax. How fucking healthy was that? “Have you slept with anyone since Russ?” Georgia asked. It was an odd question to get from an assistant, but Georgia had become much more than that during the years she’d worked for Charlotte. The music business made it difficult to find anything close to a true friend, one who didn’t want to use her to get ahead, and Charlotte’s friendships had always been surfacelevel acquaintances until she hired Georgia. “No,” she confessed, reaching for the wineglass she’d been neglecting for the last hour. Now she chugged it down in one gulp then proceeded to pour herself another glass. “I think you should.” “I’ll pass.” Regret squeezed her throat. “God, you should have seen Russ’s face when I said Nate’s name. He was humiliated. What if it happens again with someone else?” “Fine, then don’t sleep with anyone else. Sleep with the guy whose named you called out.” She sucked in a shocked gasp. “I’m not sleeping with Nate.” “Why not?” Georgia reached for the invitation on the glass coffee table. “You’ve got the opportunity right here.” “I’m not going back there. And I’m not having sex with Nate Bishop, not after what he did to me.” She promptly ended the conversation by downing some more wine. After a moment, Georgia let it go, changing the subject to Charlotte’s upcoming tour. Though she wasn’t much of a drinker, the talk of the past had brought back unpleasant memories, and Charlotte found herself pouring another glass. An hour later, she and Georgia had cranked open a second bottle, and Charlotte felt relaxed and giddy. So much so that when the topic of Nate came up again, she didn’t attempt to stop it. “I hate him,” she admitted, her cheeks heated from the wine. “But sometimes…sometimes the hate dissolves a little bit and I remember how much I loved him.” “You need to get him out of your system,” Georgia said in a frank voice.

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“I know.” She sighed. “But I can’t seem to do it. Every time I’m close to having a normal relationship, I think about what he said the night we broke up.” Her entire body tensed as Nate’s parting speech slipped into her head like an unwanted intruder. The sex sucked. Seriously, Charlotte, I thought you’d be better than that. I’m bored with this. We had our fun, okay? But I don’t want you anymore. You’re really not that desirable, but I figured you’d be easy. As far as breakups went, that one had been an absolute killer. The most demoralizing and degrading experience of her life. She never thought Nate Bishop could be that cruel. Never thought that what she’d believed they both felt could have been so one-sided. She’d loved Nate with all her heart. The first—and only—time they’d made love, her heart had soared and her body was overcome with uncontrollable passion. To think that he hadn’t felt any of that brought waves of humiliation to her belly. God, she’d been willing to pass up a scholarship to Julliard, to stay in a town she hated, just so she could be with Nate. How could she have been so wrong about him? “In the end, he treated me the way everyone else did,” she said, swallowing down the pain. “He used to stand up for me, comfort me when the kids got too mean, and all of a sudden, he started singing the same tune they did. He said he hooked up with me because he figured I was easy, like my mom, but he…” She didn’t voice the rest, that Nate hadn’t enjoyed the sex, that he’d dumped her right afterward because he’d gotten what he’d wanted and didn’t have to pretend to like her anymore. “And he acted like an ass and broke up with you,” Georgia finished. She lifted her glass in a mock toast. “Well, you know what might help? Some good old-fashioned revenge.” Charlotte laughed. “What should I do, hire a hit man to take him out?” “Nope.” Georgia flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder. “What you need to do is return the favor. He slept with you and broke your heart. So now it’s your turn to sleep with him and break his heart.” The suggestion was so ludicrous Charlotte nearly spit out the wine she’d just sipped. “That’s insane.” “Why? It could be a ton of fun.” Fun? Returning to Paradise and seeing Nate again? Sleeping with him again? It sounded like a nightmare. Except… The moment she thought about looking into his smoky-gray eyes again, her thighs clenched together. Just a bit. Shit. No way would she consider this. So what if she hadn’t been able to find a man who turned her on as much as Nate had? So what if anger continued to roil inside her, even though fifteen years had passed since he’d uttered those nasty words to her? “Okay, best plan ever,” Georgia suddenly burst out, her cheeks rosy red from all the alcohol. Charlotte played along. “Let’s hear it.”

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“You drive into town in a stretch limo, looking all gorgeous and sexy, which shouldn’t be hard since you are gorgeous and sexy. You let everyone fawn all over you, sign some autographs. Then you head to the reunion.” Georgia’s voice became more animated. “You find Nate, talk to him, convince him that you’re totally over what happened, you know, so long ago. And then…” She had to ask. “And then what?” “You seduce the crap out of the man!” Georgia declared. “Seriously, you rock his world. You show him how wild and desirable you are, make him pant after you, hell, get him to fall in love with you—and then bam! You dump him.” “Uh-huh. And what if he’s married?” The thought brought a lump of bitterness to her throat. If Nate was married, while she was still single and battling the insecurities he’d placed inside her, then she would totally freak. “He’s not.” Charlotte’s eyebrows rose. “How do you know that?” “I Googled him after you told me about the Russ thing.” Georgia shrugged, but had the decency to look contrite. “Apparently his brother Austin is big in photography circles, and there were a bunch of articles about him. One article mentioned that all four Bishop brothers are single. So as of last year, your man’s single.” “He’s not my man.” She twisted her lips in a scowl. “He never was.” “Well, make him yours now.” Georgia beamed. “And then yank the rug out from under him.” If a healthy dose of alcohol hadn’t been pulsing in her bloodstream, Charlotte would have never even considered Georgia’s juvenile idea. She was Charlotte Hill, for Pete’s sake. She was a rich, successful recording artist. She was about to embark on a ten-city East Coast tour. She didn’t need Nate Bishop or the town of Paradise. And she didn’t care what Nate or anyone else in that awful town thought of her. So why was her heart pounding at the notion of seeing Nate? At the thought of showing him that everything he’d said to her, everything he’d thought about her was a load of crap? “I need to get him out of my system once and for all,” she murmured. Georgia grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about.” Reaching for her glass, Charlotte took a long swallow. “And I won’t be able to move on until I get some closure.” And ridiculous as it had sounded at first, Georgia’s plan solved both of those problems. If she slept with Nate, she could finally convince herself that the sex she still dreamed about hadn’t been all that good to begin with. She’d see that Nate Bishop was nothing special and finally get him out of her system. And this time, she’d give him her own break-up speech, put him in his place, and finally have her say when fifteen years ago she’d been too shocked and mortified to say anything at all.

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She could feel her hesitation crumbling as the scheme came to life in her mind. She’d go back to Paradise, wow everyone in the damn place, seduce Nate Bishop—maybe she would make him fall in love with her—and then she’d break it off. Give him a piece of her mind, a taste of his own medicine, and finally be rid of Nate and Paradise forever. And if she broke his heart in the process…well, who said revenge and closure were mutually exclusive?

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Chapter Two

“Have you heard from Austin?” Owen asked as he dropped two sugar cubes in his cup and stirred his coffee with a spoon. Nate didn’t miss the concerned flicker in his brother’s gray eyes. At twenty-nine, Owen was three years younger than Nate, and the brother Nate had always been closest to. Probably because the two of them were so alike—serious, gruff and happy with the simple things in life. Jake, Owen’s twin, was an adventure junkie who’d joined the army right out of high school, and Austin, the youngest at twenty-five, had followed his wanderlust all over the world and now worked as a photographer. The only thing all four of them had in common was their popularity with the ladies, along with the wild streak each of them had as teenagers and which Jake and Austin still possessed in spades. Nate and Owen were the two who’d stayed in Paradise, content with small-town life, while Jake and Austin traveled and came home only when it suited them. Austin was better than Jake at checking in, usually calling every few weeks to say hello, but neither Nate nor Owen had heard from their younger brother in six months. Around them, the other patrons in the diner chattered over their coffees and greasy lunch plates, oblivious to the grave expressions and worried glances from the Bishop brothers. “Not a word,” Nate admitted. Owen rubbed the stubble covering his chin. “That’s not like him. Think he’s in trouble?” “Knowing Austin, yes, but it’ll be the kind of trouble he likes. You know, snapping pictures of rebel leaders decapitating villagers, getting caught and barely escaping with his hide intact.” Nate gave a dry, humorless smile at the very real example he’d just given. His little brother’s determination to throw himself right into the path of danger had always annoyed the shit out of him. Why couldn’t Austin pick a normal career? Or, hell, just work as a photographer for a newspaper. Who chose to take pictures of war zones? “The last time he called, he was in Johannesburg,” Owen offered. “Said he was commissioned to do a photo essay on some diamond mines up in the mountains.” “Yeah, I got the same call.” “Nothing since?” “Nothing.” They fell silent, each one sipping their coffee. Nate didn’t want to say it aloud, but he was pretty fucking worried. Ever since Austin’s last visit home, he’d been acting strange, sounding distant over the

Welcome to Paradise

phone. Nate had known something was up, but talking about their feelings wasn’t something the Bishops did often or with each other. So Nate had put his brother’s odd behavior out of his mind—until Austin went AWOL. “Maybe we should call Jake,” Owen finally said. Nate shook his head. “His unit is overseas. He said he’d call when he gets back home.” He paused. “I’ll stop by Mom’s, though. She might have heard something from him.” “If you want to go by tonight, I can come with you.” “Can’t. I have that reunion thing tonight.” “Right, I forgot.” “You forgot? Even with the bright red banner strung from those lampposts out there? And your crew doing all the work?” Nate gestured out the front window of the diner at the big sign advertising tonight’s main event. Apparently the whole thing would be held in the town square. The town officials had hired a band, caterer, photographer, the works. Nate stared at the group of workers in the process of laying down sheets of plywood to create a makeshift dance floor. The men worked for Owen’s small construction company, and Nate recognized many of them since the same crew had helped to build his house. “I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Owen said with a pained look. “Maddie quit this morning and—” Nate hooted. “Again?” “Yes, again.” Owen cursed softly. “I swear that woman is going to be the death of me. She’s so fucking contrary all the fucking time! I’d fire her if she weren’t so damn popular with all the customers. And she knows her stuff, she’s like a construction expert.” Nate had heard this all before. Owen and his assistant Maddie got into an explosive fight at least once a day, and Maddie quit at least once a week. Somehow she still worked there, though Nate suspected the girl had a thing for his brother and that was why she kept coming back. He’d always thought the two of them would make a good couple—the passion was definitely there, judging from their arguments—but Owen would balk at that. Maddie Wilson was a tomboy from head to toe, and Owen didn’t do tomboys, only leggy supermodel types with big tits and air between their ears. “We worked it out,” Owen was saying, “and she agreed to come back, but only if I retile her bathroom for her—for free. So yeah, that’s what I’m doing tonight.” Nate laughed, then offered a rueful look. “I bet it’ll be more fun than what I’m doing. Who the fuck wants to catch up with people they haven’t seen in more than a decade? I’m already bored and ready to leave, and the thing hasn’t started yet.” Rolling his eyes, he reached for his coffee and took a long swallow. Owen’s dark brows drew together. “You don’t even want to see Charlotte? She should be getting in any minute now. I thought—” Nate choked. Loudly. Several patrons in neighboring booths craned their necks to see what was up.

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Coughing, he grabbed the glass of water next to Owen’s coffee and gulped the liquid down to clear his clogged windpipe. When he finished, he found Owen staring at him in bewilderment. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Nate ignored the comment and said, “What do you mean, she’ll be here any minute? How do you know that?” “It’s all over town. Charlotte’s assistant booked a room for her at the Anderson B&B, made the reservation last night. According to Mrs. Anderson, Charlotte said she’d check in sometime in the early afternoon.” “How do you know this?” Owen shrugged. “Someone told me. Can’t remember who. Oh, and Charlotte RSVP’d for the reunion with Mayor Price. Our good old mayor tried to make a huge production out of it, but apparently the assistant said Charlotte wouldn’t show if he alerted the media. She wants the visit to stay under the radar.” Nate was absolutely floored. He had no clue how Owen had amassed so much information when Nate hadn’t heard a damn peep from anyone. Then again, he didn’t open the pub until noon, so Owen had had all morning to accumulate the data. Charlotte was coming back to Paradise. Holy shit. Those were six words he’d never imagined he’d hear. He’d followed Charlotte’s career over the years, from that first pop album that didn’t suit her throaty voice at all, to the later string of folksy-type contemporary that made her the star she was today. He owned every record she’d ever made, and each time he listened to that smoky pitch, his heart ached with regret and lingering emotion. Fuck, he’d loved her. And she’d loved him back. Charlotte had been the one girl who was able to look past his undeserved reputation and see him for who he really was. With her, he could truly be himself, and he’d clung to each second they’d spent together. In the end, though, he’d pushed her away. Back then, it had seemed like the right thing to do. When Charlotte had been accepted into Julliard—with a full scholarship to boot—he’d been ecstatic. But the happiness faded into panic when he realized she was going to throw away her future so she could stay with him. The thought of forcing her to live in a town she despised had torn him apart. So he’d ended it. But not before he allowed himself a taste of her. He regretted that now. He should have never slept with Charlotte. Not just because it had been a shitty prelude to a breakup, but because, to this day, sex had never been as good as it was with Charlotte. She’d spoiled him for any other woman.

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“I get why you’re freaked,” Owen said, jerking Nate from the past to the present. “It’ll be tough seeing her again, huh? Since she dumped you and everything.” Nate frowned. “Why does everyone assume she dumped me?” Owen blinked in surprise. “Well, because she’s Charlotte Hill. She’s one of the most famous singers in the country.” “She wasn’t famous back then,” he pointed out. “Yeah, but she got that scholarship to Julliard. I always figured she dumped you before she left.” “Sorry to burst that bubble.” Owen gaped at him. “You dumped her?” The abrupt exclamation made Nate glance around to make sure nobody had overheard his brother. The people in this town were nosy enough to begin with—no point giving them fuel for their fires. Fortunately, no one seemed interested in what was going on at the Bishop brothers’ booth. “Yeah, I did,” he replied in a low voice. “But I’d appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.” “Huh. So…what are you going to say to her when you see her?” The image of Charlotte’s pale green eyes and wavy red hair flashed across his mind. He’d just watched her most recent televised concert a few weeks ago, alone, in the dark, and had wondered that exact same thing. What would he say to her if they ever crossed paths again? He hadn’t had an answer then, and he didn’t have one now. He did know one thing, though, and, in a strained tone, he voiced the thought to his brother. “I doubt I’ll get the chance. She won’t want to talk to me.” Sympathy flickered in Owen’s gray eyes, the same stormy silver as Nate’s. “You don’t know that.” “Yeah, I do.” He spoke through his suddenly tight throat. “Believe me, I’m the last person Charlotte will want to see. Tonight…or ever.”

Welcome to Paradise. The sky-blue sign welcoming Charlotte to the town of Paradise, Colorado, brought both a jolt of anger and a bittersweet lump to her throat. She was home. Leaning forward in the backseat of the taxi, she peered out the window and absorbed her familiar surroundings. Georgia would probably scold her for vetoing the stretch limo idea and taking a cab instead, but a limo was way too pretentious for Charlotte’s liking. She’d also decided against bringing her usual crew of bodyguards, much to her manager’s irritation. But no way was she coming home with an entourage. Growing up, she’d hated drawing any attention to herself, and old habits died hard. “Pretty town,” the cab driver spoke up. “My granddaughter just moved here.”

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Yes, she couldn’t deny Paradise was pretty. With the mountains looming in the distance, Paradise was home to lush forests, big lakes and secret creeks, an outdoorsman’s dream. As they ventured into the heart of the town, she noticed that not much had changed. Aside from the outlet mall they’d passed half a mile ago, Paradise had stayed immune to big city interference. Main Street still featured a variety of little shops and family-owned restaurants, and as the taxi stopped to let a few pedestrians pass, she noticed a construction crew working hard in the town square, evidently getting ready for tonight’s big event. They drove past the beautiful historical buildings that housed the Paradise Post, the courthouse, and the offices of Lockhart and Lockhart Attorneys, all of which made Charlotte smile ruefully. The Price and Lockhart families owned nearly everything in town, even co-owned some, which was ironic since the two families despised each other. Charlotte wasn’t much of a history buff, but everyone in Paradise knew of the Price-Lockhart feud. The two town founders, Jeremiah Price and Edward Lockhart, had once been friends according to the legends, but a falling out between them had led to a rivalry that still existed today. It had been fun, watching Lexie Price and Bree Lockhart claw each other’s eyes out during high school. Charlotte always found it funny how prejudice was passed down from generation to generation. “Here we are,” the driver announced, coming to a stop in front of the quaint Victorian that housed the Anderson B&B. As Charlotte got out of the cab, the driver hopped out to get her suitcase from the trunk. She’d packed light—she only planned on being here for a few days—and she carried her own suitcase down the flowerlined pathway toward the wooden wraparound porch. The front door flew open before she could even knock and a pair of chubby arms engulfed Charlotte in a big hug. “My Lord!” Sue Anderson exclaimed. “Look at you, all grown up! Why, Charlotte Hill, you are stunning!” The first smile of the day sprung to Charlotte’s lips. Unlike everyone else, Sue Anderson had been good to her back then, and she knew there was nothing false about Sue’s excitement or compliments. “It’s good to see you, Mrs. A,” she said, genuinely pleased by the sight of Sue’s familiar cornflowerblue eyes and short curly hair, which was now more silver than blonde. Sue ushered her inside, barraging her with questions about her music, her career and life in general. When Charlotte assured her that everything was going well, Sue gave a beaming smile and led her upstairs to the suite she’d prepared for her. “Everyone is so excited that you’re back,” Sue gushed. I doubt it. She kept the thought to herself and admired the pretty bedroom, complete with a canopy bed, thick cherry-red curtains and antique mahogany furniture.

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“I am so proud of what you’ve accomplished, Charlotte,” Sue said as she lingered in the doorway. “I’m sure your mama would be too.” Bitterness seeped into her mouth, making her swallow down the sour taste. Her mother, proud? Not likely. Tiffany Hill—Tiff, as she’d liked to be called—had only cared about one person when she’d been alive: herself. And maybe her vodka. And the parade of men she brought into their home. Her daughter, on the other hand, never even made a blip on Tiff’s radar. “It’s a shame you had the old house torn down,” Sue added, referring to the childhood home Charlotte had ordered to be demolished less than a week after her mother’s death. “Mayor Price wanted the land,” Charlotte replied with a shrug. “And since I didn’t plan on using it, I figured it would be of better use to the mayor.” “Well, he did make use of it. Little Lexie lives there now. Mayor built her a gorgeous house up there.” Charlotte almost tripped over her own feet. Lexie Price lived on her former land? Wasn’t that something. She suddenly felt like laughing as she wondered if Lexie had performed an exorcism prior to moving in, so she could eradicate the spirit of Tiff the town whore. “Oh, there’s so much more I have to tell you,” Sue chirped. “Lots of gossip since you left.” “I’d love to hear it,” Charlotte lied. “But first, I was thinking of taking a nap. I barely slept last night.” “Excited to be home, huh?” Uh, more like terrified. She’d been plagued with thoughts of Nate Bishop since the second she’d asked Georgia to book her the flight to Colorado. Are you actually going to go through with it? She ignored the disapproving voice in her head. Seemed like her conscience had been making unwelcome appearances ever since she’d decided to go ahead with this little seduction plan. It had sounded so much more appealing when she’d been drunk. Once the alcohol had worn off, though, common sense had settled in, but by then it had been too late—Georgia had already booked the room and flight. Canceling hadn’t been an option. Knowing Sue Anderson, the word of Charlotte’s impending arrival had spread within seconds of the booking, and Charlotte could only imagine the nasty things everyone would say about her if she didn’t show up. “I’ll let you rest, then,” Sue said. “Thanks, Sue.” As the older woman left the room, Charlotte moved to the bed and sat down on the edge. Was she actually going to do this? Seduce Nate? She hadn’t seen him in years. What if she wasn’t even attracted to him anymore? What if he wasn’t attracted to her? She pictured Nate at eighteen. His thick hair, the color of dark, liquid chocolate. Those smoky gray eyes, a sparkling silver when he laughed, an overcast evening when he brooded. As a teenager he’d been

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tall and lanky but muscular, thanks to his position as tailback of the Paradise Panthers. He’d been the only bright spot in her miserable life. And when he kissed her… Her toes curled involuntarily. She missed those kisses. God, what was she doing? Just being back made her feel insecure and miserable, and it would only get worse once she was reunited with her former classmates. Closure. Right, closure. She had to hold on to that. Nate Bishop had ruined her love life, and she wouldn’t be able to move on until she faced him again. Lifting her chin, Charlotte stood up and went to her suitcase. She unzipped it, rummaged around for her makeup case, then marched toward the bathroom. No backing out now. She’d come here to make Nate rue every word he’d hurled her way fifteen years ago. She was desirable. She could turn him on. And he had better watch out.

