Return to Me: Part 1

By A.M. Church

Return to Me – Part 1 is the first of two books in the series from A.M. Church.

Kyle Brooks was working hard towards her college diploma. There was no time for a social life, not to mention a boyfriend. She was happy and life was uncomplicated until classmate Craig Anderson started pursuing her at the same time Jared Smithson shielded her from a workplace collision. Craig was smart and loyal with his all-American good looks. Jared was devastatingly handsome and dangerous, making him nearly impossible to resist.
Initially, she only wanted their friendship but over time her feelings for each man began to develop. Craig was perfect boyfriend material. Jared’s intensity should have kept her her away, but his sensuality only drew her closer to him.
When her separate worlds collided, she was forced to choose between them. How could she decide? She didn’t know, but she would lose them both if she couldn’t make a decision.

Excerpts:
Jared:
“I don’t even know your name.” She felt lightheaded, as he continued to walk straight towards her. She attempted to calm herself by breathing slower.

“It’s Jared, Jared Smithson,” he replied while his eyes lingered at her chest, her nametag prominently displayed. Looking up to make eye contact again, he continued, “And your name is Kyle. Now we know each other’s names.”

Craig:
Without asking permission he cupped her face and crushed his mouth into hers. It was the perfect combination of romantic and demanding. He had never kissed her like that before.

“There. I’ve been waiting to do that.” He opened her car door for her and waved good bye. He turned back and noticed her car window was open. “Kyle, I’m a new man on a mission so don’t be surprised if you see a whole new side of me.”

Kyle:
She laid there thinking about the attributes of both men. Clearly, Craig had the characteristics she most admired. He was the complete package. He made her feel safe and cared for. Exactly her type she thought, until she met Jared. Craig was the obvious choice, no contest, but then there was Jared and the very thought of not seeing him again, seemed unimaginable.

Note: This book ends in a cliff hanger. Part two will be released in early 2017.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.M. Church
• Release date: Dec 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9780995282308

A.M. Church

AM Church lives in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia with her husband. When she isn’t writing novels, she works as a Training and Procedures Specialist, another passion of hers. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as travelling. She loves to travel to Temecula and Palm Springs, California often.

Book preview

Return to Me – Part 1

By A.M. Church

Copyright © 2016 by A.M. Church

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters have been created by the author. Any resemblance to actual persons, living and dead is strictly coincidental.

Cover Design by Vila Design

Cover Image by coka/Shutterstock.com

Formatting by Goodlife Guide

This book is dedicated to:

My mom, Dodie

Acknowledgements

This book was a labour of love. I owe any success to my family, team, friends and of course, you the readers.

My husband. Thank you for supporting me through the daunting task of writing and self-publishing my first novel. I appreciate you taking care of everything while I squirreled myself away finishing the book.

My mom. The first person I told about this book. Thank you for pushing me to complete the book, no matter what.

The rest of my family. Thank you for supporting and teasing me about writing a book with naughty bits in it.

The team. Christine Causton, Keleigh A. and Liz Reading. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to be my beta readers and editors. Your edits, suggestions and advice was what this story needed. You’ve all contributed to this book in immeasurable ways and I can’t thank you enough. I hope to continue to grow as a writer with your continued support. Keleigh - thank you for constantly pushing Jared to be a better version of himself. I know you secretly like him even though he drives you crazy. Christine - thank you for being the first person I introduced Kyle, Craig and Jared to. Your first text, after cracking open the book, is a highlight I won’t ever forget. Liz, thank you for your input and for emotionally investing in a new genre Your late-night text, after reading Chapter 14, was priceless.

My friends. Thank you for supporting me on this crazy journey and always asking ‘when’s it going to be done?’ or more importantly, ‘when’s the book launch party?’

To my new readers. Thanks for reading my first novel. I am humbled that you have chosen my book. I promise to grow as a writer and hope to bring you more authentic and flawed characters in traditional and not so traditional love stories.

Finally, to Kyle, Craig and Jared. Once Part 2 is released our time together will come to an end. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives for three years as I wrote your story.

Sincerely,

A M Church

Thank you for downloading this eBook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to leave a review and encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer.

Thank you for your support.

