Second Chances (Pebble Harbor Book 1)

by Brenna Ash

  Sunny felt like she'd been sucker-punched knowing that she may have played a part in what was going on with him. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't get a small sliver of satisfaction that all wasn't perfect in Hayden's world. Sunny hadn't created The Scoop to purposely take Hayden down off his perch. Originally, she only posted the positive happenings in his world. But when she did, she still hurt and deep down, she wanted him to understand just a smidgen of the pain she'd endured.

  “Your turn. See if you can get a free one as well.” He was changing the subject and she allowed it, not wanting to focus on the cause of the conversation shift.

  Of course, she missed the shot.

  “Better luck next time.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and took her club so he could turn it into the woman at the window. Sunny unconsciously took a step back. She wished he wasn't so nice.

  “Who had the green ball?” a middle-aged woman asked as they approached the counter to return the golf clubs.

  Hayden spoke up and thanked her when she handed him a card for his free game.

  “You hungry?” he asked as they walked back to their cars.

  Sunny's stomach chose that time to let out an angry growl.

  “I'll take that as a yes. Where do you want to go?”

  She waved him away. “Oh, I'm fine. I've taken enough time out of your day.”

  “What are you talking about? You're hungry, I'm hungry. There's only one solution. Let's go.”

  He passed her car and opened the passenger side door of his and held it open for her. Sunny knew she shouldn't go with him. Even with the knowledge of their past and the hurt she surely was setting herself up for, Sunny wasn't ready for the day to end. No matter how she tried to reason with herself, she just couldn't say no.

  Sunny slid into the soft leather seat and he shut the door softly behind her.

  “Any suggestions or preferences?”

  She shook her head. She couldn't concentrate. She was too busy trying to tamp down her hormones. The car smelled of leather, his cologne and his natural scent. She breathed in deeply, allowed the fragrance to envelop her.

  He watched her intently, his blue eyes searing into hers. Sunny straightened in her seat. He knew her too well. Even after all these years, he could still read her as clear as if she'd had the words printed on her forehead.

  His eyes darkened. She coughed to break the spell. She couldn't go there.

  “Um, sandwiches okay?” His voice was husky, rough.

  “That'll work.”

  Sunny sat in silence for the ride. She glanced at him in surprise when he pulled into his driveway. “I thought we were going out for lunch?”

  He turned the car off. “Never said out. Just asked if you liked sandwiches.” He got out of the car, came around to her side and opened the door for her. He stayed close as she exited. Sunny could feel the heat radiating off his body. She was in trouble and she knew it.

  ***

  In his spotless kitchen, she wondered if he hired someone to come in and clean for him. She watched Hayden drift from fridge to counter, gathering the items they needed for lunch.

  “I can help, you know.” She felt useless sitting on the stool at the breakfast bar and watching him work, admiring his ass the whole time.

  “I got it.” He smiled at her and damn if her knees didn't wobble. It was a good thing she was sitting down.

  Within a few minutes he placed a plate in front of her with the biggest sandwich she'd ever seen in her life and a side of chips.

  “Thanks.”

  “It's nothing special, but it'll do the trick.” With a wink, Hayden bit into his and had devoured it before she'd even managed a quarter of hers.

  “I want to know your trick of where you pack all that away. I'd be huge if I ate like this all the time.”

  “You're perfect just the way you are.” His look was sincere and heated.

  She turned away and broke the spell, afraid to get lost. She'd been there before. Sunny knew better than to go back, but still a part of her wanted to take the jump. It wouldn't be that big of a leap. She was there, teetering on the edge. But that first step back in was a doozy, and Sunny wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.

  Sunny had to admit that he didn't seem to be like the guy she wrote about on a steady basis. She was starting to doubt the information that had been fed to her. The man in front of her wasn't an egotistical ass. He didn't seem to have a drinking problem. The gambling problem she couldn't weigh in on. She hadn't been around him at any time that would warrant betting on anything, other than their golf game and if he wanted a sure win, a bet against her would've been a given.

  A guilty twinge had taken root in her gut and the more time she spent with him, the bigger it grew. She really should come clean. Just let him know the blogger was her and then move on.

  But she was chicken. Sunny didn't have the nerve to do it. Not yet. And she still wasn't totally convinced that there was nothing there to report on. She had to wait a bit longer to find out.

  He hadn't mentioned her blog once in the time they'd been together, so she wasn't even sure if she had anything to do with the troubles he'd been having. Who knows? Maybe there was some truth to the rumors and people were turning him away.

  She had to admit, sitting across from him and talking about nothing, that didn't seem to be the case. But he'd only been back for a short time and he sure as hell hadn't told her everything.

  Just like she hadn't been perfectly honest about herself either. If she was smart, Sunny would just stop it where it was now and nip it in the bud. But she knew she couldn't do it. She couldn't step away now after pining over him for so many years after he'd left.

  Hayden may have changed some, but Sunny was completely convinced that he wasn't coming in hard and fast because he wanted a quick lay. She didn't believe that was his feeling, but he seemed to pick up right back to when they were still a couple. Totally bypassing his betrayal.

