Fate (Book 1 in Dirty South Series)

By TL Anthony

An excerpt:
As he handed her the bottle of beer Conner asked “So why are they throwing the beads up? It is usually the other way around.”
“I don’t know. I was just standing there watching the crowd and that group of guys started yelling up here. When I stepped closer to the banister they just started throwing beads at me. Some of these are really pretty!”
“So what color are your panties? If I had to guess, I would say white.”
“Oh god!” Piper said and blushed such a deep crimson that it made Connor’s d*ck twitch. “No. they are plum.” Stepping away from the banister.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I am sure it will give them something to think about when they are in the shower.” Connor said. She blushed even more and all he wanted to do was pin her to the wall and kiss her until she was breathless. Run his hand up her thigh, under her dress to find out if they were bikinis or a thong.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TL Anthony
• Release date: Dec 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370201969

TL Anthony

I am just a Southern girl with an active imagination and a keyboard. I like my coffee hot and my beer cold! No, seriously. I self published my first book two years ago and would love nothing more than to write full time because I enjoy it so much.

Book preview

OH MY GOD! Can you believe that she just did that?

For beads at that! She has to be drunk already.

Yeah, but they are kind of awesome beads.

Seriously you two? It is Bourbon Street! The question really is, why are we not drunk yet?

Ok. Ok. Let’s take the bride to be over there and get her a lap dance or three. Rikki said with a smirk.

Now that is what I am talking about! Charlie needs some drinks in her now, then maybe we can get her to flash the girls to get us some of those beads! Looks like it could be currency around here. Piper said.

You two are not going to get me to flash my boobs for beads! What is wrong with you? Brad would not think that is a good idea. He was already unhappy with the fact that you ladies brought me to New Orleans for a bachelorette party instead of doing something at home.

Well Brad needs to remove the stick out of his ass for a change. Maybe if he would loosen up a bit we wouldn’t have had to all but kidnap you! Look Charlie, you know that we love you and we want you to be happy. Can’t we just have a good time and enjoy this without having to worry about him? Piper asked.

Yeah Charlie. Brad didn’t need to be such a dipshit about us taking you out for this. It pisses me off that he is acting like his buddies aren’t going to take him out for a bachelor party and I can guarantee you that crew will not be as tame as us. Theirs will actually be at a strip club, what has gotten into him lately anyway? Rikki asked.

Standing in front a store that was lined with an array of colorful feather boas gently swaying in the spring breeze, the two looked at Charlie expectedly. A smile slowly began to spread across Charlie’s face and she says Alright. Let’s have some fun Bitches!!

Rikki is bouncing with excitement. She and Piper had done their research for the best places to have a small bachelorette party and decided that Bourbon Street in New Orleans trumped Las Vegas in both price and fun factor. It was tough getting a room so they were lucky that Rikki’s uncle offered his place not far away.

As they weaved through the crowd and stopped for ‘hand grenade’s’. A specialty drink that is served in a long neon green plastic cup in the shape of a grenade with an even longer straw. Charlie began to loosen up. Stopped worrying about wedding plans. Stopped thinking about work and Brad.

Charlie! Come over here and get on this pole. I want to take a picture of you under the Bourbon Street sign! You can add it to your wedding album. Piper said. Get in there too Rikki.

Piper whips out her cell phone to take a few photos when she hears a deep voice behind her that sent a shiver down her spine. Smooth and sexy with a hint of an accent that she could only imagine was local. I can take that picture for you so that you can get in there too.

Slowly she turns around to see the most beautiful pair of eyes that she had ever seen staring back at her. Light brown and the color of honey attached to a beautiful face that made her pause. Dark brown hair, cut in a military style closeness, angular jaw and full lips that were smiling back at her. In that moment, she didn’t hear the music pouring out of the bar that they stood in front of. She didn’t see a crowded street and she certainly did not remember that her best friends since their freshman year in college where standing behind her. Nope! All she could see was him.

He touched her arm which pulled her out of her fog. Piper’s senses returned in a rush of music and awareness that caused her to blush. Would you like me to take that picture?

Yes. Yes. If you don’t mind. Piper struggled to get the words out.

No problem. He says and then reaches out for the phone. My name is Conner.

When Piper handed him the phone and their fingers touched, she felt a zing go through her entire body. The kind that you get when you shock yourself. Quick and intense. Turning to her friends, she realized that she had just ogled this stranger and blushed again. She went over to her friends feeling a bit embarrassed that she had let a stranger get to her like that. Rikki and Charlie were looking at her with a shit eating grin on their faces.

Posing like they were swinging around the lamp post style street sign, arranging hair and clothes, giggling like school girls. They decided that they were prepared to take the picture and gave Conner a nod. Once in position Conner said Ready? One. Two. Bourbon! Nice. Here you go. Conner says as he hands the phone back to Piper. You ladies from around here?

God. His voice is making my thighs quiver!

No. Just in for the bachelorette party. I am Rikki, this one here with the veil is Charlie and this little lovely is Piper.

