Lucy and The Love Pact: Young Adult Fake Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 2)
Page 17
His lips, perfect and pink, curve into a wickedly pleased grin. He shifts me in his arms, dropping me to my feet, then runs his fingers behind my neck and crashes his mouth against mine. My pulse pounds and my heart rattles and every worry, every bit of anger, every distrust I carried with me starts to vanish. Dean taught me to trust not only myself but others as well.
The show isn’t even over, but I already know the truth.
I’m definitely the winner.
Epilogue
“You look amazing,” Maya says, standing in the doorway of my suite at the hotel.
Finley walks up behind her and whistles when she sees me. “Foxy!”
I spin in the bright yellow dress. Fiona had it sent over since I’m representing her brand now. I add my own accessories, though. She’s not the boss of me (okay, she kind of is). But seriously, she respects my style.
“Your first awards show,” Finley says, “are you excited?”
“Yes,” I say, reaching for my clutch. “Dean’s show is going so well and I’m just really excited to support him.”
“Please, you know you’re as big of a star as he is,” Maya says with an eye roll.
She’s right. When the world watches you declare your love for someone moments before you win a million dollar contest and a contract that will set your career off, things change pretty fast.
Thankfully, I’m not doing it alone.
Things clicked into place after I finished and won The Next Big Model. I grew a lot during the time on the show, really understanding how much I appreciated my friends and family. I definitely had a new understanding of how much I appreciated Dean. As much as I kind of wish our declarations of love hadn’t happened on TV, like our first kiss, it was real, and now I get to hear him say “I love you” every day.
There’s a knock on the door and Finley grins. “I’ll get it.”
“You really think it looks okay?” I ask Maya, tugging at my hair. It’d finally grown out and I felt like my old self again. I was confident enough now to carry the shorter locks, but I’m a long-haired kind of girl. I like my ponytails and braids too much.
“You look amazing. I’m going to keep an eye on all the 'Best Dressed' lists for you two.”
I feel a flutter of butterflies in my stomach when I hear Dean in the other room. I should be used to him by now, it’s been almost a year since we first met, but that hasn’t stopped the excited feeling I get when I’m around him.
Taking a settling breath, I step into the main room of our suite. Dean is standing by the white sofa in a dark gray suit that accentuates his broad shoulders and brings out his eyes. He’s beyond handsome, physically more masculine. A year can change a boy into a man and when you add those attributes to his ridiculous confidence, he’s a hard person to say no to. His eyes sweep over me and his Adam’s apple bobs in this throat, reminding me that I have an effect on him, too.
“Wow,” he says, closing the distance between us. He says nothing else, just slips an arm around my waist and pulls me in for kiss that leaves little doubt to how he feels.
“Careful,” I say, “I spent forever on my makeup.”
“You’ll have to fix it again,” he replies, kissing me again, although a little more gently. It doesn’t stop me from having to hold onto his jacket for support.
“You two have fun,” Finley says, interrupting our make-out session. “We’ll be here, watching on TV.”
“Good luck,” Maya says to Dean. “Nominated for Best Leading Man in a TV Drama. We’ll tell the tabloids all about how we knew you when you were just an extra with a great set of abs looking to date our friend.”
Dean grins broadly. “If you’re thinking that’s not a compliment, you don’t know me very well.”
“He’d totally take the award for Great Set of Abs,” I say with a shake of my head. Seriously though, they are great.
With a glance in the mirror to make sure he really hadn’t messed up my makeup, and a quick hug to my girls, we head out of the hotel to our limousine waiting at the entrance.
In the back of the car, Dean grips my hand and holds my eyes. “You know, if you hadn’t taken me back, this wouldn’t mean anything.”
“If you hadn’t shown up that day to catch me when I fell out that door, I’d have a broken heart and neck.”
He grins and kisses the back of my hand. “Good thing we figured stuff out, huh?”
I don’t need to tell him how proud I am of him, or how happy I am that we’re here together. We had an arrangement and saw it through, then by a crazy twist of fate, fell in love.
The car pulls up to the curb, along with cheering fans and hordes of paparazzi. There’s no more games between us. Just truth and trust, and as Dean takes my hand and leads me to the red carpet, I know that the two of us have a bright, amazing future ahead.
About the Author
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Anna Catherine Field is a fan of first love, toe-curling kisses and swoony romance. Not only does she like to read young adult romance, but she enjoys writing them as well. She lives with two dogs, two kids and a man-sized adult with a comic book collection big enough to require its own room. You can find her on Facebook at Anna Catherine Field
Love in Ocean Grove Series
Finley and the Foster Brother
Lucy and the Love Pact
Bea and the Bad Boy
Norah and the Nerd
Olivia and the Older Boy
Continue reading for a Sneak Peek of Bea and the Bad Boy!
Even though I’m two hours past curfew I don’t make an effort to sneak in. What’s the point? Either my father isn’t home or if he is, he doesn’t care. He made that pretty clear when I moved in here four years ago.
My jacket reeks of smoke and I toss it in the laundry just off the kitchen, then head for the refrigerator for something to drink. My throat is dry from being trapped in Jackson’s car. I grab a sports drink and slam the door shut.
“You’re late.”
I don’t jump, but I am rattled. I didn’t even see my dad sitting at the kitchen bar in the dark.
“Yeah, whatever,” I reply, taking a swig of the drink.
“Carter this has to stop.”
I laugh darkly. “Really? Suddenly you care.”
His lips form a thin line. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s true.”
“Well get ready for a change around here. The behavior you’ve been exhibiting for the last few months is appalling. Coach Adams is not happy either.”
I shrug like it doesn’t bother me but it’s fake. My swim coach means a lot to me and I know he’s a good guy. He wants the best for me even though I know it’s an impossible dream.
“He’s used one of his contacts to get you a job for the summer—”
“What?” I shout. My dad is loaded. Why do I need a job?
“lifeguarding at the country club,” he continues. “You’re expected to be on time, act professional and do exactly what you’re told. Oh and you’ll be swimming on the club team.”
The summer league? That’s baby stuff. I roll my eyes. “Or what?”
My father’s tone changes, sounding less angry and more regretful. “Or you’re going to boarding school.”
“Boarding school?” That hits me like a ton of bricks. “You’re joking.”
“Nope. Coach Adams knows of a school that has an excellent swimming program for someone of your caliber. They’ll help you hone your skills while keeping you out of trouble—something you can’t seem to do here.”
“Sounds like you’re already planning on sending me.”
He stands and walks around the counter. His eyes are dark, like mine, and I’m still not used to seeing my face reflected back like this. “I don’t want to do this, Carter, but you’re not giving me much of a choice. The drinking, the drugs, the girls…the police were here two weeks ago. I’m willing to let you have this opportunity this summer to get things on the right path.”
He walks out of the room, le
aving me stunned with my drink still in my hand. I’m a conflict of emotions—angry, upset, betrayed. It’s really no surprise my dad wants to get rid of me. He never wanted me in the first place.