Love Unbroken: Love Series, #1

By Victoria Bright

Love...it can be a beautiful dream or a disastrous nightmare. What happens to a love bond that is constantly strained by lies, betrayal, cheating, and pain? Will it eventually corrode, or will love and trust keep it together? 

Camille Anderson, a beautiful, sassy, curly-haired college student only has eyes for one man, Ahmad. She sees herself with no one else...that is until she meets Keith, her new study partner. Will she be able to fight temptation or will one small mistake cause her to lose Ahmad's trust and their relationship? 

Ahmad Dawson, a sizzling hot, athletic personal trainer is obsessed with his girlfriend Camille. Not really the marriage type of guy, he is considering changing that mentality for her. Things were going smooth until Kelly, one of his clients, began to intrude on his relationship as well as his career. Will the desire of promotion lead him to do things that he shouldn't? Or will he stay true to his woman and his values? 

The new people in Ahmad and Camille's lives are starting to create chaos and are slowly tearing them apart. After a deceptive plan is put into action, everything is turned upside down. Will this bring Ahmad and Camille closer together? Or has enough damage been done to break their bond?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Victoria Bright
• Release date: Jun 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490413556

Victoria Bright

Victoria Bright is from a small town in North Carolina and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina. You can usually find her hoarding bottles of Cool Blue Gatorade, playing The Sims when not writing, or obsessing over Camaros.

Book preview

Good morning, beautiful, Ahmad Dawson said to his waking girlfriend as he planted soft kisses on her cheeks and temples. Camille Anderson slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at him. Her eyes looked over his face, admiring his strong jaw line and his sexy goatee that framed his full lips. His light brown eyes gazed back into hers, completely filled with love and compassion.

She loved waking up to him feeling loved and wanted. It was these moments that she lived for and cherished greatly. She wondered how her life would be if she didn’t meet him two years ago.

She could remember that day as if it was yesterday. Please remind me why we’re going all the way across town to workout when there’s a gym on campus? Camille complained as she followed behind her best friend Selina to her car. Selina tossed her dark hair into a messy ponytail and rolled her eyes. Geez, Cam, it’s my birthday. Can’t we just do something spontaneous for once? she replied, adjusting her gym bag on her shoulder. Camille exhaled loudly. The only reason why she was up at the crack of dawn with Selina was because of her birthday. She stayed up almost all night studying the night before and the lack of sleep was starting to take a toll on her.

After the annoying battle with morning traffic, the women finally crossed the parking lot and entered the doors of Legendary Fitness. Camille looked around, completely unimpressed. There was nothing spectacular about the gym, which made her assume that they were there simply because Selina had her eye on someone who either worked here or worked out here. She glanced over at Selina who was checking her lip gloss in a compact mirror. I don’t even know why I agreed to this. Can we get to yoga, please? I need to get back home and get a few hours of sleep before class, Camille huffed, grabbing Selina by the arm.

Both women stopped in their tracks when they saw him. A man standing at six-foot-seven stood a few feet away from them, talking to another member of the gym. Camille stared at him in awe. Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful specimen of a man. Her stomach clenched with need when his eyes turned in their direction. Who is that? Camille whispered, completely unaware of the fact that she was tightening her grip on Selina’s arm.

Ow, you’re cutting off my circulation, Selina winced, pulling her arm from Camille’s grasp. And that’s Ahmad, the man that will soon be mine, she boasted, smoothing her hand over her hair as the man approached them.

Camille was paying no attention to what Selina said. Her eyes were drawn to his chest, which was beautifully molded in the Under Armour compression shirt that he wore, showing off all of his chiseled muscle. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he came to a stop in front of them. Good morning, ladies. Welcome to Legendary Fitness, he smiled. Camille just stared at him, quickly becoming lost in his beautiful light brown eyes.

Hi, Ahmad. This is my friend, Camille. I figured that starting my birthday with a yoga class would put me on a good path for the rest of the day, she flirted, moving a little closer to him.

Ahmad gave her a small smile. Well, happy birthday. And nice to meet you, Camille, he said, turning his gaze back to the speechless beauty that was standing in front of him.

Ahmad had seen the other woman a few times in the gym and was no more attracted to her then than he was the first few times he saw her. Her friend was a completely different story. Although she didn’t verbally speak to him, her eyes spoke everything that he needed to know. He could see that she was curious about him as well as attracted to him. Her soft brown eyes gave her an innocent, child-like look. She had gorgeous curly hair that was pulled up into a ponytail with a white ribbon. She was absolutely beautiful, and there was no way Ahmad could let her leave without either getting her number or giving her his.

