“Sure.” We tried to get her to wake up but she was out cold. Whatever she’d drank, it had knocked her out good. “That’s not going to work, I’ll just carry her.”
“Okay, that’s probably a good idea.” She gave me a grateful smile, moved out of the way and opened the front door. I scooped up Mills, who must have weighed less than a hundred pounds, and Pepper led me inside and up the stairs to Mills’ room. I laid her on the bed and let her sister tuck her in while I waited in the hallway. Once I heard Pepper say goodnight, and I knew Mills was safe in her bed, I figured I should go into the bathroom to wash the blood off my hands.
“Gabe? Are you in there?”
“Yeah, you can come in,” I said.
“Let me take a look at that.” She examined my hand and looked in her medicine cabinet for cotton swabs, band aids and all kinds of stuff that I didn’t really need. She tucked a loose tendril of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled at me again. She was still gorgeous, even after all the action. “Thanks again for tonight,” she said. “I don’t know how I’d have lived through it without your help.”
“You’re welcome.” I didn’t know what else to say. “Is your life always so… exciting?”
She grinned, “Sure is. Wait until you see what I have in store for our second date.”
“So tonight was a date?” I rarely flirted. I wasn’t very good at it, but she started it and she was very easy to talk to. I just didn’t know if I could actually deal with all the stress. The Anderson girls were way more trouble than I’d imagined. Too bad, because I kind of liked Pepper, just not her lifestyle.
“Let’s see…we took a helicopter ride. We kissed. You also got a taste of the paparazzi. And a fight.” She dabbed my knuckle with something that stung. I winced and she giggled. Fuck, her little laugh was sexy. “Big baby. Oh, and yes, someone got drunk and passed out. That sounds like one of my typical dates.”
I laughed—until I heard someone calling her name. “Pepper! You up here?” Her blue eyes told me everything I needed to know. Jonathan Church wasn’t expected. I walked out of the bathroom with Pepper on my heels.
“Gabe, stop. I can handle him. Really.”
“Hey, what the fuck are you doing here?” Church’s face was bloody and his white shirt was dirty from our earlier scuffle.
I balled up my fists, in case I needed to use them and looked at Pepper. This was getting too ridiculous for my own good, and before I answered him, I asked her “Are you going out with this douche? Are you okay here alone?”
“Fuck, yeah, she’s okay. I’m here now. With her—didn’t she tell you that?” As he stepped closer to me, Jonathan flashed an evil smile and even his eyes looked evil. Too bad he didn’t realize who he was messing with. “She’s mine, we know each other. I mean, of course, in a ‘biblical’ sense. Pepper, honey….what’s the deal with this fucker?”
“I’m not your honey or anything else for that matter. Church, you were fucking my mother. Fucking. My. Mother. Now get out. I mean it.”
Wow. So that’s why the evil looks back at the party. I was in way over my head. But I couldn’t leave the girls here alone. Fuck.
Jonathan rubbed his chest with his hand and said, “That hurts my heart to hear you say that. After all those hot times in the—”
“—you need to leave,” she said firmly and without hesitation. “Why are you even here?”
“To say I’m sorry.”
“Really? For fucking my mother or for stalking me like a crazy person? Now get out.”
He looked at me and back at her, “Fuck her, pretty boy, I did. And this little bitch can suck a co—” I couldn’t help myself—my fist came flying through the air and landed dead on his jaw. He fell back against the wall and grabbed his face. “Fuck you, man! And fuck you too Pepper! Don’t come running back to me when you want to have a real man!”
“Get out,” she yelled. I was ready for him to come at me again, but he only looked from me to Pepper then turned around and left.
“Fucking bitch, you’ll regret it!” He bounded down the stairs and I finally heard his tires squeal on the pavement and he was gone.
“Be honest with me, is he your boyfriend?”
She let out a long sigh and I regretted asking the question as soon as I’d said it.
“Yeah, well, never mind. I’ve got to go. I have to get up early in the morning.” I half expected her to stop me, but she didn’t.
“Okay, I have to go check on Mills, anyway. Thanks again.” She walked me to the door and waved goodbye. The fact that she’d hesitated when I’d asked about Church told me everything I needed to know.
I drove into the dark night and thought about the past couple of hours. The night hadn’t gone as I’d expected. I hadn’t planned on kissing her, or taking her home or getting in a fight with her boyfriend—or whatever he was. Getting involved with Pepper was a bad move on so many levels. First of all, I was her boss and if Bobbie Jo ever found out, she’d give me all kinds of hell about this. Next, Pepper brought a lot of attention from the press and most of it she brought on herself, and I didn’t need that kind of publicity.
“Hey! Watch it!” A black Porsche drove up right next to me—too close for comfort. I gripped the leather steering wheel and turned to see who was driving, but the windows were too dark. “Shit!” the Porsche swerved into me and hit my front bumper and when I slowed down, the Porsche slowed down. When I sped up, the other car sped up too and tapped my bumper again. This douche is trying to run me off the road!
“Okay dickhead, you wanna play chicken?” I yelled out. I gassed it and drove right up next to the car. Whoever was doing this didn’t know who they were messing with. My adrenaline was pumping faster than my car was flying and I wasn’t about to let this guy get to me. I let out a yell and we sped down the open road. My speedometer hit 120 and we were flying. I was pumped! He swerved into me again. This jackass was for real! Thank God there weren’t any other cars on the highway. It was way too early in the morning—except for a random truck here and there. Oh shit—a truck!
I slammed on my brakes to let the car pass me and he slammed into my bumper as he sped off. My car started spinning around—and around. All I could think about was that truck. I grabbed the steering wheel and held on for dear life—God help me. The last thing that crossed my mind was Pepper Anderson.
— Continued in Destiny Undone 2 —
…coming in the next few weeks.
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Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my lovely readers again for your support. Y’all rock! Without you, there would be no reason for me to keep writing these books. You’re all wonderful and I so appreciate you from the bottom of my heart.
I also want to thank my incredible Facebook fans, newsletter subscribers, beta readers and advance copy reviewers. I so appreciate all your help in making this story a success.
I also want to thank my PA, Chris. Without her taking care of things, I’d never get much writing done and also big thanks to my editor, Cindy and cover designer, Barb who somehow make my words and ideas spa
rkle.
About The Author
Amanda Heartley is a writer of sinfully sexy romance books. She was born and raised in Oklahoma and subsequently transplanted into the hustle and bustle of Southern California. She's a country girl at heart with an insatiable weakness for sexy men and feisty women. Her first erotic series was published in July 2013.
At home, she plays Mom, chef, ninja, taxi, and nurse hanging out with her four wonderful children and three loveable mutts. You can find her drinking a green smoothie, relaxing in the back yard, writing another steamy story.
If you enjoyed reading this book, please recommend it, review it and ask your friends to download their own copy. I always welcome your comments so connect with me on…
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Amanda Heartley
Published By: Heartley Publishing
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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