Happy Thursday! I have a surprise for you today! If you haven't had a chance to read DEVOUR ME yet, I have the first chapter for you! You can dive into Mila and Roman's story below. :)
Don't get caught.
Never fall in love.
And steer clear of his daughter's friends.
The rules were easy enough for Roman Gregory...until Mila Lawson set out to break every single one of them.
When the twenty-two year old lands on the ATF agent's doorstep after a nasty breakup, he knows all too well that she's off-limits. At thirty-eight, he's almost twice her age, she's hurting, and the blonde bombshell is his daughter's best friend.
Mila knows all about wanting what she can't have. For four years, she's lusted after Talia McPherson's scary hot, terminally single father from afar. After walking away from her cheating ex and what she thought was her happily-ever-after, the last thing on her mind is jumping into a new relationship.
Until she find herself living with Roman in Santa Cruz...
Now all she can think about is making all those dirty fantasies come to life. With nothing left to lose, she makes him an offer he can't refuse: Two weeks of no-holds-barred sex. No strings. No commitments. No messy emotions.
Roman has no business agreeing to her insane proposition, but he does anyway.
He can't have her. He shouldn't even want her. But he's going to take her… and he has no intentions of stopping until she's his completely.
If there's one thing Roman knows for a fact, it's that he doesn't lose. Ever.
Chapter One
Mila
"Mila?"
I glance up from the pile of
used tissues on my lap and squint, trying to see through the tears blurring my
vision. My eyes are gritty and swollen, but Talia McPherson's face swims into focus
in the dimly lit room.
Her dark hair is in a messy
pile on top of her head, her hazel eyes clouded with concern as she surveys my
suitcases piled inside the living room. Her things are packed, too. Unlike me,
though, she's off to bigger and better things.
I packed my stuff in a hurry,
shoving items into my suitcases without rhyme or reason. I didn't want to be
home when my asshole of an ex got back. If I never see Damien Wentworth again,
it'll be too soon.
"Hey," I whisper,
dashing away the tears pooling in my eyes. My voice quivers, and I hate that I'm
crying over him.
"What did he do?"
Talia asks, dropping her purse beside the door and hurrying across the living
room toward me. She drops down onto the couch beside me and puts an arm around
my shoulders.
I rest my head against hers
and sigh. "I came home early and found him fucking Lizette in our
bed."
"Lizette? You mean your boss, Lizette?"
"Yep."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope." I squeeze my
eyes closed, trying to force out the image of my boyfriend's bare ass as he
thrusted into Lizette Hicks, our gray sheets twisted around them. I snort my
disgust. "I guess they've been sleeping together for a few months
now."
Ever since I introduced them
to one another at a cheesy Valentine's Day party. I thought they'd like each
other. It never crossed my mind that they'd jump into bed together.
"I'm going to kill
him," Talia seethes, practically growling the words as she squeezes me
tighter. "I'll rip his fucking balls off and feed them to him."
A choked laugh erupts from my
lips at her threat. Talia's not exactly intimidating. At five foot three and a
hundred and ten pounds, with long brunette hair and the face of an angel, she's
not even remotely close to scary. But if anyone would rip Damien's balls off
for me, she would. She's my best friend. She has been since we roomed together
our freshman year at Berkeley.
He's not even worth the
effort, though. He's not worth the two years I wasted on him either.
"He's been calling me all
day," I mumble when my cell begins to vibrate across the top of the coffee
table. I haven't answered. Everything that needs to be said between us has
been. I feel like an idiot though. How did I not know he was fucking my boss?
How did I miss something so big?
Talia reaches out and snatches
my phone from the table before glancing at the screen and swiping to answer.
She puts it on speaker so I can hear.
"What do you want?"
she snaps.
I cringe when Damien's voice
sounds on the other end. He sounds like a petulant, whiny child.
"I just want to talk to
her, Talia."
"No."
"Is she okay?"
"What do you think?"
she growls at him.
His heavy sigh echoes down the
line.
"Are you fucking kidding
me, Damien? You ask her to move in with you, and a week later you're fucking her boss in your bed? What in the hell
is wrong with you?"
"I screwed up," he
says.
