I could love him, I know. I think I already do. But I can never have him. He’ll only break my heart.
A sob rises in my chest, and now the wretched pain is too much to bear. Tears sting the back of my throat, and I quickly hurry, stumbling out of the door and across the cold, wet sand as the grief and loss takes over. I bend double, shaking, trying my hardest not to make a sound.
It’s over.
My night with him. My one, glorious, perfect night is done. The sun is rising, the bay is soft with rosy morning light, and everything I had—everything we shared—is gone.
I wish it could be different. God, I wish it with every fiber of my soul. But he’s Hunter Covington, the boy with everything and I’m Brittany Ray: the daughter of a junkie and a disappointment. He’s leaving Beachwood, and I’m stuck right here. Even if he wanted to, even if we tried, it would never work. I’ve seen what happens with men, over and over again. He would only let me down, the way people always do. And this—last night—would be tarnished forever, chipped away with every disappointed phone call and half-hearted visit, until the memory was tainted with resentment and regret.
I couldn’t bear it. I don’t ever want to regret him.
I don’t ever want to see him let me down.
I pull myself upright, gasping a lungful of the crisp, early-morning air. The lighthouse stands, silent, betraying not a hint of our secret night.
I allow myself one last look, one aching thought of his face, his beautiful eyes, and then I walk away.
I’m sure I’ll never see him again.
I’m wrong.
Brit and Hunter’s story continues in UNAFRAID, out now! Read on for the first chapter…
Fall in love with Beachwood Bay in the latest sexy, heartfelt romance from USA Today bestseller Melody Grace.
“The first time I saw her, I knew this girl was wilder than any stallion I’d ever trained. She was headstrong, wounded, passionate and free. And I had to have her...”
Brittany Ray doesn’t care about her bad reputation. Growing up in a sleepy beach town with a junkie mom and a runaway dad, Brit’s learned the hard way that the people you love will only let you down. It’s no use hoping for love or happiness. Some dreams aren’t meant for girls like her.
Hunter Covington is one of those dreams.
Gorgeous, charming Hunter is damn near perfect--and it’s killing him. Son of Charleston royalty, he’s been trapped in a gilded cage since the day he was born. Now he’s breaking free. He’s quit law school to restore his grandpa’s old horse ranch, trying to soothe the demons in his soul. But Beachwood Bay is full of old ghosts, like the mysterious girl who spent an unforgettable night with him--and then slipped away before dawn. Brit.
Everything about her screams danger, but Hunter doesn’t care: he’s never felt a connection so deep. And try as she may, Brit can’t resist the desire consuming her --or the safety she finds in Hunter’s arms.
A reckless passion. An undeniable bond. Scarred by their pasts, Brit and Hunter fight to heal old wounds. But will dark secrets tear apart their new beginning? And when love is the biggest risk of all, can they find the courage to face the future unafraid?
Unafraid is part of the bestselling Beachwood Bay series, and can be read as a stand-alone novel.
*Recommended for 17+ Contains adult themes and explicit content*
***
Three years later…
My grandpa trained horses his whole life. He had a gift; people say he was the best they’d ever seen.
We used to visit his ranch out in Beachwood Bay every summer. I’d watch in awe as the horses would be led in to that old dirt paddock, their eyes wild, nostrils flaring. They fought the lead, shied away from every touch, damn near killed a couple of ranch hands trying to get away. But Grandpa never quit. It would take him all summer long, working his magic, pacing slowly in that ring, learning what it was that made the horses tick, until by the end of it, even the craziest ones were eating peppermints from the palm of his hand.
The first time I laid eyes on Brittany Ray, I knew this girl was wilder than any stallion I’d ever seen. She was headstrong, wounded, passionate, and free. And I had to have her.
“Some horses will never be tamed,” Grandpa used to tell me. “The only way you get through is to earn their respect. You’ve got to learn what they’re so scared about, because the wildest ones… Well, those are the ones that are the most scared of all.”
I didn’t listen to him, not at first. I was eighteen, I thought I had the world all figured out, and hell, I was so desperate for her, I took any chance I could get. One night together, one brief taste of her beauty. But when morning came, she was gone.