When Love Comes Around

  When Love Comes Around

  By Nikki Vale

  Copyright 2016 Nikki Vale

  Smashwords Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Connect with Nikki Vale

  Chapter One

  Megan

  Hearing my bedroom door slowly creak open, I pull my soft, orange-colored, comforter up over my head in preparation to block out the impending light.

  “Come on, Megan. Time to get up,” Gina calls out in a singsong voice.

  “No Mommy. I don’t want to go to school today,” I mumble from underneath my blanket haven. I hear her open the blinds, but it’s no use. I was prepared for this maneuver.

  “First of all, it’s Saturday,” Gina reminds me. “Second of all, if it were a weekday, you’d have to go to school because you’re the teacher. And third of all…” she whips the covers off of me, immediately gasping in shock.

  “MEGAN!” Gina screeches, covering her eyes. “YOU’RE NAKED!”

  Getting up slowly from the bed, with no shame, I reach above my head closing my eyes, stretching, and yawning. Done stretching, I slowly open my eyes to see my other best friend, Evelynn, and her brother, Trevor, standing at my bedroom door. Evelynn looks as shocked as Gina. Trevor is standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, with a devilish grin on his face.

  “Good morning,” I greet them. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’m going to get dressed now. Unless, of course, you care to join me,”

  Trevor takes a step into the room, and Evie quickly grabs him by the wrist, pulling him into the living room, of mine and Gina’s, small apartment. Gina quickly shuts the door behind them, remaining inside with me.

  “Really, Megan?” She admonishes, arms crossed over her chest, on her face a look of stern in disapproval.

  “What!? You came in here pulling the covers off of me,” I remind her, hands on my hips.

  “Have you no shame?” she quietly chastises. I toss my long red hair over my shoulder. Looking down my 5’5 frame to my perky b-cup sized breast, down to my flat stomach and ample hips, I look back up at Gina.

  “Nope, not even a little. Should I?” I challenge with an arched brow.

  “No,’ she sighs. Conceding, Gina smiles at me and says, “You’re beautiful, but can’t you, at least, pretend to be a little modest, sometimes?”

  “No,” I reply flatly. “I wouldn’t have walked out into the living room naked, had I known we had company. But you brought them to me. I can’t help it that you decided to snatch the covers from my naked body.”

  “You’re right, I’m sorry,” Gina apologizes. I smile to myself. She’s so malleable.

  “No biggie. So what’s going on, where’s the fire?” I ask, rifling through my dresser drawers, looking for some clothes to put on.

  “Trevor came in last night. He took two weeks of leave for the holidays. Remember? The idea was for the guys to use this time to get their fittings for their tuxes and figure out their game plan for the bachelor party. Us girls are supposed to check out venues, dresses, flowers and do cake tastings. Starting today,” Gina says.

  “Sounds like the guys get the easy part. Can’t I go with them?” I whine.

  “You’re the maid of honor, Megan,” Gina replies.

  “Who came up with that stupid idea?” I ask, pulling on a pair of skintight jeans, a black cowl-necked sweater and high-heeled leather boots.

  “You. As a matter of fact, you practically demanded to be the maid of honor,” Gina comments.

  “Ugh, why you gotta bring up old shit?” I roll my eyes, teasing her. “Let me just brush my teeth and hair, and I’ll be out in a second.” Gina knows I’m just messing with her. She exits the room, leaving me in peace as I walk into my master bath to finish getting ready.

  Honestly, I don’t know why I wanted to be the maid of honor. Maybe it’s the part of me that likes to feel important. I’m not in denial about who I am. I’m loud-mouthed, bold, sometimes crass, beautiful, and unapologetic about it. What I am not, is a romantic sap. So why play the part of the caring, doting, overly-involved maid of honor? Because, although I’m not a sucker for the romantic kind of love, I do have a deep love for my two best friends, Evelynn Woods, and Regina Santos. Evelynn is getting married to the man that she’s loved most of her life, and I want a front row seat.

  I wonder how Trevor feels about the wedding. Evie is his little sister and Hunter is his best friend. I suppose you couldn’t ask for a better set up than that – as long as they stay together. I’ve only met Trevor a hand full of times, but from what I’ve heard, he’s a ladies’ man. Like me, he probably doesn’t buy into all this romance and mushy gushy crap either.

  Trevor is absolutely edible. He is about 6’2 or 6’3 with milk chocolate coloring, a shade or two darker than Evie’s, with soft brown eyes and a lean muscular frame, kept in shape by the military. What he does in the military − I have no clue. I know Evie’s fiancé, Hunter, was a field medic, and now that he’s out of the Army he’s a paramedic at Memorial Hospital. But, in all, this time, no one has ever mentioned what Trevor does in the military – which makes him even more intriguing.

  I’m not sure if Evelynn would upset if I slept with her brother. Dating him is out of the question – I don’t do relationships. So far, I’ve kept my distance, out of respect for my best friend. But, if Trevor ever makes the first move…

  “For crying out loud Megan, are you ready yet?” Evie shouts from the other side of the bedroom door.

