Lila
I ran from him, from my feelings … from my hometown, all because I was too afraid of how I felt. I was gone for years, trying to stay away because I thought that was the best. I was wrong. But I’m back now, and my feelings for Logan haven’t changed, haven’t dimmed.
I love him, have always loved him.
And it’s time I face reality and tell him how I felt all those years ago. It’s time I finally be truthful and hope that I don’t cross lines and ruin the most important relationship I have.
Because not having Logan in my life is not an option.
Logan
From the second I saw her, I knew she was my girl. But I was a fool and let her slip away. She was gone without a trace for years, but now she's back.
That face, the kindness in her eyes, those curves, that fire between us still raging hotter than summer in the desert. I'm surer than ever. Lila is still perfect for me.
I doubt she'll give me another chance this time around, but I don't care. I won't give her up. Not without answers. Not without a fight.
I ran from him, from my feelings … from my hometown, all because I was too afraid of how I felt. I was gone for years, trying to stay away because I thought that was the best. I was wrong. But I’m back now, and my feelings for Logan haven’t changed, haven’t dimmed.
I love him, have always loved him.
And it’s time I face reality and tell him how I felt all those years ago. It’s time I finally be truthful and hope that I don’t cross lines and ruin the most important relationship I have.
Because not having Logan in my life is not an option.
Logan
From the second I saw her, I knew she was my girl. But I was a fool and let her slip away. She was gone without a trace for years, but now she's back.
That face, the kindness in her eyes, those curves, that fire between us still raging hotter than summer in the desert. I'm surer than ever. Lila is still perfect for me.
I doubt she'll give me another chance this time around, but I don't care. I won't give her up. Not without answers. Not without a fight.
Warning: Jenika and Bella teamed up to bring you this short and filthy romance. Get your cowboy hat on, kick up your boots, and grab a cold glass of water. You’re in for one hell of a ride.
I push open the front door of the only bank in Hartford and all the air leaves my lungs. My muscles seize with one Lucchese boot planted inside and the other on the hot sidewalk. Stiffly, I step outside, set my tan Stetson on my head, and run my palms down the side of my work pants. I squint and wait for my eyes to adjust to the bright midday sun. I want to be sure I’m not mistaken. Or is my mind playing cruel tricks on me? Just yards from me, parked in a sky blue Chevy Cruze on the other side of the street, is the one person I never thought I’d see again.
Lila Clark.
It’s been years since I laid eyes on her. Five years and some months. I didn’t realize I was keeping track, but now that she’s back, I must’ve been subconsciously counting the hours since she disappeared from my life. She was gone without a trace. She left a gaping hole in my heart that nothing and no one has been able to fill. Still, seeing Lila now, it almost feels like no time has passed at all.
It has to be her. She hasn’t changed a bit. From her long, wavy chestnut hair, her stunning heart-shaped face, big brown doe eyes, to her tempting Cupid’s bow lips that I wish I’d kissed a thousand times. Those legs that go on forever, and her soft, subtle curves I’ve fantasized about claiming for myself more times than I care to admit.
But I didn’t.
There were so many chances to let her know I wanted to be more than friends, so many opportunities to make her mine. But I blew it. One of the biggest mistakes I made was thinking I had all the time in the world. I figured she’d be around. I assumed she was the one for me and that fate would take care of the rest.
Had I known that the night of the big end-of-year house party was going to be the last time I’d see her, I definitely would’ve done things differently. There wouldn’t have been alcohol in my system, for starters. I knocked back so many beers and shots that night that I lost track of how many I ingested. My head wasn’t clear. Far from it.
More of my time that night would’ve been devoted to Lila, not my football buddies. Before getting drunk I had noticed her nearby. She was hanging out by the punch bowl or chatting with other girls, making small talk, moving to the loud music when a song she liked came on. She would look my way every so often. At one point during the party, those piercing eyes of hers had met mine across the room and, like all the times before, my heart had tightened in my chest. It was as though no one was in that crowded room but the two of us. She meant so much to me and all I had to do was say something.
But I was so drunk. Too drunk to think, let alone talk. Way too drunk to walk a straight line, much less to walk up to her and take her in my arms like I’d been fixing to do. That was the reason I had stumbled up to the second floor. I just needed to close my eyes for a few minutes, an hour maybe. But that other girl with the plastic smile must’ve followed me upstairs.
Melinda Atkins. This girl had been after me all through our final year and had kept up the chase even after I told her I wasn’t interested. She had me cornered in the bedroom that night, and probably decided this was her chance to follow through on all her blatant hints, overt flirting and obvious desperation to make me her next trophy.
