Defiant Heart (Starlight Cove Book 1)

THE FAINT SOUND of a ringing phone woke me, my body curled around a pillow that smelled an awful lot like Brady as if it were a raft in the middle of the ocean. I buried my face in the cotton cloud and inhaled deeply as images of last night—both times—crashed through me. My body heated all over, recalling exactly what Brady had been able to evoke in me and shuddering at the thought. After less than twenty-four hours, he already knew how to turn my brain into mush and turn my body into a live wire, so I’d hate to see what would happen if we spent any more naked playtime together.

Okay, that was a lie.

I wouldn’t hate to see it. In fact, I was damn curious. Would it only get better the more we learned, growing hotter and hotter until I burned from it, or would it fizzle out and fade away to nothing when he’d uncovered every bit of me and decided he didn’t like the raw, undiluted version of me, like every other relationship I’d ever had?

Though, truth be told, none of my other relationships had ever started like this. With a pull so deep, it felt like an actual tug under my skin. A connection so undeniable, I ached to be near him, even if just to bicker.

I reached around blindly, hoping to come in contact with a very warm, very hard body and see if he was up for round three, but ultimately came up empty. Lifting my head from the pillow, I glanced around the space I hadn’t gotten a good look at last night to find I was alone.

Sunlight streamed through the partially closed curtains, brightening Brady’s bedroom. It was clean and fairly barren—just this gigantic, ridiculously comfortable bed, a dresser, and a nightstand made of dark wood…none of which held any personal effects, though the faint scent of Brady still hung in the air. How long ago had he left, and why hadn’t he woken me up to kick me out when he’d gone?

The quiet of the space was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing from down the hall, and I realized that was what had woken me in the first place. I shoved the fluffy dark-blue duvet off myself, catapulted off the bed to the floor, and picked up Brady’s discarded T-shirt before slipping it on. I padded down the hall to the guest room and picked up my phone, wincing as I found an incoming FaceTime call from my mom. I hadn’t stopped to glance at myself in a mirror, but I probably looked like a woman who’d been fucked within an inch of her life last night. But, well, it wasn’t like she thought I was a virgin.

I smoothed my hair back and accepted the call, holding the phone out in front of me as I plopped down on the guest bed.

Before I could say a word, Mom said, “Well…” with far too much excitement, her eyes pinging all over the screen as she no doubt catalogued every hair that was out of place and whatever the state of my face was. “I’m glad to see the storm didn’t ravish you last night.”

I breathed out a laugh and rolled my eyes. “Morning, Mom.”

“Mhmm…morning, indeed.” She smirked as she propped her elbow on the table, the ever-present stack of bracelets jangling on her wrist as she rested her chin in her hand. Her eyes, the same blue-hazel as mine, stared back at me with interest. “I saw a replay of Mabel’s Live this morning and the damage the storm had already done last night, so I figured I’d give you a call. Where are you, anyway? That doesn’t look like the inside of your van.”

Well, this was going to be fun.

“It’s not. Brady came by last night in the middle of it and brought me to his place because a big old tree was blocking my path out.”

As usual, Mom totally ignored the part about me being trapped and possibly in danger and instead focused on the man. She hummed, eyes sparkling. “Brady, huh? That’s weird… I could’ve sworn that was the name of the sheriff. You know…the one who keeps arresting you.”

“Kept. He hasn’t arrested me in at least a week.”

Mom laughed outright at that. “I take it you worked out all your differences, then?”

Flashes of last night blinked through my mind—how intense it’d been. Heated and passionate and full of whatever crazy chemistry constantly zinged between us—and I had to squash down the memories, willing my cheeks not to redden. “Hardly. We’re still at each other’s throats.”

Mom grinned. “Well, that can be very fun, too. You know how much your father and I are opposites…”

“Okay, Mom, that’s enough,” I said with barely restrained laughter.

My mom was my best friend and someone who didn’t know the meaning of personal boundaries. That meant I knew far more about her sex life than I ever, ever wanted to, and she thought it was perfectly normal to ship me a “cool new vibrator” she’d heard about because “very few men actually know what they’re doing, and sometimes you just need a helping hand.” She’d raised me under the notion that sex was never a dirty word. It was just another beautiful thing in life, like dancing in the rain or swimming in the ocean, and she had no qualms slipping it casually into any and all conversations. Had no qualms grilling me about the status of my sex life, either.

