Sea of Flames (Second Chances #3)

This is a work of fiction. Names,

characters, places and incidents are

either the product of the author’s

imagination or used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to actual persons, living or

dead, business establishments, events or

locales is entirely coincidental.

This book contains material

protected under International and

Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.

Any unauthorized reprint or use of this

material is prohibited. No part of this

book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system without express

written permission from the author /

publisher.

Photo by Lindee Robinson

Photography

Models: Mikeala Galli and Ahmad

Kawsan

Editing by Script Easier Editing

Formatted by Madison Street

ISBN- 13: 978-1530976119
ISBN-10: 1530976111

Below is a list of songs featured in the

playlist

. Some songs are featured in the

novel, while others were all I listened to
while writing this story. All songs can
be listened to via

Spotify

Hands to Myself by Selena

Gomez
-

Here for You by Kygo and Ella

Henderson

Chocolate by The 1975

Change your Ticket by One

Direction
-

Honey I’m Home by Francesco

Yates
-

Collide by Howie Day

Thinking out Loud by Ed Sheeran

Drive by The Cars

TiO by Zayn

Stay by Kygo

To the Italian bakery I worked at during

high school…

Thank you for introducing me to

delicious pastries

and defining my love for éclairs.

Six months ago, I died.

But then, something miraculous

happened.

Roman

It’s been six months; six months

since  my  life  has  rebooted.  I  feel  like  a
changed  man.  I  never  would  have
guessed  that  my  life  would  be  like  this,
if you asked me.

Six months ago, I was a New York

City firefighter, battling my way through
treacherous disasters, trying to find
meaning in my life.

Six months ago, I was heartbroken,

alone, desperate— desperate to find her.

To have her. To hold her.
I had pined for her for years— ten

years  to  be  exact.  Since  the  moment  I
first  laid  eyes  on  her,  during  my  senior
year of high school. Her pulsing emerald
eyes bore deep into my soul. They were
filled  with  wonder,  calling  me  to  dive
deeper  into  the  imagination  of  what
could be. From that moment on, I knew I
needed her. I had to have her.

It took me ten years but I found her

— well, actually she found me. In fact,
she saved me. She was my angel.

She brought me back to life from a

dark  place  that  I  thought  I’d  never
escape.  A  mental  prison  I  couldn’t
withstand.  My  life  had  no  meaning

because I had lost my purpose.

A five story building collapse

caused  some  major  damage  to  my  body.
A  broken  back,  and  several  second-
degree  burns  to  be  exact.  Permanent
fascial  scarring  was  the  nail  on  the
chalkboard.  Two  months  spent  in  the
ICU was killer.

During that time, I found myself

struggling  to  cope  without  my  purpose.
How  could  I  save  those  if  I  couldn’t
even  move?  How  would  I  be  able  to
fight fires?

But what hurt the most was I wasn’t

good enough for her. I was damaged
goods. I thought she deserved to be with
someone more worthy of her love.

Until she taught me to believe in

myself  and  forced  me  to  look  deep
inside  myself  and  learn  to  love  again.
From  that  moment  on,  she  changed  my
life forever.

Laying in our bed, I remember the

times we’ve spent together; making each
moment  last  forever.  From  the  time,  we
made  snow  angels  on  the  street,  to  our
first  kiss  on  New  Years’,  down  to  our
conversations we shared while I was in
the hospital. It’s all come down to this—
this moment.

Staring at her sleeping body, my arm

brushes  along  her  naked  shoulders.  Her
soft  breath  escapes  her  lips  as  I  bend
down and plant a quick kiss on her back.
I  will  never  get  over  laying  in  bed  next
to her.

She nestles closer into me as she

burrows  her  head  deeper  into  the
pillows.  She’s  so  damn  beautiful  when
she  sleeps.  Her  wavy  golden  hair  hugs
her shoulders and I wrap my arm around
her, pulling her even closer.

The morning sun peeps through the

bedroom  curtains,  slowly  illuminating
our room. The blonde strands of her hair
shines  as  the  sun  hits  them,  creating  a
natural  hue  of  highlights.  My  fingers
graze  her  smooth  skin  causing  me  to
recall  what  we  did  last  night.  A  low
chuckle escapes as I imagine her on top
of  me,  thrusting  her  hips,  fixing  to  get
that perfect spot— that perfect sensation.

Just imagining her gets my blood

boiling and I can feel my dick become

harder just from a short memory.

Rolling my body closer toward her,

I  softly  swipe  the  hair  off  her  face  and
inch close to lay a kiss on her cheek. She
moans  softly,  immediately  making  my
insides  tingle  and  causing  a  little  twitch
action.  Smiling,  I  reach  down  to  caress
her  back,  my  fingers  trailing  along  her
naked body.

At that moment, the blaring alarm

sounds,  disturbing  my  time.  I  let  out  a
groan  as  I  turn  behind  to  shut  off  the
alarm.  It’s  as  if  the  city  streets  knew  I
was  awake,  because  in  that  moment,  all
hell broke loose.

Car horns blast throughout the

streets below, drivers cursing at each
other, the subway making it’s way

underground; the city that never sleeps
apparently just woke up.

Melanie rustles in the sheets,

making a sweet sound as she slowly
awakens. I hug her close and kiss her
cheek.

Whispering in her ear, “Good

morning beautiful.”

I see a small smile curve along her

lips and she whispers back, “Watching
me sleep again.”

I chuckle as I slip away and climb

out of bed. “You know I love watching
you sleep. It’s my favorite part of the
day.”

Standing slowly, I reach out for my

robe to cover my nakedness and walk
around the side of the bed. Bending

down to her, I kiss her lips.

Our kiss is light and quick and as I

pull away, Melanie smiles bright. “I
love you.”

“Right back at ya.” I wink and turn

around, heading toward the bathroom for
a quick shower.

Making sure the water is nice and

hot, I carefully step inside, making sure
not to slip. Even though it’s been months
since my accident, the physical strain on
my legs still requires daily concentration
and alertness.

The

appointments

physical

therapy aren’t as frequent as they used to
be  which  is  a  plus.  My  therapist
acknowledges  my  progression  each
session.  It’s  crazy  how  much  I’ve

improved in the past six months.

I couldn’t even stand up, let alone

walk. And now I’m able to walk up
several flights of stairs and even jog at a
slow pace—no sprinting for me just yet.

Applying shampoo on my hair, I

hear the bathroom door open and see
Melanie’s shadow behind the shower
curtain.

Her voice chimes from the opposite

side as she sits on the toilet. “What time
is your appointment today?”

Glancing at the ceiling as I think,

“Uhh…I think it’s at 9 o’clock. Why?”

“I just want to make sure you have

enough time to get there in time.”

A puzzled smirk spreads across my

face. “I have an hour to get there.”

Catching me by surprise, the shower

curtain swiftly opens as she climbs
inside.

Reaching out to her, I hold her tight

so we won’t fall. “What are you—”

She reaches out to grab my face and

pulls me close, landing her lips on mine.
Her luscious lips tug and pull on mine as
her  mouth  opens  wide,  pulling  me
closer.  Her  hands  let  go  of  my  face  and
travel  down  my  soapy  chest,  making
their way south.

I reach out to press her wet body

against mine and she giggles on my lips.
I feel a smile creep inside as I trickle my
fingers down her back.

I pull us both directly under the

showerhead, letting the warm waterfall

sprinkle down upon us as we continue to
make out.

Her hand reaches its destination and

she  begins  to  stroke.  I  break  away  from
her  lips,  unable  to  control  the  gasp  that
escapes  me.  As  the  shower  warms  my
body,  her  hand  moves  up  and  down,
ensuing a pleasure of lust and ecstasy.

Her lips travel to my neck as the

pressure of heated bliss builds higher
and higher.

Her fingers rub the tip causing me to

gasp louder this time. “Fuck baby. I love
it when you touch me.”

Filled with heat, I kiss her with a

fierce intensity. My tongue grazes against
hers, forming a twirling dance inside our
mouths. Her hand tightens around my

swollen  dick  as  she  speeds  up  her
movement.  The  friction  of  skin  contact
underneath  the  waterfall  feels  so  damn
good, I could barely keep hold.

She pulls away from my lips and

drops to her knees. Knowing what she’ll
do next, I place my hand on the wall,
making sure to steady my balance.

Before she opens her mouth, I close

my eyes, letting my head fall backwards.

Holy Fuck.
A burst of sensations course

throughout my body: my heartbeat
pounds against my chest as my breathing
becomes staggered. I can sense my body
clinching tighter, almost ready to fuckin’
explode.

Right before I almost burst, I push

Melanie away and shake my head. She
gives me a confused look as she stands.

