Stripping it Down

By Renea Porter

When you lose all hope, what's left to live for?

There was no escaping it and no one to bring Raine out of it. The burden of loss weighs heavily on her, reminding her every day that there are no guarantees in life. Every day is a struggle. Every day she puts on a facade just to get through. She's already lost so much.

But a chance encounter with Sly Wilkes is all it takes to come completely undone.

Sly Wilkes is always in control, in every situation, including the bedroom. He's mysterious, and Raine has definitely piqued his interest. However, getting to know her isn't all that easy. Raine's guarded and believes she deserves to feel the pain and the darkness that surrounds her.

Will Sly be able to help Raine see she deserves more?

Or will the pain forever remain?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Renea Porter
• Release date: May 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386468073

Renea Porter

Renea Porter is best known for writing realistic stories with realistic characters. Her stories may even cause you to shed a tear or two. She mainly writes New Adult and Contemporary Romances. However, she's not afraid to venture into other genre's like Paranormal Romance. She enjoys spending time with her husband of fourteen years, and step son. She calls Pennsylvania home, but loves to travel and try new things. In her free time you can catch her reading books, watching reality tv, and baking.

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Copyright © 2018 by Renea Porter

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Cover design by Wild Hearts Romance

Editing by Genevieve Scholl

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

RAINE

Walking back into work feels like a nightmare. A nightmare where I invite the devil to come in and I smile sweetly, hoping this outcome will be different than the last. But it’s all a lie; I am thrown in the lion’s den of hell. The devil will throw his head back and laugh.  

I am a teaching assistant to second graders. I paint a smile across my face as I enter the room.

Raine, it’s so nice to have you back. How are you holding up? Jessica, the teacher I assist asks.

How does she think I’m holding up?

I’m here. Not sure it was such a good idea. Looking around the classroom, a lump forms in my throat as the kids start to come into the room. My mouth runs dry and my hearts constricts and a knot forms in my stomach.

You can do this. It’s time to come back out and join the rest of the world, she says.

She might be right. The last three months of school last year, I took a leave of absence, and then I had the summer off as well. Now it’s time to make get into life, but I’m not sure I know how anymore. Being holed up in my house felt safer than the outside world; the world is no longer the colorful place it once was.

Outside of work, Jessica has been a good friend. I’ve known her for over three years. I leaned on her a lot as I grieved, and she just listened like a great friend should. Sometimes she would bring cake over and we would eat it all while watching movies all day together. She’s also a single mom and we connected with that in common. Though the commonality was no longer there, the friendship has grown over the years.

The kids are rambunctious and Jess settles them down as she starts the class. I take her planner and sit down to look it over. Once Jess gets the lesson going, I walk around the room to help anyone who needs assistance. By the time recess comes, it is time for me to leave. I don’t want to hang around to see if I have a meltdown or not. These half days are much needed.

Back at home, I lie on the couch, trying to catch a few more hours of shuteye before the night comes. An hour or two later, I hear my back door swing open, knowing it’s my younger sister, Summer. She can be annoying at times, and I presume this will be one of those times.

Hey, Raine, get up. We have to go dress shopping, she huffs as she tugs at my legs.

She’s in the middle of putting the final touches on her wedding, and I’m lucky enough to be the Maid of Honor.

Okay, okay, okay. Let me go straighten myself up, I let out a sigh.

I already have a pair of jeans and a tee shirt on, so no need to change, especially if we are trying on dresses. I can’t wait until this wedding is over. Walking into my room I straighten my hair and put on some light makeup. I hate the thought of shopping; this can take hours, especially trying on dresses. I groan and meet my sister back in the living room.

That’s better, she says of my appearance.

Bite me, I tease. I grab my clutch and slide my feet into my Converse shoes.

When’s the last time you were out? she asks as we enter her car.

Today, actually. I went back to work, but it’s only part time for now, I tell her.

Oh, I totally forgot. How did it go?

Horrible. It was hard being around those kids. I look down to my lap, my hands fidgeting.

I’m sorry. She offers a sympathetic smile. Well, maybe dress shopping will take your mind off things.

I doubt it. Nothing I do takes my mind off things. But maybe helping Summer plan the wedding will.

Do you have your guest list done? What about a list for your bridal shower?

Yes, and yes. I’ll get those to you this evening, so you can send out the invites. She smiles brightly, almost beaming.

I am truly happy for her and Charles. They had dated for three years prior to getting engaged, and I like him. He treats her great and she deserves to be happy. Unfortunately, our parents won’t be here to witness the occasion. They died several years back, my dad from a heart attack and my mom to cancer not long after. She didn’t even fight the cancer, because she knew she could be reunited with my dad. Now that was love, and I want to feel at least half of that. My sister and I only have each other.

We make it to the dress shop and I cringe at the thought of trying on dresses. I wasn’t opposed to dresses in general, but dresses are important for an occasion like a wedding and you have to pick just the right one. We meet Ellen, Kim, and Layla, her bridesmaids, inside. They greet us cheerfully with excitement.

Summer stands in front of us and places her hands together with an excited look on her face. I already have some selections picked out for you all. If it doesn’t work, we can find something else.