Mom laughed. “I’m just saying, a little animosity never hurt anyone in the bedroom.”

“Who said anything about the bedroom?”

“Oh, my sweet girl. I know you don’t think I’m that naive. You’ve been on birth control since you were sixteen.”

I heaved out a sigh. “Let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

Mom smirked, her eyes sparkling, but she let me change the subject. “Fine. Since you’re…enjoying yourself…with the sheriff, can I assume things have smoothed out on the development front?”

The mention of it made my stomach clench with unease. The complications of trying to put a stop to something that was very obviously at odds with what Brady and his family were trying to accomplish muddied my convictions. I didn’t want to hurt them, and that was the problem. It was why I didn’t get involved with men who didn’t share my views or my passion for activism, and I certainly didn’t get involved with those on the other side of the law. It was just begging for trouble.

And yet there I was, in Brady’s home, wearing his shirt, smelling like him, and still tender from how he’d taken me last night, practically on my knees for it.

I blew out a heavy sigh. “Not even a little. A motion for discovery has been filed—Brady fast-tracked it in exchange for me staying out of their hair while a journalist sniffs around the resort—so it’s just a waiting game right now.”

“And what’s your plan when the findings come back?”

Plan? I didn’t do plans. I flew by the seat of my pants, took things as they came, so I’d figure that out when the time arrived.

“Pretty sure you know the answer to that.”

“Right, no plan. Well, your dad’s looking into it, too, after he saw that Live where you chained yourself to the tree. Good work, sweetie, but we both thought you caved awfully quick. Since when is food enough to get you to give in?”

I huffed, knowing she was right. I’d fucked up that morning by not packing my essentials, but I wasn’t one to look back in regret. Whatever happened, happened, and I moved on from it. “It wasn’t just the food. It was raining, too, so they were going to have to pack it in for the day anyway.” Then I recalled the deliciousness that was the Luna Special and sighed. “Plus, you’ve never had this omelet.”

“Hmm… Maybe I will. Your dad and I were just talking about taking a weekend trip somewhere, so why not there?”

“Sure.” I shrugged, knowing damn well my parents weren’t coming up here. My mom’s whims were wilder than mine, and she rarely, if ever, followed through on what she said she would. I’d learned that lesson at a very young age. Until I saw their car pulling up in front of me, I’d assume she was blowing smoke up my ass.

“Maybe then I could meet this mysterious sheriff. Where is he now, by the way? And, more importantly, can I assume he’s the reason for that beard burn on your neck?”

“Oh my God, Mom.” I groaned, tugging up the neckline of Brady’s shirt, as if that would do anything now.

“What? I’m just happy to know my baby has an active, fulfilling sex life. It is fulfilling, isn’t it? There’s nothing worse than a dead fish in the sack. Does he know how to, you know, get you there? If not, there’s nothing wrong with moving things along yourself. That vibrator I sent you would be perfect for that. It stimulates oral sex, and—”

“Oh Jesus,” I muttered under my breath. “Mom, please. I’m begging you. It’s too early for your brand of girl talk. Where’s Dad? At least his presence would keep you from interrogating me about my sex life.”

“You know it wouldn’t. He’d just stalk off in a huff, muttering how he didn’t want to hear it.”

“As a parent should.”

She harrumphed. “Well, you don’t have to worry about him overhearing. He’s at the office, working on an important case. And anyway, I’m not interrogating you. I just want to know where the man who very clearly ravished you is at seven thirty in the morning.”

“I don’t know, actually…” I paused, listening for clues from the rest of the house, but it was silent, the air still. Without looking around, I knew I was alone. And why my heart sank at that realization, I had no idea. It wasn’t like Brady owed me anything. After all, he’d already given me several of the most intense orgasms of my life. I wasn’t expecting breakfast in bed.

“Hmm…leaving you after…rescuing”—she said rescuing like one would say defiling—“you last night. What do we think about that?”

“It’s fine. He’s a sheriff. I’m sure he had sheriffy things to do after the storm. There was a downed power line, and the town’s probably a mess, so he’s—”

“Yes, yes, very busy, I’m sure.” She sniffed. “Well, if you’re not upset, I guess I don’t need to be either.”

“I’m not, and you don’t, I promise.”

