Ryan chugged his beer and looked at Layla. “Another story for another night.”
“Steaks are done. Come to the table kids.” Rich laughed as he put a tray of steaks in the center of the table.
Mark looked at all the faces that were most important to him in the world. Mr. and Mrs. Dickerman were like parents to him. They had helped raise him and helped make him the man he had become. His mother was there with a smile on her face despite the fact that his father was once again on the road. Ryan had taken a seat by Layla and was currently getting the cold shoulder. He wondered about those two and he looked forward to whatever the future would bring them. Molly and Rich had settled into married life beautifully. They were completely in love and had found out several days before that they were expecting a baby. Mark and Molly would have children that would grow up together, just like they had. His heart swelled and his eyes watered.
He realized Sophie was standing up and the rest of the table was quiet, looking at him. “I’m sorry. What?”
Sophie smiled. “I was wondering if you could have a seat. I have something to say.” Her hands shook as she straightened her dress.
Mark walked to the table and sat down. He looked up at Sophie. She was breathless and blushing fiercely.
She looked down at him and began. “A year ago, I had given up on everything good in my life. Then a really stubborn woman pulled me up from the gutter and made me open my eyes to all kinds of wonderful things. Asking me to be her maid of honor has proven to be the most important thing in the world.” She cleared her throat. “It was an accident that I was at the grocery store that day. I was running late and wasn’t paying any attention, when I rammed my cart into the ankles of the most amazing man I had ever seen. Since that day, not one second has passed that I haven’t thought of him or missed him or loved him. He became the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and the absolute most important person in my life. I love you every single minute of every single day. I would be nothing without you.”
She knelt down next to him and his eyes widened. “I have made some mistakes. I have been dumb and blind. But through everything, you have been my rock. I don’t know how I got so lucky but if you will let me, I am going to spend the rest of my life thanking God that you took a chance on me.”
She slipped a gold ring from her thumb and held it up to him. “In front of everyone that is most special to us in the world, I am asking you the most important question I will ever ask anyone.”
Mark dropped to his knees and put his finger across her lips. “No Sophie.” As the table gasped, he continued. “I am the lucky one. The day you hit me with that cart was the day that I completely lost my heart to you. I never thought I would find love. I never even knew I wanted to. But that day, with your messy hair and your workout clothes and your clumsy apology, I knew my life would never be the same.”
He pulled the diamond ring from his pocket and held it to her. A shower of light spilled onto the pavement as the candles reflected off the diamond. “I love you Sophie Barringer. And I love this wonderful life we are going to bring into the world. I love waking up next to you and holding you as you fall asleep. I love fighting over the crossword or who gets the last bite of ice cream. But most of all, I love the man I am because you took a chance on loving me.” He looked around the table at all the people who had made him the person he had become. “Life has truly blessed me. And without you, I would be lost. Sophie, will you do me the amazing honor of becoming my wife?”
She pulled him in for a kiss. “Yes,” she whispered. And as the world disappeared around them, he knew that his life would never be the same.
About the Author
MJ Carnal lives in Lexington, South Carolina with her husband, gorgeous daughter, and two loving and super furry dogs. She spends her days in the world of neurosurgery but her nights in a world she creates on paper. When she isn’t writing, you can find her watching episodes of The Walking Dead with her hubby, having tea parties with Princess Caroline, Singing karaoke for anyone that will listen and reading just about anything she can get her hands on. Taming the Bachelor is her first published book but her first series was written at the age of eight and illustrated with crayon.
Fine M.J.:
www.facebook.com/mjcarnalauthor
Twitter @mjcarnalauthor
Books by M.J.
The Moretti Novels
Taming the Bachelor – The story of Mark Moretti, June 2013
Taming the Playboy – The story of Ryan West, August 2013
Taming the Boy Next Door – The story of Caleb Allen, November 2013
Taming Casanova – The story of Kevin Merck, February 2014
Untamed – The story of Steven Wainwright, Summer 2014
The Last Boyfriend
by J.S. Cooper
Lucky Morgan has had her share of heartbreak. She is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her after sleeping with him and she vows to herself that she won't be used again. She decides that the next guy she dates and sleeps with, will be her one true love.
Zane Beaumont is the mysterious and snooty guy that comes into her diner every Friday night with a different girl. He's the type of guy she's learned to avoid: carefree, fast, handsome, rich, and sarcastic. Unfortunately, she can't stop thinking about the devilish gleam in his eyes.
When Lucky's car breaks down one night after a party, it is Zane who comes to her rescue. As Zane attempts to sweep Lucky off of her feet, she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems and that Zane may very well be the guy for whom she changes the rules. That is until she meets Braydon.
New Adult Contemporary Romance **Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.
Prologue
He wasn’t sure why he always chose this diner. It was a risky thing to do. If any of the waitresses slipped up and mentioned something about all of his dates here, it could ruin everything. All he knew was that he liked this diner: it was low-key, comfortable, and relaxing. It allowed him to entertain the girls without feeling any pressure. They were all beautiful women, and he was able to get what he wanted from them easily. They were everything he wanted and nothing he needed. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he liked it that way. He wasn’t going to allow a woman to get under his skin. He was never going to change his mind about falling in love. Not for anyone, and certainly not for a brunette named Lucky, whom he barely knew. He had to be focused on the plan at hand, and he couldn't allow emotions to get in the way of what he needed to do.
