Torrid Exposure - Book 2 E-Book

Carla Coxwell

• Herausgeber: Revelry Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Book 2 of the Torrid Exposure New Adult Romance Series

A Billionaire New Adult Romance Story

April is trying to deal with a family crisis but her growing feelings for Bennett keep complicating matters.

***Due to sexually graphic content and language that some may find offensive, this book is intended for mature readers only***

April is shocked to find Bennett kissing another woman. What takes her even more by surprise are the sudden feelings that swell up in her at the sight. As she takes off with Emily to get away from him, she ends up falling farther down the rabbit hole than ever before.

As April struggles to figure out where she stands with Bennett and resolves to stay away from him, her father falls ill. Sucked back into the family affair that she has wanted to shake off, April comes face to face with her crumbling relationship with Spencer and learns more about what happened the night of her car accident.

April toes the line between taking care of her father and not getting involved with the family’s company. As she tries to juggle her blossoming photography career, her father’s health and her relationship with Bennett, she finds that life is growing more complicated than ever.

Will April be able to stay on top of everything going on in her life and be able to keep her head on straight? Or will family ties drag her down past the point of no return?

Download the story to find out what happens.

Leseprobe

WARNING

This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults ONLY.

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Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.

Copyright 2017 by Revelry Publishing

All Rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher.

DISCLAIMER

This book is a work of FICTION. It is not to be confused with reality. Neither the author nor the publisher or its associates assume any responsibility for any loss, injury, death or legal consequences resulting from acting on the contents in this book. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Every character in this book is over 18 years of age. The author’s opinions are not to be construed as the opinions of the publisher. The material in this book is for entertainment purposes ONLY. Enjoy.

Other Books by Carla Coxwell:

Devil's Advocate BBW MC New Adult Romance Series

When Kristie comes home from college, the last thing she is expecting is her world to be turned upside down by the appearance of her step-brother, Gray. Gray is rash, impulsive and breaks the law. Kristie’s mom asks if she can try to befriend Gray, in hopes to get him on the straight and narrow. The plan backfires, however, as Kristie finds herself falling for Gray. Is it possible he feels the same way? The connection between them threatens to tear down everything Kristie has ever held dear.

Fifty Recipes For Disaster New Adult Romance Series

Trying to win a competition for best chef is cut-throat business. Kiara Sands has just won the opportunity of a lifetime. When she arrives at Fission, she has no idea just how much her life is going to change. She’s immediately introduced to Jenny Foster and Robbs Martin, her competitors in the cut throat competition. The only thing Kiara finds more distracting than Robbs’ hateful attitude is the handsome executive chef, Paul Weston. It doesn’t help matters that Paul is quite taken by Kiara, and showers her with more attention than he gives her competitors.

Star Bright New Adult Romance Series (This series follows “Fifty Recipes For Disaster New Adult Romance Series”)

Torn between her feelings for her agent, Jon, and Rich, a charming bad boy who has ties in the movie industry, Jenny finds herself working through her own past to try to get a grip on her present. As she struggles to learn the lesson that in Hollywood not everyone is what they appear to be, Jenny tries to become a person that she can be proud of. Will she be able to find love and success in Hollywood? Or will she be dragged down by her past forever?

Obsessed Bounty Hunter Romance Series

Jacqui Schneider couldn't help it. Every time the memories of her family's brutal murder haunted her, she had to escape. The only thing that could replace her sorrow was sex... and lots of it. Depressed and with no goal in sight, Jacqui continued on with her self-deprecating lifestyle until it all changed one day. Uncle Max, an old family friend, appeared unannounced. Jacqui was astonished when Uncle Max revealed a secret to her about her father. From those few words, Jacqui's world turned completely upside down. She really didn't know her own father. In fact, she didn't even know much about Uncle Max, except that he visited them for a few days at a time over the years.

Get the latest update on new releases from the author at:

https://www.carlacoxwell.com/newsletter

This book is Part Two of the “Torrid Exposure New Adult Romance Series”

Book 1

April is finished with school and ready to build a career. Coming from a well-to-do family, she has decided to reboot her life completely. With family scars too deep to mend, April craves a fresh start. But the past is harder to shake than April ever would have imagined. At the center of it all is Bennett, an old family friend who is the heir to a billionaire media mogul company. Bennett and April haven’t been able to stand each other since they were kids. But as the world shifts, the two of them discover the past might be the key to their future.

Book 2

April is shocked to find Bennett kissing another woman. What takes her even more by surprise are the sudden feelings that swell up in her at the sight. As April struggles to figure out where she stands with Bennett and resolves to stay away from him, her father falls ill. April toes the line between taking care of her father and not getting involved with the family’s company. Will April be able to stay on top of everything going on in her life and be able to keep her head on straight? Or will family ties drag her down past the point of no return?

