Breaking Shaun

by E. M. Abel

  I never got nervous around guys. If anything, it was the other way around, and that was how I liked it. I had the pussy, which meant I called the shots. Sure, men liked to think they were in charge, and sometimes, I’d let them. It was easier that way. I’d play the role, smile and flutter my eyelashes, but I also had no problem telling men what I wanted and taking it. Men’s egos were a lot like their dicks, always needing to be stroked. As long as they kept me satisfied, I didn’t mind doing it.

  But Mr. Green Eyes was different, and I’d known it from the moment he spoke to me in that gallery. He exuded confidence and control, and two alphas were never compatible in bed—or anywhere for that matter.

  “I think I’m good. Help yourself.” I averted my gaze to the small trash bin and threw away my paper before picking up my cup of coffee.

  As his hand reached out and grabbed his own paper, I couldn’t help myself from taking a quick peek at him. Our eyes met for a split second before he looked into the doughnut case, and then his hand stopped moving. Shifting my focus from his hand to his face, I realized his glorious green eyes were on me. I froze as his perfect lips spread into a mischievous smile.

  Oh no, he remembers.

  “Don’t I know you?” he asked as he grabbed a doughnut out of the case without taking his eyes from mine.

  “No.”

  He raised an eyebrow before his gaze made its way down my tank top and over my legs. “Oh, that’s right. You turned me down.”

  Straightening my back, I slowly raked my eyes over the front of his shirt and shorts before letting them move back up. “Yep.”

  I grinned before turning my back to him and moving toward the cash registers. I could feel him watching me as I set my doughnut bag on the counter, and then I began opening my wallet.

  “So, what brings you all the way out to VA?” He set a Red Bull and his doughnut bag down on the counter beside mine.

  I gave him a look, making it clear that it was none of his business.

  He chuckled at my warning. “Look, we obviously know the same people. You might as well tell me. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

  Turning back to the cashier, who didn’t look a day over eighteen, I realized she was too busy staring at Mr. Green Eyes, so she hadn’t even started ringing up my doughnuts. I cleared my throat, and she quickly snapped out of her daze.

  “Oh. Sorry.” She shook her head a little to help her focus.

  “That’ll be four thirty-seven,” she told me. Her eyes went back to the man standing next to me, and she gave him a please-fuck-me smile.

  I tried to hide my amusement as I pulled a twenty out of my wallet and handed it to her.

  “So, you’re not gonna tell me?” he asked.

  The cashier gave me my change.

  “Nope.”

  “You always play this hard to get? Or is this special treatment just for me?” He pushed his things closer to the cash register.

  “Oh, I’m not playing.” I grabbed my coffee and bag of doughnuts off the counter.

  Walking backward, I pushed the glass door open with my back, and I gave him a devious smile before turning toward the parking lot. I made my way to my old beat-up Mustang, making sure not to look back, and then I climbed in and left.

  When I walked back into Nick’s apartment with a bag full of doughnuts, I found Nick sitting at his small kitchen table in his beautifully decorated breakfast nook. He was sipping on a cup of coffee and looking at his iPad. Nick was model perfect with his flawless bone structure and immaculate style. He really belonged somewhere like New York, not here in Virginia.

  He looked at me over the lip of his coffee mug, and his eyes ran down my body, assessing my outfit like he always did, before stopping at my hand. “Doughnuts?”

  I smiled as I went to take the seat across from him. “Yeah, I went a little nuts.” I plopped the bag down on the table.

  He inspected it. “I get the chocolate one, but if you ever bring doughnuts home again, I’ll have to bitch-slap you.”

  My head jerked back, and my eyebrows drew together before I laughed. “Um…okay.”

  “You think I’m playin’, bitch, try me,” he warned. He grabbed the chocolate doughnut and took a bite big enough that half of it disappeared into his mouth.

  I just rolled my eyes at my crazy cousin and took a sip of my coffee. “I saw someone from Asia’s art show at the store. Small world.” I got up to get a napkin, and I immediately regretted bringing it up.

