Sweet Satisfaction
Violet Paige
Head Over Heels Press
C opyright © 2017 by Violet Paige
All rights reserved .
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review .
Contents
1. Cami
2. Evan
3. Cami
4. Evan
5. Cami
6. Evan
7. Cami
8. Evan
9. Cami
10. Evan
11. Cami
12. Evan
13. Cami
14. Evan
15. Cami
16. Evan
17. Cami
18. Evan
19. Cami
20. Evan
21. Cami
22. Evan
Sidelined
1. Sam
2. Natalia
3. Sam
4. Natalia
5. Sam
6. Natalia
7. Sam
8. Natalia
9. Sam
10. Natalia
11. Sam
12. Natalia
13. Sam
14. Natalia
15. Sam
16. Natalia
17. Sam
18. Natalia
19. Sam
20. Natalia
21. Sam
22. Natalia
23. Sam
24. Natalia
25. Sam
26. Natalia
27. Sam
28. Natalia
29. Sam
30. Natalia
31. Sam
32. Natalia
33. Sam
Epilogue
Epilogue II
Turn Over
1. Luke
2. Alexa
3. Luke
4. Alexa
5. Luke
6. Alexa
7. Luke
8. Alexa
9. Luke
10. Alexa
11. Luke
12. Luke
13. Alexa
14. Luke
15. Alexa
16. Luke
17. Alexa
18. Luke
19. Alexa
20. Luke
21. Alexa
22. Luke
23. Alexa
24. Luke
25. Alexa
26. Luke
27. Alexa
28. Luke
29. Alexa
30. Luke
31. Alexa
32. Luke
33. Alexa
34. Luke
35. Alexa
36. Luke
Epilogue
Dirty Play
1. Wes
2. Lennon
3. Wes
4. Lennon
5. Wes
6. Lennon
7. Wes
8. Lennon
9. Wes
10. Lennon
11. Wes
12. Lennon
13. Wes
14. Lennon
15. Wes
16. Lennon
17. Wes
18. Lennon
19. Wes
20. Lennon
21. Wes
22. Lennon
23. Wes
24. Lennon
25. Wes
26. Lennon
27. Wes
Epilogue
Dirty Game
Prologue
1. Blake
2. Sierra
3. Sierra
4. Blake
5. Sierra
6. Blake
7. Sierra
8. Blake
9. Sierra
10. Blake
11. Sierra
12. Blake
13. Sierra
14. Blake
15. Sierra
16. Blake
17. Sierra
18. Blake
19. Sierra
20. Blake
21. Sierra
22. Blake
23. Sierra
24. Sierra
25. Blake
26. Sierra
27. Blake
28. Sierra
29. Blake
30. Sierra
31. Blake
32. Sierra
33. Blake
34. Sierra
35. Blake
36. Sierra
37. Sierra
38. Blake
39. Sierra
Epilogue
Naughty Notes
Don’t Tell
1. Kaitlyn
2. Cole
3. Kaitlyn
4. Kaitlyn
5. Kaitlyn
6. Cole
7. Kaitlyn
8. Cole
9. Kaitlyn
10. Kaitlyn
11. Cole
12. Kaitlyn
13. Cole
14. Kaitlyn
15. Kaitlyn
16. Kaitlyn
17. Kaitlyn
18. Cole
19. Kaitlyn
20. Cole
21. Kaitlyn
22. Kaitlyn
23. Kaitlyn
24. Kaitlyn
25. Cole
26. Kaitlyn
27. Cole
28. Kaitlyn
29. Cole
30. Kaitlyn
31. Cole
32. Kaitlyn
33. Cole
34. Kaitlyn
Excerpt from Don’t Lie
Cole
One
Cami
C ami struggled to haul the last weathered box up the stairs and into the tiny apartment over the dismantled candy shop. The label that read ornaments was peeling from the side. There had to be ten years of dust covering the top. She let out a violent sneeze as she added it next to the others. She looked around, not knowing whether to feel triumph or defeat. She was surrounded by more than her personal belongings. Her life’s memories were here. Memories she had tried to outrun for years. No matter where she looked the floor was covered in packaged relics of every phase of her life .
