Mine (Alpha Novellas #1) Read online

  Mine

  Alpha Novella #1

  Paige Edmond

  Copyright © 2020 Paige Edmond

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Editing by Personal Touch Editing

  Cover Model: Michael Scanlon

  Photographer: Eric McKinney 6:12 Photography

  Visit my website Paige Edmond at:

  https://authorpaigeedmond.wixsite.com/paigeedmond

  For those who need a moment in their busy lives to read.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Visit Paige Edmond online

  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

  Books In This Series

  Thank You

  Acknowledgement

  About The Author

  Visit Paige Edmond online

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  Paige Edmond

  Chapter 1

  Skylar

  I hated everything about him. Especially the way he made me feel every damn time he walked into a room with her. He did it on purpose, with the excuse she wanted to get to know me better, but it was all just a sick game with him.

  Everyone thinks they’re in love, but I know the truth.

  His blue eyes scanned the room, then locked with my brown eyes. He knew that made her angry.

  Like I said, he was a sick bastard.

  I would have to watch his Barbie drape herself over him.

  Not tonight.

  I stood, and before I could take a step, a strong hand wrapped around my arm.

  “Where are you going?” his deep voice hissed.

  “Hi, Skylar,” Barbie added.

  The niceties never worked on me.

  I yanked my arm away and turned back around, signaling the bartender for another drink.

  “Don’t be angry,” he whispered.

  Chills ran up my spine, even though the warmth of his breath was warming other parts of my body.

  I nodded thanks to the bartender, then slammed the dark liquid down.

  “Skylar!” Courtney chimed in my other ear.

  My jaw relaxed as I looked at my dear friend.

  She smiled brightly before looking at Austin. The resemblance was uncanny. Her eyes were wider, and so was her face, yet her white smile, rosy lips, and stunning features were parallel.

  “I thought you were sick?” she asked him.

  “I am.”

  “Then why is Summer hanging all over you? Is this new treatment, over-exposed skank therapy?”

  He said nothing, and we both knew Summer wouldn’t.

  Austin was family, and he would always pick family. Summer was eager to join our little family, and she had staying power. This was the longest he’d been with someone other than Natalie. Natalie was the one who got away, they all thought. Hell, everyone was planning for their wedding, even their agents. Another Hollywood power couple in the making—until she found him in my bed.

  That was the longest we held out.

  “Guys, come over here, a table opened up,” Todd bellowed out through the crowd.

  I slid off the barstool and felt Austin’s hand at the small of my back. I leaned forward, rushing to the table to sit away from him. I didn’t trust myself, and I sure as hell didn’t trust him.

  We sat across from each other, and I was happy it wasn’t directly across. Summer sat on his lap, and a vein in my neck contracted.

  “Pints for all.” Todd slammed his glass down as the server hurried away.

  He was a big guy, our lumberjack, and could look intimidating if it wasn’t for the baby face and dimples.

  The pub was festively decorated, with more locals than tourists at the neighborhood bar in Chelsea. The place continued to fill up as people escaped the rain.

  My friends and I gathered every year—same place, same time—to celebrate the Christmas season. It was a time to catch up and made the holidays less depressing.

  ◆◆◆

  I looked over at Austin, who eagerly animated his story to the gang. Summer held on to him tightly as his legs bounced with excitement while rehashing the tale about the fan who chased him for two blocks. His chiseled jaw relaxed when he smiled, and his pupils expanded with each expression. His face was always busy, but his beauty never faltered...unlike his brown mess of sex hair.

  “I can’t believe you ran like a girl, man.” Our friend Eric laughed.

  “Laugh all you want, but the girl was strong. When she wouldn’t let go of my hair, I freaked. I could feel strands being pulled from my scalp.”

  “Oh, no, baby.”

  “It was something.” He laughed, kissing Summer on the lips.

  She ran her hands through his long brown strands, and before I could look away, his eyes flicked to mine with a gleam.

  Games.

  He played them well.

  Our circle of friends was used to us, and I stopped explaining years ago why we couldn’t be together. They all accepted it—except Austin.

  Summer turned his head toward her, so they could make out. My stomach flipped, knowing public displays of affection weren’t his thing. Austin made it a point to keep his relationships private. Even the last one was a guessing game for the public and a paparazzi dream if they landed a picture. Austin would kill if anyone had a picture of the two of us together, yet he allowed Summer to do whatever she wanted.

  I took that moment to excuse myself for some needed fresh air. Stepping into the cold air, there was instant relief from the annoyance clouding my judgment.

  Tonight, we were celebrating. Even though they had all kept it from me, it had been a while, and my feelings had settled.