Nice to meet you, too, Camille said shyly, returning a smile that made his heart flutter.

Selina loudly cleared her throat and pulled Camille away. We’d love to stay and talk, but yoga will start soon—

Here, I want to give you this, Ahmad interrupted, quickly scribbling something on his clipboard and tearing off a tiny slip of paper. Call me sometime, he winked, handing the paper to Camille before walking off to the front desk.

Camille stared at the paper in awe as Selina huffed off to the yoga studio. She smiled and quickly placed the paper in her gym bag before hurrying off to catch up with her friend. She would have to worry about her Selina’s attitude later, but right now, she was too busy basking in excitement from what she would deem the best day of her life so far.

Morning, babe, she said, kissing him gently on the lips. Ahmad pulled her close to his chest, burying his face into her soft curls. He loved everything about her. He looked forward to waking up next to her and seeing her pouty lips as she slept. She always looked angelic with tiny strands of her curly hair cascading over her face.

Oh, I got you something for our anniversary, he said, kissing her forehead. She smiled and slowly sat up.

I’m surprised you remembered. As busy as you’ve been all week, I’m sure you would forget your head if it wasn’t attached, she teased. Ahmad smiled and walked over to her closet.

Hey, don’t talk junk to me or else I’ll take it back to the store, he joked. Camille stuck her tongue out at him and watched him curiously as he felt around the top shelf. She felt her eyes widen when he retrieved a black velvet box and returned to the bed.

Happy anniversary, baby, he smiled, placing the box in her hands.

Camille kissed him gently and caressed his face. Happy anniversary, babe. You definitely didn’t have to get me anything. Being with you is a gift in itself, she said.

Ahmad playfully rolled his eyes and smirked at her. Girl, just open it. It took me almost two weeks to find this. I’m sure if I didn’t get a gift for you, I’d probably be single right now or put on ‘punishment’. I just hope that you like it, he said, his eyes shining with excitement.

Camille smirked at him as she opened the box, immediately becoming overwhelmed with emotion. Babe…this is… wow, she stuttered, pulling out a 14-carat white gold diamond necklace. She could feel tears burning her eyes as he put it on for her. It’s so beautiful, she gushed, hugging him tightly.

Not as beautiful as you, he murmured softly, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Camille sighed and slowly pulled herself away.

Your present will have to wait until tonight, she hinted, wiggling her eyebrows.

Ahmad pretended to pout. Why can’t I have it now?

If I give it to you now, we’ll never leave my bedroom, she said seductively, biting his bottom lip. He chuckled and quickly glanced at the clock. It was a little after eight in the morning, and with his full schedule, he needed to get an early start.

I have to get ready for work. My schedule is completely booked today, he said, quickly kissing her forehead as he got out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. Camille sighed before lying back on her pillows. He was always so busy with his personal training career, which she was proud of, but it took away a lot of quality time from them being together since she was a student at the University of Miami. Between their schedules, they didn’t have as much time as they would like together, which sometimes put a strain on their relationship. However, they somehow were making things work and they both were happy for now.

Once she heard the shower running, she reluctantly got out of bed and padded down the hallway to the kitchen to find something quick for breakfast. Knowing that Ahmad was pushed for time, she quickly blended a protein shake of kale, strawberries, bananas, and kiwi for him before making herself bacon, eggs, and toast. As she consumed her breakfast, her mind wandered to the activities she planned later for their anniversary night. Because he had to work, they couldn’t go out of town, so she planned to do something small at her apartment.

Ahmad came rushing out of the bedroom with his gym bag on his shoulder. Thanks for the smoothie, babe. I’ll see you tonight, he said, grabbing his blender bottle and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

See you tonight, she mumbled to the door that he was already gone out of.

He inhaled deeply as he stepped into the gym where he worked. Everything was the same as usual; there was the usual smell of equipment, sweat, and faint scents of body wash from the members coming out of the showers. He set his gym bag down in the staff locker room and sat on the bench to look through his schedule for the day. His phone buzzed in his pocket, indicating that he had a text message. He absently took the phone from his pocket and quickly glanced at it to see that it was a message from Camille. The thought of his woman always made his heart skip a beat or two. He opened the message with a grin spreading across his face.

