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Overview
A two week-fling with her big brother's best friend? What could go wrong?
Alyssa Morgan has been secretly in love with her overprotective big brother's best friend since she was an awkward teenager. She's all grown up now, but even she can't believe she propositioned Brandt Dempsey to have a two-week fling after that scorching hot kiss they shared. Now they're working together at his charitable foundation and Brandt's keeping her at arm's length.
Yeah, talk about temptation. Brandt never should have kissed Alyssa--she's off limits. But now all he can think about when he looks at the brilliant, beautiful blonde is her shocking proposition and another kiss. And another. He fights their off the charts chemistry, but each moment with her weakens his resistance. He's too damaged to give his heart away and she deserves a better man, doesn't she?
Alyssa knows Brandt is the one. Can she convince him they belong together forever?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798988441632 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Claire Marti |
| Publication date: | 07/13/2023 |
| Series: | Romance in Laguna Beach , #2 |
| Pages: | 202 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.46(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Alyssa Morgan gripped her champagne flute in her left hand and glued her right arm to her side, fingers curled into a fist. How in the world had she been recruited for the traditional wedding bouquet toss? The last place she wanted to be was among the pack of women vying to snag a bunch of flowers.
In fact, she'd hidden in the restroom with her champagne, certain she could escape the single ladies' ordeal. Unfortunately, Sophie Morgan, née Barnes, refused to begin the archaic ritual until her new sister-in-law could be included. The other bridesmaids hunted her down and corralled her back to the dance floor.
Fine. So here she was, squeezed into the middle of the group. She'd pretend to participate. Nothing short of a cattle prod to the back could induce her to jump up and try to obtain the unwanted prize for herself.
Her brother, Nick, had found his happily ever after with the wonderful Sophie. Alyssa doubted she'd be so lucky. After all, she'd been in love with Nick's best friend, Brandt Michael Dempsey, from the moment she'd set eyes on him when she was an awkward teenager.
Over the last decade, he'd failed to notice her, except as a surrogate baby sister.
Until the Christmas party. Or as she liked to refer to it, "The Mistletoe Incident."
One kiss forever imprinted in her heart. One passionate, mind-blowing kiss had ruined her for anyone else. With a single embrace, he'd blown away every schoolgirl fantasy in which he'd starred.
She wouldn't forget the shock in his ocean-blue eyes when he'd lifted his mouth away from hers. Or the way he'd bolted early from the annual party. He'd avoided her ever since.
Brandt shared the dubious title of Player of Laguna. Catching a wedding bouquet — superstition or not — wouldn't magically make him see her as a woman instead of the fragile girl she'd once been, nor would it fix his commitment issues. On the other hand, her brother relinquished his title as the other Player of Laguna soon after meeting Sophie, so who knew?
An icy burst of liquid splashed her arm.
Her champagne spilled, thanks to a redhead jostling her in a desperate attempt to get closer to the spectacular bunch of white roses Sophie tossed.
"Mine, mine," the annoying redhead screeched as she leapt up, flapping her arms like a goose attempting flight, and knocked Alyssa's glass out of her hand.
With no other choice, she jumped up and out of the way to avoid ruining the elegant aquamarine silk dress she'd actually considered wearing again. Unlike the collection of hideous bridesmaid dresses stuffed into the back of her closet.
Something smacked into her chest. On reflex, both hands flew up to grab the missile, and somehow she ended up clutching the wedding flowers.
Bemused, she stared down at the snowy-white blooms secured in aqua and silver satin ribbon. How had it come right to her out of this crowd of single women? Unable to resist, she sniffed the fragrant blossoms, inhaling their heady aroma. Just for a moment.
"That's mine." The redhead pounced on her and wrestled to filch the bouquet.
Alyssa fought back, no longer willing to give up the flowers, especially to this ginger lunatic. She'd caught it fair and square and wasn't about to relinquish it. "Back off. Stealing isn't going to help you find a husband. You already knocked my drink out of my hand."