  Austin missed a day of shooting a month ago, unusual for someone who never missed anything. His sister didn’t know he was sick, and my anxiety was hard to control, which was his excuse for not telling me. But to find out on TV wasn’t the right way. He was hospitalized for exhaustion, yet I thought the worst.

  “I blame you.”

  I closed my eyes, tired of the same argument.

  Austin stood behind me, his warmth searing my back. He wouldn’t dare touch me—not here, not now.

  “You know why, and I’m tired of repeating myself.”

  “You weren’t tired when you screamed my name last night.”

  The discomfort was still felt.

  “It was a mistake—”

  He laughed.

  We both did.

  He pressed against me. “I will give up my career.”

  “I will hate you more.”

  “You drive me insane, woman.”

  I faced him, grabbing his lapels as I closed his jacket tighter.

  “We can’t have you sick, now can we?”

  His eyes narrowed, and it was a look that got me in trouble—a lot.

  “I will meet you at two,” he said.

  Shaking my head, I stepped away.

  He reached out for my arm and paused midair, stopping me. I
t didn’t take a touch with us. No touching was allowed.

  “If you crawl into my bed tonight, Austin, you’ll be disappointed to see it’s empty.”

  That was a lie.

  I opened the door and went to join our friends.

  ◆◆◆

  The bed dipped, and his hand slowly caressed my ankle before gliding up my leg. I lay still, controlling each breath in anticipation. This was the only place he could touch me—in our bed.

  Wet kisses followed, inching upward. I scolded myself for the lack of willpower as my legs opened, inviting him in.

  His fingers slid through my wetness, and my back arched. The warmth of his breath against my upper thigh ignited an inferno.

  “If that mouth gets any closer...”

  I felt Austin’s chuckle where I needed him most.

  “Don’t you dare,” I hissed.

  The vibration of his laughter rippled to my core. He pulled my panties to the side as he slid his tongue through my folds.

  Flicking at my clit with a tease, he hummed in pleasure, then devoured me.

  Austin lay comfortably between my legs, feasting on my pleasure.

  No level of control could stop the orgasm from erupting. I grabbed hold of his silk strands as I rode each wave of internal bliss. Warm kisses were felt on each ripple as he crawled up my body.

  “You are evil,” I breathed.

  His head darted up, and there was no need to see his expression—that look of pure sin, the one I could never say no to.

  I tried.

  Sex with Austin added more complications to an already fucked up friendship. Sex solidified our bond.

  Solid muscle, he rarely placed his full weight on top of me. I arched my back to get him to ease up and was able to turn to my side.

  “Go home, Austin.”

  He slid off me, kissed the back of my neck, and brought my naked flesh to his naked body, making sure he pressed himself between my cheeks for added discomfort.

  He never played fair.

  Austin’s hold softened, and I thought he was almost asleep, but his hand moved down my torso, and I realized he needed something else. Fingers sliding back and forth as he cuddled behind me; his head buried in my neck as he gradually built up my pleasure.

  Mmms and ahhs fell from my mouth while his breath saturated my skin. Our movements were in-sync, and I spread my legs farther when he pushed two fingers inside me. The slow rhythmic movement of his fingers as he penetrated deeper, stretching me open, caused a level of pleasure only he could provide.

  When I came down from my second orgasm, ready to give the same pleasure to Austin, he fell back and went to sleep. I rested my head on his chest and followed him into dreamland until morning, when I found him gone.

  Chapter 2

  Skylar

  I used to love the holidays before my mother passed away on Christmas Day. Ironically, Christmas was her favorite holiday. When she grew worse, I would decorate her hospital room. Even at the funeral home, they left the Christmas decorations up.

  I missed her.

  Although I tried to enjoy it for her, this time of year was the hardest.

  Austin understood this, but he was a selfish bastard. Because he grew up with nothing, the holidays meant something different for him. Austin went overboard with his gift giving and overcompensated for his and his sister’s crappy childhood.

  A son of a whore, who was gifted pity presents from the Johns as they left his mom’s trailer, he would say. One year, he received a toy train from a subway conductor. The guy felt bad for Austin and grabbed one of his kids’ gifts from under his tree. He said his wife wouldn’t know it was gone.

  That was the best present Austin received as a child. When he was a teenager, the bottle of Jack Daniels from one of his mom’s regulars became a favorite. He had broken up a fight between his mom and the John, who bribed him with liquor not to call the cops.

  It got worse from there. When they decided to take Courtney from the home, Austin had to emancipate himself in order to keep her. Taking care of her was tough. I knew it too well since I was her babysitter. He wasn’t proud he had to make a living from petty thefts to afford her. It was a good thing he didn’t end up in jail before she turned eighteen. It surprisingly helped him be discovered when his cellmate was a junky agent.