“What’s wrong?”
I give her a reassuring smile.

“Nothing, I’d rather see you come first.”

I wink at her and reach outside of

the shower to grab my shower stool. It
had its purpose once I started standing a
few months ago. It was a life saver
during my long shower sessions.

I place the stool in the middle of the

tub and sit, pulling Melanie on top of
me. She gasps as I slide inside of her.

My lips crash onto hers as I thrust

upwards and she matches my movement.
As we “push and pull”, she wraps her
arms around my neck, squeezing with a
thirst of lust.

We move in sync, mentally and

physically, as we hold onto each other,
grasping to reach our blissful orgasm.

At that moment, the water instantly

turns to freezing cold and Melanie
screeches. I bust out laughing and yell
out, “Damn you neighbors!”

Melanie joins my laughter as she

adjusts the faucet, trying to get the water
back to a warm temperature.

“Of course, this happens right when

I’m about to bust.”

She continues to laugh at my

frustration, still sitting on me. Being
playful, I twitch my dick as it’s still
inside of her.

She squirms on top of me, slapping

my chest. “Really babe?! That feels so

weird!”

“Haha – I couldn’t help it.”
She shakes her head as she

continues to get the temperature right.

“Uhh…I’m freezing my balls off

here.”

She huffs and points her finger at

me. “Listen, stop complaining.” She
finally gets the water right and we
continue where we left off.

Minutes later, she screams with a

shrill of ecstasy as her body orgasms on
me. Seeing her let go sends chills down
my spine and I grab her hips as I thrust
upward, spilling inside of her.

As we calm down from our highs,

she slowly climbs off of me and I rub my
thighs. “Damn woman, I can’t feel my

legs.”

She wobbles as she stands. “You!? I

can’t even stand up right.”

I stand and remove the stool from

the shower and grab a loofa, squirting a
hint of body wash on it. I nod at
Melanie, instructing her to turn around
so I can wash her up.

We take turns ensuring that we are

both clean, ready to begin the day.
Shutting off the water, I grab a towel and
wrap it around her. She smirks at me.
“Why are you so good to me?”

My lips peck hers. “You are the

love of my life and I’m here to care for
you. Always.”

Melanie

Making my way down the stairs of

the subway, I pull out my cellphone to
see a text from my best friend, Gia.

What time are you guys leaving

tomorrow?

Early. Around 5 AM
Damn!!! why so early?
NYC traffic…that’s why LOL
Tell me about it. I’m back to taking

the subway again. Ew!

LOL…it’s not so bad. You’ll get

used to it.

NEVER!!!!
Just as she responds, my train pulls

up  to  the  platform.  As  the  doors  slide
open,  I  step  aside  to  let  the  passengers
get  off  on  their  stop,  and  then  make  my
way  to  an  empty  seat.  I  find  a  corner
spot  in  the  back  of  the  car,  all  nice  and
quiet for the ride to work.

It’s been a month since I moved in

with  Roman.  Even  though  his  apartment
is  farther  from  my  job  at  the  hospital,  it
made sense for him to stay here, instead
of  moving  in  with  me.  His  building  has
an elevator, his apartment is much larger
than mine, and the rent was cheaper. You
can’t beat that.

Ever since Roman’s healed up, I’ve

switched back to the first shift at the

hospital so that we can be home during
the same hours. I hated working nights,
leaving him all alone to fend for himself.
It absolutely gutted me.

Thankfully, his aunt and uncle

visited often to check in on him. But
now, he’s back to work at the bakery.
He’s officially the manager of Zeppieri’s
Bakery— his uncle is the owner. Roman
actually worked there in high school and
funny thing is it’s where we first met.

As I think back to our first meeting,

I feel a smile spread across my face. He
was so damn shy. I don’t think I ever
heard him speak until I got soaked in the
thunderstorm on my way home from
school. It’s the day I learned his name.

Funny how life works in mysterious

ways.  Meeting  your  soul  mate  at  a
bakery,  of  all  places,  and  soaked  to  the
bone  and  a  shivering  mess.  It’s  crazy
how things have changed since then. It’s
been  ten  years  since  that  day  and  it’s  a
day I’ll never forget.

Responding back to Gia’s text, I

shoot her a quick reply.

On the train. Call you when I’m out.
I open the Spotify app on my iPhone

and  select  one  of  my  favorite  playlists.
“Chocolate”  by  The  1975  starts  to  play
and immediately I feel the urge to get up
and  dance.  Relax  Mel,  you’re  on  the
subway.

Laughing at myself, I sit back and

jam out to the sounds of The 1975 as the
train pulls away from the station and

makes it way underneath the city streets.

○ ○ ○

Exiting the subway, I tell Siri to

buzz Gia as I walk toward the hospital.
Gia answers in a matter of seconds.

“Hey!! Are you at work yet?”
“Not yet. Almost there. Wassup?”
“You guys feeling up for some

company tonight? Me and Brad want to
see you guys.”

Looking around for cars, I cross the

streets, careful not to bump into anyone.
The  warm  summer  breeze  travels
through  my  hair,  cooling  my  body  off
temporarily. The ten block walk to work
is  all  fine  and  dandy,  unless  it’s  almost
100  degrees  outside,  then  we  have  a
different story.

“Tonight? Uh…what time?”
“Maybe around six? Is that good for

you?”

I silently nod, “Yeah, that should be

good. It can’t be too late though. Roman
and I have to get up early. So no drinking
tonight. Make sure you tell Mr.
Bartender that.”

Gia’s laugh echoes through the

phone. “Haha! I’ll be sure to tell Brad.
Although he won’t be happy. Are you
excited about this weekend?”

A hint of hesitation and excitement

filters through me at once. “A little bit.”

“Why do you say that?”
“Gia…he’s taking me camping! You

know I’m a city girl. I won’t last out
there for an hour, let alone three days!”

“Girrrl, I don’t know how you are

gonna last. I feel for you.”

The corner of the hospital building

comes into view as I cross the street and
make way inside.

“You tellin’ me! I’m freaking out but

happy and excited at the same time. It’s
definitely going to be a weekend I’ll
never forget.”

“That’s for sure.”
I glance at the clock on the wall by

the entrance and briskly walk toward the
elevator. Pressing the button, I tell Gia
I’ll see her later tonight. As the elevator
door opens, I step inside, letting the
doors shut behind me.

Letting out a deep breath, I mentally

prepare for the busy day ahead. Working

in the ICU, specifically The Burn Unit, is
no joke. Work is never boring.

I head toward the female locker

room to change into my scrubs and wash
up. Clocking in for work, I pull my hair
up into a messy bun and head to the
nurse’s station to relieve the night shirt
nurse.

“Anything I need to know about

before you head out?”

The night nurse, Amanda, shakes her

head. “No, it was nice and quiet. Just
how I like it.”

I nod, mentally saying yes. “Cool.

Thanks.”

Before Amanda walks away, she

asks, “How’s Roman doing?”

“He’s well actually. He’s back to

work, running the bakery now.”

Amanda hesitates. “He’s…not going

to try to get reinstated as a firefighter?”

My head inclines, “No. He misses it

but he’s happy at the bakery. Although,
last month he was awarded an award for
his

bravery

during

the

building

collapse.”

“I know! I saw it on the news. I bet

you’re proud of him.”

“Yes…proud and so much more.”
She yawns softly, covering her

mouth with her hand.

She sleepily smiles at me “Well, I

better get out of here before I fall asleep
on the train. Do you work this
weekend?”

“Nope, Roman is taking me camping

in Pennsylvania.”

She shrieks, “Wow! Lucky girl.”
I laugh at her awe and sit behind the

desk,  logging  into  the  nurses’  computer.
Amanda  says  her  goodbye  just  as  the
cafeteria  attendant  makes  her  way
through  the  halls,  offering  breakfast  to
each  patient.  Glancing  at  each  of  my
patients’  charts,  I  quickly  assess  their
health and progress.

Planning my rounds, I jot down any

questions I need to make note of while I
evaluate each patient.

Grabbing the first patient’s chart, I

head toward their room and quietly
knock, careful not to wake if they are
sleeping.

I hear a cheerful “Good morning”

and smile as I step inside, ready to begin
my day’s work saving lives.

○ ○ ○

“So, why Pennsylvania?”
Gia’s voice chimes during our

evening dinner, stuffing her face with
Roman’s lasagna.

Roman hints, “My aunt and uncle

own a little cottage there. It’s only about
three hours from here. Not too bad of a
drive.”

“So, what? You guys are gonna take

a cab there?”

I bust out laughing, “No silly! We

are renting a car. We need to pick it up in
the morning and then make our way to
the Poconos. Hopefully, we’ll be there
around nine or ten.

