Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (30 page)

We both breathe heavily. It sounds more like wheezing, because we are so out of breath and exhausted from the wild ride. We snuggle close and the tip of his nose gently pokes mine. I give him a languid smile.

"I'm done here. Please tell me we're going downstairs now," I whisper.

He chuckles and pulls out of me. "We're going downstairs now." He kisses me. "I'll go and wash myself quickly, and you probably ought to straighten your hair and make-up."

"I guess so," I smile.

Delsin gets up, pulls me to my feet and leads me into the bathroom.

"Heavens, this bathroom is as large as my entire room," I blurt.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"Yes, but ... wow." I don't know what else to say.

He smiles and starts to wash himself, while I spontaneously take a brief shower, taking care not to get my hair wet. Delsin hands me a towel when I step out. I dry off quickly, put on my panties, bra and dress again, and then go back to the bathroom to see what I can do about my hair. My lipgloss is gone, so I apply a new layer. When Delsin has put his clothes back on, too, he asks: "Ready for your party?"

I look at him. "Seriously? I wasn't ready for sex, nor for a party, but let's go, by all means," I grin.

He takes my hand and leads me back downstairs to where his ... my guests are. People I have met in the last few weeks greet me. Ty, Coop, and some others.

Then I suddenly spot Cay among the guests and tug at Delsin's sleeve. "What is she doing here?" I want to know. I can't help sounding upset.

She has obviously just seen us, too, so she sashays over. "Hi, Delsin," she purrs.

"Cay," he nods curtly.

"And you would be ...?" she asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"Delsin's girlfriend. Camille," I tell her. "And what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I came with Jay," she smiles and looks at Delsin again. "How about a drink?"

He looks at me, then back at her. "No. And I think you should go now. Camille does not feel comfortable in your presence, so you aren't welcome."

She looks me up and down and clicks her tongue. "I can see that. If I looked like her, I wouldn't feel comfortable either," she says in an arrogant voice.

I don't know what gets into me, but I grab her by the arm and shove her towards the door. Then I open it and give her a look that makes her take the final steps out. I throw the door shut and turn around. All eyes are on me.

"I was just taking out the trash," I excuse myself and feel the blush spread over my cheeks. I smile awkwardly at my fellow students and friends. But then Coop starts applauding and others join in. Some whistle and cheer.

I walk back to Delsin's side and he pulls me into an embrace. "I didn't know you were also a bouncer," he grins. "That was hot. And if you hadn't been this quick, I'd have done the same."

I smile. "Well, the trash had to go, as I just said."

"Cami, that was awesome," Thally laughs and pats me on the shoulder.

"Three cheers for Sweetie, our new bouncer," Ave shouts and pats me on the other shoulder.

The only one missing is Hailey.

"Logan showed up, so they went down to the beach," Thally says and hands me her cup. I take a sip.

"Oh, I didn't know he was coming, too."

"I sort of imported him so Hailey and he could spend the last days of summer together," Delsin interrupts.

"Thank you," I smile. "That is so sweet of you."

"I know. And I also know that a short while ago, you wouldn't have expected anything sweet from me," he teases me.

"True, but you have a talent for surprising me."

A slow song starts and he moves around with me to the music, looking into my eyes. Then he kisses my forehead.

"What's the time?" I ask.

"A few more minutes and you'll be a year older," he grins.

So we spent more time in his bedroom than I had thought. "How many minutes exactly?"

"Only a few seconds, to be precise," Thally yells.

Then the song is cut short and everyone starts counting down: "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five," and so forth.

"Happy birthday, Cami," they all shout.

I want to step towards them, but Delsin is holding me tightly. "Happy birthday, Caramel," he says softly and kisses my lips.

"Thanks," I smile when the kiss has ended.

Thally pulls me away from him and into her embrace. "All the best for your twentieth birthday!" She hugs me tightly.

"Thank you."

Then I am being handed down the line, so to speak. Next up is Avery. "Happy birthday, Sweetie Tweetie," he smirks. "He mustn't call you Caramel anymore, or I'll be a hundred bucks richer."

"He just called me Caramel," I whisper to him, because it won't hurt Delsin if he loses a wager once in a while.

Ave lets go of me and laughs at Delsin as he holds out his hand, palm open. "You just called her Caramel, so come on and pay your dues."

Delsin rolls his eyes and pulls a bank note from his pocket. "That was worth it. And now she's mine again, because I need to give her my present," he says, grabs my hand and pulls me with him to the balcony.

We're really very close to the beach. Delsin's dad has bought him a beach house. Incredible!

Delsin leads me to the railing, stands behind me and puts something around my neck.

"What is that?" I say, surprised.

"That's your present," he says softly.

I pull up my hair so it's easier for him to fasten the clasp. Then he steps back and I touch the pendant. I take it into my fingers and look at it. It's a silver caramel toffee with an engraved D at the center. "That's beautiful and sweet," I whisper. "Thank you, Delsin." Then I turn around and look up at him.

"This look," he murmurs. "That is exactly the look you have given me before I kissed you for the very first time."

"Then it is also the look I am giving you when I say it for the first time," I answer with a smile.

