Fireworks: A Holiday Bad Boy Romance Read online

  "Is that a joke?" she laughed.

  "I guess so." I bent down and picked up my shirt before turning to Daniel. "Let's go, buddy. Time for a beer run, anyway."

  We started back toward the house as she called out to me. "Wait. Where are you going?"

  I looked back, but didn't stop walking. "To get prepared for the next boat of hot women — unless you're still here when I get back."

  "What? I'm not waiting here for you." Her anger was cute. It was nice to know in advance that she was a drama queen. From calm to raging in three point two seconds.

  "Your loss, baby-doll." I glanced down the street before tugging at Daniel's t-shirt. "Let's go, buddy."

  "What the fuck just happened?" He glanced over his shoulder and jogged across the street with me. "Were those girls really going to let you drive the boat? There's liability insurance that has to be filled out for that sort of thing. It doesn't just cover everyone.”

  I popped him in the chest and lifted my eyebrow as we stopped on the other side of the road by the rental house. "Hey, we're twenty-two. Not eighty-two. Slow your roll on being a stiff, okay?"

  "Whatever. You guys are going to learn one day that life isn't a game." He glanced back over his shoulder as indecision raged across his face. "Are we going back down there?"

  "Nope." I gripped the side of the patio railing and pulled hard, hopping over it and leaving him to walk up the stairs.

  "What? Why not?" He jogged up beside me, tugging at my arm by the front door. "The brunette was kind of cute. I wouldn't mind talking to her."

  "Talking?" I laughed and pushed the door open. "There's no talking to those kind of girls, Dan. They want a quick fix and that's it."

  "Quick fix? Sex?" He laughed sardonically as he closed the door.

  "Sex?" Clay glanced up from reading a magazine. My oldest friend was stretched across the couch, his short, stocky frame only taking up two thirds of it.

  "You need some? They're selling it on pier three twenty-two." I wagged my eyebrows and walked into the kitchen to search for something to eat. "Where's Derek? Still sleeping?"

  "No, he met that girl a few nights ago at the club in town, remember? Sarah, Sandra, Stephanie?" Clay groaned loudly before walking into the kitchen, rubbing his chest. "I'm still sore from playing ball two days ago. What the hell?"

  "We've been laying around for almost three weeks, Clay." I turned and back-handed him in the chest. He tried to get out of my reach, but I was captain of the rugby team: quick was my middle name.

  Was captain of the rugby team?

  "Fuck, dude. I told you I was hurting." He swung at me playfully.

  I moved and caught his arm, pulling hard and pressing him to the refrigerator before putting my shoulder into his back.

  "What's on the agenda today?" I reached around and poked his chest again before moving back and laughing.

  He came out of the hold swinging again. The only thing he connected with was Daniel. The poor guy had chosen the wrong time to come in the kitchen.

  "Ouch. That hurt." Daniel swung back, not capable of putting too much of a hurt on anyone. Where Clay was short and stocky, Daniel was tall and thin as a rail.

  "Hey. All my fault." I lifted my hands and smiled as they turned and started after me. I busted through the front door and was halfway across the street by the time they came out of the house. I stood on the other side of the road and laughed at the look on their faces. Joke’s on them.

  "Are you coming?" a pissy voice called from behind me.

  "Oh fuck," I mumbled and turned around as a smirk lifted my lips. "You still here, baby?"

  "You told us to wait," one of her friend's piped in.

  "Right. About that." I never got out another word. My two friends grabbed me and together wrestled me to the edge of the dock before launching me off of it.

  I hit the water laughing. Payback was hell, and I was grateful for a reason to put the hurt on them soon. I came up in time to get a glass of beer to the face.

  "I hope the alligators in this lake eat your dick off." The blonde threw the cup at me.

  I lifted my arm and diverted it as a laugh bubbled up in me. "That might be good for everyone around here. He'd be full for a week."

  "Ugh. Get us out of here, Tesa." The girl moved back as I submerged myself under the dark blue water and pushed off toward the dock. Girls were readily available and more than willing to strip for any swinging dick. I was just grateful that the offering was plentiful.