We all enter our assigned dressing rooms. Inside, I scan the three dresses hanging against each other. All three are longer in the back than the front, showing just enough leg in the front. They vary in material and color. The first one I try on is an emerald green, with beading along the bust and a sheer fabric over the material. It feels comfortable, and I exit the room to show Summer.

Her jaw drops and her eyes grow big as she scans me from head to toe. I twirl, showing her all sides of the dress.

Wow, Sis, that looks stunning. I just don’t have any other words. That’s the one, she states.

Thank god. No more dresses for me. Ellen, Kim, and Layla emerge from their dressing rooms, their gowns slightly shorter and also various colors of green. Light green, mint green, and a shade in between. The hemline is even on their dresses and each looks great.

Summer studies them as they stand in front of her, tapping her chin. I like that one, she points to the shade in between light and mint green. I go back into the dressing room and change into my street clothes. When I come out, all three ladies are showing my sister her choice, and she nods in agreement on her chosen dress.

You all look stunning, I say, offering my opinion.

I’m so excited for my final fitting, Summer says after everyone changes back into their clothes. She goes in to try on her wedding gown. She picked it out four months ago, and I haven’t even seen it yet. I guess I should be more involved. It takes forever for her to finally emerge.

She stands tall on the platform and gazes in the mirror. My voice is stolen from me, so speechless that I get teary-eyed. Her gown is strapless, all white with crystals lining the bust, and the dress hugs her body in all the right places with some ruching below the waist line.

Simply gorgeous, I finally manage to find the words.

The bridal consultant places the veil atop of her blonde hair, and all we do is gush over how beautiful she looks. She is beaming and her gray eyes sparkle. I find a tissue in my bag to dot my teary eyes.

Are you crying? she asks, blinking back her own tears.

Happy tears, I confirm.

She bends down to hug me.

Save the tears for the wedding day, she says, trying to make us laugh.

I force a smile and proudly watch as she looks at herself in the mirror, smoothing the dress over her body. The consultant advises that the dress fits perfectly and nothing else needs to be done.

Summer insists on paying for our dresses, even though I am capable of paying for my own. She keeps insisting, so I let her; it’s a nice gesture and I am grateful for it. No one’s dress needs adjusting, so we all take ours home with us.

You didn’t have to do that, I tell Summer when we enter her car, heading back home.

You’re my sister, and when was the last time you were treated to something nice?

I don’t answer.

Exactly, she says, confirming.

It’s true. I haven’t treated myself to anything. I’ve been dealing with everything else.

It’s okay to be selfish, Raine. You’ve been through so much. It literally hurts my heart to see you so broken. Sometimes I think about her and it’s just too much. She cries, and the tears streak her cheeks at the mention of my daughter. I can’t imagine what you go through, but as her aunt, it kills me...especially because you’re my sister, and there’s nothing I can do to take the pain away.

I reach for her hand, clutching it tightly. Ava was the light of my life.

She loved you so much. You were her favorite aunt, I say.

I was her only aunt. Summer laughs through the tears.

This is why I love my sister so much; she could make me laugh, even in my grief. I know she Ava wouldn’t want us to grieve, but I can’t help it. How can God take her away from me? Why? So many questions remain, and I know they will never be answered, no matter how much I plead. It angers me. I hold my tears back, trying to be strong for Summer and myself. It’s all I can do. It’s all I have.

I just can’t believe she’s gone, ya know. She shakes her head.

I know. I swallow a hard lump that previously formed in my throat.

Chapter Two

SLY 

Running is my stress reliever, from the day’s work and life in general. Being the head of a company isn’t all peaches and cream. It comes with a multitude of responsibilities and delegating. Mostly the good outweighs the bad. And I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am now.

I sigh as I stand from lacing my tennis shoes. I am in a twenty-four hours, seven days a week gym. It works with my schedule, which is brutal at times. Some days I hardly have anything to do, and some days I am swamped. My life is nothing but a cluster fuck. My house needs to be organized, and my family won’t stop trying to set me up on dates. They don’t know I like a certain type.

With my earbuds ion place, I pick up my feet and run on the treadmill. Thirty minutes later, I am sweating. Running only provides so much of an escape.

I have a wedding to attend soon, and I want to be in top shape for the tuxedo fitting. I hate weddings, but my man, Charles, is getting married and asked me to be the best man, and I couldn’t exactly tell him no. I met his fiancée a couple of times, and she seems perfect for him. I just can’t wait to get the wedding out of the way, since I don’t have any more weddings scheduled that I need to attend.

Kicking up my feet, running lets me forget my worries. I’m only heading to an empty house, so I won’t miss anything, just my dog George, who’s probably waiting by the window, like always. He keeps me company since I split from Ambrosia, about six months ago, since things between us were going nowhere. She wasn’t who I pictured myself with in the future. I know whoever I am meant to be with will pop up when I least expect it. Isn’t that the saying? Love finds you when you least expect it. But like everyone, I have secrets, secrets I’d rather keep buried. The beast in me knew it was begging to come out. These days I am focusing on myself, improving my fitness and taking my company to the next level, providing the stress I’m experiencing.

After my five mile run, I head back to my empty home. George greets me as I enter my ‘too big for me’ house. I pet him and give him a treat before taking him outside. He is never angry with me, and never complains when I come home late. He always greets me with licks to the face, excited to see me.

Sliding into the shower, I let the hot water