"You think?" Talia
rolls her eyes, her full lips set in a grim line.
"I don't know what I was
thinking. You know I love her, Talia."
"Bullshit."
"Can I please come over
and talk to her?"
"Hell no."
"Please?"
"She doesn't want to talk
to you."
"Ever again," I
mutter.
"Ever again," she
repeats to him before wrapping her arm around me again.
"She can't avoid me
forever."
"Watch her," Talia
snaps and then hangs up on him. She huffs, dropping my phone onto the couch
beside her. "What an asshole."
"Yeah." I sigh,
mentally and emotionally drained.
"And Lizette can go
straight to hell, too. I cannot believe the two of them!"
Yeah, me neither. And I really
can't believe she fired me on the spot. My job wasn't glamorous by any means, and
Lizette could be a total nightmare, but working as her personal assistant was a
foot in the door to the publishing industry. She's one of the best acquisition
editors in the business. Now I have to start from the bottom all over again.
I shake my head, not sure if I'm
in shock or if I'm just too tired to function any longer.
"Can I crash in my old
room?" I ask.
"Like you even have to
ask," Talia says.
We sit in silence for a long
moment. I close my eyes and rest my head on her shoulder again. The last week
of my life has been a whirlwind. After graduating, moving in and then moving
back out of Damien's, exhaustion runs deep, all the way to my bones, I think.
"You know he's going to
show up here," she warns me.
"I know."
"Are you going to talk to
him?"
"Nope. I have nothing else
to say to him."
"What are you going to
do?"
What am I going to do? Moving in with Damien was supposed to be the
start of my post-college life. He was going to continue at the law firm while I
worked my way up at Dalton Books. We had all of these plans.
Now, I'm unemployed and
single. As if that weren't bad enough, with Talia moving to Sacramento with her
boyfriend in a matter of days, our shared apartment has already been rented to
someone else. I can't move back in here permanently, so I'm officially homeless now, too.
"You can come with me to
Sacramento," Talia offers.
"No, I can't." I
shake my head in denial. "I love you for offering, but you and Trent don't
need me underfoot."
"You know he won't mind.
He adores you."
"I know, but still."
Trent Bianco, Talia's boyfriend, just signed with the Sacramento Kings. They're
moving in together for the first time. As much as I love her for offering, they
deserve time to themselves.
Besides which, finding a
publisher in Sacramento willing to take me on would be next to impossible.
There simply aren't that many of them there. There aren't many in Berkeley
either. More than likely, I'll be moving to Los Angeles.
"Maybe I'll grab a hotel
room until I find something," I tell her.
Luckily, I'm not going to wind
up living on the streets. I'm not rich, but my mom's parents were close to it.
When I turned twenty-one, I received a hefty inheritance from their estate. I've
barely touched the money in the year since.
"My best friend is not living in a hotel," Talia says,
narrowing her eyes to glare at me.
"It'll be fine," I
say with a shrug. Living in a hotel for a few weeks can't be much worse than living
in a tiny dorm on campus for two years, right?
"Hell no." Talia
hops up from the couch and strides toward the front door before bending down
and grabbing her purse from the floor. She digs around for a minute before
walking back to me. "Here," she says, dropping something in my lap.
"What's this for?" I
ask, holding up a silver key on a plain keychain.
"My dad's condo in Santa
Cruz. You can stay there until you decide what you want to do."
"You can't just give me
the key to your dad's condo," I protest. I've spent quite a bit of time
around Roman Gregory over the years I've known his daughter, and I don't think
he'd appreciate having me take over his condo. He tends to avoid me, though I'm
not sure if he just doesn't like me, or if he knows I've always had a thing for
him. I've never quite figured him out.
He's sexy as hell, with messy
black hair, piercing blue eyes, the same gorgeous olive skin as his daughter,
and a body that should be illegal. He's massive, towering over just about
everyone else. Talia definitely didn't get her diminutive size from him. He's
honestly a little intimidating. Not just in size, though that's impressive
enough, but in the way he looks at me like he can see every dirty thought I've
ever had, and hasn't decided what he wants to do about them.
The way he watches me…I think
maybe he hasn't decided. Or maybe that's just the cop in him.
