All Chapters of Consolation Prize: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Consolation PrizeCopyright © 2016 by Linda KageSmashwords EditionThis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses or establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.All rights reserved. No part of this book—except in the case of brief quotations in reviews—may be used, reproduced, or translated without written permission of the author.Contact Information: linda@lindakage.comCONSOLATION PRIZEPublishing HistoryLinda Kage, November 2016CreditsCover Artist: Kage CoversEditor: Stephanie ParentProofreader: Judy and Shelley Created with Vellum

I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet you just for nothing. —UnknownDamn, I loved wedding receptions.Parties must’ve been in my blood because I seemed to flourish at them. There was just something about the noise and energy and hint of wild abandon that got my engines revving. And no better place could I make a spectacle of myself, projecting the image I wanted everyone to see, than in a busy, crowded room like this.Oh, the things you could hide behind a loud, boisterous personality at a loud, boisterous party were truly amazing.“I know what you’re all thinking,” I drawled into the microphone I carried as I meandered back and forth behind the wedding party’s table to address the crowd. “Why the hell did a specimen as lovely as Sarah Arnosta settle for my loser of a big brother when she could’ve had all this, right?”As I splayed a hand down the side of my tux jacket, motioning to myself, my brother Brandt twisted in his seat to punch at me, muttering curses as he swung. But I only chu

It’s amazing how one day someone walks into your life and you can’t remember how you ever lived without them —UnknownI couldn’t help myself. My mind went there. It took a good three-second vacation to envision what being with Colton Gamble might be like—which, embarrassingly, wasn’t the first time I’d wondered it either. And I had to admit, there was no way tangling with him could ever be boring or staid. The guy had a way of making me catch my breath just by looking at me as if he knew things… hot, kinky, exciting things, scrumptious things I hadn’t experienced in a long time, or maybe even ever.He had never laid a hand on me, but I already knew if I let him, those hands would be everywhere. They looked like naughty, mischievous hands, all long and slim-fingered, or like a magician’s hands that did all kinds of flashy, interesting things right before your eyes and then snuck up and surprised you with the real trick without you even being aware of it, until bam, orgasm central.My

The only time losing is more fun than winning is when you’re fighting temptation. —Tom WilsonI came awake to the sleeve of my tux jacket trying to shake its way off my arm.“Colton!” that cool, low yet sophisticated voice I was beginning to really dig said, except the tone was higher than usual, and sounded a little alarmed. It was still an awesome voice, though, and came from one of the sexiest women alive, a woman I decided wasn’t so bad after all.“Colton, dammit, answer me.”Actually, I think I liked her.Grinning lazily over that thought, I opened my eyes slowly only to grin wider when my gaze landed on her.There she was. Sexy as fuck.“Hmm?” I asked.“Oh, thank God, you’re alive,” she breathed, sounding relieved…for half a second. Then she scowled and smacked my arm. “Thanks for scaring the shit out of me, asshole.”“Ouch.” My grin fell. I rubbed my arm.Sexy but brutal.“Why are you sitting on the floor outside the bathroom?” she demanded. “I could find my own way b

I may regret the way we ended, but Ill never regret what we had. —UnknownMy eyes felt crusted over and dried up when I tried to open them. The sunlight was obnoxious and way too damn cheerful as it streamed through the blinds of my window and prodded me out of my sleep.Grumbling, I slapped my pillow over my face to muffle the stupid light, only to wince when all that soft cloth jostled my tender, aching temples. Fuck, I’d drank way too much last night, and ended up being way too stupid.I wasn’t sure what I regretted more: starting something with Colton, or stopping it—more aptly, stopping it the way I had.I wanted to say starting anything with him at all had to be worse, but no…no. Those asinine words that had tumbled out of my mouth had to take that prize. All I could remember was that lost, devastated expression on his face as he’d jerked his cock from my hand and backed away from me. So, yeah, that had to be the very worst moment of all.The kicker of it, though, was I had