Reckless Hearts (28 page)

My
eyes find Will in the crowd, and my heart swells, seeing him look so
proud, and knowing he’ll be by my side. “Thank you for
believing in me and being patient while I figured it all out. I love
you, I can’t wait for everything to come.”

There’s
applause and cheering, but I only have eyes for Will. I go to him
through the crowd, and kiss him right there in front of everyone,
losing myself in the touch of the man I love as the applause fades
away around us, and the stars blaze brightly in the sky.

THE END

Not ready to leave town just yet?
Keep reading for the first chapter of
HEARTBREAKER – an Oak
Harbor love story
, where happily-ever-after is guaranteed.

The new stand-alone HEA from New York Times bestselling
author, Melody Grace.

They say that time heals a broken heart, but you try moving on when your
ex is the most famous man on the planet.

Every
time I walk down the street, there's a billboard plastered with his
gorgeous face: Finn McKay. Now he’s a drop-dead sexy rock star,
but when I first knew him, he was just the boy from the wrong side of
the tracks - and the first guy I ever loved. He broke my heart into a
hundred pieces when he skipped town without saying goodbye –
but now he’s back.

And he wants me.

I’m
determined not to make the same mistakes twice, but the chemistry
with Finn was always way too hot to ignore. He was the guy who had me
sneaking out my bedroom window for just one more kiss, and breaking
curfew parked by the riverbanks, steaming up his windows in the
backseat of his car. The past five years have been good to him, real
good, and between his dirty mind and that ‘I know how to make
you scream’ smile, he’s breaking through my defenses all
over again.

Maybe
one last wild fling for old time’s sake is what I need to
finally move on. But what happens when Finn wants more than my body?

This time he wants everything.

HEARTBREAKER
is
available now
!
Read on for the exclusive first chapter…

The new stand-alone romance from Melody Grace.
Heartbreaker
is
available now
!

One.

They
say time heals a broken heart, but you just try and get over the love
of your life when he’s the most famous man on the planet.

At
least, that’s what it feels like when I turn on the car radio.
Nothing is playing except his latest hit song.

“Bringing
you back for your afternoon on 107 Hits, it’s the track
everyone’s talking about, Finn McKay—”

“
Next
up, Everyday, from the new number one smash—”

“
And
straight to the top, for music’s own bad boy, Finn—”

I
let out scream of frustration, and hit the wheel. My horn blasts, and
the elderly woman on the crosswalk startles, dropping her grocery
bags. Crap. “Sorry, Mrs. Carter!” I call out the window,
ready to jump out and help.

She
flips me the bird and keeps walking.

Charming.

I
head to work and hit the preset for the country station, figuring at
least I’ll get some respite there. Maybe a good song about
heartbreak, or murder -- either will do. But it turns out the
universe really is laughing at me right now.

“
Did
you see the big duet at the Grammys last week? Finn McKay and Carrie
Underwood. So by special request, here’s his latest single,
Everyday.”

There
really is no escape. It was bad enough when he was the hot new artist
on the verge. At least then I could ignore the gossip and pretend
like his five minutes of fame would be up soon. But two years later,
he shows no sign of running out of steam. If anything, he’s
bigger than ever: two number one albums, a dozen hit singles, and his
music in the background of every TV show and movie I try to see. This
spring he’s been inescapable, staring back at me from
billboards and on the cover of my favorite trashy magazines. Peak
Finn. AKA, a constant reminder of the boy who shattered my heart and
left town five years ago, stranding my sixteen-year old self without
a word.

AKA,
the reason I’ve developed a serious cookie dough habit, had to
boycott my radio, and spend my evenings hate-browsing the latest
gossip sites looking at photos of Finn with his latest supermodel
girlfriend.

But
hey, at least I’m not bitter.

Back
at the Oak Harbor Realty office, I deliver a takeout box to co-worker
and new best friend, Delilah, then sink into a chair at her desk.

Delilah
takes one look in the lunch bag and makes a face. “Screw salad,
I’ve got cupcakes!” She opens the box with a ‘ta-dah!’

“Fancy,”
I whistle, looking back and forth between the virtuous container of
lettuce, and the box of double-chocolate frosting. Who am I kidding?
Cupcakes always win. I reach for one and sink my teeth into pure
sugar rush heaven. “What’s the occasion?”

“I
finally closed escrow for Shana Norton on that new townhouse in the
harbor.”

I
high five her. “Does this mean she’s going to tell Mr.
Norton she’s leaving him yet?”

“Not
sure,” Delilah grins. “I’m guessing the moving
trucks will be a big clue.”

I
laugh. “Want me to do the paperwork?”

“Would
you?” Dee bats her eyelashes at me. “Pretty please.”

“Just
add it to the pile.” I sigh dramatically, but I don’t
mind really. I haven’t closed a deal myself in months, and
sooner or later our boss is going to figure out that real estate and
I just aren’t a good match. Delilah knows exactly what I’m
thinking, because she gives me a look.

“You
need to be out there, getting clients for yourself. You could make a
great commission if you hustled a little harder.”

“Me
and hustle don’t get along.” I focus on my cupcake. “We
had a falling out years ago. It’s not speaking to me.”

“Liar. You hustled plenty
at the animal shelter holiday fundraiser. You talked half the town
into emptying their wallets.”

“That’s
different!” I protest. “It’s a good cause. Who can
say no to puppies?”

“Me,”
Delilah curls her lip. “I never got the appeal. They’re
all drooling and needy, and piss everywhere. They’re like a
frat-boy on a Friday night.”

“Cruella,”
I laugh.

She
grabs a file from her desk. “Hustle or not, you’ve got an
appointment this afternoon. Some mystery client looking for a rental.
I told Marcie you’d take it.”