  I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about Mr. Green Eyes, and I definitely wasn’t supposed to be talking about him…especially with Nick.

  “Oh, yeah? Who?” Nick asked, studying his iPad before licking icing off his fingers.

  I shrugged as I made my way back to my seat. “I don’t know who he is. I just recognized him.”

  Nick’s eyebrow rose as soon as he heard me say the word he, and he slowly lifted his gaze to look at me with his mischievous grin.

  Oh no. Oh God, no.

  When my cousin got an idea in his head, he was relentless. I had to nip this in the bud and fast.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Nick. I’m not interested, so get that grin off your face,” I threatened him with my finger pointed in the direction of his mouth, but it had no effect.

  Nick scoffed, “Pffft. Who are you kidding? You wouldn’t have brought him up if you weren’t interested.”

  I sighed before taking a sip of my coffee. “He’s not my type.”

  “How do you know? You don’t even know the man.”

  I shrugged. “I just know. Trust me.”

  He smirked before taking another bite of his doughnut, and then he looked back at his iPad.

  Dodged that bullet.

  “So, what did this guy look like?” Nick asked as he cut his eyes back to me.

  Fucker. I glared at him. “I don’t even remember. Forget I said anything.” Leaning back in my chair, I picked out a cream-filled doughnut from the bag.

  “Well, let’s see…he lives here, and he went all the way to L.A. for Asia’s show. That means it could be Asia’s dad, Robert.” He paused, studying my face for a reaction. “He’s tall and incredibly hot for an older guy. Looks just like Gerard Butler.”

  I smirked at him but remained silent as I took another sip of my coffee.

  “Then, there’s Marcus, but you already know who he is since he proposed to Asia, and let’s be honest, he’s impossible to forget.” Nick winked at me.

  I shook my head and giggled as I bit into my doughnut.

  “Hmm…and then there’s Shaun.” He paused again.

  I stopped chewing for just half a second, but he saw it.

  He continued, his eyes persistently studying me, “Now, Shaun is definitely someone you would never forget. He’s tall, and he’s always tan because he spends the majority of his life surfing. That’s also why his body is incredibly sculpted and mouthwatering.”

  As I imagined Shaun’s body, I could feel saliva beginning to pool in my mouth, and my chewing slowed.

  Nick didn’t stop there. “He’s got the most amazing green eyes that could strip you bare with just one glance. His lips look so delicious that you have to know what they taste like. His voice is so deep that you can feel it. He’s effortlessly sexy, and he exudes sex. Then again, I’m probably telling you things you already know.”

  I swallowed and looked at my doughnut. I hated the fact that I didn’t want Nick to stop. I wanted to know who Shaun was and how much Nick knew about him.

  No, you don’t. You don’t care, Natalie.

  I straightened my back before shrugging my shoulders and taking another bite.

  Nick chuckled and got up to put his cup in the sink. “When you decide this whole pretending-to-be-uninterested thing is for the birds, you come see me, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

  I feigned indifference as I took another sip of my coffee, and Nick smiled before sauntering off toward his room.

  “What’s up, Dad?” I
yelled into my dad’s house after walking in the front door.

  His truck was in the driveway, so I knew he was home.

  “In here,” he said from the direction of the kitchen.

  When I walked into the room, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my dad sitting across from a woman at the kitchen table. This woman was not only in my dad’s house at eight in the morning, but she was also sipping coffee and wearing a bathrobe.

  What the fuck? “Um…sorry. Am I interrupting something?” I asked, suspiciously eyeing my dad.

  He smirked. “Samantha, this is my youngest son, Shaun. Shaun, this is Samantha.”

  I was shocked. I knew my dad had his fair share of ladies, but this was the first time he’d ever introduced me to one. As a matter of fact, this was the first time I’d ever seen one up close.

  “Hi, Shaun. Nice to meet you.” Samantha turned in her chair and reached out her hand to shake mine.

  I hesitated for a second before taking it. “Uh…hey. What’s up?”

