His Curvy Stranger E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Knox
Her proposition was easy. One night. No names. No connection. Just a night to forget the outside world. 
I couldn’t say no to her. I didn’t want to. 
In the morning, she was gone. Just like she promised. I knew I wouldn’t see her again. 
Until she sat across from me the next night for our first date. 

Haley
If anyone can screw up a relationship, it’s gonna be me. I moved to a new town for the guy I’d been dating for almost a year, only to find out he was married with two teenagers. Then I had a one-night stand with the hot guy from the hardware store, and got paired with him on a dating app for a date the next night. 
After I told him I wasn’t looking for anything serious. 
I wasn’t, not really, but if I was going to stick around for a while, I might as well get to know the locals. Especially the ones who made me feel like there might be a place for me in this small town. 

Leseprobe

HIS CURVY STRANGER

A SMALL TOWN CURVY GIRL ROMANCE

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

BOOK 14

MARY E THOMPSON

His Curvy Stranger

Book Boyfriends Wanted, book 14

Copyright © 2023 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2022 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © -Robbie-

Cover background from depositphotos, Copyright © tomert (lights) and Milanares (blue)

Cover watercolor stripe from depositphotos, Copyright © ronedale

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-953879-59-2

Print ISBN: 978-1-953879-60-8

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-953879-61-5

Created with Vellum

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

There’s someone new in town, and MacKellar Cove has had a little trouble welcoming her in. But that’s okay. Small town living is all about nosy neighbors, new friends, and falling in love with your new home. And maybe a new man, too.

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Happy reading!

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

About the Author

For the ones who drew the short straw… That you know someone is out there cheering for you to show everyone exactly how badly they underestimated you.

1

HALEY

I waved to my last client of the day and pocketed the extra large tip she gave me. It was nice to feel appreciated. Especially by a woman who was not all that friendly to me when I moved to town nine months ago.

Small-town living was supposed to be fun and easy with people who looked out for each other and welcomed you in. Unless you were the other woman in a marriage that blew up on your arrival.

Some people were willing to listen to my side of things. Others… not so much.

“Where’s Debby?” a voice said from behind me.

I hadn’t even heard the door open. I spun, the broom in my hand like a weapon to fend off the woman standing just inside the salon. Her pursed lips and seventies feathered hairstyle were bad enough, but the way she clutched her purse like she expected me to steal it and the daggers that shot from her eyes when she cast her glance through me made my spine stiffen and my eyes water.

Not that I’d let her see that.

“Debby’s already gone for the day. She must not have realized you had an appointment,” I said, pouring on the sweetness and adding a forced smile that probably showed too much teeth and definitely hurt my jaw.

Madeline huffed like it was a personal aggression that Debby wasn’t there. “I don’t have an appointment, but I have an event tonight. I thought she’d be here. I’ve been a customer most of my life, and if I can’t count on her to be available when I need her, why am I so loyal?”

I pressed my lips together before a nasty retort spilled out. Loyalty didn’t mean complete control of another person’s schedule, but clearly Madeline didn’t agree with that. “I would be happy to help you.”

The sneer started with her back going ramrod straight. She turned to face me, meeting my gaze for the first time since she walked in. Her brown eyes widened for half a second before they narrowed and assessed me.

My jeans were comfortable and fashionable, and my top hugged my ample curves in a way I thought was flattering when I chose it. My hair was tied up in a ponytail that hung between my shoulder blades, out of my way and off my neck for long days on my feet in a shop that was far too warm for me and all my curves.

I thought I looked good when I walked out the door that morning. But the disdainful, dismissive look in Madeline’s eyes said I was frumpy at best and disgusting to a woman like her.

Feathered hair aside, of course.

“No. I’d rather not have you get your hands on me. Might infect my marriage like you did poor Valentina’s.”

And there it was. The truth of my life since relocating to MacKellar Cove. I was a homewrecker. And Madeline was one of the many who had zero intention of every letting me forget it.

The desire to defend my actions burned inside me, but she was a client. My boss’s client. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t another salon around for thirty miles, Madeline was the type of person who would poison the town, and Debby, against me and make my life an even worse living hell.

“I’d be happy to schedule an appointment for you with Debby,” I said, shoving down the pain and reaching deep for kindness.