  Sunny had received his emails. And it killed her not to respond to them. Her heart had been broken. Thankfully, the pregnancy was just a scare. Not long after Hayden had left, she knew she wasn't pregnant. Sunny had heard that Hayden had been made aware of the situation. And even after he found out, he still emailed her every day. There was enough wrong-doing and blame to go around on both sides. Sunny still wanted an apology.

  The apologies he'd written in his emails didn't count. Sunny wanted Hayden to look her in the eyes and tell her how sorry he was. She wanted to be able to measure his sincerity.

  Now was the second chance that she thought would never arrive. She'd have to figure out how to handle it and what to do. Figure out whether she even wanted it. Before that could happen, though, Hayden needed to explain his actions. Tell her why he thought leaving the way he did was the right path.

  Chapter 8

  Sunny was awfully quiet sitting beside him picking at her sandwich. He had no idea what was on her mind, but she was lost deep in thought. He could see her mind churning away.

  Hayden took the time to admire her. She was just as beautiful as ever. More so than when they were together ten years ago. Her hair was longer and fuller and she wore it in big, lazy waves that fell halfway down her back. He wanted to run his hands through the thick tresses, grasp a handful and pull her in for a kiss. He wanted to take her full lower lip into his mouth and nibble it.

  When he decided to come back home, his plan wasn't to get back together with Sunny. He didn't plan to even seek her out. The fates thought differently apparently and here they were. He didn't regret it, but he didn't know how to move forward either. She was sending him mixed signals. One minute Sunny was all there with him and the next she was distant and pushing him away.

  The attraction was still strong as ever. They were both trying to fight it, but it was there, pulsing in the airwaves around them. Her passion burned even brighter than before. It was in her eyes every time she looked at him, even though she tried
to hide it.

  The pain he'd inflicted on her in the past was something that should've never happened. But he couldn't change the past, he could only work on changing their future. Listen to him going on about them having a future. Hell, they couldn't even get past a simple meet-up without him mucking it up in some way. It was only by some miracle that golf went the way it had and Sunny had agreed to have lunch with him. He had to change his tactic. Work on his approach.

  First and foremost, he needed to listen to her. There was definitely something on her mind that she wanted to say. He needed to make her feel comfortable enough to open up to him.

  Now was as good a time as any. They were alone where no one else could overhear.

  They needed to clear the cookies of their history. Start anew. No matter how painful. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Sunny flinched, telling him that that was the last thing she expected him to say.

  “About what?”

  “I don't know. Whatever it is that's been bothering you and made you clam up like the cat has your tongue?”

  She shook her head in denial. “It's nothing.”

  He couldn't help but laugh. “You've always been a shitty liar. It's nice to see some things haven't changed.”

  A blush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head so he couldn't see her eyes.

  “I should go. Thanks for lunch.”

  “You hardly ate anything.”

  “I've had plenty, thanks.”

  Seeing the determined set of her jaw, Hayden sighed and gave in. “Okay. I'll bring you to your car.” She looked relieved. “This time.” He tipped her chin up and planted a light kiss on her lips, letting his mouth linger longer than he should have.

  He paused, his mouth just mere centimeters from hers. Sunny didn't push him away. Instead, she shocked him by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and closing the distance between them. Her tongue pushed against his lips wanting entrance to his mouth. He obliged with a groan, lifting her legs so he could carry her over to the plush sofa. He settled her on his lap and drew her in closer.

  She broke the kiss, breathing heavily, her brown eyes wide. “I'm s-sorry.” She hopped off his lap as though she'd been burned. Her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing.

  “I can't do this.” He watched her pace the floor, wringing her hands together. “Please, Hayden. I'm sorry. But can you take me to my car?” she pleaded.

  He couldn't deny her. Their kiss had shaken her up. Him too. He adjusted his erection before standing up.

  “Of course. I'll grab my keys.”

  She nodded, giving him a broken smile, and trudged to the door.

  ***

  “You got laid!” Marlene said as soon as Sunny slid into the opposite seat of the booth where her friend waited at Cafe Blanca.

  “Shhh! And no, I didn't.”

  “Was it Hayden? Please tell me it was Hayden.”

  “Seriously? Of course it was Hayden,” she whispered. “But we only kissed. An earth-shattering, curl my toes kiss, but just a kiss. Or two.” She winked at Marlene and giggled at the awed expression on her face.

  Marlene sighed. “Damn. Some girls have all the luck. He is one mighty fine specimen.” She sipped her coffee, her eyes dreamy.

  “Yeah, well, you'll find yours soon enough.”

  She barked out a loud laugh. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. You wanna know who just asked me out? Go on, you'll never guess.” She paused, waiting, drumming her fingers on the wooden table top. When Sunny didn't answer, she continued, “Drake. That's how my luck rolls.”

  “What's wrong with him? He's nice. Good looking.”

  “Says the woman that just got laid by a Greek Fucking God!”

  “I did not! You're just being dramatic.” Marlene rolled her eyes at Sunny. “So, what'd you say?”

  “I didn't answer him.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “But enough about me, I want all the saucy details about you and Hayden.” Popping a bite of croissant into her mouth, she waggled her blonde brows.