  “You’ll have to excuse Shaun. He’s not the most polite one of the bunch,” my dad muttered before taking a sip of his coffee.

  I wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on. Is this dad’s girlfriend? He doesn’t have girlfriends.

  “So, what brings you out this way, son?” my dad asked.

  I snapped out of my daze and looked at him. I suddenly forgot why I was there. Usually, I didn’t need a reason to stop by, but now, this felt totally awkward.

  “Shit. I don’t know. I was just coming by to see what you were up to, but I see you’re busy, so I’ll just—”

  I began to turn out of the room when Samantha stopped me. “No, don’t go. I’ll just go upstairs to change. I need to get going anyway.”

  She smiled at my dad before getting out of her chair and making her way toward the stairs. I watched her as she walked out of the room. She had long blonde hair, and from what I could see, she had a hot little body to go with it.

  Nice.

  When I turned back to face my dad, he had an eyebrow raised. He’d caught me checking out his girl.

  “Is that your girlfriend?” I whispered. I approached the table and took Samantha’s seat.

  My dad chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”

  What? “Since when do you have girlfriends?”

  My dad didn’t respond. He just looked at me as he continued drinking his coffee.

  This shit was throwing me off. My dad didn’t date. Our casual sexual relationships were one of the few things we had in common. Now, here he was, having coffee with some woman named Samantha.

  I answered my phone, “Hello?”

  “Hey, man. What are you doing?” Marcus asked.

  “Just about to leave the shop. Why? What’s up?”

  “Why are you there on a Sunday?”

  “Just making sure the inventory shit got done right. Don’t wanna piss off the boss.”

  He chuckled. “Wow, I’m impressed. Maybe you need a raise.”

  “Of course I need a fuckin’ raise. Every day, I gotta deal with a bunch of teenagers askin’ when Marcus Avery will be coming into the shop.”

  “Yeah, I guess I should make an appearance every now and then. I’ve just been too busy with my fiancée, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

  Rolling my eyes toward the ceiling. I got my keys out of my pocket and then started locking up my office. “Shut the fuck up before I drive out there and kick your ass,” I grumbled.

  Marcus laughed before telling me, “We’re having some people over for a barbecue. You should come out and bring your board.”

  “Yeah? Who’s comin’?”

  “Just some of the guys and whoever they bring. You know how word spreads around here. I think Asia is inviting some of her friends—Hailey and probably Nick. Why? You want me to invite someone specific?” Marcus asked with amusement in his voice.

  I automatically thought of the woman I’d seen at the store, but there was no way I was going to ask about her. The last thing I needed was Asia and Marcus trying to get involved in my sex life. I had already revealed too much as it was.

  “Nah. Just curious. I’ll be there. You want me to bring anything?”

  “No, we’re good. I stocked up this morning.”

  “All right then. Later.”

  “Later.”

  When Nick pulled up in Marcus and Asia’s driveway, my jaw dropped. I leaned forward to peer up through the windshield at their beautiful three-story beach house.

  Under the house was a large two-car garage with the doors pulled open. There were two shiny antique cars that looked like they had some serious muscle under their hoods and a motorcycle. The back wall was lined with six or seven surfboards, and wet suits were hanging on coat hooks. I could hear and see the ocean behind their beautiful house, and I was taken aback by the peaceful surroundings. Just by looking at Marcus and Asia, I would never have imagined they lived somewhere like this. From what I’d seen at the gallery, they had seemed so down-to-earth, and they’d acted so casually that I would never have suspected for a second that they were rich.

  Finally drawing my mouth closed, I turned to look at Nick, and he was smiling at me with amusement in his eyes.

  “They live here?” I asked although I already knew the answer.

  Nick grinned. “Marcus is a pro skater, sponsored by Nike. He also started his own brand, and Asia’s paintings have been sellin’ like hotcakes. Let’s just say, they don’t worry about money.”

  I nodded as I continued to scan the outside of their house. Asia is one lucky woman.