Lunch today? I have a long study session this morning and would love to eat with you on your break. I love you, Cam.

He quickly responded and headed out into the lobby to start his day. At least he had something to look forward to because he knew today was going to be an extremely long day.

Camille sat alone in the back of the library going over her Probability and Statistics notes. She was waiting on her friends who made plans with her earlier to study, but as late as it was becoming, she figured they may have had something else come up. She could feel a headache coming on as her stress started to build up. She absently pulled one of her spiral curls and watched it spring back a few times before trying to focus on the lecture notes in front of her. It was hard to concentrate on math when her mind was constantly fantasizing about later activities that she would be engaging in with her boyfriend.

Only a sophomore, she was ready to be done with school. It wouldn’t be too bad if she’d been studying what she truly wanted to study. She didn’t want to be a computer programmer; she wanted to go to culinary school, become a chef, and travel the world. Unfortunately, her parents made her agree that they would pay her way through college and handle her bills if she pursued a degree that they saw fit for her. Her mother was obsessed with her getting a good job in a male dominant field, so here she was, stuck with Computer Science.

She exhaled loudly and rearranged her notes for the tenth time and tried to focus. I was tempted to leave after looking for you for about ten minutes, Selina whispered, taking a seat from her across the table. Camille sighed in relief. It was nice to finally see a familiar face.

Where’s everyone else? Camille asked, looking around to see if she saw any signs of Porsha and Deena. Selina shrugged as she pulled out her study material.

I’m not sure. I haven’t seen them all day. It may just be us today, she stated.

Camille felt a slight tinge of disappointment. Since she began dating Ahmad, things were increasingly weirder between her and Selina. Although the two women were currently best friends, they didn’t start off that way when they first met in high school.

Back then, Camille was a very shy, quiet girl, but her beauty seemed to get her a lot of attention and popularity, especially with the guys. Selina became jealous once her crush showed interest in Camille, causing her to corner Camille in the locker room during gym class where they had a big fight. Once they were forced to do community service together during their suspension, they eventually learned more about each other and figured out that they had much more in common than they thought. After they resolved that incident, they’ve been best friends since.

Selina casually pulled out a package of gummy bears and loudly crinkled the package as she tried to open it. A passing librarian gave her a warning glance to stop the noise, making Camille giggle. Camille couldn’t remember a time when Selina didn’t have some kind of food stashed away. It seemed like she always carried a snack with her that would magically appear any time she was hungry. Camille grabbed the candy and took a handful after popping the bag open with ease.

What happened to being on a diet? If I remember correctly, gummy bears aren’t healthy, Camille joked.

Selina pouted. If that’s your slick way of trying to call me fat, then fuck you. Maybe I’ll get your sexy ass boyfriend to whip me into shape, and I mean literally whip me into shape, Selina gushed, fanning herself.

Camille rolled her eyes. She hated when Selina made sexual jokes about Ahmad. Yes, it was his job to get people in shape, but Selina always took it too far. Camille knew from experience what kind of shape Ahmad could get someone in inside and outside of the gym, especially in bed. She shook the naughty images from her head and tossed the gummy bears back to her friend with a grin.

Now Lina, you know I would never call you fat. As for the ‘fuck you’ comment, no thank you. My man does that very well, so I don’t need it from anyone else. Oh, look at what he got me for our anniversary today, she whispered excitedly, bringing Selina’s attention to the diamond pendant that she was wearing.

Selina gave it a quick, uninterested glance and turned back to her notes. Don’t brag. If I hadn’t dragged your ass to his gym for that yoga class, you wouldn’t have a man to do that ‘very well’ or buy you nice anniversary gifts, she muttered bitterly.

Seriously, Selina? It’s been two years already, so please get over yourself. It wasn’t my idea to go to that gym, remember? You’re the one who stalked his ass and didn’t make a move. All I did was show up with an attitude, Camille reminded her, turning back to her own notes.

The ladies studied in silence for a little while, each lost in their own thoughts. This was the reason she didn’t like being alone with Selina. Every time they were together, Ahmad would somehow be brought up into the conversation and things would become awkward. Why couldn’t Selina just accept the fact that they were together and be happy for them? She honestly felt like a man was putting a gap between her friendship for no reason. Selina really needed to get a grip on herself.