Conner’s eyes went back to Piper in a way that made her skin heat. When he licked those full lips she almost climbed this mountain of a man. Nice to meet you ladies. He said, never taking his eyes off of her. He took a long look down her petite five foot two frame and asked Is there anything else that I can do for you?

Oh yeah! I can think of quite a few things that you can do for me!

Shaking that thought out of her head she asked Are you from here Conner?

I am. Born and raised.

Rikki chimes in with Well maybe you could give us some pointers on where to take this one. We tried to get her to flash those people up there on the balcony for the beads that he is holding but she refused. I swear! You can take the girl out of the country……

Conner laughed and something about the sound of it made Piper tremble with excitement. It was such a happy sound that most men don’t achieve. His smile made him more handsome if that was even possible. Those honey colored eyes glistening with mischief and something else that Piper was unsure of.

Well, it looks like you have quite a few options. How long are you ladies here for? His eyes taking in Piper’s long golden hair. Because if you are interested, you can join our group up on the balcony. That way, you can get a better view and maybe get someone to flash you instead. Conner said pointing up to the same balcony that the girls had indicated earlier.

With wide eyes Rikki asks Is that your group? Of course we would like to join you! Do you think that the others up there would mind?

They had better not. It is my house. Conner said with a smile.

It was Charlie who spoke up and said let’s go that took Rikki and Piper by surprise. Rikki started to question Charlie but with the eagerness in her face they knew that there would be no stopping Charlie now that she had decided to let loose and have fun.

As the four of them walked across the street, Piper took in the details of the structure. She loved the Chicago style red brick on the building’s façade with the white intricate wood moldings around the windows and the black wrought iron banisters on the upper level that bubbled out on the lower portion. The decorative metal columns that rose up from the street and the grand wooden shutters for the windows on the second floor. What she didn’t expect was to walk through an iron gate with a keypad to stave off foot traffic into one of the most beautiful courtyards that she has seen. In the far corner sat a fountain, three tiers high with a pineapple finial on top. The large pool that the fountain sat in faded into the surroundings with all of the fern and willowy grasses around it. There is a plush outdoor seating group as well as what looked to be a gas fire pit with blue fire rock. It was stunning. As they moved through the courtyard toward the house she saw bougainvillea trees in purples and whites that made everything have a tropical feel.

When Conner opened the door to the house you could hear the music thumping. Not in an overbearing way that most people turn their music up to, but in a way that lets you enjoy conversation around you without yelling into someone’s ear. The foyer opened into a state of the art kitchen that blew my mind with all of its Sub Zero appliances. Built in refrigerator and wine cooler, six burner range with commercial hood, all stainless steel. It is a chef’s dream! When we ascend the stairs which opened to a great room, I had no words. Twelve foot ceilings with ornate multi-level crown molding along the ceiling painted in the crispest bright white I have seen against rich brown walls. All of the furniture was deep brown leather, one might think that it would be dark but that was not the case.

There were four doors that opened up to the balcony and the view from there made Rikki squeal with excitement. As we approached the balcony, it felt like we had exited a cocoon. We could once again see Bourbon Street and the view was so much different from above. The music and crowd from below was loud with an energy that I have only ever seen here.

Conner, thank you for this. Charlie said.

Chapter Two

Conner

I would like you ladies to meet my friends Dax and Spencer. Guys - this is Charlie, Rikki and Piper, here to celebrate Charlie’s upcoming nuptials.

Dude we didn’t figure she was here for her birthday! She has condoms on a veil for fuck sake! Spencer said with a wide grin. Let’s be thankful that those condoms are still in their foil packs. Hey you guys didn’t poke holes in them when you pinned them to the veil did you?

Way to make a first impression dickhead! Dax said as he was shaking his head. Ladies, sorry about him. Apparently his momma didn’t raise him right.

Shut the fuck up Dax! Don’t bring my mom into this.

Well then. Why don’t you guys chill out before you scare the ladies off. They don’t know you well enough to understand that you are screwing around. Conner said with scowl. Turning back to Piper he said Would you like something to drink? I have beer, a white zin and also a merlot.

All three ladies said that a beer would be fine. When he returned from the kitchen with a bucket of beer and a bottle opener, Conner took a moment to admire the view. Charlie and Rikki were dancing to the music and yelling to the people below to ‘show me something mister’ instead of the customary ‘throw me something mister’ heard during Mardi Gras. Piper was on her toes trying to catch some beads that someone was throwing up to her.

Here you go. I wasn’t sure what you ladies wanted so I brought an assortment. Conner said looking at Piper. When he looked down at her hands he realized that she had a handful of beads and gave her a big smile. Which one? he asked and gestured to the bucket of beer.

Blue moon would be fantastic!

As he handed her the bottle of beer Conner asked So why are they throwing the beads up? It is usually the other way around.

I don’t know. I was just standing there watching the crowd and that group of guys started yelling up here. When I stepped closer to the banister they just started throwing beads at me. Some of these are really pretty!

So what color are your panties? If I had to guess, I would say white.

Oh god! Piper said and blushed such a deep crimson that it made Connor’s dick twitch. No. they are plum. Stepping away from the banister.