Contents

Prologue

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

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

About the Author

Prologue

Present day - Old Town, San Diego…

She was naked and exhausted, her body still ached from the sleepless night. The evidence of sex still permeated the room. She smiled as she looked towards Craig, watching him while he slept soundly. They had made love for the first time tonight, a pivotal point in any new relationship. He had been tender, selfless as he took his time exploring every inch of her. Pushing her body to new limits, he took her several times throughout the course of the night. She wasn’t inexperienced by any means, but this time had felt different, more intimate.

She watched his chest rise and fall in a rhythmic pattern, while he slept. His sandy brown hair, tousled with that ‘just had sex look’, covered his handsome face. Tangled amongst the rumpled sheets, his athletic build was partially exposed. He had a lean torso, strong legs and defined lateral muscles. Besides his classic good looks, Craig was a gentle, caring man and it was evident that he was prematurely falling in love with her. It was too soon, but she hoped one day that she would reciprocate his feelings.

She would have never predicted that, tonight, she would share a bed with Craig after all that had transpired. She smiled moving closer to him, feeling the warmth radiating from his body. Still asleep, he sub-consciously reached for her bringing her against his chiseled, hard edges. He was an amazing man and she was grateful that he had waited for her until she was ready to be with him.

How did she get here, she thought? Six weeks ago, she had been faced with a difficult decision. After an awkward confrontation with Craig and the other man she had been seeing casually, they had demanded she choose between them. She had been in no hurry to take either friendship to the next level as she hadn’t wanted a full-time relationship while attending college. However, on that fateful night, she would lose them both if she wasn’t able to decide. A decision, she would later come to realize, she would never get to make.

Chapter 1

6 weeks earlier

Kyle Brooks had met Craig Anderson in her Business Administration class at San Marcos University in the Inland Empire of Temecula, California. He was difficult to miss, even though she wasn’t looking. He was classically good looking with his all American good looks. They were often grouped together during study sessions. She quietly observed him, discovering his natural leadership qualities with intelligence and an even temperament. He continued to impress her with his display of old world charm, holding the door for her and her friends. A rare gesture amongst her male classmates.

She felt the immediate connection with him. He possessed all the attributes she would be looking for in a potential boyfriend. The issue was, she had no plans of pursuing any relationship. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t fall into the usual trappings of college life. Kyle had accepted her destiny for the next four years, of working hard with little, or no, time for social activities including dating.

Kyle was no stranger to sacrifices, learning earlier than most children that life could be fragile and unfair. Both her parents were killed in a car accident when she was only 10 years of age. At a time when she should have been chauffeured back and forth from dance recitals to soccer practices, she was being moved across country to live with her grandparents. Although her grandparents attempted to fill a monumental void caused by the accident, she had been forever changed. As she prepared for college in her senior year of high school, she found herself suddenly alone when her grandmother passed away suddenly, followed by her heartbroken grandfather three months later.

Her grandparents’ deaths had been yet another devastating loss for Kyle. They had however, prepared for such eventualities by leaving a small trust fund from her parents, along with a smaller savings account. Both, combined with a scholarship, lessened the financial burden of her first year of college. The rest of her incidental expenses were covered off by her shifts at the pub.

Due to the significant losses in Kyle’s life, she was not easily accepting of new people. She kept her inner circle small, which consisted of a few acquaintances and her closest friend Macy. They met on the street the day she moved in with her grandparents, and had been the best of friends, ever since. Now in college together, Kyle was content to keep that circle tight.

Craig made his first attempt to ask her out as her study group left the library.

He asked her to hang back with him as he packed up his books. The group left them behind as they slowly walked towards the pub. As they started towards the pub, she sensed an awkwardness between them.

Kyle, do you have a boyfriend?

She braced herself as she had sensed the question was coming by his behavior. No, I don’t really have time for a relationship, she replied while avoiding eye contact.

Of course, makes sense. All the guys in our class have been dying to know if you had a boyfriend so I thought I’d ask, he said with the intention of ending the conversation.

She was relieved to see the door of the pub in the distance, representing an end to the difficult conversation. He opened the door for her and they snaked their way through the pub to find their friends. They sat in the last two available seats which, thankfully were across from one another. For the rest of the evening, she enjoyed the conversation about the class, project and all their professors. She sipped her Margarita as it had been a long week and her Saturday shift at the rival pub didn’t start until tomorrow afternoon.

At the end of the night the gang dispersed in separate directions. Kyle began to leave and found Craig packing up at the same time. She took care of her bill and grabbed her coat. Before she was able to put it on, Craig appeared behind her and insisted on helping.

