The Rebound Pact
Authors: Eliza Knight
Just one taste is never enough
...
The attraction between Gabrielle and Holden still sizzles on the surface even after all these years since their last encounter. Having just experienced serious relationship breakups neither one is ready to start again. Instead, they make a rebound pact. Casual sex, no strings attached—and rule #1? Don't fall in love. Problem is, with each scorching encounter, Gabrielle and Holden find themselves falling hard and fast.
After college, Gabrielle Dane makes one terrific mistake. Thinking she's sneaking into her crush's bedroom at an all-night party, she ends up sleeping with her older brother's best friend. It’s only when the sun comes up that she recognizes Holden Bellamy. Mortified, Gabrielle leaves to train with a renowned chef in France, vowing never to return to her hometown and the awkwardness of her one night stand mix-up. But several years later, she finds herself doing just that, and she runs smack into the delicious man who makes her catches her breath.
Holden Bellamy, owner of Belle Ami, a critically acclaimed vineyard, has always had a thing for his best friend's little sister...even if she was off limits. Waking up to her in the morning several years back was a remarkable surprise, one that crashed and burned when she left town without a word. Now he's face to face with the woman he never stopped wondering about.
The Rebound Pact
By
Eliza Knight
*****************************
FIRST EDITION
June 2013
Copyright 2013 © Eliza Knight
THE
REBOUND PACT © 2013 Eliza Knight. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part or the whole of this book may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted or utilized (other than for reading by the intended reader) in ANY form (now known or hereafter invented) without prior written permission by the author. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, and punishable by law. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and or are used fictitiously and solely the product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover Design by Kimberly Killion @ The Killion Group, Inc.
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status of the following items/brands, etc… mentioned within this work of fiction: Alpha Epsilon Pi; Redbull; Camaro; Puppetry of the Penis; So Delicious Dairy Free; Vitamix; Discovery Channel; Bon Appetit; Victoria’s Secret; Mercedes; Jeep; Food Network, Gordon Ramsey; History Channel; Prius; Starbucks; HGTV; Extreme Homes; Tiffany.
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Also Available by Eliza Knight
The Highlander’s Reward – Book One, The Stolen Bride Series
The Highlander’s Conquest – Book Two, The Stolen Bride Series
The Highlander’s Lady – Book Three, The Stolen Bride Series
The Highlander’s Warrior Bride – Book Four, The Stolen Bride Series
Behind the Plaid (Highland Bound Trilogy, Book One)
A Lady’s Charade (Book 1: The Rules of Chivalry)
A Knight’s Victory (Book 2: The Rules of Chivalry)
A Gentleman’s Kiss
Men of the Sea Series:
Her Captain Returns, Her Captain Surrenders, Her Captain Dares All
The Highland Jewel Series:
Warrior in a Box, Lady in a Box, Love in a Box
Lady Seductress’s Ball
Take it Off, Warrior
Highland Steam
A Pirate’s Bounty
Highland Tryst (Something Wicked This Way Comes Volume 1)
Highlander Brawn (
Sequel to
Highland Steam)
Coming soon…
The Highlander’s Sin – Book Six, The Stolen Bride Series
The Highlander’s Temptation – Prequel, The Stolen Bride Series
Bared to the Highlander (Highland Bound Trilogy, Book Two)
The Dark Side of the Laird (Highland Bound Trilogy, Book Three)
My Lady Viper – Tales from the Tudor Court
Prisoner of the Queen – Tales from the Tudor Court
Three more contemporary novels, too!
Writing under the name Annabelle Weston
Wicked Woman (Desert Heat)
Scandalous Woman (Desert Heat)
Notorious Woman (Desert Heat)
Mr. Temptation
Hunting Tucker
*****************************
Visit Eliza Knight at
www.elizaknight.com
or
www.historyundressed.com
Dedication
To the love of my life, my husband, who I will forever remember breaking up with my boyfriend for me, so he could ask me out :-)
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Christi Barth, Stephanie Draven, Kim Killion,
Jennifer Jakes, Em Petrova, Harvey and Natalie Gaudun-Stables.
“The need for distance is a cowardly excuse
for
the fear of falling
due
to the past
misfortune
of a broken heart.”
~Dave Brandon, Singer/Songwriter
Chapter One
M
usic vibrated the walls, sending zings of adrenaline through Gabrielle Dane’s veins. But was it truly the music or what she was about to do that had her shivering with anticipation? Tonight she was going to do
it
. She was going to go all the way with John.
There were over a hundred
University of Maryland undergrad and graduate students at the Alpha Epsilon Pi frat party tonight. Drinking, dancing, grinding on one another in true college frenzied fashion. Graduation was always a cause to celebrate.