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Chapter Three

The circus was underway. Charlotte had barely been at the reunion for twenty minutes, and already she wanted desperately to get the hell out of here. Girls she’d gone to high school with, girls who’d smirked and scowled at her, talked behind her back, spread rumors about her—suddenly they were all smiles. Sugary-sweet with their “Oh my God, Charlotte! You look amazing!” and their “I’m so happy you showed up! Everyone in town is so proud of your career!” Bullshit. They weren’t proud. They were flat-out jealous, which she read from the snooty undertones in their gushing words. Boys who claimed to have slept with her in high school had grown up into men who wanted to sleep with her now, whose leering smiles and “charming” innuendo made bile rise in her throat. These people were so fake. She felt like shaking each and every one of them by the collar and saying, “You made my life miserable, you assholes!” Instead, she put on a poised, casual front, making small talk, pretending she actually gave a damn about these people. At least the party itself wasn’t bad. Tiny silver lights had been strung from lampposts to create a sparkling, almost romantic ambiance. The dance floor was large and shiny, and several of her former classmates were dancing to the classy and lively songs played by the big band outfit the mayor had flown in from Denver. Charlotte made her way toward the open bar where she ordered a glass of champagne then leaned against the long counter and watched the crowd. At the sound of footsteps, she moved her head, only to experience an inward cringe as she found herself looking into Lexie Price’s ice-blue eyes. “Charlotte,” Lexie greeted her. No smile this time, just tight lips and wariness. “Lexie,” she returned, equally cool. Lexie signaled the bartender and ordered white wine then turned and said, “I didn’t think you’d show.” “And why is that?” Charlotte kept her tone utterly polite. Lexie shrugged, causing her loose blonde hair to fall over one graceful shoulder. She wore a pale blue satin dress, silver ballet slippers, and no makeup save for some shiny pink lip-gloss. It irked Charlotte, how beautiful Lexie still was.

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“You’ve got a busy life now,” Lexie said sweetly. “Fame, fortune, all that fun stuff.” “I hear you’re doing well too. Editor in chief of the Post. Must be nice.” “It is.” The two women sipped their drinks. Lexie eyed her cautiously over the rim of her glass. Charlotte eyed her right back. The streak of animosity sliding back and forth between them was unmistakable. And then, just as she’d expected, the claws came out. “You shouldn’t have come back here,” Lexie said in a low voice. Charlotte bristled. “Oh really? Last I checked, I was still born and raised here, just like you.” “Your mother’s gone. Your house is gone. There’s nothing here for you anymore.” Anger swirled around in the pit of her stomach. Of all the mean-spirited, presumptuous things—the anger suddenly faded into pure, unadulterated shock. Nate Bishop had just appeared in the crowd. Her surroundings dissolved in an abrupt swoosh. Lexie was gone, the music went silent, her former classmates disappeared. All she saw was Nate. Her breath jammed in her throat as she realized he was no longer the gorgeous teenager she remembered. He was so much more. His body had filled out, transforming from lanky to deliciously big. His casual black blazer stretched over a set of broad shoulders, the blue button-down beneath it doing nothing to hide the rippled muscles of his chest. His waist was trim, legs hugged by a pair of black trousers, and his hair was longer, dark strands falling onto a proud forehead and curling under his ears. He was walking toward her. Charlotte’s pulse took off in a frenzied gallop. Her gaze locked with a pair of familiar gray eyes. His face was as handsome as she remembered, save for a few new lines around his mouth and eyes, which only made him all the more distinguished. The closer he got, the faster her heart pounded, and by the time he approached, she couldn’t hear a thing over the drumming in her ears. “Charlotte.” The husky voice she remembered so clearly seared right through the silky material of her dress and heated every inch of her skin. She found her voice but it still came out raspy. “Nate.” He shifted, looking big and awkward and so unbelievably sexy. “It’s been a long time.” “Too long,” she murmured.

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Silence fell over them. She was suddenly aware of Lexie beside her, of Lexie’s blue eyes slowly moving from Charlotte to Nate. Across the square, the band changed its tempo, the singer belting out a slow Sinatra classic. Charlotte took a breath and met Nate’s eyes. “Would you like to dance?”

Pure torture. Nate’s entire body was tight as a drum, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs as he drew Charlotte into his arms and finally laid his hands on the woman who had haunted him for more than a decade. She was spectacular. Far more beautiful than those album covers and live concerts portrayed her to be. Charlotte in person was a fucking wet dream. His cock throbbed against his zipper just from the sight of her. She was still tiny, barely over five feet. Still curvy, the hills and valleys of her figure hugged by a green dress with a deep vee neckline and a filmy skirt that seductively swirled around her knees. Her bright red hair was tied up in a twist, with wavy wisps framing her heart-shaped face and contrasting wildly with her pale, almost lime-green eyes. Her cupid’s bow of a mouth made his own mouth tingle, and the way she pressed her body into his had him battling the impulse to throw her down on the floor and devour her. “You look good,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Nate rested his palms on her waist, fighting the urge to tug her even closer and rub his aching dick against the juncture of her thighs. “You look good too.” Good? Talk about the understatement of the year. “Thank you,” she said simply. They moved to the music in a slow, sensual rhythm. From the corner of his eye, Nate saw Lexie watching them in disapproval. He spun Charlotte around so he wouldn’t have to see Lexie anymore. Charlotte was back. Charlotte was in his arms. Right now, that was all that mattered. “I’ve been following your career,” he said gruffly. “You’ve done really well for yourself, Charlie.” She hissed in a breath. His hand froze on her slender hip. “What?” “It’s just…nobody’s called me that in years.” Uneasiness flickered across her face. “Actually, you’re the only one who ever did.” Nate’s chest squeezed as he absorbed the expression in her eyes. She was thinking about the past. More specifically, their past. Even more specific—the night he’d broken her heart. He drew in a ragged breath. He’d always known that eventually he’d have to explain himself. To tell Charlotte why he’d done what he did. “I’m glad you came home,” he said in a quiet voice. “After you left, I wanted so badly to—”

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A red manicured finger pressed against his lips. “I don’t want to talk about why I left.” Surprise jolted through him. “No?” She shook her head. “It’s in the past, Nate. I’m over it.” Relief and doubt warred in his body. “You are?” A tiny smile tugged on the corner of her lush mouth. “We were kids. I know you probably didn’t even mean half of what you said.” Try all of it. “I’m thirty-two,” she went on, the smile becoming wry. “I don’t spend much time thinking about conversations I had when I was seventeen.” He searched her beautiful face and saw only sincerity reflecting back at him. She was serious. The heartless words that had torn his stomach into knots all these years evidently had not had the same effect on Charlotte. “I never got to apologize to you,” he found himself blurting. The finger that seconds ago had touched his lips now gently traced the line of his jaw. “You were forgiven a long time ago.” Nate could hardly describe the burst of joy that went off inside him like fireworks. Charlotte had forgiven him? For so long he’d longed to see her, to hear her voice and look into her eyes and see anything but the despair he so clearly remembered. For a moment, he almost launched into an apology anyway, at least so he could explain why he’d broken up with her the way he had, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Charlotte was here, with an earnest and slightly playful glimmer in her beautiful green eyes, and he didn’t want to spoil the moment. The music changed, becoming an up-tempo Bobby Darin song, but neither Nate nor Charlotte altered the lazy pace they’d set. All around them, their former classmates were dancing and laughing and chatting over drinks, but Nate didn’t pay them any attention. All he could focus on was the sexy woman in his arms. “I thought about you a lot over the years,” Charlotte admitted, nestling her head on his shoulder. Nate swallowed. “You did?” “Yeah.” Her breath was warm against his already feverish skin. “I wondered what you looked like now, what you were doing.” “Not much,” he said with a husky laugh. “Just running Dad’s pub, having a weekly poker game with Owen and some other guys, pretty much living a very boring life.” “Nate Bishop, boring?” Her eyes twinkled. “What happened to the wild guy I used to know?” “He grew up.” Nate laughed again. “Your life seems pretty wild, though.” “More like exhausting.”

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She laughed, and the melodic sound sent a jolt of arousal straight down to his groin. Fuck, he wanted her. So damn much. How was it possible that in fifteen years he still felt the same uncontrollable desire for this woman? “I’m in the studio most of the time, or on tour, or writing songs in my apartment. I don’t go out much, to be honest.” He believed her. From what he knew from the papers, Charlotte made a huge effort to stay out of the limelight. She rarely gave interviews, never spoke of her personal life and was hardly ever caught by the paparazzi. Which was excruciatingly irritating since he had no way of knowing what she was doing, if she was seeing anyone… Judging by the bare ring finger of her left hand, and the way she was seductively moving her body against his, he suspected she was very much single. “Coming here was tough,” she added. “I wasn’t sure if I would.” He met her eyes. “Why did you?” After a long beat of hesitation, she tightened her grip around his neck and whispered, “I wanted to see you.” Nate was dumbfounded. Was he hearing things? The girl he’d once loved so desperately had grown up into a sexy, talented woman, and instead of hating him for the way he’d treated her, she’d come back to a town she despised just to see him. And just when he thought she couldn’t surprise him any more, she threw him for another loop. “I missed you, Nate.” His mouth went bone-dry. “You did?” “Yeah.” A secretive little smile swept across her mouth. “We had fun together, didn’t we?” “Yeah, we had fun.” To his sheer disappointment, her hands dropped from his shoulders and she took a step back. But then he saw the mischief dancing in her eyes and realized she wasn’t about to abandon him. “Why don’t we get a drink and catch up some more?” she suggested, already turning toward the bar without checking to see if he was following. Which was exactly what he did. As if a magnet were pulling him toward her, he followed Charlotte’s delectable backside and forced himself not to question this sudden stroke of good fortune. Charlotte had forgiven him, and for the first time in years, there was a spring to his step as he went to join the only woman he’d ever loved.

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He smelled really good. Too good, Charlotte amended as Nate bent to whisper something in her ear and the intoxicating scent of soap and spice and something deliciously masculine floated into her nose. She couldn’t believe how easily he’d bought her lie. Maybe he was so desperate to be rid of his own guilt that he actually believed she’d gotten over what happened between them. But she hadn’t. Although she’d had second thoughts about this silly seduction plan, the way Nate so carelessly brought up the past had seriously grated. Yes, she’d seen some guilt in his eyes, but she’d hoped for more. It’s been a long time. Fifteen years, and those were the first words he said to her? How about, Fuck, Charlotte, I’m so, so, so sorry for what I said. For ripping your heart out and stomping on it with my boot. For making you so insecure you couldn’t have sex for four years after what I did. But no, she got It’s been a long time. And then when she’d acted as if his betrayal didn’t bother her, his face had brightened up like a kid’s eyes on Christmas morning. He’d probably been thinking, Hey, I got off easy. She doesn’t even care that I dumped her three seconds after taking her virginity. Jerk. Though really, what had she been expecting? That he’d get down on his knees and grovel for her forgiveness? Well, no. But she’d at least hoped to see some shame on his part. I never got to apologize to you. Then do it now, she’d wanted to yell. She might have lied and said she’d forgiven him, but he should have still apologized, still tried to explain his actions. Instead, he’d let it go as effortlessly as she’d pretended to. “I own all your records.” His husky voice jolted her from her angry thoughts. Surprise joined the anger when she registered what he’d said. “You do?” “You’re so talented, Charlie,” he said roughly. “I always knew you’d make it to the big time.” The nickname made her heart somersault. Damn him. Why did he still affect her this way? Before she could reply, a tall brunette hesitantly approached them, a napkin and pen in her hand. “I don’t mean to bother you, but would you mind signing an autograph?” Charlotte pasted on a smile, all the while trying to figure out who the woman was. Cara something or other. Or was it Tara? “I’m Tara,” the brunette added with a tentative smile. “We had P.E. together senior year.” Right, Tara. Charlotte resisted the urge to glare as she suddenly remembered precisely who Tara was and what she had done. Tara and a few of her friends had stolen Charlotte’s clothes from the locker room after gym class one afternoon. They’d probably hoped she’d venture out in the hall, in all her nude glory,

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looking for help, but Charlotte had simply sat down on the hard wooden bench. And cried. Naked. For five hours, until the female janitor finally came into the locker room hours after school ended and scrounged up some clothes for the sobbing teenaged girl. Fun times. “My daughter is your biggest fan,” Tara confessed as she held out the napkin. “She said she’d kill me if I didn’t ask for an autograph.” Clenching her teeth, Charlotte kept up the smile. “What’s her name?” “Winnie.” Taking the pen, Charlotte scrawled a quick note and signed her name with a flourish then handed the napkin back to her former tormentor. “Thank you. She’s going to love it.” Tara smiled again, but the cloud of guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. She remembered, just as Charlotte did, the locker room incident. With a tiny nod, Tara dashed off. “That was nice of you,” Nate remarked. She shrugged. “Part of the job.” “Yeah, but you could have refused.” There was a knowing glimmer in his gorgeous gray eyes. “She’s the one who stole your clothes.” Her heart did another flip. “You remember that?” “I remember everything about you, Charlie.” Their gazes locked, and, despite herself, Charlotte found herself reacting to his nearness, to the gentle expression on his handsome face. Her thighs squeezed together, her breasts suddenly felt achy and her pulse kicked up another notch. She swallowed hard and attempted a flirty tone. “I’m not the same girl you knew in high school. I’m all grown up now.” His eyes raked up and down her body, heating her skin. Gathering up some much-needed courage, she set down her champagne flute on the counter behind them and placed her hand on his forearm. “What do you say we get out of here?” Nate blinked. “Are you serious?” She nodded. “Don’t you want to stay and catch up with everyone?” Her lips twisted in a self-deprecating smile. “What do you think?” Nate laughed softly. “Sorry, stupid question.” “Besides,” she said, lowering her voice to a sexy pitch, “there’s only one person I want to catch up with. And I think it’ll be way more fun if we did the catching up in private.” A beat of silence. Nate’s strong, corded throat bobbed as he swallowed.

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For a second, Charlotte feared he might turn her down, but to her relief, he gave a brisk nod, cleared his throat and said, “Let’s go.”

Lexie was fuming as she watched Nate leave the party with Charlotte. Their body language practically screamed We’re going to screw ourselves silly. Her fingers tightened over the stem of her wineglass. She forced herself to loosen her grip before the damn glass shattered, but it was hard to stay calm when you were watching someone you cared about going off to make the biggest mistake of his life. Yet it wasn’t jealousy that coursed through her blood. Only concern. Aside from that one awkward kiss she and Nate had shared, there was nothing romantic between them, and never would be. Nate Bishop was the big brother she’d never had. With two younger sisters, Lexie had always been the protector, the one who made sure the people she cared about didn’t get hurt. And then she’d started spending time with Nate and she finally knew what it felt like to be the one being protected. Several years ago, the two of them had shared a booth at Betty’s when the diner had been packed to the gills. Rather than turn away business or make her customers wait, Betty had the habit of seating random people together, often strangers. Lexie and Nate weren’t strangers, of course, but they hadn’t been friends either. That morning, they’d been forced to eat together, and to Lexie’s surprise, Nate Bishop turned out to be nothing like she’d previously thought. He was actually sweet. Attentive. Intelligent as hell. She’d enjoyed being with him, and to her shock, he’d enjoyed her company too, apparently enough to start having breakfast with her every morning that followed. Nate Bishop, the boy she’d once considered rude and full of himself, had ended up becoming one of her best friends. Scratch that—her only friend. And she wasn’t about to stand by and watch him get hurt. Charlotte Hill was up to something. Lexie had always been able to read people, and she’d read Charlotte like a neon billboard right now. What the hell was the woman up to? Maybe Ms. Rich and Famous had simply taken one look at a grown-up, sexy Nate and decided she wanted a trip down memory lane, yet somehow Lexie doubted it. She’d watched them on the dance floor, and for one brief moment, she’d witnessed a flash of pure anger in Charlotte’s eyes. The seductive dance and teasing smiles had been a show. Lexie felt it deep in her gut. But what game was Charlotte playing, and how did it involve Nate? Unable to keep a smile on her face any longer, Lexie handed her half-full glass to a passing waiter and made her way through the crowd toward the sidewalk. Forget this reunion. She didn’t feel like making small talk with people whose lives she had zero interest in. She passed a long line of cars until she reached her silver BMW then hit the electronic remote and slid into the driver’s seat. She wanted to call Nate and plead with him not to do anything foolish, but she knew

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it would only annoy him. He hated when she meddled in his life, even though ninety-nine percent of the time she was usually right. Case in point—Evelyn. Still, she resisted the urge, picked up her cell phone from the cup holder she’d left it in and dialed a number that wasn’t Nate’s. When the rough male voice answered, a shiver danced up her spine. “Yeah?” He never said hello. No, that would be far too polite for someone so rude and indifferent. “It’s me.” As usual, her heart began to pound. It always did when he was involved. “I’m having a crappy night. Can I come over?” A deep laugh tickled her eardrum. “Feel like slumming it tonight, huh?” She tightened her lips. “Can I come over or not?” “Sure you can, princess.” Another laugh, this one taunting. “And just so you’re forewarned, I have a hard-on and no interest in conversation. Sound good?” Her heart did a naughty little flip. “Sounds perfect.”

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Chapter Four

There was something different about her. Nate couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but something about Charlotte and the way she was looking at him brought on a spark of unease. She hadn’t said much since they’d gotten into his beat-up black pickup truck, and as they neared the B&B, Nate was rethinking his decision to be alone with Charlotte. He wanted her so badly he could taste her. Her perfume, an intriguing combination of roses and honey, sent his senses into overdrive. He breathed her in each time he inhaled, his cock growing harder by the second. Yet this didn’t feel entirely right. She’d claimed that she was over everything, that their past didn’t matter, but her sudden aloofness didn’t sit well with him. “You okay?” he asked, pulling up to the curb and killing the engine. Charlotte blinked, as if coming out of trance. “I’m fine,” she said lightly, already reaching for the door handle. “Let’s go inside. I’m a little cold.” Nate got out of the truck and followed her toward the porch, unable to stop himself from admiring her perfect ass. She was all grown up, all right. His apprehension continued to climb as they headed upstairs. Though it was only nine-thirty, the house was bathed in darkness. The Andersons lived in a small suite on the main floor, and they must have turned in already. Nate’s pulse sped up when Charlotte opened the door to her room and gestured for him to come inside. He hesitated in the doorway. “What are we doing, Charlie?” Her mouth quirked. “Catching up.” A little alarm went off in his head. “Why don’t you want to talk about what happened between us?” “Because it’s in the past. I told you, Nate, I got over it a long time ago.” Her green eyes twinkled. “Are you just going to lurk there in the doorway?” He took a step forward then halted again. “Are you trying to seduce me?” Both anticipation and dread accompanied the question. “Would it bother you if I was?” The teasing look on her beautiful face made his cock twitch. “I don’t know.” “You don’t know?” The tease became a taunt. “Come on, Nate, you were never one to mince words. Tell me, do you want to be seduced?”

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His entire mouth went as dry as sawdust. Who was this woman and where had his Charlotte gone? As a teenager, she’d never been this forward. He’d made every move in their relationship, including that final one that resulted in the two of them lying naked on a blanket by the lake. “Here’s the thing,” the new Charlotte said in the old Charlotte’s familiar throaty voice. “Like I said before, my life is hectic. I don’t have a lot of time for, you know, fun stuff. And chances are that won’t change in the near future since I’m going on tour early next week. So I figured as long as I’m here…” “You want to do some fun stuff,” he finished. “With me.” “With you,” she confirmed. He gulped. Charlotte took a few steps toward him. “Come on, Nate, you know you want to say yes. And I can assure you, I’m much more experienced than I was with you.” A hot blade of guilt sliced into him, which she must have picked up on because she waved a careless hand. “In the past,” she reiterated. Before he could respond, she moved even closer. Her hands dropped to his waistband, and he sucked in a breath then released a ragged burst of air when she unsnapped the button of his trousers and tugged on the zipper. And Nate did what any healthy red-blooded male would do when a beautiful woman was trying to take off his pants. He let her. There was no mistaking his arousal as his pants hit the floor. His erection, long and thick, rose in full salute, pushing eagerly against his boxer-briefs. “Say yes,” she murmured once again. His throat was so tight he couldn’t say anything. Taking his silence as a cue to continue, Charlotte slowly sank down to her dainty knees, gripped the elastic of his briefs and yanked. The second his cock was exposed, Charlotte’s mouth devoured it. Nate groaned at the moist heat surrounding him. Holy fuck. Only back for a couple of hours, and she already had her lips clamped around his dick. The most incredible sensations rippled through his body, the pleasure so intense, he found himself thrusting deeper. Moaning, Charlotte took him as far as he could go, lapping at his shaft with her tongue, her head bobbing up and down as she worked on him. She sucked his tip, kissed it then brought a hand down to caress his balls. Every muscle in his body went taut with arousal. He was dangerously close to losing it here, and her husky moans and soft, slurping sounds only brought him closer to the edge. “You taste so good,” she whispered, her breath fanning over his engorged head.