She offered thanks for her five-foot-eight height as she backed away from the frenzied creature. She glanced up and caught the devious smirk on her new sister-in-law's face.
Sophie had thrown it directly to her. Alyssa had played matchmaker for Nick and Sophie, and apparently, now the tables were turned. Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and waved the flowers overhead in victory. Who was she to upset Sophie on her wedding night?
Maybe it was a sign.
The hair on the back of her neck rose, and she turned and locked eyes with Brandt. In his best man's black tuxedo, he looked gorgeous, with his dark, wavy hair ruffled by the wind and his square-jawed face unsmiling. For a moment, the clamor of the outdoor wedding reception receded and she stood motionless in the heat of his brilliant cobalt eyes. Oblivious to the hundred-plus revelers surrounding them, they stared at each other.
His lips quirked up at the corners when his gaze dropped to the bouquet clutched in her hands. Then, like a record starting up again, the music rushed back in and the spell was broken.
Enough. This situation was ridiculous. She stalked through the crowd toward him. He held his ground, his expression once again impassive despite her purposeful approach.
"You. Come here now." She grasped his hand and tugged him toward a cluster of trees bordering the perimeter of The Ranch at Laguna Beach's dreamy romantic venue.
Away from the lights, laughter, and fancy cocktails.
Into the secluded shadows.
"What are you doing?" his deep voice murmured.
Silent, she continued to lead him away from the reception. Three glasses of champagne fueled her courage. She refused to lose her nerve. When they reached a private spot, she whirled back toward him and threw her arms around his strong tanned neck, pressing him up against a giant tree. Even when she sported four-inch stilettos, he still towered over her.
She'd had enough of loving him from afar. What did she have to lose?
"Alyssa ..." He attempted to retreat, but the solid tree halted his progress.
She shifted in closer and dragged his dark head down toward her. She pressed her mouth against his full lips and kissed him with every ounce of her passion. For a moment, he remained immobile, unresponsive.
Oh no.
With a harsh moan, he banded his muscular arms around her and hauled her in, plastering her against his rock-hard body. He deepened the kiss, parting her lips, and swirled his tongue against hers. She melted against him, completely enveloped in his hot embrace. One large hand slid up and grasped a handful of her hair, tilting her head, deepening the kiss further. His other hand stroked down her back, fisting in the thin silk of her gown, pressing her even closer.
Time froze again.
A kaleidoscope of stars exploded behind her eyes. Kissing him exceeded every sensation she'd ever experienced. Heat flamed into her lower back, where his hand held her against his carved-from-stone body.
"Brandt," she murmured against his mouth when he started to pull away.
He rested his forehead against hers, both of them panting as if they'd just stumbled across a marathon finish line. The pounding of his heart against hers reaffirmed he was just as affected by their kiss as she was. Tremors tingled along her skin, and warmth flushed through her system.
She wanted more.
She couldn't resist nibbling along his neck, inhaling his fresh, masculine scent.
He sucked in a sharp breath. "Alyssa." He grasped her bare shoulders and created some distance between them.
Unable to discern the expression in his eyes in the twilight, she sensed his withdrawal. "Don't push me away ... please." Was that her voice? Did she sound so breathless and shaky?
So desperate?
"We can't do this. I'm not the right guy for you." He shook his head to emphasize the point.
"Why? Because of Nick?"
"Among other things." He released her and maneuvered away from the tree, creating more space between them.
She shivered, rubbing her arms against her rapidly cooling skin. Without the heat from his muscular body, a chill slid down her spine. "Nick's married now. He wants me to find happiness too." Don't beg. She wasn't sure if she succeeded.
"Exactly. You want it all. The white picket fence, the two point five. Sorry, babe, but that's not me." He shook his head.
