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  RECKLESS LITTLE AFFAIR

  - TEMPTED SERIES -

  BOOK TWO

  GABRIELLE SNOW

  Copyright © 2020 by Gabrielle Snow

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination and used in a fictitious manner. Any similarity to actual people, living or dead, places, or events is entirely coincidental or fictionalized.

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

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  Chapter 1

  Amelia.

  I was sobbing so uncontrollably that I didn’t even hear the front door close after him. I threw myself on the bed and spent the whole night crying about what had happened between us. I felt betrayed beyond words.

  I was so mad at myself for allowing Lucas to get so close to me. He had taken advantage of the crush that I had on him. And worst of all, I’d walked straight into his trap—because he had been the guy of my dreams. But having the guy that I’d always used to fantasize about show interest in me had turned out too good to be true.

  Obviously, I hadn’t meant a thing to him. I’d just witnessed it with my own eyes: it had been as clear as day from that text he’d gotten. And because he had been telling intimate details about me to his friend, I doubted there was another limit he wouldn’t cross. He’d already crossed the biggest one by revealing that I’d been a virgin. Even the thought of his deception made me shudder. I’d just been another notch on the bedpost.

  As soon as the first rays of sun shone through my window, I decided that I needed to get out of the city. What I needed was to clear my head. Plus I didn’t want to bump into him under any circumstances—seeing him after what he’d done would have crushed me entirely. And as far as I was concerned, he was dead to me.

  I pulled out my cell and called my college friend Jennifer. After getting the okay from her, I transferred some money from my savings account and bought a flight to Tampa. Nothing sounded better than some Florida sun and distance between myself and New York City.

  I spent the next few hours filling my suitcase with summer dresses and bikinis. Florida would help me reinvent myself and get over Lucas completely. After I finished packing, I fixed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to-go, and then wrote a note for my mom, letting her know where I was going and that I’d be back in a couple of weeks. I gave my room a final glance and then grabbed my bags and headed out the door towards the airport.

  Later that same night, I arrived in Tampa with an ecstatic Jen welcoming me at the airport. She ran to hug me when I walked through arrivals and immediately lifted my spirits. Lucas might have been an asshole but at least now I was free of him. I had three whole weeks to enjoy Florida to my heart’s content.

  The first ten days went by faster than I had thought possible. Jennifer who had been born and raised in Tampa made me feel more welcome than ever. Most of our days were spent lounging on the beach—I even managed to get an amazing tan. In the evenings we ventured out to eat and on a few occasions hung out with her friends. So far, the trip had been everything that I had hoped for. I was finally feeling like myself again.

  On Saturday, a few days before my return flight, I woke up to a nightmare. Yet again, I had been dreaming about Lucas. In the dream, he and a bunch of his friends had been laughing at me and calling me names. It had felt so vivid.

  I sat up on the blowup bed, my loose t-shirt sticking to my clammy skin as I tried to steady my racing heart. The dream wasn’t real, I was okay.

  The hot morning sun was already shining through the blinds, indicating that this day, like all of the others, would be as humid as ever. For a moment, I sat on the edge of the air mattress, listening to my heartbeat returning back to normal as Jen’s snores echoed from her bedroom.

  “When am I gonna forget about him?” I whispered to myself as I brought my fingers up to my temples, massaging them.

  It had only been a couple of weeks since everything had unraveled, but I hated feeling this way. I hated feeling like my power had been taken away from me, and as hard as I tried to empower myself during the day, the nights turned out to be the toughest: my subconscious mind made me relive the humiliation by creating lifelike nightmares.

  I’d really liked him, hell, I still did. What hurt me the most was that the first time I let myself open up to someone, I ended up being misled in the worst possible way. I felt like an idiot for trusting him. It turned out, my mom had been right all this time.

  I got up from the blowup bed and walked to the bathroom where I came to a stop in front of the mirror. An unfamiliar face stared back at me: my skin was a couple of shades darker than usual, a deep olive that brought out my grey eyes even more. My dark brown hair had become wavy from the humidity and the blazing Florida sun had managed to give it some golden brown highlights. A few freckles had sprung up along my nose and cheeks, which looked slightly slimmer due to my lack of appetite.

  Sigh.

  I’d always loved food but Lucas’ actions had taken away my appetite and the couple of extra pounds had dropped without any effort. Even though the look fit me, at the same time I wasn’t too happy about it: I loved my womanly and curvy figure.

  I’d just have to make sure I didn’t drop any more weight, I thought and grinned. That was my excuse to eat all the ice cream I wanted.

  I quickly stripped out of my sweaty clothes and stepped into the shower, turning it on. Cool water washed over my skin and my worries seemed to disappear with it down the drain. Things would turn out okay, I just had to give myself time.

  I took my time washing every last inch of my body, feeling as if I was trying to wash away the memories of Lucas. When I stepped out, a delicious smell of coffee wafted through the door into the bathroom.

  “Morning,” I smiled as I stepped out of the steamy bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body.

