by C. M. Owens
“I love you.”
“I’m going to be sick if you two don’t stop,” Maverick groans. “I see enough of this with Kode and Dane.”
“Ignore them,” I tell Allie when she blushes and pulls back. “I do.”
She starts to say something, but then her brow furrows in confusion as she shifts her gaze to something behind me. “What is he doing?”
I turn around to see Rye belly crawling away from Brin’s chair. Her feet are tucked under the chair as she talks animatedly to Tria about something, unaware of her boyfriend’s movement.
He nods toward Kade who tosses him a lighter, and I watch as something sparks when he lights the end of a string—no, not a string; it’s a fuse.
The hell?
He takes off running, and Brin looks behind her as his cackles break free. She starts to say something when suddenly a collection of rapid-fire pops ring out, one right after another.
She screams as tiny sparks fly from the ground—are those firecrackers?
She runs, but the things are tied to a string that is tied to her shoe, so the endless popping and sparks follow her, leaving a trail of smoke in our backyard as she continues screaming and tries uselessly to escape.
Angel and Carrie laugh loudly, turning around in their seats to watch as Brin falls and kicks off her shoe before crawling back up and running again.
Rye’s eyes widen when she grabs the garden hose, and he gasps out an, “Oh shit!” But it’s too late to run, because that thing sprays furiously, slamming him in the chest with a relentless stream that follows him as he tries to run away.
He finally runs toward her, and tackles her at the waist, gently bringing her to the ground on top of him before wrestling away the hose. It’s not freezing or anything out here, but it’s too cold for that shit.
Allie laughs as the two have a wet T-shirt wrestling match, and she turns toward me again. But just as quickly, Maverick’s laughter interrupts our moment, and I see Corbin glaring at him.
“What?” Dale prods Corbin. “Why are you so pissed right now?”
“I’m not. Maverick’s making a bigger deal out of it than necessary. Ruby can’t stay mad at me for long. She never does.”
“What’d you do?” I ask, moving us closer to their conversation.
Corbin glares at me like I’ve offended him, and Maverick laughs harder.
“Ruby finally moves back to Sterling Shore, and she’s here for two days before Corbin pisses her off so bad that she’s ignoring him now. Go figure.”
“How?” Allie asks, clearly intrigued.
He shrugs, not feeling inclined to answer, but Maverick answers for him.
“He triple dared her to break up with her boyfriend. Can we say jealous?”
Allie looks confused, and so does Bella. They don’t know the history.
“If he was so important to her, she would have said no,” Corbin says defensively.
“She can’t!” Maverick says, laughing. “This triple dare war has been going on forever. She’s not going to cave now, and you knew it. Jackass. Just admit you’re in love with her, and I’ll leave you alone.”
Corbin scowls at him. “It was going to be a long-distance relationship. And you know those don’t work out. The guy was a prick anyway. I was doing her a favor.”
“Suurre,” Maverick drawls, taunting him. “Admit it. She’s back, and now you’re going to make me handle the women all on my own while you turn into one of them.”
Maverick lazily gestures to the couples, including Allie and me. Corbin stands and flips Maverick off before leaving, and Maverick continues to laugh at his back.
“I like your friends,” Allie says with a grin, drawing my attention back down to her bright green eyes. “It never gets boring.”
Tuning out everything else, I pull her to me, putting my lips close to her ear, and whisper, “I can think of a number of ways you wouldn’t be bored, and we don’t need my friends around for that.”
She shivers against me, and I grin proudly. I love the effect I have on her.
“Are you getting married?” Carrie’s voice startles me, and Allie tenses against me as we both turn to see her and Angel staring over the backs of their chairs at us.
I just got Allie to agree to move in a couple of weeks ago. I don’t want to send her running with an early proposal. Which is why the ring I bought three days ago is hiding at Tag’s house for safekeeping.
“We’re just… together right now,” Allie says uneasily, and I bite back a grin at the deep blush on her face.
Angel beams at us, but then a frown mars her beautiful face.
“So you’re boyfriend and girlfriend all the time?” Angel asks curiously.
“Yes. We discussed this,” Allie says.
“And you’re only dating each other?” Angel continues.
“Yes,” Allie and I say in unison.
Angel smiles again. Her next words leave everyone in an uproar, and I swear it proves my life is finally perfect. My laughter breaks free, and so does everyone else’s—including Bella’s—but Allie turns crimson when Angel adds, “I guess that means you broke up with your secret boyfriend—Bob.”
Fucking perfect.
THE END
For a sneak peek at Corbin Sterling’s story, continue reading. Triple Dare is next in the Sterling Shore series.
TRIPLE DARE
CHAPTER 1
RUBY
The bell chimes over the entry, and reflexively, my eyes move up to see who has just walked in. I immediately regret having reflexes.
The second I see him, my body has all the usual reactions. My heart flutters, my body tenses, my mouth waters, and… oh yeah… I get a slight fever. It’s like I revert back to feeling like an unsure teenage girl instead a confident woman. Sad, huh?
But it happens every time I see him.
Corbin Fucking Sterling.