  Sunny shrugged. “There's not a lot to tell. It just happened. I don't think either of us was expecting it. I was actually getting ready to leave, things were getting a bit odd, with me thinking about the past. I knew I had to leave. And he kissed me. I had to stop it. I swear Marlene, another second and I would've been all over him.”

  “Damn, girl, after all these years, you've still got it bad.”

  “Yes, I know. We both knew that before he came back. But you know as well as I do that there's no way in hell this can work. Between what happened in the past, the shit I've been covering on him, which, by the way, I'm not so sure is actually true, and then his life in L.A., I'm pretty sure this whole thing is doomed. Just like the first time around.”

  “Slow down. Take it one step at a time. The past? You guys just need to talk about that and work that shit out. You were kids then. No big deal.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Have you even tried?”

  “I have, I just can't bring myself to do it.”

  “Okay, but you know that's what needs to happen. You can't move forward until you get that in the open. The second thing, your blog. Just tell him about the damn thing.”

  “I don't know if I can.”

  “Why not? He'll find out eventually. Just tell him. He'll understand. He knows he's big news.”

  “Yeah, but then I feel like I've been using him. Pimping his popularity out to gain readers. Even that doesn't feel right now. And besides, I think the last few stories I've gotten from my source may have been blown out of proportion.”

  “Why?”

  “He doesn't look like he's difficult…”

  “Only to resist,” Marlene chimed in with a giggle.

  “Very funny. No, seriously, he's easy-going. Doesn't do drugs that I can tell, nor is he a heavy drinker. And the gambling thing? I just don't see it.” Sunny sipped her lukewarm coffee. “I called my source and had her sign a waiver. I'm just not so sure I'm buying what she's laying down anymore, ya know?”

  “So you wrote those things. You had a source who turned out to be a liar. It's not like you pulled them out of your ass.” Leave it to her friend to be more than blunt. “Approach him with that. I'm sure he'll understand.”

  “I'm not so sure. He takes pride in his work. You know as well as I do that he's always been a hard worker. I'm worried that my jilted view of him is because him leaving tarnished my thoughts about him. When he wasn't here it was easy to write whatever because I was never going to see him again. Now, that's not the case. And realizing that it was all a bunch of lies totally sucks.” She started folding her paper napkin into triangles.

  “Hmmm. Back to your source. What would be her reasoning for feeding you bad info? There has to be something in it for her.”

  Sunny cocked her head to the side in thought. “You know. I hadn't considered that angle. She used to date Hayden, but she said she broke up with him. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she's pissed that he ended the relationship?”

  Marlene crossed her arms in front of her ample chest and leaned back in the chair, smiling. “See, that's why you need to keep me around.”

  “True. I won't be breaking us up just yet.” She gave her friend a wink and finished her now cold coffee. “Back to you. When did Drake ask you out?”

  “Yesterday. I ran into him at the gas station. Romantic, huh?” She brightened. “Hey, if I say yes, maybe the four of us can go out on a double date. It'll be just like college.”

  “I don't see that happening. I gotta go.” Sunny stood and looped her purse over her shoulder.

  “Why not? It could be fun.”

  She shrugged. “I don't think Hayden is the dating kind, let alone the double-dating kind, and we're not really in dating territory yet.”

  “But it's not like it's someone he doesn't know. We all know each other. Plus, I heard Hayden's already had Drake and the rest of h
is buddies over to his house to hang out.”

  “If you want to accept Drake's offer of a date, go for it. It'd probably do you both good to get some.” She laughed at Marlene's feigned shock. “I gotta go.” She bent and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Love you.”

  ***

  The Scoop by Jules

  HAYDEN'S ON VACATION

  Hello, my lovelies! I've got it on good authority that Hayden has left L.A. and is on a much needed respite. Where, you ask? Apparently he was feeling a bit homesick and decided to hightail it out of Hollywood and head east to his hometown, Pebble Harbor, a small city in Florida. He's been spotted out and about, posing for pictures and being an all-around gentleman. So the question begs, is our Royal Hotness turning a new leaf? Stay tuned to find out.

  Until next time,

  Sparkly dreams!

  ***

  Hayden read the new blog post on his phone after his phone beeped, alerting him to a new post. He was pissed that the person knew he was here, but pleasantly surprised that she was playing nice in this post. It read more like the earlier writings she used to put up on the site. It had only been lately that they'd taken a nasty turn. Maybe she finally figured out that the shit she was posting was just that.

  He still needed to figure out who the bitch was. She needed to retract the crap and put him in a positive light again. This post was a refreshing break.

  Checking in with Anna, she told him no new information had been found and she was still working on it. Not helpful, but pretty much what he'd expected.

  He strode into his bedroom and grabbed his sneakers. A long, fast run would help him clear his mind. He hadn't heard from Sunny since she left yesterday, but he hadn't contacted her either.

  What the hell was he thinking? Did he really want to open that can of worms again? His brain told him no, but his heart and other parts of his anatomy said hell yes! His cock twitched as he thought of her sitting on his lap, kissing him back, panting heavily.