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Nate shuddered and dropped his hands to her head to keep her still. When she tried to take him back into her mouth, he fisted her red hair and groaned again. “Don’t. I’m three seconds away from coming, baby.” Her soft laughter danced over his tip. “So?” “So I don’t want this to be over yet.” Charlotte’s fingers slid down to cup his sac. “You’re still young, baby. I’m sure you can muster up the energy for a second round.” And with that, she sucked him so deep his legs almost gave out. Climax barreled down his spine, seized his balls and exploded in his groin. He came fast, hard, then faster and harder as Charlotte swallowed every last drop of his release. Fucking hell. Wheezing for air, Nate tangled his fingers in her silky hair and let her milk him dry. The only other time he’d experienced a climax this intense had been fifteen years ago. With Charlotte. It would always be Charlotte, wouldn’t it? He nearly wept as she released him, his dick suddenly aching from the loss of her hot mouth. He was still rock-hard, though, and, just as she’d mocked, ready to go again. Ready to bury himself inside that tight pussy he’d been dreaming about for years. Charlotte stood up, wiping her mouth with a graceful hand, the motion innocent and downright sexy at the same time. With a growl, Nate yanked her into his arms and kissed the living hell out of her. Without invitation, he thrust his tongue between her lips. She whimpered then tangled her tongue with his, her arms reaching up to wind around his neck. Nate ran his hands over every curve of her petite body, squeezing her breasts over her dress, sliding under the hem to cup her perfect ass. Nothing had changed. The heat sizzling through his veins, the throbbing erection and pounding heart. It had always been this way with Charlotte. From the second she’d sat next to him in that sophomore English class he’d been a goner. He’d appreciated her beauty before they’d officially met, but the uncontrollable desire had come later. When he heard that throaty voice say his name for the first time, when their lips met for the first time on the porch of her old house. “I want you, Nate.” Her urgent whisper was punctuated by her sudden need to get naked. Her dress went over her head, lacy underwear he barely had time to admire was ripped off, and then she stood naked before him. He nearly passed out. Fuck, that body. Curvier than the teenage figure he remembered, soft and womanly and ridiculously beautiful. Removing his shirt and blazer, Nate threw them aside and practically pounced on the gorgeous, naked woman in front of him. They fell onto the bed, their mouths desperately latching in a hot, open-mouthed

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kiss that had him seeing stars. He touched the incredible body beneath his, stroking, fondling and squeezing until finally he slipped one hand between her legs and found that she was soaking wet. “Fuck,” he ground out. Charlotte kissed his neck. “Something wrong?” she teased. “Yes, something is very wrong. My tongue needs to be—” he touched her clit with his thumb, “— here.” Before she could object, he slid down the bed, parted her legs and pressed his lips to her core. Charlotte squeaked in delight. “I never got to go down on you back then,” he muttered against her damp folds. “I wanted to so badly.” She choked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t have let you. I thought it was gross.” She spread her legs even wider, exposing herself fully to him. “I’ve reconsidered since then.” It was all the invitation he needed. While his pulse pounded in his ears, he lowered his head and feasted on her. He explored, sucking gently on her clit then flattening his tongue and scraping it over her slit until she cried out in agony. She was murmuring unintelligible things, moaning softly, and when he lifted his head to meet her eyes, he saw they were glazed with arousal. She tasted like fucking heaven. He couldn’t get enough so he just took more and more, licking and kissing and then fingering her hard, deep. It took him a second to register that her hands were on his head, trying to tug him up, but he didn’t want to stop. Couldn’t stop, until he heard her moan out the words, “Fuck me, Nate. Please.” Feeling like he was in a daze, he moved up her body and grabbed the condom that had magically appeared, the one she was dangling out at him. He tore open the wrapper, sheathed himself then pushed into her tight channel as they both groaned loudly. “You’re so tight,” he mumbled. Their eyes locked and he saw hazy amusement in her gaze. “And you’re as enormous as ever.” He chuckled, slowly lifting his hips then plunging right back in. “That’s a nice thing to say.” “It’s true. Your dick is still huge.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her heels into his buttocks, and said, “So now fuck me with it.” The brazen command took him by surprise. The old Charlotte would never have said something like that. He wasn’t sure he liked it. Scratch that, he amended, as his cock swelled and grew even harder, he loved it. Grabbing hold of her wrists, he locked them with one hand and shoved them over her head, keeping her immobile as he drove into her sweet paradise in a frenzied rhythm. She must have liked the illusion of bondage because a gush of moisture covered his cock and she bucked her hips wildly to meet his hurried thrusts.

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Nate’s lungs burned as he slammed into her, over and over again. Pleasure gathered in his groin then shot off in all directions as another release crashed over him. He felt, heard, saw Charlotte coming, her red hair fanned across the stark white pillow, her inner muscles pulsating, her swollen clit rubbing against the base of his cock at each stroke. They were both gasping for air by the time their respective orgasms ebbed and faded. When Nate regained his senses, he noticed that Charlotte was laughing softly, the sound vibrating against his damp chest. “What’s so funny?” he asked hoarsely. “I was just thinking that as far as reunions go—” she laughed again, more of a wheeze this time, “— this one tops them all.”

“So how did it go?” Georgia sounded far more chipper than Charlotte felt this morning, and she suddenly wished she hadn’t picked up her cell phone. Nate had just left ten minutes ago, after spending the entire night devouring her body and bringing her pleasure she hadn’t even known existed. She’d wanted to hold on to those delicious sensations a little while longer, but Georgia’s phone call swiftly reminded her that last night hadn’t been just about pleasure. How did it go? So many answers to that one simple question. As far as seductions went, this one had been irrefutably successful. As far as sex, hands down, best of her life. Yet from the second she’d opened her eyes this morning, Charlotte’s stomach had been in knots. Nate had been sound asleep beside her, his rugged features softened in slumber, and all she’d wanted to do was wake him up with a kiss, climb on top of that spectacular body and ride him until they both forgot their names. It was unfair. She’d wanted to leave him wanting more, but instead, she was the one suffering that fate. She wanted him again. And again. And then some more. She’d fallen right back under Nate Bishop’s spell, and she hadn’t been in town twenty-four hours yet. “It was fine,” she finally said. “Everyone at the reunion was very cordial. I even signed an autograph for a woman who used to torment me.” “I wasn’t talking about the reunion and you know it. How did it go with Nate?” “It…we…some sex was involved.” Georgia hooted. “Good sex or bad sex?” She answered in a guarded tone. “Good.” “Did you tell him to get lost afterward?”

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“No, I…” Her voice drifted. Why hadn’t she done that? She’d been supposed to give him a piece of her mind. Instead, she’d spent the night tangled in his muscular arms. “Right, you want him to fall for you again,” Georgia said, oblivious to Charlotte’s inner turmoil. “One night won’t be enough for that.” Nope, one night definitely hadn’t been enough… “Did he spend the night?” “Yeah.” Though she normally felt comfortable telling Georgia everything, she found it hard to reveal any details of last night’s reunion with Nate. “What did he say before he left?” “He asked me if he could see me again.” “And you said?” “I said yes.” Georgia went quiet again then made a frustrated sound. “You’re still going through with it, right? Giving him a taste of his medicine?” “Of course,” she said quickly. “I just want to reel him in a bit more before I do it.” Just saying the words out loud made her wince. She wasn’t a naturally mean person. Even when she’d lived in Paradise, she hadn’t given in to the urges telling her to strike back at everyone who’d hurt her. She’d stood up for herself, sure, told certain slimy boys where they could shove their sleazy advances, but when it came to girls like Lexie and Bree and Tara, she hadn’t done a thing in retaliation, even though she frequently felt like pulling their hair right out of the roots. Being cruel to Nate made her anxious. Nauseous too. Could she really sleep with him a few more times and then recite his own heartless speech back at him and waltz right out of town? “Remember, he deserves it,” her assistant said, confidence ringing in her tone. “He took your virginity and whipped it back in your face. If a guy did that to me, I’d go vengeful bitch on him.” Georgia’s remark made her laugh, but it also succeeded in reminding her of the night at the lake after she and Nate had made love for the first time. The sex sucked. Seriously, Charlotte, I thought you’d be better than that. Her fingers clenched over the phone. Somehow, between the thrill of seeing him again and the even bigger thrill of having sex with him, she’d forgotten those words. But now they came back in full force. She squared her shoulders, a wave of resentment swelling in her belly. “Don’t worry, I remember everything,” she mumbled into the mouthpiece. “I’ll call you with an update tomorrow.” She hung up then glanced at the breakfast tray Sue had left outside her door this morning. A piece of toast, some jam and a big mug of coffee glanced back at her, but she suddenly had a craving for something more filling. She pictured the bacon and egg platter Betty served at the diner, and her stomach growled in

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response. Might as well kill two birds with one stone—satisfy her appetite and make another appearance in town. She didn’t particularly want to do the latter, but she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t hide away while she was here. She was Charlotte fucking Hill. She wasn’t allowed to be scared of a bunch of meanspirited, judgmental jerks. Not anymore. After a quick shower, Charlotte slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and a sleeveless green tee that hung down to her knees, tied her red hair in a high ponytail and left the suite. As she stepped into the balmy morning air, she inhaled the clean summer breeze and admired the cherry blossom trees lining the quiet street. She hadn’t bothered renting a car, and so she took off at a brisk walk and headed into town. Her ponytail swooshed back and forth, tickling her neck and bringing a smile to her lips. It had been so long since she’d taken a walk by herself. In New York, her bodyguards accompanied her almost everywhere. Here, she could go unnoticed and enjoy the fresh air, without worrying about anyone popping out of a bush to get her autograph. She was surprised that Mayor Price had actually complied and kept her presence hidden from the media. The press still believed she was in New York, and Georgia would be driving to and from the recording studio in Charlotte’s tinted-window Town Car, to fool any curious reporters into believing Charlotte was still in the city. When she entered the busy diner ten minutes later, she could swear the entire place went silent. It lasted only a second, but long enough to make her experience a flicker of insecurity. She was used to whispers and stares from New Yorkers she passed on the street, but in Paradise, whispers and stares only meant she was being belittled again. To her surprise, the waitress was a girl who’d gone to her high school. Jessie something or other. Jessie greeted her with a genuine smile and led her to a secluded booth in the back. The morning chatter picked up again, and she received only a few curious glances as she sat down and picked up the menu. After she’d ordered, she settled back in the familiar vinyl seat and sipped on the coffee Jessie poured for her. Relief filled her belly as she realized that nobody seemed to be interested by her presence. Nobody was pointing and laughing at her. No low taunts about her mother being the town bicycle. Just thinking those words—town bicycle—brought a sour taste to her mouth. It was bad enough that her mom had worked as a stripper in the next town over, but the parade of men she’d invited into their home had been tantalizing fodder for the town’s hunger for gossip. And Charlotte had suffered the consequences. But this wasn’t too bad. A nice morning in the diner, listening to the clinking of glasses and cutlery as the townsfolk ate their breakfasts and drank their coffees. And then Lexie Price walked in and Charlotte’s nice morning went up in smoke. She instantly stifled a sigh at the sight of her nemesis. Dressed in a short, navy blue business suit, with a white silk scarf tied artfully around her neck and her hair in a complicated-looking French twist, Lexie looked like the wealthy princess she was. Charlotte suddenly felt like a slob in her faded jeans with the hole

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in the knee, but she forced the insecurity down and mustered up some confidence. Who did Lexie think she was, anyway, dressing this way? She ran the Paradise Post, for Pete’s sake, not the New York Times. Lexie greeted the waitress with a smile, chatted with an older couple sitting near the door then made her way toward the booths. Please don’t come over here, Charlotte repeated in her head, but her silent plea went unheeded. Without invitation, Lexie slid into the seat across from Charlotte’s as if she belonged there. “Good morning,” she said with a cool smile. Charlotte frowned. “What can I do for you, Lexie?” “I thought we could have a little chat.” Lexie signaled the waitress, who hurried over to take her order—a cup of herbal tea. Figured. “What do we possibly have to chat about?” Charlotte asked with a weary look. Lexie raised one blonde eyebrow. “I want to know what kind of game you’re playing.” “Game? I’m not playing any games.” “Then why are you here? You haven’t been back to Paradise since you left town. Why now?” “I got an invitation to the reunion.” Charlotte shrugged. “I decided it might be fun.” “Bullshit.” Now Charlotte raised her eyebrows. She’d never known Lexie to curse, and it was downright strange hearing the expletive come out of her mouth. “For some reason, you’re under the impression that I answer to you,” she said stiffly. “But I don’t. What I choose to do isn’t any of your business.” “If it involves Nate, then it is my business.” Charlotte faltered for a moment. What? The way Lexie spoke, it was as if she and Nate had something going on. But that couldn’t be. Nate would have told her if he was dating someone. Besides, she’d seen him and Lexie last night at the reunion, and neither one had acted like they were a couple or anything. “Nate is my best friend,” Lexie added, putting an end to one bout of confusion and creating another. “Since when?” Charlotte laughed. “Back in high school, you used to turn your nose up at him.” “A lot of things have changed since high school.” “Not you, though.” Charlotte couldn’t stop that biting remark, nor the next one. “Still the same old Lexie, huh? Getting into everyone’s business, judging everyone…” Outrage lit Lexie’s blue eyes. “I never judged you. If anything, you—” “How about we don’t talk about it,” she cut in, beginning to grow annoyed. “We weren’t friends back then, and we aren’t friends now.” From the corner of her eye, she spotted Jessie approaching the table with Charlotte’s breakfast on a tray. “So now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to eat my meal in peace.” Lexie had the grace not to say anything catty as Jessie set Charlotte’s plate on the table, but once the waitress was gone, it was fair game. “Stay away from Nate,” Lexie said in a frosty voice. “We both know you won’t be in town long, and you can try to deny it, but we both also know you’re playing some sort of

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game with him. So I’m asking you nicely—leave him alone. You broke his heart once. Don’t do it again, or I swear I will make you regret it.” With that, Lexie slid out of the booth and left the diner with her shoulders high and chin up as Charlotte stared after her in complete bewilderment. Forget that Lexie Price had somehow become Nate’s protector. What the hell did she mean, Charlotte had broken his heart? She’d packed up her bags the morning after Nate’s betrayal, hopped a bus and never looked back. She’d assumed the news of her and Nate’s breakup had found its way into the gossip mill within seconds, and she’d always imagined everyone their age laughing about it. High-fiving Nate for dumping her. But Lexie made it sound like Charlotte had done the dumping. Nate wouldn’t have laid the blame on her, would he? The breakfast in front of her suddenly didn’t seem so appetizing as she angrily pondered the issue. Had Nate made himself out to be the victim? Was that why Lexie seemed to despise her even more than she had before? Charlotte didn’t have the answer for that, but she decided her new mission was to get one. The guilt she might have felt this morning over her less-than-pleasant plan for Nate dissipated like the puff of steam rising from her coffee cup. Nate had dumped her, destroyed her, and then pretended that she’d broken his heart? Her fingers trembled as she reached into her oversized canvas bag and fished out her cell phone. Nate had programmed his number into it before he left this morning and she swiftly scrolled to his name and pressed send. When his husky voice greeted her ears, she ignored the little shiver it evoked and said, “Hey, it’s me. How about some dinner tonight?”

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Chapter Five

Charlotte’s phone call came just as he was getting out of his pickup and stepping onto his mom’s driveway, and after he hung up, Nate’s chest felt unbelievably light. She wanted to have dinner with him tonight, but the sexy pitch to her voice told him that dinner wasn’t going to be the only thing on the menu. The mere thought of getting naked with Charlotte again sent a jolt of desire straight to his cock. Last night had been out of this fucking world, and this new, uninhibited Charlotte drove him wild. He couldn’t wait to see her again. Unfortunately, not everyone was as excited as he was. When he’d left Charlotte’s room this morning, he’d received a call from Lexie, who ranted at him for five minutes, lecturing him about how sleeping with Charlotte had been a mistake. But Nate didn’t think it was a mistake at all. Sure, he’d experienced some initial unease when Charlotte refused to talk about their past, but he kind of understood it now. Even back then, Charlotte hadn’t liked to dwell on her misfortunes. She’d avoided dealing with all the crap that came with being Tiff Hill’s daughter, and now she was avoiding what had happened between the two of them. Shitty as it was, he was kind of grateful for that. Eventually he’d have to tell her the truth, reveal why he’d said all those awful things to her, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy being with Charlotte again. He hadn’t realized until last night just how badly he’d missed her. Tucking his cell in his back pocket, he entered his mom’s house without knocking and called, “Mom?” “In here,” came the chirpy response. He followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen, which Owen had recently renovated. The appliances were brand-new, and the enormous cedar work island in the center of the room was a nice addition. Della Bishop stood by the counter, kneading dough between her strong fingers, and her face lit up when she spotted her eldest standing in the doorway. With her dark blonde hair and light brown eyes, she looked nothing like her sons—all the Bishop boys had their father’s dark hair and gray eyes, except for Austin, who’d inherited the dark hair but a pair of forest-green eyes that Della blamed on some obscure maternal great-grandmother. “Cookies?” Nate asked, glancing at the baking supplies littering the island. “Rice has a cold, so I figured I’d bake him something to boost his spirits.”

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At the mention of his Uncle Rice, Nate grinned. Since his uncle went to work at the paper mill even when he had bronchitis, he doubted a little cold would keep the man down, but his mom loved to pamper the men in her life, always had. Too bad Nate’s father had never appreciated it. “Tell him I hope he feels better,” Nate said as he hopped onto one of the tall wooden stools. He propped his elbows on the counter and said, “How are you doing, Mom?” “Me?” She looked flattered that he would ask. “I’m doing great. Getting ready for the big craft sale next month—I knitted three sweaters this week. And I’m organizing a bake sale for the high school to raise money for new cheerleader uniforms.” “Sounds fun,” he lied. His mother grinned. “Says the boy who goes out of his way to not participate in community activities.” He wanted to ask her why she bothered, but held his tongue. Despite the fact that the townsfolk still whispered behind her back and trash-talked his dead father, Della continued to make an effort to be pleasant to everyone in Paradise, even those who didn’t deserve it. “So…” She wiped her hands on her red-checkered apron and studied him. “I hear Charlotte is back.” “She got in yesterday.” “Did you speak to her at the reunion?” He nodded. “It was good to see her.” “If you talk to her, tell her to stop by and see me,” his mother said. “Gosh, she was the sweetest girl. We used to have her over for dinner all the time, remember?” Oh, he remembered. That first time Charlotte showed up on the Bishop porch during dinnertime, claiming she was “in the neighborhood”, Nate had seen right through the lie. Tiff Hill had never cooked a single meal for her daughter, and though Charlotte usually managed on her own and bought groceries using the money she earned working at Betty’s diner, the money eventually ran out. Nate had felt terrible about it. His father might have been a drunken carouser, but Della always made sure her boys were fed. “I’m sure she’d love to come by and say hello,” he answered. “Make sure she does.” His mother paused then hurled an unusually blunt inquiry his way. “Did you apologize to that poor girl for lying to her?” Nate faltered. “How do you know I lied to her?” “Honey, do you really think I believed your story about losing interest in the relationship? You loved that girl to death. I could see it plain as day.” “But you never said anything. You acted like you believed me.” “It was obvious you weren’t ready to talk about it.”