Book 3

April has discovered her sister's darkest secret that has kept their relationship on the rocks since her near-fatal car accident. After learning of her father’s death, she suddenly feels as if she has lost her one ally in her family. All she has left is her promise to her father that she will make things right with her sister, Spencer. As April refuses to give up and dives head first into discovering the past, she also falls deeper in with Bennett, the billionaire heir to a far reaching media corporation.

Book 4

April’s world is rocked when she discovers the truth behind the night of her accident. Her sister, Spencer, has deep secrets of her own. Both involve a man they have known since they were kids – Kevin, Bennett’s father and the owner of a billionaire media corporation. April is determined to help her sister break free of Kevin’s clutches and repair their relationship. She wants to help Bennett see that he can stand on his own two feet without needing to bow down to the whims of his father. Can Bennett protect his father without losing April?

Book 5

With Spencer’s daughter, Aria, missing and Kevin hot on their trail, April feels as if things have flown completely off the rails. After Kevin lies and tells Bennett that April was kissing Anderson, she finds herself struggling to plan out her next move. Will Bennett help her work against his own father or will he be more concerned about the company? April must put the pieces of her life story together before it is too late to take down a mad billionaire and his lust for power but will the target on her back prove to be deadly?

A New Adult Romance Series

Torrid Exposure

Book Two

By Carla Coxwell

Copyright Revelry Publishing 2017

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Other Books by Carla Coxwell

About the Author - Carla Coxwell

Connect with Carla Coxwell

Chapter One

FOR A few seconds, the fact that some woman is kissing Bennett does not register with me. Emily is babbling in my ear but I don’t hear her. I just feel a surge of emotions that leave me feeling breathless.

The woman ends the kiss and tilts her face slightly toward him as he is looking down at her but his expression is blank. Emily tugs my arm hard, asking me something. I don’t want to see anymore.

“Hey,” Emily cries out, “who is that chick he’s making out with?”

She is so loud that even over the music, Bennett hears her. At the last second, as I turn around to tug Emily away, he looks up. I feel his eyes land on me but I am already facing away from him, anxious not to speak to him. I can’t even sort out what I am feeling right now.

My goal is to blend in with the crowd. Emily has gotten trashed so quickly that part of me just wants to pile her into the car and take her home. But she is having fun and I don’t want to be the sort of best friend that puts my own needs before hers. I decide I’ll take her down by the docks and hope she likes being down there instead.

The band is in the middle of playing an incredibly loud song. We are close to the stage and the music makes my eardrums thrum. Emily says something to me but her voice is lost in the music.

We are halfway across the square when suddenly someone yanks on me. Emily exclaims something I can’t hear and I turn around. Bennett is looking down at me. He says something but I merely shrug. His words are taken away in the music, lost in the crowd. He tries shouting this time – I can tell by the way his mouth moves – but I can’t make anything out.

He looks frustrated. Emily is bobbing to the music, oblivious. He motions over to the docks, where I was heading anyway. I nod and together, the three of us try to make our way through the crowd. Once we get through the worst of it, we are in front of an ice cream store and we stop.

“I didn’t know you were here,” he says to me. “I didn’t see you.”

“Here I am,” I reply.

I am aware that Emily is nearby. Even though she is drunk, I can’t imagine her not picking up on some of this. She is on her phone now, looking engrossed. I realize I should probably stop her because she might drunkenly text Adam.

“You looked angry with me and when I saw you storm off –” someone jostles into Bennett and he practically falls into me, “Stephanie saw you.”

“Who the hell is Stephanie?” I reply, sounding more irritated than I wanted to.

“The girl I was with. Anyway, she saw you and I wanted to speak to you–”

“So, what, exactly? If she saw me, and you’re with her, why are you here?”

“We haven’t spoken since that night,” he says to me, lowering his voice so I strain to hear it. “Don’t you think we should?”

“Why? It’s pretty clear you’re already seeing this Stephanie person.”

His features darken, “Why don’t you let me explain before you decide you know what’s going on?”

The song ends. In the few seconds of silence we have before the next track will kick up, all I hear is the murmuring of the crowd. Someone next to me has come out of the ice cream shop with a huge ice cream cone. The bright blue color of the ice cream distracts me for a moment as I debate what to do.

“April?” Bennett presses.

Suddenly, I realize that Emily is not near me. Alarmed, I look around.

“I have to find Emily,” I say to him. “Do you –?”

A song kicks up, startling me. Even though I can hear Bennett where we are, I need to find Emily. She is drunk and a mess of emotions and can’t be alone right now. Whatever this man has to tell me, about us, or Stephanie, can wait. I don’t want my best friend out there, drunk and alone.

I move past Bennett. Our shoulders brush together and even though the touch isn’t on bare skin, I still flinch. I quickly walk away from him, heading off down the pathway where Emily might have wandered. She had just been on her phone, after all, and maybe she wanted to call Adam away from all the noise.

I leave Bennett behind and try to find her. On the way, I ask a few groups of wandering people if they have seen her. In the third group, a tall, lanky looking man nods.

“Saw a girl like that head down to the docks. I think she was crying.”

