Beaded by Midnight

This was a bad fucking idea. Any second, my best friend Trent’s little sister was going to walk through the door of the condo we’d rented for our five-day Mardi Gras trip to New Orleans. I’d kept my distance from the curvy beauty over the years, but how was I supposed to stay away when we’d be under the same roof?


My buddies and I planned this trip over a year ago. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. A fucking great idea. Sharing a vacation rental with enough room for all of us right off of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras was a no-brainer. I didn’t count on breaking up with my girlfriend and ending up the only single guy on a trip with three can’t-keep-their-hands-off-of-each-other couples.


It would have been fine with me if I’d stayed home and let the six of them go without me, but Trent’s girlfriend insisted on bringing someone along to even out the numbers. If I’d known she was going to invite Taylor, I would have made up an excuse—any excuse—to bail. Taylor James was too much of a temptation. Even though my friendship with Trent would blow up if I made a play for his sister, I wasn’t sure I could resist her.


I’d been traveling for work, so instead of flying out of Austin with the rest of them, I’d flown in from New York and was the first to arrive. The condo we rented had plenty of space. Huge kitchen, a massive living room with a giant TV, and a large balcony where we could watch everything happening on the street below. The only problem was the bedroom situation. There were only four. Three on the second floor and a smaller one on the third. That meant a room for each of the couples, with one left over between Taylor and me.


Trent would kick my ass into next year if I suggested we share. Taylor could have it. I’d already claimed the couch. But even the idea of the two of us sharing a bed got me hard. I didn’t know what it was about Taylor James, but I’d wanted her from the moment I met her. Which was a huge fucking problem, since her brother was my very best friend.


Trent was family, as close as any of the foster brothers I’d grown up with in Broken Bend, Texas. Maybe even closer. Though his baby sister had gotten under my skin—like a sliver that’s wedged so deep there’s no getting rid of it—risking my friendship with Trent wasn’t worth it. There were other women out there, plenty of fish in the sea and all that bullshit.
But none of them came close to measuring up to Taylor. And now I was going to be paired up with her for what Trent assumed was a platonic, friendly weekend of fun.


I was fucked.


A car stopped in front of the house. Trent’s voice drifted through the open window and I got up from the couch to look out on the street below. Trent held the door while his girlfriend Anna got out of the backseat of the cab. My chest tightened as I waited for my first glimpse of Taylor. I hadn’t seen her in almost three years. I’d figured out of sight, out of mind. That didn’t work. All it did was deprive me of being around her, which turned me into a dick.


The back door of the cab opened, and she stretched her leg toward the pavement. She had on a pair of tall, high-heeled boots—the kind that made me want to peel them off an inch at a time to reveal the soft skin I knew was underneath. Her hair was the color of my favorite brand of whiskey—dark brown with caramel highlights. I gripped the frame of the window, my chest literally aching at the sight of her.


She laughed at something her brother said as the driver pulled suitcases out of the trunk. Then she turned her head and glanced up. Our eyes met. Something passed between us. I’m not a man of many words, so I didn’t know what the hell to call it. Attraction? Heat? Desire? Whatever the fuck it was, it sent fire racing through my veins.


Her lips parted. My breath caught while I waited to see what she’d do next.


Then she smiled.
The full force of her beauty slammed into me like someone had literally just sucker punched me in the gut. I rubbed at the pain, trying to break it up, to shut it down, to make it disappear before they came inside. Trent would notice something was off if I couldn’t get myself under control.


I stepped back from the window and headed downstairs. Trent threw the door open before I reached it.


“Hey, Kyle.” He gestured for Anna to enter first. “How long have you been here, man?”


“Long enough to stock the fridge with beer.”


Anna wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug. “Good to see you.”


“Good to see you, too.” I went through the motions, hugging her back with one arm, offering Trent the half-handshake, half-hug thing we usually did when we hadn’t seen each other for a while.


Trent and Anna grabbed their bags and headed toward the kitchen area, their voices trailing behind them down the hall.


Taylor and I were left alone.


I tried not to stare. Tried not to be so obvious that I was drinking her in like a man who’d just crossed the Sahara and come across an oasis.

She looked gorgeous, as always. Dark green eyes peered up at me through long, thick lashes. Her hair had a natural wave and framed her heart-shaped face.

“Hey, Kyle. It’s been a long time.” She looked at me, her lips curled into a friendly smile. Her arms went up like she was going to hug me.


Fuck. I wasn’t sure I could take holding her in my arms, so I offered my hand for a handshake instead. A tiny wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows, but she didn’t miss a beat. Her hand slid against mine.


The urge to pull her close and claim those plump pink lips surged through me. I tamped down the impulse and wrapped my fingers around hers instead. Her hand felt so small in mine, so warm, so fucking perfect.


“How was your flight?” I reluctantly released my grip. Being close to her and knowing I could never have her was such a fucked up twist of pleasure and the worst kind of pain.


“Good. Trent and Anna got bumped up to first class. I guess he flew enough miles last year to qualify for upgrades.” She reached for the handle of the rolling suitcase behind her.


“Let me get that.” I brushed past her to grab her bag. The scent of something sweet with a hint of spice hit me. She smelled like a batch of Mama Mae’s cinnamon rolls that had just come out of the oven. Made me want to cradle her in my arms and run my tongue along the column of her neck to find out if she tasted as good as she smelled.


“Thanks. I hope it’s okay that I came along.” Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip.


“Yeah, it’s great you could make it.”


She put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry to hear about you and Natasha.”


“Thanks.” I wasn’t going to get into it, but Natasha and I were better off without each other. We wanted different things. She was in a hurry to tie the knot and settle down. I’d always told her that wasn’t my scene. I couldn’t imagine committing to anyone for the rest of my life.


Well, that wasn’t exactly true.
Even though there was no chance of it happening, I could see a future with Taylor.
The problem was, it would be very short-lived since her brother would strangle me with his bare hands if I even looked like I was thinking about making a move on her.


Yeah, I was fucked.