  “Yep. Let’s get this party started,” I announce, dramatically flinging the bedroom door open and sauntering out.

  Chapter Two

  Trevor

  There’s something undeniably sexy about a woman with confidence, and Megan has it in spades. But I’d already gathered that from our previous encounters. The pull of attraction to her was palpable then, but now that pull has become a force to be reckoned with.

  When Gina pulled back the covers to reveal Megan sleeping in the nude, my body reacted as any straight, hot-blooded males would. That gleam in her eye, and the self-assurance she had when she stood up and addressed us in all her naked glory, was something to behold. But for all her sexiness, Megan has an innocent look about her. It’s the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her bright green eyes that tilt at the corners, reminiscent of a Disney Princess or a mystical fairy with a penchant for mischief. Other than that − from what I saw − the rest of her alabaster skin is completely free of freckles or blemishes. She has perky breasts, small, but perfect
, with a narrow waist, flat stomach, and hips that flare out into deliciously ample hips and thick thighs.

  I’m going to have her.

  Up until today, I could dismiss Megan as one of my little sister’s best friends, never-to-be-touched. Evie will just have to forgive me − because I’m going after what I want.

  Megan Kane.

  She might not be interested in me because I have a reputation with the ladies. But I have a feeling that in Megan’s case, it wouldn’t bother her one iota. Either way, I’m not as bad as they all think I am. Sure, women love me, and I love them. But I’m nothing like Gina’s boyfriend, Brayden – sleeping with a different girl every night of the week. That is, until he met Gina and changed his womanizing ways. I’m quite the opposite, actually. I’m a big flirt – guilty as charged. But I usually have one girl I stick with for extended periods of time because I’m deployed a lot, and I like to know that someone is waiting for me when I come back. Kind of selfish of me, I know, but there it is.

  My last girlfriend, Rochelle, got lonely in my previous six-month absence to Pakistan and found someone new. It happens. Loneliness is a son of a bitch. We’re still friends. Honestly, we should have never become more than friends, but I didn’t have anyone at the time, and there’s something about having a person outside of your family that cares for you and worries about your well-being. Plus, sexy care packages are always a pick-me-up when you’re in the middle of the dessert with no alcohol and hardly any women to speak of.

  “Hello, Earth to Trev,” Evie, says snapping her fingers in front of my face.

  “Huh?”

  “Where would you like to eat?” she repeats the question.

  “Anywhere is fine, I’m not picky. Although, I wouldn’t mind one of Gina’s bacon and egg sandwiches on a jalapeno and cheddar bagel,” I reply. Gina’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. She’s such a sweet girl, and her food is out of this world. I catch the sight of Megan rolling her eyes behind Gina’s back. I smile. It’s obvious she's not facetious, that’s just her personality. Returning my gaze to Gina, I notice that the light has left her eyes.

  “Sweet Something’s by Gina is still under construction after the incident,” Gina informs me in a voice barely above a whisper. Damn, I forgot all about that. Gina has recovered in such perfect health it’s easy to forget that she was in the hospital recovering from her injuries just a few short months ago.

  “IHOP sounds good too,” I quickly suggest. “By the way, why am I the only guy here? Not that I mind being surrounded by beautiful women. But I don’t want to be surrounded by beautiful women, talking nonstop about wedding plans for two whole weeks.”

  “Don’t worry big brother. I wouldn’t do that to you. Hunter and Brayden are both working today, but Hunter will be off at 4 o’clock. Brayden has one more day at the fire station before he’s off for four days. We’ll drop you off at the men’s camp as soon as Hunter gets home,” Evie informs me. Mentally, I breathe a sigh of relief. Observing Megan’s unguarded look of pure jealousy, I’d say she’d like to defect to the ‘men’s camp’ with me. Chuckling to myself I shake my head. Megan definitely isn’t your average girl.

  Last night Granny Mabel made me a home cooked meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob like she always does when I come home to visit. But by the loud rumbling of my stomach, as we sit down in a booth at IHOP, you’d think I hadn’t eaten in a week. Megan looks up from her menu at me from across the table.

  “Somebody’s hungry,” she comments.

  “He’s a growing boy,” Evie teases, patting me on the arm from beside me.

  “He looks all man to me,” Megan mumbles, but I hear her loud and clear and give her a wink. She arches a perfectly shaped brow at me and then looks back down at her menu, ignoring me once again. This angle is giving me the perfect view of the adorable freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose.

  “Had your fill yet?” she quietly challenges, without even looking up.

  “Not even close,” I respond, grinning and lean back against the booth, crossing my arms over my chest. Gina and Evie are oblivious to the quiet exchange as they discuss what they want to order. Narrowing her eyes Megan finally looks up at me again.

  “You couldn’t handle this,” she says with a knowing gleam in her eye.

  “Bet,” I smugly reply. Her eyes widen slightly, and I see a smirk playing at the corner of her pink lips. She’s up for the challenge, and damn it, so am I. The gauntlet has been thrown, and the challenge accepted. My cock twitches in eager anticipation of the games to begin. My lust quickly cools as soon as my tunnel vision wears off and I remember that I’m sitting next to my baby sister in IHOP.