Gia’s boyfriend, aka Mr. Bartender,

speaks up. “I’ve never been there but
have heard great things. Any special
plans?”

Roman reaches for my hand and

winks at me. His fingers twine with mine
as he responds to Brad. “No special
plans. Just spending time with her is
enough for me.”

His sweetness sends butterflies to

my stomach as Gia says, “Aww…isn’t
he a keeper?”

Brad turns to Gia with a raised

brow and she shuts him up by laying a
kiss on his lips.

Two hours later, Gia and Brad head

out so Roman and I can get some shut
eye before the trip. Just as Gia steps out

into the hall, she pulls me into a hug.

“Good luck in the woods. Maybe

you should have watched a couple
episodes of Naked & Afraid.” She
laughs at her joke and I can only roll my
eyes. This is what you get with Gia, but I
love her to death.

Smiling and waving as they head

into the elevator, I step back into our
apartment and help Roman clean up
before we head to bed.

Tomorrow the adventure begins.

Roman

The GPS announces we have

reached our destination and I pull up to
the cabin and park the car.

“Well, we’re here!”
I stare at Melanie as she stills in her

seat. Her eyes travel around in circles as
she takes in her surroundings. Her mouth
gapes open, completely stunned at what
she sees.

Once she recovers she gives me a

shocked look, “This is it?”

I nod at her shock and laugh. “Yup.”
She shrieks, “It’s huge! It’s a freakin

cabin for like what, twenty people?”

I open the door and walk around the

side to open hers. Reaching for her hand,
I pull her out of the car and whisper,
“Wait till you see the lake.”

“Lake! There’s a lake?”
“Ha-ha! Let’s check the inside. I’ll

get our luggage in a bit.”

We hold hands as we walk up the

porch of the wooden cabin and I unlock
the door. Melanie steps inside first and
gasps. Her hands twist together as she
comments on the décor.

“Oh. My. God! This is beautiful!

Did your aunt decorate all of this? It’s
stunning!”

I smile at her enthusiasm and turn on

the  lights,  enabling  her  to  check
everything  out  at  it’s  fullest.  The  cabin
has an old feel filled with character and
history,  but  with  upgraded  technology.
Recess  lighting  fills  the  living  spaces
and  the  halls,  wall  sconces  line  each
accent,  and  a  spruce  of  paint  casts  a
fresh glow.

The windows in the living area are

wide open panes, which peer out into the
woods, and if you look far enough, the
lake is faintly visible.

Upgraded stainless steel appliances

accent the modern kitchen filled with
country charm.

Melanie walks around the cabin and

I head into the kitchen, opening the

fridge  to  decide  what  to  make  for  a
quick  brunch.  I  hear  her  shout  from
across  the  hall,  “Roman,  I  cannot
believe this place. I could get lost!”

I shout back toward her, “Go

upstairs! Then, you’ll really get lost!”

In an instant, I hear her heels stomp

up the stairs. Grabbing a carton of eggs,
bacon,  and  some  biscuits  from  the
fridge,  I  whip  up  a  quick  meal  as
Melanie  continues  to  explore  the  cabin.
The  entire  time  she  hollers  about  every
room  she  enters  and  it’s  not  too  long
before I could barely make her out. With
the insulation and thickness of the wood,
it’s  difficult  to  hear  her  voice  from  a
distance.

She finally returns to the kitchen just

in  time  for  brunch.  Placing  her  plate  of
food  on  the  table,  I  grab  the  carton  of
orange  juice  and  two  glasses.  Pouring
the  juice,  she  sits  and  grabs  a  piece  of
bacon.  I  sit  in  the  seat  across  from  her
and apply a dab of salt on my eggs.

“So, do you like the cabin?”
She gasped. “Like!? I love it! It’s

the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.
It’s so homey. Your aunt did a fabulous
job.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her that.”
“How did they find this place?”
I shrug. “I don’t really know the

logistics  but  they  bought  it  years  ago.
This  cabin  is  pretty  old  but  with  my
aunt’s tender, love, and care, she kept it
tidy.  We  used  to  come  up  here  every

summer when I was younger. It was
great.”

She stares at me blankly. “Wow, I

learn something new about you every
day.”

Giving her a raised brow, “Is that a

bad thing?”

She giggles. “On the contrary. I fall

more in love with you every time I learn
something new.”

She blows me a kiss and I smile in

return.

Nodding toward her plate, I instruct.

“Eat. We have a busy day ahead.”

○ ○ ○

“Are you sure this was a good idea?

I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Her worried voice sounds in front

of me as we hike our way through the
woods. Taking one step at a time, I come
up behind her. “Stop worrying babe. I’m
good. We’re almost there anyway.”

“Where exactly are we going?

We’ve been at this for an hour. All I see
is bugs, bugs, and more bugs!”

Grabbing her hand, I pull her further

up the hiking trail. “Stop complaining
woman

and

just

enjoy

nature’s

wonders.”

“I am!”
We continue to hike another ten

minutes  until  I  remember  we  are  almost
to the top. I pull Melanie ahead of me as
I  want  her  to  experience  it  firsthand.
Ushering her to keep front, she takes the
last  steps  needed  to  complete  our

adventure up the mountain.

She reaches the top and gasps in

awe. Standing beside her, I take her hand
as we stare out into the wondrous forest.
At the highest peak of the mountain, our
eyes set on the vast wilderness below
us.

Hunter

green

forestry

cover

thousands  of  acres  of  land,  a  winding
river  streams  down  the  side  of  the
mountain,  making  its  way  to  the  large
lake at the bottom.

Numerous mountain cabins scour

the land below as birds soar throughout
the clear blue sky. Light from the golden
sun heats the water of the lake, making it
glimmer and shine.

I take a quick peek at Melanie and

notice a tear fall down her face. I turn
her to face me. “What’s wrong?”

She sniffles, “It’s gorgeous. I have

never seen such beauty before. This must
be what heaven looks like.”

A warm feeling travels through me

and  I  pull  her  into  a  hug,  wrapping  my
arms  tight  around  her  body.  “I  see  such
beauty  every  day  and  trust  me…it’s  the
most beautiful thing out there.”

She lifts her head to me and I bend

down to kiss her deeply. Our lips mold
together as one as the summer wind
sprays through her light blonde hair. The
leaves of trees shuffle below us as birds
chirp in the distance.

Happiness surges through my chest

and I know I can survive anything with

Melanie

Roman guides me back down the

mountain  after  our  little  excursion.  His
hand  wraps  around  mine  as  we  walk  in
unison  through  the  woods.  The  creepy
crawlers  hiding  in  the  grass  and  other
bug  life  don’t  bother  me  anymore.  All  I
know is I’m happy.

Right here. Right now.
I’m so proud of the man that holds

my heart. In less than six months he’s
completely outdone himself. And to think

he almost threw it all away just because
he wasn’t confident and believed in
himself.

A hint of warmth travels throughout

my  body,  making  the  hairs  on  my  arms
stand  straight  up.  He  senses  my  goose
bumps  and  looks  at  me,  mentally  asking
if I’m okay.

I love it when he cares for me. It

took  long  enough,  but  this  is  it.  I’ve
found  my  soul  mate—my  one  and  only.
His  dark  brown  eyes  stare  at  mine  with
so  much  intensity  it  causes  me  to  stop
breathing for a split second.

The way he stares at me sends all

kinds

emotions

crazy

rollercoaster ride. Some days it’s hard
to contain myself around him. I feel as

though I can literally melt in his arms
and I’d be okay with that. Because as
long as he’s with me, I am satisfied. It’s
all I want in this world.

Just him. Now and forever.
Once we get back to the cabin,

Roman makes us a delicious dinner—
steak and potatoes. Damn, Gia was
right. I really am a lucky girl.

“I’ll do the dishes. It’s only fair.

You  go  and  rest.  It’s  been  a  long  day.”
Standing up, I grab Roman’s plate along
with  mine  and  place  them  in  the  kitchen
sink.  Roman  follows  close  behind,
carrying the wine bottle and our glasses.

“Thanks babe. I’m going to lay out

on the deck. Come out there when you’re
done.” He kisses my cheek softly and

heads outside as I clean up after dinner.

Turning on the faucet, I grab my

phone to buzz Gia to catch her up to
speed. After the phone rings twice, she
hollers into the phone.

“You’re still alive I see. How’s life

in the wild?”

I put the phone on speaker and grab

the sponge to start washing the plates.
“Gia, you would have loved it here! It’s
so breathtaking and mesmerizing.”

