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HOW TO CATCH A BAD BOY 47
Lexi Rogers, soon to be Lexi Kendrick, made an absolutely stunning bride. Her mane of vibrant red hair was twisted up, and soft curls fell in every direction. Pearls adorned the style, matching the beading in her gown. Wispy tendrils surrounded her face that was flushing with excitement. Tears burned the backs of Elena's eyes. She’d never seen someone more in love or happier.Well, that wasn’t correct.When Elena looked in the mirror that morning, she saw the same glazed eyes and soft, distracted smile, and it scared her. How absolutely annoyingly stupid she had been. She'd slept off in Chandler's arms after he'd given her a second orgasm the previous night, and when she woke up that morning, he wasn't in bed with her. She assumed he'd snuck out later in the middle of the night, and she didn't know if she should be mad about it, or grateful because Emily had barged into the room minutes after she woke up. If Chandler had been there, they'd have had some serious explaining to do, and
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“You are incredibly sexy, Elena,” he said, his pace picking up.Her body started to convulse at those words and her mouth opened. Sensing she was about to let out an ear-piercing scream, he clamped his other hand down on her mouth, silencing her. Bliss washed over her as she came, her body pulsing around his. Their bodies were reluctant to calm down and part. Her heart was pounding and Chandlerwas still moving his hand slowly, causing little aftershocks to zip through her.There was a knock on the door and then one of the groomsmen's voice booming through the walls. “Five minutes until the wedding starts, Chandler. Time to put the cock away.”Elena's face flooded with heat. “Oh my God…”Chandler chuckled. “Ignore him.”“I’m going to die of embarrassment.”“No, you’re not.” He kissed her cheek again and then moved his hand once more, causing her to catch her breath. “Damn,” he groaned after several moments passed. He eased his hand out of her panties, kissing her cheek. “Now I need a
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Chandler sauntered toward her, and he stopped just out of arm's reach. "Agnes is a cat."Elena blinked up to his face. "What?""Agnes is Paul's horrible, evil, mean-tempered cat that hates every human being except him. And he can't remember how much food he put in her automatic feeder, so he's afraid she's going to starve to death before he can get home.""Oh," Elena said weakly.Chandler smiled. "Yeah, baby, oh indeed,""So, we're ... driving out into a snowstorm to check on a cat who lives out in the middle of nowhere."His nod was slow. "It looks like it."Elena looked around. Snow was already sticking to the ground. Tree branches were coated white, lending a magical air to the already stunning vista. Like a winter wonderland. Except not wonderful, not anymore since they were not going straight home. "He lives about an hour away?" she asked weakly. An hour wasn't so bad. No reason to freak out."Yeah. We better hit the road if we want to get back home on time."Elena pinched her ey
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Chandler smiled. "You can say it now."Elena looked over at him. Her face was pale and drawn. "Say what?"Lifting his eyebrows, he waved a hand at the windshield."Ahh." She cleared her throat. "I'll save the I told you so for when we're safely inside his place."The back end of the car fishtailed when he turned down the long driveway.Knowing not to overcorrect, because the last thing he wanted was to end up sliding off the drive and down the slight ditch that he knew lined the first fifty feet or so, he lessened the pressure of his hands on the wheel until the vehicle righted itself. Now that they were protected slightly by the trees that crowded Paul's property, the visibility increased to something more manageable than it had been on the roads leading them here."You gonna miss anything important tomorrow?" Chandler asked her.Elena rubbed her forehead. "Not really. I don't have any orders booked." She groaned. "Emily will probably be freaking out though."Visions of her sister be
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Chandler had had his fair share of meals at that table. The couch and chair—basic and brown leather—faced a small TV on an equally small console table because when Paul was home, he was outdoors.His property was probably more than five acres of heavily wooded forests, and the entire square footage of his cabin couldn't have been more than five hundred. The soaring ceilings of the main room is what made it feel bigger than it was. The old-fashioned wood-burning stove set into the back corner gave it a warm, inviting feeling, which would get even better once he had it lit."Bedroom upstairs?" she asked.Chandler nodded. "The loft."Elena eyed the staircase warily."Don't worry," he told her. "I have a long history crashing on that couch, and I've had much worse nights of sleep than that."Elena turned and faced the part of the cabin that was all windows. It was Paul's, and Chandler's, favorite part of the cabin. Yeah, it was small, but one whole side showed the beauty of this place the
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She inhaled. "Why'd you guys do that?""Who knows?" he admitted. "We were seventeen and bored, and our friends probably thought we'd be too chicken shit to do it." Elena was a loud thinker, he was coming to realize. Especially when she was trying to figure something out. And right now, she was trying to figure him out. She stared at that picture so hard, he was surprised it didn't jump off the wall. "No wonder," she murmured.He stepped closer behind her and took a slow inhale. It was stronger than it had been on the pillow, that incredible scent. He had to fight not to bury his nose in her hair, wrap his arms around her from behind, and glory in how warm and soft she'd be tucked into his body.It was so clear she wanted to put him together like a puzzle that no one had sorted. But eventually, she'd see that it wasn't as complicated as all that. He was what his family thought. A screwup and a disappointment. He was what Paul thought too. A hothead who didn't think things through."N