  Jennifer was already hustling in the kitchen, frying eggs and bacon. She turned to glance at me with a wide grin on her tanned face, her bright blue eyes sparkling. Out of the two of us, Jen was definitely the one with the looks: she had honey blonde hair with blue eyes and a slim, slender body. All around she was effortlessly beautiful, one of those people with enviable natural beauty.

  In college she had been one of the most popular girls. Somehow against all odds, the two of us had become friends, even though we had been almost polar opposites. Jenny was outgoing and bubbly, not to mention loved by everyone. I, on the other hand, preferred my own company. Whenever the two of us went out together, she was the one getting checked out by guys. No one really showed any interest towards me, ever. Except for that one drunk guy who I’d ended up making out with at a party once.

  “Good morning sunshine!” Jen said cheerfully. “I’m making us some breakfast. Then, I say we go to the beach and in the evening there’s this party going on,” her voice sounded excited as she went on. “And since it’s your last weekend here, I think we should go for it!”

  I shot her a doubtful look. “What party is it?”

  “My friends told me about it. I think it could be really good for you! I know you’ve been feeling down over that whole thing with your asshole of a neighbor. So, this could help you get your mind off it. Maybe you’ll even meet someone new,” she winked.

  I let out an audible sigh. “Okay, I suppose it can’t hurt. So yeah, let’s go. But we need to buy some drinks to have while we’re getting
ready. As an introvert, I’ll need that liquid courage.” I pointed at her, trying to keep my expression stern. However, the corners of my mouth twitched involuntarily, preventing me from keeping a straight face.

  Jennifer glanced at me and chuckled. “You know that’s a given! I promise we’ll make some margaritas,” her blue eyes sparkled deviously. “Now, let’s have breakfast and then head out to the beach! I’m trying to get a tan before tonight’s party. I have the perfect white dress to wear but I can’t wear it if my skin is not sunkissed.” The last words slithered out of her mouth in a playful way.

  “But your skin is already sunkissed,” I let out a laugh and rolled my eyes as I sat down at the table to eat.

  WE BOTH GOT BACK FROM the beach a little more tanned than before. An hour and a couple of margaritas later, we were ready to conquer the night, both of us feeling good and slightly tipsy.

  Jen was dressed in her white mini dress that hugged her slim curves perfectly, her long blonde hair flowing freely. I had borrowed a canary yellow dress from her: it sat tightly on my waist, and flowed freely down my hips, ending at mid-thigh. The color brought out my new freckles and grey eyes perfectly. I had felt a bit more daring than usual and decided to paint my lips a rosy pink.

  When we arrived at the house at 9 p.m., the party was already fully underway. Dozens of people were cramped up inside and the music was blasting from the speakers. Jennifer grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the kitchen where we poured ourselves a drink each.

  “Who's the host?” I shouted through the music.

  Jen leaned closer to me. “My friend, Jimmy. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve kind of had a thing with him for the past couple of months. I’m hoping to get some alone time with him tonight, if you know what I mean,” she winked.

  I nodded and laughed, taking a sip of my drink. It was so strong that I grimaced unintentionally.

  Soon after, a guy approached us and Jennifer tugged my arm, whispering, “That’s him!”

  “Jen, I’m glad you made it,” he smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. The hug lingered a bit longer than usual and I got the idea that they were both into each other.

  “Hey Jim, this is my friend Amelia. She’s visiting me from New York.”

  Jimmy took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” I smiled.

  Jimmy was a good looking guy—not that I’d have expected anything less from Jennifer. His eyes were dark brown and he was tall and athletic. His brown hair was effortlessly cool, not too long and not too short while somehow looking both messy and fashionable.

  “What do you girls say if we take this conversation over there,” he pointed to the living room. “I left my buddy Mike there all by himself when I saw you two,” Jimmy said, his eyes fixing on Jen.

  “Sure, let’s go,” Jen agreed and Jimmy took her by the hand, leading her to the couch. I followed suit, sipping on my strong drink.

  I’d grown so used to being the ‘third wheel’, that I didn’t mind the situation at all. In fact, I felt comfortable: it was exactly as it had been back in college. Jen would get the male attention and I got to people-watch.

  Jen and Jimmy sat down on the couch and I found a free grandpa chair next to them. Five seconds later, the guy who I presumed to be Mike, sat down in the chair next to mine.

  “You must be Jimmy’s friends,” he smiled and handed out his hand. “I’m Mike.”

  “Yes, I’m a friend of Jennifer’s,” I nodded in her direction where she and Jimmy were deep in conversation. “I’m Amelia, nice to meet you.”

  Mike had a good guy vibe about him. He had green eyes and short, light blond hair. He was tall and athletic just like Jimmy, and his skin had definitely been kissed by the Florida sun.

  “So, how are you liking Tampa?” He asked, taking a sip of his beer.

  “I like it. It’s different, more relaxed. And a hell of a lot sunnier too,” I grinned.

  After realizing that neither Jimmy nor Jen were paying any mind to us, we started getting to know each other and he even took me on a tour around the house.