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“Dad made his opinion known,” Nate grumbled, fighting a wave of bitterness as he remembered his father’s undisguised happiness when Charlotte left. “For some reason, he never wanted her around.” “That’s because he was sleeping with her mother,” Della said in a clipped tone. Nate’s jaw dropped to the floor. “What?” “It’s true. Tiff was one of his women on the side.” For the life of him, Nate couldn’t figure out why his mother sounded so calm about this. It was definitely news to him, the part about Tiff Hill, not the sleeping around. His dad had been infamous for cheating on his wife, and Nate had always wondered why his mother didn’t just up and leave him. He’d asked her once, when he was in his early twenties, and she’d just shrugged. Now that she’d dropped this bomb, he felt compelled to ask her again. “Why the fuck did you stay with him?” he blurted out. Della frowned. “Watch your language, Nathan.” She paused. “And to answer the question, I didn’t leave him because I couldn’t.” “Sure you could. You could’ve just packed your bags and left.” “He threatened to take my boys.” Distress filled her honey-brown eyes. “And besides, I couldn’t have supported myself. I’m a housewife, honey. All I know how to do is bake and clean and mend. I couldn’t have supported you boys, even if your father had let me take you with me.” Nate was utterly dumbfounded. His father had threatened to take her kids from her? Why was he only hearing about this for the first time now? “And now the subject is closed,” his mom said firmly. “Your father is gone, the past is buried, and I have cookies to bake.” He blinked a few times, still trying to sift through all the information she’d given him. Finally he quit trying to make sense of it and asked the question he’d come here to ask in the first place. “Have you heard from Austin?” Della’s hands froze on the dough. “No. Have you?” “No. That’s why I came by today.” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “Owen hasn’t spoken to him either, and we’re getting worried.” His mother’s hand began to knead again, furiously working the dough. Suspicion rose inside of him. “Mom. Do you know something?” She didn’t answer. “Is there a reason Austin has gone AWOL?” he pressed. She finally met his gaze, her chest rising as she drew in a troubled breath. “Your brother and I had a falling out the last time he came home.” Nate narrowed his eyes. “About what?”

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“Nothing important.” She pushed on before he could object to the vague reply. “He just needs some time to sort it all out, honey. He’ll come home when he’s ready.” Fuck, this really was a day for shocks, wasn’t it? First he found out his mom knew that he’d lied about his breakup with Charlotte, then he learned his father was screwing Charlotte’s mother, and now he heard that Della and Austin had had some mysterious argument that nobody else in the family seemed to be aware of. He let out a sigh, suddenly wondering what other fun secrets he would discover today.

“I love your house,” Charlotte announced as she followed Nate onto the giant deck that overlooked his sprawling backyard. And she wasn’t just being nice. From the moment she’d walked into Nate’s A-frame home, she’d been at a loss for words. Two-stories high and made of dark logs, the place resembled a ski chalet, complete with a stone fireplace, a second-story deck and polished hardwood floors. She’d seen Della’s decorating touches throughout the house, in the form of thick burgundy rugs, comfortable leather easy chairs and pretty red drapes at every window. Nate’s masculine presence was emphasized by a fifty-inch plasma TV mounted to the living room wall, and the stacks of Sports Illustrated magazines on the long wood coffee table. In the kitchen, she’d been surprised to find pots steaming on the stove and an abandoned cutting board sitting next to an impressive-looking salad bowl. “And I can’t believe you learned how to cook,” she added, flopping down in one of the wrought-iron chairs ringing the large glass table outside. “I had to when I moved out,” he said with a shrug, sitting on the chair opposite hers. “I couldn’t keep coming home and making Mom cook for me.” “I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded.” A lump lodged in her throat. Della Bishop had always seemed like the perfect mother to her. It was clear to anyone who saw her with her kids that she absolutely adored her boys. She doted on them, helped them with homework, cheered at all of their football games. In all honesty, Charlotte had been wildly jealous of Nate back then. When her own mother wasn’t taking her clothes off for sleazy men, she was screwing them with Charlotte in the other room. “Probably not.” Nate paused. “I saw her earlier today and she asked me to tell you to drop by. She’s eager to see you.” “I’ll do that tomorrow,” Charlotte promised instantly. Nate grew serious. “How long are you in town for, anyway?” “I booked the room at the B&B until the end of the week.”

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“And then you’re heading back to New York.” “That’s the plan.” She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his gorgeous gray eyes, but then he stood up and smiled. “The steaks should be done broiling.” When she stood up, he gestured for her to stay put and added, “I’ll bring everything out. It’s not every day I get to serve dinner to a beautiful woman.” The offhand comment gave her pause. She got the feeling he was saying something more, telling her something important. Had he shied away from relationships over the years too? She couldn’t imagine a man as virile and sinfully sexy as Nate not having a woman in his life, yet the thought brought a spark of joy to her belly. Nate returned a few moments later and placed a plate loaded with food in front of her. He’d made steak, roasted potatoes and mashed carrots, and after the first bite, Charlotte moaned in delight. “This is great, Nate.” “Thanks.” His eyes went heavy-lidded for a moment. “Though I’m pretty sure it’s not as delicious as how you look right now.” She laughed. “How is it that getting you to talk about private matters is like pulling teeth, but when it comes to sex, you’re always able to say exactly what’s on your mind?” He chewed slowly, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t know. I don’t like revealing personal shit.” He hesitated. “I could always do it with you, though.” They fell silent, quietly eating their supper while Nate’s revelation floated through her mind. When they’d been dating, they used to talk for hours upon hours, which had been just as out of character for Charlotte as it had been for Nate. She’d told him everything—her anger at her mom, her dreams to be a singer, how she hated the way the kids at school treated her. And he’d reciprocated, confessing how much he loved this small town, despite the frequent drawbacks. They’d talked and kissed and laughed. They’d spent every waking moment together. And then he’d broken her heart. She choked down the agony suddenly sticking to her throat. “So how are your brothers doing?” she asked, cringing at the overly bright tone of her voice. The subject was a harmless one, though, and soon she got caught up in his stories. He told her about Owen’s construction business, Jake’s life of danger in the special forces, Austin’s award-winning photographs. Charlotte reciprocated by telling him about some of her favorite concerts and the new songs she was working on. By the time they drifted into the living room and sipped on the beers Nate had cracked open, she felt loose and relaxed. She’d forgotten how easy it was to be with Nate. How nice it was to confide in him. How much she wanted to rip his clothes off…

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She almost gave in to the urge when something caught her eye. “Why do you have a guitar?” she asked, her gaze landing on the light brown acoustic guitar leaning against the bookshelf. “Did you finally learn how to play?” Nate looked sheepish. “Uh, no. I just like having it around.” Warmth suffused her body. Did he keep a guitar in his house because it reminded him of her? Before she could stop herself, she set down her beer bottle, hopped off the couch and went to get the guitar. When she returned to the couch and strummed a few test chords, she was surprised to find the instrument in perfect tune. “Can I hear one of your new songs?” Nate asked. Pleasure swelled in her belly. With a little nod, she began to strum the opening chords of a song she’d come up with late at night a few weeks ago. There was no nervousness, no hesitation. She simply opened her mouth and began to sing. It came so naturally, singing to this man. As the still-rough lyrics slid out of her mouth, she was reminded of all those nights by the lake when Nate would lie on a blanket staring up at the stars while she perfected melodies in the deserted clearing they used to visit. As the last note hung in the air then faded away into silence, Charlotte awkwardly put down the instrument and met Nate’s awed expression. “It’s beautiful, Charlie.” Their gazes locked, the room went quiet for a moment, and then, in the blink of an eye, Nate stumbled off the recliner, moved to the couch and scooped her up into his strong arms. “I think we need a bed,” he said roughly. She grinned and twined her arms around his neck. “I think so too.” With hurried strides, Nate carried her upstairs to the large master bedroom he’d showed her earlier and promptly deposited her on the navy blue bedspread. “Take off your clothes,” he said in a seductively low voice, already making a move to unbutton his shirt. Charlotte kicked off her shoes then took off her jeans and pulled her T-shirt over her head. She lay there in her underwear, watching Nate undress. When he exposed his chest, she sucked in a breath, wondering how he managed to maintain that drool-worthy six-pack working at a pub. Maybe he lifted weights or went running or— Her breath hissed out as his jeans and boxers dropped to the floor. She hadn’t just been teasing him the other night—he really was enormous. His cock was long and thick, its width more than that of her wrist. Her mouth went dry at the mere sight of him then filled with moisture as she pictured herself wrapping her lips around that engorged red tip. “Why are you still wearing your underwear?” he muttered, those gray eyes burning with arousal. “Sorry,” she squeaked, hurriedly wiggling out of her bra and panties.

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Nate didn’t make any move to approach the bed. He just stood at the foot of it, devouring her naked body with his gaze. “Are you going to join me?” she asked. “Make it worth my while,” he shot back, the corner of his mouth lifting in amusement. She narrowed her eyes and cupped her breasts, pressing them together. “Aren’t these worth it?” He rumbled out a laugh. “Maybe a little.” His gaze dropped to her thighs. “I’m more interested in what’s between those legs, though.” A thrill shimmied up her spine. Licking her lips, she slowly spread her legs, revealing herself to him. The thrill deepened when she heard his sharp intake of breath. “Like what you see?” she mocked. “Mmm-hmmm.” His features taut with arousal, he lowered his hand to his erection and circled it with his fingers. “Come on, Charlie, give me some good material for the next time I jerk off.” The crude words made her sex throb. Determined to meet the challenge, she slid her hand down her body and pressed it to her core. Never breaking the eye contact, she stroked herself, rubbing her own clit with her index finger then moving it up and down her wet folds. Tension gathered in her body, her muscles tightening further when she teased her opening with two fingers. “That’s it, baby, fuck yourself for me.” His growl sent shivers of pleasure to her skin. She couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt with him, how easy it was to simply spread her legs wider and slip one finger into her sopping-wet core. None of the other men she’d been with had made her feel this way. None of them had succeeded in helping her let go of her inhibitions and actually enjoy the sex. Nate groaned as she fingered herself, his hand pumping furiously at his cock. Charlotte’s breathing grew labored, the tension inside her coiling tighter until ripples of impending orgasm danced in her belly and curled her toes. She abruptly stopped her ministration and squeezed out, “I want you inside me when I come.” Without even blinking, Nate joined her on the bed and covered her body with his. A second later, he plunged deep inside, summoning the orgasm she’d tried to keep at bay. Shards of light filled her vision and she moaned loudly as release consumed her body. She wrapped her legs around Nate’s trim hips and thrust upward, crying out when he hit a sensitive spot inside of her and triggered another spurt of pleasure. When she finally relaxed her legs, she realized that she could feel him. Him, and not the latex he’d evidently forgotten to use. He must have realized the same thing because he cursed under his breath and said, “We didn’t use anything.” He made a move to pull out, but she kept him in place. “I’m on the Pill and I don’t have any diseases.”

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“Me neither,” he admitted then searched her face. “You want me to keep going?” “God, yes.” His laughter vibrated against her achy breasts. She rubbed her nipples against the wiry dark hairs on his chest and urged him to move again. He immediately obliged, thrusting in so hard she gasped with pleasure that bordered on pain. She wanted him to come, wanted to feel him pour himself into her, and it wasn’t long before she got her wish. She watched his face in fascination as he shuddered with release. His expression went from tortured to sated to utterly hazy. Then he bent down and slid his tongue into her mouth, kissing her so deeply she forgot how to breathe. They lay there kissing for a long time until Nate reluctantly rolled off her and headed into the bathroom. He returned with a wet washcloth then proceeded to clean her off while she watched him with a bemused smile. “Always the caretaker,” she teased. He shifted in discomfort. “Doesn’t sound very manly.” “It’s a perfectly acceptable thing to be,” she assured him. “I remember the way you used to take care of your brothers, how you looked out for them. I thought it was really sweet.” And sexy, she almost added. Yeah, it had definitely been sexy watching eighteen-year-old Nate toss a football with the fourteen-year-old twins or helping eleven-year-old Austin with his math homework. Nate had been the eldest, their role model, and he’d taken the job seriously, especially since Henry Bishop had been as terrible a parent as Charlotte’s mother. But Nate, despite the fact that everyone thought he was a bad apple because he rode a beat-up Harley around town, had been so good to his brothers. He’d been good to her. Anger bubbled in the back of her throat. And then he’d taken everything good he’d ever said and done and turned it into something ugly. Unable to fight the burning in her gut, she slid up into a sitting position, nearly banging her skull on the headboard of the bed. “You okay?” Nate asked, concern lighting his eyes. “No,” she choked out. Screw pretending she’d forgiven him. Lexie Price had been right—she was playing games, and after this latest round of amazing sex, Charlotte couldn’t hold her tongue anymore. “Why did you do it?” she blurted. “Why did you throw me away like a piece of garbage?”

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Chapter Six

Nate hadn’t been expecting the question or the sudden cloud of resentment that turned Charlotte’s light green eyes into a dark forest green. He tossed the washcloth onto the nightstand and warily got to his feet, reaching for the jeans he’d discarded on the floor. As he pulled the denim up his legs, he saw that Charlotte wasn’t making any move to get dressed. She just sat there cross-legged, buck naked while her long red hair fell past her shoulders, barely covering her breasts. “I need to know,” she said, her voice coming out in a whisper. “I know I said I was over the past, and a part of me really is, but I still want to know why you did it.” A sigh rolled out of his chest. Moving back to the bed, he sat down at the edge and met her agonized gaze. “I did it so you would leave town.” Irritation flashed across her face. “Yeah, I got that. You didn’t want me around.” “No,” he said quickly, “I… What I meant was I did it so you would go to Julliard.” Her annoyance dissolved into confusion. “What?” Nate fiddled with a loose thread on the bedspread. “You told my mom you were thinking of staying in Paradise instead of going to college. I couldn’t let you throw your future away.” “What?” “You hated it here,” he burst out. “I knew from the start that I wanted to live here, to help my dad run the pub and live a quiet, uncomplicated life. But you wanted bigger things. You deserved bigger things.” He swallowed. “When my mother told me what you said, I knew exactly why you’d said it. You were going to stay for me, weren’t you, Charlotte?” With wide eyes, she nodded. “Well, that wouldn’t have been fair to you. You were born to sing, baby, and not in a church choir in front of people who were too stupid to appreciate you. So I lied.” “You lied,” she echoed dully. He nodded. “About everything?” She bit her lush bottom lip. “You lied about being bored with me? About not liking the…the sex?” “Every word I said was a lie.” His throat tightened. “Making love to you that first time was the best experience of my life. Fuck, I loved you.” His next words slipped out before he could derail them. “I’m not sure I ever stopped loving you.”

Elle Kennedy

Her mouth fell open. She went silent for so long, he wondered if she’d fallen asleep with her eyes open or something. A part of him couldn’t believe she’d actually bought the lies, but he had been pretty damn convincing. He’d chased the love of his life away so she could accomplish her goals, but from the shocked and slightly annoyed expression on her face, he got the feeling she didn’t appreciate the gesture. “So let me get this straight,” she finally said. “Your mother told you what I said, and so you just went ahead and made a decision about our future—without having the decency to talk to me about it first?” He gulped. Shit, when she phrased it like that, it sounded bad. Not as bad as, say, sleeping with her and then dumping her, but bad just the same. “I made a mistake,” he admitted. “No kidding.” She shook her head in disbelief. “What about the sex? Why on earth would you sleep with me for the first time when you planned on breaking up with me?” “I…I lost control.” Frustration boiled in his gut. “God, Charlotte, it wasn’t like I had some kind of master plan. I honestly didn’t expect things to go as far as they did. I just wanted to kiss you goodbye, but then…then we were on that blanket, and I couldn’t help myself.” She scowled at him, causing him to raise his hands in surrender. “I know, that’s no excuse,” he said with a sigh. “I was young and stupid, okay? And I really thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go. I just kept thinking about that dumb saying—if you love someone, let them go.” “But you didn’t even give me a choice!” She looked so annoyed he experienced a burst of shame. “Yeah, I was thinking of staying, but if you’d told me back then everything you just said now, maybe I would have still left. Maybe we could have worked out another solution, done the long-distance thing.” “Or maybe you would have ruined your life, for me,” he countered. “For love,” she corrected. “You would have been miserable if you stayed here.” He found the courage to stroke one of her bare knees, and to his surprise, she didn’t shove his hand away. “Your name needed to be on all those albums in my living room. Your music needed to be on people’s CD players and iPods. You know that, Charlie.” “Maybe, but I also needed to be with you.” His heart squeezed. “You’re with me now,” he pointed out. Then he slid closer and cupped her chin with his hands. “I’m so sorry, Charlotte. I was young and I made a huge mistake. I’m willing to own up to that. But I just want you to know that I’ve grown up. I realize now how badly I handled the situation. For the past fifteen years, I’ve been so damn miserable, wondering if you’d ever be able to forgive me for what I did.” “You were miserable?” she echoed. He nodded, wanting so badly to tell her about how many relationships he’d screwed up, but he didn’t feel comfortable bringing other women into this private moment between them. It was true, though. He’d

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dated after Charlotte left, but never truly opened himself up to anyone. Until Evelyn—but that was an angering memory he didn’t want to dwell on right now. “I was miserable too,” she confessed. “Every man I was with…I always ended up comparing him to you.” Lord, he knew the feeling. “I guess it’s pretty obvious then that we never really got over each other.” “Get over you?” She sighed. “I don’t think I can ever get over you.” His heart soared. “Does…does that mean you forgive me?” After a long moment, she nodded, her green eyes flickering with resignation. “I do…I forgive you, Nate. But… What are we doing here?” “Making up for lost time.” He dragged his thumb along the seam of her lips. “Which I’m willing to keep doing for as long as you want.” Something he couldn’t decipher moved across her face. “You want a relationship?” “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Another flicker in her eyes, one that might have looked like guilt if he didn’t know better. “My career is important to me,” she said. “It’s important to me too.” He bent his head to brush his lips over hers. “I would never interfere with your career. If you need to live in New York for part of the time, then that’s fine. We can make this work, baby. I know we can.” He knew that what he was saying was far too premature. She’d only been back in Paradise for a couple of days, after all. But he couldn’t stop the words from exiting his mouth. Charlotte Hill was the only woman he’d ever truly loved, the only woman he could picture spending his life with. He’d already let her go once—he wasn’t sure he could do it again. “Nate…” He was surprised to see a lone tear leak out from the corner of her eye. “Don’t you cry on me,” he said roughly. “Tell me what you’re thinking.” “I…” Her throat bobbed as she gulped. “I was thinking about why I came here…and…” Her reply was a bit odd, but he couldn’t figure out why she was suddenly so upset. He didn’t like either. He’d never been good with tears. Quickly pulling her into his arms, he rubbed her upper back and murmured, “All that matters is that you’re back. You have me, Charlie. For as long as you’re here, for as long as you want to be, you have me.” She tilted her head up to look at him, her green eyes swimming with both joy and dismay. “I want you,” she murmured back. “I don’t know about the future, but right now, I want you.” Grinning, he took her hand and brought it to his zipper. “Then take me.” With a responding smile, she unzipped his pants and did just that.

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Charlotte woke up with the most colossal weight of guilt bearing down on her chest. She couldn’t even believe she’d fallen asleep, though three hours of slumber didn’t really count as a good night of rest. She’d made a big mistake. Coming here to seduce Nate, planning to break his heart…there was no way she could go through with any of that now that she knew the truth. Nate had broken up with her so she would be able to live her dreams. The thought still filled her with shock. All these years she’d hated him for what he’d done, and now she wanted to kick herself for believing the lies so easily. Why hadn’t she stuck around to get the truth from him? Why had she been so willing to believe that he had actually meant everything he’d said to her? Because you were an insecure idiot. Yep, that about summed it up. Being ostracized by her peers and whispered about by her elders had succeeded in stripping away her confidence. When Nate dumped her, claiming he didn’t even like her, a part of her had thought, It’s about time. Somehow, she’d never believed someone as wonderful as Nate Bishop could actually fall in love with her. “Idiot,” she mumbled to herself then experienced a wave of gratitude that Nate wasn’t in the room to hear it. She’d heard him heading downstairs an hour ago but had been too exhausted to climb out of bed. The faint sound of typing came from below, making her deduce that he was on his laptop. He’d mentioned last night that he was slacking on inputting the pub’s expense reports into the database on his computer. Although she was wide awake now, she wasn’t quite ready to go downstairs and face Nate. Everything he’d said to her yesterday—the truth about the breakup, his desire to have her in his life despite her hectic career—it all buzzed around in her mind like a nest of restless hornets. A part of her was still annoyed with him—why hadn’t he just told her the damn truth instead of pushing her away? But she couldn’t fault him for making a stupid mistake, not when she’d made a pretty big mistake of her own. She had to tell him the truth about why she’d come back. Sure, she could probably forget about it, never mention it and Nate wouldn’t be the wiser, but Charlotte knew they couldn’t move forward until she lay all the cards on the table first. A lie had been responsible for their breakup, and she couldn’t, not in good conscience, let a lie begin this new relationship. And she wanted a relationship with Nate. Badly. She’d been so lonely for so long. She’d been empty. Nobody had ever been able to compare to Nate, and now that she had him back, she didn’t want to let him go. She wanted to hold on to him for as long as she could. Which was why she decided to take the coward’s way out and tell him the truth tomorrow. Padding down the stairs wearing the button-down shirt Nate had discarded on the floor last night, she found him in the small study tucked off from the living room. “Morning,” she said softly.