“I already have an appointment scheduled for next week.” Madeline huffed her way to the door and shoved it wide open, not bothering with another word. She slid her sunglasses into place and hiked her handbag up onto her shoulder, then held her head up high and sauntered off.

I was not going to cry.

I was not going to cry.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, walking to the door and flipping the lock before anyone else came in.

Dammit.

Every time Madeline came in, she made comments about me. Quietly, and only to Debby, but she still made them. I wasn’t sure if she thought she was quiet enough that I couldn’t hear her or if she knew I could, but it never mattered. I knew what she thought of me, and I knew my boss did little to defend me. Even though Debby heard the whole story.

I needed to get out of my head and stop worrying about what these people thought of me. I had met some pretty great people since I moved to MacKellar Cove, including Valentina. I wasn’t sure I’d say we were friends, but we didn’t hate each other. I carried a truckload of guilt for sleeping with her husband, but even though I never knew he was married. I never even suspected he was.

Which only added more guilt and shame, but it was the truth.

A ding brought my attention to my phone instead of the spiral I was sliding down like a kid on a playground. I shook my head and half expected a social media notification or something equally mundane, but this made me smile.

HandyNotHandsy

I can’t wait to see your smile in person. Are we still on for tomorrow night?

My heart fluttered. Damn. Actually fluttered. It had been almost three months since we started chatting. At first, I was not willing to talk to another man. Being the other woman was painful. Not just finding out I was his side-piece, but ending a relationship I thought was going somewhere. I uprooted my entire existence. I moved to a new town. I changed jobs and left behind friends and planned a future with a man who had no intention of being with me long term.

And I had to choke down all that pain because I wasn’t his wife. I was the woman he cheated with. She’d been married to him for decades, so her pain and heartbreak took priority over mine.

I didn’t resent her for it. I resented him. He was the one who screwed us both, and screwed us both over. He was the one to blame for everything, even though I shouldered most of the blame. He skipped town as soon as I showed up. Never reached out. Never spoke to me again. Divorced Valentina and pretended I didn’t exist.

Not that I wanted contact with him. Nope. Cheating was a clean, sharp line for me. A line he made me cross. I hated him for it, almost as much as I hated myself.

Trying again was hard. I didn’t trust myself anymore. I didn’t trust men, either, but before Dawson the cheater, I trusted myself. I thought I had good instincts about people. After, I knew that wasn’t the case.

Which was why it took me so long to agree to meet HandyNotHandsy. His name made me laugh, and the understanding that he respected women made me think maybe he could be trusted. Maybe not. Maybe it was a ploy. But dammit, I wanted him to be a good guy.

SingleMenWanted

Looking forward to tomorrow.

I debated saying more, but I hit send and closed the app. Getting to know the details about another person happened over time. Warning him no one in town liked me would only put the brakes on whatever things could be before they even got started.

It was time to move on. To let go of my mistake and forgive myself.

Or at least to try.

I finished cleaning the salon and went out the back door. Light snow was drifting to the ground, accumulating in small mounds a few inches deep. I was grateful I’d driven that morning. February usually meant lots of snow, but the last few days had been surprisingly mild. I only lived a few minutes from the salon, but walking home in a foot of snow that fell during my workday was not fun.

Ask me how I knew.

I grabbed my handbag from the seat beside me and headed inside, ready for my sweats and a large glass of wine. I yanked open the heavy door to my building and stepped inside just as a gust of wind caught the door and flung it open. I grabbed it, tugging against the wind to close the door, sighing when it slammed shut.

“Rough out there?”

I spun and found my first friend in town. Sofia Frank was the maintenance manager for the building I lived in. She was sweet and welcoming and had become a good friend since I got to MacKellar Cove.

“All of a sudden, it seems to be.”

“Yay for me,” Sofia said, changing places with me in the hall as she walked toward the door I just fought to get inside. “I have to grab a flapper for the toilet in four-b, but do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

I adored Sofia, but there were days when I really wanted to be alone. I’d never known another person to understand that the way she did, which only made us better friends. “I think I need a night alone. Madeline came in right as I was about to close looking for Debby.”

“Who was already gone since it’s Thursday and Debby leaves early on Thursdays.”