"What do you want to say?" he asks.

"I love you, Delsin Rough," I whisper.

"I love you, too, Camille Brooks," he says as softly, takes my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly.

I return it with abandon and close my eyes. Everything is perfect right now. Delsin, the roughest ride of my life, loves me, and I love him just as much.

I am happy!

"Say that again, please," he asks with shining eyes.

"I love you."

Delsin smiles at me happily and I put my arms around his neck. "I love you, too, my sweet Caramel."

The End

Dear Readers,

I’d like to thank you for giving me and my first English book a chance. It took a very long time, before I finally decided to translate my book and it wasn’t easy at all to find a good translator.

Rough is the second New Adult Novel I wrote and also the beginning of my Coral Gables Series. The next book is about Avery Morrison, Delsin's and Camille's best friend.

Now I want to thank a lot of people:

Claudia, thank you for giving Delsin and Camille their English voice. I totally love this edition of the book. In some parts it sounds even nicer than the German one. I have read it more than four times by now.

Anna, thank you so much for editing this Novel, because you saved the whole project with it. I really hope that all your dreams come true.

Another thanks to Allie Kinsley, who is not only a great writer, she also became a really good friend while writing on Facebook and she makes me laugh when I'm in a bad mood. – I really hope her Fire & Ice Series or her New Adult Novel 'Sweet like Candy' will be translated one day, because they're definitely worth it.

D-Design Cover Art, thanks for giving Rough an international face after you’ve already created all covers for the German editions. I love your work.

And ultimately I have to thank my Mom, who always supported me by saying that all my dreams are wrth to let them ome true, when I was a child. You're not only my Mom, you're my angel, my hero and my best friend. I really appreciate every single thing that you’ve done for me.

Last but not least I have to thank my three guys. My Fiancé and our two beloved sons. You always understand when I locked up the office door during the writing process, in which I dreamed myself to Coral Gables. I love you.

All the best for y'all

Love

Drucie Anne

About the Author

Drucie Anne Taylor, born in 1987, is the pen name of a German writer. She lives with her Fiancé, her two beloved sons, her cat Josephine and her rabbit Thumper in Cologne/Germany. Writing with a pen name was her wish, because she thinks that her name sounds too German. In 2013 she made the decision to write Young and New Adult Novels. So the Coral Gables Series was born. Each book is a standalone but the characters may reappear in the following. Drucie loves reading Jeaniene Frost's and Lynsay Sands' Vampire novels as well as many other fantasy books. She also designs jewellery.

If you would like to know more about her, please feel free to visit her on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/drucieannetaylorauthor

Or you can visit her website:
http://drucieannetaylor.com

Excerpt of Poppy J. Anderson's 'Let's Kiss and Make Up'

Chapter 1

Kate Stuart drove slowly through the familiar streets, unable to believe she’d ended up in Hailsboro again. A week ago, she’d been living in Los Angeles and going out with friends in the evenings to have twenty-dollar cocktails. Now, she was steering her car through the sleepy east-Texas town in which she’d grown up.

It had been thirteen years since Kate left Hailsboro. At that time she’d been full of anticipation, as well as a bit of fear, but eager to get out of town as soon as possible, to experience college life and see the great big world. For a teenager, the little town just hadn’t been exciting enough.

But as a thirty-one-year-old with a failed engagement and a letter of resignation in her pocket, the idealistic world of her hometown seemed to be just the right thing. At least that’s what she told herself as she took a deep breath and scanned the neat facades of the little shops lining the quiet streets.

Not much had changed since she left, and unlike L.A., Hailsboro felt cozy, casting an immediate calming effect on her like an old worn blanket. She’d definitely had enough of the urban life: the anonymity, the noise, the countless waiters who thought they were
the
next Hollywood star, distributing their business cards as if they were free samples of L'Oréal beauty products. Not to mention the homeless who used foreign cars as urinals. That was something Kate could definitely do without.

She turned into a parking space, turned off the engine, and looked at herself in the rearview mirror. The stress she’d endured during the past week had left visible traces—the dark rings under her eyes were a perfect contrast to her pale complexion, and her tousled dark hair urgently needed a proper shampooing. Her veiled, light-brown eyes revealed absolute exhaustion. Fortunately, the weeping had stopped three days ago, so at least she didn't have swollen eyelids anymore.

It was a good thing she’d come to her grandmother’s, Kate thought as she sighed. Bessie would look after her like an anxious, broody mother hen. That thought normally deterred Kate from coming, but right now she needed a little grandmotherly care.

Bessie had been thrilled when Kate called a few days ago to ask if she could stay with her for a while. Since Kate's mom had moved to Seattle five years ago, Bessie had been living all by herself in her big house, running her bakery alone. Kate loved her grandmother very much but hadn’t seen her in years, so she was actually looking forward to her stay. When Kate was a teenager, and the three women lived together under the same roof, her mother and Nana used to drive her insane. Bessie Hammond was a
very
religious and overprotective person—attributes that do not amuse granddaughters in puberty. Now, however, Kate longed for just that—she wanted to be mothered, coddled, spoiled. She wanted to forget.