Reckless (Pier 70, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  Gannon walked alongside Roan, leading him back toward the marina office as he did. For the better part of the afternoon, ever since Roan had shown back up when Gannon and Cam had returned from lunch, he’d wanted to talk to him.

  “What’s up?” Roan asked, glancing over at him.

  Gannon stopped walking. “I just wanted to make sure we’re cool. You and me.”

  Roan’s gaze dropped to his feet. “I know I owe you an apology.”

  “You don’t actually owe me anything,” Gannon countered.

  “I do, too. What I did… That was kinda bullshit. I shouldn’t’ve interfered like that.”

  Gannon waited until Roan looked up at him. “I have no intention of coming between you and Cam,” he explained. “I’m actually hoping you and I can get past this one day.”

  Roan didn’t say anything, but Gannon hadn’t expected him to.

  “I know it’s awkward. There’ve been times when Milly dates someone and brings me along to meet him. Not the coolest thing in the world, to tell you the truth. She’s an asshole magnet, and it takes a lot for me to keep my mouth shut.”

  “Well, you’re a lot of things,” Roan said, a smile forming on his lips. “But I’m not sure I’d call you an asshole. Not yet, anyway.”

  Gannon felt the tension ease somewhat. Gannon nodded toward the marina. “I want to show you something.”

  Roan’s eyebrows darted down.

  “Cam told me you’re a gamer.”

  Just the mention of video games had Roan’s eyes lighting up. That, Gannon had expected.

  “Little bit, yeah.”

  “I’ve got a new one coming out in a month. Thought maybe you’d want to beta test it.”

  “You serious?”

  “Little bit, yeah,” he said, using Roan’s words.

  Roan laughed. “You know I’m a beta tester for—”

  Before Roan could finish his sentence, Gannon cut him off. “Do not say their name,” he told him in an exaggerated whisper. “At least not with Milly around.”

  Roan turned to look behind them, where the others were still sitting by the water.

  “She might be small, but she’s fierce.”

  Gannon smiled, and Roan laughed.

  “You know, you’re not so bad,” Roan told him as they started walking again.

  “No?”

  “Nah.” Roan chuckled. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell Cam that you’re bribing me with video games.”

  “Hey, whatever it takes.”

  And that was the truth.

  As far as Gannon was concerned, his life with Cam was just now starting, and he damn sure wasn’t above doing whatever it took to smooth the way.

  Especially if it meant bribing Cam’s best friend with video games.

  Epilogue

  Ten months later, May

  “Hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look much happier than the last time I saw you,” Pete McKinley noted when he joined Cam and Gannon in the small, cozy office.

  Cam glanced over at Gannon, then back at Pete. “Things are good.”

  Pete took a seat in the chair across from them, placing his clipboard on his lap. Cam watched the man’s light blue eyes as they studied them both, his lips pursing beneath the salt-and-pepper beard that covered most of his face.

  “Wedding plans going well?” Pete asked.

  Cam smiled, squeezing Gannon’s hand. “We’re done. All that’s left now is the cryin’.”

  Gannon bumped his shoulder, making Cam laugh.

  “So, it’s true, y’all are tying the knot on a boat?” Pete glanced between them again.

  “It’s true,” Gannon confirmed.

  “How’s Roan?” Pete questioned, his eyes darting between them.

  Cam smiled. “He’s good, actually. It’s no longer weird between us.”

  “That’s good.”

  Cam nodded, then glanced over at Gannon. “Did I mention that my future husband and my best friend have been spending a lot of time together?”

  Pete looked at Gannon.

  Gannon shrugged and said, “Video games,” as though that explained it all.

  And actually, it did. Gannon had brought Roan on as a beta tester at first. And things had only progressed from there. According to Roan and Gannon, Cam wouldn’t understand. And they were right. He didn’t. Water was his thing, not video games.

  “And the house?” Pete asked. “Have y’all moved in yet?”

  Ah, the house. Cam loved that house and couldn’t wait until it was finished so they could move in together. Back in November, Gannon had convinced Cam to take him out on the lake. He’d known something was up immediately because it was never Gannon’s idea to go out on the water, but he’d given in, anyway, because those were the two things he loved most in the world: Gannon and the water.

  They’d spent a relaxing afternoon out on the lake, but before Cam had steered them back to the marina, Gannon had pulled out his phone and asked Cam to show him a spot that he’d pulled up on the map. Knowing right where it was, Cam had headed that way. It had been a three-acre plot of land right on the water.

  Cam had noticed that Gannon had seemed rather antsy the closer they’d gotten. As though he’d been keeping a secret that was ready to burst out of him. He’d been right, because before they’d even reached the dock, Gannon had admitted that he’d bought the land.

  “You bought this?”

  “Yeah,” Gannon said, seeming somewhat uncertain.

  “We’re gonna have a house on the water?”

  Gannon nodded.

  “No more back-and-forth? And living in an apartment above the marina?”

  Gannon nodded again, his eyes locked with Cam’s.

  “What about you? That’s a long drive to work every day.”

  “Milly has informed me that working remote has become a thing.”