"Not two-point-five kids. Try four or five. Don't worry. I'm not asking you to marry me. But I do have a proposition for you." Squaring her shoulders, she forced her voice to sound confident.
She'd sabotaged every other relationship because no guy could compete with Brandt. He represented the standard against which she'd measured other men. Once they'd kissed at Christmas, neither could deny the physical chemistry was explosive. Maybe if they slept together and got each other out of their systems, she'd be able to move on.
Or she'd change his mind.
"A proposition?" He clenched his jaw.
"I know you want me. You've stayed away because Nick acts like an overprotective father from the Middle Ages. Well, I'm twenty-nine, an adult." The words flooded out in a rush.
When he remained silent, she inched closer. Stroked one hand down his chest. This time he didn't back away.
"Have a fling with me. Just sex. Two weeks. They'll be gone on their honeymoon. He'll never have to know." She gulped, torn between throwing up and patting herself on the back for plowing through that speech.
He had to agree.
Didn't he?
*
Brandt couldn't trust his ears. Had Alyssa propositioned him to a no-ties two-week fling? While his best friend, a.k.a. her insanely protective big brother, was out of town?
She'd lost her mind.
She'd make him lose his.
A vision of her long, lean limbs wrapped around him, her beautiful full lips swollen from his kisses, and her perfect skin flushed with passion jolted him. Her intoxicating citrusy scent filled his nostrils, and he stiffened, his body betraying him. Again.
No. He could never have her.
He could never deserve her, never be the man she needed.
Run. Before it's too late.
She was too damned sexy, slaying him with her smoky blue eyes, her obvious desire for him. He'd end this now, before he made the biggest mistake of his life. Both of their lives.
He laughed. "You're drunk. Or out of your mind." He injected ice into his voice.
"Brandt?" She stepped back, shrinking away from him.
"Come on, Alyssa. You aren't my type. Not even close." He raked his gaze over her head to toe. He hated seeing her retreat another step. "You're like a little sister, not a lover."
"But you kissed me back. You do want me." Her voice wavered but remained firm. He admired her courage, even in the face of his acting like such a jerk.
"I'm a guy." He shrugged. "You caught me off guard, but I just don't want you that way, babe. Definitely not enough to risk my friendship with Nick. No hard feelings."
"You're lying." She flinched but stood her ground.
He forced himself to laugh again as he shook his head.
"Why are you being such a jerk?"
"This is me, babe. Now go chase after someone who wants what you're offering." Something constricted in his chest when her mouth dropped open.
No other choice existed but to push her away.
Forever.
"Go to hell and stop calling me 'babe.'" She spun on her heel and stalked away, her spine rigid.
Unwilling to watch her go, he looked down where the flowers lay forgotten in the grass. Picked them up. "Alyssa."
She stopped, stood motionless.
He approached her and shoved the bouquet into her hands. "You'll need this to catch yourself a husband." He squashed his conscience at her stricken expression.
She shifted the flowers into one hand and flipped him off with the other.
His lips quirked at her rude, yet well-deserved gesture. Success — he'd sent her running. The only other time they'd kissed, he'd been the one to flee. At a Christmas party last year, there'd been an incredible kiss. They'd been dancing and laughing and somehow ended up under the mistletoe. She'd pointed up at it with a grin and puckered her plump lips.
Figuring what the hell, he'd laughed and leaned down to give his best friend's little sister and sole living relative a chaste peck. Only the moment their lips met, the earth stopped spinning on its axis. Shock rocketed to his toes at their chemistry. More intense than anything he'd experienced, one innocent kiss rocked his world.
He'd vowed to stay far away from her afterward. Over the last year, he'd distanced himself from the social occasions he'd known she'd attend and tried like hell to make sure he was never alone with her.
Hell, when he and Nick became friends over a decade earlier, he remembered her sparkling blue eyes not quite concealed behind thick coke-bottle glasses. She'd just been a kid. A brainy, gangly teenager who'd stared at him with hero worship. Unwarranted admiration. Even then, he'd known she'd grow into a stunning woman and her schoolgirl crush would disappear.
