Love & Hate (Book Two: Love) (26 page)

As I cue Dex down to the jog I think about how my life is so full. Things could not possibly get any better. I think about all the pain Cutter and I went through and I can’t believe how lucky we are to have come through it. I know that most people would have given up; Lord knows I tried too many times. I am so glad we chose to stick it out and fight to make it work. I know now I wouldn’t have survived without Cutter, he is my other half. It still amazes me, and probably always will that through our hate we found this incredible love.

Acknowledgments

I would like to start off by thanking everyone who has picked up my books and read them. I did not set out to become an author it just kind of happened in this perfect random sequence of events, like most good things in life do. I feel incredibly blessed at the outpouring of support I have received thus far. Thank you for taking the time to read what I consider to be “my stories.” I hope they continue to suck you in and keep you up into the wee hours of the night craving more.

I would also like to take the time to thank some very special people in my life who have encouraged and inspired me to write. To my stunningly beautiful sister Jamie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading the first five chapters of book one and telling me I
had
to write this story. You were the one person I was honestly scared to share it with but your response was overwhelming and incredibly encouraging to me. To my wise and beautiful Mother, thank you for telling me to do this no matter what people would say or think. Your constant belief and cheerleading has kept me going these last few months. I love you! Sherronda, I love you Bestie, you are my sister from another mister. Thank you for telling me to pursue my dreams and for not thinking I was having a total life crisis when I told you I wrote a book, and then not committing me to a psyche ward when you read it. Marie, what can I say? I got through law school because of our friendship and our sometimes unhealthy addiction to books. I knew that if you enjoyed that first book, I was not totally insane for doing this and that possibly this was meant to be. Marci, you know I love you Lil! Thank you for being the first person to read my books, and for texting me in the middle of the night demanding I send you more chapters. Your laughter and humor is infectious and it always keeps me calm no matter my stress level. Mags, you are a dear friend. We have been horsey friends for what seems like a lifetime already. I knew I could count on you to give me honest feedback and I knew you would challenge me to make this story the best it could be, in a way only a fellow equestrian could do. So thank you for that! And last but certainly not least I would like to thank all those friends and family whom I asked to read my books and they did so willingly and with great enthusiasm. Thank you for giving me great feedback and truly loving this story as much as I do.

Also, I would like to thank Brittany and Amanda at Brittany’s Book Blog for being so amazing to work with. They have been willing to take a risk on an unknown author which I am incredibly thankful for. In addition, I would like to thank L.J. Anderson at Mayhem Cover Designs for making such beautiful and eye-catching covers. It has been a pleasure working with Mayhem and I can’t recommend them enough!

To all those that I have inevitably left out, know that I am truly thankful for your love and support. I could not have done this without you!

EXCERPT FROM

LOVELY DISTRACTION

PROLOGUE

“
Are you totally excited or what Bestie?” Olivia beamed at me from the window seat of our first class seats.

“
Yes! I can’t believe we are going to Vegas for my Bachelorette party!” I was beyond excited for a weekend getaway with my two best friends, Audrey and Olivia. In two short months I was going to be getting married to my boyfriend of a year, Cain Stratford. We had met in law school during our third year and we had become study partners. It took Cain all of three study sessions before he asked me out with such confidence it stunned me at first. But I knew on that first date that Cain and I were perfectly matched. We had similar passions and goals in life. We made sense.

“
I for one can’t wait to get my party on.” Audrey announced from beside me, shifting my attention back to our ensuing trip. I was beyond excited for this vacation. I needed it. I was exhausted between planning this wedding and working endlessly as a new associate attorney at a large firm. I was hoping this three day vacation would be the perfect thing to reenergize me.

“
Oh shit.” I heard Olivia say as I was rummaging through my bag on the floor in front of me.

“
What did you forget?” I looked over at her but her eyes were wide and her face was locked on the front of the plane.

I followed the direction in which Livy was looking and I gasped. I couldn’t help it; it was like seeing a ghost. The mere sight of him sent my body and my mind into overdrive. It takes just a half a second before his eyes locked onto mine and a hint of a grin spread across his lips.
Fuck my life!

“
Oh no, here we go.” I heard Audrey say from the seat next to mine, but I couldn’t respond to her. I felt like I was having an out of body experience as my eyes roamed over Jamieson’s face searching for answers. I knew I wouldn’t find any though; Jamieson Wellington has always left me with more questions than answers.
What are the chances that the one that got away, or in my case the one that ran away, ends up crashing my Bachelorette party?

Five Years Earlier…

It was spring break and I was home in Huntsville celebrating almost being done with my senior year at the University of Tennessee. I was with Audrey and Olivia of course. We were on our second round of mojitos when a particularly gangly looking guy approached us.

“
Hey ladies, what’s up?” He was obviously drunk.

“
Not much.” I jumped in before Liv got ahold of him. I love Livy, but she isn’t the most patient person when it comes to drunken morons.

“
Well my friends and I were just wondering if you ladies wanted to share a drink with us.” He said swaying as he talked.

“
Oh, that’s nice but I think we are okay.” I told him politely.