After another few minutes in which she tried and failed to get me to detail last night’s activities and then a promise to keep her updated on both the shopping center situation and whatever was going on with Brady, we said our goodbyes. I hung up, starfishing on the bed for a second, before I dragged myself out of the room and headed to the bathroom.

I’d been in too much of a stupor last night when Brady had handcuffed us together that I hadn’t grabbed anything from my van, which meant I had my phone and the clothes on my back and that was it. After taking care of my business, I washed up and then dug through the drawers, grateful but unsurprised to find a few unopened toothbrushes inside.

After brushing my teeth, I headed into the hallway, intent on snooping. If Brady was okay leaving me in his home unattended, I had no problem nosing around. Still wearing only his T-shirt, I made my way through his house, taking my time and studying it now that it wasn’t pitch black and my thoughts weren’t consumed by horniness.

His home was as tidy as I’d expected, with thick-planked pine floors throughout, the walls painted a soft, muted gray. Upstairs held only the master bedroom and en suite bathroom—with a multi-headed shower I’d love to take for a spin—and the equally unappointed guest bedroom and bathroom.

Maybe the main floor would give me more of a glimpse into the elusive man that was Brady McKenzie. I slipped downstairs, stopping at the base of the steps to take in the main floor. The kitchen, dining room, and living room all flowed into one gigantic space, three sets of glass sliders on the far wall showcasing a view of the ocean.

To my right was the living room with an old-fashioned woodstove, plus a couch and matching oversized chair, a bookcase, and a TV. A small dining table for four separated the living area and kitchen, which was simple with white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances—all of it spotless.

I strode over to the center slider along the back wall, pressing my palms to the glass as I stared outside—I’d already left prints of both the hand and boob variety thanks to last night, so what were a couple more? “Holy shit,” I breathed.

I stood in a near replica of the stance he’d put me in the night before, but then I hadn’t been able to see anything but darkness beyond the glass. Today, though, I took in the beauty that was his backyard. A deck stretched along the entire length of the house. Steps led down to a small grassy area cut off by a winding path made of sand with a direct line straight to the ocean. His backyard looked like a freaking postcard with the sun shining and illuminating a glittering path over the water. As I stared out at it, a warm sort of peace settled over me that I’d only ever experienced from the back of my van.

What would it be like to wake up to this every day? To sit out on the porch and soak in the sun, meditating to the lullaby of the ocean?

Knowing I could get lost in that view for hours and unsure of how much alone time I had in the house, I dragged myself away and poked around, hoping for a clue into this man I knew so little about. But the whole house felt…cold. It was a beautiful piece of property, tucked away from everything, if the darkness surrounding us as we’d driven up last night was any indication, but it lacked heart. The place needed some rugs, a few paintings, and would it kill him to display some knickknacks? Hell, he didn’t even have any junk mail lying around.

The only remotely personal thing I came across was a grouping of photos clustered on his bookcase—that held, naturally, a plethora of true crime novels. There were three pictures in varying sizes. The smallest was a young Brady, with two missing front teeth, standing next to a man who had to be his father. His dad smiled at the camera, but Brady’s attention was solely on his father, staring up at him as he held a small fish.

Next to it was an image of him and his siblings—all of whom I’d met, with the exception of Levi, though he wasn’t hard to pick out since he was the only one I didn’t recognize. The picture looked to have been taken maybe ten years ago. I could make out everyone, but there was a softness to their faces they no longer carried. They stood around the sign for Starlight Cove Resort, and though they smiled, there was no denying the overwhelming sadness in each of their eyes.

The last and largest picture of the bunch showed a beautiful woman with dark-auburn hair, pale-green eyes the exact shade of Brady’s, and a smile that lifted straight off the image. She stood in front of a large sailboat, six kids all clustered around her. They ranged in age from maybe twelve—Brady—to Addison, who looked to be around three or four, sitting propped on her mom’s hip, everyone beaming at the camera.

The difference between the older pictures from when Brady was a child and the one from his adult years was staggering. Where the older ones were full of happiness and life, the more recent one felt…empty.

I had no idea what caused the shift, but that wasn’t what troubled me. Nope, it was the fact that I wanted to know in the first place. I knew better than to get in deep with someone like this—with anyone at all. And yet I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to dig deep and uncover all his secrets.