Daring Wes
Cade Brothers Series
Jules Barnard
DARING WES
Copyright © Jules Barnard 2017
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’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.
All rights are reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form is forbidden without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold 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. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover design by Yocla Designs
Cover Photograph © Scott Hoover
Digital ISBN: 978-1-942230-84-7
Print ISBN: 978-1-942230-85-4
Contents
Also by Jules Barnard
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Epilogue
SEDUCING BRAN
Also by Jules Barnard
About the Author
Also by Jules Barnard
Men of Lake Tahoe Series
Hard Wood (Book 1)
Mountain Man (Book 2)
Rebound Roommate (Book 3)
Hookup Master (Book 4)
Cocky Prince (Book 5)
* * *
Cade Brothers Series
Tempting Levi (Book 1)
Daring Wes (Book 2)
Seducing Bran (Book 3)
Reforming Hunt (Book 4)
* * *
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Prologue
Enough was enough. This was the second time she’d come into the pro shop. The shop was Wes’s territory. Not hers.
Wes stormed across the store, past the Torque Balanced putters they’d gotten in yesterday and the women’s golf shirts. Her back was to him as she stared up at the outerwear. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Kaylee’s shoulders stiffened, and she turned around slowly. “Hello, Wes. It’s good to see you.” Her eyes were wary, as though she were afraid of him.
What. The. Hell? This woman, she…she… “I asked you a question.”
“I’m shopping. Isn’t it obvious?” Finally, he glimpsed a bit of fire in her eyes.
That was more like it. Actually, he didn’t remember her having quite that much fire. She’d always been so sweet. Had been—as in, a part of the past. She’d lost that innocence the day she fucked him over.
“Exactly. Why are you shopping here? You know my family owns the resort.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know you’d be working behind the counter. You had other plans the last time we spoke.”
His face heated, his hands balling at his side. He’d sure as fuck had other plans back then. Plans she’d screwed over. Not specifically, but ever since Kaylee dumped him, he’d suffered a losing streak in golf he couldn’t shake. “I still have other plans. And I’d appreciate it if you’d get the fuck—”
A strong hand gripped Wes’s shoulder. “Everything okay?” Levi loosened his hold. “I’m Levi, Wes’s brother. You must be…?”
She swallowed, turning from Wes to shake Levi’s hand. “Kaylee. Nice to meet you. Wes talked about you and your brothers when we were in school together.” She gave Levi a shy smile.
What a fucking joke! She wasn’t shy. She was the opposite of shy. Then again, that part of her only came out when they’d been alone. For the rest of the world, and before Wes had gotten to know her, she had been shy.
Fine, that part wasn’t an act, but the rest…
Levi turned to him. “Emily and I are hitting balls on the range. Care to join us?”
A man walked up behind Kaylee and put his hand on her arm. “We’d better get going, babe,” he said, smiling at Wes and Levi.
Wes turned abruptly and stalked to the counter where he’d been looking at the employee schedule. He shoved it in the drawer and motioned for one of the workers to take over the front.
Levi walked up. “That was rude. You didn’t even give Kaylee a chance to introduce her boyfriend.”
Ignoring Levi’s comment, Wes changed the subject altogether. “Batting it out on the driving range sounds good. I could stand to hit something.” He grabbed his clubs from behind the counter.
Levi sent him a worried look, but he followed Wes out and picked up his own clubs outside the door.
Kaylee shouldn’t be here. It was too much of a coincidence that she’d shown up out of nowhere. And the last thing he needed was her making his game any worse than it was. Not when he was preparing for the tour qualifying tournament in two months.
He didn’t know why she was really here, but he was going to make damn sure and find out.
Chapter 1
Wes kept his eyes focused on his golf club—and not on his ex-girlfriend two sections up at the driving range.
Okay, he’d been watching Kaylee the entire time. But dammit, what was she doing here again? Until a few days ago, when she’d ambushed him in his club’s pro shop, he hadn’t seen Kaylee in four years.
Her hair was shorter now, and not the long, nearly black sheet of silk it had been in college. And despite her natural elegance, she was doing a fine job hacking it up on the driving range.
The same guy she’d been with the last time slid his hand to her firm, round ass, causing a pulse to pound behind Wes’s temples.
He shoved his club in his golf bag, prepared to call it a day and get the hell out, but Kaylee turned in his direction. Her gaze landed on him and her eyes widened.
