Chapter 1 (Molly)
“When are you going to learn to do this on your own?” I teased my brother as I adjusted the length of his tie, and straightened up the knot so it fit snugly between his collar.
“I’m a car mechanic,” he answered. “Dressing up in a monkey suit isn’t something I usually do.” He pulled on the knot. “And jeez, sis, you trying to kill me or something?”
“Do you want to look like a slob?” I asked and readjusted the knot, slapping his hand away when he tried to stop me. “One day I want myself a sister-in-law and some nieces and nephews too, so you had better start trying!” I brushed some lint from his shoulders and took a step backward to admire my handiwork. “Not half bad.”
“Not half bad?” Tyler had caught sight of his reflection in the hall mirror and he was totally feeling himself. “I look damn good, sis. You might get your wish sooner rather than later if lady luck is on my side tonight.” He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned.
“Yeah, with that funny looking face of yours, I wouldn’t bet money on it.”
“Hey, I don’t see you turning heads and taking names,” he countered.
“Why bother? The guys in this town are a bunch of duds. They are hardly worth my time.” I threw my hair over my shoulder and placed my hand on my hip like I was posing for a magazine. “I’m way too hot for them to handle.” Before my brother could respond, I turned on my heels and headed for the bathroom.
Tyler groaned. “I thought you were ready.” I heard him flop onto the couch with a sigh. “You know, the whole part of this shindig is to get there before midnight.”
“I’ll only be a minute,” I called.
Even though I was right about the guys in my town being a bunch of duds, I still wanted to look my best for the party. It was my first time going to the Evanson mansion for their annual New Year’s Eve bash. It had a reputation for being the hottest scene in town, and now that I was twenty-one, I had every right to be a part of it and have myself a little bit of fun even if I came home empty-handed. Besides, anything could happen. Maybe I’d bump into some out-of-town prince charming and get swept off my feet. A girl can only hope...
As I threw on some earrings and a matching necklace, my mind wandered to the one guy I had ever really crushed on.
He had once been my brother’s best friend, spending most nights at our house until our parents practically adopted him. Back then, I had been Tyler’s shy little sister, too bashful to tell him how I had felt. And then he slipped away, joining the Marines as soon as he turned eighteen. He’s been gone for almost ten years now, and I still regret my silence. With a sigh, I shake my head, pushing Cole from my mind. He was ancient history, and it was time for me to find someone else to crush on.
***
The Evanson mansion took my breath away. I had seen pictures of the place from previous parties but stepping into the entrance hall was something else entirely. The decorations were tasteful, sticking to a coherent theme that ran throughout.
The servers milling around all wore white gloves and pressed suits.
“Damn,” I whistled under my breath, in awe. “My friends were right when they said this was the place to be.”
Speaking of those friends, they came out of nowhere, dragging me toward the bar for my first drink of the night.
“So, what do you think?” asked Jacklyn. “Worth it, right?”
“Definitely.” I scanned the crowd, not sure what I was looking for but there seemed to be a lot of visitors from out of town. There were plenty of hotties to choose from.
“I know that look,” quipped Annabelle. “Who’s it going to be?”
“I don’t know yet,” I answered. “There’s plenty of hotties, sure, but are they really worth the effort? I mean, I want to start the new year off with a bang and not some sorry excuse for a man because if he wants all of this...” I trailed off, motioning to my curves with a roll of my wrist. “...he had better be ready to satisfy and I’m sorry, half these guys wouldn’t even last five minutes with a girl like me.”
Lizzie snorted. “You talk a lot of smack for someone who hasn’t been laid since prom.”
“Dereck was a fucking joke,” I retorted. “I learned my lesson – never settle.”
It was then that I noticed him.
He had just shared a hug with Tyler, pulling away with a handshake I had seen a thousand times before.
No, it couldn’t be, I thought, stunned.
Cole?
The name echoed in my head, growing louder and louder the more I soaked in the sight of him. He wasn’t quite the same but those piercing blue eyes and gorgeous smile were undeniable. Whereas in high school, he had clung to the tiniest bit of baby fat. That was gone now, his body nothing but chiseled muscle.
His fitting suit made it impossible to ignore his broad shoulders and the slight taper of his waist. Fuck. He was gorgeous – more than gorgeous – the guy had gone from hot to fucking I don’t even know, but damnit, he was going to be mine.
“And I think she’s found her victim,” commented Annabelle. “Do you think she’ll let him down easy?”
“I’m not letting him down at all,” I said. “That guy is mine tonight. Mark my words.”
Cole had slipped away from me once before, but not this time.
I wasn’t Tyler’s shy little sister anymore. I was the woman about to rock his world – the woman he wouldn’t soon forget.
Chapter 2 (Cole)
“Why didn’t you tell me you were back in town, man?”
Tyler pulled me in for a hug, seemly hellbent on breaking some of my ribs in the process. “Eight years and all I get is half a dozen phone calls and a few lousy postcards.”
He finally eased his grip and we pulled away with our signature handshake, a grin lighting up his face “You haven’t forgotten.”
“And I never will,” I answered., with my own grin.
“So, tell me what happened.”
“You want me to recount the events of the last eight years?” I ask with a quirk of my eyebrow. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Fine, just the highlights then. What were the Marines like?”
We walked over to the bar and ordered ourselves a couple of drinks. As I cradled my beer, I looked out at the dance floor. There were plenty of women to choose from tonight and damn was I overdue for a good time and yet, there wasn’t a single girl that interested me. I should have been a fiend, ready to pounce on whatever girl came my way but it was like I was waiting for someone.
And then a saw her. She was wearing a dress the color of the midnight sky. Her eyes shone like stars, eyelashes long and curved – curves – this girl had them. She had a body like a classic coke bottle, and my mind was racing with everything that I wanted to do to her. Sink my teeth into the side of her neck. Knead those breasts between my fingers. Smack against that ass all night long. Oh, all I needed was five minutes and I’d have her screaming – begging for more. Good thing the music was loud. That just meant I would have to make her scream that much louder. I grinned at the thought.
“Cole? You still with me, man?” Tyler waved his hand in front of my face. “You’re zoning out.”