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Over her shoulder, Elena gave him a chiding look. "I guess you've forgotten that I bake too."Chandler held up his hands with a laugh. "Touché, Princess, touché."She shook her head. "Of course I can cook and I'm good at it."Tugging a chair out from the table with his foot, Chandler took a seat and shamelessly watched her navigate around the small kitchen area."How come you and Emily do everything together and yet you and Elijah are not as close as the both of them are?"Her smile was barely visible as she stirred the sauce. "Emily and I don't do everything together… At least not anymore," Chandler thought about the picture of her and her sister from her apartment. "Did something happen?"She snorted. "Not exactly. We were ... oh," she sighed, "how do I put this?I guess after college, living in different states kinda separated us too much…More than we cared to admit," Watching as Elena tasted the sauce, then added some salt, he nodded. He could understand that. Carefully, she set
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They ate quietly for a few minutes until Chandler felt like a complete asshole. It wasn't her fault, not really. Elena didn't have to try to understand why he and his stepmother had the relationship they did, and how that bled into his relationships with his father and brother. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Elena spoke first."I don't like thinking too hard about things that upset me too, so I understand." She told him, This didn't feel like the time to say anything, so he held her gaze across the table and waited. Elena twirled some pasta on her fork and took another bite. When she was done chewing, she set the fork down. "I'm not angry with you, and I don't know exactly why I want to figure you out as you put it. I guess I just… I want to know you… And understand you… That's all."Even though her words touched him, her face was so calm when she said it that he laughed."That's funny?" she asked."Not really," he admitted, then he added even though she had not asked again. "
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"It's okay, Chandler. You were surprised and out of your element, and you should have heard it from me." Elena told him. "Don't let me off the hook, love." He dropped his hand, but his eyes were still fixed on her lips. "I'm so sorry for what I said to you, and I plan on apologizing to Emily and Daniel for walking out of their house. I have no excuse.""Okay." He smiled. "Just okay?"Elena's hands found their way up his chest, a slow trek, and she relished the heat of his skin coming through the material of his shirt. She only stopped when her palm was over his thudding heart. "Yeah. I don't think either one of us needs fancy words or big speeches about what happened. I just ... I just need you to know that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not telling you when I had the chance. I need you to know that I'm in this with you, even if you screw up, which you will. Just like I will too, but we'll always find our way back to each other. That's all I want."Chandler plucked her hand off his che
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The only thing that could've tugged Elena's attention away from Chandler was her sister hustling to her side with a devious grin on her face. Her eyes were bright with tears, and Elena felt her happiness for her like a sweet wave. "I know you might not want to, but talk to him," Emily told her. Elena shook her head. Yes, she missed him terribly, but she'd gone through this phase with him before. She had given him another chance, and here she was… Hurt again. Maybe they cared about each other. Maybe they even loved each other, but did it really mean that they should be together? Not everyone in love could be in a relationship, and maybe she and Chandler were like that. Maybe they'd only keep hurting each other if they remained together. Maybe their relationship was meant to be a short one. Chandler's gaze scanned the room, then came to rest on her. His chest expanded on a deep breath, and his eyes warmed in his handsome face. His dark hair was slicked back neatly, and he'd shaved. Th
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Chandler hooted with laughter. "Nothing to do with you? Pray tell, enlighten me, Future Dr. Kendrick.""I'm no shrink, but Elena is the first woman to make you want something more. And you'd have to put every part of you on the line in order to make something real with her. It's scary, and you've never done it, and you grabbed the most convenient excuse to make life easier on yourself. That excuse is bullshit, but you'll hold on to it like it's a life raft."Chandler glared mightily at him because clearly someone had used their time driving up here to prepare exactly how to knee him in the proverbial balls. Paul murmured like he was hearing a good sermon. He got a glare too.Elijah leaned forward. "What if she had been the one to show at your door?"The second he said it, his heart reacted without a single thought on his end.Racing, pounding, thumping erratically at the mere mention of her on the other side of that door. He wanted it so badly.Wanted her."What if you had the chance,