She said something to her boyfriend, and they grabbed their clubs and headed toward him.
Fuck.
“Do you have a minute?” she asked.
Wes gave her a tight smile. “I’ve gotta return to the pro shop.” No way did he want to talk to this pair.
Her boyfriend McDouche put his arm around her shoulders, and Wes’s hands tightened into fists. “This’ll just take a moment. Kaylee says you went to college together and that you’re a professional golfer.”
Wes sighed. Had it not been for this girl and the head games she’d played in college, he would be a professional golfer, tearing it up on the tour. “I’m a pro at the resort.”
McDouche gave Wes a blank stare.
Obviously, the guy didn’t know much about golf. There was a big difference between play
ing tournaments and giving lessons as a course pro.
“Anyway, Kaylee says you’re good.” He looked down at Kaylee and grinned. “I’d love to get my fiancée some lessons. She’s just learning and could use the help.”
Fiancée… Fiancée?
Wes leveled her a look, and Kaylee flinched.
He let out a slow breath. Was this some sick joke? She showed up at his family’s resort—his turf—and brought a fiancé?
“You don’t have to do it,” Kaylee said in a rush.
Her fiancé frowned. “We talked about this, Kaylee. You need lessons if you’re going to join me on the Fiji course during our honeymoon.”
“Yes, but”—she glanced at Wes hesitantly—“he’s probably busy. I don’t even know if Wes gives lessons.”
“I give them,” Wes heard himself say.
He’d lost his mind. The last thing he should do was give lessons to this woman.
But he’d never fully understood why Kaylee had left him their senior year of college. And spending a little time with her on the course might be the perfect opportunity to discover the reason. Because regardless of what he told himself, he’d never been the same after she dumped his ass.
When Kaylee broke up with Wes, he’d been in the middle of the most pivotal tournament of his life. He told himself at the time that he’d worry about their relationship later—after he’d made it onto the tour. Only Wes had bombed during tryouts, and “later” never came. By the time he returned, Kaylee had wrapped up her classes and left town. Wes never saw or heard from her again.
Golf was a head sport. You were either focused, or your score went from six under to six over and knocked you out of the game. Kaylee’s leaving had messed up his focus, and he’d not recovered since.
The sad coincidence in this little reunion four years later was that Wes was once again attempting to qualify for the tour. Running into his ex was either shit-poor luck—or just what he needed to regain his winning edge.
Anger bubbled up in his chest. She’d dumped him without a good reason, and the idea of trusting Kaylee left a sour taste in his mouth. But if he could find out why she’d hightailed it out of town all those years ago, it might help with his focus and give him back his career. “I’m available Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from four to five.”
“Excellent!” McDouche with the floppy brown hair and overly chiseled chin grinned down at Kaylee, who appeared wary. “Kaylee can take lessons while she plans our wedding. We’re having it at the club. Beautiful place you got here.”
Wes shot Kaylee a death glare. She was getting married…at his motherfucking resort? Had she lost her mind?
Kaylee lifted her chin. “I’ve always loved Lake Tahoe. My parents still have their cabin here. That’s where Eddy and I are staying.”
Eddy glanced between Wes and Kaylee. “This isn’t a problem, is it? If you’re too busy to do the lessons, I can find someone else.”
“I’ll do them,” Wes said, still glaring at Kaylee. How dare she try to get married at his resort? No way could this be a coincidence. Kaylee was here for a reason. And Wes would find out what it was, one way or another.
* * *
Kaylee tucked her hair behind her ears and made her way to Wes, standing near the driving range. He was talking to another guy wearing a red Club Tahoe golf shirt, with his hand shoved into his pants pocket, pulling at his khakis and giving her a view of his rear. Wes was as fit as he’d been in college—more so, because he was a little broader, a little more filled out.
Her heart fluttered—had been a fluttering, spastic mess since she saw him last week after nearly four years. They’d parted on such crappy terms. This was her chance to make things right. Only Wes appeared to be holding a heavy grudge.
Kaylee had come into the golf shop with Eddy last week to look for a lightweight jacket for the cooler mornings on the course. But as soon as she’d caught sight of Wes behind the counter, her heart had nearly given out. She’d planned for her wedding to take place at Club Tahoe because the resort was beautiful and she loved the lake. And because she had an important reason for seeing Wes one last time before she married.
He’d not taken her presence well. Would have kicked her out of the shop if his older brother Levi hadn’t walked in at that exact moment.