The boxes piled high in the corners of each room. There was barely enough space to move, but somehow she had to make this work. There was nowhere else to go. This was home now. She cut a sideway glance at her guitar case in the corner .
She exhaled, knowing there was no use running any longer. She was smack dab in the middle of everything she had escaped. Wasn’t there a saying her great aunt always had said: the past is a faster runner than you’ll ever be .
Cami glanced up when she heard muffled sounds coming from the window. She strolled across the worn wide-planked floors. She pushed the curtains out of the way and peeked outside. Carolers .
If she cracked the window just enough, their voices were clear. She pulled tightly on the red cashmere sweater when a tiny gust of wind whipped through her apartment. But it was worth it, to have the company, even if it was from the street below. She started to hum along to Jingle Bells .
There was a time when she was a caroler. But it was hard to remember who that little girl was now. So much had happened .
Harpers Point always celebrated Christmas like it was a competition .
The voices filtered in the room while Cami tackled the horrid task of unpacking. Where to begin? Logic told her the kitchen was the first place, but she shook off the instinct and instead headed straight for the boxes of Christmas decorations .
Before she had the first wreath out of the box there was a knock on the door .
“Knock, knock. Cami, are you
in here?” Claudine Francis pushed through the loft door and made it two feet in before her path was blocked .
“Oh hi. Sorry about the mess,” Cami apologized, rushing to help her real estate agent through the maze .
Claudine waved her hands in the air. “You’re moving in. No one cares about a mess. I brought you a casserole.” She held up a glass Pyrex dish covered in tin foil. “Mama’s recipe,” she explained .
“Thank you, but there’s no way I could eat all that.” Cami eyed the dish large enough to feed an entire family .
“Maybe you could invite someone over?” Claudine’s eyebrows raised several inches .
“I haven’t exactly reconnected with anyone since I’ve been back .”
The truth was, Cami didn’t know to blend back into Harpers Point life. Something that was as simple as breathing, was now foreign to her .
“What about those girls from high school you were such good friends with? Samantha Conners and Jamie Braxton ?”
She sighed. She appreciated what Claudine wanted to do, but it wasn’t that easy. She’d been gone a long time. She couldn’t jump back in and pretend she had kept in touch with everyone when she hadn’t. She had heard Samantha was married and Jamie was engaged. Cami didn’t exactly have the same things in common with them anymore .
She was the one who had left in search of her dreams. They had stayed to live theirs here. She doubted they would understand what she had experienced the past twelve years. Who would ?
“I don’t think so.” She heaved the casserole dish from Claudine’s hands and placed it in the refrigerator. “But thank you so much. Really. It smells delicious. I’ll freeze part of it?” She hoped the suggestion would make her seem more grateful .
“Oh I have an idea .”
Somehow Cami had a feeling, whatever it was Claudine was about to say was her original intent all along .
“What’s that?” she asked .
“Have you seen Evan Jacobs since you’ve been home ?”
Just the sound of his name did something to her. Cami shook her head. “Evan Jacobs? Why would I see him?” Cami reached inside a box and dusted off an antique Santa. The gold on his buckle still glittered. It had been one of her mother’s favorites. She focused hard on the rosy red on Santa’s cheeks and the sprig of holly in his cap. Anything but the sound of Evan’s name .
Claudine shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Didn’t you two used to be high school sweethearts ?”
Cami almost choked on the Santa dust. She coughed into her hand. “I-uh. That was ages ago. We haven’t spoken in years.” High school sweethearts was one way to put it. She had lost her virginity to him, but she wasn’t exactly up to telling her realtor about that .
“You know he’s the mayor now.” Claudine baited her with information .
“Oh?”
“Mmmhmm. Voted in right after he returned from Afghanistan. He’s a local war hero. And I know I’m a lot older than you two, but he’s grown into a handsome man. Not the boy you once knew. He’s quite the looker in a uniform and a suit. You know my Ralph was a veteran .”