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Pinching the bridge of his nose, Chandler willed his mind to stop cycling around those thoughts because it didn't matter. It was like two months of his life, and that was it.He'd get over it. He'd get over her.His phone lit up again, and he sighed. "I don't know what he could possibly want to say to me."The recliner squeaked as Paul leaned forward. "I'm curious too. Hello?""What are you doing?" he yelled. "Give me that phone."When he tried to swipe for it, Paul flipped him off. "Elijah? Yeah, this is Paul. I am with the grumpy asshole."Even though his leg screamed in protest, Chandler stood from the couch and towered over Paul, holding out his hand and giving him his most forbidding glare.Paul ignored him. "Hmm. Sure, yeah. Makes sense." He continued. "Give me the phone, Paul.""Great idea, Elijah. Yeah. I like it."When he handed Chandler the phone, he exhaled heavily. Then he saw the call was already disconnected. Chandler blinked. "He hung up?""Guess so."His eyebrows lift
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"Emily," Elena warned. "You paused. Why did you pause?"She scrunched up her face. "Did I?"Elena sat forward. "Oh my gosh, what is it? Are you moving out of town? Are you leaving? Are you sick?""Slow your roll, crazy," Emily said on a laugh. "I'm not sick, good grief."Her heart settled back into a normal rhythm. "Well, it's something.""I didn't want to say anything with all the feelings and everything that's been going on." Emily gestured to Elena. "But…. I'm pregnant," "What?" Elena shrieked excitedly, and hugged her sister tightly. "Congratulations. You should have told me since," "Well, I was going to… But then I screwed up so I had to fix things first," Elena beamed at her, "You and Daniel are going to be so happy, and I'm going to be the best Aunt ever," "So you're coming right?" "Do you really have to ask? Of course I am coming." She hesitated for a while, then added, "Will Chandler be there?" she asked carefully. "It's not that I'd ... I don't know, avoid going if he w
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Emily braced her arms on her thighs and leaned toward her. "Okay, talk to me. Tell me everything. I mean, maybe not like, sex details. But ... what happened while you were gone?"Then she patted the bed. Elena's entire being settled back into place as she and Emily braced their backs against the wall. She curled her hand around hers with their legs stretched out straight onto the bed, and Elena unloaded for the next thirty minutes.After a bit, Emily leaned her head on her shoulder, and Elena set her head on hers, and they fell quiet before she got to the scene in the driveway. She didn't even attempt to wipe the tears coming down her face during that part."I'm so mad at him for leaving," Elena said, voice hoarse from talking. "But I get it. I don't want to, but I do.""I don't."Elena nudged her. "I don't need you to vilify him."Emily laughed under her breath. After the driveway showdown, dinner was a shitshow. Elena cried in the balcony while Elijah, Daniel Emily and Lexi yelled
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Elena froze, and she had to clench her teeth tightly to keep from screaming at her that there was no conceivable way she could have known that when they'd never freaking talked about it.Emily, like a rabid dog, saw the pause in her motion and pounced on it. "I thought you guys talked about it, okay? And I just ... I was trying to make conversation because seriously, I was trying to be nice to him. I wanted to get closer to him because I thought it'd make you happy, and honestly, I was starting to like him. I just wanted to have a conversation."By telling him I had a crush on his brother! Elena wanted to scream. Her eyes pinched shut. This was killing her.Because no matter how pissed she was, she could feel it seeping through her skin, how miserable Emily was.She was sad. She was frustrated. She was scared.Between the two of them, Elena was always the one who caved first. Who tried to keep the peace. Who let things slide. And she didn't want to let this slide because she was mi
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Chandler dropped his chin and breathed deeply. "Could you?""I don't hold your past against you. Because it's irrational and unfair, and you know it." She said, "That's not what I mean." He lifted his head, held her gaze, and the resolve Elena saw there chilled her to her core. "Could you overlook it if I told you that I showed up that night to take a shot with Emily?" Words were gone. Her mouth was sand-dry at what that did to her.He kept talking, quiet, dangerous words that did horrible things to her heart."If I told you that I thought about being with her, touching her, kissing her, and for even one moment, I was disappointed that I got you instead."She sucked in a startled breath."Yeah," he said slowly, softly. "You couldn't overlook it either. Because that look in your pretty brown eyes, baby. It feels like I just punched you in the gut, doesn't it?"Her eyes filled with tears, and she hated them. She hated that he was right. And for just a moment, one fleeting, fast one, s
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"What did Emily say to you?" Elena asked quietly. It was taking everything in her not to march up to him and shake the answer out of him."I can see it." Chandler said, Elena's head tilted at his strange answer. She felt like a fish that had been plopped unceremoniously out of its bowl. It was hard to breathe because she had no concept of how to navigate this. "See what?"He exhaled slowly, finally turning to face her. "You and Elijah."Her stomach was now the thing giving her all the ominous feels because it turned dangerously. What the hell did her sister say to him? "Elijah and I," she repeated quietly. "Chandler... I—" Denial trapped in her throat. Nothing else came up. Because she couldn't lie.And he saw that on her face.He nodded. "You'd look great together. And it's probably really fucking stupid on my end that I never even considered that you were into him.""I don't want Elijah," she argued. Carefully, she approached him with her hands held up. Don't spook him, Elena, beca