“That good, huh?”
“I’m serious. It’s beautiful. The

landscape  is  nothing  I’ve  ever  seen
before. I understand why so many people
live  out  in  the  mountains.  It’s  secluded
from  all  the  nonsense  and  B.S.  in  the
world.”

“You sound like a new woman. Ha-

ha.”

I laugh at her comment while rinsing

the plates and then moving on to the
glasses.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
“Ah…I think we’re going to the

lake. That’s all I know so far. He’s been
pretty  secretive  about  our  plans.  It’s  a
new surprise for me. Roman always has
something  special  planned.  God  Gia.  I
wish  you  could  have  seen  the  view  that
we saw today.”

“Where did you guys go?”
“Roman took me hiking up the

mountain and when we got to the top, it
was amazing. The mountain top scoured
thousands of acres and we could see the

wildlife living in their habitats. We even
got to see other cabins on the ground.
But

that

lake…whew!

was

magnificent!”

“Sounds awesome! I’m glad you

guys are having a great time.”

“How’s life in the city?”
“Brad got promoted! He’s the bar

manager now.”

Drying the dishes, I let out a yelp.

“Whoo! Is he there? I want to
congratulate him.”

“Nope, he’s at the bar, but I’ll tell

him you send congrats.”

Finishing up, I wipe down the

counters  and  the  tables.  Grabbing  the
wood  polish,  I  apply  a  fresh  coat  to  get
the  table  top  nice  and  glossy.  A  couple

minutes later, I say goodnight to Gia and
I make my way outside to the deck.

“Roman?”
“Over here, love.”
Following his voice, I find him

naked, inside a Jacuzzi.

He gives me a sly smirk and waves

me closer. “Come on, the water’s nice
and warm.”

Tearing off my clothes, I carefully

step  inside,  adjusting  to  the  heat  of  the
water.  The  jetted  bubbles  tickle  my
body, causing me to let out a giggle just
as Roman pulls me close. His lips press
onto  mine  as  he  wraps  his  arms  around
me.  The  spacious  tub  engulfs  us  as  we
melt  into  each  other,  letting  the  jets
rumble underneath our bodies. His hands

travel all over my body, caressing each
crevice as though he’s memorizing each
one.

The light touch of his fingers sets

my skin on fire in the heated blast of
water. My lips dance with his as I
maneuver to sit on top of him.

A light snicker escapes his mouth as

our bodies become one, making love
underneath the moonlight.

○ ○ ○

“I think I need a life vest.” My

trembling voice begs for some sort of
assurance as Roman gets the small row
boat and pushes it out into the lake.

He looks at me with a really-you-

don’t-need-that look and ushers me
inside the boat. Groaning at his request, I

step inside and sit, rubbing my hands
together nervously. He pushes the boat
into the water and hops inside, grabbing
the oars and paddling us further into the
center of the lake.

“Relax babe. It’s just water.”
With a shaky voice, “I don’t swim

that well.”

“I’m here. No need to worry.

Relax.”

Letting out a deep breath, I listen to

his advice and pull my mind away from
the horror underneath me. Glancing
around the lake, I see a set of deer
grazing by the shore opposite of us.

Not wanting to startle them, I quietly

tell Roman to look and he smiles as his
eyes land on the deer family. “I’ve never

seen deer before,” I tell him.

“Really? Never?”
Shaking my head, “Nope. I’ve never

left the city and there aren’t really deer
walking the streets of New York.”

He chuckles as he continues to row

the boat. “That’s true.”

My eyes catch something splashing

in  the  water,  distracting  me  from  the
deer.  Staring  closely  into  the  water,  I
can’t  make  out  what’s  causing  the
commotion.  Hinting  toward  Roman,
“What is that? I can’t really tell. It’s not
a fish.”

Roman climbs closer and bends

down, but just as he’s about to say what
it is, the animal comes into complete
view, and I scurry away with a scream.

“It’s a snake!”
My body crashes into Roman’s,

causing  the  boat  to  wobble  just  as  a
splash  echoes  in  the  back  of  my  mind.
Spinning  around,  Roman  is  gone  and  I
look out into the water, noticing a ripple
of waves.

“Roman!”
Panic creeps inside as I bend down

and try to see him in the water, but
nothing. “Roman!”

Seconds go by and silence is all I

hear.  Not  even  a  speck  of  movement  in
the  water  below  me.  I  breathe  deep,
trying not to freak the fuck out. “Roman,
this  isn’t  funny.  Come  on,  I’m  not
playing.”

I turn around to check the other side

of  the  boat,  hoping  he’s  there—nothing.
There’s  no  way  he  can  hold  his  breath
underwater  that  long.  Shit.  Kicking  off
my shoes, I close my eyes and jump into
the  lake.  Feeling  for  anything  and
everything,  I  swish  my  hands,  diving
underwater  trying  to  find  him.  The
thought of the snake wrapping around me
springs  into  my  mind  and  I  immediately
head back to the surface.

Gasping for air, my senses are

through the roof as panic fully sets in. A
tingle tangles through my legs and all of
a sudden, a sharp tug pulls on my legs.
Yelling out, I’m pulled underwater. My
eyes shoot open to see Roman smiling at
me with a sense of thrill.

Fueled with absolute frustration, I

swat his arms and he laughs, letting go of
me.  We  swim  to  the  surface  just  as  I
come  up  for  air.  A  burst  of  laughter
chimes  from  my  right  and  I  give  him  a
death stare.

“That was not funny! I thought you

drowned!”

He pulls me close. “Aww babe.

Come on, let loose. I told you I could
swim.”

Shoving away from him, I spit out,

“That doesn’t mean shit. People who can
swim drown all the time. I know! I’m a
nurse. I’ve seen it!”

He senses my anger and reaches for

me, but I pull away further.

“What if your back gave out? What

then?”

This time, he swims to me and hugs

me close. “I’m sorry love. I shouldn’t
have done that.”

Giving in to his comfort, I let him

hold me as we tread the waters of the
lake. A soft kiss grazes my forehead.

He chuckles and I look up at him.

“Still laughing, huh?”

“Actually, I’m proud of you.”
“What? Why?”
“You jumped in after me. Even after

you saw a snake, you still jumped.”

I snarl, “I thought you needed

saving. I would do anything to help you,
no matter what it takes. I don’t want to
lose you. I can’t lose you.”

He kisses my lips and leads us back

to the boat. “Come on, let’s get back and

Melanie

Stepping out of the shower, I wipe

the mirror with my hand, smudging away
the fog. Staring at my naked self, I look
at my reflection. Feeling blessed in love
and happiness, I smile at my reflection.

The sweet aroma of dinner travels

up  from  the  kitchen  and  into  our
bedroom.  I  towel  dry  and  pick  out  an
outfit  for  the  evening.  Grabbing  one  of
my favorite sun dresses, I pick a pair of
matching  sandals,  and  an  accent  of

jewelry.

Applying a coat of lotion all over

my  skin,  I  massage  it  deep,  smoothing
out  any  dryness.  After  the  swim  in  the
lake,  I  practically  scrubbed  off  the  top
layer  of  skin.  I  didn’t  want  to  take  any
chances.  Who  knows  what  kind  of
animals or even germs lived in that lake;
regardless of how clean it looked.

After pulling on the dress and

slipping into my sandals, I apply a fresh
coat  of  foundation  to  conceal  those
unwanted  dark  spots  on  my  face.  A  hint
of  blush  brings  color  to  my  high
cheekbones.

I decide to spruce a bit of light blue

eye shadow on my eyelids and line my
eyes with liquid black eye liner, giving

that cat-eye look. A couple coats of
mascara adds the final touch.

A burst of hair spray applied to my

golden locks gives them a slight bounce
as they curve around my shoulders,
traveling down my back. Within a matter
of minutes, I’m all dolled up in time for
dinner.

Before stepping out of the room, I

apply a coat of cherry lip gloss and
matte my lips together, ready for some
kisses.

Making my way downstairs, I

follow the delicious scent of dinner.
Stepping into the dining area, I see it’s
empty. Looking around, I call for Roman.
“Babe?”

Hmm. Maybe he’s in the kitchen.

But he’s not there either. Walking

back to the living room, I see a hint of
light shining through the window pane.
Lanterns lined up on the ground, light up
a trail, leading into the woods.

Stepping outside, I follow the trail

of  light,  walking  deeper  into  the  woods
until  spotting  rose  petals  cover  the
ground underneath my feet. The sound of
classical  music  chimes  from  across  the
trees as I make my way to it.

Anticipation builds inside as I make

my  way  toward  the  end  of  the  trail.  A
flutter  of  butterflies  thrills  my  stomach
as  the  smell  of  pasta  wavers  in  the
blowing  wind.  Crickets  sing  along
underneath  the  moonlight  and  an  owl
hoots  in  the  distance.  The  rustle  of

leaves crunch under my feet as I step
further and further toward Roman.