Don’t be embarrassed. I am sure it will give them something to think about when they are in the shower. Connor said. She blushed even more and all he wanted to do was pin her to the wall and kiss her until she was breathless. Run his hand up her thigh, under her dress to find out if they were bikinis or a thong.

When she looked over my shoulder to check on her friends she visibly relaxed. Charlie and Rikki were having a good time down on the other end of the balcony and had no idea that Piper had been flashing everyone below.

So tell me about yourself Piper. Tell me something that your girlfriends don’t know about you.

Looking past me to her friends, I could see that she was putting serious thought into the question. It was apparent to me that they have known each other for a long time much like me and my crew. When she looked back up at me, the breeze was blowing her blond hair back and her eyes were the most glorious shade of blue ice. She looked like and angel. This tiny woman standing before me, took my breath away and gave me hope all in a nanosecond. I am not a small man at six foot four and two hundred twenty pounds of solid muscle. Most women fear my size, not Piper. Hell most men feared my size and that is fine with me. Men should fear me! But this little lady in front me? No way in hell unless I can get her in my playroom and then the only fear she would experience would be her own. The things that I want to do to her at this moment are overwhelming.

So when she quietly spoke her next words I thought that I would fall off of the balcony.

Chapter Three

Piper

I have always wanted to go to a sex club. You know. The kind with handcuffs, and paddles. Oh and benches.

I said it as a statement and damn what a statement! I even surprised myself with it so when I saw the stunned look on Conner’s face I knew that I had left him speechless. Oh well. I don’t know him and there is not any point in biting my tongue, it is already out there. Not that I would take it back.

A slow smile spread across his face and he said To watch or to participate?

I was just about to answer Conner when someone below started making that ‘whoop’ sound that guys do. It was then that I realize that Conner had crowded me and backed me against the banister so I was affectively flashing Bourbon Street my ass. Again. I closed my eyes because I could feel my skin heat. Then felt Conner’s hand slide around my waist just above my ass. Slowly, he pulled me forward into his large body and turned so that the people below could not see up my dress. I lost myself in the feel of his hard chest.

In that single moment, I did not care that the job I had had since graduation came to an abrupt end. I did not care that my savings would only last six months. I did not care that I had not one job prospect. All I cared about was delicious smelling man who had his arm around me and the fact that I could feel all those hard muscles and…. Wait!

I opened my eyes to see him staring down at me with an intensity that astonished me. I took a step back and felt him move with me. One more step back, then another. He did not pursue that time, just looked at me like a lion looks at his prey. It made me shiver in all the right places.

Conner stepped forward then reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and said You didn’t answer my question. To watch or to participate?

I looked back toward Charlie and Rikki to see that they were both having a blast dancing with Dax and Spencer. To participate. I said. It wasn’t until I heard his sharp intake of breath that I looked back into those honey colored eyes. What I saw was raw desire. It should have frightened me yet it did not. I should have never said such a thing to a man I had just met, yet I had. Did I regret it? Absolutely not.

I was tired of being mommy and daddy’s ‘good girl’. In all of my thirty years, my life has been a dedication to what my parents wanted. Get the straight A’s in school to make my parents proud. Date the parent approved guys. Go to the parent approved college. Get the parent approved job. The problem with all of that? Not a thing that I have done in my lifetime has satisfied those two. Somehow the grades were not good enough. Break ups with the parent approved guys were always my fault. They were happy to inform me that I had not worked hard enough in college and the fact that the law firm that I worked for up until three weeks ago closed because the owner got raided by the Attorney General’s office for internet crimes against children was somehow my fault as well. Lyle Stafford had a penchant for children, boys to be specific. So while I worked on the cases he had thrown at me, he sat in his office swapping files with other pedophiles. He got caught because he thought that he was going to get fresh material from someone he thought was a thirteen-year old young man who was actually a forty-year old woman undercover cop. Just sick!

The AG’s office closed down the practice and took all of the hard drives as evidence. They questioned me for hours to make sure that I was not involved and once they realized that I had no clue what Lyle had been doing, I was lead out of the building.

The only thing keeping me in that shit stain of a little town were those two ladies at the other end of the balcony. Without Charlie and Rikki, I am pretty sure I would have lost my sanity. This trip is as much about Charlie’s bachelorette party as it is about me shaking off the depression of losing my job. Those two ladies are my life line. They have encouraged me to step out from under the smothering shadow that follows me. They are always telling me things like You don’t have to live your life to please your parents and You don’t have to date him because your parents thought it would be a fantastic match. The problem with that is when you live in a small town the dating pool is shallow. I feel like I am fortunate not to have dated a cousin by now.

Take Charlie for instance, she is to marry Brad in two weeks. There are so many things that I could say about Brad and not one of them are nice. He obviously does not love Charlie the way that she deserves to be loved. What he does love is the control that he exerts over her and not the toe curling, orgasmic kind. He exerts control over who she is friends with to what she cooks. Control over the amount of time that she can spend with family and friends to how much weight she can gain. Yeah, this little trip was a problem for which I am sure she will catch hell for.

A caress to