Apparently, the crush remained. Somehow, despite his lack of encouragement, she wanted him. Or more accurately, her romanticized version of whom she believed him to be.
Forcing himself back to the present, he watched her stalk back to the reception. She's not for you. He tried to ignore the sharp pain riddling his gut.
He'd done the right thing. Avoiding her was the only way he could protect her.
CHAPTER 2
Alyssa marched straight to the bar and slammed a tequila shot. She waved off the proffered salt shaker and slice of lime from the bartender. Flames burst in her throat, and fire ignited down into her belly. Gasping like a fish out of water, she doubled over, surreptitiously wiping the tears streaming from her eyes. Well, hell, that warmed up the veritable bucket of ice Brandt had just tossed on her.
She smacked the glass back on the bar. She couldn't remember the last time she'd taken a shot of tequila. Maybe college? Apparently, she wasn't equipped to handle it. Just as she hadn't been prepared for Brandt's chilly rejection. She dabbed her eyes with a monogrammed aqua cocktail napkin and offered a silent thank-you to the makeup artist who'd insisted she wear waterproof mascara for the wedding.
"Tough night?" Her new sister-in-law's amused voice queried from her left.
"Yes, still recovering from that little redhead wrestling me for the bouquet. Which I did not want, by the way. What was that all about?" She swiveled to glare at Sophie.
Laughing, she held up her hands in a mock shield. "You deserve to be next. I know you want to get married, and now that Nick can focus on his own love life instead of yours, perhaps he won't scare off the next guy you date."
"Huh." Alyssa half grunted and looked down at the gleaming white flowers still clasped in her hand. She'd allowed everyone to believe the guys dropped like flies after a few dates because of her brother's gruff exterior. Not that she'd been swatting them away because not one could compare to Brandt. Nope, not her.
"Hey, was that tequila? Have you been crying?" Sophie asked, all hints of humor dissipating in a show of concern.
Her new sister-in-law had no clue about Alyssa's unrequited feelings, and she certainly wasn't going to share them now that Brandt had made it abundantly, no, crystal clear he didn't want her. Damn. His excitement when he kissed her had been palpable.
His rejection resurrected her old insecurities from high school, when no guy looked twice except to make fun of her. All knobby knees and elbows. The braces. The hideously thick glasses that were unfortunately the only ones that enabled her to see past the tip of her own nose. The gawky ugly duckling. The tremendous need she'd felt for control ... "Alyssa?" Worry colored Sophie's voice as she reached out and brushed her forearm.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Convince yourself of that one, girl. "How are you, Mrs. Morgan?" She refused to ruin Nick and Sophie's wedding night with her devastation over Brandt.
"Mrs. Morgan. I love it." Sophie smiled, her lovely face glowing with happiness. "I love your brother so much, and I'm so happy now I've got a sister too. Do you promise me everything is okay? I hate to leave for France for two weeks if you're unhappy."
"Don't be silly. I'm great. I always am." After she and Nick had been orphaned, she'd honed her external demeanor to show only what she chose to reflect to others. She could act happy and worry free.
"Well, we'll definitely check in with you from Antibes, and not just for status reports on how my kitty, Zack, is doing. When are you scheduled to start working on Tearmann House?"
"Um, I'm supposed to check in with the project manager on Monday. Brandt won't be involved, will he?" Oh crap. Numerous zoning and permitting delays postponed the construction, and she'd totally forgotten she and Brandt needed to work together.
Tearmann House was the center for abused women and children Brandt founded as one of his latest philanthropic ventures. Nick was the architect and she was the interior designer. Nick's initial portion was finished, and he'd handed the baton to her for the interior build-out and design.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "At Last in Laguna"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Claire Petretti Marti.
Excerpted by permission of The Wild Rose Press, Inc..
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