Camille glanced at her phone and saw that it was a quarter to one in the afternoon. She was meeting Ahmad for lunch soon, so it was time to end her study session. I have to go. Ahmad and I are having lunch together during his break, Camille stated, packing up her things.

Whatever, Selina mumbled, never taking her eyes away from her notes. Camille rolled her eyes and quickly gathered the rest of her things, feeling herself becoming more and more annoyed the longer she was around Selina.

Maybe you won’t be that much of a bitter bitch the next time I see you, Camille spat, storming out of the library.

Push it…harder than that, Ahmad instructed as he watched his client Kelly finish up her last set of leg presses. She gave him a seductive smirk and extended her lean legs on the machine.

I’m sure I could push a little harder if someone like you spotted me, she purred. Ahmad turned his attention back to his clipboard and pretended to be engrossed with the information he was writing down. Dealing with Kelly during her private personal training sessions was starting to become awkward. Her sexual advances weren’t helping the situation, nor were his needs and imagination. Every time he trained her, he made it his business to hurry up and get it over with. Kelly was nothing but a ticking time bomb of trouble.

Kelly apparently couldn’t get it through her hair extensions to her brain that he was happily taken. The simple thought of Camille slowly caused a smile to creep across his lips. There was nothing that he looked forward to more than going home to his woman for a nightcap after having to combat a woman who literally spent her whole training session trying to attack him with her vagina.

Thinking about me? Kelly asked, breaking into his thoughts. He frowned at the sight in front of him. Kelly was bent over, stretching her quads and calves with her back to him. He cursed himself for allowing her to see him in his moment. She would take something as simple as a smile and turn it into something sexual. He looked at his watch and was relieved to see that his time with her was up.

That wraps up our session for the day. You can go into the cardio room and choose a machine of your choice as a cool down. I’ll see you again on our scheduled time on Thursday, he stated in a professional tone. Kelly slowly stood up from the yoga mat she was sitting on and walked toward him.

The sight of her workout gear sticking to her body from sweat caused a lump to form in his throat. Her purple and black sports bra looked as if it wanted to slowly rip down the middle and release the contents that it was responsible for holding. Her black yoga pants created the perfect mold to show off her perfectly toned legs and backside. It was hard not to stare at a woman with a body that Kelly possessed. She had the body of both a porn star and a fitness model.

She walked up to Ahmad’s six-foot-seven athletic frame and gave his bicep a nice squeeze. Thanks for the session. Maybe we can hang out sometime outside of the gym for a drink or two, she suggested seductively.

His conscience rolled its eyes. Sorry, I’m a little busy. I’d have to check with my girl’s schedule and maybe we can all go out. I’m sure you’d love her just as much as I do, he stated dryly, turning his attention back to his clipboard.

Kelly let out a strained laugh. You can’t go anywhere without your little girlfriend? I thought you were a big boy?

Are you questioning my manhood? he asked, starting to get irritated.

Kelly shrugged. I mean you act like you can’t hang out with a friend without your girlfriend tagging along.

Well that would be different if this ‘friend’ wasn’t trying to come between me and my girl. Stop the innocent shit, he said, heading toward the door to exit the studio.

Kelly gasped dramatically. Is that how you speak to all of your clients? I pay you good money to train me and I expect to get a good session…if you know what I mean, she winked as she grabbed the waistband of his shorts.

Ahmad glared down at her. Attending to anyone’s pleasure isn’t in my contract. I’m a personal trainer, not a fucking escort, he growled.

Shelly, the gym manager, came to a stop as she saw the scene that was unfolding between the two as she was passing. Ahmad gave her a pleading look to help him and she immediately rushed in to his rescue.

Ahmad, your next client is here. I don’t know what’s going on here, but it looks inappropriate, Ms. Lawson. I’d hate to have to revoke your membership, Shelly said sternly. Kelly looked up at Ahmad with lust in her eyes as she released him.

See you on Thursday, she purred to Ahmad and left the studio. He rubbed his forehead and sat on the bench.

Shelly, I don’t know how much longer I can train her. I know her family brings a lot of business and money to the gym, but I can’t deal with this every time I work with her, he muttered through his fingers as he buried his face into his hands. Shelly sighed.

I know it’s tough, Ahmad. We can always assign her another trainer, but she specifically asks for you. In this business, money is money. Sometimes you just have to deal with the bullshit to get to the good shit, she explained. She was right. Ahmad dreamed of opening his own gym one day, so he needed all the extra money he could get. If this was what he needed to do until he made