  I suddenly felt nervous. This would be my first time actually meeting my cousin’s friends since I had bailed early that night at the gallery. I hoped they liked me. I didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb. According to Nick, most of them had known each other since high school. Of course, with his boisterous personality and amazing looks, Nick had no problem fitting in. I, on the other hand, usually received one reaction from other females—they hated me. I was a private person. I wasn’t big on socializing, and that was often perceived as being bitchy. I also enjoyed having casual sex, and that, of course, put me in the slutty category as well.

  Looking down at my turquoise tunic, black shorts, and matching turquoise wedges, I worried that I had overdone it. I didn’t want people to think I was trying too hard.

  When I had expressed this concern to Nick at his apartment, he’d simply told me, Don’t worry about it, Nat. These girls don’t give a shit about the clothes you wear. Just be yourself, and they’ll love you. Then, he’d kissed me on the cheek and forced me out the front door.

  That had been good for me because I was pretty sure that in order to have a fun, adventurous new life, I would also need fun, adventurous new friends.

  As we walked toward the steps leading to the front door, I made myself relax. Just have a good time.

  A dozen different voices either talking or laughing were coming from the back deck as a Lil Wayne song played in the background. I could smell burgers grilling, and I could hear a woman’s squeal right before I heard a loud splash. Now, I knew why Nick had insisted I wear my bikini under my clothes.

  When we reached the top step, Nick opened the front door and walked right inside. I took a deep breath before following him. The interior of the house was breathtaking. Floor-to-ceiling windows made up the entire wall closest to the ocean, and all the other walls were decorated with beautiful paintings. Immediately upon seeing them, I knew they were Asia’s creations. She had a unique style, and each piece of art evoked a different emotion in me as I looked at them.

  “Nick!” a woman shouted from near the pool on the other side of the glass wall.

  It was Hailey. I remembered her from the night at the gallery. She was a beautiful blonde with bright blue eyes and a warm smile. Opening the glass door, she walked inside. She didn’t bother to close it behind her, causing the volume of the music and voices to amplify in the house.

  Nick strolled over
to her, and then he gave her a big hug before turning to introduce me. “Hailey, you remember my cousin Natalie. Natalie, Hailey.”

  Hailey smiled at me, and when I extended my hand toward her, she moved in to give me a hug, too.

  “It’s so nice to see you!” she exclaimed as she pulled away from me. She cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at Nick again. “Damn, she’s hot.”

  Nick put a hand on his narrow hip. “Of course she’s hot. She’s related to me, isn’t she?”

  Hailey giggled, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Where’s John?” Nick looked outside to where Hailey had been.

  She pouted. “He had a work thing in Chicago. He’ll be home in a few days.”

  Another female voice called from the deck, “Nick, get your ass out here!”

  We all turned to see Asia standing on the deck in her bathing suit. Her long black hair was wet and draping down her back. She was wrapped in Marcus’s tattooed arms as she smiled at us.

  I bit the inside of my cheek as I admired her fiancé. He was standing there, dripping wet, in a pair of black boardshorts that hung low on his waist, revealing his tan line. His body, which was covered in ink, was amazing, to say the least. His dark brown hair was a mess on his head, but he definitely pulled it off flawlessly. I quickly moved my focus to his face, afraid I might get caught ogling his body, when his eyes came to mine. They were gorgeous. I swore that my stomach dropped. I wasn’t sure what to do since obviously looking at any part of him felt like a violation to Asia.

  He gave me a warm smile, and I instantly felt myself blush. I turned my gaze back to Asia. It was no wonder why they were together. She was just as beautiful as he was.

  Nick and Hailey started walking toward them, and I followed behind, reminding myself that I was supposed to be relaxed. When we walked out onto the deck, a punk song started playing, and I recognized the band as Pennywise. I liked that we had similar taste in music.

  People were standing around the deck with different drinks in their hands, laughing and talking, while a few were in the water, splashing around.

  “Hi, I’m Asia,” Asia greeted me, putting out her hand to shake mine.