“Yep, but Madeline didn’t care. I offered to help, but—”

“She made you feel like crap,” Sofia finished for me.

I sighed and nodded. Sofia had lived in MacKellar Cove long enough to understand the inner-workings of the town. She helped me navigate it all, including warning me about some of the women I’d meet working at the salon.

When I signed my contract with Debby to rent the chair for a year, it came with a client list from the previous stylist. Theresa retired a few months before I arrived, and her former clients were being mostly handled by the three part-time stylists at Teased by Debby. A few of them had been absorbed onto Debby and Chelsea’s, the other full-time stylist, client list, but most were squeezed in when they could get appointments. When I started, those clients were directed toward me.

Not all of them were thrilled with the option. Sofia helped me to ease the tensions with them and make sure they knew I wasn’t in town to steal everyone’s husband. Or anyone’s.

“I’m sorry, Haley. Shit. I thought this would all be over by now.”

I shook my head. “It’ll never be over for some people. But there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m just going to enjoy a very large glass of wine and watch a movie that makes me believe love exists before my date tomorrow night.”

“Date? What? You didn’t tell me that!” Her grin was as big as mine.

“I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but we’ve been talking for a while. He seems nice.”

“Okay, then lunch Saturday? You can tell me all about your date.”

I nodded. “Sounds good. It’s my one Saturday off this month.”

“I’m on call, but I’m always on call. I—” Her phone vibrated and sang, drawing her attention. “Hang on. I need to answer this.” She tapped the screen to answer the call. “This is Sofia.”

I heard the frantic voice from where I stood. The person on the other end of the line definitely needed help, and needed it now.

“I’ll be right there,” Sofia said. “Give me ten minutes, maybe less.”

More frantic shouting had Sofia checking her watch and shaking her head. “I understand. But if you’ve turned off the water, it’ll be okay. I am not ignoring what you need, but I’m—”

She closed her eyes as the shouting ramped up.

I tapped Sofia’s shoulder. She lifted her gaze to me and raised her eyebrows. “I can pick up what you need from the hardware store if it’ll help.”

She tilted her head like she thought I was joking. She pulled the phone away from her ear and tapped the mute button before asking, “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Just text me what you need. Whatever that is sounds urgent.”

She groaned. “Mrs. Watson’s dishwasher leaked all over her kitchen. And the cycle never finished, so it’s still full of dirty water and dishes.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That sounds like a mess.”

“Yeah, it is.” She held up a finger and tapped to unmute the phone. “I’ll be right there, Mrs. Watson. I’m heading your way right now.”

Whatever the reply was didn’t reach my ears, but Sofia hung up.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? The store is closing in ten minutes. I only need the flapper, but the toilet in four-b has been leaking for a week, so I promised Mr. Maxwell I’d fix it first thing in the morning.”

“I got it. Not a problem. I’ll leave the bag on your door so you have it for the morning.”

Sofia blew me a kiss and hurried toward the stairs. “Thank you. I owe you. Lunch Saturday is on me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

She shook her head. “And you don’t have to help me out, but you are. Thank you, Haley. So much. I’ll see you Saturday. I hope your night gets better.”

“Thank, Sofia. You, too!”

Her mirthless laughter followed her up the stairs.

I’d never been to Al’s Hardware before, but I knew where it was. I’d driven by it a few times, but living in an apartment and having zero maintenance skills meant I didn’t do anything even remotely requiring a trip to a hardware store.

I parked on the street out front and hurried to the door, getting there just as the guy inside was getting ready to flip the open sign to closed.

“Wait, please. I only need one thing. I promise I’ll be quick. I know exactly where to go.”

The guy raised one dirty blond eyebrow and gave me a look that said he definitely did not believe me.

“Okay, fine. I have no idea where to go. But I really do need only one thing.”

“Is this one of those I only need one thing, but it’s really a collection of things that’s going to mean I’m open an hour later than I planned?”

The smile he gave me softened the words, even though the words were delivered in a teasing tone. A deep, rich, smooth, teasing tone that had all my long-neglected parts quivering.

Going without sex for months was definitely not good for me.

“Well, I’m happy to take my time if you’re looking for an excuse to keep me here that long.”

He chuckled, his hand coming up to rub his beard. The scratchy sound vibrated along my nerves and sent more shivers through me.