  Cam smiled. He could believe that. Milly was always keeping Gannon up with the times.

  “So you’ll be working from home?”

  “When I can, sure,” Gannon replied. “What do you think?”

  Cam moved closer to Gannon. “I think I want to strip you naked right here on this boat and have my wicked way with you.”

  Gannon’s eyes lit up, a smile causing that sexy little dimple to appear in his cheek. “No one’s stopping you, Reckless. No one at all.”

  “Not yet,” Cam told Pete now, relaxing somewhat. “We did the final walk-through last week. They’ve got a few things to fix. We’ll be movin’ in before June, though.”

  “After the wedding?”

  Cam nodded, looking at Pete.

  They’d been seeing Pete for nearly ten months. Their sessions had started out twice a week during the hardest part but, over the months, had dwindled down to once a month. Though Cam had come to see him a few extra times when Gannon had been away on business. He still wasn’t completely at ease with Gannon’s traveling, but it was significantly better. The panic attacks were more like heartburn at this point, but still, Cam had learned that talking to Pete, hearing someone rationalize his fears helped.

  “And you?” Pete asked, directing his attention at Gannon. “How are things with you? Still busy?”

  “Yeah,” Gannon confirmed. “New game launches in the fall, so we’re gearing up for a busy summer.”

  “Any trips coming up?”

  “Actually, no,” Gannon replied. “I’ve promoted a couple of people, created a couple of positions that will allow me to slow my travels somewhat.”

  “But you’ll still be going from time to time.”

  “That’s inevitable,” Gannon answered, squeezing Cam’s hand. “But I think I’m gonna take Cam along with me when he can get away.”

  “And how do you feel about that?” Pete turned his gaze on Cam.

  Cam smiled, looking over at Gannon briefly. “Since there’re some things I’d like to check off my bucket list, I think it’s a great idea.”

  “Speaking of bucket list.” Pete glanced down at
the clipboard on his lap. “If I recall correctly, you were gonna be doing some skydiving.” Pete looked up at Cam. “Did that happen?”

  Gannon huffed beside him, making Cam laugh.

  “Not yet,” Cam told Pete. “But it’s scheduled.”

  “And when will that be taking place?” Pete watched the two of them intently.

  Cam glanced over at at Gannon and smiled. “During the most reckless adventure of my life.”

  “Which is?”

  Cam never took his eyes off Gannon. “When I finally make this man my husband.”

  “You’re gonna jump out of a plane on your wedding day?” Pete sounded confused by that.

  Gannon rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, as he’d done ever since Cam had made the suggestion. But even though he pretended not to like the idea, Cam still noticed that flicker in those dark eyes.

  Cam shook his head. “No. We’re gonna jump out of a plane … on our honeymoon.”

  ♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥

  I hope you enjoyed Cam and Gannon’s story. Reckless is the first book in the Pier 70 series. You can read more about Pier 70 and the sexy boys who run the marina here.

  Want to see some fun stuff related to the Pier 70 series, you can find extras on my website. Or how about what’s coming next? I keep my website updated with the books I’m working on, including the writing progression of what’s coming up for the Pier 70 series.

  If you’re interested in keeping up to date on Pier 70 as well as receiving updates on all that I’m working on, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.

  Want a simple, fast way to get updates on new releases? You can also sign up for text messaging. I promise not to spam your phone. This is just my way of letting you know what’s happening because I know you’re busy, but if you’re anything like me, you always have your phone on you.

  And last but certainly not least, if you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.

  And, as always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you’ll be able to leave an honest review as this is the best way to share your thoughts about the book with others.

  ♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥

  About Nicole

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, their three kids, and four rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about sexy alpha males, Nicole can often be found with her Kindle in hand or making an attempt to keep the dogs happy. You can find her hanging out on Facebook and interacting with her readers - even when she’s supposed to be writing.

  Nicole also writes contemporary/new adult romance as Timberlyn Scott.

  Nicole would love to hear from you!

  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

  By Nicole Edwards

  The Alluring Indulgence Series

  What’s hotter than a Texas cowboy? Seven Texas cowboys.

  All with a heart of gold and a sexy, devious side.

  Kaleb

  Zane

  Travis

  Holidays with the Walker Brothers

  Ethan

  Braydon

  Sawyer

  Brendon

  The Club Destiny Series

  Come see how hot these powerful men and their lovely ladies can get.

  All from the comfort of the infamous Club Destiny.

  Conviction

  Temptation

  Addicted

  Seduction

  Infatuation

  Captivated

  Devotion

  Perception

  Entrusted

  Adored

  The Dead Heat Ranch Series

  Love cowboys?

  Love smokin’ hot cowboys and the sweet, sexy cowgirls they love?

  Come on in and stay a while.

  Boots Optional

  Betting on Grace

  Overnight Love

  The Devil’s Bend Series

  Sexy is just the beginning for these down home cowboys.

  Add in a little country music, some big dreams and you’re in for a ride.

