Stormy Love (Wet & Wild 1)

“What do you want, James?”

The words came out steadier than she had expected. In a clipped, strictly business tone she used with her most obnoxious clients. But it shouldn’t have shocked anyone. Kallie was a professional at organization. At helping people get their lives together. At taking frazzled individuals and helping them turn their lives around. She’d built a career out of it. Out of organization and building schedules and setting marks for unorganized people to reach.

Yet her wedding was crumbling around her. A chaotic mess of angry shouts, pointed fingers, and lipstick-smudged tuxedo collars.

Of course she was poised.

It was her job to be.

It still didn’t hurt yet, though. Kallie knew the numb shock wasn’t going to last. That sooner or later—and most likely sooner—the full reality of her ex-fiancé’s betrayal would hit her. Sink her. Pull her into the depths it did every bride-to-be who’d had her future ripped out from underneath her. It was like a terrible magic trick. Like a small boy ripping the tablecloth from the table and hoping all the dishes would stay put.

But the dishes didn’t stay put.

They were crashing to the ground, and Kallie was watching it happen.

However, she was going to take advantage of the time she had before it did hit her. Before she realized all the broken glass on the floor and went about cutting herself to clean it up. Because, deep down, she knew he never would. James was an entitled rich bitch who never picked up a finger unless he had to. He’d leave her to clean up the mess, deal with the catering, cancel the honeymoon.

The honeymoon.

She was really looking forward to that honeymoon.

James was looking at her with the hangdog expression he’d always used to get out of trouble, all wide brown eyes and contrition. That lower lip of his jutted out just far enough for Kallie to want to suck on it. She had fallen for it in the past. Given into it hoping and praying things would be different. Believing the best in her boyfriend. The love of her life. Her fiancé.

But not this time, she promised herself. It didn’t matter how many apologies he offered. It didn’t matter what he said he could do to fix it. It didn’t matter what excuse he gave for being balls deep in another woman thirty minutes before they were due to say their vows.

Because if there was one woman she’d caught him with, there were others she hadn’t.

And she knew that rule always rang true.

“I’m sorry,” James said.

He took a step toward her, hands outstretched. Like he was trying to play peacemaker.

It made her sick

“I really am, Kallie. It was a moment of weakness. She came onto me, and—”

“Seriously?” Kallie asked. “You think I want to hear your voice right now?”

“I’m telling you, sweetheart. She came onto me.”

“Shut. Up,” Eris said.

Kallie wasn’t sure when her best friend had joined them. Her maid of honor. The other two bridesmaids were standing behind her, arms crossed over their chests. Minus the one he fucked, of course. She was probably holed up in a bathroom somewhere fixing her lipstick. They looked as if they were two seconds away from clawing James’s eyes from his face with their manicured wedding-day nails. Kallie could feel their angry heat behind her and it fueled her strength. Her inner goddess. It helped her to rise up over the overbearing man she knew she was about to get.

The man who was going to drop the puppy dog look and try to intimidate her like one of his investors.

“Excuse me?” he asked Eris.

James was staring down Kallie’s maid of honor with narrowed eyes, a predatory look settling over his face.

What the hell was he angry about?

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Eris snapped.

“Kallie,” James said sharply.

She stared at him. Blankly. Her mind swirling with a thousand things that would never fall from the tip of her tongue. She looked up into the eyes of the man she had allowed herself to trust. Allowed herself to love. Allowed herself to enjoy. A man she had promised her world to and, in exchange, had gotten down onto one knee and promised her happiness. Children. A life without monetary worry or the stresses of everyday life. A life with butlers and maids and a chef, so she could spend her time cultivating her career or running around with children. A life spent being whisked around the world and shown all the sights while eating the most decadent foods.