I hadn’t been so drawn to a man since the day I met Dawson. I was a sucker for a man who was funny and sweet with a side of sexy thrown in. Dawson capitalized on the sweet when he changed my flat tire, then added sexy with his bulging muscles and asking me out for a drink.

This guy was funny. Charming and sexy and so very tempting.

“I think I’d be a fool if I passed up a chance to spend more time with a beautiful woman. Especially one who knows how to talk her way into the store as I’m about to close up for the night.” He stepped back to let me into the store, the door closing softly behind us.

I grinned, looking up at him from under my lashes in a way I knew was tempting and sexy. “I wonder what else I could talk you into.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

I shrugged. No man had hit on me since I moved to town. Sure, the men I knew were either clients, married to clients, or in committed relationships with the women I’d started to call my friends, but still. This man in front of me was like water in a desert. He probably wasn’t real, but I was willing to use my last bit of energy to throw myself his way.

“One night,” I said, willing myself to hold on to the boldness I felt slipping through my fingers like sand. “No names. No future plans. Just one night.”

He crossed his thick arms and leaned back against the counter, eyeing me. His gaze trailed down my body, snagging and skipping before returning to meet mine.

He arched an eyebrow. “One night?”

I nodded.

“Why no names?”

“We don’t know each other. We clearly don’t travel in the same circles. I’m not looking for anything serious.”

“Why don’t we know each other?”

I shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“Are you involved with someone? Married or engaged?” His gaze went to my bare left hand.

“No. I’ve never been either, and I don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend. You?”

“Same.”

“So?”

He studied me for another long moment. “Any other conditions?”

I thought about his question, then nodded. “Two. One, you sell me a flapper for a toilet, whatever that is.”

He chuckled. “I can do that. And the second?”

“We go to your place. I’ll be gone by morning.”

He eased away from the counter and uncrossed his arms. He extended one hand to me, waiting until I slid my hand against his before he said, “Deal.”

2

KNOX

I watched her out of the corner of my eye while we walked the aisles of the store. She looked vaguely familiar, but I knew for a fact she’d never been into Al’s Hardware before. She did not look like the type of woman who would be getting her hands dirty, and I definitely would have remembered her if she’d ever set foot in my store.

I stopped in front of the toilet flappers, wondering if she was going to actually buy one or not. Of all the things to need, this had to be the least sexy. A woman in a tool belt? Hell yes. A woman who knew how to use those tools? Oh yeah. But fixing a toilet was the least desirable task for most homeowners and maintenance workers.

“Is there a difference between them?” she asked.

She was actually studying them. Guess she was there to buy one.

“No. It’s a pretty standard part. I’d go with this one just because it’s universal, unless you have a specific brand you need.”

She shook her head, that long ponytail curling over one shoulder with the move. I couldn’t wait to wrap my hand around it and find out if it was as soft and silky as it looked. “I don’t think so. This should be fine.”

There was something she wasn’t saying. Something that made me think she wasn’t shopping for herself. I was probably playing with fire by asking, but I had to know… “Are you sure you’re single?”

She blanched, fumbling the flapper and nearly dropping it. She clutched it to her chest and leveled me with a glare. “I’m pretty sure I would know if I were involved with someone.”

“You don’t seem to know what you’re buying. If you were here to get this for yourself, you probably wouldn’t be unsure about it.”

She shook her head. “I’m helping out a friend. She couldn’t get here before you closed, and I said I’d run over.”

I nodded. That made more sense. “Got it.”

“I don’t cheat.” The vitriol in her voice told me there was more to the story than she was letting on. But she said no names, and no tomorrow, so I didn’t have the right to push for more. As long as I wasn’t going to get a jealous significant other banging on my door.

“Good.”

I gave her a bag for the flapper and waved off her offer to pay. She had cash, but it felt awkward to accept money from a woman right before I slept with her.

“I really hope the sex is worth more than the five dollars this thing would cost me.”

I snorted a shocked laugh. “I was just thinking it felt sleazy to accept payment from you.”

“And like I said, I hope you’re better than five dollars and a free toilet flapper.”

I stalked around the edge of the counter, keeping my gaze locked on her face. I loved a woman who could hold her own in a conversation, in bed, and in the world around her. This one already proved two out of three, and I was ready to show her the way to my bed.

