Forever Love: A Friends to Lovers Collections Read online

  “I love you too.”

  We walked out to our cars, and I felt like a weight had been taken off me. One late night chat couldn’t erase the pain she’d caused me, but it was a step in the right direction. Maybe one day our relationship would be normal again—or as close to normal as it had ever been.

  Macon was already asleep by the time I got home that night. Sometimes our opposite schedules were frustrating, but there was always something nice about slipping in next to him. He mumbled something incoherently before he cuddled me against him.

  Macon

  Carly spent the first half of the night tossing and turning. I tried to calm her down, but I knew how much the business meant to her. I’d even considered talking to my parents for an investment, but I knew they wouldn’t be keen on putting that kind of money on the line. Carly seemed convinced Colin would want a share and would co-sign on any loans, but I was worried she was overestimating what he was worth. He wasn’t that much older than us.

  By three a.m. I was done letting her suffer in silence. I pulled her into my arms, kissing her gently on her lips. “You need to relax, babe.”

  “You tell me that a lot.”

  “Because it’s true.” I slipped a hand under the tank top part of her PJs.

  “What if he says no?”

  “Then we come up with another idea. Ocean Quest Gourmet will work, but it might need a different location or something, and more time to come up with the money.”

  “But I want it here. I want it now.” She pouted.

  I laughed. “You do know what you sound like, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve just never been so excited about something before.”

  “And I’m excited too. You know that.” I moved my hand up further, stopping just below her breast.

  “Yeah, you are excited.” She stroked me through my boxers. “How can you be that turned on talking about business?”

  “Because I’m discussing it with you—in bed.”

  “Well, since there’s a chance I won’t get the business here and right now, can I get something else?” She continued the stroking motion.

  “That depends.”

  “Depends on?”

  “Whether I like your proposal.”

  “You want a proposal?” She leaned up on an elbow.

  “Yeah, why not?”

  The room was mostly dark, but I’d left the shades open and moonlight streaked in. She sat up and pulled off her tank top, tossing it on the floor. I missed her hand on me, but it was made up for when she stood up and pulled off her PJ bottoms and panties.

  “How’s this for a proposal?”

  “I accept.” I was standing in seconds, discarding my boxers so nothing stood in my way.

  “I’m so glad you said that.”

  “Me too.” I kissed her, devouring her lips as my hands explored the body I’d never get tired of touching.

  She pushed my chest, letting me know she wanted me to lie down. I did as she asked, eagerly waiting as she crawled up my body. She adjusted us, slowly easing me inside her. She closed her eyes and arched her back. I held her hips as she continued to move up and down on me.

  “Macon.” She moaned my name, and I cupped her breasts, needing to touch her, needing anything she could give. She moaned my name again while moving us faster. She took in the full length of me over and over until we both reached our release.

  We lay there afterward panting and sweaty, I held her on top of me, unwilling to let go.

  She kissed me lightly. “Well I’m not any sleepier, but I’m not nervous anymore.”

  “Glad I could be of service.”

  “Just so you know, I’m going to be requesting that service a lot.”

  I grabbed her ass. “Not as much as me.”

  * * *

  I tried to stop picturing Carly’s naked body when she strode up to where she had her iPhone projector aimed at the wall in Colin’s living room. “Welcome everyone.”

  She was being so formal, but I couldn’t help thinking about how silly she’d been just hours earlier, and just how many times we’d had sex from three a.m. on.

  I forced those thoughts away and focused on the business dress attired Carly. Who knew she could look so hot in slacks and a blouse?

  “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”

  The audience consisted of Maddy, Colin, Brody, and Kim. As much as Carly had issues with her sister, I was glad Kim had taken the effort to come down and try to clear the air. I was also glad she’d have the opportunity to see how passionate Carly was about the project.

  “What do you think of when you think of vacation scuba diving?” Carly pressed a button on her laptop. A picture of the ocean with slow rising bubbles stared back at us.

  “I think of Macon.” Maddy smiled at me.

  “Okay, you think about quality instructors.” Carly bit back a smile.

  “Anyone else?” She zeroed in on Colin.

  “I think about boats?” He looked to me for some kind of clue.

  “Here’s what I think about.” She clicked another button on her computer. A picture of a sea turtle appeared, she clicked again and there was an underwater scene featuring fish and a ray gliding through the water. “These are great images, are they not?”

  “Beautiful.” Kim watched intently.

  “But what happens after those images? What happens after you see these? If you take a standard dive you can expect something like this.” She clicked again and a photo of a mushed peanut butter and jelly sandwich filled the screen. “And this.” A bag of cheap crackers with a juice box beside it took the sandwich’s place.

  “But what if diving could be different? What if you could go from this,” we were back at the ocean scene, “to this?” The next image was of kabobs and shrimp cocktail. “And even this.” Her next click revealed two cocktail glasses.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you Ocean Quest Gourmet. Luxury diving at a cost that a vacation diver can afford.” She continued moving through some more images, ending on one of a beautiful sunset.