  Mike and Jimmy were roommates and had been best friends from childhood. He introduced me to some new people and then challenged me to a game of beer pong. After a crushing defeat, we ventured back into the living room where Jen and Jimmy were still on the couch. However, their conversation had taken a more physical turn.

  “Do you want a drink? Or maybe some water?” Mike asked and shot a funny look toward the couch.

  I let out a giggle. “A water would be nice, thanks.”

  He winked as if we were in on a secret, and disappeared into the kitchen. When he got back, we carried our conversation outside to the patio that was lit with fairy lights. We sat down under one of the trees at the back of the yard where a cushioned loveseat had been placed. It was a nice spot to enjoy the scene that was going on inside through the windows. The summer night was warm and pleasant and the time flew by as we talked. Mike was a really decent guy.

  “I don’t know if I’m out of bounds here but I really want to tell you this..I think you’re really something else Amelia,” Mike’s green eyes were fixed on mine as he spoke.

  I blushed at his words. “Oh, thanks Mike. I think you’re really nice too,” I smiled.

  It took a few seconds for my words to hit me. ‘You’re really nice.’ For Christ’s sake, get it together Amelia, this hot guy is obviously into you and you’re single and ready to mingle.

  I cleared my throat, my cheeks burning hot. “I mean, you too,” I said and let out a giggle.

  Mike put his hand on top of mine, stroking it with his thumb. Then, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

  “Amelia!” I heard Jen’s voice booming from afar and swung my head around. She was walking towards us from inside the house.

  “What’s up Jen,” I asked nonchalantly. Mike looked slightly embarrassed, having been caught.

  Jennifer pulled me to the side and then whispered. “So, I think things are progressing with Jim and I tonight. I want to give you my keys and get you an Uber so you can get home safely.”

  She glanced over to Mike. “He’s a great guy, by the way. And he seems to be really into you.” Jen smiled and grabbed my shoulders. “You should invite him to come home with you. I don’t think you’ll regret it and it’ll help you get over that asshole.”

  I looked at her hesitantly before deciding to throw caution in the wind. “Fuck it. You’re right. I’ll ask him,” I grinned. “And you have a good night with Jimmy, okay. I want all the dirty details tomorrow.”

  She nodded and winked at me, handing me the keys and then disappeared back into the house. Only seconds later, I watched her climb up the stairs with Jimmy, both of them giggling like teenagers as they disappeared from sight.

  I turned to Mike, raising my eyebrows. “I’m gonna head out,” I said, holding up the keys. “Do you wanna come with?”

  Mike’s eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. “Hell yeah.”

  Half an hour later we were at Jen’s place. I poured both of us a drink and we sat down on the blowup bed in the living room. The conversation felt awkward and it was lagging, obviously from the elephant in the room.

  Finally, Mike leaned in. “Can I kiss you?”

  “Yes.”

  As soon as I spoke those words, his lips pressed on mine, with more urgency this time. I slipped my hand in his hair, pulling him closer to me. His tongue slithered into my mouth and teased mine, as his hands got to know my body. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the sensations but I was failing. Completely. My body refused to give in and relax. When he slipped a hand under the hem of my dress, I immediately shuddered and pulled away.

  “I’m sorry Mike, I can’t,” I sighed as tears welled up in my eyes.

  He looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  I took a deep breath, trying to hold back th
e emotions that were hitting me all at once. The emotions that I had tried to push away for the past weeks. “It’s not you. It’s just that I don’t think I’m over someone else,” I revealed.

  Mike took my hand into his. “It’s okay, you know. You don’t have to be sorry. These things happen.”

  I tried to give him a faint smile. “Thanks alot, you’re a gentleman. Whoever ends up with you will be lucky.”

  He smiled kindly and placed a soft kiss on my cheek before getting up. “I’m gonna head out. I hope you feel better soon.”

  I walked him to the door and watched him disappear into an Uber. After locking the door, I got out of the dress and threw myself back on the uncomfortable air mattress. This time around I let tears run down my face freely as I fell into a restless sleep.

  The next morning I woke up feeling clear headed. I knew I needed to be honest with myself if I wanted to move on. I wasn’t over him, no matter how much I wanted to be. And I just had to accept it: I had to accept that Lucas had betrayed me in the worst way possible. That would be the only way to move forward.

  I would focus on myself, just like I had all those years before him. I would make something of myself. Feeling surprisingly invigorated, I took out my laptop for the first time since arriving in Tampa and started browsing through open internships. As soon as I was back in New York, I would do my best to secure one. There was no time for me to pine over a guy: I had more important things to focus on.

  Jennifer and I spent the last days of my trip swimming, tanning and shopping. It was nice to enjoy the time with just us girls.

  Chapter 2

  Lucas.

  For the past couple of weeks, I had been going crazy. Ever since the whole situation had unraveled with Amelia and she had thrown me out, I’d found it hard to live with myself. Due to a bad joke sent over text, everything that we’d had, turned to dust and now she had the wrong idea about me—entirely. The worst part was that I hadn’t seen her since that night, even on the occasions when I worked from home to try to catch her coming or going. Not being able to explain and apologize to her was killing me.