Chapter 1
“Can you believe this guy is in here again with another girl?” Shayla peered out into the dining room and shook her head. “Are these girls stupid?”
“Maybe they don’t care?” I shrugged, indifferent to how many different dates Mr. Big Tipper brought to the restaurant every Friday night.
“Or they don’t know.” She rolled her eyes as she prepared two garden salads for her latest customer. “But really, how can they not know? One look at him tells you that he’s a guy who’s not going to be faithful.”
“Shayla,” I laughed as I sorted through mountains of silverware and wrapped sets of them into napkins. “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
“So you would go on a date with him if he asked you?”
“Oh, hell no.” I laughed and looked out at the tall, handsome jock sitting at one of my tables. His name was Zane Beaumont, and he had been frequenting Lou’s Burger Joint every Friday night for the last three months with a different girl each time. This week’s date seemed as vapid as all the other girls he had previously brought into the diner. But I was no longer surprised—not like Shayla was—every time he walked in with a new girl. In fact, I would have been more surprised if he came in with the same girl two weeks in a row.
“You don’t think he’s hot?” Shayla turned to me and wriggled her eyebrows before heading off to deliver her salads.
“Oh, he’s hot all right.” I laughed again and stared at him, s
tudying his face clinically. “But he must be the biggest player in Miami.” Zane Beaumont was everything I wanted to avoid in a guy. He was too handsome to be a good guy, with his light blue eyes and dark brown, slightly too-long hair. His hair was always perfectly spiked, with a wisp in his face that looked like he’d combed through with his fingers to give it a tousled look. His face was chiseled and classically handsome and always had a slightly smug and superior look on it. There was something about his persona that I was instinctively attracted to. But I knew there was no way I would ever act on the attraction I felt—not that he would ever be interested in me, anyway.
“You should go for it, girl.” Maria, the other waitress working that evening, wriggled her eyebrows at me as she finished counting out her tips. “He always sits at your table. I bet he has a crush on you, chica.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Maria, but I doubt it.” I laughed easily while a warm flush ran through my body. “Even if he was interested, which he isn’t, I would never date someone like him. There’s no way that he would fit my rules.”
“Ay, dios mio.” Maria rolled her eyes. “You talking about those rules again? Forget the rules. Just go with the flow.”
“You know I can’t do that, Maria.” I sighed. “I created the rules for a reason. I don’t want to just be some guy’s bed buddy anymore. I’m saving myself for the real deal.”
“If you say so.” She stuffed a thick wad of cash into her handbag and jumped up. “But I’m sure he would be dynamite in the sack if you were to change your mind.” She laughed, and I had to nod in agreement.
There was something in the way Zane Beaumont moved that was rhythmic and sexy. Plus, his hands were large, warm, and manly. I flushed as I remembered the shock of electricity I felt each time our fingers touched when I took his payments.
“Bye, Maria. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“No, chica, me and Pedro are going salsa dancing.” She grinned and did a couple of steps in the kitchen.
“Oh, that should be fun.” I smiled at her, slightly envious. I wish I could afford to take Saturday nights off. Not that it actually mattered anyway. I didn’t have a boyfriend, and my two best friends were coupled up. So when I did have the night off, I was usually at home by myself, watching crappy movies, with a large tub of Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream.
“You should come with us one night, girl. Pedro’s cousin just moved here from New York, his name’s Armando. I think you’d like him.”
“That’s okay. Thanks, Maria.” I laughed and quickly made my way into the dining hall as a new couple was seated at my table.
I sighed as they got into the booth on the same side. They were obviously a new couple, trying to cozy up together as much as possible. It was hard working at the diner on Friday and Saturday nights because they were usually date nights. But they were also the best nights for tips. Zane Beaumont always tipped me at least fifty percent—what girl could say no to that?
“Hi, I’m Lucky, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with any drinks?” I kept the smile plastered on my face, even though the couple paid no attention to me. They were too busy kissing. “Or maybe I’ll give you a few minutes.” I walked away from the table as they continued to ignore me, and went to check up on Zane and his date.
“Hi, is everything going okay?” I smiled pleasantly, trying to ignore the excitement in my stomach as Zane stared up at me attentively with a sexy smile.
“Is this Diet Coke?” The beautiful brunette asked with an attitude. “I asked for Diet Coke and this tastes like regular Coke.”
“I can assure you that this is Diet Coke, ma’am.” I tried to make sure I didn’t roll my eyes. “I personally filled your drink order, and I made sure to hit the Diet Coke button.”
“Well, are you sure? Because it doesn’t taste like Diet Coke.” She glared at me.
I turned to Zane. “Is there anything else you need, Mr. Beaumont?”
“I told you to call me Zane.” He laughed. “And no, we’re good here. Thank you, Lucky.”