  “Can you picture that? A place where a diver can enjoy all the wonders of the ocean and then relax with a delicious meal and cocktails?”

  “I’d do it!” Maddy grinned. “Obviously not the cocktail part now, but when I’m not pregnant.”

  Carly nodded, and I started to hand out the prospective information she’d put together.

  Colin leaned forward in his seat. “Carly, this is a genius idea, but where do you think you’re going to find all that money? That’s a lot of zeroes.”

  She smiled sheepishly. “I was hoping you could help.”

  “I can’t come up with that kind of money, Carly. I can maybe swing thirty percent.” He turned to Maddy. “That is if my future wife agrees.” Maddy nodded enthusiastically.

  Colin sighed. “You know I hate saying no to you, but I don’t think we can do more.”

  Kim studied the papers. “I can contribute some. Maybe 5-10%. I think this is a fantastic idea.”

  Carly’s jaw dropped as she looked at her sister. “What? You want to invest?”

  “Absolutely. I’m really impressed.”

  Carly looked at me, and I shrugged.

  “Excuse me, I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but the door was unlocked.”

  We all turned to look at Max.

  “Max? What are you doing here?” Carly twirled her hair nervously.

  “I’ve been thinking this over since yesterday. I think this could be the perfect investment for me.”

  “What?” It was my turn to show surprise. “You want in?”

  “I’ll do 49%. That way you guys still run the show. I’ll want updates, and I expect you kids to view this as the serious business venture it is.”

  “Of course. This is amazing.” Carly sat perched on the arm of the couch.

  “I like the business model. I like the plan. You obviously have the chef already,” he nodded to Brody. “I’d like to be pres
ent when you negotiate the deal. I happen to know your boss well, Macon, and I have a feeling he’d listen to me more.” He turned to Carly. “No offense to your hard work.”

  “None taken.” She beamed.

  He walked over and shook her hand. “Great. It looks like we’re going into business.”

  Carly

  We had a business. Max was right, his presence did help seal the deal, and with only a small loan to make up the difference, we were the proud owners of Ocean Quest Gourmet. We were starting small, using the off-season to get everything perfect for the next summer. Maddy was going to be working in the business as well, she wanted to run the front of the updated shop. Considering the shop would now house a bar near the dock, she was the perfect one for the job. Brody was busy brainstorming ways to bring gourmet food on the boat, and Macon had successfully convinced all of the current employees to stay on—except for Caleb. He’d happily taken his part of the sale money and left the beach behind. Hopefully he wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

  Kim had gone home to have it out with Jasper. I felt for her. No matter how much of a jerk he was, telling him it was over wouldn’t be easy. Sometimes my sister could be stubborn as hell and could push my buttons, but she was still my sister. I made sure she knew the door was always open. I might have been the youngest, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t there for my family.

  Labor Day came and went, and I found myself looking forward to the off-season. I didn’t mind the tourists, and I loved the warm weather, but I was looking forward to the quiet. It would also make for an easier transition from working at the Grille to working at Ocean Quest. Working through the rest of the high season was part of the deal we struck with Max.

  Macon and I headed out for a late night walk. Being out on the beach at night always reminded me of the night that changed everything for us. I still replayed every moment of it in my head, and it never failed to put a huge smile on my face. When I first arrived in Corolla my life was a mess. I was the boat that kept slamming into the rocks no matter how hard I tried to steer. But then everything changed, and I knew Macon had a large part to do with that.

  I was thinking about it when Macon pulled me out of my thoughts.

  “I have to ask you something important.” Macon stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. The moon was full, casting an ethereal glow over the beach.

  “What is it?” I tried to stay calm, but I hoped he wasn’t about to do something crazy. I loved Macon, and the thought of spending my life with him made my heart soar, but we weren’t ready for that level of commitment yet. I thought over what I’d say. I couldn’t say no without ruining everything.

  “Will you move in with me?”

  “What?” I breathed a sigh of a relief. “But I already live with you.”

  “Yeah, but the last time I asked it wasn’t to share my bed. Besides, I thought it would be funny to make you think I was proposing.”

  I pushed his arm. “How do you know I’m not disappointed?”

  “Because when I do propose, which I will be doing at some point, love, you’re not going to have that freaked out expression on your face. It’s going to seem so natural that you don’t even have to consider the answer.”

  “And here I thought you weren’t super confident.”

  “I’m not about everything, but I am about you and me. I’ve never been more confident about anything in my life.”

  “Then, the answer is yes.”

  “The answer to what?” He gave me a confused look.

  “I’ll move in with you.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He pulled me into his arms, and his lips crushed into mine. I devoured the earthy and slightly salty taste of his mouth. Macon had every reason to be confident.

  Sometimes love is best served on the rocks, especially when it’s the kind of love that changes you forever.

  Mixology

  Want more Mixology? Maddy and Colin’s story, Shaken Not Stirred is available now!