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He glanced up from the laptop and shot her a smile that curled her toes. “Morning. Want to get some breakfast at Betty’s?” “Sure. But I was thinking of going for a run first. Can I rummage around in your drawers for something that fits?” “Sure.” His head was already turning back to the screen. “Stay on the path though. Wild animals are always roaming this area.” “Yes, sir.” With a smile, she headed back upstairs where she slipped into a worn gray T-shirt with the Paradise Panthers football logo on the front then found a pair of basketball shorts with a drawstring that she managed to get tight enough that the shorts stayed on her hips. It was a surprisingly cool morning for July, and when she stepped outside, goose bumps rose on her bare arms. She took off on the path Nate had indicated and soon sweat coated the front of her shirt. Charlotte’s ponytail swished back and forth, and she was so focused on running the guilt right out of her body that she shouted out in surprise when a black-clad figure stepped out from behind a patch of trees. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” came a rough voice. She collected her breath and looked into a pair of eyes so dark they were nearly pure black. The man who’d blindsided her was a few years younger, probably mid to late twenties, and the sex appeal rolling off his lean body actually caused a response in her own. Her nipples peaked against her bra, and she awkwardly crossed her arms as she demanded, “Do you make it a habit of scaring total strangers?” “Sometimes, but you’re not a stranger, are you?” His voice was deep, insolent even, and those black eyes swept up and down her body, making her feel self-conscious in the oversized clothes she’d borrowed from Nate. “You’re Charlotte Hill.” “And you are?” she asked coolly. “Cooper Grady. I live about half a mile from here.” “Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to say after that—small talk wasn’t her forte—and he seemed amused by her silence. One large hand reached into the back pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a pack of Camels. He tapped the pack against his palm, extracted a cigarette and used a silver Zippo to light up. “So you’re Nate’s neighbor,” she finally said. “And his best customer,” a dry voice came from behind. Charlotte spun around to see Nate emerge from the path behind her. His shirt was still unbuttoned and his shoelaces weren’t tied, as if he’d simply thrust his feet into his sneakers and rushed out here. “I heard you scream,” he said in explanation, coming up beside her. “I figured you might have encountered one of the animals that like to roam the property.” Nate gave a rueful smile. “And I see you did run into a wolf.”

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“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Cooper drawled before lifting his cigarette to his sensual lips and taking a deep drag. “I’m just a regular old pussycat.” Charlotte eyed Cooper dubiously. Yeah right. There was definitely something feral about this man. She wondered when he’d moved to town—he definitely hadn’t been living here when she was. “He wasn’t rude to you, was he, Charlie?” Nate asked, his posture suggesting that if Cooper had indeed been discourteous, Nate wouldn’t hesitate to clock him. “No, but he did scare me,” she answered, scowling at the sexy man by the trees. Cooper blew out a plume of smoke and gave a mocking smile. “I do have that effect on women.” She found herself grinning. “I’ll bet.” Nate’s hand was suddenly on her arm. “Why don’t we leave Coop to his morning stroll,” he suggested. “We should go get that breakfast.” It was funny—although Cooper Grady was practically radiating heat and masculinity, her temperature didn’t spike until the moment Nate touched her bare skin. Would he always get that response from her? Was he the only one who could? So far, she hadn’t found a man who could evoke such primal desire inside of her, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to go looking. Nate was the only man she wanted. “Let’s go,” she said, slipping her hand into his. She glanced at Cooper and added, “It was nice meeting you.” “Pleasure was all mine.” She and Nate turned and retreated down the path. She noticed his grip on her hand had tightened possessively. “Coop is an incorrigible flirt,” he grumbled. Charlotte gave him a sidelong look. “Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” “No.” “Liar.” She laughed. “You don’t like him, do you?” “I don’t mind him.” Nate shrugged. “I just mind when he hits on my woman.” “Who’s your woman?” she asked innocently. Before she could blink, he’d thrust her against him, the hard ridge of his arousal pressing into her belly. “Who do you think?” he muttered. And then he kissed her, leaving no doubt as to whom he meant.

An hour later, they were seated in the same diner booth Charlotte had occupied yesterday and leaning back to let their stomachs recover from Betty’s famous breakfast. As Nate ordered another refill for their coffees, Charlotte was reminded of yesterday morning when Lexie had confronted her here and filled her head with nonsense. Now, she couldn’t help but purse her lips and glance at Nate warily.

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Amusement creased his features. “Why are you looking at me like that?” “Are you involved with Lexie Price?” The question popped out like a candy bar from a vending machine, instantly bringing heat to her cheeks. Nate looked just as surprised by the sudden inquiry, but then he chuckled. “No, I’m not involved with Lexie.” “Does she know that?” Charlotte said coldly. Nate’s chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh. “Who’s jealous now?” “I’m not jealous. Just confused. She verbally assaulted me yesterday, you know. Came in here and told me to stay away from you. Oh, and she accused me of leaving you with a broken heart. What the hell is that about?” To her bewilderment, Nate’s expression went cloudy with…guilt? She suddenly remembered her earlier suspicions, that he’d blamed the breakup on her to look good in front of the townspeople. But that couldn’t be true. Right? “What exactly did you tell people about our breakup, Nate?” she asked in a careful tone. “Nothing.” “Nothing?” “I didn’t tell them anything.” He sighed. “Which was probably a mistake since everyone assumes you dumped me and left town.” Charlotte glared at him. “You let them think that?” He looked defensive. “You know I don’t talk about my personal life with others. If they wanted to believe you left me, then big deal. The two of us knew the truth.” “You put another black mark on my name!” She quickly lowered her voice. “So everyone thinks I was just some slut who dumped her boyfriend so she could move on to bigger and better things?” “Why do you care what they think?” Nate grumbled in frustration. “These people mean nothing to you. Hell, most of them mean nothing to me.” “Lexie means something to you,” she couldn’t help but snap. “She’s a friend. Nothing more.” A frown puckered her brow. “I can’t believe you’re even friends with her. She was terrible to me.” Nate didn’t answer, prompting Charlotte to scowl at him. “What, are you going to deny that?” “No.” He spoke guardedly. “But…are you sure it was one-sided, Charlotte?” She gasped. “Are you kidding me?” He reached across the checkered tablecloth and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “All I’m saying is that you didn’t go out of your way to make friends.” “Because everyone in this town was a jerk to me. Especially Lexie Price.”

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Before Nate could respond, the cell phone she’d left on the table began to vibrate, causing the little milk containers to shake in their saucers. Clenching her teeth, Charlotte picked up the phone and glanced at the screen. When she spotted Georgia’s number, she banished the pang of guilt it evoked and swiftly pressed the ignore button. Damn it, she couldn’t deal with this now. Georgia had called her five times since last night, and each time Charlotte had ignored the call. Just seeing her assistant’s name on that screen reminded her of why she’d come to Paradise, and with the memory came a rush of remorse. She felt that same rush now, and it was strong enough that she promptly dropped the subject of Lexie Price. So what if Nate’s friend believed Charlotte had broken Nate’s heart. That surely couldn’t be as bad as what Charlotte had set out to do. She gulped some coffee. Damn it. She needed to tell Nate the truth. They actually had the opportunity to make things work this time. To be happy. Maybe her original intention hadn’t been to get back together with him, but now that she knew why he’d broken up with her all those years ago, she wanted nothing more than to be with Nate Bishop. Only that couldn’t happen, not unless she was totally honest with him. Tomorrow, she assured herself. She was going to tell him everything tomorrow.

Cooper Grady grinned when he spotted the surprise visitor on his porch. She looked poised and sophisticated as usual, wearing a sky-blue silk blouse tucked into a pair of sleek black pants, with her polished red toes poking out of black wedge-looking shoes. Her blonde hair was tied up in a neat twist and her flawless features were free of makeup, which he’d always appreciated. He didn’t like fake rosy blushes on a woman’s cheeks—he preferred putting the flush there after a round of hot, sweaty sex. “Hey, darling,” he drawled. “What brings you here so early in the morning?” Lexie stood up at his approach. “I’m having a bad day.” He chuckled. “It’s not even nine o’clock yet. How can your day be bad already?” She followed him into his cabin and dropped her leather purse on the shabby couch in the main room. “Nate’s not picking up his phone,” she huffed. “I think he’s avoiding me.” “Nah.” Cooper lifted one eyebrow. “I think he’s just busy getting it on with a smoking-hot redhead.” Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?” “I ran into them on the path twenty minutes ago. They looked…close.” He shot her a mocking look. “Bet that gets your panties into a knot, huh, princess?” “Not for the reason you think,” she grumbled. “The reason is you’re in love with him.” “I’m not in love with Nate,” she said with the roll of her eyes.

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He sneered. “Sorry, I forgot. That honor goes to Gabe Lockhart.” Lexie’s blue eyes flashed. “Shut up, Cooper. You don’t know a thing about it.” The fury burning in his gut was seriously annoying. He’d brought up Lockhart in order to mock her, yet the barb affected him more than it seemed to affect her. Why the hell should he care, though? Lexie Price was just another fuck. Another silly female who thought a roll in the hay with big, bad Cooper Grady would make her feel alive or some shit. Still, he couldn’t stop the embittered words that slipped from his mouth. “I know more than you think, princess.” He cocked a brow. “I know you fuck him whenever he waltzes back into town. I know you drive to Denver twice a year to see him.” She looked surprised for a moment then shook her head and gave him a smile that lacked any ounce of amusement. “Why are we even talking? We both know that’s not what this is about. That’s not what I came here for.” “No, of course you don’t want to talk.” He laughed harshly. “You came to fuck your boy toy, didn’t you, darling?” She met his gaze head on. “Yes.” Despite the anger still bubbling in his stomach, Cooper found himself getting aroused. Who would have thought that this prim little ice princess could get him so fucking hard? When they’d first hooked up, after a tipsy Lexie had bumped into him in the parking lot of Bishop’s Corner, Cooper couldn’t believe how fantastic the sex was. Underneath that proper, icy exterior, Lexie Price was a wildcat. A solid ten in bed. Or in car, as their first encounter went. After that, she’d started visiting him here, at the cabin he’d bought from old man Mallory when Cooper first moved to town. The trysts had been going on for three months now. He wondered how long she’d been screwing Lockhart, and another burst of rage ignited his body. Unbuckling his belt, he moved toward her, ignoring the way the morning sunlight streaming in from the curtainless window made her blonde hair seem to sparkle. “Then let’s get to it,” he muttered as he yanked down his zipper. Lexie’s eyes smoldered the moment he pulled out his cock, which was already hard and thick. He didn’t bother taking off his jeans, just edged them down a little so his balls weren’t constricted. Then he licked his lips and said, “Come on, princess. Take what you came here for.” He cupped his sac and smirked at her. “It’s all ready for you.” A streak of anger moved across her face then faded into desire when he circled his erection with his fist and beckoned at her with it. Eyes glazed with arousal, Lexie sank down on her knees in front of him and took him into her mouth. Cooper’s head lolled to the side, a low groan leaving his mouth. He shifted so his ass was against the arm of the couch, closed his eyes and let her do her thing, amazed by the immediate

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vise of pleasure that tightened over his groin. The first blowjob she’d given him had been clumsy, amateur, but now she was a pro at it. Lexie dragged her tongue up and down his shaft then tickled his balls with it, drawing another groan from his lips. A throb gathered between his legs, growing stronger when Lexie sucked him deep and started bobbing her head up and down. A few more long sucks and he exploded, pouring into her mouth and holding the back of her head as he shuddered with release. His chest heaved as Lexie rose to her feet, demurely wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her blouse. When she moved her hands to the top button of her shirt, he smirked again. “Don’t bother with that, princess. I’ve got to go to work.” He almost felt bad, what with the arousal darkening her gaze and the anticipatory flush on her cheeks, but then the image of Lexie and Gabe Lockhart flashed across his mind and the guilt disappeared. He pulled up his pants and zipped them, laughing at the disappointment and outrage on her face. “Are you serious?” she demanded. Cooper could see her nipples poking against one of those paper-thin bras she liked to wear. “You can get yourself off in the car,” he said graciously. “Like I said, I’ve got to go.” Lexie just stared at him for a moment then let out a string of curses that had him raising his eyebrows. Oh yeah, he’d really pissed her off this time. “Screw you, Cooper,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically shaky. “As of right now, we’re through. We’re goddamn through.” He barked out another laugh. “Sure we are.” With a final expletive, Lexie glared at him one last time then grabbed her purse and marched out the door, slamming it behind her. Cooper heard a car engine start, the squeal of rubber as she sped away. Then he stood there and listened to the silence, a sliver of guilt slicing into his skin. Fuck. Why had he done that? Despite what everyone else thought, he wasn’t a cruel person. Definitely didn’t get his kicks from humiliating women. Why was it that Lexie Price seemed to bring out the absolute worst in him? She’s fucking Lockhart. Those three words grounded him, brought him back to painful reality. In spite of the Romeo and Juliet thing Lexie and Gabe had going on, what with their families despising each other, the two of them were far more suited together than he and Lexie would ever be. So yeah, every now and then, he had to remind himself of that. Sure, it might take something assholeish, like making her give him a blowjob and then kicking her out the door, but sometimes you needed to take extraordinary measures to get the point across. In this case, he was making the point to himself. Because no matter how explosive the two of them were in bed, Lexie Price would never belong to him, and that was something he couldn’t let himself forget.

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Chapter Seven

“I just need to go by the pub for a moment,” Nate said as he stopped the pickup in front of the small corner bar at the edge of Main Street. “Is that okay?” “Sure,” Charlotte answered. “I’m curious to see what you did with the place, anyway.” “Not much,” he confessed. “Still looks the same way it did when my dad ran it.” They climbed out of the truck and the sight of the familiar tinted windows and glowing neon Open sign brought a rush of memories. As she followed Nate into Bishop’s Corner, she couldn’t help but remember the nights she and Nate spent there, playing pool, making out in the back booth. When Nate’s dad had been too drunk to work, he’d forced his underage son to tend bar, and Charlotte would come by to keep him company. Though really, she only ended up distracting him. When they walked inside, she saw that he was right. The place looked exactly the same, with its long bar counter and tall wooden stools, the black vinyl booths and little tables. Even the sports posters and framed photographs on the wood paneled walls hadn’t changed. As Nate rounded the counter, Charlotte drifted over to the wall of photos, grinning when she spotted one of the four Bishop brothers. The picture had been taken at the lake, and each boy held up a fat large-mouthed bass dangling from a fishing rod. “Are the twins still skinny as twigs?” she called. Nate laughed as he scribbled something down on a pad of paper. “Nah, they beefed up. You should see Jake—looks like an action hero now.” She turned away from the photos and stared at Nate, admiring the broad set of his shoulders and the way his rippled biceps rested on the counter. He looked comfortable behind the bar, like he belonged there. She thought of the men she’d dated in Manhattan, with their tailored suits and expensive haircuts, and realized she’d pick Nate and his faded jeans any day. “So, were you going to do that library thing Mrs. Easton mentioned at the diner?” Nate asked. Charlotte bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. Do you think there’ll be a lot of people there?” “Nah, just the kids. I think you should do it.” She continued to hesitate. As they’d been leaving the diner just now, one of the librarians had pulled her aside and mentioned that there was some kind of youth club meeting at the library that afternoon. The kids there ranged from middle-grade to high school, and apparently they spent two weeks every summer reviewing last year’s curriculum and preparing for the upcoming school year. Mrs. Easton had said the kids

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would love to meet her and maybe get an autograph, and though Charlotte liked kids, it was the parents she was worried about. What if Tara was there? Or one of the other girls who’d tormented her in high school? Then you hold your head high like you did at the reunion and show them you don’t give a damn. The newfound confidence eased her nerves. Yeah, why shouldn’t she go? The kids would love it, and screw the parents. Besides, if she and Nate were to have any future, she needed to get over her animosity toward the people of Paradise. Even if Nate weren’t in the picture, letting go of the bitterness was something she probably ought to do anyway. “Okay, I will then,” she decided. Nate set down the notepad next to the cash register and headed toward her. “Sorry, I just had to leave some instructions for Marty. I told him I wasn’t coming in today, so he’s working the bar alone.” He took her hand as they walked to the door. “And I’m glad you’re going to the library. I think you’ll have fun.” They stepped out into the morning sunshine, and Nate turned to her with heat glimmering in his gray eyes. “Did you still feel like going to the lake?” A little thrill shot through her, along with a spark of regret. Last time they’d gone to the lake, they’d made love for the first time. And then Nate had dumped her. But before that…the lake had been their haven, where they went to escape the world. “Yes,” she said, pushing aside the regret. It was time to associate the place with good memories again. When they slid back in the truck, the cell phone Nate had left in the cup holder was letting out a sequence of chimes, indicating he had a new message. “Can you put it on speaker?” Nate asked as he started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Voice mail code is three-four-oh-two.” Charlotte fumbled with the phone and accessed the voice mail. An automated voice came on, indicating two new messages. Charlotte pressed the appropriate button, holding the phone toward Nate so he could hear it better. “Hey, it’s me,” came a familiar male voice. Nate’s brother, she realized, though she couldn’t tell if it was Owen or Jake since those two sounded identical. “I just left Mom’s house. She gave me the same vague bullshit about Austin. They had a falling out, he’ll come back when he’s ready, yada yada.” There was a grumble of frustration. “I don’t like any of this shit, but Mom wouldn’t say anything else. Call me later and we’ll figure out the next step.” Charlotte shot Nate a concerned look. “Did something happen to Austin?” “I have no idea. He’s been out of—” Nate’s features hardened as the next message clicked on. “Nate, it’s Evelyn. Call me. Please. Just…just talk to me.” A shiver ran up Charlotte’s spine. The female voice had sounded so anguished, so…devastated. Judging by the deep crease in Nate’s forehead, he wasn’t happy to hear from that particular caller, which only deepened Charlotte’s uneasiness. “Who was that?”

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He didn’t say anything for a long time, his silver eyes focused on the road ahead. “Nate?” A sigh shuddered from his chest. “That was Evelyn.” “Yeah, I got that part. But who is she?” She swallowed. “Who is she to you?” “We dated.” His voice came out rough. “About six months ago. But I broke it off.” She tried to ignore the jolt of jealousy that tightened her belly. She wasn’t allowed to feel jealous. Of course Nate had dated other women in the fifteen years they’d been apart. Wasn’t like he’d gone celibate. “Why did you break up?” “Because she lied,” he said flatly. “Oh.” Another rush of unease flooded her body. “About what?” “Her husband.” Charlotte’s jaw dropped. “What?” “She was married.” He laughed humorlessly. “Something she neglected to mention when we started going out. The whole relationship was based on a lie. She was living in a hotel, said she’d just moved to town and hadn’t found a house yet, but really, her husband had thrown her out after he caught her cheating for the second time.” “Wait, she lives in Paradise?” “No, Wyndham,” he said, naming a neighboring county. Nate slowed the pickup as they reached the turnoff for the lake. With a ragged breath, he turned to meet Charlotte’s eyes. “About a month into the relationship, she admitted to being married, said she was going through a divorce, and at first I was willing to stick around, maybe see her through it all, but then…” “Then what?” “Lexie dug around—” The sound of Lexie’s name made her spine stiffen. “—and found out Evelyn had lied about a lot of other things. Like the fact that she had a four-year-old son, who her husband refused to let her see, or that she was actually screwing another guy at the same time she was seeing me.” Nate let out another breath. “Needless to say, it wasn’t a fun time for me. I ended it, but she keeps calling, begging for another chance.” Charlotte bit her lip. “Do you want to give her another chance?” “Hell no!” The abrupt exclamation reverberated through the car. “She lied to me from day one. Entered into a relationship with me on false pretenses. I’ll never forgive her for that.” The conviction in his voice brought a trickling of anxiety. Charlotte swallowed hard, wondering how Nate would react when she told him the truth about why she’d come back to Paradise. Technically, she’d entered into this relationship on false pretenses too. God, what if he couldn’t forgive her?

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“Nate,” she choked out. His warm hand covered her suddenly frozen one. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload all that on you. Evelyn is still a sore subject for me. But I promise you, I’m over that woman. I got over her the second I found out who she really was.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re the only one I want, Charlie. The only one I’ve ever wanted.” Her heart ached. The words she’d wanted to say lodged in her throat then faded away as Nate leaned over to brush his lips over hers. A shiver tickled her spine. When he deepened the kiss, she melted against him, sighing as his tongue slid into her mouth. He kissed her until she was breathless, until the guilt coursing through her transformed into a burning rush of desire. Nate was grinning when he finally released her. “So…the lake?” “The lake,” she echoed softly.

