“After an earthquake wreaks havoc, the earth is left
disturbed and altered. Whatever remains in ruin is left shaken and in need of
rebuilding.”
Scarlett Brooks doesn't need love. The only men she can
trust in her life are her twin brother and his two best friends, Logan and
Caleb. Every other guy has only let her down, and she promises herself to never
to experience heartbreak again.
Logan King can't stand back and watch his best friend's twin
sister continue to spiral out of control. With random hookups, drunken nights,
and reckless decisions, she is on the path to self-destruction. He sets out to
slow her down and prove that she isn't happy with her one-night stands.
The two come dangerously close to crossing lines. Is
Scarlett capable of trusting and opening up to love again? Will it ruin their
friendship if Logan is the one to teach her how?
This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Characters are introduced in Jolted and Impacted.
"He
hurt you?" I asked as I took her hands to look at them.
"Not
really," she said in a weak voice.
"You
okay?" I asked, leaning down to try to glance at her face. The
meek voice and timid body language were unlike her.
"Fine.
What are you doing here? Have you been here all night?"
"Long
enough," I explained.
The
doors burst open and Kevin was pushing Cody and his friends out the
door. They complained and resisted until they were stumbling down the
steps. After some cursing, they disappeared into the darkness of the
parking lot. I waited until their cars pulled out before unclenching
my jaw.
"What
the hell were you thinking coming out here alone with him?" I
snapped.
"I
didn't want to come out here with him. He followed me!"
"You
shouldn't have been flirting with him the first place! Fuck, what did
you think would happen being alone with him?"
"Were
you watching me? If you were so concerned, why didn't you to come to
me earlier?” she asked, lowering her voice when she realized we
started shouting.
I
shook my head at her, unwilling to admit that once I saw her and Ruby
at the back table with the guys, I didn't take my eyes of them. I
wanted to rip his hands off of her body, but I didn't have a reason
yet. I couldn't figure out why Scarlett wasn't telling him off
herself since she didn't look interested.
"The
rules," I reminded her.
"Screw
the rules, Logan. I didn't go home with him and I wasn't going to.
You know why? Because all I could think about was that he probably
didn't kiss better than you!"
I
bit my lip through her tempter tantrum to keep from laughing.
Scarlett stood there, fuming and looking up at me with fire in her
eyes. She was angry, breathing in quick bursts, and clenching her
fists at her sides. Her cheeks were pink and her lips parted to
continue her rant.
She
let out a harsh laugh before continuing. “For a second, I actually
thought of trying kissing him in hopes he could top yours. So I hope
you're happy because not only have you forced me into chastity, but
also you have destroyed future kisses. Which the rules say nothing
about. You-"
I
covered her mouth with mine, killing the words about to spill out.
Scarlett inhaled quickly in surprise before returning the kiss. Her
mouth opened and I dipped my tongue in, tasting the warm sweetness. I
could feel her muscles relax as I gripped her arms and pulled her
closer. Her fingers unclenched and linked around the belt loops of my
jeans.
I
kissed her hard, as if to leave an imprint on her like she claims I
already did. When her tongue entered my mouth, I sucked on it, slowly
pulling away as I looked down at her closed eyes. Scarlett's eyelids
slowly fluttered open as she exhaled on my lips.
"That
what you were trying to top?" I whispered. She nodded, eyes
still glossy and unfocused.
Alyne lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. Working
full time in an office all day, she spends her nights reading, writing or
watching an entire TV series in a night. She refuses to grow up, loves Disney
movies and anything with owls. She couldn't live without her coffee or her
furry "children".
Alyne is the author of "Light to the Darkness" and
the "Conflicted Encounters" Series.
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