I didn’t stop when I got around to her side of the counter. It was hard enough to keep my hands off her from the moment she forced her way into the store. Now that her business was done, it was time for pleasure.

I grabbed her ponytail and tugged, her lips parting with surprise just in time for my mouth to seal over them. I pressed my tongue inside, getting a moan from her at the first slide of my tongue against hers.

She didn’t stand there and take it, though. Hell no. This woman was an active participant, and she kissed me right back. Her tongue dueled with mine. Her hands slid up my chest until she reached my neck. She didn’t stop there and dragged her fingernails into my beard.

Damn. I didn’t know that could feel so fucking good.

I groaned and pressed my body against hers, letting her know just how much I wanted her. She pressed right back.

My greedy side wanted to lift her onto the counter and have her right there, but I wanted to see her in my bed. Even if it was just for one night, I needed that memory.

I pulled away from her, grabbed the bag she’d dropped to the floor, and took her hand. She didn’t resist or question me, just hurried in those fuck-me boots after me toward the back of the store.

I flipped the switched to turn off all the lights up front, then unlocked the door between the store and my apartment. Then I had her back in my arms.

She spun us and pressed me against the door. I smirked at the force of her, throwing her weight around and getting what she wanted.

And thank God, what she wanted was my dick in her hand.

“Fuck,” I hissed when she wrapped her fingers around me. She hadn’t even bothered to unzip my jeans. Not that I was complaining.

She stroked me in short, impatient jerks, her movements restricted. I unzipped my jeans and shoved them down my hips until my cock sprung free.

I saw fucking stars when she squeezed and pumped her hand along the entire length of my erection.

“Marry me,” I teased her.

She laughed, like I hoped she would.

I pulled her lips back to mine and kissed her like I had nothing to lose. Because I didn’t. Our chemistry was off the damn charts, but that was all. One night. Let off some steam. Move on.

As we kissed, I moved her toward my bedroom. My place was small, one bedroom with one bathroom, a kitchen that barely counted, and a living room big enough for a couch and a TV. I loved it, though, because I put my hands on every inch of the place and made it my own.

I didn’t bother with lights when we got to the bedroom, opting for the soft glow of the rising moon to highlight her. I reached for her jacket, then lifted her shirt, getting my hands on her bare skin for the first time. It was soft and smooth and warm. Her full breasts heaved over the edge of her green lace bra. I bent down, erasing the six inches between us, and licked the upper swell of her breast.

Her hands went into my hair and held me in place as she lifted her breasts and pressed herself against my mouth. I tugged the cup down and captured her nipple, biting lightly before I licked it.

“Oh, God, yes,” she moaned.

I loved a woman who wasn’t afraid to tell me what she liked, and this one was already getting vocal.

I nudged the bra straps off her shoulders and released both breasts, alternating between them until she was panting and hanging on the edge of an orgasm. Fucking hell, she was stunning.

“Please,” she whispered.

My hands went to her jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping as quickly as I could. Her hands brushed mine aside, shoving her jeans and panties down while I moved my hand between her thighs.

She was wet and warm and ready for me, her hips jerking with the first brush of my fingers. I couldn’t go slow, and I couldn’t give her time to adjust. I needed to feel her come around my fingers.

I plunged two inside her, dragging my thumb over her clit, and she let go. Her shout was full of praise and demands for more. Her channel tightened around my fingers as she coated my hand and her body begged for more.

My cock pulsed, needing to get in on the action, but I wasn’t ready to stop just yet. I pressed a third finger into her and pumped them in and out quickly. Her jeans kept her from spreading her thighs wider, and the restriction seemed to send her over the edge faster.

She whimpered and hung off me like her bones had turned to liquid. I held her with one arm, careful not to touch her nice clothes with the hand that had been inside her. I walked her to the bed and wiped my hand on my jeans before letting them fall at my feet. I put my hands on her jeans, meeting her gaze for approval.

“You just made me come twice. I think modesty has gone out the window here.”

I laughed with her and eased her jeans and panties down her legs. I stopped when I reached her boots, untied those and tossed all of it to the floor. When I looked back at her, she’d discarded her bra and was beautifully naked on my bed.

“Damn,” I whispered.