Let me walk you to your car, he said.

Although she did not want to continue their earlier conversation, she accepted his offer to walk with her. When they arrived at her older Honda Accord, he asked for her keys and unlocked the door.

Your chariot, my lady, he said handing her back the keys.

Craig, you’re the perfect gentleman, she said smiling at him.

If I’m so perfect, go out with me. He sounded self-assured but not arrogant.

Craig, I told you. I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I have too much going on. Fearing she might have hurt his feelings she felt the need to further explain herself. I’m probably an idiot for saying no, but I don’t want this year to get complicated. If I was looking for a boyfriend I would have approached you the first week of school. I noticed you right away. She smiled and hoped this would soften the blow.

Craig’s mouth turned up in a smile. He knew he had at least made some progress. I’m not asking you to marry me, just dinner. You do eat dinner, don’t you?

She pondered his request for a just a moment. The thought of spending time getting to know him appealed to her, providing he understood there would be nothing else offered, other than a friendship. Yes, of course I eat dinner but if I agree to this you need to understand it’s just a meal between two friends.

It’s settled and don’t worry my expectations are low, just a boring dinner between two classmates. Craig said as he winked at her.

Kyle smacked him in the arm as they both stood there laughing. Craig turned serious again as he began to speak, I just want to have dinner with you, okay?

She smiled and got into her car. Without saying a word, she backed out of the parking stall. Driving away, she lowered the window and yelled, I haven’t agreed to anything, yet.

Before exiting the parking lot, she pulled a U-turn and drove back towards him. As she neared him, a wide grin started to appear on his face.

Alright, I’ll have dinner with you. She smiled, rolled up her window and drove away.

***

As she woke up Saturday morning, she felt well rested. She had been scheduled on the afternoon shift giving her time to catch up on her sleep and extra time for studying before arriving for her shift. Kyle was extremely diligent in scheduling every task in her life which mainly consisted of class, study and work. No time for engaging in such frivolous things as dating and boyfriends. She made some coffee and checked her phone. She hadn’t noticed the incoming text from Craig. She was eager to read it.

C: Morning, hope you slept well. I’m busy planning our boring dinner. Are you free this Sunday night?

She laughed when she read his text. She poured her coffee while she contemplated her response. She sat back down on the couch and typed the message.

K: Morning, sorry I’m so boring. Don’t feel obligated to follow through on your pity invitation but yes, I’m free tomorrow night.

It took only a second to receive his reply.

C: Perfect, can’t wait. I’ll pick you up at 7pm if you give me your address.

She texted him back with all the details and put her phone away. It was already after 10 and she needed to read a few chapters before heading off to the pub.

Chapter 2

It was apparent to Kyle as she arrived at the pub, that this was not the typical Saturday afternoon crowd. She recognized a few of her regular customers but the pub had a different energy, crowded with large tables of sport fans. What’s going on, she yelled trying to catch the attention of one of her co-workers.

Big football game today, you can see we’re smoking busy, a waiter yelled rushing past her with platters of nachos.

Her shift passed quickly as the crowd continued to grow. The customers were in good spirits while their team was winning. The men flirted harmlessly with her and left overly generous tips.

Walking carefully towards the kitchen with a tray of empty glasses, she passed by a table full of rowdy men. At the exact same moment, as she passed by, one of the customers jumped up to celebrate his team’s touchdown. As if it was happening in slow motion, Kyle could see the potential collision right in front of her yet she had no way to avoid it. The customer’s back was about to hit the tray sending Kyle and her glasses in opposite directions.

As she braced for the impact, a strong, well defined arm appeared out of nowhere, attempting to shield her from the collision. The stranger placed his arm as a barrier between Kyle’s tray and the customer’s back. When the customer hit the strong appendage, he bounced off of it and sailed back into the crowd, and away from Kyle and her glasses. The customer, very inebriated, was oblivious to it all.

Kyle fully aware of the entire incident, looked up to see who the arm belonged to, while at the same time, the stranger turned towards her. Her eyes travelled up his arm until she reached his face. Unprepared for the image in front of her, their eyes locked. She wondered how she hadn’t noticed him earlier. Her knees buckled as she continued to stare at him. She hadn’t realized it but she had been leaning against him, for fear of collapsing. She steadied herself, her pulse quickened