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  Unexpected Reality

  Kaylee Ryan

  Unexpected Reality

  Copyright © 2016 Kaylee Ryan

  All Rights Reserved.

  This book may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Kaylee Ryan, except for the use of brief quotations in articles and or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, locations, businesses and plot are products of the author’s imagination and meant to be used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events throughout the story are purely coincidental. The author acknowledges trademark owners and trademarked status of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, sponsored or associated by or with the trademark owners.

  The following story contains sexual situations and strong language. It is intended for adult readers.

  Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Cover Photography: Marc-André Riopel & Josée Houle

  Cover Model: David Juteau Marineau

  Editing: Hot Tree Editing

  Proofreading: Masque of the Red Pen

  Formatting: Integrity Formatting

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Epilogue

  Thank you

  More from Kaylee

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Melissa

  This bar looks as good a place as any to take a break. I’ve been driving for hours with no destination. I have nowhere to go, nowhere to be, and no one who will be looking for me. That is my reality.

  I’ve always tried hard to be positive with the life I’ve been given. I always had three hot meals and a safe place to lay my head at night. I’m one of the lucky ones who landed within the system that didn’t have to sleep with one eye open. Jeff and Maggie were great foster parents and even better adoptive parents. They made sure I had everything I needed, and in turn, I did what was expected of me. I did my chores, my homework, and never broke the rules.

  Rebel, I know.

  My chest literally aches at the thought of Jeff and Maggie. Did I tell them thank you enough, show them how grateful I was for bringing me into their home? My eyes start to burn with tears.

  I’ve lost the only family I’ve ever known.

  I was blissfully happy, one week from graduating college, moving back home to help Jeff and Maggie at their law firm. I chose paralegal because of them. I wanted to be involved in the family business.

  It’s been a month since I got the phone call. Thirty days since my world came crashing down.

  “Home invasion.”

  “Two fatalities.”

  “You need to come home.”

  Those are the details of the call that I remember. The night I lost the family that chose me. Jeff and Maggie’s family were not as open to me as they were. They felt it was silly that they were able to conceive their own children, but decided to adopt me instead. I was the only one. They said they didn’t want to have to share their love. Needless to say, now that they’re gone, it’s just me. I’m alone in the world once again, no family and no close friends. I have acquaintances, but I spent all my free time in the library. I didn’t go to parties or football games. I studied. I wanted to do it for them to show them how much I appreciated all they had given me. Everything I’ve ever done in my life has been for them.

  Now they’re gone.

  Where do I go from here?

  The neon sign up ahead flashes in the window advertising different kinds of beer. I don’t care what kind it is; I just need something to help take the pain away. Across the street is a motel. Good. I plan to drink until I forget.

  Quickly, I cross the street and reserve a room. It’s actually perfect that I won’t have to drive. I pull out my debit card and pass it to the young receptionist. I have money, lots of it. Jeff and Maggie left me everything, just something else to add to the list that their families didn’t approve of. I was about to give it back, tell them they could shove it. That money won’t bring back the only parents I’ve ever known. It won’t bring back my family. It wasn’t until the attorney handed me a letter from them, my parents,’ that I changed my mind. The letter said that I brought joy to their lives, that I was their greatest accomplishment. I have that letter memorized.

  “Take it, Melissa. We want to know that you will always be taken care of. Live your life and follow your dreams. Live for you, sweet girl. No one else.”

  They were always telling me that. “Pick a career you love, Melissa. Not for us but for you.”

  I lived for them, and because of them, my life wasn’t the hell that it could have been. How do I learn to live without them? Learn to live for me?

  “Sign here.” The receptionist hands me a pen.

  I scrawl my name on the receipt, take my key, and head back outside. I don’t want to feel this pain anymore. I just want this ache in my chest to go away. The flashing neon sign calls to me. Maybe I can drink it away.

  Opening the door, the smell of smoke and alcohol invade my senses. The place—Danny’s, as according to the sign, is packed for a Thursday night. I make my way to the bar and spot an empty stool at the end. Perfect, it’s just me. I’m good with being tucked away, as long as the bartender keeps the drinks coming.

  My ass hasn’t even hit the chair before a woman in her late fifties or so is asking for my order. I’m not much of a drinker, but Maggie used to drink cranberry and vodka, so I go with that.

  “Coming right up.” She smiles causing the laugh lines around her eyes to be more prominent. “Here you go, sweetie. You want to start a tab?” she asks, wiping down the bar.