The sight of him comes into view as

he  stands  next  to  a  set  dinner  table,
covered  with  candlelight  and  red  rose
petals.  A  dinner  tray  stands  next  to  the
table;  it’s  hidden  plates  covered  by
cloches—the  metal  domes  keeping  the
food nice and warm.

Roman tilts his head and extends his

hand out for mine. I let him take it as he
walks me to my seat at the table, pulling
it out for me to sit.

“Why, thank you, sir.”
He gestures slightly and grabs the

remote  to  change  the  track  of  the  music
selection.  Soft  music  plays  in  the
background  as  I  glance  around  at  his

work  of  art.  The  twinkle  of  the
moonlight  sparkles  throughout  the  area
just  as  my  eyes  set  on  the  dazzling  lake
beside us.

Shallow waves crash along the

shore and I’m in complete awe; I’m
filled with adoration for the man
standing over me. He did good.

He grabs a wine glass and fills it

with red wine, handing it to me. After
filling his, he sits in his chair across
from me and raises his glass for a toast.

I take mine and raise it, matching it

to the height of his glass. Roman clears
his throat, “To us.”

I nod my head and smile. “To us.”
We sip our wine and sit in a

comfortable silence while admiring our

surroundings,  taking  in  the  breathtaking
wonders  of  Mother  Nature.  Roman
reaches  for  the  domes,  uncovering  each
plate. A wave of aroma hits my nose as
he  serves  dinner.  Looking  down  at  my
plate,  a  decorated  chicken  breast
covered with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic,
parmesan,  spinach,  and  mushroom
grazes  my  plate.  A  side  of  angel  hair
pasta  dons  a  healthy  and  scrumpsish
plate I cannot wait to devour.

“What I have for you this evening is

Chicken

Marsala

Florentine.

Bon

appetit.”

“Roman, this looks delicious. I

can’t believe you did all of this.”

“It’s all for you.”
We clink wine glasses and dive into

our  meals.  Taking  a  bite  of  chicken,  I
allow  the  tasteful  juices  to  melt  in  my
mouth. I can’t help but moan as my taste
buds explode, savoring each flavor. The
hint  of  garlic  gives  that  extra  kick  it
needs, sending my stomach on a free-for-
all.

Roman licks his lips as he devours

each morsel of his meal and I can’t help
but  laugh  as  his  slurps  his  pasta.  The
thought  of  Lady  and  The  Tramp
immediately  comes  to  mind  and  I
wonder  if  this  is  how  he  got  the  idea.
The  music  skips  forward  to  the  next
track  and  “Thinking  Out  Loud”  by  Ed
Sheeran starts to play. Roman gives me a
smirk  and  puts  his  fork  down,  standing
slowly.  I  watch  as  he  steps  over,

reaching out for my hand. “Shall we
dance?”

A smile spreads across my lips and

I  place  my  hand  in  his.  He  pulls  me  up
out  of  my  chair  and  twirls  me  slowly
under the stars. We sway together to the
musical stylings of Ed Sheeran, a genius
when it comes to love songs. I close my
eyes and rest my head on Roman’s chest,
listening  to  his  beating  heart  match  the
melody of the song. His strong arms hold
me  close  as  his  warm  body  envelopes
me deeper into his.

The song winds down as the lyrics

die  down  to  a  soft  whisper.  Roman
kisses  me  deep  with  a  passion  of  a
thousand  hearts—strong,  loving,  and
wild. My breath hitches, grasping for air,

but  unable  to  let  go  of  his  sweet,  sweet
lips.  After  a  moment,  we  pull  away,
staring  at  one  another  with  love  in  our
eyes. He brings me back to my seat and
we return to our meals.

Fifteen minutes later, Roman clears

our plates and grabs a white pastry box
from the buffet table.

“Is that what I think it is?” My

thoughts  get  the  best  of  me  as  Roman
peeks  at  me  with  a  hint  of  excitement
spread  across  his  face.  “It  might  just
be.”

Clapping my hands together, I

squeal like a kid in a candy store. I know
exactly  what  that  is!  Roman  places  the
box  on  the  table  and  unwraps  the  red
string  that  tied  it  shut.  Unraveling  it

loose, the box pops open and the smell
of chocolate fuels my nostrils. Éclairs!!!

Roman places one on my plate and

he grabs the other. His smile shines
bright, knowing how much I love these
wonderful chocolate pastries.

“I can’t believe you snuck these up

here!”

He shrugs modestly, “What kind of

dinner would this be without the best
pastry on the planet? Besides, I know
how much you love them.”

Sighing with love, “You know me

so well.”

We take a bite of the chocolaty, holy

goodness. It tastes so freakin’ delicious.
In seconds, I devour mine. Yup, it didn’t
have a chance. Chuckling to myself,

Roman motions me to have another and I
hesitate.

“I’m already full and I know I

shouldn’t.”

“What’s one more going to do to

you? It’s a light pastry. Besides, you
know you want to.”

Taking the last pastry, I giggle.

“Alright you convinced me.”

Biting into the gooey crème, my

teeth hit a sharp object and I
immediately spit it out onto my plate.
What the hell?

I look down to see what it is and my

eyes  set  on  a  set  of  sparkling  diamonds
and  platinum,  immediately  growing
wide.  I  swallow—hard.  Unable  to
move. My body completely stills and my

breathing halts to a stop. Roman gets up
from his seat and walks toward mine. He
grabs my hand and slowly bends down
on one knee.

A load of emotions exudes as my

eyes fill with tears in an instant. His
eyes bore into mine as he reaches up to
caress my cheek.

At that moment, the song “Drive” by

Cars starts to play in the distance and I
let out a gasp. It’s one of my favorite
songs and here I am, listening to it as he
stays bent.

He lets out a deep breath and begins

to speak. “It’s been eleven years since I
saw  your  beautiful  face  stroll  into  my
life  and  I’ve  never  forgotten  that  day.
Throughout  the  years  I  wished  for  you,

wanted you so badly to be mine.
Because, it’s all I’ve wanted. On that
day, I knew. I knew you were the one for
me.”

Tears spill down my face as I listen

to  him  pour  his  heart  out.  My  chest
heaves  uncontrollably,  unable  to  handle
the  complex  emotions  coursing  through
me.

“Six months ago, I died. I gave up

hope.  Hope  that  one  day,  we  would  be
together. But then, life threw me a curve
ball  and  fate  finally  brought  us  together.
In  the  most  unexpected  of  ways,  we
found each other. I know it’s only been a
couple  of  months,  but  I’m  ready  and  I
think  you  are  too.  Now  it’s  my  time  to
take control and go after what I want.”

He looks down at the ground for a

split second before returning his gaze.
“All I want is you. Melanie Stevens,
will you marry me?”

My hand covers my mouth as I

uncontrollably cry in front of him. I can’t
seem to get a handle on my emotions but
what the hell. I open my arms and wrap
them around him, crashing into his chest,
causing him to roll backwards, hitting
the ground. I lay a load of kisses all over
his face as he laughs underneath me.

“Of course I will! I love you so

much.”

Roman

Her answer sends bolts shooting

throughout my body as my heart pounds
in my chest. Her kisses travel all over
my face and even down to my neck. The
leaves underneath us crunch as I get dirt
all over my new blazer and pants.

After our excitement dies down, I

help her off the ground and grab the ring,
cleaning the cream filling of the éclair
off of it.

I angle her ring finger and slide on

the ring.

Smiling at her with adoration, I say,

“Perfect fit.”

I pull her into a deep kiss, licking

her  lips,  not  wanting  to  ever  stop.  Her
body  heats  against  mine  as  her  chest
presses  against  me.  We  pull  away  and  I
see  her  eyes  fill  with  desire  as  her
breathing  becomes  staggered.  Knowing
that look, I quickly blow out the candles
and clean up the dishes.

She grabs my hand and leads me

back  toward  the  cabin,  leaving  the
dishes  behind.  Without  a  word,  she
brings  me  inside  and  pulls  me  up  the
stairs. With her other hand, she unties the
knot  keeping  her  dress  on,  letting  it  fall
on the floor, revealing her breasts.

She winks as she steps out of her

dress. Just before we enter the bedroom,
she kicks off her sandals. She heads
inside the room and sits on the edge of
the bed, beckoning me to follow her.

I kick off my shoes and walk over to

her, standing above her as she sits. She
glides her hands up my chest and slowly
pulls my jacket off my shoulders. It falls
quietly on the floor as she begins to
unbutton my white dress shirt.