Either way, he's scary-hot and
kind of formidable. He intrigues me even though he probably shouldn't.
"Why not?" Talia
asks. "He's working a big case in Los Angeles, so he won't be getting away
anytime soon. The condo is just sitting there. Use it until you find something.
He won't care."
I hesitate, torn.
I don't want to just take over
Mr. Gregory's condo, but she's right. He works for the ATF and rarely ever gets
away from Los Angeles. Except for when he comes to visit her, the place is
vacant the rest of the year. And Damien will never think to look for me there. I
don't think he even knows about Mr. Gregory's condo. Plus, it's on the beach. I
can clear my head, get my shit together, and figure out a new plan for the rest
of my life. One that doesn't involve a cheater like Damien.
Determination fills me, wiping
away a little of the weariness clinging to my soul.
"I'll stay there," I
agree. "But only until I find something else."
"So, what do you think of
the condo?" Talia asks four days later.
"It's great, Talia.
Truly." I tip my head back and take a deep breath, my cellphone against my
ear. The fresh, salty scent of sea water assuages my senses, relaxing knots in
my neck and shoulders that I thought had taken up permanent residence there
over the last several days. Closing my eyes, I let my head loll, and listen to
the sound of waves breaking on the shore a few yards away. My toes sink into
the warm sand beneath my feet, relaxing me even further.
I stand in prolonged silence, reveling
in the peaceful feeling that settles over me before I turn away from the beach
and look up at the condo. The entire back of the house is sleek glass,
overlooking a massive patio and the small, private stretch of beach I'm
currently standing on. I haven't seen a single person on the beach since I've
been here. It's so much nicer than the crowded, public beaches I grew up
around.
"Mila? You still there?"
"Your dad's place is
amazing," I say softly into the phone, letting her know I'm still with
her.
"I'm really glad you like
it," she says, unable to hide the worry in her voice. "I know it's a
little rustic, being a bachelor pad and all."
"Are you kidding me? I
love it." I've only been here for a day and a half, and I already never
want to leave. The place isn't massive, and not anywhere near as fancy as half
of the homes I passed on my way here, but Mr. Gregory has phenomenal taste. The
condo is modern, with tons of natural light and soft colors. The place is secluded,
quite…exactly what I need to get over Damien. At the thought of him, a sliver
of anger pulses through me.
Sometime on the drive here
from Berkeley, the shock of finding him in bed with Lizette wore off. I'm
pissed. Furious with both of them. The feeling is oddly comforting. So is the
fact that I ghosted both of them, effectively cutting off all possible contact.
I changed my phone number and my email address and deactivated my Facebook and
Instagram accounts before I threw my bags into my new Dodge Charger and drove
away, leaving Berkeley, Damien Wentworth, and Lizette Hicks in the rearview
mirror.
"Do you need
anything?" Talia asks.
"No, I'm good." I
bend and scoop my wine glass up from the sand before making my way up the steps
onto the back deck and then through the sliding glass door and into the condo. Once
inside, I stop and take a look around, taking it all in again. I don't know how
I've never been here before, but it's beautiful.
The floors are all gleaming hardwood.
Soft, comfortable furniture rests on top of gorgeous white rugs. In the living
room, a massive television dominates the entertainment center, with various
game consoles arrayed beneath.
The kitchen is even more
modern, with stainless steel appliances and a huge marble-topped island. The glass
kitchen table sits in front of the wall of windows, overlooking the beach
below. The place is elegant but somehow simple at the same time. Uncomplicated,
unlike its owner. Despite being vacant for weeks now, the entire house is
spotless.
"Are you sure?"
Talia asks, recalling my attention. "Trent and I are only a couple hours
away. If you need company, he wouldn't mind if I–"
"Talia, I'm fine, really."
I laugh softly, and make my way into the kitchen to refill my glass. Sacramento
is more than just a couple hours away.
"You still need to unpack and get settled in. I'll be okay. I may have had
my heart broken, but I'm not going to fall to pieces. Damien isn't worth
it."
"No, he isn't," she
agrees, iron in her voice.
"How could I have been so
stupid, Tal?" I ask, grabbing the bottle of wine and popping the cork. My
hand trembles as another sliver of anger works its way through me. "I
wasted two years of my life on him, only for him to move me in and promptly
fall into bed with my boss." A bitter laugh cracks from my lips. "I
was an idiot."