His long, jean-clad legs slowly reduce the distance between us as he saunters toward me with a walk that has everyone in the shop turning to take notice. Women immediately start drooling, forgetting there’s a permanent stretch of ink getting tattooed on their bodies when they try to twist around to get a better view.
I pause the tattoo I’m working on, considering I’m hella distracted. The woman in my chair turns around, and a breath leaves her lips, making me envious since my breath is trapped in my throat.
Corbin smirks, reveling in the attention he always garners. His T-shirt is stretched across his broad shoulders and expansive chest. His tall body is sculpted like a work of sexy art, and he knows it.
He’s the only guy with longer hair that I’ve ever been attracted to. The dark, soft, silk-like strands hang almost to his shoulders, and I try not to think back to the times my fingers have been tangled in that hair.
His amber eyes stay trained on me, determination pooling in their depths. Those lips that I know too well are still fixed in that cocky smirk, and a shaky breath finally expels from my lungs before I suffocate.
He has that much power over me even after all these years. Moving back to Sterling Shore might have been the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I thought I could handle it, but now I’m not so sure.
Swallowing against the knot in my throat, I force my eyes away, returning them to the task at hand. I look down, and finish buzzing the final touches on the woman’s tattoo, making the small wings on her hip come to life.
“I’m Sarah,” the woman in the chair tells Corbin, whose shadow has engulfed me. I refuse to look up, knowing he’s hovering over me now.
“Corbin,” he says absently, sounding amused as I continue to pretend as though he doesn’t exist.
I glance up as the woman’s mouth goes slack, her wheels turning as she places his face.
“Sterling?” she shrieks. “You’re Corbin Sterling?”
In Sterling Shore, all Sterlings are royalty. As if they need anything else to make them more wanted.
Stupid Corbin. Stupid city. Stupid woman who won’t sit sti
ll.
“I’m almost done,” I tell her, trying not to let my irritation show. “Just a few more seconds.”
She freezes, but I know she’s completely unaware of what I’m doing. Without looking, I know she’s gawking at Corbin, just like every other woman in here. And the men are probably looking, too.
“Are… um… you… um…” Sarah seems to be unable to form a full sentence. I know her pain. I’ve just trained my mouth to work around him—when I’m not ignoring the dickhead.
“I’m here to see Ruby,” he tells her, a smile in his voice.
Asshole. He’s standing too close, and I can smell his spicy mix of cologne that has me on the verge of moaning and wishing I could pull him close just to inhale him deeper.
“You?” Sarah asks, looking down at me as though she’s horrified of such a thought.
Sure, I don’t look like a Sterling Barbie doll. Never have. It’s one of the reasons I was happy to leave this town. But this place has always been home despite its shallow ways.
“I’m Ruby,” I tell her, rolling my eyes when her nose crinkles.
This is my shop, or doesn’t she know that? I’ll gladly kick her out if she tries to insult me.
She looks like the perfect girl for a model shoot, and I just added a dainty set of happy wings on her hip to add to her pretty features. Her platinum blonde hair is a stark contrast to my darker, almost black hair. Her perfect tan is much darker than my lighter one that is full of random tan lines.
She’s built like a playboy centerfold with a bursting chest, and I don’t bother glancing down at my far less impressive bra size. Even though her eyes immediately go there, probably wondering if I fill out a C cup or if I’m still in a B. I make a C work, dammit.
“Are you two together?” Sarah asks, offending me with the disbelief in her tone.
Her eyes roam down my inked arms, taking in the colorful pops of various flowers, even though she doesn’t ask about what they mean. Her eyes drift to the neckline of my tank top, moving over the vine that just touches the base of my neck from my shoulder.
Then she studies my piercings as though I’m on display for her amusement. My Monroe gets a narrowed eye, the stud in my nose gets an eyebrow arch, and my eyebrow ring gets a frown. I stick my tongue out, winking at her when she sees the piercing there, and she gasps.
She’d freak the hell out if she knew what all else I have pierced.
“We’re not together,” I say since Corbin has gone silent. “We’re not even friends anymore,” I add, finally glaring up at Corbin who just stares at me like I’ve challenged him.
“I triple dare you to forgive me,” he says, ignoring Sarah as she tries to get his attention.
I roll my eyes while moving aside my cart. Sarah’s wings are finished, but she’s not in a hurry to leave now.
“You can’t do that,” I remind him. “You’ve already used that triple dare—no doubles. And it’s not your turn anyway. In case you’ve forgotten, your last triple dare is what has me pissed.”
Curious eyes find us from all around. This is the first time the guys at the shop have seen me really interact with Corbin since I got pissed at him. Which he managed to accomplish on my second freaking day back in town.
Jerk.
The women in here are glaring at me like they envy the attention I’m getting. They have no idea about the hell zone I’ve lived in next to Corbin. It hurts to be around him, but I can’t seem to let him go either, even though I know it would be the smartest solution to put me out of my misery.
Corbin groans as I move away, letting Miles deal with Sarah when she seems to pout and try to follow us to the back. Can no one read the Employees Only sign?