“Yes, I do remember.” Cami would have described him as panty-melting hot .
“There’s just something about a soldier isn’t there? I remember when Ralph would shine his medals and his boots.” She sighed audibly. “Did you ever see Evan like that ?”
Suddenly, Cami felt the need to have her space to herself again. She didn’t want to hear news about Evan Jacobs. And she certainly didn’t want to be the focus of one of Claudine Francis’s matchmaking schemes .
There was no hiding that look of disappointment on the realtor’s face. “Well, I thought it might be fun for you to reconnect. I could set it up you know. Maybe a nice quiet dinner at Hurricane’s. Do you remember how charming Carol makes the place? Candles. Greenery. And of course, you can’t forget the mistletoe .”
Cami cast a warning glance in her direction and placed Santa on an end table. Mistletoe was the last thing she wanted right now, and it certainly not be anywhere near Evan Jacobs. She couldn’t think of a worse combination .
“All right. All right. I’ll let you get settled. Looks like you have your hands full here. We’ll talk Hurricane’s another night .”
“Thank you.” Cami walked her to the door. “For everything. You helped make the move back easier. I couldn’t have done it without you, Claudine. Truly.” She would just have to pretend she had sidestepped her history with Evan. What happened was long ago. She had hoped everyone had forgotten, but she wasn’t going to be that lucky .
“Of course, dear. That dusty old shop downstairs has been closed up for years. Just wait until everyone sees what you’re going to do with it. And just in time for Christmas .”
Cami smiled slowly. “I guess we’re all a little anxious then .”
Claudine patted her arm. “I’ll check in on you this week. Good night .”
“Good night, Claudine .”
No one locked their doors in Harpers Point, but it was hard to break the old habit from living in the city. Cami slid the chain latch into place and turned to the mountain of work in front of her .
As far as apartments went, this one had the makings of something out of a southern design magazine. The sprawling exposed beams overhead were original to the building. One full wall was covered in exposed brick, casting a warmth over the entire room. It needed paint here and there, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to have a plumber take a look at the pipes and tell her what was responsible for that squeaking sound .
But Cami knew this place was special. Living over her great aunt’s shop didn’t happen by accident. She didn’t believe in accidents .
Two
Evan
H arpers Point was the kind of place where everyone knew what happened before it could be posted on social media. It was just that kind of town. Neighbors were close. Families closer .
There was almost no need for the Point Post , but Lexi Hale had taken on the job of editor a year ago. And after generations of Hales putting out a bi-weekly paper, she was determined not to be the one to run it into the ground .
Trying to run a town like that was a job that required a certain amount of patience and vision .
Evan walked up the front steps of city hall, a building that also doubled as the post office and around the back was the one-room police station. It was efficient and quaint. Maybe it was also the reason news spread faster than wildfire .
“Good morning, Mayor,” Goldie Crawford waved wildly from the sidewalk. She yanked hard on her poodle, Miss Pudding’s collar. The dog was dressed in a red and green argyle sweater. That dog had more clothes than some children in town .
“Good morning.” Evan nodded, gripping a cup of coffee in his right hand. The warmth soothed the pain in his left hand that hit him from time to time on freezing damp mornings like this. Winters were the hardest part of living in Harpers Point .
“I’m ready for the bake sale. I have five pies and three cakes,” she announced. “I’ve baked up a storm this year. And wait until you taste the cinnamon cakes. I’m trying something new with cinnamon and …”
Fuck. If he didn’t get inside, he’d be stuck out here half the morning discussing Goldie’s family recipes. “Good to know. Thanks for the hard work. The firehouse will appreciate it .”
He took the rest of the stairs and walked inside the brick building before Goldie and Miss Pudding tossed out more about the annual holiday bakeoff. It would probably be the first of ten times one of the local village women tried to ensnare him in conversation. He was lucky to have escaped before Goldie brought up her niece who would be in for the holidays .