Her gaze slid down to my cock. “Same.”

I chuckled. I never thought of myself as all that impressive, but I’d also never whipped it out and compared myself to other men. Besides, the size of another man’s dick never mattered to me. All that mattered was if the woman I was sliding into was happy with my performance. So far, I hadn’t had any complaints.

She eased herself up the bed to lie on the pillows while I dug into my nightstand for a condom. I made a mental note that I had five more in there, but I didn’t take them out. I didn’t want to be too presumptuous, although I was not opposed to using a few more before she hightailed it out of my place and disappeared into the night.

I crawled onto the bed over her, settling myself between her widespread thighs. She smiled at me, a connection between strangers who were sharing something special.

I held myself still with one hand and pressed into her. She let out a moan, her body resisting me as it tried to pull me in. Back and forth, push and pull, we moved together until I sank all the way into her and our bodies rested against each other.

“How in the hell did it feel so good before you even really did anything?” she whispered.

I swallowed back my own need to let go and nodded. “I was wondering the same thing.”

“I’m not sure I’m going to survive the night if this is how good it is already.”

“Then I guess we better get started so I have time to call you an ambulance.”

She chuckled and squeezed her pelvic muscles.

I groaned, the tightening around my dick making me see stars.

“It sounds like I’m not the only one who’s going to need medical assistance.”

“Death by orgasm. I’m willing to risk it.”

She slid her hands up my chest and met my gaze. “Me, too.”

I eased back and slowly pushed into her. We stared at each other, watching the other for cues as we slowly built up the tension and passion between us. Her eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted in a silent moan, and I thrust a little harder into her.

She lifted her thighs and brought her knees up alongside my hips, widening her entrance so I slid deeper into her. We both moaned, and I went faster.

Sweat trickled down my spine and beaded on my forehead. Droplets appeared between her breasts. We both held back, resisting the pull toward the edge, wanting the moment to last.

“Please,” she whispered. That one word again, her waving the white flag and needing to fall.

I slammed in harder, changing the angle just enough that her core clenched tight and her body flushed red. I watched her breasts rock with my movements, and I couldn’t stop myself from pounding into her, losing my mind as I lost my battle to stay in control.

She cried out and moaned, her body tightening just before she let go. I swore as I followed her, just a few seconds later, unable to stop the racing need to come with her.

She reached up for me, her fingers once more going to my beard. The gentle tug of her fingertips and the scrape of her nails sent a tingle down my spine that had my cock twitching and hardening again before it even had a chance to fully soften.

I collapsed onto her, my muscles shaking and my body wrung out. She wrapped her legs around me and held me to her, neither of us speaking for a few minutes as we fought to catch our breath.

My breathing finally slowed, and I rolled off her. I had to get rid of the condom, but before I did, I wanted to look into her eyes and make sure she was good.

She forced her brown eyes open and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“Better than I’ve been in months.”

I smiled and nodded once, then went to the bathroom. I trashed the condom and washed my hands. She hadn’t moved from her spot on the bed, but her gaze followed me.

“You’re welcome to the bathroom, and whatever else you need.”

“Bathroom first. Then I think I need more of you.”

My cock twitched, hearing the praise and ready to accept his prize.

She grinned. “Glad to see you’re on board.”

“Absolutely.”

* * *

I wanted to know more about her, but I fought the urge to ask. We agreed to one night, so I kept my mouth shut. Maybe someone would know who she was and I could run into her somewhere. Although, my guess was she didn’t live in MacKellar Cove. If she did, I would know who she was.

While she was in the bathroom, I grabbed bottles of water. We chugged them, then went for round two. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been reluctant to let a woman out of my bed. I enjoyed sex, but I had gotten sick of sex without a connection. Even without knowing anything about this woman, I felt the connection.

Sometime after round three, we laid in the dark, panting and lazily touching each other. She whispered, “I’m glad I met you.”

“Me, too,” I told her.

She curled up against me, her body warm against my side. I wrapped an arm around her and let the lazy patterns she drew on my stomach lull me to sleep.

My alarm blared to life, scaring me upright in search of my phone. I found it on my nightstand and turned off my alarm, but I already knew she was gone.

The sheets were cold, and there was no trace of her except the three condoms in the trash and the second empty bottle of water on my nightstand.

