They had everything in each other….until one mistake shattered it all.
It’s been five months since the photo of Asher and Luca splashed across the headlines, outing their unconventional relationship with Megan. Five months and everything is different.
Asher is buried in work and running from the fame he’s worked so hard to achieve.
Luca is hiding from the people who love him, and drinking himself into oblivion to escape the pain of losing yet another lover.
And Megan is living in Branton, watching helplessly as the men she loves spiral into depression.
Brought together again by tragedy, none can deny the intense connection they share. But is love enough to put together a life that was broken?
Return to Branton…one last time.
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
THIS LOVE (book #1) Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bvItJ4
BEAUTIFUL BROKEN (book #2) Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jhPCvM
SWEET RUIN (book #3) Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1hpk85B
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/OjTRgo
Asher
Bourbon Street is loud. It’s what I like about it, the loud revelry, the street performers, the music and the alcohol, and the anonymity of being one in a crowd of thousands. I’ve been sitting with a hurricane for the past hour, and I’ve barely touched it.
This is my escape, these days. Not disappearing into nowhere. Disappearing into the middle of everywhere. A pretty blonde has been eyeing me for the past forty five minutes, and I should probably drag this out—dance with her, or buy her a drink. Something. But I’m too tired for that right now. I give her a smile, and she’s moving to my table, and from there—it’s all over but the fucking.
Twenty minutes later, I stumble into my hotel room, the girl—what the hell is her name? I’m not drunk enough to forget this kind of shit—hanging off me and giggling. That’s annoying as fuck, but she’s got a damn fine mouth, and an exhibitionist streak.
A light flicks on, and my new friend freezes. Her eyes go wide as she looks into my room, at whoever is sitting in there. “What the hell?”
“Dammit, LeighAnn, I told you to leave me alone for the night,” I snap, turning.
“Wrong PA, darlin’,” she drawls. Megan is sitting in my recliner, my tablet in her lap with a script pulled up. Nosey wench. I step away from the barfly and stare at her. I can chase memories all I want, but she’s here, and memories don’t hold a fucking candle to her. Her green gaze flicks to the other girl, the one I’ve completely forgotten. Cools to downright chilly. “Get out,” she says flatly.
The barfly sidles closer to me, and clutches my hand. “He wants me here.”
She laughs, a sharp noise, and her foot twitches, the thing that tells me she’s furious. “You don’t know shit, little girl. You sure as fuck don’t know what the hell he wants.”
The barfly flinches and Meg’s eyes come to me. “Get rid of your friend, Knox.”
I hate that with just my name in that tone, she can make me want her.
But it doesn’t mean she’s wrong. I turn to the barfly. Give her an apologetic shrug. “You should probably go.”
Her eyes go wide, comically outraged. But I’m not paying much attention to her as she storms out, cursing and banging the door behind her. My gaze is on Megan, as she stands. She’s wearing skinny jeans that hug her thighs and curve around her ass. A tight tshirt says Talk Nerdy to Me.
I grin—she likes it nerdy and dirty. “What are you doing here?” I ask.
“It’s time to go get Luca,” she says, glancing around the hotel room. “You’re done tomorrow, right?”
I take a step back. I can’t do that—I can’t take them back. Not both of them. Not after that photo blew up. It changed everything—“Megan,” I say, shaking my head.
“Don’t.” She snaps, and her voice is sharp with anger and hurt. “Your hurt and you can’t be with us, and I betrayed you both, and blah fucking blah. This is bigger than the petty shit you have going on. Luca is spiraling, Asher. We need to go to him.”
I go very still, fear cascading over me. Why do I still care? Five months, and I can’t seem to let go of them. I want to get over them, want to move the fuck on. “What happened?”
Her gaze skates over the room, the first diversion from her. “Where is he?”
“New York. He took a job there, a few months ago, and he’s been there ever since, working gigs. Sunny’s been keeping an eye on him, but—Asher, it’s bad. He’s drinking, and shutting everyone out. He won’t speak to me anymore.”
I flinch. When I walked away from the strange relationship we were building, I thought Luca would find himself in Megan. But he didn’t. And Megan lost us both.
It wasn’t fair to her. Or him. But it’s the only way I knew how to deal with the unexpected exposure, the sudden outing that none of us were ready for it. It was too soon, too new. What was safe and fun and harmless in a car crossing the country—that was something completely different from being splashed across the headlines.
There wasn't enough time for us to decide it was something we wanted before the world decided it was something we shouldn't have.
"Megan, I can't be with you and him. I can't handle the public shit."
She nods, sadness flickering in her green eyes. "I know. And I get it--this isn't me trying to get us back together."
I give her a skeptical look and she shrugs. "I'm not lying about what I want, Asher. I just need him healthy and sane more than I want us.”
I’m quiet, and she nods, a smile twisting her lips. “Sleep on it. We’ll talk about why you’re being a dick in the morning.”
Megan strips off her top, and I almost swallow my tongue. She’s wearing a pale blue bra that stands out against the creamy, freckled skin. I know those curves, know just how her pert little breasts will feel cupped in my palm, and the way her body feels writhing against mine when I’m moving inside her. I know it all, and I’ve ignored it for five months, because I know this is a bad idea.
But having her in my room, half naked and gorgeous—I want her and I don’t give a fuck that it’s a bad idea.
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