“Wow, you’re actually making time for your best friend,” Lexie said sarcastically, accepting the glass of iced tea Nate handed her. “And here I thought you were one of those annoying jerks who subscribes to the hoes-before-bros philosophy.” Nate had to laugh. Lexie was always at her wittiest when she was angry. It never failed to amuse him. He joined her at the table in his backyard and sat down across from her. “I’m sorry,” he said, genuinely apologetic. “But Charlotte won’t be in town for much longer, and I want to spend as much time with her as I can.” Her blue eyes narrowed. “Why?” “What do you mean, why?” He bristled. “Because I haven’t seen her in fifteen years? Because I enjoy her company?” “But…she dumped you!” “Actually, I dumped her.” There was a deafening silence. Lexie looked so flustered he started laughing again then grew pensive. “I’m sorry I never told you. I just wasn’t proud of the way I ended things.” He swallowed. “I hurt Charlotte pretty badly.” The blonde seemed to be working it all over in her head. “You broke up with Charlotte.” “Yes.” “And now the two of you are back together.” “Yes.” “Why?” she asked again. “Stop asking why.” Irritation crept up his chest. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

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“I am. Well, I’m not,” she amended. “But that’s because I don’t trust any of this! It has Evelyn written all over it, Nate.” “Charlotte is not like Evelyn,” he replied stiffly. “And you don’t find it the least bit suspicious that she’s so willing to hop into bed with you again after you supposedly destroyed her?” “I didn’t say I destroyed her. I said I hurt her.” “Same thing.” Lexie shrugged. “And trust me, Nate, women don’t forget those kinds of things.” His voice was quiet. “She hasn’t forgotten. But she’s willing to forgive.” “So she says.” The suspicion still running rampant on her face intensified his annoyance. He got that Lexie didn’t like Charlotte, but this was starting to piss him off. “Stop it, Lex,” he said in a low voice. “You might not like Charlotte, but at least show her some respect. She makes me happy.” A lump lodged in his throat. Fuck, she really did make him happy. All these years, he’d carried on with his life, worked at the pub, dated women he didn’t feel anything for. But a piece of him had always been missing. He hadn’t felt whole, content. And then Charlotte walked back into his life and everything made sense again. He could tell Charlotte anything and everything. He could hold her in his arms and feel so completely at peace. And as much as he cared about Lexie, he refused to let her taint this newfound happiness. “I love her,” he said gruffly. Lexie looked shocked. “What?” “It’s true. I love her. I never stopped loving her.” His throat grew tight. “And I want her in my life.” “God, Nate, you’re being so—” “Stop,” he cut in again. Then he sighed. “Do you care about me, Lex?” Her tone softened. “You know I do.” “Then drop this. And you know, it wouldn’t kill you to make an effort to get to know Charlotte. The two of you are stuck in the past, focused on petty teenage crap that doesn’t matter anymore.” “So what are you saying? If I don’t make an effort, you’re going to cut me out of your life?” He ignored the bite to her voice. “I’ll always be your friend and you know it. But things would be a hell of a lot easier if you tried to accept Charlotte. Because like it or not, I’m not letting her go again. I want her in my life and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she stays there. I’m serious, Lex, this time it’s forever.”

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Lexie strode into the Paradise Public Library forty minutes later, after leaving Nate’s house with a chunk of anger in her throat. She might have promised him that she’d accept his relationship with Charlotte, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do some digging. In secret, of course. Truth was she didn’t trust Charlotte farther than she could throw her. And now she trusted her less after she’d learned the truth about Nate and Charlotte’s breakup. She could only imagine what Nate must have said in order for Charlotte to storm out of town in the middle of the night. Lexie remembered having breakfast with her parents at Betty’s at eight in the morning, and Charlotte had already been gone by then. As she’d told Nate, women didn’t forget. Even the ones who claimed to be over a betrayal still thought about it late at night, imagining ways to torment the jerk who hurt them. Lexie ought to know— she’d been fantasizing about kicking Cooper in the balls since he’d thrown her out of his house yesterday. Anger shot through her. Damn it, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t think about Cooper today. Or ever. The bastard didn’t deserve her. He’d never deserved her. She’d only gotten involved with him to try to forget about Gabe, but now she was even worse off. Now she had to forget two assholes instead of one. Focusing on Charlotte Hill and her evil plans for Nate was a better way to spend her time. And she had no doubt that Nate’s new—or old—girlfriend was up to something. Now she simply had to prove it. When she strode into the spacious main room of the library, she immediately spotted Charlotte sitting at one of the computer terminals lining the wall. The library was otherwise deserted, which meant that Wanda Easton’s youth club meeting had ended for the day. Perfect. She didn’t want an audience when she confronted Charlotte. Squaring her shoulders, Lexie made her way to the bank of computers. The sound of her heels clicking against the tiled floor made Charlotte lift her head, and she turned around, frowning when she spotted Lexie. “What are you doing here?” Charlotte asked with a sigh. Lexie peered past the redhead’s shoulder, noticing the email account up on the screen, but she couldn’t read anything from that distance. Shifting her gaze to meet Charlotte’s pale green eyes, she gave a frown of her own. “We need to talk.” “Do we really have to? Because I was having a really nice day until you walked in.” Lexie’s lips tightened. God, what a bitch. She was suddenly glad that Charlotte had snubbed all of her attempts at friendship back in the day. Lexie had tried, she’d really tried to be nice to Charlotte. She’d actually thought the other girl seemed cool. She knew better now, though. “I just came from Nate’s, and he told me you two are back together,” Lexie said, ignoring the jab. “So again, I have to ask, what the hell are you up to?” “Nothing,” Charlotte snapped, rising to her feet. “I’m just spending time with a man I care deeply about. Is that so fucking wrong, Lexie?” Was that a flicker of guilt in those green eyes?

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Oh yeah. Definitely. Lexie’s instincts hummed. There was totally something off about this entire thing. Charlotte waltzing back to town, luring Nate into bed, into a relationship… “There’s nothing wrong with that, if you’re being honest,” Lexie snapped back. She suddenly smiled. “Nate wants me to be nice to you, you know.” The redhead laughed. “Well, don’t strain yourself. I’m fine if the two of us stay far away from each other.” “Actually, I plan on doing the opposite.” Her tone took on a sugary-sweet note. “I’m going to be your new best friend.” Alarm washed across Charlotte’s face. “What?” “You heard me. We’re going to be best buddies. We’ll go shopping and have long lunches and maybe I’ll tag along to dinner with you and Nate sometimes.” “Why the hell would we do any of that?” Lexie’s smile widened. “So I can keep my eye on you. I don’t trust you, Charlotte, and I won’t let Nate get hurt again.” “You are… Christ, you’re nuts,” Charlotte muttered, her cheeks turning beet red as she took a step to the side. “We’re not going to be best friends, and for the last time, I’m not going to hurt Nate! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.” “Heading over to Nate’s?” Lexie asked innocently. “Maybe I’ll come along.” “Don’t you dare. Seriously, quit antagonizing me. Sooner or later, I’m going to fight back.” “I’m looking forward to it,” Lexie murmured as she watched Charlotte stalk off. The other woman’s back was as rigid as a board, only confirming her suspicions. It was one thing to get angry, but Charlotte had been far too defensive when Lexie voiced her doubts. Good, let her be defensive. Lexie turned to leave then halted as she realized Charlotte had left her email account open. The message she’d been reading was still on the screen, and without a single twinge of remorse, Lexie jumped into the chair. She scrolled to the top of the page, read the first few words. And gasped. Icy rage slithered through her blood as she read the message from start to finish. Then she blinked in disbelief, her fingers trembling against the computer mouse. For a moment she was tempted to press delete but stopped herself at the last second, refusing to take her anger out on the email. Instead, she moved the mouse to the forward button, seething as she keyed in Nate’s address. She was about to send the email when apprehension prickled her stomach. Maybe she shouldn’t do it this way. Maybe she needed to talk to him in person, let him down gently. But then the fury returned, and she realized gentle wasn’t the best way to go about this. Nate needed to have some sense knocked into his thick skull—and this might be the only way to do that.

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Shoving aside a pang of guilt, she forwarded him the email then got up from the chair and marched out of the library.

Charlotte’s entire body shook with anger as she sprinted down the street, but it wasn’t until she veered off Main Street in the direction of the B&B that the anger dissolved, replaced by the slow rush of guilt through her veins. She couldn’t even be mad at Lexie. The woman, bitchy as she was, had only been speaking her mind, standing up for someone she cared about. Charlotte might not be keen on Nate and Lexie’s friendship, but the ice princess obviously cared about Nate. And just because Charlotte’s motives had changed along the way didn’t mean that Lexie wasn’t right. She had been up to something when she’d returned to Paradise. She might’ve fallen for Nate again, but that didn’t excuse why she’d really come here. She had to tell him the truth. Screw tomorrow. With Lexie breathing down her neck, she knew she had to be honest with Nate, before the guilt ate her alive. She reached the bed and breakfast five minutes later and dashed inside, already grabbing her cell phone from her purse as she climbed the stairs to her suite. Nate was probably on his way to the library to pick her up, and she needed to tell him to come here instead. She keyed in half of his number—then skidded to a stop as she entered her room. “Nate?” He was sitting on the perfectly made bed, one large hand resting on his thigh, the other holding a sleek Blackberry. He lifted his head and met her eyes, his expression hard to decipher. There was something cold in his gaze, something that made her pulse kick up a notch—and not in a good way. “What’s going on?” she asked warily. “Why are you here?” “Sue let me in.” His voice lacked even a sliver of emotion. “I thought you were coming to the library to get me.” “I was.” His jaw tensed. “But I figured this was something we needed to do in private.” She faltered. “What are you talking about?” Slowly, he held up his phone, beckoning for her to take it. Battling her confusion and growing agitation, she took the Blackberry from his hand and glanced at the screen. Nausea circled her insides. There was an email up on the screen. Oh God. Her email, the one she’d gotten from Georgia earlier. “Why don’t you read it again, refresh your memory?” Nate’s tone was low and mocking. She couldn’t bring herself to look into his eyes, afraid of what she might see there. Instead, she read the message again.

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Hey you, I’m tired of getting your voice mail each time I call, so I figured, hey, maybe Charlotte will actually check her email since she doesn’t check her phone messages. Anyhoo—where’s my update? Did you get the big jerk to fall in love with you yet? Have you dumped his ass on the curb and thrown your fists in the air while yelling “Retribution!” Don’t forget, he deserves it  Oh, and I spoke to Eddie this morning—the tour manager added Cambridge to your schedule. And the Boston show sold out, so Eddie is thinking of adding a second date. Call me so I can let him know your thoughts. Georgia

Drawing in a steadying breath, Charlotte finally found the courage to lift her head. When she did, she was floored by the pain swimming in Nate’s silver eyes. “Is it true?” he asked quietly. “Why… How did you get this? Who—Lexie,” she finished flatly, suddenly cursing herself for being so stupid. She must have left her email account open on the library terminal, and Lexie, being the bitch she was, had pounced on it, instantly forwarding the incriminating message to Nate. “Don’t be angry at her,” Nate said, ice in his voice. “She’s just looking out for me.” He paused. “So…is it true? Was this your big plan? To seduce me and humiliate me?” Tears stung her eyes. “Nate…” “Damn it, Charlotte. Is. It. True.” “Yes,” she whispered. He shot to his feet, his broad shoulders rigid. “Holy fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. “I really am a colossal fool, aren’t I?” As he stepped to the door, she intercepted him, anguish squeezing her chest. “Nate, let me explain.” “Explain what? How you lied about forgiving me? How you came to town with the single-handed purpose of getting revenge?” His body trembled with anger, and she didn’t blame him one bit. Her body was trembling too, from sorrow and shame and fear. Fear that he would leave her, that he wouldn’t hear her out. But he didn’t move, he just stood there, staring at her in disapproval and bewilderment. “You’re right,” she said in a choked voice. “I wasn’t over our breakup when I decided to come to the reunion. I wanted to hurt you the way you’d hurt me. But—” She sucked in a breath. “But after we slept together again, revenge wasn’t on my mind. And after we spent time together, and you told me the real reason you broke up with me, I realized how much I still love you.” He didn’t look convinced. “Right. You love me.”

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“I do,” she murmured. “I never stopped loving you, even after the way things ended. And I’m sorry, Nate. I’m sorry for being such a bitter idiot and thinking that revenge would give me some closure. Truth is I didn’t want closure. I wanted you. It’s always been you.” A laugh barked out of his throat. “Sorry, Charlie, but I don’t believe you.” He slanted his head. “You know, I never pegged you as cruel.” “And you weren’t cruel?” she couldn’t help but burst out. “You broke my heart, told me that you never loved me, that I was bad in bed! Did you really believe I could just get over it, that I wouldn’t still be angry?” “I believed it because you said it was true,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I believed it because I didn’t think you would lie to me. But you did lie, didn’t you? You fucked me, all the while biding your time, waiting to get, what was the word, oh, right, retribution.” Her heart cracked in two. Nate’s expression had turned feral. And he was heading to the door again, sidestepping her while making sure their arms didn’t brush, as if he couldn’t stand to touch her. “Nate,” she called after him. “Please don’t go like this. I love you, I’m not lying about that.” He halted in the doorway, turning to shoot her a look loaded with disbelief. “You know, if you’d just been upfront with me from the start, told me how hurt and angry you still were, maybe we could have overcome that, worked through it together. But instead, you lied. You fucking lied, Charlotte.” He shook his head. “I’m such a fucking moron.” “Nate—” But it was too late. He was already out the door, his heavy footsteps thudding on the wooden stairs. The tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to run after him, beg him to forgive her, but her feet were rooted in place. What more could she say? He wouldn’t believe her anyway. Wouldn’t believe that she loved him or that she truly regretted her initial decision to hurt him. Her legs shook wildly as she moved to the bed, sitting down in the exact spot Nate had just occupied. His lingering heat warmed her now-freezing body, bringing a deep ache to her chest. Nate was wrong. She was the moron. She’d thought she could come here and destroy Nate for the way he’d treated her. But in the end, she’d only destroyed them both.

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Chapter Eight

Nate had just opened a bottle of tequila—his dad’s favorite brand—when the doorbell rang, promptly interrupting him from his much-needed pity party. Almost instantly, a wave of fury swelled in his gut, and his stride was stiffer than a block of cement as he marched toward the door. If that was Charlotte coming to apologize again, to lie to him again—well, he would have no qualms about slamming the door in her pretty face. He still couldn’t believe what she’d done—no, what she’d set out to do. The girl he remembered, no matter how insecure or angry she’d been, would never have planned to hurt somebody. Fuck, he was such an idiot. Here he was, thinking himself the luckiest bastard in the world for getting a second chance, when all along she’d only come here for revenge. Talk about the ultimate ego deflation. He felt like a total fool. Only hours ago he’d defended Charlotte to Lexie, spouting about love and forever, proud that he’d gotten Charlotte’s forgiveness and found a way back into her life. That pride had flown out the window, though. He didn’t even want to know what people would say if they learned why Charlotte had really come back to town. Everyone had seen him leave the reunion with Charlotte, who they’d believed had dumped him fifteen years ago, and he didn’t doubt that people were snickering behind his back for being a stupid dope. Stupid dope was right. He’d actually believed that Charlotte had forgiven him. He was a total idiot, wasn’t he? The doorbell rang a second time, and he threw the door open with a scowl on his face. Fortunately, the person standing on his porch wasn’t Charlotte. It was Lexie. Which was just as bad. “Did you come here to gloat?” he snapped before she could say a word. He tipped the tequila bottle in a mock toast. “Well, come in, Lex, let’s hear it.” She looked stricken as she followed him into the living room. “You’re drinking. You never drink.” “I’m not drinking—yet.” To punctuate the comment, he lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long swallow. The alcohol burned its way down to his gut. “Nate,” she started, awkwardly leaning against the arm of the couch. “I’m sorry about the email. I was considering not forwarding it to you, but…I figured you needed to know.”

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Lexie was just a regular old Nancy Drew, wasn’t she? The irony of all this didn’t escape him. Six months ago, Lexie had been the one to clue him in about Evelyn, and now she’d done it again, revealing that Charlotte too had played him for a fool. “You’re not sorry,” he said with a harsh laugh. “This is what you wanted from the start.” “That’s not true—” “Yes, it is. You were trying to find a way to get rid of Charlotte from the second she got back to town.” He chugged some more tequila. “Well, you did it. Charlotte is gone. Me and her are through. You have me all to yourself now, baby.” Shock filled her delicate features. “I was just trying to look out for you,” she protested. “Yeah, fucking right. You were jealous that Charlotte had taken some of my attention away from you.” His fingers curled over the neck of the bottle, squeezing the glass tight. “But you know, Lex, you didn’t need to be jealous. I’m still your friend. I’ll always be your friend. And I would have stayed your friend even if I was with Charlotte.” “How is this about me?” she sputtered. “She’s the one who was plotting your demise.” The reminder made his stomach clench. “Yep, she was, and I ended it. So, yay, we’re all winners, aren’t we?” A strained silence stretched between them. He knew he was taking out his hurt and anger on Lexie, but a part of him blamed her for this entire mess. She’d sat there in his backyard, listening to him lay his feelings on the line—something he never did. He’d told her how he felt about Charlotte, and instead of supporting him as a friend should, Lexie had sprinted off, looking for a way to destroy his happiness. Then again, if she hadn’t forwarded him the email, he would have never known what Charlotte was up to. Although, right about now, he kinda wished he were still in the dark. Anything beat this heart-wrenching pain assaulting every inch of his body. “I actually thought we had a second chance,” he found himself mumbling. Another sip of tequila, this one searing his throat. “I thought we had a future.” “Nate…” She moved closer and cupped his chin with her hands. “I really am sorry.” “Yeah, me too.” He swallowed. “I was happy again, Lex. When Charlotte left town all those years ago, she took a part of me with her. The things I said to her… Christ, you can’t imagine how badly I ended it. I just…wanted her to live her dreams, y’know? But even though I knew it was the right thing to do, I was still empty.” He shrugged Lexie’s hands off him and lost himself in some more tequila. When he met his friend’s eyes, he saw the sympathy and remorse flickering there. “I don’t think I’ll ever love anyone else,” he said roughly. “And now she’s gone again, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life. I know I can’t be with her after the way she lied to me, but I can’t live without her either. How fucked up is that?”

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Lexie didn’t say anything. Instead, she just sighed and grabbed the bottle from his hands, taking a long swallow of her own. She winced afterward then handed it back to him. “Maybe…” Her voice wobbled. “Maybe we’re just destined to be alone.” “Yeah, maybe,” he muttered. Biting the inside of his cheek, he met her eyes and exhaled a heavy breath. “Now, if you don’t mind, I want to get started on that. The being alone thing.” With a sad nod, Lexie leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his cheek. Then she let out a breath of her own and walked out of the room.