If I’d been sober, there would have been no way I would have let Melinda get near me. But I was so inebriated. Before I could stop her, she moved like lightning and managed to undo the zipper of my jeans and pull open a few buttons of my shirt. It was only after I gave her a firm shove to push her away from me that Melinda finally got the hint and left.
Then Lila came to me.
She saved me from myself yet again.
I don’t remember what I said to her, but whatever it was, it turned out to be all the wrong things. If I’d been more clear-headed, I’d have a clue what I said. Maybe I could’ve told her I was sorry, made peace, found out what was on her mind, did something, anything so she wouldn’t have upped and left me. Maybe then the last five years wouldn’t have been spent without her. Instead, Lila helped me leave the party, dropped me home, and I never saw her again.
Until now.
Lila Clark.
It’s been years since I laid eyes on her. Five years and some months. I didn’t realize I was keeping track, but now that she’s back, I must’ve been subconsciously counting the hours since she disappeared from my life. She was gone without a trace. She left a gaping hole in my heart that nothing and no one has been able to fill. Still, seeing Lila now, it almost feels like no time has passed at all.
It has to be her. She hasn’t changed a bit. From her long, wavy chestnut hair, her stunning heart-shaped face, big brown doe eyes, to her tempting Cupid’s bow lips that I wish I’d kissed a thousand times. Those legs that go on forever, and her soft, subtle curves I’ve fantasized about claiming for myself more times than I care to admit.
But I didn’t.
There were so many chances to let her know I wanted to be more than friends, so many opportunities to make her mine. But I blew it. One of the biggest mistakes I made was thinking I had all the time in the world. I figured she’d be around. I assumed she was the one for me and that fate would take care of the rest.
Had I known that the night of the big end-of-year house party was going to be the last time I’d see her, I definitely would’ve done things differently. There wouldn’t have been alcohol in my system, for starters. I knocked back so many beers and shots that night that I lost track of how many I ingested. My head wasn’t clear. Far from it.
More of my time that night would’ve been devoted to Lila, not my football buddies. Before getting drunk I had noticed her nearby. She was hanging out by the punch bowl or chatting with other girls, making small talk, moving to the loud music when a song she liked came on. She would look my way every so often. At one point during the party, those piercing eyes of hers had met mine across the room and, like all the times before, my heart had tightened in my chest. It was as though no one was in that crowded room but the two of us. She meant so much to me and all I had to do was say something.
But I was so drunk. Too drunk to think, let alone talk. Way too drunk to walk a straight line, much less to walk up to her and take her in my arms like I’d been fixing to do. That was the reason I had stumbled up to the second floor. I just needed to close my eyes for a few minutes, an hour maybe. But that other girl with the plastic smile must’ve followed me upstairs.
Melinda Atkins. This girl had been after me all through our final year and had kept up the chase even after I told her I wasn’t interested. She had me cornered in the bedroom that night, and probably decided this was her chance to follow through on all her blatant hints, overt flirting and obvious desperation to make me her next trophy.
If I’d been sober, there would have been no way I would have let Melinda get near me. But I was so inebriated. Before I could stop her, she moved like lightning and managed to undo the zipper of my jeans and pull open a few buttons of my shirt. It was only after I gave her a firm shove to push her away from me that Melinda finally got the hint and left.
Then Lila came to me.
She saved me from myself yet again.
I don’t remember what I said to her, but whatever it was, it turned out to be all the wrong things. If I’d been more clear-headed, I’d have a clue what I said. Maybe I could’ve told her I was sorry, made peace, found out what was on her mind, did something, anything so she wouldn’t have upped and left me. Maybe then the last five years wouldn’t have been spent without her. Instead, Lila helped me leave the party, dropped me home, and I never saw her again.
Until now.
Jenika Snow
Jenika Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author that lives in the northwest with her husband and their two daughters. Before she started writing full-time she worked as a nurse.
Bella Love-Wins
I'm a Wall Street Journal (Begging for Bad Boys, April, 2017) and USA Today (Begging for Bad Boys, Alpha for the Holidays, Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy, Shifters in the Shadows) Bestselling Author.
I love reading and writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. I love a happy ever after ending. I enjoy reading, hiking, the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas... :)
Like so many characters in my novels, I enjoy action, romance and unexpected love connections that take your breath away. For the next while, you'll find me plotting and writing about my latest stories on my Macbook.
I love reading and writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. I love a happy ever after ending. I enjoy reading, hiking, the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas... :)
Like so many characters in my novels, I enjoy action, romance and unexpected love connections that take your breath away. For the next while, you'll find me plotting and writing about my latest stories on my Macbook.
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