  I had only one rule: sleep with them once and never again.

  In all my years of fooling around with women, I'd never failed to hold tight to it, and as far as I was concerned, that wasn't going to change for a long time.

  I pulled myself up onto the dock and glanced over my shoulder as the blonde turned toward me and tugged her top off. Her breasts were beautiful and big enough to send a shockwave of desire through me.

  "See what you're missing?" She shrugged, causing them to bounce.

  "I'm right up there in cabin ten-A. When you're ready for the best experience you'll have this side of heaven, come find me. I don't chase women, sweetness. There's no need for it." I turned and jogged across the street, hating myself for not climbing into the boat and giving in to her. It would have been an afternoon of lust, as I have no doubt that each of her friends would have wanted a turn, too, and who was I to deny anyone?

  I walked back into the house and pulled my swim trucks off. "You fuckers. You're going down for that."

  "Oh yeah?" Clay looked up from the couch about the time I lodged my trunks at him. They smacked him in the face, and I laughed so hard I had to reach out and grab the table next to me.

  "Yeah, bitch. Where's Daniel? I need to slap him around a little." I walked down the hall as Clay chunked my suit at me.

  "Get something on. No one in here wants to see your ugly, white ass, and Daniel is shitting his guts out. He's scared of you, remember?" Clay called at me as the front door open.

  I turned back, hoping to shock Derek with my nudeness, finding him and a pretty girl, instead. He was talking about something and had his head turned around toward her, but her? She was watching me.

  Her eyes widened and she gasped as she pointed at me. "Wow."

  "Yep. Home grown." I nodded at Derek as he turned to see what was going on.

  "Brody. Shit, man." He moved in front of the girl, and I walked into the kitchen, grabbing a hand towel and a beer. I dried my hair and walked back into the living room as Derek was trying to hustle the girl out of the house.

  "You should stay. We're playing strip poker. I just suck at cards." I turned my attention back to Clay, who was chuckling.

  "You're a fucker, you know that?"

  I dropped down on the couch beside him, slapping at his feet to make room for me. I opened my beer and dropped the towel in my lap. No need to make everyone overly jealous.

  "Yeah? I kinda like me." I took a long drink of the beer and leaned back, letting out a long breath. "Most women like me, too."

  "Yeah, yeah. God's gift to women and shit. We all know." Clay nudged my arm with his foot. "You're going to find some intelligent, sexy minx one day, and you know what's going to happen?"

  I looked over at him. "We're going to fuck like rabbits?"

  "No." He sat up and chucked the magazine at me. "She's going to be everything you want in a girl, and she's going to deny your ass. Plain and simple."

  I caught the magazine and laughed deep in my chest. "Is that a joke?"

  Daniel walked in, his complexion pale. "Is what a joke?"

  "Stomach upset, buddy?" I asked before taking another sip of the beer.

  "Something like that." He dropped down in a chair close to me and shook his head. "Are you naked?"

  "Yep. You can thank your bowels for good timing." I patted Clay's shoulder. "Your buddy here got a pair of wet swim trunks to the face."

  "Oh, great. At least he got his already." Daniel pressed his hands to his face and leaned back. "We need to fi
nd you a girl to sleep with. You're too damn aggressive otherwise."

  "Sleep with? Who wants to-” I was cut off by Derek's loud, country voice as he barreled back into the house.

  "Really, Brody? Shit, man." He closed the door and walked in, stopping beside the couch nearest to me.

  "What?" I looked over at him. "Pretty girl, by the way. How much did you pay her?"

  "She said you guys slept together a few nights back, and now she was looking for a real man." He shrugged and laughed as he turned toward the kitchen.

  "Did we? I'm losing track of them." I yawned and rubbed my hand over my chest.

  "Why do you do that?" Daniel asked, his voice softer than moments before.

  "Do what?" I sat up and pulled the towel up to finish drying my hair.

  He rolled his eyes and got up, acting as if he hadn't seen my dick a million times. Shy was one thing I wasn't.

  "Treat women like objects." He disappeared into the kitchen, and I turned to Clay.