Lexie’s heart ached like crazy as she killed the engine of her BMW and stared at the dark, sprawling house up ahead. The irony of the location didn’t escape her. Her house sat proudly on the former land of the woman she’d always considered an enemy. The woman who’d purposefully come to town with the intention of hurting Lexie’s best friend. Except… Charlotte hadn’t been the one to hurt Nate, had she? Nope, it had been her. She’d hurt him by sending him that email. Sure, he’d needed to be aware of what Charlotte was up to, but maybe she should have gone about it another way. Told him in person or, hell, just confronted Charlotte and ordered her to tell Nate the truth. Instead, Lexie had opted for shock value, and now, with the memory of Nate’s ravaged face flashing across her mind, she regretted it. Fighting back tears, she got out of the car and headed up the limestone path toward the house. She unlocked the front door, walked inside and drifted into the living room without bothering to turn on the light. Maybe sitting in the darkness for a bit would clear her head, help her figure out what to do next. Because she knew, without a doubt, that she couldn’t just stand by and watch Nate suffer. She might have caused the pain he was currently in, but she was equally determined to erase it. “Hey.” The low male voice made her jump. Just as she opened her mouth to unleash a piercing scream, something rustled and then Cooper stepped out of the shadows. The shriek died in her throat, replaced by a burst of anger that had her glaring at him. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she demanded over the loud pounding of her heart. “How did you get in?” He had the decency to look contrite. “The patio door was open. I figured you wouldn’t mind if I came in and waited.” Her heartbeat slowed, but the anger stayed strong. In the darkness, Cooper looked even deadlier than usual. His all-black clothing blended into the shadows, and the razor-sharp stubble dotting his strong jaw

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lent him a dangerous edge. She would’ve been frightened, if not for the uncharacteristic softness of his coal-black eyes. “What are you doing here?” she repeated. “I just…fuck…I guess I came to do this.” Lexie gasped as his mouth came down on hers. Hard. In a harsh, hungry kiss that contained zero tenderness and one hundred percent passion. When they broke apart, her heart was pounding again. “Is that your idea of an apology?” she muttered. He gave a lop-sided grin. “Yeah.” “Well, screw that. I don’t accept.” “Come on, Lex.” His voice went gruff. “I don’t do the whole sharing of the feelings shit. But I know I acted like a total asshole yesterday.” “Yup.” “And I’m sorry, okay? You and me…we’re good together. In the sex department, anyway.” He shrugged. “I don’t want to stop what we’ve been doing.” Her nostrils flared. “Gee, how romantic. You don’t want to stop fucking me. I guess I should be flattered—if you hadn’t kicked me out the door after I sucked you off!” A pained expression scrunched up his face. “I really am sorry. Like I said, I’m an asshole.” Damn it. He was giving her that little boy grin now, the one that never failed to curl her toes and make her heart flip around like a stupid dolphin. Why did she have no willpower when it came to this man? “So…forgive me?” Without answering, she brushed past him and moved to turn on the light. A yellow glow bathed the spacious living room, making the off-white furniture gleam. “I can’t do this right now, Cooper. Seriously. I’ve had a really shitty day and I’m not in the mood.” He raked a hand through his thick dark hair in frustration. “Fine, if you’re not ready to forgive me, at least tell me about your shitty day.” “No.” To her shock, tears prickled her eyelids. “Are you crying?” “What? No.” He was at her side in an instant, those big calloused hands cupping her chin. “Fuck, you are. I told you, I’m sorry—” “This isn’t about you,” she interrupted, swiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her silk blouse. “I just…I messed up today, all right? I messed up, and I have no idea what to do about it now.” There was a pause, and then Cooper gave a ragged sigh. “Okay. Well. Why don’t you tell me how you screwed up, and we can come up with a way to fix it.”

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Shock jolted through her. In all the time she’d been sleeping with this man, he hadn’t once offered to help her out with a problem. She wondered if Satan were ice-skating down in hell… “Fine,” she finally murmured. “I’ll tell you. But only because my only other friend isn’t really speaking to me at the moment.”

Even though Charlotte had been back in Manhattan for twenty-four hours, the pain of losing Nate was still fresh. Her heart still felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces. And each time she tried to sing a note, her throat tightened up, making it impossible to get out a single sound. When she’d walked into her big, empty loft, the first thing she’d done was pick up a guitar and start strumming. Music had always been her safe haven, what she turned to when things got bad, but even that couldn’t numb the ache in her chest. With a sigh, she set down the instrument and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. Resting her chin on one knee, she wondered if she could have done something differently, said something else to convince Nate she truly did love him. But she’d been too flustered, too shocked by his uncharacteristic burst of anger, and if she were being honest, she didn’t think there was anything she could have said anyway. Nate’s relationship with that awful-sounding Evelyn had ended because the woman had lied to him. And then Charlotte had gone and done the same thing. She’d been foolish to think he’d be able to forgive her. So she’d let him walk away. And then she’d walked away, just as she had fifteen years ago. When a knock came on the door, she was tempted to ignore it, just pretend she wasn’t home and sit here to wallow in her misery. It was probably Georgia anyway, and right now, she didn’t feel like talking to her assistant. It wasn’t Georgia’s fault that she had decided to go along with her ridiculous plan. She’d let wine and bitterness convince her that it was a good idea, and she had nobody to blame but herself. The knock came again and again, and finally, a voice she never thought she’d hear again shouted, “I know you’re in there. Your doorman told me so.” Lexie Price. Charlotte cursed under her breath. What on earth was she doing here? Hadn’t she done enough damage already? Ready to tear into the woman, Charlotte stumbled to her feet, raced across the hardwood floor and threw open the door. “Can’t you just leave me alone?” she demanded in lieu of a greeting. “You came all the way to New York to gloat? What is wrong with you?” Lexie made a frustrated sound. “Why does everyone think I want to gloat about this?” Shaking her head, she met Charlotte’s infuriated eyes and asked, “Are you going to let me in or what?” “Why should I?” “Because I don’t particularly want to apologize out here in the hall.”

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She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, that’s rich. You ruined my relationship with Nate and now you want to apologize?” Still, she stepped aside so Lexie could come in, mainly because she was curious about where the hell this was going. “First of all, you ruined your relationship with your dumb plan to break Nate’s heart.” Lexie strode into the loft, glancing around with an impressed look. “Nice place.” She paused then tossed out a curveball. “Why didn’t you want to go shopping with me?” Charlotte blinked. “Huh?” “In junior year,” Lexie clarified. “I came up to your locker and invited you to come shopping, and you laughed at me and flounced off.” Considering she was a performer, Charlotte wasn’t speechless often, but right now, she couldn’t utter a single word. The hurt in Lexie’s blue eyes was equally hard to fathom. “Are you kidding me?” she finally burst out. “You waltzed up to me, insulted my taste in clothes then gave some fake invitation to go shopping at the fanciest freaking store in town when you knew I could never afford it.” “It wasn’t a fake invitation,” Lexie said in a quiet voice. Charlotte was beyond stunned. “Seriously,” Lexie insisted, evidently taking her silence as a sign of disbelief. “I was trying to be nice. I thought it would be fun, hanging out together. And even after you acted like a rude bitch, I tried again, idiot that I am. Remember, I invited you to that movie, the one—” “—about the stripper,” Charlotte finished. “Because you were trying to make a jab about my mom!” “Because it was the only movie out that weekend,” Lexie replied in frustration. “Wow. The whole world revolves around you, doesn’t it, Charlotte? I asked you to go shopping to make fun of how poor you were, I suggested a movie to insult your mother. Are you listening to yourself?” She was, and for the first time in a long time, Charlotte forced herself to revisit those moments, ones she’d associated with anger and embarrassment. Had Lexie really been trying to be nice to her? Offering her hand in friendship? Charlotte had been so wary of everyone in school, always anticipating the next attack. Had her suspicious nature actually caused her to distort her encounters with Lexie? Feeling winded, she slowly sank onto the couch and met the other woman’s eyes. “I honestly thought you were insulting me, that the invitations were another cruel joke.” “You were wrong,” Lexie said flatly. Then she sighed and joined her on the couch. “I always thought you were pretty cool, at least before you went total bitch on me.” “You did?” Lexie gave a faint smile. “Silly me, huh?” “I…I guess I jumped to conclusions back then,” Charlotte admitted. “I just assumed everyone was out to get me. I figured you were no different.”

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“I was out to get you this week. When I saw that email, I forwarded it to Nate.” Lexie frowned. “He deserved to know the truth.” “I was going to tell him.” Charlotte swallowed. “The moment I realized I still loved him, I knew I had to tell him the truth.” The blonde looked surprised. “You were really going to tell him?” “Of course.” She sighed. “I might’ve come back to town with bad intentions, but that changed once I spent more time with him. Everything that happened between us, what I thought happened, ended up being a lie. I’ve spent all these years thinking he was a heartless jerk, but once I found out why he did what he did, revenge wasn’t on my mind anymore.” Charlotte noticed Lexie biting her bottom lip, looking thoughtful, as if she was working something over in her head. The blonde was quiet for so long that Charlotte finally said, “What are you thinking, damn it?” The corners of Lexie’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Just wondering how on earth we’re going to fix this.” “Fix it?” “Yep. Because it’s obvious you love Nate, and trust me, he loves you too. I saw him yesterday and he was absolutely dismal.” She couldn’t stop her heart from doing a tiny somersault. “He was?” “Uh-huh. And I don’t like it.” Lexie glared at her. “Think whatever you’d like, but I do care about Nate. A lot. I don’t want him to be unhappy, so I guess you and I need to put on our thinking caps and find a way to undo the damage we did.” Charlotte eyed her warily. “You and I?” “I told you before,” Lexie said with the careless wave of her hand, “we’re going to be best friends. That is, if you’re ready to let bygones be bygones and actually get to know me.” She had to grin. “I’ll consider it.” “Good. And while you consider that, let’s consider a way to get you and Nate back together.” “That could be a problem,” Charlotte said with regretful breath. “The tour starts this weekend. It’ll last a month.” “Where’s the first stop?” Lexie asked, all business. “Right here. Radio City Music Hall, Friday night.” Lexie let out an impressed whistle. “Nice. Okay. Well. Here’s what we’ll do then.”

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Chapter Nine

Nate was only half awake as he opened the front door. The incessant knocking had finally dragged him off the couch, which he’d fallen asleep on last night. He hadn’t had another date with his tequila bottle since the day Charlotte left—getting wasted really wasn’t his thing—but the moping had continued. Completely fucking unmanly, he knew that, yet he couldn’t seem to muster up enthusiasm for anything. He’d worked at the pub all week, chatted with customers, served drinks—but his heart hadn’t been in it. Charlotte had taken that heart when she’d skipped town again, and this time he doubted he’d ever get it back. So moping it was, and to hell with what anyone thought about it, especially Lexie, who yet again had decided to grace his porch, after being AWOL since the night he’d banished her. “Morning,” she said brightly, her cheerful tone making him wince. “Mornin’,” he mumbled as he opened the door so she could come inside. “What do you want, Lex?” “Lots of things. But right now, I want you to shave that god-awful depression beard and hop into the shower.” She clapped her hands as if addressing a boardroom full of executives. “Come on, get to it. You’ve got a plane to catch.” Nate just stared at her. “What on earth are you babbling about? I’m not going anywhere.” “Oh yes you are. You’re on the eleven-thirty flight to LaGuardia, but we have to get there at least an hour before, according to the e-ticket confirmation.” She glanced at the expensive silver watch on her slender wrist. “It’s nine-thirty now, so we need to get going.” Nate felt like he’d wound up in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Or maybe in the movie Freaky Friday—had he switched bodies with someone and Lexie was confusing him with the person who was actually going to New York? “Stop standing there and get ready,” she said, looking annoyed. “Not until you tell me what the hell is going on.” “Well, Charlotte and I talked it over, and we think—” “What?” Shock slammed into him. Along with a tiny pang of sorrow at the sound of Charlotte’s name. “Yeah, we’re friends now,” she replied with another wave of the hand. Those pale blue eyes narrowed. “By the way, she told me what you said to her the night she left town. I can’t believe you, Nate. You couldn’t have thought of any other way to convince her to go to Julliard?”

Welcome to Paradise

Okay, this definitely wasn’t his life. Granted, he hadn’t spoken to Lexie since he’d asked her to leave his house four days ago, but four days was hardly enough time for Lexie and Charlotte to strike up some weird, magical friendship. He rubbed his suddenly aching temples. “Lexie. I’m really confused. Can you please just start from the beginning?” She grinned. “Well, I flew to Manhattan the day after you kicked me out.” “To see Charlotte.” He still couldn’t fathom any of this. “Yeah. And we talked, and, I don’t know, patched things up, I guess. She’s actually not so bad once she has a glass of wine or two. Anyway, she told me what happened with you two back then, and I kind of understand now why she came here to do what she did, considering how crappy you were to her. Long story short, she feels terrible, and she really does love you. And I know you love her, so that’s why you’re going to New York.” She recited the entire speech without taking a breath, and Nate couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or throttle her. “What did I tell you about sticking your nose in my business?” he grumbled. “I had no choice.” She shrugged. “We both know you’re too proud to forgive her, so I’m just giving you a little push.” “A little push?” he mocked. “Fine, a big one.” Her hand suddenly landed on his arm and he found himself being led toward the staircase. “Upstairs,” she ordered, practically dragging him up to the second floor landing. In his bedroom, he stood there, dumbfounded, as she threw open the closet door and started pulling out pieces of clothing. Over her shoulder, she shot him an impatient look. “Get in the shower, Bishop.” “But…I don’t want to go to New York,” he said roughly. “Tough, because you’re going.” She slanted her pretty blonde head. “You still love Charlotte, right?” He swallowed. “She lied to me.” “And she feels bad about it.” Lexie scowled at him. “Look, if she can forgive you for taking her virginity and breaking her heart, then the least you can do is forgive her for not being able to get over it and forming a ridiculous revenge plan.” “I didn’t see you begging me to forgive Evelyn,” he muttered. “Because Evelyn was an awful witch. Charlotte is not.” Her voice softened. “You can’t let her get away again. Swallow your pride and forgive her, Nate. You two belong together.” Emotion clogged his throat. He couldn’t believe Lexie was saying this, which only caused the shield around his heart to crumble even further. Lexie had managed to find a way to warm up to Charlotte—so why couldn’t he find a way to forgive her?

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He thought about all the cruel things he’d said to her back then, putting himself in her position. He would have been hurt and furious too. Not enough to want to strike back, but he did get why she’d felt the need for revenge. And if she’d been telling the truth about putting aside her foolish revenge plan once she fell in love with him again, then that meant she actually had forgiven him for the cruelty he’d dished out. If she had managed to get past his inexcusable actions, couldn’t he make the same effort? He thought of his father, not something he did often, but for some reason, he suddenly saw a parallel between himself and the man who’d sired him. Henry Bishop had thrown away everything good in his life. His dad had a good, loving woman who’d been willing to stay with him despite his indiscretions, and instead of appreciating what he had, he kept hurting her. He’d slept with any female in his path, even Charlotte’s mother, which was one nugget of information Nate wasn’t sure he’d ever share with Charlotte. Her mother had messed her up too badly, and if Nate wasn’t careful, he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps and mess up his own life. Did he really want to be the guy who threw away something amazing because of his damn pride? Charlotte had sucked up her pride when she’d returned to a town that had brought her nothing but misery. When she’d forgiven a man who’d caused her nothing but heartache. Didn’t she deserve the same from him? “Well?” Lexie was eyeing him expectantly, waiting for an answer, a sign. As a slow smile stretched over his mouth, he took a step to the bathroom door and said, “Give me ten minutes.”

Lexie had failed. By the time four o’clock rolled around, Charlotte knew, with a sinking heart, that Lexie hadn’t managed to convince Nate to come to New York. According to the airline hotline, the flight he was supposed to be on had already landed, and her loft wasn’t far from the airport. He would’ve been here by now. She blinked back tears, grateful that she wasn’t wearing any makeup yet. She needed to leave for the venue in an hour, where she would do a sound check then sit through hair and makeup to prepare for tonight’s concert, the first one of the month-long East Coast tour. And Nate wouldn’t be standing stage left, watching her perform. Swiping her sleeve over her wet eyes, she sighed and moved to the window, fixing her gaze on the city below. People bustled along the sidewalk, yellow cabs sped along the busy street, and the muffled sound of car horns pierced the air. Well, you tried.

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That was no consolation. She wished she’d had the time to fly to Paradise and beg for Nate’s forgiveness in person, but she’d had rehearsals all week, and her manager was already annoyed that she’d taken a week off to attend the reunion. She was stuck in New York, and in two days, she’d be leaving for Boston then Providence, Portland, and a handful of other cities along the Atlantic Seaboard. Colorado was not on the schedule, which meant zero opportunity to see Nate for at least a month. Sighing, she was about to move away from the window when she caught sight of a taxi screeching to a stop by the curb in front of her building. Her pulse sped up, but she forced away the hopeful reaction. It was just a cab, a cab with some random person in it, a person who wasn’t— Nate! Her heart soared high in her chest as the familiar head ducked out of the vehicle, followed by the long, muscular body that made her shiver. He wore jeans that hung low on his hips, a black T-shirt that hugged his broad chest, and his dark hair gleamed in the late-afternoon sun. As he bent into the passenger window to pay the cab driver, Charlotte ran toward the front door and burst out into the hallway, unconcerned with her appearance. She rode the elevator down in her old Julliard T-shirt, green yoga pants and bright pink socks, and she didn’t care if anyone raised a brow or recognized her. Let her tacky outfit be plastered in a newspaper. Right now, she only cared about one thing. One man. The elevator door dinged open. Charlotte stepped out of the car just as Nate entered the spacious, well-lit lobby. A crooked grin reached his mouth when he saw her. His pace quickened. Seconds later, they stood in front of each other, oblivious to the curious eyes of her doorman Fred. “You came,” she said, unable to control the joy flooding her body. “I came,” he confirmed. Still, he made no move to pull her into his arms, and she just looked at him, waiting for him to continue, to say the words she desperately hoped to hear. “Lexie told me she came to visit you,” Nate finally said, his voice dry. “She did. It was…interesting.” Shame swept through her. “Apparently I was the bitch in high school, not the other way around.” “You were on guard. I understand why you were suspicious of her.” Nate, always her biggest defender. Warmth slid into her belly. “Nate,” she started. He quickly cut in. “Wait. Let me tell you why I’m here first.” He gave a shake of the head. “I still think what you were planning was pretty crappy, but I get why you felt it was something you needed to do.” His voice grew husky. “Just tell me one thing, Charlie—did you mean it when you said you loved me?” “Yes.” The word came out without any hesitation. “I meant it with all my heart. I do love you, Nate. I always have.” “Okay.”

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When he didn’t go on, she raised one eyebrow. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?” He scrunched up his face in a seriously adorable way. “You know I’m not good at talking about my feelings. I…I love you too, Charlotte.” Happiness danced up her spine. “You do?” “And I want us to try again,” he added in a gruff voice. “Me too,” she whispered. With a grin, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her, eliciting a shocked gasp from the doorman. Charlotte looped her arms around Nate’s neck and smiled up at him. “Will you come to my show tonight?” “Of course.” He hesitated. “I could do more than that if you want.” “What do you mean?” “I mean, I could move here. To the city.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I don’t want a longdistance thing. I want to be with you all the time.” “No.” His head lifted in surprise. “No?” “No, I refuse to let you move here,” she elaborated. Her smile widened. “I was actually going to suggest I move home.” “But you hate it there,” he blurted out. “Not anymore.” Her heart squeezed with pleasure. “And besides, you’re happy running Bishop’s Corner. I couldn’t ask you to stop doing that for me. I was thinking…you know, that I could live in Paradise, with you, and maybe only tour a few months of the year. That is, if you’re open to the idea.” “Oh, I’m open to it.” A grin lit up his handsome face. “Are you serious about all this?” “Dead serious.” With that, he kissed her again, deeper this time. Charlotte whimpered as his tongue slipped through her parted lips, as her heart thudded and a lazy rush of desire moved through her body. They were both breathless when they pulled apart, and Nate was laughing softly. “Will this end up in the tabloids?” he asked, discreetly nodding in the direction of Fred the doorman. “I don’t care if it does. People can say whatever they want about me, about us.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Let them talk, it doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is you.” “Us,” he corrected. A thoughtful look entered his silver eyes. “When do we need to leave for the show?” She glanced at the clock hanging over the front desk. “Forty minutes.” He pretended to think something over. “All right, I can do forty minutes. But we’d better get upstairs and make use of every single second.” “You’re right. Time is of the essence.” Grinning at the desire smoldering in his eyes, she took his hand and dragged him toward the elevator.

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“Maybe we shouldn’t even take our clothes off,” he offered. “Might save some time.” “Oh no,” she said as the doors dinged open. “Don’t you dare deprive me of your naked body.” Laughing, he pulled her into the elevator and said, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

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About the Author

A RITA-award nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting! Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her Web site www.ellekennedy.com or send her a note at [email protected]. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter!

Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy

Now Available: Bad Moon Rising Dance of Seduction Midnight Encounters Going for It Red Hot Summer Hot Summer Nights Hidden Desires Out of Uniform Heat of the Moment Heat of Passion Heat of the Storm Heat It Up Heat of the Night The Heat Is On

Coming Soon: Take Me Home Tonight

It’s all about the thrill…

The Heat is On © 2011 Elle Kennedy Out of Uniform, Book 6 As a Navy SEAL, Matt O’Connor specializes in Bad Boy. At least, that’s what he thinks…until he finds himself face down on the floor during a bank robbery, arguing with a sexy, bad-girl blonde who wields her sharp tongue with surgical precision. Just like that, Matt begins to wonder if maybe the idea of settling down with one woman isn’t as crazy as he thought. Savannah Harte is addicted to first kisses and whirlwind romances. Once the thrill is gone, though, she’s outta there. She’s eager to follow the adrenaline rush she feels with Matt into the nearest bed, but when tangled sheets begin to feel like tangled heartstrings, her first instinct is to cut him loose. There’s only one problem: Matt’s not going anywhere. And not even a steamy threesome seems to dull her growing feelings. Which leaves Savannah having to decide what she wants more. The casual thrill of now…or the scary thrill of forever. Warning: This title features a hot threesome with explicit sex, a bad-girl heroine, and two Navy SEALs guaranteed to make you sweat.