  Chasing Dreams

  Vanishing Dreams

  The Devil’s Playground Series

  Come hang out at Devil’s Playground - the hottest nightclub in Las Vegas, Dallas and New York! This is a spin-off series from Southern Boy Mafia,

  featuring those who work at Max Adorite’s nightclub, Devil’s Playground.

  Without Regret

  The Pier 70 Series

  A day on the lake... who knew it could get this hot? This is a m/m series.

  Reckless

  The Sniper 1 Security Series

  The Kogans and the Trexlers are in the business of protecting those who need to be protected. And their motto is: Protect... by any means necessary.

  Wait for Morning

  Never Say Never

  The Southern Boy Mafia Series

  Everybody loves a bad boy!

  Beautifully Brutal

  Beautifully Loyal

  Standalone Novels

  Just to spice things up a bit!

  A Million Tiny Pieces

  Writing as Timberlyn Scott

  Unhinged

  Unraveling

  Chaos

  Because Naughty can be oh so Nice®

  Keep reading for an excerpt from:

  Ethan

  Alluring Indulgence, #5

  Nicole Edwards

  Gay Romance

  Contemporary Romance

  Release Date: January 07, 2014

  How long did it take you to find your place in the world?

  For Ethan Walker, going through the motions of life, keeping his distance and never getting attached has become the mantra he lives by. Success is measured by how many hours he can work and how little attention he can draw. That was until he landed on Beau Bennett’s radar. Until Beau, Ethan had never met a man who could get him to question his own logic and even consider taking a different path.

  Beau Bennett knows exactly who he is - now. It might’ve taken him some time to figure it out, but now that he has his bearings, Beau has set his sights on the mysteriously sexy Ethan Walker. Chasing has never been his style, but something is telling him to keep at it because the end result is going to be worth it.

  Now that they’ve found one another, how long will it take Ethan and Beau to accept that their place in the world is... Together.

  Prologue

  New Year’s Eve at Alluring Indulgence Resort

  Keeping his distance from Beau Bennett was proving to be harder than Ethan Walker anticipated. Didn’t seem to matter how strong he was mentally or physically, when temptation was greater than all of his combined strengths, he found himself fighting a losing battle. Didn’t mean he wasn’t still trying.

  As Ethan moved through the vast, airy room, watching the various couples and threesomes, he wondered how he had ended up there. And yes, he was speaking in the literal sense.

  This resort, no matter how swank or how alluring his brothers made it, just wasn’t his thing. He’d rather be at Moonshiners, sitting at the bar, drinking a beer and listening to the jukebox churn out tunes that were handpicked by the crowd. Or hell, sitting on his couch, watching reruns of anything, was more appealing than getting dressed up to watch people in various states of undress in the lavish, kinky, sex resort that wasn’t even open to the public yet.

  But he wasn’t at Moonshiners, and he wasn’t at home on New Year’s Eve, which meant the only upside was that there was an open bar.

  Since Alluring Indulgence Resort belonged to his brothers and they had gone through the hassle of inviting him, his conscience wouldn’t let him avoid the place forever. His brothers were proud, and he wanted to come to show his support. Figuring once would be enough, Ethan opted to ma
ke tonight that night so he wouldn’t have to come back in a couple of weeks when the place was open to the masses who enjoyed being naked in public. Something Ethan definitely didn’t need to see.

  Despite the fancy design, the stylish furniture and the impressive sound system, Ethan wasn’t much into it. Glancing down at his watch, he was eagerly counting down the minutes until midnight when he could escape without feeling guilty.

  After retrieving another beer from the bar, Ethan made his way to a far corner where no one was currently undressed or performing some sort of godforsaken sexual act right there in the open for everyone to see. Maybe it was out of character for a Walker, based on his brothers’ reputations, but, no, he wasn’t into other people watching him. Nor did he share his lovers. Ever. Call him old fashioned, but he preferred the one on one in private.

  But you liked when Beau watched.

  Fuck. That was not the same thing. And Ethan wouldn’t go so far as to believe he liked it.

  However, the last person Ethan wanted to think about tonight was Beau. Or how Beau had inadvertently shown up at the Walker Demolition shop just in time to watch Blake suck Ethan’s dick, just a few short weeks ago. Or how Ethan had purposely made eye contact in the hopes that Beau would back off.

  No such luck.

  And the kiss they had shared on Christmas was proof that Beau didn’t give up. Even worse, that kiss only reaffirmed just how little resistance Ethan had to the man.

  Beau seemed even more intent on testing Ethan’s good intentions these days, and he hated him for it. No, wait. That was a lie. He didn’t hate him. He despised the man because he wanted him so fucking much it hurt. And not just in the carnal sense – although he’d grown accustomed to the ever-present physical ache that couldn’t be eased – which he knew was downright stupid.

  He and Beau had nothing in common, aside from the fact they shared the same career. Ethan was in the closet, perfectly satisfied with keeping the eyes of the town out of his business and Beau had recently had a come to Jesus moment or some shit. Ethan didn’t want to be Beau’s experiment and he damn sure didn’t want something as complicated as what Beau represented.

  Listen here you little piece of shit. Lay off me. Understand? You’re damn lucky I haven’t told Ethan what a fuck up you really are.