  "Do I do that?" I lifted an eyebrow, already knowing the answer and not caring a bit.

  He didn't glance up from his new magazine. "Yep, but so what? They do the same to you."

  "Yeah." I stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Yeah. They do the same to me."

  "You want them to, brother." Derek tossed a package of sausage to me. "Go get on some shorts and let’s get these things on the grill. You're the best man for the job."

  "That's because you guys burn everything." I sat the sausages down and ran my fingers through my wet, blond hair. "Do I really objectify women?"

  "Yep." All three of my friends yelled in tandem.

  "Well, I guess I should change that." I walked toward the bedroom as they all started to laugh. I joined them before yelling back behind me. "Naw, it's not my style. Fuck 'em all."

  Chapter 3

  Cora

  "Finally!" Cindy walked out onto the porch as I pulled my bag out of the back of the car. Her red hair was the color of copper, and her freckles only added to a false sense of innocence that fit her personality well.

  "Hey. You guys need a hand?" Dedra walked out beside her as she tugged her hair into a ponytail. Her mixed heritage left her skin a beautiful mocha and her hair black and silky to the touch.

  "No. We just have our bags." I lugged Emily's out first and then mine. After a quick glance around, I pulled my bag toward the quaint log cabin we'd rented and laughed as Cindy bounded down the stairs and almost knocked me off my feet with a huge hug.

  "Summer has finally started!" She moved back and turned to Emily, giving her a hug, as well. "How are you? How was the funeral?"

  "It was good." Emily tugged at her suitcase, forcing it up the stairs as she grunted and grumbled.

  "Where are the hot guys Dedra said you already found? We could use their help with these bags." I laughed and pulled mine up the stairs, as well, wondering why the hell I hadn't packed several small suitcases instead of one huge one.

  "Let me help." Dedra moved in beside me and pressed her shoulder to mine as we gave it one good heave, almost falling over backwards with our efforts.

  "Hot guys? Please. They're all too busy working on their tans to care too much about helping anyone out." Cindy opened the door and smiled. "I made cookies."

  "Why am I not surprised to hear that? You're always baking something, and yet you still look like a model." I tugged at the front of her t-shirt before walking into the house.

  The open floor plan had the living room, kitchen, and dining room all visible from the front door. The delicious scent of chocolate and sugar wrapped around me, and I breathed in deeply.

  "Hey it's hot out here. Move it on inside." Emily pushed at my bag.

  "Oh, right." I laughed and moved into the coolness of the house. "I love it. I was hoping it would look just like it did in the pictures."

  "And, it does." Cindy moved up beside me. "Plus, the lake is gorgeous. We've been lying out and boating for a couple weeks, trying to relax. I would say it's your turn to do the same, but we're bored out of our minds, so..."

  "So, we're supposed to have brought the party with us?" Emily rolled her eyes as she walked toward the back of the house. "We sharing rooms?"

  "No, Miss Good Times," I called after her. "We each have a room to ourselves. You know, in case you want to bring a boy home and give him your V-card."

  "Very funny." Emily didn't turn to face me, but the tone of her voice told me that she knew I was just teasing her. She'd slept with as many guys as I had, which wasn't many.

  "What did you get at the grocery store?" I left my bag by the front door, not at all concerned with where I would be sleeping at night. For the chance of a long summer with my friends by the lake, I'd gladly sleep in the bathtub if needed.

  "I didn't get up there. They're having a sale today for some festival in town, and I must have stopped at three little dress stands. I got a few new things. You want to see?" Cindy stopped at the opening to the kitchen as I walked in and grabbed a few warm cookies.

  "Absolutely." I groaned in delight over the cookie. "Are these from scratch?"

  "Did you really just ask her that?" Dedra moved closer and snagged the other half of the cookie from my hand. "You know you're talking to a fully degreed chef."

  I smirked. "How could I forget? I'm quite jealous."

  "Me, too." Dedra leaned against the counter and let out a long sigh. "I finally found a basketball court to play hoops at. You wanna go check it out with me later today when you get settled?"