Each button takes longer than the

last as she gives me a teasing look. Her
eyes  glisten  under  the  lighting,  bringing
out  the  emerald  green  color.  Her  light
blonde  hair  covering  her  breasts,  but
only  leaves  a  sneak  peek  for  the
imagination.

Shit, I don’t even need to imagine.

She’s goddamn beautiful—a goddess.

After what feels like hours, she

finally gets the last button undone and I
take it off, tossing it on the floor behind
me. Her hands move to my belt and she
chuckles as she notices my erection. Her
fingers lightly graze it and I flinch at her
touch. Tease.

She unbuckles my belt and I reach

over to unzip my pants, but she stops me.
Her hands grab mine and pulls them
away, indicating she wants full control.

Her chest heaves up and down,

gasping for air as I stare at her naked
body.

trembling

force

quakes

throughout my body as she guides the
pants down my legs and I step out of
them. She scoots backward onto the bed

and urges me to follow with the curve of
her finger, calling me to fulfill our love.

Excitement surges as I hop onto the

bed and she laughs at my actions. I climb
on top of her, not wanting to take it slow
any longer. My lips crash onto hers as
though they’re dying for more. Fuck, her
lips are so sweet. I could kiss them for
days. Never have enough.

Her breasts graze my chest as my

hand  travels  north,  touching  her  nipple
and  lightly  squeezing.  A  high  pitch
escapes  her  mouth  as  she  revels  in  the
erotic pleasures of my touch. Teasing her
nipple  causes  an  erotic  frenzy—  neither
of  us  able  to  control  our  urges  any
longer.

I wiggle out of my boxers and move

south. My fingers trail down her smooth
legs  as  she  squirms  underneath  me.
Finding her sweet spot, my finger slides
underneath her silk panties and makes its
way  inside.  Her  head  arches  backward
as  I  tease  her  with  my  finger.  She  cries
out  in  pleasure  as  my  fingers  move
inside.  I  kiss  her  tender  lips,  beckoning
her to let go, to stop holding it.

I can sense her body tense up

underneath me as I continue to rub and
tease with my fingers. Her body arches
upward, urging to reach the climax she’s
begging for. But as she reaches it, I pull
my fingers away. Snickering as she gives
me a frustrated look, I whisper. “Not yet
baby.”

I bend down and lay a trail of kisses

from her thighs down to her ankles. My
hand reaches to grab hold of her panties
and I slowly glide them down her legs—
nice and slow. Admiring each morsel,
each crevice of her body.

I. Just. Can’t. Get. Enough.
She

whines

but

immediately

switches  gears  and  pushes  me  off,
pouncing on top of me. Without a second
to  spare,  she  presses  closer  to  me  and
positions  herself  for  a  smooth  transition
as the two of us become one.

The instant contact and friction

shoots  sparks  as  though  we  are  creating
a  heated  blaze.  My  blood  boils  as  she
bounces on top of me, hitting each point
and bringing me over the edge. Her hair
shields  her  breasts  so  I  push  my  hand

upward, touching her as she grinds until
she reaches her point of no return.

A sea of flames surround us as we

move in unison together, forming a bond
that will last forever.

Forever as one.
The feel of her inner walls throb

against my dick as her orgasm takes
over.

“Oh god…I’m…”
I hone in, needing to see her climax,

the thrill of her ecstasy bringing me over
the edge. She cries out as her body
trembles above me, squeezing my arms
as she braces the strong pleasurers.

And then I let go.
Pulling her down so she takes all of

me, I feel the orgasm spill out of me.

“Oh fuck!” The intensity takes over me
as my body unleashes into a heated
frenzy. Pumping upward, I hold onto her
hips with a fierce grip.

As we both calm down, she relaxes

and falls onto my chest. My hands comb
through  her  hair  as  sweat  beads  down
my  face.  She  maneuvers  her  body  and
reveals  her  new  ring.  The  moonlight
coming  from  the  window,  dazzles  the
ring as she admires her new present.

“Do you like it?”
The ring sparkles and she squeals.

“I love it.” She looks into my eyes. “But
I love you more.”

○ ○ ○

Melanie

Gia stands behind me as I stare at

my reflection in the mirror while fanning
out  my  dress.  A  tear  trickles  down  her
face  and  she  squeezes  my  hand.  The
sound of an organ plays in the distance. I
take  a  quick  peek  at  her  and  smile.
“That’s my queue.”

She pulls me into a quick hug and

heads out into the hall. Letting out a deep
breath, I grab hold of my bouquet and
step into the hallway. My father waits in
the corner as the bridesmaids start to
travel down the center isle.

He notices me coming his way and

meets me halfway. Tears threaten to spill
out of his eyes as he focuses on me. I

can’t help but sniffle as I hold back the
tears.

“You are the most beautiful girl in

this place. Gorgeous.”

He kisses my forehead and holds his

arm out for me to take. “Thank you
Daddy.”

The Canon starts to play as my

father squeezes my hand, motioning us to
move.  Together,  we  step  forward  as  all
of  the  guests  catch  sight  of  us.  Making
our  way  down  the  isle,  I  see  Raya  and
Duke  with  baby  Layla  in  the  front  row.
Rob,  Taylor,  and  his  new  girlfriend  sit
alongside Raya and Duke.

Gia looks breathtaking in her maid

of honor dress that she picked out,
because she wouldn’t have it any other

way. Roman’s aunt and uncle sit on the
opposite side.

Roman’s best friend, Carter, looks

dashing  in  his  tux  as  he  stands  next  to
him. And as my eyes set on him, I gleam
with  all  my  love.  Walking  toward  him,
he beams at me with the biggest smile in
the  world.  His  eyes  shine  with  tears  as
he  focuses  on  me  and  me  alone.  He
mouths “I love you” and I do the same.

Eleven years ago, I bought an éclair.

Today, I say “I do”.

Tomorrow, a new adventure begins.

Madison Street was born in New

York City and was raised in the Bronx,
where she resided until she was 17
years old. After September 11, 2001,
Madison joined the United States Navy
to serve her country.

During the deployments, Madison

constantly wrote short stories and she
discovered her passion for writing. You
will find Madison always on the
computer, whether she's on Facebook,
designing websites, messing with
Photoshop, or writing for her blog.

Besides writing, her second passion

is music and dance. Even though she's a
terrible singer, she’ll still belt it out in
the shower, especially if the song is her
jam! She currently resides in Virginia
with her husband of 8 years, 2 children,
a dog, and a cat. She is so excited to
start this amazing journey and is honored
to be part of such a compassionate and
loving community.

Other Titles by Madison Street

Little Things (Second Chances #1)

Little Moments (Second Chances #2)

Guarded

by J.D. Rivera

Chapter 1

VANESSA

COULDN

’

get

earlier

conversation with Shane out of my head.
I had just sat there and listened to him
spit vile, nasty words in my face as I did
nothing. “I can’t believe I ever married
you. You’re so fucking plain.” “You’re

so worthless.” Those were just a couple
of the things he said to me.

One foot in front of the other. Enjoy

the  calmness  of  the  lake.  Block  out
everything  else.  You  can  do  this
Vanessa.  Just  watch  the  geese  floating
on the water.

Running had always been my safe

place. When life was too much, I would
go for a run.

I looked to my left and studied the

geese and nearby sailboats as something
knocked into my back. My legs gave way
and  I  sprawled  onto  the  sidewalk,
rolling  to  the  grass  face  down.  I  stayed
frozen,  not  really  sure  what  had  just
happened.

“Are you okay?” I heard a deep voice

ask from above me.

Was I okay? I wasn’t hurting too bad,

so I rolled onto my back to look up at the
stranger.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t

paying

attention.”

The

handsome

stranger with dark sweaty hair and dark
eyes told me.

“I…Uh…I think I’m fine,” I told him

as I sat up. That’s when I looked at his
tanned, bare, sculpted chest and any
thoughts about falling and hurting myself
escaped me.

He offered me his hand to help me

up. “It doesn’t look like you’re bleeding
anywhere. Again, I’m so sorry. I looked
down at my phone for maybe a second
and ran right into you.”

“No worries,” I stated as I took his

hand and he eased me up onto my feet.

“Let me at least walk with you for a

minute so I can be sure you’re okay.”

“Okay,” I said as I realized I was still

holding  his  hand.  I  quickly  released  his
hand  and  dropped  mine.  I  looked  at  the
path  ahead  of  me,  to  the  parking  lot
where  my  car  was  parked.  “I’m  just
parked over there. I think I’ll be fine.”

“You’re probably right, but I still

want to walk you to your car just to be
sure. I feel horrible about knocking you
down,” he said, looking straight into my
eyes.