  “Yeah, keep them coming.” I tilt back the glass she just set in front of me and drain it.

  She studies me. “You driving?”

  “No. I have a room across the street.”

  She nods, accepting my answer, and then gets to work making me another drink.

  I take my time with this one. I’ve got nowhere to be.

  I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been sitting here, lost in thought, waiting for the alcohol to dull the pain. I don’t know how many drinks I’ve had, having lost count of that too, but my mind is finally starting to turn off.

  “Can I get another round for our table,” a deep voice says beside me.

  Glancing over, I take him in. Tall, dark hair, tattoos. Not someone a good girl should be attracted to, but I am. He’s wearing a tight shirt that shows off his ribbed abs. Holy hell, he’s sexy. Turning
back to my drink, I try to shake off the thought.

  When he reaches back for his wallet, his elbow bumps mine. “Nothing like rubbing elbows with a beautiful woman.” He winks.

  I smile shyly. “Lucky me,” I say, facing forward and going back to my drink. I can’t believe this guy is actually flirting with me. I’m sure he’s just being friendly. I’m just as surprised that I gave it right back to him. That’s not something I’ve ever done.

  “What’s a pretty little thing like you doing here all alone?” he questions.

  “Just passing through,” I reply. Again, I face forward. I’m afraid if I don’t I’ll start drooling over this guy. I’m out of my element here.

  “I thought so. I would have remembered you.” He winks again. “We’ve been here a lot the last couple of months.”

  “You think so?” Holy shit. I fight the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans.

  “Definitely.” He takes his time running those chocolate brown eyes over my body. “Listen, why don’t you join my friends and me? No sense in drinking alone.”

  Sober Melissa would decline such an offer. Buzzed Melissa doesn’t want to be alone. This guy seems interested; what harm can come from sitting with them? It will serve as another distraction, help me forget. “Sure.” I grab my drink and my purse, sliding off the stool. I stumble and the sexy stranger catches me. “Thank you . . .” I don’t even know this guy’s name.

  “Ridge.” He grips my arms to steady me. “You okay . . . ?”

  “Melissa.” I pull away from him. “I’ve just been sitting there for a while, sorry,” I flush with embarrassment. I’m not that drunk, so it has to be him; he has me off-kilter. I don’t know that I’ve ever talked to anyone who looks like him before. In college, I kept to myself and the guys didn’t even bother. Why go after the one you have to work for when the others are willing to give themselves away for free?

  I’ve been with two guys. The first was a means to an end. A ‘get it over with’ kind of deal. Guy number two was a friend of my roommate. It was the first and only time I’ve ever been sloppy drunk. I don’t even remember it, really. Pathetic, I know, but that’s my life. The irony is not lost on me that tonight, I want to be that drunk again, if not more so. I want to forget the pain, the loss, the feeling of being alone. Lucky for me, my new friend Ridge seems like he’s willing to help me out.

  “Guys, this is Melissa. I found her drinking alone, so I asked her to join us,” he says once we reach the table.

  Four guys, all of equal hotness as my new friend Ridge, appraise me. I feel my face heat under their gaze. Attention is not something I’m used to. They all offer me some sort of greeting, and I stupidly wave at them in return.

  “You can sit by me,” Ridge says next to my ear.

  The warmth of his breath against my skin sends shivers down my spine. Awkwardly, I take the seat he pulls out for me, clasping my hands together on the table.

  “All right, so we’ve got Seth, Tyler, Mark, and Kent.” Ridge points to each guy as he says their name.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I say politely, barely glancing at each of them, still embarrassed by their attention.

  “So, Missy, you live around here?” the one on my right asks—Kent . . . I think.

  “No, I’m just passing through. How about the five of you? Locals?” I take a sip of the fresh drink that was just set on the table in front of me.

  “No,” Ridge says, throwing his arm over the back of my chair. “We’re in town for a job.”

  I take note of the Beckett Construction T-shirts they all seem to be wearing. “Construction,” I say like an idiot. These men are sexy and intimidating.

  “Yep.” Ridge tips his beer back, and I get lost watching his throat as he swallows. Like I said, he’s sexy.

  “We grew up together,” one of the guys says.

  I can’t remember what Ridge said his name was. Mark, maybe?

  “So, just living it up after a long work week?” I wonder what it would be like to have friendships you formed in elementary school. I feel a pang of envy and sadness in my chest so I tip my glass and drain it, wanting to forget.