  Though I was tired as hell, there was no way I was denying her. "Of course, though getting my ass handed to me by the captain of our basketball team does not sound like fun."

  "Was the captain." She pursed her lips and shrugged. "I don't know what I am now. It's weird not belonging anymore."

  "What? You'll always belong. That's silly." I popped the rest of my cookie in my mouth and ran my hands over her upper arms. "And besides, now it's your turn to teach young girls how to be great team players and leaders like you were, D. Like you are."

  "I guess you're right. It's just such a hard transition." She took a shaky breath. "I thought I was going to spend my life playing ball, but I guess not. Having to grow up and tuck that dream away has been the hardest thing I've ever done. Even beyond losing my dad when I was little."

  "I get that." I squeezed her shoulders one more time and picked up two cookies, giving her one. "My dreams aren't worthy of focusing on, either, at least not from my father's perspective."

  "Don't get me started on your dad." She narrowed her warm brown eyes at me.

  Cindy's voice startled me. "Okay. Check it out."

  She twirled around in place, showing off the pretty, blue summer dress that fit her thin, model-like body beautifully. She was almost completely flat-chested, and yet with all of the other great attributes she had to show off, she was nothing less than stunning.

  "Wow. I'm not standing next to you wearing that thing. Not ever." I smirked as she turned around once more.

  "I love it. I bet you could wear it, Cora. We're about the same size. Well, except for your boobs." She ran her hands over hers and let out a growl. "Damn genetics."

  "Is she complaining again about eating everything in sight and still being thin?" Emily walked into the kitchen and smirked. "Seems like such a problem to have."

  I clapped my hands. "Alright. Are we going to get groceries before we settle in? I'd rather get that out of the way."

  Dedra glanced over at Cindy. "I thought you got groceries this morning while I was cleaning the whole house."

  Cindy's cheeks turned pink, making her even prettier. "Sorry. I got dresses?"

  I laughed. "And, you have no room to talk. Cleaning doesn't including shoving shit under the beds and in the closets."

  Cindy glanced at Dedra and gasped dramatically. "You didn't!"

  "I did." Dedra shrugged before turning and darting down the hall. Cindy ran after her, the two of them laughing as her blue dress danced around her.


  "I need this." Emily picked up a cookie. "I swear I'm turning into a statue. A cold, unfeeling, solid form."

  "No. Not you." I moved in behind her and squeezed her shoulders, massaging her neck as I glanced out the large window that sat over the sink in the kitchen. "We'll change that. You just have to stop defining the tight lines around your life."

  "How do I do that?" She let out a huff and shoved the cookie in her mouth. "How do I get out of this shell—and don't you dare say something about my clothes."

  I laughed and released her. "Fine, but when you're ready to start living a little, come talk to me without borders erected all around you. No walls. No protection. Just you, and I'll help."

  "Whatever. Why are you a business major again? I still think you'd make a great counselor." She turned to face me as she licked at her fingers.

  "That is not on the approved list of career choices, Cora Beatrix Ross." I shook my finger at her like my father had done to me a million times.

  "So dumb." She turned back to the window and leaned toward it. "Look at all those half-naked people. Ugh."

  I laughed and worked my hair into a messy bun that the wind would ruin in a matter of seconds. "Come on. Call shotgun or Dedra will and you'll be pissy about it."

  "Shotgun!" Emily yelled as she walked to the hallway with her hands cupped over her mouth.

  "Really?" Dedra walked out. "You know I've been waiting to ride shotgun in that new Beamer."

  "You'll get your chance. I might even let you drive it." I picked up the keys and wagged my eyebrows at her.

  "No, you won't. Not if you're smart." Cindy grabbed a large straw hat and put it on her head. No one should be able to pull off something so gaudy, but she was doing it beautifully.

  "Don't start with me again." Dedra gave Cindy a warning look.

  "Oh, this sounds interesting." Emily opened the door and smiled. "What happened?"

  "Dedra almost wrecked the boat because of some beautiful chocolate man that was half naked lying out on his peer two days ago." Cindy shook her head and walked out on the deck.