  Shaken Not Stirred

  *New Adult Romance mixed with humor and garnished with a twist*

  Finding the perfect guy is like mixing the perfect drink. It's all about the taste and presentation.

  Faced with a pile of med school rejection letters and no plan B, I took a job tending bar in a beach town while living with two male roommates. All of that would have been fine if I'd had a clue what to do with my life or if my love life wasn't just as pathetic as my career path. But in the end I figured one of those things out—and I also discovered his perfect drink.

  The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend

  Alyssa Rose Ivy

  To Nicole, for bringing Jade and Kyle together.

  Jade

  “Is sex actually important?”

  “What?” Kyle spit out the sip of beer he’d just taken.

  “You heard me. Or really what I’m asking is whether it’s possible to live a satisfying and meaningful life without it.”

  He leaned back in the worn desk chair to get a better look at me. “Is there a reason for this question?”

  “Not really.” I hopped up onto the desk, careful to tug down on my skirt. “I’m just trying to plan out the rest of my life.”

  “Maybe drinking while we reorganized the station was a bad idea.” He leaned back further, rocking the chair in the process. The movement gave me a momentary vision of doing the same kind of rocking with him. I shook my head to clear the thought. I wasn’t going there. No matter how much I crushed on Kyle, dating him wasn’t in the cards. Dating anyone wasn’t. I’d been there and done that, and it had ended in disaster. I wasn’t opening myself up to that kind of mess and pain again.

  “I guess the answer to your question is a personal one. There are some people who can live completely satisfied without sex, but others who can’t.”

  “Which category do you fall into?” I wasn’t sure why I was opening up such an awkward line of conversation with a friend who was also now technically my boss, but once I started I couldn’t stop.

  “The second group.”

  “Really? But you haven’t had any in months, have you?” I leaned toward him, challenging him to disagree.

  “How would you have any clue about my sex life, Jade?” He turned his head slightly. He always did that when he was thinking.

  “Because you spend almost all your time here.” As the manager of the campus radio station, Kyle spent nearly every moment that he wasn’t in class in his office or overseeing one of the student radio hosts. Like me.

  “That doesn’t mean I haven’t had sex.”

  “Now that sounds like you’re implying that you’ve had sex here.” I tapped the wooden desk. “I’m assuming that’s not what you meant.”

  “No. I’m saying you don’t keep tabs on me all the time.”

  “Okay. So the last time you had sex, was it mind-blowingly amazing or did it suck?”

  “Now that question can’t have anything to do with you planning out the rest of your life.”

  “No it can’t.” I ran a hand through my long black hair. I was far too tired and buzzed to be having this conversation, but I didn’t actually care.

  “When’s the last time you had sex?” His brow wrinkled.

  “It’s been awhile. I’m not going to make up some story about you not keeping tabs on me.”

  “How long is awhile?”

  “Why?” I crossed my legs.

  “Because I’m trying to figure out where all this is coming from and where the conversation is going.”

  “Why would you be worried about where it’s going? Are you afraid I’m going to try to jump you or something?” I bit my lip in an exaggerated way. A small of amount of alcohol decimated my inhibitions. It’s why I rarely drank and never did unless I was around someone I trusted. For one reason or another, I trusted Kyle.

  “I wouldn’t be afraid of that.”

  “I thought about it before when you were leaning back in your chair.” It was more than the alcohol
making me honest. It was Kyle. I always told him he should go into counseling. He could make anyone open up about anything,

  “You need a boyfriend.”

  “No thanks. Hence my question about not having sex. I’m not meant for relationships.” I hoped he wouldn’t ask for details, but I knew he would.

  “How many relationships have you had?”

  “Not many.”

  “Me either, but I’m not throwing in the towel quite yet.” He leaned back again. Either he’d forgotten what I’d said, or he didn’t mind me having sexual thoughts about him.

  “Have you ever had sex without a relationship?” I’d already made him uncomfortable, no reason to stop now.

  “Yes.”

  “Kyle Bradley. I’m surprised at you.”

  “Why? Do I really seem like such a saint?” He watched me carefully.

  “Not a saint, but an ‘emotions matter’ kind of guy.”

  “It’s not a habit of mine, but it happens.”

  “I’ve never had that kind of emotionless sex. Maybe that’s my problem.” I took another small sip of the bitter beer.

  “That’s not your problem.” He tossed his empty beer bottle into the recycling bin across the room.

  “Nice aim.”

  “I did play basketball in high school, you know?”

  “I didn’t know that.” There was a lot about Kyle I didn’t know. There was a lot about me he didn’t know either. “Do you think I should try?”

  “Try what?” He sat up in his chair.

  “Having random hook-up sex.”

  “No. I don’t think you should.” He stood up. “And on that note, I’ll walk you home.”

  I groaned. “I don’t want to go home.”

  “Why not? I thought you were excited to be living in your sorority house.”