  “Are you ready to order?”

  Looking up I see our waitress, a petite brunette, with soft brown eyes and deep dimples, smiling down at me.

  “I’ll have the T-bone steak and eggs. Medium for both. Thanks.” Her eyes flit over to Evie signaling that she’s ready to jot down her order, but as Evie rattles off what she wants, the waitresses eyes keep sliding back to me, and I can’t help but give her a knowing smile, accompanied by a flirtatious wink. I watch in interest as her peaches and cream complexion turns pink with a blush. Megan grumbles something about ‘men,’ and cuts her eyes at me. Chuckling I shrug my shoulders as if to say – What? Can I help it if the women love me?

  “That’s Trevor, slaying the ladies everywhere he goes,” Evie comments, laughing as the waitress walks away. I’m not worried about Megan’s reaction to the little flirtation that took place. She’s much too confident to be intimidated by a little competition. Besides, I’ve learned that there’s nothing sexier to a woman than catching a man that other women want. The same goes for men. Who wants a woman that no other man would desire? No one.

  “Alright, ladies. I’m your willing, captive audience for the day, so what’s on the agenda?” I inquire, taking a sip of my orange juice.

  “Venues, and dresses.” Megan volunteers. Everyone looks at her in shock. “What? I am the maid of honor, aren’t I? I’ve had this stuff planned for a while.” Evie’s smile is so bright it lights up the room and Megan smiles sheepishly back at her. Groaning in despair, I interrupt their seemingly telepathic moment of girl-bonding.

  “Venues. Okay. But dresses? Are you trying to kill me? Couldn’t you have done cake tasting today? I wouldn’t mind tasting some cakes,” I complain. Gina gives me a sympathetic smile from across the table.

  “I’m making the cakes,” Gina explains. “I’m going to make a bunch of small sample cakes and bring them over to Granny Mabel’s for Christmas dinner, that way everyone can taste them.”

  “Fine. But is there any way I can skip out on the dress shopping?” I plead.

  “Not a chance,” Megan says with an evil glint in her eye. I’m not certain, but I think she might be trying to get back at me for flirting with that waitress.

  “Please, Trevor. I really would like a guy’s opinion,” Evie begs, batting her big, brown, doe-like, eyes at me. She knows I’d do anything for her. We’re all we’ve got in the way of family, besides our Granny Mabel.

  “Damn it, Evie. You’re going to owe me big time for this,” I warn her. She just smiles up at me and then leans her head on my shoulder.

  “Aw, you know you love me,” she taunts.

  Love her? Of course, I do. It’s this love that makes me afraid of ever falling in love. Knowing the depths that I’d go to make the people I love happy makes me hesitant to find that one woman that would inspire that same fierce loyalty, and not out of familial obligation, but from my own desire to please her. That’s a scary ass thought.

  Chapter Three

  Megan

  It’s hard to keep my eyes off Trevor’s tall, lean, muscular frame. I can’t help but wonder what he’d look like if he’s let his hair grow out. As it stands, he has a severely handsome face and the closely shaved head only adds to his appealing dangerous look. I’ve seen old photos where he had a head full of loose curls, g
iving him and boyishly innocent look. Either way, with his soft brown eyes, having thickly fringed lashes, and his gut-clenching smile, complimented by dimples on either side − he’s a lady killer. But I’ll be damned if he’ll be slaying this chick. It won’t be going down like that. Not at all.

  He’s used to women falling at his feet. I saw that cute little waitress fawning all over him, we all did. If Trevor thinks he can handle Megan Kane, he’s going to have to bring his A-game. Panty-melting smiles and flirtatious winks may work on less experienced women, but not me.

  “What diabolical plan are you concocting in that beautiful little head of your?” Evelynn asks accusingly. We’re bringing up the rear behind Gina and Trevor as we enter one of the best hotels in San Francisco.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply.

  “Sure you don’t. Just like you don’t know anything about Trevor’s obvious attraction to you.”

  At that, I shrug my shoulders. What am I supposed to say? I can’t help it if Trevor’s not good at masking his emotions. Although, the fact that he’s into me is obvious to everyone around us, does bring a smile to my lips. Evie puts a staying hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. I turn and face her.

  “Don’t hurt him, okay?” The quiet entreaty stuns me.

  “Why would you say that? Trevor’s a big boy. Everyone knows he’s a lady killer,” I scoff, attempting to hide the fact that her words hurt my feelings a little. How come she’s worried above Trevor and not me – like I’m some sort of she-devil with magical powers over men?

  “Trevor’s flirtatious, and he definitely loves the ladies as much as they love him. But he’s not like you Meg. Trevor believes in love…” Evie trails off, looking ahead at Trevor and Gina laughing and talking. She looks back at me and sighs. “I love him. And I love you. So just be careful, okay?”

  Not saying a word I give an almost imperceptible nod. Evie must have seen it because she gives me a small smile and pulls me in for a hug. I’m sure everything will be alright. Evie knows that I’m not looking for love, and I’m pretty sure Trevor isn’t either. So everything should work out just fine.