Biting her lip, she stopped outside the bedroom
where John told her to meet him. Finally taking notice of her sexually tonight. Her hot pink fuck-me pumps and black spaghetti strap mini she’d worn to drive him to distraction had worked. She’d been crushing on him since last year, always too shy to approach him in any way other than friendship. She’d had a few other boyfriends. Nobody special, categorically speaking Hot John wasn’t boyfriend material either. Just a fantasy fulfilled, and if she wasn’t half-drunk on vodka and Redbull she wouldn’t even be doing this.
But n
ow that they’d graduated and she was leaving the country for a few years, she planned to make this end of the year party one neither of them would ever forget.
The metal of the door handle was cold against her sweating palm. She turned it slowly. A moment of hesitation made her stop. With a shake of her head she shoved aside any misgivings. This was her chance to fulfill her dream—every girl’s dream.
John was hot and she was going to rock his world tonight.
Gabrielle
pushed out a breath as she opened the door to the darkened bedroom.
The shadowy form of a man lay on the bed, his soft even breaths indicating he was asleep. She tried not to groan in disappointment. Well, she
wouldn’t let a little thing like
sleep
get in the way of her goal.
She closed the door behind her and quickly stripped off
her heels and clothes. Slipping out of her new hot pink lacy thong and bra, she stared at them on the floor, wishing he was awake to see her wearing it. Even still, her blood sizzled, her nipples hardened with eagerness. She tip-toed to the bed, pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets.
John
mumbled something unintelligible and rolled toward her, his muscled arm draping over her middle. He snuggled against her, nuzzling her neck and stroking his hands over her belly and hip. She lifted her leg over his thigh above the knee—also deliciously naked—inching closer to him.
“Mmm…this is a nice surprise,” he whispered.
He sounded different when he whispered, but Gabrielle had never heard him whisper before, and she liked it…
Although it wasn’t
really a surprise she played along with him. She supposed the fact that she was doing this at all was the surprise. Vodka and Redbull were the culprits. “Yes,” she said pressing her breasts against his hot chest.
The light sprinkling of crisp hair covering his torso tickled her nipples and over-sensitized flesh.
Oh. My. God.
Was this really happening? She bit her lip to keep from shouting out.
A calloused hand
stroked up her back to cup her neck as he pulled her closer. He whispered in her ear, his voice deep, throaty, sensual, his breath tickling her cheek. “I’ve been waiting so long for this.”
Her insides quivered and her heart leapt to her throat.
“Me, too.”
Lips
pressed to hers, and for a moment she kept her eyes open, soaking in what little she could see. Shadows covered his strong angular face. His hair seemed a little shorter, but maybe she just hadn’t noticed that he’d gotten a haircut. She closed her eyes, running her hand up and down his arms, then through his cropped hair. His mouth was warm pressed on hers, tender as his tongue stroked along the seam of her lips. Frissons of pleasure raced along her skin. She pressed closer, her tongue meeting his, touching, swirling, stroking.
God
, he was a good kisser.
He nudged her onto her back, coming over her, one thigh pressed intimately between hers.
“You’re overdressed,” she said with a teasing note in her tone when she felt the softness of his boxer briefs skim her thigh.
But as she said it, he pressed his thick erection against the apex of her thighs, and a soft whimper escaped her. He was so…big. So warm, so…
hawt
.
“I wasn’t really prepared
for this,” he murmured, nibbling at her lower lip.
Did he mean he didn’t have a condom? She was so hot for him…but even hyped up on vodka she wasn’t going to venture into it without protection. Good thing she’d tucked one into her purse just in case.
“Well, I’m here now.” Gabrielle tugged at the elastic of his waistband, her fingertips skimming over the muscles of his abdomen and that vee…the one that formed a near arrow pointing to a man’s cock.
S
troking the vee, she wished she could turn on the lights and just examine his body for an hour or more. She’d never been with a guy who had the vee, although she and her girlfriends extoled its sexual virtue—a must have in every fantasy.
John
climbed slowly from the bed. He looked taller from where she lay—and thicker, much more muscular. She supposed not everyone looked the same naked as they did with their clothes on. His shadowy figure doffed his briefs, and tossed them.
“Better?”
he said with a chuckle that stroked over every nerve in her body like a kiss.
His voice was husky from sleep, so sensual—and ye
t, something didn’t seem right.
“Much,” she answered.
He crawled back onto the bed until he loomed over her, his voice low, “You’re even beautiful in the dark, Gabrielle.”
Brushing
her fingertips up his muscled arms, she said, “Thank you. You’re…a lot more muscular than I thought.” She immediately wanted to punch herself for saying something so dumb and unromantic.
John
only chuckled, sliding his body along hers so that she arched with the need for him to touch her more closely.