"You were in love,"
Talia whispers.
"I was naïve. I was so
focused on the perfect future I'd envisioned, that I didn't even notice what
was going on right in front of me," I mutter before setting the bottle of
wine on the counter and taking a gulp from my glass. Truthfully, I'm not sure
if I was in love with him. I loved
him, but that isn't the same thing. I certainly don't miss him. Even before he
cheated on me, I never really missed him when we weren't together. I don't
think that's normal.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Blame yourself. He
cheated on you, Mila. You didn't do anything to deserve it. You didn't ask for
it. You aren't to blame. He is. And so is Lizette for being a monumental bitch,"
Talia practically growls into the line. "You were good to him, and he was
an idiot."
She's right. I know she is. So
why am I blaming myself? Because I'm an idiot too. That's why.
"You're right," I
groan, leaning back against the island. "This is completely on them, and I'm
not going to be the girl who blames herself and weeps and wails and asks why. I'm
young, I'm intelligent, and I'm moderately attractive."
"You're fucking
hot," Talia immediately interjects.
I smile for the first time in
days at her words. I'm thick and curvy, with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. I
try hard to stay in shape, but I also can't say no to chocolate, and it shows. That
doesn't really bother me. I'm comfortable in my own skin.
I take another sip of my wine
before continuing, "I'm not going to mope over him. I don't know what I'm
going to do, but definitely not that."
I've never been the girl who
wallows in self-pity. Even after my mom died and my dad turned to alcohol, I
didn't let myself wallow. I couldn't, and I'm not going to do it now either. I'm
stronger than that, and I've worked too hard to just give up on my dreams.
Maybe my future looks a little different now that Damien is out of the picture,
but I still have dreams. I just need to regroup and figure out how to reach
them without Damien and Lizette.
"I have an interview with
the Triton Agency at the end of the month," I tell Talia.
"In Los Angeles?"
"Yeah."
So far, they're the only literary
agency that's shown any interest in me. They're not at the top of my list since
they represent mostly fantasy and I'm more a romance kind of girl, but they're
a foot in the door since Lizette didn't pan out. I'm not going to let her and
Damien win. Screw both of them.
"I'm proud of you,"
Talia says, dragging my attention back to my phone. "You're going to nail
that interview, and Lizette and Damien can kiss your ass." She pauses.
"You really do deserve better than him anyway, Mila. You were way too good
for him. And sooner or later, you're going to find an amazing guy who will love
you like you deserve."
As far as I'm concerned, I'm
done with men for the foreseeable future. Between finding an apartment and a
job, I have enough to keep me occupied for a little while anyway. And
truthfully, Damien was my first real relationship. If more of that is what I
have to look forward to by dating, I'm staying single, thank you very much.
"Don't give up on finding
love," Talia responds when I tell her that. Naturally. She's head over
heels for Trent. She wants everyone to be as happy as she has been since he
swept her off her feet. "Maybe you'll find someone while you're in Santa
Cruz. You don't have to fall in love, but definitely have a wild fling before
you rush off to take L.A. by storm."
I tip my head back and laugh
at the thought. I've never had a fling in my life.
"Think about it. Hot
rebound sex," she says with a dreamy sigh.
"The only one you're
having sex with is me, babe," Trent grumbles in the background, causing
Talia to laugh. He says something else, his voice muffled, and then his deep
voice rumbles down the line. "She's gonna have to call you back,
Mila."
Talia moans, making it clear
she said that just to piss him off. He's possessive, and she loves every minute
of it. They can barely keep their hands off of one another.
"Have fun," I say with
a smile.
When the line disconnects, I
set my phone on the island and stand there for a moment, twisting my wine glass
back and forth in my hands. Talia may have been joking about rebound sex to
rile up Trent, but maybe that's exactly what I need to put Damien in the past. No-strings-attached,
dirty-hot sex.
"Yeah right," I
mumble with a shake of my head. "Like that'll ever happen."
***
Mila and Roman's story is available on AMAZON for .99c through 4/5! Free on Kindle Unlimited!