“Read the sign,” I tell Corbin, but of course he ignores me. Shocker.
“You can’t stay mad at me forever.” I refuse to look at him. Looking at him always gets me in trouble. Hearing his deep, smooth voice is bad enough.
“I can stay mad at you for longer than a few weeks. Now go away. I’m busy, in case you haven’t noticed.”
He snickers softly, and his arms slide around my waist as he hugs me to him. This is the part that’s torture. He can touch me, he can hold me, he can be the sweetest, gentlest jerk in the world, but the asshole won’t touch me in the bedroom.
Not that we haven’t tried. We have. But… I can’t think about it.
“You’re my best friend, Ruby. And you’re finally back home. Don’t keep punishing me for getting rid of that tool for you.”
I roll my eyes while disentangling myself from his tempting embrace.
“Blade wasn’t a tool—and do not make another joke about his name,” I say, quickly adding the last part when his lips part to do just that. He closes his mouth, grinning as I continue. “He was nice, loyal, and honest.”
It’s a lie. Blade was a total tool, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that. I also won’t tell him that I was only dating Blade to keep me from falling into old habits.
When Corbin’s around, I tend to drop everything so I can spend every waking second with him. That was fine when we only saw each other a few days at a time in small intervals. Now I’m back in his city permanently, and it’s hard to be his friend when he’s the reason my heart will never again function properly. I doubt I’ll ever find all the pieces that he left scattered when he broke it. Well, shattered it would be a more accurate depiction.
“I need you to do a triple dare so that I can use my next turn,” he says hopefully, doing that sweet thing with his eyes that always gets to me. Damn him.
“No,” I say firmly, moving toward the sink to wash my hands.
“Was he that important to you?” he asks sincerely.
I turn around, taking a deep breath, and I glare at him.
“You know that’s not the point.”
He glares back now, his sweet expression gone.
“You could have said no.”
“And let you win? Hell no. I’ve waited too long to see you lose. It’ll be your box that is handed over, not mine.”
A small grin slides onto his lips, and I roll my eyes. Dirty minded ass—
“Your box would be much more interesting,” he says, letting his eyes drop to my crotch to make the innuendo clear.
That has me snorting out a laugh. “Seems it wasn’t interesting enough,” I point out.
Immediately his cheeks flush, and he turns and walks away. I should have brought that up sooner. I could have avoided the full-fledged fever I have now after being around him for that long.
Good thing I don’t actually have any more appointments. Not that he needs to know that.
I need a moment to breathe without inhaling Corbin Fucking Sterling.
Now, what did I do with that tequila?
Release date coming soon.
For fun, teasers, and more, come hang out in the book club with other fans. This is a closed group, so no one sees your posts, comments or likes. And it’s hella fun with some awesome women.
C.M. Owens Book Club
Or join me on Facebook for teasers. My Facebook
I’m still getting the hang of twitter, but you’re always welcome to visit me there, too. @CursetrilogyM
What else is coming up in the Sterling Shore Series?
Triple Dare is next. Ruby Kross is a good/bad girl with one major weakness—Corbin Sterling.
Identical Disaster will follow. Bolivia, or Bo for short, has done everything she can for her twin sister for as long as she can remember. But Jax Marshall, the sexy MMA fighter and personal trainer, isn’t what she expects when her sister sends her on a breakup mission in her place.
Perfectly Toxic—Bella is done with bad boys, because she’s learned they’re not so much fun when they’re cheating or stealing. But Ethan Noles isn’t something she sees coming, until he’s under her skin, in her head, and starring in her dirtiest fantasies. And the asshole loves every minute of torment he dishes out.
Make Me—Dale Sterling is the quiet on
e of his cousins. He’s not looking for love, because women, as he’s learned, are too much trouble. But Harley has her eyes set on him. But not because she’s still a girl with a crush. No. Harley is back for revenge, and Dale seems to have forgotten he ever did anything wrong.
Taming A Maverick—Maverick Sterling… Need I say more? Maverick is a wildcard and a complete and total manwhore. Everyone knows it. But what happens when he finally meets a girl who he can’t seem to move on from? Salem isn’t stupid enough to fall in love again, especially not with a guy like Maverick. But it doesn’t stop Maverick from enjoying the chase.
A Taste Of Silk—Brittley, also known as Britt, is sick of being surrounded by overprotective Sterling men who all seem determined to keep her a little girl. Hell, they didn’t even really know her when she was little. Yet the transition to adulthood seems to be impossible for them to accept. Not that she protests too much, since she’s not as passionate about it as they are, at least not until she meets Base Masters.
Base is the lead singer, the coveted sex-on-legs Adonis for The Fallen. And he accidentally gets too close to Dane Sterling’s little sister. But Base isn’t the type to get tied down, and Britt is still learning how to interact with people without scaring them away.
Finally, The Wedding Game—This one is just for the fans of the series. It’s the wedding you’ve been waiting for, along with numerous short stories from ALL of the previous couples POV. At the end, there will be an epilogue for the series, giving a big glimpse into everyone’s futures.