I was held captive by his dark eyes

and stared at him for a few beats longer
than I should have before answering.

“Okay, fine.”

We started walking down the

sidewalk  toward  the  parking  lot  in
silence. I could feel his body heat, since
he was walking so close to me. I wanted
to say something but I didn’t know what
to  say.  He  was  an  attractive  man  and  I
didn’t want to make a fool out of myself,
even  though  he  had  just  seen  me
sprawled out on the grass.

“It’s a nice day out today,” he said,

making conversation.

I looked out over the lake again

before answering. “It is. I’m hoping the
entire week will be like this.”

“That would be nice. I haven’t lived

here long, but I bet it gets hotter.”

I finally looked over at his face. “Oh,

you’re not from here?”

He gave me a surprised look. “No, I

just moved here from New York.”

“Well, welcome to Oklahoma.”
“Thanks. So what all is there to do

around here?” He asked as he looked me
up and down.

I wasn’t sure what that was about. I

didn’t  really  like  it  even  though  I  was
doing  the  same  to  him.  I  knew  I  wasn’t
that  attractive,  at  least  my  husband  had
made  me  feel  that  way.  I  glanced  out  at
the water to clear my head of thoughts of
my  Shane.  I  looked  back  at  the  sexy
stranger. “Well, we have a lot to do here.
You  can  check  out  the  area  near
downtown called Bricktown. It has a lot
of  restaurants  and  clubs  along  with  a

canal.  It’s  really  pretty.  We  also  have  a
lot of lakes if you like that type of thing
and  well,  we  have  a  few  sports  teams.
I’m  sure  you’ve  heard  of  the  basketball
team, the Tornadoes.”

He chuckled a little, then smiled wide

at me before answering. “Yeah, you
could say I’ve heard of the Tornadoes. I
think they just got a new player.
Supposed to be really good.”

“Oh, that’s right. I knew that.”
He chuckled some more before

saying, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t ask
your name.”

I looked into his eyes, trying to figure

out what in the hell was so funny before
I answered. “Vanessa. And your name
would be?” It came out a little harsh, but

I could tell he was laughing at something
and it was starting to piss me off.

“Jackson,” he simply stated.
We reached the parking lot and I

wasn’t sure if I wanted to bolt from this
man because of his attitude or if I
wanted to hang around him some more
just to ogle his body.

I pointed to my beat up Ford Focus.

“That’s my car over there. Thanks for
walking me to my car. Now you can rest,
knowing I’m okay.”

He nodded, but I could tell he was

thinking about something. “Have lunch
with me?” he blurted as he looked back
over at me.

I looked into his beautiful eyes. “You

really don’t need to buy me lunch. I’m

okay.”

“I know I don’t have to. This has

nothing to do with me running into you.
I’d just like to have lunch with someone.
Remember I’m new in town?”

“Um…Okay, I guess.” What the hell

—he was hot and it’s not like my bastard
of a husband wasn’t having lunch or
visiting some hotel room with some
woman right now.

“Where do you wanna go?” he asked.
“Oh, what do you like? Do you like

Mexican, Italian…?”

“Any. I’m not picky at all. Just some

place that isn’t stuffy.”

“Okay. Wanna go to a place near

here?”

He flashed me a sexy smile. “Sounds

good. Which place?”

“How about The Wing Shack? I love

their wings.”

“Great,” he said, before walking off

to find his car.

I walked over to mine, manually

unlocking  the  door  and  sank  in  my  seat.
No  fancy  key  fob  for  my  car.  Since
separating  from  my  husband,  I  had  been
forced to sell my nice SUV and settle for
the Focus.

Even though I wasn’t doing anything

wrong, I still felt guilty since I was still
technically married. But, I knew that, no
matter  what  I  did,  I  wasn’t  doing
anything  as  wrong  as  my  husband  had
done  and  was  still  doing.  I  was  just
having  lunch  with  a  man.  A  very  sexy

man. I started the vehicle and let the cool
air from the air conditioner hit my face.

I sat there for five minutes just to

relax. I grabbed my purse from the seat
next to me and pulled out my makeup
bag. Luckily, I found a cleansing wipe in
my bag and was able to clean up and put
my makeup on the best I could using the
small visor mirror. Looking down at my
clothes, I realized I was still in my tank
top and shorts. I didn’t have any clothes
with me, so they would have to do.

PUT

everything back in my purse

and was off to have lunch with a hot guy
and hopefully enjoy myself for the first
time in a long time. I pulled out onto the
highway and turned the radio up. All I

could think about was that sculpted chest
and  those  mesmerizing  dark  eyes.  This
guy  was  every  girl’s  fantasy  and  I  was
about  to  have  lunch  with  him.  Just  as  I
was  getting  lost  in  my  thoughts,  my
phone rang.

I looked at the screen and noticed it

was my best friend Amanda. “Hello.”

“Hey, I was just calling to see if you

wanted to grab dinner tonight?”

“That sounds great. Where at?”
“You sound…different. Do I detect

happiness in your voice?” she prodded.

“I’m sounding like I always do.

Where do you want to eat tonight?” I
didn’t want her to know about my lunch
date, because she would make it out to
be a bigger deal than it was.

“Okay, whatever you say. How about

Chelino’s?”

“Sounds good. Seven okay?”
“Works for me.”
I really wanted to get off the phone

with her before she got too quizzical.
“Hey, I’m driving can I just talk to you
tonight?”

“Okay bye, V.”
“Bye,” I said, then threw the phone

into  the  console.  Why  was  I  this  giddy
about  having  lunch  with  a  guy?  Maybe
it’s  because  you’ve  been  married  to  a
dickhead  for  the  last  four  years  and
treated  like  crap.  Maybe  you’d  like  to
enjoy  a  guy’s  company.  A  hot  guy’s
company.

I pulled into one of the parking

Chapter 2

JACKSON

WALKED

away from the very hot girl

toward  my  car  in  the  parking  lot.  What
was I doing, asking her to have lunch?
I  don’t  know  her  at  all.  She’s
breathtaking,  that’s  why.  Her  long
brown  hair,  beautiful  brown  eyes,  and
killer  body  were  exactly  why  I  had
asked  her  to  lunch.  Sure,  I  felt  bad  for
knocking  her  to  the  ground  earlier,  but  I
really wanted to stare at her some more.

I walked over to the Lexus I had

rented  until  my  Range  Rover  was
delivered  and  flung  the  door  open.  I  sat
down  inside  and  grabbed  the  deodorant
and  T-shirt  from  the  passenger  seat.  I
really  should  have  allowed  time  to  take
a  shower  and  meet  her  later,  but  it  was
too late to change the plans. I turned the
car on, plugged The Wing Shack she had
suggested  into  the  GPS,  and  pulled
away.

God, this girl was hot. I knew she

wasn’t anything like the other girls I had
“dated,”  because  she  had  no  clue  who  I
was  and  therefore  wasn’t  using  me  for
anything.  Most  girls  liked  having  the
cameras  take  their  pictures  with  me  or
being able to tell their friends they went

out with me. Not this girl. She had no
clue and something told me that, even if
she knew, she still wouldn’t care about
anything like that.

I drove down the busy expressway,

but  all  I  could  think  about  was  the  very
fit woman lying on the grass with brown
hair splayed out all around her. I felt bad
that  I  had  knocked  her  down,  but  that
didn’t  stop  me  from  checking  her  out.
Then,  when  she  rolled  over  and  those
big  brown  eyes  caught  my  attention,  I
couldn’t stop the instant attraction to her.
God, she was hot.

I pulled into the restaurant parking lot

and  tried  to  shake  my  thoughts.  I  wasn’t
looking  for  a  one  night  stand.  This  girl
was  hot,  but  I  was  turning  over  a  new

leaf in life and I was looking for the girl.
The girl I wanted to marry.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I

grabbed  my  Dallas  Cowboys  cap  and
began  looking  for  her  old  beat  up  car.  I
spotted it to the far side of the lot, but I
didn’t  see  her  inside.  I  headed  toward
the restaurant, once inside, I noticed her
seated on a bench waiting for me.

“I hope you haven’t been here long,” I

told her.

She glanced up from the tile on the

floor she had been staring at and smiled.
“No, maybe five minutes is all.”

I gestured to the hostess. “Did you put

your name on the list?”

“There isn’t a wait,” she told me as

she stood up.

I nodded and we followed the hostess

to a table in the back. I was thankful for
the secluded booth and that I had
remembered my ball cap. I had been all
over the news recently and I hated being
recognized.

“So you want to share an order of

wings?” I asked when the hostess
walked away.

“Only if you plan on getting the garlic

parmesan,” she replied with a smile.