I take off in that direction as my heart is pounding although I don’t know if it is because of Bennett or Emily. The docks are almost empty - since the sun has set, there is no one sitting out and no one trying to clean their boats. I see her almost instantly. She is at the end of dock number five, looking out at the water.

I jog up to her. She doesn’t seem to hear me. I can tell by the way her shoulders are moving that she is crying to herself.

“Em?” I say slowly, not wanting to scare her.

It takes a few seconds for Emily to turn her tear-stained face to me. Her hands are empty.

“What are you doing down here?” I ask, relieved that she isn’t hurt. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I was going to text Adam,” Emily replies, her voice sounding hollow, “but I knew it was a bad idea. So I came here. I threw my phone in the water.”

She’s going to regret that when she sobers up, I think to myself, but I merely nod my head and stand next to her. It is an oddly cold night and the wind coming off the water is a bit chilly.

“Do you want to go home?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “I think I’m drunk.”

“You are. It’s okay, though, I’m here.” I try to smile at her and she gives me a tiny smile back in return.

“I’ve been thinking,” Emily says, and she slurs the ends of her words slightly, “about my dad. About how sick he is... in the head. What if I end up like that?”

“You won’t.”

“We don’t know that though, April. We get a lot of stuff from our parents. What if... what if that’s why I can’t figure out what I want to do with my life? I’m too fucked up.”

“Emily, you know that isn’t true,” I tell her and turn her away from the water. “Let’s go home, okay? No more of this.”

I can tell she wants to tell me more but I think the best thing for her now is to get her safely home and in bed. She is swaying, as if the wind is going to knock her over. I grip her hand tightly and we leave the dock. Emily is silent the entire time. We get in my car and I make a mental note that I am going to have to pick up her car tomorrow.

The drive home is silent. Emily falls asleep almost instantly, which leaves me to thinking about Bennett. I think about how this Stephanie woman kissed him so easily. Who is this woman? Where did she just magically appear from, going on a date with Bennett?

I know I should be furious but after taking care of Emily all night, plus trying to figure out what my sister, Spencer, is up to, I just feel exhausted. Emily lets out a loud snore next to me as I wait at a red light. In a couple of days, I have the yacht launch with Anderson. I need to be preparing for that, not dwelling on what is going on with Bennett and me.

Emily stirs a little but doesn’t wake up. I glance at her as the light turns green. I think back to her life. She has never told me before that she worries she will end up like her father. How long has she been worried about that? It is hard to see her so upset over losing Adam. I am glad that she blew off some steam tonight but it is going to take time to get her on her feet again.

I manage to get her awake and back in bed without any issues. She falls asleep almost right away. I close her bedroom door and head to the kitchen. I go through the process of staring in the fridge, closing it, going to the cupboard, and then opening the fridge again. Part of me is starving and another part of me is ready for bed. Unsure what to do, I end up staring at the same box of instant mashed potatoes for what feels like ages.

Finally, in the silence of the apartment, my mind goes back to Bennett. He did come after me, wanting to talk. That counts for something – maybe. He was still there with this Stephanie woman, letting her kiss him. But he’s always been a playboy. Even I know that. Maybe it is just my own mistake for letting myself get caught up in him.

“It’s for the best,” I say aloud to myself, hoping I believe it. I mean, wasn’t I just thinking that the two of us were on different paths? Things wouldn’t work out for us anyway. So, if he is going to be dating someone else, it isn’t any business of mine. We never made anything concrete or future plans together. Maybe we just slept together to get rid of all those years of irritating, sexual tension. Now we can both move on.

But even as I think this, I wonder why my chest feels so hollow.

Chapter Two

The band is setting up on the stern of the yacht. From here, the saxophone glints in the bright sun. I am hoping it cools off once the sun begins to set. At least the yacht is air conditioned. I step inside the main cabin and put my camera equipment on one of the tables.

Everywhere around me is a bustle of activity. The yacht is being decorated; the food is being prepared and the staff is making sure everything is in order. I sit down on one of the chairs and double check my equipment. It is something I do when I am nervous.

“Great, here you are!” Anderson’s voice rings out.

I look up and see him crossing the cabin toward me. He is looking well-polished today. His blonde hair is slicked back and his suit looks great on him. He has a nervous energy, probably because he is really trying to prove to his father that he can run a successful operation, from creating, building and launching the yacht. His nerves rub off on me and I feel myself growing nervous too. This is my first major job and I don’t want to mess it up.

“Hey,” I say to him, “you ready?”

Anderson bobs on the heels of his feet. “Sort of. We had a couple of staff call in sick so we had to try to find last minute replacements and I had to make sure the menu had something for everyone plus I am hoping that going out into the ocean for a little while is okay –” he stops suddenly. “Ah, you meant just generally, didn’t you?”

“I did,” I reply with a small laugh, “but it’s okay.”

“How are you doing? Everything set up?”

“Yeah, I should be all set soon. You wanted me near the entrance, right? To snap photos of the guests arriving?”