  The five of them chuckle. “Something like that,” the one with longer hair replies.

  And that’s how this night goes. The guys are funny, charming, and flirting. A few other women join us, but Ridge continues to stay close to me, ordering me drinks. I even buy a round or two, and relax into his touches. Simple ones like rubbing my shoulder, his hand on my arm and of course, whispering in my ear. I quit trying to hide the shiver it causes in me about three drinks ago.

  I’m attracted to him, and he knows it.

  One by one, the guys pair up, leaving just Ridge and me. “Where are you staying tonight?” His hand rests on my thigh.

  “I . . . I, uh, got a room across the street.”

  “Hmmm, that’s where we’ve been staying too.” Leaning in close, his breath mingles with mine as the bartender announces last call. “I’ll walk you home.”

  Ridge stands and offers me his hand, and I take it without hesitation. There’s something in his eyes, the way he’s been by my side all night. I trust him. I don’t know how to initiate it, but I want him with me, in my room, tonight. I’m not ready to let go of the way he makes me feel.

  Ridge keeps his arm around my waist as we head to the bar. I pay my tab, after much protest from him.

  The cool night air feels good against my heated skin. He pulls me into his chest and again, I go willingly.

  “Which room is yours?” he asks.

  “119,” I say, so softly I’m surprised he heard me. His touch has my body craving him. We reach my door and I slip the key from my back pocket. “Would you like to come in?” I’m looking at my feet, my back turned to him. I grip the door handle, bracing myself for his rejection.

  Stepping closer, he aligns his body with mine. One hand rests on my hip while the other moves my hair to one shoulder. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” He kisses my neck.

  “Oh,” I say, dejected.

  “I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself,” he continues, pressing his erection into my ass.

  Oh, my. Excitement rushes through me. I’m doing this. I passed my comfort level hours ago, and it’s scary, but my gut tells me that Ridge is a good guy. That, for a one-night stand, I couldn’t have picked anyone better. Well, except maybe for his four friends. They all seem like great guys.

  “What if . . . What if I don’t want you to?”

  His lips trace my neck. “Open the door, Melissa.”

  Fumbling with the key, I do as he says. Suddenly, the buzz of the alcohol is gone and in its place is pure lust. I want this. I want one night with him. One night to feel wanted by this Adonis of a man.

  Once in the room, Ridge rips off his shirt and throws it in the chair. I take him in—his firm, ridged abs, the tattoos I want to trace with my tongue.

  “You keep looking at me like that and this is going to be over before it starts,” he warns me.

  I shift my gaze to the ground, embarrassed to have been caught ogling him.

  “Hey.” He steps close, lifting my chin with his index finger to face him. “You didn’t do anything wrong; I just meant that the look you were giving me alone has me ready to lose my mind.” He studies my expression once his words sink in. “Have you done this before, Melissa?”

  Shit. Not exactly one-night stand conversation. “Twice,” I blurt out.

  Ridge closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “You want this?”

  “More than I could ever explain.”

  His hands land on my waist and pull me close. “I’ll take care of you.” His lips softly cover mine.

  And then he does. He shows me passion like I’ve never known. He soon has my body singing his praises, and I loudly call out his name.

  Afterward, he doesn’t leave like I expect him to. Instead, he curls up beside me and drifts off to sleep. I lie there for hours until the reality of what I’ve
just done hits me. I had a one-night stand with no regrets. I wanted it. I wanted him. However, I don’t relish doing the walk of shame. The awkward morning after I’ve read about so many times. I don’t want that. I don’t want to give him the chance to ruin this high I’m on. I won’t give him the chance to reject me.

  Quietly, I slide out of bed, gather my things, and slip quietly out the door. I didn’t even bring in clothes, just rented the room and went straight to the bar.

  Ridge gave me a night to remember, and a night to forget. I will forever be grateful to him.

  Chapter 1

  Ridge

  “Another round?” the waitress asks.

  “Keep them coming, sweetheart.” Kent winks.

  I watch as her face flushes red, and she saunters away. The guys and I are having a much-needed drink after the long workweek. We’ve been coming to Bottom’s Up for a few years now. It’s a small little place, with a jukebox full of classic tunes. The atmosphere is laid-back and the waitresses are always a nice distraction. Not that I’ve taken advantage of that; I’ve been going through a small dry spell the past several months.

  My eyes are glued to the makeshift dance floor when Seth speaks up. “You picking out your after-party?” He smirks at me.

  “Haven’t decided yet. You?”