I already liked this girl. A girl that

didn’t mind eating garlic and having
nasty breath in front of a guy she just
met. “Those are my favorite.”

“Then sure. I’ll share an order with

you. Can we also get the potato
wedges?”

“Sure thing.”
After the waitress took our drink and

food order, I noticed Vanessa was a little
fidgety. Is she nervous because she had
figured out who I was? No, she didn’t
seem like the type. Why in the hell is
she so nervous?

“Have you lived here your whole

life, Vanessa?”

She looked me right in the eyes and I

couldn’t

help

but

notice

how

breathtaking she was. “I was born in a
small town just south of here.”

“That’s cool. I’m from Dallas,” I

offered.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “I

thought you said you just moved here
from New York?”

That made me chuckle a little bit, the

fact that she thought she had caught me
lying. “I did just move here from New
York, but I’m originally from Dallas. My
job is the reason I moved to New York,
just like my job is the reason I moved to
Oklahoma City.”

She blushed a little. “I’m sorry. I

guess I’m just used to being around
someone who isn’t very trustworthy.”

I wasn’t really sure how to take her

comment about untrustworthy people, but
for  some  reason,  I  felt  the  need  to
comfort  her.  Grabbing  her  hand,  I  said,
“Hey, it’s okay. You should probably be
a  little  skeptical  of  strangers.  And  I’m
sorry  you’ve  been  around  dishonest
people. You should probably ditch those

type of people from your life.”

“Thank you,” she said before

glancing  at  the  large  TV  mounted  to  the
wall.  Her  eyes  grew  really  big  and  I
noticed her glance at me, then back at the
TV.  I  knew  exactly  what  she  was  about
to ask.

Guarded is included with the novel

Defensive on Amazon:

http://authl.it/4g1

J.D. Rivera on social media:

http://facebook.com/writerjdrivera
http://twitter.com/writerjdrivera
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www.authorjdrivera.com

THE KISS

By Erica M. Christensen

CHAPTER ONE

“Addison, my dear, take a seat.” My

boss, Shelly Lewis, says while clicking
her obnoxiously long hot pink acrylic
nails onto her keyboard. I can’t
understand how people can willingly get
fake nails that are four inches long. It’s
just so gross to me. Shelly scoots back in
her leopard print leather swivel chair
and clasps her hands together. This is
going to be really good or really bad.

“I just wanted to let you know that

you’re one of the best employees that
we’ve ever had here...” Hell yes! I knew
it! It’s going to be really good.
Hopefully this means bitch face Brittany
is getting canned finally and I’m getting
promoted to the Marketing Director, but
if not, at least a raise that’s more than a
damn nickel would be fantastic.

“...I’m truly sorry to tell you this...”

Wait, what? That definitely escalated
quickly. “...Unfortunately we have to cut
back on staff due to the economy, and as
a result, your position is the first to be
eliminated. There aren’t any open
positions available for you at this time,
but I will contact you as soon as
something opens up.” My heart stops,

and my smile quickly fades.

“I’m sorry, Addison, I’m so very

sad to see you go. But on a brighter note,
you’re young and you’ll find something
easily!” Shelly gives me a warm smile,
pulls a tissue out of her fancy leopard
print covered tissue box, and hands it to
me.

Is this real life? I’m being laid off

from my job two weeks before
Christmas? This has to be some sort of
fucking joke.

“Well, thank you for giving me this

amazing opportunity. I loved working
with you, Shelly, and everyone else
here.” Tears start to fill my eyes. I grab
the tissue from her, pull a few more out
of the fancy box and walk out of her

office. Merry fucking Christmas to me. I
grab my cell and call my fiancé, Carlos.

“Carlos, baby! Can you come pick

me up from work, I have some terrible
news.” I sob uncontrollably. Carlos has
to come and pick me up because I got my
license taken away last weekend for
driving under the influence. This year is
obviously ending well; I just pray this
isn’t an indication of what the New Year
has in store for me.

“Uh yeah, I’m kinda tied up with

something right now. I, uh, I’ll be there
in...ugh—” he pants and grunts. I can
hear muffled moaning in the background,
like sexual moans, but it doesn’t sound
like a female’s muffled moans.

“Carlos, what the fuck are you

doing? Where are you?” I holler. I see a
taxi coming up and wave it down. “I’m
working out and I’m at home! I’ll be
there in thirty minutes—chill!” he shouts
back. None of this sounds right to me.
For one, Carlos never seemed too busy
for me when I called him before and he
definitely never put working out before
me. Two, he never fucking works out at
home, he always goes to the gym.

I hand the taxi driver $200 for a

five-mile drive so he’d hurry, and he
did. I had him drop me off halfway down
the block so Carlos wouldn’t hear a
vehicle pull in. I slip out of my heels and
power-walk into the house. I can still
hear moaning, groaning, and manly
screams. I storm up the white spiral

stairs to our bedroom and find my fiancé
face down, ass up, naked, while the pool
boy plows him from behind. This is
ludicrous!

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING

ME, CARLOS? WHAT IS THIS?” I
scream. The pool boy is startled and
falls off the bed, then hurries to grab his
clothes off the floor to cover him.
Carlos’s skin goes from a caramel
brown to a maraschino cherry red. He
frantically grabs the sheet and wraps it
around himself.

“Baby, it’s not what you think,”

Carlos says in his sexy Hispanic accent,
but I’m not falling for that shit.

“It’s not what I think? You were just

fucking our pool boy! How long has this

been going on? Jesus Christ, Carlos! I
can’t believe this. I can’t believe you!
We’re done!” I shout. Carlos tries to
comfort me by reaching his hand out to
grab my shoulder, but I push him away.
“We’re not done, Addison. No one will
know about this. You have a life anyone
would die for. I don’t give a fuck what
you do. Sleep with other men. I won’t
care, I promise. Do what you want,
Addison, but we can’t call off the
wedding. No one can know about this.
We have to get married! Please,
Addison! Whatever you want, you can
have it. Do you want those new Jimmy
Choo pumps you were telling me about?
Please, Addison! ANYTHING AND
IT’S YOURS!” he pleads.

I wipe the tears from my eyes.

“Why, Carlos? Why can’t anyone know
about this? Being gay is far more
accepted now. So why the fuck can’t
anyone know? Why would we still get
married?” I begin bawling
uncontrollably again.

“My dad can’t find out. If he finds

out I’m gay I will have nothing. He’ll
disown me, then fire me, and then I’ll
never inherit the real estate agency when
he dies. That company is my life,
Addison!” He starts to cry.

This was the first time I’ve ever

seen him cry and it makes my blood heat
to a rolling boil. We never fight, ever. So
I guess that’s why he’s never cried in
front of me. His cry face is repulsive. I

want to vomit. The sound of his crying
and pleading makes me want to Spartan
kick his ass straight out of the window. I
feel more hatred toward him than I do
toward my sad excuse of a father who up
and left my mom and me when I was
seven.

“No, Carlos! The wedding is off!

This is the lowest thing you could have
ever done to me. I trusted you. I loved
you; I was head over fucking heels in
love with you! Or maybe it was just the
materialistic shit that I loved because I
was completely drowned in it. I moved
here to start over and I ended up right
back where I was before. I’m not
pretending anymore. I’m not pretending
for you. I can’t. It’s over.” I glance at the

pool boy just sitting in the corner of the
room with his head between his legs as
if he’s embarrassed. I turn to walk out
the door.

“If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t

have anything! You’d still be sleeping on
couches at your random friends’ houses.
You wouldn’t have all of your Gucci or
Versace. You wouldn’t have shit,
Addison! YOU NEED ME AND I
NEED YOU!” Carlos shouts.

I turn back to look him in the eyes.

“I’m done. We’re done.”

“Please, Addison! Whatever you

want, you can have it! You name it and I
will buy it! No one has to know. We’ll
keep living how we’ve been living and
everything will be okay. Right? We can

do this, baby. You’re my best friend. I
still love you. Please, Addison, please!”

“You have destroyed me, Carlos.

You have no idea what you’ve done, and
you will regret fucking me over.” I take
my phone out and snap a picture of
Carlos, naked in the sheet, and the pool
boy, naked in the corner, and send it to
his dad.

“Oh no! Oh hell no, Addison! Give

me that phone. Don’t you dare send that
to my father! I swear to God, I will
throw you right back in the gutter I
picked you up out of! His voice shakes
and he clenches his fist.

“I’d rather look like I have nothing

and be loved and happy than look like I
have everything and be lonely and

miserable. So screw you and your
million-dollar house. Keep my Gucci
and Versace and everything else. I don’t
need it and I sure as hell don’t need you!
All I need are my jeans and cowgirl
boots.”

http://amzn.com/B0180999LS