“But
I’m not dressed for clients!” I look down at my
laundry-day skirt – missing a button – and the shirt
that, yup, now has a smear of chocolate frosting over my right boob.
I start dabbing, but the stain only spreads. “Look what I’ve
done now. You take them.”

“Nope.
And I’m saying this as your friend, and not because I booked an
early nail appointment,” Delilah grins. “Go on.”
She shoves the file at me. “It’ll be good for you. Work
the whole small-town girl charm. They’ll be eating out of your
hand.”

“I’ll
be eating what now?”

A
familiar male voice comes from the doorway behind me. Blood rushes to
my head. I freeze, my heart pounding.

It
can’t be.

It
can’t be.

It
can.

Delilah
lets out a shriek, and bounces out of her chair. “Holy shit,
Finn! What are
you
doing here?”

I
hear a warm chuckle as she launches himself at him. “Hey Dee.”

I
can’t bring myself to turn around. My mind is racing to try and
make sense of this. Finn McKay, here. Now.

Why?
And why today of all days, when I’ve got a button missing from
my shirt and frosting smeared all over my chin? Sure, I’ve
pictured the time I would finally run into him again, but in those
fantasies I was always looking fantastic, in some great, sexy outfit,
out with friends, or – even better – a hot guy on my arm.
Never mind the fact I haven’t been on a decent date in months.
This was my fantasy, dammit. But it turns out real life is anything
but a dream.

Bracing
myself, I slowly swivel around. Maybe he isn’t hot anymore, I
send up a silent prayer. Maybe those magazine shoots are
photo-shopped, and in real life he’s skinny with a bad case of
adult acne. Maybe—

I’m
screwed.

He’s
even more gorgeous in the flesh. All six feet of tanned, muscular
flesh.

The
Finn I knew was handsome, sure, but this is something else. His lithe
build has filled out, body taut against a white tee that looks
anything but plain, with dark jeans that hug his ass just so. His
hair is longer now, pulled back in a low bun with gold glimmering
through, and he’s got tattoos I’ve never seen curling
down his muscular arms.

But
it’s his eyes that still stop me in my tracks, blue and stormy
as the December ocean. They meet mine across the room in a silent
greeting.

I
try to remember to breathe. Finn may have left a boy of nineteen, but
he’s come back all man.

“What
brings you back to town?” Delilah is still hanging off him,
babbling at full-speed. “Wait, don’t tell me, you decided
to bring your whole touring band for a special live show?” She
looks around, on alert for a whole crew of hot, tattooed musicians,
but Finn just chuckles.

“I’m
not enough for you, sweetheart?”

“No
man is,” she smirks. “God, look at you! How long’s
it been now?”

Five
years
, I answer
silently. Four years, eleven months, and sixteen days, but who’s
counting?

“A
good long while,” Finn answers easily, with that faint twang of
Southern drawl soaking his words in sweet bourbon. He hugs her and
stands back. “You’re looking good, Dee. How are things?”

“Oh,
you know, the usual.” Delilah shrugs. “Breaking hearts,
taking names.”

“I
don’t doubt it.” Finn flashes her a grin, the kind of
charming smile that let him get away with every reckless bad boy
stunt, and left a string of damp panties and broken hearts through
the halls of our high school.

Including
mine.

That
old familiar grin triggers something inside me. My brain unfreezes. I
quickly choke down my mouthful of cupcake and try to discreetly wipe
my face.
Pull it
together
, I tell
myself, but when Finn finally strolls over to my desk, nothing can
prepare me for the rush of emotion.

“Eva.”
He smiles. “It’s good to see you.”

“Finn.”

Just
saying his name again hurts my heart. I’ve spent years trying
not to think of him, trying not to let his face creep back into my
mind. It should have been easy to forget him; nobody knows what we
shared, and there was nothing left to tie him to this town. But love
doesn’t obey logic sometimes, and I’m ashamed to admit
just how long it took me to get over him, how many restless nights I
wasted to the memory of his kisses, the damp slide of his body
against mine.

“What
are you doing here?” My question comes out harsh, but luckily,
Delilah is still in full flow.

“Yeah,
aren’t you too much of a big shot for our little town?”
she teases. “How come you’re gracing us with your
presence after all these years?”

Finn
gives an easy shrug. “I figured it would be a good place to get
some R and R. I’ve been touring for two years straight. I need
a break. Someplace to lay my head,” he adds, and Delilah snaps
her fingers.

“You’re
Eva’s new mystery client!”

“Wait,
what?” My chest clenches.

“I
just gave you the file. Lucky girl.” Delilah grins, and turns
back to Finn. “Anyway, it was great seeing you. We’ll
have to get a drink while you’re in town.”

“If
you can fit me in your busy schedule,” he laughs.

This
isn’t just a fly-in visit? “How long are you staying?”
I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just a week or two?”

“No.
I’ll need somewhere for a month, at least.” Finn is
watching me, and I swear, he smiles when I stop breathing. “I’ve
got the rest of the day free to look at places with you.”

Finn.
This afternoon. Alone.

“I’m
kind of busy,” I protest weakly, my head spinning. I’m
not prepared for this, not even close, but Finn looks pointedly
around at the empty office. Oak Harbor isn’t exactly a
fast-paced destination, especially before the summer season starts.
Aside from Delilah and me, there’s only our boss Marcie around
– and she’s napping at her desk in the back.

“Sure
looks it,” he smirks.

My
panic grows. “I have paperwork!”

Finn
doesn’t even reply to that, he just gives me an amused look.
“I’ll be in the car. You know, if you want to clean up.”
He leans over and snags my half-eaten cupcake from the desk and takes
a bite. “Mmm,” he sounds a low growl of satisfaction,
slowly licking frosting from his thumb. My pulse kicks, just watching
his mouth. “You always did have a sweet tooth.”