Enjoy the following excerpt for The Heat is On: For the first time in his life, Matt was actually nervous about a date. As he stepped out of the shower, dripping water all over the bathroom mat, he suddenly wondered if he should ask Annabelle to come downstairs so he could ask for clothing advice. Jeez. What the hell was wrong with him? He could seduce the panties off a nun, for fuck’s sake. Women freaking loved him. If he was the kind of guy who ticked off notches in his belt…well, he’d be on his tenth belt by now. But Savannah made him feel like an anxious teenager again. It wasn’t just her looks that captivated him, though her smokin’ body did make his mouth water. She was just so…self-assured. She seemed to know exactly who she was, completely comfortable in her own skin, and her easygoing attitude and sharp wit were a total turn-on. He didn’t usually think beyond the first date, but with Savannah, he already wanted more, and they hadn’t even gone out yet. Which was why he couldn’t have sex with her tonight. As much as he wanted to, as much as his body throbbed with arousal at the mere thought of her, he needed to force himself to keep his hands off her this evening. It was messed up, but he feared that if he slept with her so soon, this fascination would disappear, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen yet.

Another first—he wanted to get to know a woman before he screwed her. God help him. Deciding to forgo calling Annabelle—he wasn’t in the mood to be ridiculed—he strode into his bedroom and threw open the closet door. As he dressed, he marveled at the silence in the apartment. Ever since Ryan moved upstairs into Annabelle’s place, Matt was living solo. Made it easier to bring chicks back here without worrying about keeping Ryan up, though he didn’t do it often. He didn’t like having women over. They always wanted to stay when he only wanted them to leave. Clad in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and an open blue button-down, he grabbed his keys from the basket on the hall table and left his second-floor apartment. He took the stairs two at a time, suddenly eager to get going and see Savannah again. The black Dodge four-by-four he’d just signed the lease on had decent speed, and he made it to Savannah’s shop in less than fifteen minutes. Shutting off the engine, he took a deep breath and hopped out of the SUV. There was a separate entrance to Savannah’s upstairs apartment, with a small intercom mounted on the wall. He buzzed, then waited until her chirpy voice said, “Come up.” Uh-oh. She wanted him to come upstairs? That wasn’t part of the plan. He’d hoped to wait down here for her, then drive her to the classy bar he’d researched on the web. He was kinda scared to be alone with her. At least with other people around, he wouldn’t be able to rip her clothes off and devour her body the way he so desperately wanted to. Gulping, he opened the door and climbed the narrow staircase up to the second floor. Savannah’s door was painted a bright yellow, and it swung open the moment he reached the landing. She appeared in the doorway, wearing a pair of tight black yoga pants and a loose red T-shirt that didn’t hide the fullness of the breasts beneath it. “Hey,” she said with an easy smile. “I figured we’d stay in, if that’s cool with you?” Another gulp. Crap. Looked like he needed to conjure up some willpower. Pronto. In a strained voice, he said, “Sure.” Savannah gestured for him to come inside, and when he stepped into the apartment, he immediately saw her personality splashed all over the place. Mismatched furniture, some modern, some antique, filled the spacious living room. Colorful abstract paintings hung on the wall, with the occasional breathtaking landscape sandwiched between them. A small kitchen was tucked off to one side, and the living area was separated from the sleeping area with a see-through Japanese screen that featured bright pink cherry blossom trees. He caught a glimpse of a large futon with a bright magenta bedspread, but tore his gaze away. He couldn’t focus on the bed. Beds meant sex. And he was determined not to sleep with Savannah Harte until he figured out why he liked her so much. “I like your place,” he said, turning to meet her silver-gray eyes.

“Thanks,” she said simply. “Have you lived here long?” “About eight years now.” She headed to the kitchen and pulled open the fridge, appearing a moment later with a six-pack in her hands. “I moved in when I bought the shop.” They headed over to the plump brown sofa. Savannah flopped down, removed two beer bottles from the case and held one out to him. After a second of hesitation, he joined her on the couch and accepted the beer. At least three feet of space separated them, but it was still too damn close for comfort. Her sweet scent wafted over, surrounding him in a lust-crazed cloud. Of course, she smelled like flowers. Roses and lavender, with a hint of minty soap thrown in. He unscrewed the cap of the bottle and took a long swallow of beer, hoping the cold liquid would ease the burn in his groin. But then Savannah reached up to untie her ponytail, letting her pale blonde hair fall loose, and the burn deepened. Fuck, he wanted to run his fingers through that silky hair, feel it tickling his pecs as she straddled his naked body, riding him… No sex, a little voice ordered. Right, no sex. He took another sip of beer, then set the bottle down on the coffee table. “So,” he started. “Your dad teaches at Stanford… Does that mean you’re from Palo Alto?” “Yeah, I grew up there. I moved here after I dropped out of college.” He grinned. “You’re a college drop-out?” “Sure am. I was never a school person. I wanted to work with flowers, so I moved down here to work at a nursery one of my mom’s friends owns. When this store came up for sale, she went in on the deal with me. We were partners until about three years ago, and then I bought her out.” Matt was impressed. Savannah couldn’t be older than twenty-seven, twenty-eight, and she already owned her own business. A successful one, judging by the fact that she’d been able to buy out her partner. “Where are you from?” she asked him. “Nashville. Well, just outside of it. My family owns a cattle ranch.” She laughed. “You’re a cowboy, huh?” “Naah, I wasn’t cut out for cowboy life. I left home at eighteen, joined the Navy, and now I live here full-time.” “Too bad.” Her gray eyes darkened to smoky silver. “Cowboys are extremely sexy.” He swallowed. Fuck, why did she have to look at him like that? Like she wanted to lick him up. He was normally the one dropping the loaded remarks, while his date steered the conversation to more wholesome topics. He found this role reversal totally disconcerting. Savannah slid closer and rested her hand on his thigh. Matt nearly jumped off the couch. Her hand was warm, her fingers teasing as she ran them along the denim seam of his jeans.

“How do you like owning your own business?” he blurted out, desperate to ignore the searing bolts of heat moving from the tips of her fingers to his suddenly throbbing thigh. Savannah let out a sigh. “Are we really going to do this?” “Do what?” “Carry on with the idle chitchat when we both know what we really want to do?” His cock jerked, strained against his zipper. She instantly noticed the reaction, a small smile spreading across her lush pink lips. “Look, I don’t like relationships,” she said bluntly. “They don’t interest me. But I am interested in flings. Fun, casual flings, no strings, no promises, just a good time and great sex.” He wanted to ask why. Why did she hate relationships so much? But his vocal chords had gone numb. She was using his own lines on him. Fun, casual, good time, great sex. He couldn’t even count how many times he’d uttered those exact phrases. And as much as he wasn’t sure he liked being the recipient of his own speech, the moment the word sex slipped from her luscious mouth, all he could think about was shoving his cock deep inside her. “So if you want me—” her gaze moved to the bulge of his crotch, “—and I think you do, what do you say we just skip the tell-me-about-yourself and get to the fun part?”

This time, he plans to do it with class. Style. And more than a little groveling…

Once and Again © 2011 Lauren Dane Petal, Georgia, Book 1 Seven years ago, Lily Travis was only too glad to see her hometown of Petal, Georgia, in her rearview mirror. Thanks to her father running off with a twenty-year-old, though, here she is, trying to pick up the pieces. First order of business: meet with her brother’s teacher in a quest to pull his grades out of a downward spiral. Nathan Murphy is pretty much resigned to his bachelor status—until he looks up from his desk to see an all-grown-up Lily walking into his classroom. Of all the women who turned out to be totally wrong for him, she’s the only one who felt right. At least until his foolish, immature mistake drove her away. Lily has to admit that time has been more than kind to gorgeous, sexy Nathan. Except there’s no room on her full plate for another complication. Especially with a man who broke her heart once before. With a little help from his friends, Nathan has a plan to rekindle the flame. It isn’t long before they’re burning up the sheets. Winning her heart? That’s another matter. Warning: Hot, sexy high school teacher in denim and boots. Strong-willed females abound. Bad words and naughtiness, too. Come on, you know you want to read it.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Once and Again: There they sat and she liked him. Still. He was funny and charming and sweet even. He’d helped her with Chris, and his apology, though late, was genuine. She knew him enough to understand it in his words. People made mistakes. She made them too. And she was so tired of avoiding him. But it wasn’t wise to let him back into her heart. He had too much power over her, and she hadn’t been lying when she told him it took her a long time to get over it. She never wanted to feel that kind of misery again. Ever. “I accept your apology. But we can’t date.” His gorgeous features darkened. He was as alpha as they came. Used to getting his own way. It was gloriously sexy, but she had enough to manage. He was a man now, not even a young man in graduate school. He’d be even worse. Which would mean he was way hotter in bed, but she wasn’t going to think about that. Much. At all. Ever in the next ten minutes. “You still don’t like being told no, I see.” That broke his sour expression. “Why can’t we date?” She was totally going to have to make up for the whopper she was about to tell. “First because I’m over you. Second, and far more importantly, because my brother is in your class. He’s got enough to deal

with right now. The last thing he needs is to have anyone think he’s getting special treatment because you’re dating his sister. Or for him to worry you’ll retaliate if we broke things off.” He growled a sigh, and her insides got all warm and gooey. She really needed to date nice men who didn’t growl. “Do you really think I’d do that?” “If I did, I wouldn’t have accepted your apology. But this is Petal. Gossip is as common as marshmallows in Jell-O salad. He’s had enough, don’t you think? My lands, the boy can’t even go out for a burger without people knowing his dad left his mom for a girl barely older than him. I can’t be part of anything that would harm him even more.” “You said you were over me.” “I am. Don’t smirk. What if your face freezes that way?” He laughed and she did too. It felt so good to laugh with him after so long. “I want you back, Lil. I’m telling you that up front. Just so you won’t be surprised when I get you back.” It wouldn’t do to smile at him and encourage this silly behavior, but she did anyway because she’d clearly been dropped on her head as a child. Pie arrived and she was glad for the interruption. And the pie of course. “I need to get back home. I’m glad we cleared the air and all.” She tried to pay half but he pushed the cash back her way. “I invited you, I’ll pay. I’ll walk you to your car too.” Plenty of female attention landed on him as they made their way toward the door. That much hadn’t changed. It used to leave her feeling a little smug. That he was hers and they could look all day long but he wanted Lily Travis, not any of those other bimbos. And then she was wrong. “I can get it from here,” she said once they’d arrived outside. The evening air was cool, and without even asking, he helped her into the coat. “I’m sure you can. Where are you parked?” Bold as you please, as if she’d never spoken. “Around the corner. On Ash.” “Why you parking back there?” He held his arm out and she took it automatically. Once she’d done it, it would have been silly to let go. “It’s dark back there.” “It was daylight when I parked. This is Petal. Main was packed.” “You have a cell phone. Next time, text me and I’ll come get you.” It was dark but quiet, and the moon overhead was beginning to rise. “I’ll do no such thing. And there won’t be any next time, Nathan.” He took her keys and unlocked the door for her. “Just keep telling yourself that if it gets you through the day. But we both know that’s a bald-faced lie.” He stepped closer and her back hit the car.

She was looking for some stern words when he leaned that last distance between them and brushed his lips across hers. All her stern internal reminders swept away when he pressed his body against hers and she found her fingers in his shirt, holding him to her. His hands slid up her sides, coming to rest at her back, just above her ass. Her mouth opened on a sigh, and he swallowed the sound, his tongue slipping between her lips like a thief and then he owned her as if they’d never been apart. She gave in and ran her fingers through his hair as he slid his tongue along hers. He tasted of tea and pie and man. She was lost in the sweet sensation of that kiss until he sucked on her tongue and her nipples hardened to the point of pain, throbbing in time with her clit. Up the block, someone shut a door, and it was enough to reclaim her senses and put her hand on his chest to push him back a bit. He broke the kiss and stared at her lips for long moments, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. “I want more of that mouth,” he murmured, bending to kiss the side of her jaw. “I have to go home. I promised Chris I’d watch a movie with him.” Her voice was rusty. She licked her lips and he groaned again, putting some distance between them. “Go on then. I’ll see you soon, Lily. We’re going to be friends once more, if I can’t have friends and then some.” He’d have to be satisfied with that, she told herself as she drove home, because that’s all she had to give.

Suppose the solution to all your problems is the one thing you never wanted…

Anything You Want © 2011 Erin Nicholas It figures the one time Sabrina Cassidy is determined to do the responsible thing, karma kicks in. After four years on the road chasing her musical dream, she’s stranded six hours from home with no money, a ruined credit history—and morning sickness. Out of options, she swallows her legendary independent streak and calls the only person who won’t hang up on her. Luke, the man she left behind. Marc Sterling’s first instinct is to protect his business partner and best friend from another broken heart. That means letting her think she’s talking to Luke, then finding a way to send her in the opposite direction. When he shows up at her hotel room, there’s something in the air beside their customary insults. Sure, her rebellious attitude, smart mouth—and purple panties—still drive him crazy, but now it’s a different kind of crazy. The kind that has him driving her home instead of to the nearest airport. And when Luke offers to solve all her problems if she’ll only say “I do”, Marc realizes he’s just crazy enough—about her—to forget whose heart he wanted to protect. Warning: Contains two people who don’t like each other very much, a Toyota that can’t quite handle the road trip home, and a spontaneous proposal. Or two. Or three. And foreplay with—what else—pie filling.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Anything You Want: Sabrina was sound asleep on one of the beds with her back to him when Marc opened the motel room door five hours and forty-eight minutes later. He didn’t know what he’d expected. In fact, he’d purposefully spent most of the trip thinking about anything but the actual reason for his long drive. He’d mentally played with some recipes, listened to talk radio, made some business calls. But it almost felt like he’d been worried about her. And that irritated him. He jerked the drapes open, spilling light into the room. That didn’t wake her. He cleared his throat, then coughed, then coughed louder. She didn’t even turn. But as the door met the frame in an angry smack, she sat straight up in bed, the sheet clutched to her chin, eyes wide. She found him standing near the door and sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s go, Seattle. I don’t have all day.” She opened her mouth to scream, then she narrowed her eyes and peered at him. “Marc?” “Yeah.”

“What are you doing here?” “I told you on the phone I was on my way.” He strode toward the bedside lamp and switched it on. “I thought I was talking to Luke.” She scowled at him even as she blinked in the sudden brightly lit room. “I asked for Luke.” “He was busy.” “And you didn’t tell him?” He slammed his hands down on his hips. “No, I didn’t tell him that you called, that you were in trouble, or that you needed him. Because this shit is not going to start again. I mean it.” “And you decided to drive six hours to tell me that?” “Yeah, as a matter of fact I did. Among other things. And you’re welcome,” he said, towering over where she sat with her back pressed against the headboard of the bed. “For what? The terror that ripped through me as a man unexpectedly charged into my motel room? Yeah, you bet. Thanks.” “And am I right to assume that you don’t have pepper spray or self-defense skills or any other way of protecting yourself if I actually was someone who was here to hurt you?” “Other than the butcher knife under my pillow, no.” Marc glared at her. “You didn’t have to sell all your butcher knives so that you could get across Wyoming before becoming stranded in Dirty Gulch?” “Muddy Gap.” “Whatever.” “You don’t believe me about selling things so I could have money to come home?” “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now so I don’t care.” Why he was being so mean he couldn’t say. Maybe because he’d held back when she’d first called. He’d held back because down in some deep, stupid part of him, he’d been worried about her. She was over three hundred miles away, stranded with no car or money, no friend or even acquaintance nearby, and he’d been worried about her. Now, however, he was here with her, could see for himself that she was fine, and was here to be sure she stayed fine. There was no need to hold his frustration and bitterness and anger back anymore. Sabrina swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled the sheet tighter around her. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, by the way,” she said, clearly huffy. “So, not that it’s any of your business, but the money issue is new. And I didn’t even intend to call you. I called Luke if you remember. You could have delivered a message. You took it upon yourself to come.” “You had to know that there was no way in hell I was letting him come. Real sorry to foil your plan.” She snorted. “You’ve never been sorry about anything having to do with me in your life. What plan?” “The plan to get Luke out here, hundreds of miles from home, feeling sorry for you, coming to your rescue.”

“You think I somehow messed my transmission up on purpose?” “Can’t say that the thought didn’t occur to me.” She stood and turned to face him, her eyes glinting with her temper. “All I would have had to do was call Luke and ask him to come. I wouldn’t even have had to pop the hood.” He scowled at her. She was right and he hated that she knew it and was so in his face with it. “Let’s go already.” “Okay, okay…” She continued muttering something under her breath he couldn’t hear and decided that was likely for the best. She scooted to the edge of the bed and pulled the top sheet with her. She looked at him expectantly. “What?” he finally asked. “I need to get dressed.” Automatically his eyes slid over her body. It was hidden under the sheet but he felt his heart speed up. “You always sleep nude?” That would be a redeeming quality at least. “I was hot and sweaty when I got here. I showered and rinsed my bra and panties out and laid them out to dry. If you must know.” She pointed in the direction of the air conditioning vent. It was directly over the chair she’d obviously drug into place so she could hang her underwear over the two wooden arms. Lavender. Her panties and bra were lavender. And tiny. She wasn’t a big girl by any stretch, but these things were clearly more for show than support. “Nice,” he commented dryly. “So glad you like them.” For Marc, Sabrina and sarcasm went hand in hand. “Put them on already and let’s go.” She stood, with the sheet wrapped under her arms sarong-style. “Do you mind?” “Not a bit.” “You want to step outside?” she asked, looking pointedly at the door. “No I don’t. As you pointed out, it’s hot out there. I’m starting to cool off now. You don’t want to be in the same room with me, you step outside.” Her gaze flickered to the bathroom door. That would make sense. She should go in there and change. But, as expected based on history, she wasn’t going to let him get away with the last word. “Fine.” She tucked the sheet in more firmly between her breasts, turned her back and snagged the bra from the arm of the chair where it hung.

Marc took a seat in the chair by the window, facing the room. That should drive her nuts. He would ignore his own traitorous reaction to the whole thing. It was simple—he was a guy and she was a nearly naked woman in a hotel room. Some reaction should be expected. In fact, if he hadn’t reacted he’d be concerned. He watched her stick her arms through the straps of the bra and pull the cups into position, then reach behind to fasten the hooks. Beautiful, pretty, cute, sexy—they were all different terms he used to described women. If had to choose one for Sabrina he’d definitely go with sexy. But beautiful too. Not drop-dead-gorgeous. She didn’t turn every head when she walked in a room. There were men who would not, maybe, find her attractive. Guys who liked curvy blondes, for example. Or who were firmly in the redhead camp. Guys who liked major curves also wouldn’t find her slim, toned build tempting. Unfortunately, Marc wasn’t one of those guys. Which annoyed the bejeezus out of him. It had always annoyed the bejeezus out of him. It seemed that one way or another Sabrina Cassidy was destined to raise his blood pressure. A lot of the time—most of the time—she was pissing him off. And most of those times she was doing it on purpose. But he could walk in a room where she was and feel his heart race even before he saw her. He anticipated seeing her. He always searched her out. He used to try to tell himself that it was because he was instantly expecting her to do something to make him mad and it was better to keep an eye on one’s enemies. But he hadn’t believed that even from the first moment. He didn’t like her. He didn’t trust her. Yet his body wanted hers. The damnedest thing was he was attracted in spite of trying to fight it. For years. He’d never fought it like this with another woman. Only one other woman had been off-limits in his mind and it was because she was the younger sister of a friend. The thing that really put Sabrina on Marc’s do-not-go-there list was the fact that he found her to be the most frustrating person in the entire world. If he said the sky was blue, she would argue it was purple, just to annoy him. He’d once complimented her outfit. She’d asked if his mother knew he was gay. He’d offered to help her study for a calculus test once and she’d asked if everyone else on the planet had been wiped out by a nuclear disaster—because that was the only way she would even think about spending more than ten minutes with him in one stretch. He supposed that was where it came from. He didn’t like her because it had been clear since the day he moved into the neighborhood in fifth grade that she didn’t like him. Of course, it also had a lot to do with the fact that she screwed over Luke Hamilton, the nicest guy on the planet, repeatedly. She glanced over her shoulder as she pulled the bra straps into place. He yawned.

He’d rather die than let her know that she’d created some of the fastest and most painful hard-ons he’d ever had. And today was no exception. She rolled her eyes and reached for her panties. Somehow she managed to step into them without losing the sheet. It was huge on her, wrapped around more than once, so there was no glimpsing skin as she moved. Until she had the panties in place underneath. Then she let the sheet drop.