She lived up to her end of the deal. I couldn’t help but wish she hadn’t.

I stomped around my apartment, grouchy and pissed off, as I got ready for my day. When I walked into the store, I found a five-dollar bill on the counter with a note.

Definitely worth a hell of a lot more than this.

I smiled and pocketed the note, then unlocked the front door and started my day.

3

HALEY

The lease on my entry table mocked me. Who knew something inanimate could do such a thing? But it did. It sat there and stared at me, judging and demanding.

I only had three months left on my lease. Less than that to decide if I was staying or leaving.

But I had no clue what I wanted to do.

I moved to MacKellar Cove with such hope and excitement. It all crashed and burned the second Valentina opened the door and I realized my boyfriend wasn’t who I thought he was. At all. At that point, I had no choice. I’d signed a one-year lease on my apartment and a one-year lease on the chair I rented in the salon. Getting out of both would have cost more than I had available.

I’d checked. In that lease. Daily, for months. Just in case it had changed. Even after I gave up on leaving town immediately, I left the lease on the table, a reminder that I was temporary in MacKellar Cove.

But in three months, I could be free. Find a new town that didn’t know me as a homewrecker. That didn’t judge me for something I never knew.

Leaving meant starting over again. Not just finding a new place to live and work, but finding new friends.

My eyes watered at the thought. Dammit. I expected to meet new people, but I never expected to be welcomed in like I was. Especially by my ex-boyfriend’s wife. Ex-wife now. Valentina never let anyone say anything about me. She defended me from the beginning. Said we were both victims of Dawson’s lies.

I’d never be able to repay her kindness. She didn’t have to do that. But it showed me the kind of people who called MacKellar Cove home.

Well, some of them. Madeline and some of the other ladies at the salon clearly didn’t agree with Valentina and blamed me for everything.

Which was part of why I hadn’t been able to decide what I wanted to do. I had two months to either sign a new lease or let Sofia know I was moving out.

The lease reminded me constantly. Like a timer ticking down to the end of my life in MacKellar Cove.

I groaned and tossed my keys on top of the lease. I needed a few more hours of sleep, and a few more weeks of ignoring it, before I could make a rational decision. That and to not smell like sex with a gorgeous stranger. He was enough to tempt me into staying, but sex with a stranger was what got me to where I was. I couldn’t let it influence anymore of my choices.

After a few hours of sleep and a very large cup of coffee, I felt more like myself. I considered going out and getting something to eat, but I didn’t want to risk running into someone who would burst my bubble. I had my first in person date in a few hours. With HandyNotHandsy from Book Boyfriends Wanted. I was going to ride my post-sex high to the date and get to know a man who made me laugh and reminded me I was desirable.

I took a long shower and scrubbed every inch of myself. Not that my date was going to get up close and personal with me, but I didn’t want to walk in smelling like another man. Or feeling his very talented hands on my skin.

When I got out, my phone dinged with a new alert.

HandyNotHandsy

Only a few more hours until we meet in person. Hopefully I get to see that smile.

My lips curled up at his words. He made me laugh more than any man I’d ever had contact with. If I wasn’t wounded from Dawson, I probably would have met this guy a while ago, but I was afraid.

No. I was chickenshit. I worried he’d judge me like others did. That he’d take one look at me and walk away because I was responsible for another man cheating on his wife.

SingleMenWanted

Maybe you already have. I keep wondering if we know each other.

HNH

Small town life. We might. But I’m happy we met here. I feel like I already know you.

SMW

Same.

HNH

Hopefully that’s a good thing.

SMW

It is.

HNH

Good. Then before I screw this all up, I’m going to tell you I’ll be at a booth wearing a black shirt and jeans. I’ll have a daisy on the table for you.

SMW

Daisies are my favorite!

HNH

I know. You told me once. I’ll see you tonight.

I sighed and clutched my phone to my chest. No one had ever brought me flowers before. It was small, and it was a way for me to find him, so I tried not to let it go to my head, but it convinced me I’d made the right choice meeting him. I really didn’t think men like him existed.

Two hours later, I was dressed in jeans and a flirty orange top. My hair was curled and fell in loose waves over my shoulders. I grabbed my sparkly black handbag and headed for O’Kelley’s.