“My pleasure.” I smiled and walked back into the kitchen grinning. I would never admit it to Shayla or Maria, but I loved seeing Zane Beaumont every week. In fact, seeing him was the only thing that kept me sane and from dying of loneliness. I had been single for a year now—no dates, no kisses, and certainly no sex, and it was starting to wear on me. I had been asked out by a few guys, but none I would give the time of day to—and certainly none whom I found as attractive as Zane.
Not only were my work friends shocked at my lack of dates, so were Leeza and Shannon, my two best friends. The three of us had bonded during Freshmen Week at the University of Miami and had been regulars at pretty much every party on campus for our first two years. We had all gone from boyfriend to boyfriend, and I thought nothing of our dating habits. That is, until about a year ago, when my boyfriend at the time, a graduating senior who was also the president of his fraternity, Sigma Chi, broke up with me. It had pretty much devastated me, and it was his closing words that had the biggest impact on me: “You didn’t think this was serious, right, Lucky? Everyone knows you’re the girl for a fun time. How many guys have you been with since you started UM? You’re like a hurricane with guys.” And then he had laughed at his joke. “Hurricane—get it?” He had asked, and I had nodded wordlessly.
The fact that he had jokingly compared my dating history to the school’s football team’s mascot was not funny to me. He had made me feel like a slut, like I was one of those girls who just went from guy to guy and bed to bed. I knew he thought that I was that kind of girl, but I really wasn’t. At least not in the way he had thought. It was true that I had dated about eight different guys during my three years at UM. But I had only slept with three of them. Apparently, the five I didn’t sleep with didn’t pass that information on when they talked about me.
It had taken me about a month to get over the hurt and pain, and I had made a decision with myself—that I wasn’t going to date just to date anymore. I wanted to make sure that any guy I dated had the possibility of being my last boyfriend. I had a last-boyfriend plan and that meant he had to fit a number of criteria:
1. He had to be honest.
2. He had to be good-looking but not too hot or he would have too many women after him, something I knew from experience.
3. He had to be looking for a serious relationship, but not be too old or too desperate about settling down.
4. He had to be financially secure but not too rich, or too many women would be after him; once again, something I knew from experience.
5. He had to be funny, loyal, faithful, and modest.
6. He had to agree to wait for sex until we were married or engaged.
I figured I had created a pretty thorough list. Shayla, Maria, Shannon, and Leeza all thought I was being ridiculous with my list and was destined for a lifetime of singledom. But I explained to them that I wasn’t looking to just date anyone—I was looking for the guy who would be my last boyfriend. This was the only way I could ensure that I didn’t get my heart stomped on again.
So now, here I was, a year later at twenty-two and just about to graduate from college with no current boyfriend and none in sight.
Zane Beaumont was the type of guy I would have gone for in a heartbeat before I created the list. But he was also the type of guy that I knew would take my heart and rip it to pieces.
“Hey, Lucky, your new table is ready to order.” Shayla came running into the kitchen with a plate in her hands. “And Mike, they asked for white meat, not dark. You need to do the white meat special again, please, and quickly. I don’t want to miss out on another tip.”
“Gotcha, Shayla.” Mike grinned and dropped some chicken into the deep fryer. He winked at her and she sighed before turning to me with an exasperated look on her face. “I tell ya, I don’t think it’s smart to work with your boyfriend.”
“You wouldn’t have it any other way, Shay.” I grinned at her before going back into the
dining room. Shayla and Mike had an almost perfect relationship. They had both been working at Lou’s for over five years before Mike decided to ask her out on a date, and they had been together ever since.
“Hi, are you guys ready to order now?”
“We’d like a cheeseburger and fries.” The guy ordered for both of them, while the girl just sat there grinning. “We’re going to share, so put the pickles on the side, please.”
“And the onions, too.” The girl finally spoke, and they both laughed.
“Okay, so a cheeseburger and fries? Anything else?”
“No, just two waters.” And then they were back to kissing again.
I walked to the fountain to get them two glasses of water and sighed. There wasn’t going to be a big tip coming from them, I was sure of that. I tried to calculate how much money I had made for the night and bit my lip. I still hadn’t made enough to take my car to a mechanic. My 1991 Toyota Corolla was on its last legs, and I was pretty sure the head gasket was going to blow again. It was exhibiting the same signs about a year ago when it had blown, and I knew I couldn’t afford to be without my car now. I wouldn’t be able to get to school and work if I didn’t have my car, and I sure couldn’t afford to buy a new one. But the mechanic wanted eight hundred dollars to fix my car and I only had about five hundred. I had been hoping that tonight I would have some spend-happy, hungry customers from South America, but I hadn’t been so lucky. “I guess maybe tomorrow will be my night,” I mumbled to myself as I walked the two waters back to the table.
“Here you go,” I said to no one in particular and walked back to the kitchen to do some more mental calculations. Maybe I could ask the landlord if I could pay the rent a little late, I thought. Then I could borrow my rent money to fix my car. I sighed as I thought about approaching my mean-faced landlord. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to go to be happy if I asked her if I could pay my rent slightly late.
Exposed: An Anthology Page 60