  That was the start of his career and the beginning of the end for us.

  ◆◆◆

  “I love this time of year,” Courtney cooed over the holiday window displays. She looked like a walking mannequin display, which was fitting. Her clothes always made a statement, and her natural beauty was perfect. However, Courtney loved glam, and she was glammed-up in all red.

  The red mink brought out the red undertones in her bobbed dark hair, and her big gold hoop earrings complemented her oval face and doe eyes. She was a walking high-end window, with her gigantic handbag and crazy high stilettos to heighten her short little legs. She completed her look with the thick dark frames she had to wear.

  We strolled along Broadway, heading to lunch, her arms threaded through mine as we walked the busy sidewalk.

  New York was always busy, no matter the time of day. I loved the city, but it wasn’t always good to me. Struggling to pay the rent and wondering where my next meal came from was a rite of passage. I came to the city to find myself, and twelve years later, I was still searching.

  They say things change when you cross over to thirty, but I’d inched closer with no change in sight.

  ◆◆◆

  We pushed through the revolving door of the crowded restaurant and waited for our table. Courtney made reservations, and when the hostess showed us to the table, a few growls were heard from the tourists standing by the hostess stand.

  “Make a freakin’ reservation and stop complaining,” I sneered back at them.

  They looked shocked and turned away.

  Welcome to New York.

  The hostess showed us to a table by the window, and Courtney smiled kindly as she handed us the menus.

  “I see you’re in a cheery mood,” she said as her eyes perused the menu.

  “I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  She looked up. “I wonder why,” she said with a smirk and raised a brow.

  The server returned.

  “Can we have a bottle of the Jamus Cabernet and a tomato mozzarella salad to start?”

  “Excellent selection, ma’am.” The waiter smiled at Courtney before rushing off.

  “I need to work after this meeting.”

  “Stop.” She waved her hand. “It’s the holidays. Everyone is day drinking.” She giggled.

  ◆◆◆

  Courtney was an anomaly. If her past dictated her future, she could have been shooting up at a crack house, but she took her sour lemons and made the sweetest lemonade people couldn’t drink. She was a walking candy shop of sweetness.

  She had a heart of gold and a husband who showered her with diamonds and jewels. Between her brother and James, she never wanted for anything. Both men in her life wanted to erase her adolescent years, but Courtney wasn’t having it.

  She volunteered at shelters and fostered children when they could. She always chose the ones about to timeout of foster care—the hard-hit ones who survived the system and were about to be thrown out. She would take their garbage bags of clothes and replace them with a career, financial understanding, and life training. She’d set them up in one of the many apartment complexes they owned to give the kids a step up in life.

  ◆◆◆

  We ordered, and Courtney huffed over my choice of a burger. I wasn’t in the mood for anything complex. When I mentioned the burger did come with truffle aioli, wild mushrooms, and fennel, she rolled her eyes.

  She took a long sip of wine before she asked, “Are you coming over for dinner? Before you say no, Austin already RSVP’d for you.”

  I lifted my glass, and she poured generously.

  “Austin does not control my calendar.”

  S
he laughed, then said, “Dinner’s at three.”

  I threw back the wine as Courtney watched, shaking her head.

  “So, Summer?”

  I finished the wine and poured another glass.

  “What about her? Is she treating you right?” I asked.

  Courtney was sweet, but when it came to family, she could be a bear. Especially when she didn’t care for the person. She had no problem stating to your face what she didn’t like, but she couldn’t get as good as she gave. She was sensitive when it came to a lot of areas.

  Her lips pinched together. “Like Austin would allow her not to.” Her expressions were similar to her brother’s. You knew what was coming before it came out.

  “I’m concerned about Austin.”

  However, that wasn’t what I expected.

  “He can take care of himself.”

  “Um, no, he can’t. His behavior is changing.”

  “He is fine, Courtney. I would tell you if he wasn’t.”

  “I’m concerned about you, too.”

  I finished another glass while she watched.

  “No need to worry. Work’s been keeping me busy, and Austin’s schedule fills in the gaps.”

  She rested her hand on top of mine, which I hated, and she smirked, knowing it did.

  “Stay with me for the holidays. I don’t want you to be alone.”

  We went through this every year.

  “I’ll be fine, Courtney.”

  The waiter placed our meals down, and Courtney paused until he left. We were always discrete. We kept each other’s secrets, and nothing was told outside of our tight circle of friends.

  “Is he sleeping?” she asked.

  “He slept last night. We both did, but I don’t...”

  She put her fork down. “What is it?”

  “I can’t be his...crutch anymore.”

  Courtney leaned back and stared at me. She’d heard this many times before, but recognized I was at a different place in my life. I needed a healthy relationship.