I let out a sigh of relief. No other student should go through that, not when they just wanted to learn a craft. "What about the show?"
"I told them I was pulling out of the show, but Lucas--the other art teacher who mentors students--saw my work. He came to the house and asked me to stay. Said I had enough talent on my own and to stop questioning my abilities. He said he sees huge things for me, Quinn, and he had tons of connections. He wants to take me on."
I squealed and hugged him hard. "I knew it! I knew you'd do it on your own. I'm so proud of you, baby."
He kissed me again and laughed with joy. "Let's celebrate."
"Cassie and Mac are at Captain Crowe's. There's going to be a surprise."
"Well, let's go and say hello to the crew."
We walked hand-in-hand to the bar where we'd hung out last year, and dove into the mad crowd, having fun drinking and chattering, the music loud and full of life. We caught up with Cassie, who hugged both of us when we told her we were back together, and suddenly Mac was climbing to the front of the bar in a surprise concert that pumped up the crowd. She called out a special dedication, and then Austin was beside her, and they were singing and looking at each other with such love, I knew they'd finally found their happily-ever-after ending.
We filled the rest of the hours with drinks and laughter. I noticed Cassie and Ty talking at the bar, and I had a good feeling they might be able to re-connect. They fit so well together.
Later, when darkness had fallen and the moon was full, James and I walked barefoot on the beach where we had shared our first kiss. "You're so fucking beautiful," he said huskily. "I look at you now and love you even more. You're it, Quinn. You're the woman who makes me whole. I want to strip off this little black skirt, lay you in the sand, and fuck you long and hard until the sun comes up."
I lifted on tiptoes, the warm surf swirling around my ankles, and dragged his head down.
"What are you waiting for?" I whispered naughtily.
So he did.
Epilogue
JAMES
SO, MAYBE THIS IS A LOVE STORY.
We flew back from Key West and decided to move in together. Quinn graduated with honors and flung herself into her new job at the clinic, spearheading a new program that almost doubled their clients. I was so fucking proud of her. She was good for this world, her inner light spilling out to everyone she met, a reminder of everything pure and right.
For me? Well, I worked frantically, building new pieces, and the expo was a huge success. Lucas pushed me hard, harder than Ava ever had, in a different way, and I came out with a bunch of offers and contacts. Another year or two, and I may even be able to open up my new studio, but right now, the money is good, and I finally got to quit Joe's. I work odd hours at the studio, and there's some travel involved, but I'm finally living my dream, on my own terms.
And us? We're strong. The problems with Ava helped us rebuild our foundation. I'm not trying to change my way for her anymore, and I finally believe I'm worth something. I'm coming into myself a bit more every day, and she steps back and lets me find my way. Loves me anyway. And when she's in my arms? She gives me everything she's got, no holds barred. She fucks me with the intensity of a woman who has given her body and soul, her mind and heart, and that's all I ever wanted.
I'm going to ask her to marry me soon.
So, yeah. We got lucky. This one is a love story.
I'm so fucking glad I got to write a whole new ending.
The End
Also by Jennifer Probst
She's an expert in helping others de-stress, but Arilyn Meadows is running on fumes. Along with her job counseling singles seeking soul mates at the Kinnections agency in Verily, New York, she's a yoga teacher, animal shelter volunteer, anger management therapist, and helping hand to her beloved grandfather. No time to find Mr. Right--but after discovering her yogi boyfriend in a compromising asana, Arilyn would rather dog-sit for her honeymooning friend Kate than risk her heart on another downward dog. And when police officer Stone Petty--radiating masculinity and bad-boy attitude--is sent to her for mandatory lessons in cooling off when the job gets too hot, Arilyn vows to ignore his seductive glances and sexy grin. But there's no halting their sizzling flirtation--a red-hot, high-speed chase that's breaking all the limits.
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Take a Sneak Peak into all of Jennifer's Books!
This is NOT a book, but a compilation of covers, author's notes and sample chapters taken from the incredible career of NY Times Bestselling Author of The Marriage to a Billionaire Series, Jennifer Probst.
I've believed in love and happy endings since I was young.
It never came easy. It took me twenty years of nonstop work and dreams before I became a full time writer. I had to defend not only my love for the written word, and my non-practical career choice, but also my fierce respect and passion for the romance genre.
No matter. I let no one sway me from my path. Is it so wrong to believe in hope? To understand it's not about these stories all containing what critics deem a formulaic ending, but the unique journey of each book and characters we create and meet to push us, change us, and allow us to reach for something more?
That's the type of writer I wanted to be. That's the type of books I wanted to write.
There's humor in everything I write. Sometimes a bit zany, sometimes laugh out loud, and sometimes so subtle it's like a brush of a kiss across a cheek. Barely there. But I believe humor is one important aspect I use to make sense out of events and shine a flicker of light into a dark corner.
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Acknowledgements
It takes a team to make a book. A huge thank you to Cool Gus for all their support and hard work. Thank goodness I don't have to do this alone!
A quick shout-out to my street team, The Probst Posse, who helped with picking my cover and did some beta reading. You guys are the best!
Don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter to keep up to date with releases, receive exclusive deleted scenes, and be included to win TWO prizes including a gift card each month. Sign up here: https://www.jenniferprobst.com/newsletter I adore chatting with my readers so make sure you connect with me on social media - I always write back!
More Sex on the Beach
BEFORE YOU
By Jenna Bennett
It's all fun and games
I had a simple plan for spring break.
Sun, sand, and a hot guy. Sex on the beach wi
th no strings attached.
A chance to get rid of this pesky virginity once and for all.
And when I met Tyler McKenna, I thought I had it made.
Until someone gets hurt
But then girls started turning up at Key West landmarks. Girls who looked like me, but with one crucial difference: They'd all been drugged and relieved of their virginity.
The virginity I still have. The virginity Ty refuses to take.
And now I've begun to wonder whether there isn't more to him than meets the eye.
Suddenly, sex on the beach doesn't sound so good anymore...
Praise for BEFORE YOU:
"The story felt fun, as Cassie enjoys the sunshine, and things develop and start to sizzle when she meets Ty. It kept me on the edge of my seat...and I was curling my toes at the romance." -Bella, from A Prairie Girl Reads
"A thrilling mystery mixed with romance and some much needed humor and wittiness, Before You is an enjoyable and gripping story." -Stella, Ex Libris
BETWEEN US
By Jen McLaughlin
I'm just a girl...
I'm a famous country star who's spent her life cultivating a good girl persona to avoid bad press, but I've reached my limit. I'm going away for spring break with my two best friends from college, and we've vowed to spend the vacation seeking out fun in the sun--along with some hot, no-strings-attached sex. The only thing I needed was the perfect guy, and then I met Austin Murphy. He might be totally wrong for me, but the tattooed bad boy is hard to resist. When I'm in his arms, everything just feels right.
And I'm just a guy...
I'm just a bartender who lives in Key West, stuck in an endless cycle of boredom. But then Mackenzie Forbes, America's Sweetheart herself, comes up to me and looks at me with those bright green eyes...and everything changes. She acts like she's just a normal girl and I'm just a normal guy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. My past isn't pretty, you know. I did what I had to do to survive, and she'd run if she learned the truth about my darkness. But with her, I'm finally realizing what it's like to be alive. To laugh, live, and be happy.