“
Alright. Well if you all change your mind we will be over there.” He pointed to a table full of guys that we had been ogling all night. The bar was pretty empty for a Thursday and the group of good looking guys had immediately grabbed our attention. We had chosen to go to our local hang out, Havens. It was a hole in the wall kind of joint, but it always provided endless entertainment.

“
Wait. Those are your friends?” Livy asked him, her mouth totally hanging open in astonishment that this kid would even know the guys across the bar.

“
Yup. Well, have a nice night.” The drunken guy said and headed back toward his friends.

“
Wait, we are coming with you.” Audrey piped up. She stood up and gave Livy and me a look indicating we were to stand up as well.

I followed behind Audrey and Liv as they proceeded to make their entrance. I was the shortest of the three of us. Being 5’8” isn’t really considered short but compared to my 5’10 friends; I’m the shorty spice in the group. I watch Audrey sashay her way toward the table. Audrey is gorgeous. She has a supermodel frame that is all leg. She has soft brown hair that is medium in length. She loosely curled it tonight giving her a very southern belle look.

Liv also struts her way over to the table with her signature flare. Livy is also all leg but she has subtle curves that drive men crazy. She is part Hawaiian giving her beautiful jet black hair and the most amazing golden skin that I swear actually glows. She should be a freaking swimsuit model. It’s so not fair.

Unfortunately, I’m not like my two best friends, I am not all leg. I am mostly long torso with some serious curves. Livy and Audrey are always telling me my curves are amazing and I suppose they are right. I know big butts are in thanks to Kim Kardashian, so I guess I have that going for me. I grabbed my stick straight long blonde hair and toss it over one of my shoulders. I don’t know why I was so nervous to talk to these guys but something in the back of my mind told me to be on edge.

I catch up to the girls so we all reached the table at the same time. That’s when it happened. As I approach the table I came face to face with the most gorgeous piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. I felt the air in the bar being sucked out and my mind raced like I was having a dizzy spell. I couldn’t hear or see anything but him; it was like everyone around us disappeared and it was just us. He was so freaking beautiful. He had the most delicious tan skin, it was flawless. I could see just a bit of his blonde hair sticking out from underneath his baseball hat and it intrigued me. I wanted immediately to pull it from his head and run my hands through it. The rest of him was just as delicious. His perfectly sculpted frame was tucked away under a white button up shirt and khaki shorts, but I could still see the outline of hard muscle underneath his clothes.

“
Ladies…these are my friends.” The drunken guy said pulling me back to reality.

Four guys all said hello in unison and I watched as they all postured to see who got to talk to which girl.

Hot blue eyes stood up from the table and put his hand out to me. “I’m Jamieson Wellington.” He said in the deepest sexiest voice I think I had ever heard.

“
Hi, I’m Jenna Middleton.” I extended my hand out to meet his. The second I touched his hand I felt a wave of heat run through my whole body and I felt flushed.
Holy heck, I have never felt something like that before.

“
Well Jenna Middleton, can I buy you a drink?” He flashed me a smile that had trouble written all over it.

“
Sure.”

“
What would you like?”

“
Oh, rum and diet please.” I told him.

Jamieson ordered my drink when the waitress had returned. He also found me a chair; conveniently it was right next to his. I looked around the table as I waited for my drink, trying to stamp out my nervousness. Audrey was talking to a very handsome looking guy with the most amazing chiseled cheek bones and dark hair. Livy was talking to guy whom I think said his name was Julian. He was obviously South American of some sort and completely hot. His accent alone was utterly intoxicating.

“
So tell me Jenna. Why haven’t our paths crossed until now? Are you from Huntsville?” Jamieson asked me looking intrigued.

“
Yes I was born and raised in Huntsville, but I have been going to school in Knoxville. I’m a senior this year.”

“
How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Okay, kind of odd but I’ll answer him.

“
Twenty-three. How old are you?” I asked him in return.

“
A bit older. That probably explains why we have not met until now.” He drawled in his southern accent.

“
Probably.”

“
What is your major?” He asked and then took a sip of his drink.

“
Computer science.” I told him.

“
Wow, I’m impressed, stunning and smart. That is a lethal combination.” He flashed me a wicked grin that sent my nerves back into overdrive.

I was totally blushing and was sure twelve shades of red by this time. “Thanks.”

Jamieson and I continued to chat back and forth for a long time. He asked me lots of questions but rarely gave me any hints into his life. I asked him questions like he was asking me but he artfully avoided really answering them. I realized quite quickly that I was in over my head here. Jamieson was completely skilled when it came to ladies, he was an expert. He was a lion and I was his prey. The sad part was I didn’t feel that bad about it. I was totally in awe of him. He was sexy as hell and funny too. He didn’t seem to have a problem making fun of himself or his friends for that matter. I thought that to be a bit odd considering I could tell this crowd was wealthy. Just from the way they conducted themselves, which was very intimidating. It wasn’t that my family was hard up or anything, we weren’t, but there was a difference between being comfortable and truly wealthy. I had a feeling Jamieson Wellington came from old southern money, the kind that I most definitely had no clue about.