Kaylee had no idea Wes would be working at the club. She thought she’d have to hunt him down. Possibly reach out to his father. Wes had had big plans the last time she saw him. Plans that had consumed him—to the detriment of their relationship.
But a few days ago, she’d discovered that Wes’s father had recently died, leaving his older brother Levi in charge of the luxury resort. Wes ran the golf course, and two of his other brothers managed various programs on the property.
Entering Wes’s life after such a loss was the worst possible timing. But Kaylee’s wedding was in a couple months, and it was now or never.
She trudged forward, golf bag on her shoulder, stopping a few feet behind him. He hadn’t noticed her, and she took a moment to soak in the man she’d once loved.
Wes’s casual stance, the light smile that played on the corner of his mouth as he chatted with the other golfer—this was the fun-loving guy she remembered. She couldn’t see his deep blue eyes with most of his back to her, but she remembered the glint in them when he stole a kiss. Or the depths they could hold when he squeezed her hand while making love to her…
A warm shiver spread along her lower spine. This was a bad idea. She shouldn’t have come. Not when unwanted sparks filled her whenever he was near. Time around Wes evoked emotions she’d rather forget.
Kaylee took a deep breath, prepared to leave and forget the lessons, when she caught Wes’s body stiffen.
He turned and faced her slowly, his gaze dropping to her lips before moving to her cheeks—where her face burned from those stupid memories of them together.
If he’d tensed from her presence a moment ago, he hid it now. Wes didn’t fidget, didn’t break his stare. He was as cool as he’d ever been. Meanwhile, her temperature had risen and her legs felt wobbly.
“Is this still a good time?” Her voice came out too high, dammit. “I can return later if you’re busy.” Hopefully, he’d take her up on the idea, and she could call and cancel the lessons altogether.
Kaylee might have moved on, but Wes had stolen a piece of her heart that she’d never regained. That didn’t mean they were right for each other. She’d never forget the pain she’d suffered during and after their relationship.
And now she could finally find closure… Once she told him what she should have said years ago.
But she couldn’t explain things until they were on better terms. The truth was too personal and raw to mention while he looked at her like she was mud stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
“Now is fine,” he said.
He gave a catch-you-later nod to the man he’d been talking to and turned back to Kaylee. Only his gaze settled somewhere over her shoulder, and a sweet smile spread across his face.
Kaylee’s heart lurched. She hadn’t seen Wes smile like that in years, and it rattled her—reminded her again of why she’d fallen for this man. But his smile hadn’t been directed at Kaylee.
She turned to see a little girl—maybe three, four years old?—walking toward them. The child was carrying a small set of golf clubs, her hair pulled into a braided ponytail that swung back and forth with her determined pace. She had the same intense expression Wes used to sport when he headed out for a round of golf.
“Bella, meet Kaylee,” Wes said.
The young girl gave Kaylee a once-over. “Is she training too?”
Wes frowned. “’Course not. Kaylee’s nowhere near your skill level. I’ll be training you and giving Kaylee tips. She can watch your form as an example of how it’s done.”
Bella grinned and set up her clubs.
“Show me how it’s done?” Kaylee said quietly for only Wes’s ears. “By a four-year-old?”
“Five,�
� Wes said, and crossed his arms over his chest, widening his stance. “Bella’s small for her age, but don’t let the size fool you. She’s my best student.”
Kaylee caught the smirk on his lips.
Awesome. Not only was spending time with Wes going to be awkward, but he planned to humiliate her too.
Kaylee watched Wes with Bella and saw the admiration in his eyes. He’d never much cared for anyone else’s golf game. He’d always been too focused on his own. “You’re really teaching kids now?”
“New program at the club. It’s not so bad. Especially with students like Bella.”
Bella took a practice swing.
This kid has skills.
“That’s it,” Wes called. “Keep your arm straight like I taught you last week. Slow and easy.”
Bella lined up a ball, raised her club, and swung through, sending the ball onto the driving range.
Kaylee coughed into her palm, holding back a smile. “Okay, you’re right. She’s really good.”
Wes glanced over. “Nervous?”
“Not at all.” Kaylee crossed her arms below her breasts. “I’ve got skills too.”
He cut her a look, his gaze dropping briefly to her chest, then rising slowly back to her eyes. He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Dammit. He must have seen her hitting balls the other day at the driving range.
Daring Wes: Cade Brothers Series Page 1
