BethanyBethany woke to the smell of coffee. She turned on her side and squinted against the bright light coming through the open glass doors. He stood with his back to her, his blue slacks on and torso bare. She laid there for a few minutes, studying him.Beautiful. He turned and smiled. "I thought I heard your breathing change a little. You sleep good?""I did." She moved up to her elbow and let the cover drop from her breasts.He set his coffee down and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips to hers in a long kiss. "I made you some coffee. Strong and thick like you like it.""That's how I like my men. My coffee I'll take anyway it comes." She smirked as he lifted his eyebrow at her."Your man, not men. You're officially off the market, Miss Thing." He leaned down and kissed her again before getting up and walking back to the kitchen. "Go get in the shower and let's get the day started. There are a few more things to do for the ceremony
Bethany"Just memories of Bethany being young and wanting to be a princess."Patty lifted her drink into the air. "For a new beginning for my big sister. I don't know anyone who deserves it more than you.""For my mom, who has shown me that one thing has the power to cure all hurts, all hang-ups, and all heartbreaks. Love. May it follow you everywhere for as long as you live."Her mom nodded, tears dripping down her face as they hit their glasses together carefully."No more tears." Bethany reached for a box of Kleenex and passed them out. "Only happy times now.""Speaking of happy times and princesses," Patty paused, snorting as she shook her head. "You remember getting our asses whooped for getting into momma's expensive make-up and dressing up like hookers?""Oh my God. We did." Her mother laughed, Patty joining her.Bethany lifted her glass again. "I knew I got it from somewhere... blame my mother.""For what?" Patty lifted her eyebrow."For everything." Bethany smirked and took a
BethanyThe sun filtered through the blinds, filling the room with a warm glow and pulling Bethany from the best sleep she could remember having. Damon was on his stomach, his arms above his head, muscles defined and skin sun-kissed. She moved closer, unable to help herself.Her left finger held the promise of forever, but her heart ached at the possibility of something happening to them. The engagement had happened so fast, and yet it was right. She pulled the ring closer to her face and studied it as he groaned softly in his sleep. The sound of him enjoying something in his dream caused her heart to flutter.How could a man like him want a simple girl like her?He was wealth, and she was poverty.He was beautiful, and she was plain.But it didn't matter. Nothing did but the fact that they were going to be together. They would figure out the crazy details later when they were back home and in the comfort of their own environment. She wouldn’t let anything come between us. No matter w
Damon"Wait. You what?" Kendal's eyes widened as he sat across the table from Damon the next day. "What the hell were you thinking? It's been, what, three weeks?"Damon shrugged and pulled the black napkin down into his lap, ignoring his closest friend's concerns. Beth was the woman for him, and there wasn't any going back from that decision. He'd measured her attitude, her drive, her hunger in the office and the bedroom and seen the signs of success in all areas.She was going to be his forever, whether that started now or in five years. She’d spent the night wrapped around him after the long-ass flight back to the States. She fit – perfectly beside him. "Just know sometimes." He nodded to the waiter who hovered beside them, the poor idiot looking like he'd just swallowed something poisonous. "Pour.""Of course, Sir." The guy picked up the open bottle of red wine on the table and tipped it up to fill Damon's glass."No, you don't just know. You've never had a solid relationship in y
DamonHe pulled out his phone and flipped through a few of the pictures they'd taken on their vacation as he let out a long breath.Long brown hair and green eyes that captivated him. A small waist and huge tits that took up most of his palm. He closed his eyes and dropped his phone back into his pocket as his body woke up. He didn't care how fast things had gone. He'd give anything to hang on to the feeling she left him with - pay any price.They could get to know each other over the next year and figure things out slowly, but no one unwrapped a package they didn't first purchase. That was Bethany. He'd put himself into wanting to try something more than a fuck-buddy relationship with her, and now it was time to be deliberate in learning about her, figuring out what made her tick.He opened his eyes and pursed his lips as his pulse spiked. He'd popped the question simply because he didn't want to lose her. She was beyond worried about them being siblings, but it was an invalid concer
BethanyThe large diamond sitting on her hand seemed surreal. Had Damon really proposed after three weeks? Warmth flooded her over the thought, quickly followed by a million reasons why he might decide his offer was a mistake. The man was as fickle as any she'd ever met but so worth the effort. Having been raised to be independent and fight for everything, she wasn't used to wanting to belong to anyone or anything, but Damon was different.Belonging to him felt good, right. Like he might have the ability to patch the holes in her past and give her a future that looked far brighter than the one she was forcing herself into. Work was going to become her only focus, much as school had been for the last four years.A knock at the apartment door caused her to jump. Krista was still in jail, and though Bethany should have visited her close friend, she simply didn't have much to say to the other girl. Having lived together for four years and not knowing that Krista was manic bipolar was beyo
BethanyBethany laughed and wiped at her eyes again. "He's in good company. I'll help out where I can.""Study dates twice a week like we used to?" Jake winked and wiggled around in his wheelchair as if trying to get comfortable."Only if you're buying coffee." She opened the door more fully and moved back to let them out."Him buying the coffee?" Jake's dad chuckled. "You mean me?""Are you offering?" Bethany teased him and closed the door as they waved their goodbyes. The thought of what Jake must look like under his loose T-shirt and sweat pants caused her to cringe. Krista had almost succeeded in taking his life, and thank God she hadn't, but he was forever changed. Every time he changed clothes or got naked in front of a girl, they would see the excessive scarring all over his chest and stomach."Unbelievable." She tried to discard the thought, but it lingered as she cleaned up the apartment and packed up the rest of Krista's stuff. Both of her friends’ lives were forever changed
DamonFrustration sat heavy on his shoulders as he drove toward his father's mansion on the far side of town. Having wanted to be just like his dad his whole life, now was his chance, and yet it didn't seem nearly as thrilling as he hoped it would. People were childish and irresponsible, and that was on a good day.Between the fuck ups his Seattle team made on the Zarpeth inventory and the Kissinger tax audit coming up, he was beat. The trip to Jamaica had been good for him, maybe too good, but returning to another crisis wiped away the positive effects he hoped to hold on to for a few more days.He pulled up in the circle drive and parked his Mercedes, but didn't get out. Bethany's beat up Honda sat beside Matt's old green truck, both of them looking like something the pool boy might drive. A smile lifted Damon's lip at the realization that Bethany was a lot like him, but a lot like Matthew too. There were parts of her past he wanted to explore, but that would come in time. He didn't