Last Fling

By Kaitlin Maitland

It's like a diet plan. For dating. Lyssa is convinced she can change her luck in love by finding a guy who is the opposite of what she wants. No more bad boy biker types. She's on the hunt for Mr. Boring. But before she settles down, Lyssa wants one last fling. One last cupcake. And oh my, has she found a yummy candidate. Tray is everything she should avoid. But it doesn't count because this is just a fling. Except Tray has other ideas. He's certain that fiery Lyssa will spice up his dead end relationship with long time lover Griffon. Griffon loves Tray. Tray wants Griffon. Lyssa wants forever. What happens when a fling turns into a happily ever after that doesn't quite look like what you expected?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaitlin Maitland
• Release date: May 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393539971

Kaitlin Maitland

Kaitlin Maitland is an avid reader and a rabid horse enthusiast with a love of drama in everyday life. She began writing at the age of twelve after growing tired of waiting for her favorite authors to write sequels. Now she's scrambling to write her own sequels while keeping up with a variety of exciting new characters and settings. Kaitlin makes her home in the Southwest with the hottest boy from her high school Phys Ed class and a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, and chickens. While she has yet to travel to a distant planet, she finds plenty of story-inspiring drama close to home.

Book preview

Chapter One

LYSSA

So, he just left you there? Lyssa Canfield felt her mouth pop open in shock. How did you get home?

I called a cab. I think I spent more on the fare than he spent on me during our entire relationship. Abbie poked at the salt on the rim of her margarita glass. "Seriously, I keep asking myself where I find these guys!"

Lyssa gazed around the neighborhood bar in Clayton where she and Abbie had spent nearly every Friday night since their recent graduation from college. The zipcode was part of St. Louis County and filled with a cross section of students, professionals, and old money. The pub was more bar than grill and had a comfortably worn atmosphere. Lyssa and Abbie had spent plenty of nights shooting pool in the back or dancing to eighties music from the outdated jukebox. Well, the nights when they weren’t waiting tables at one of the most high-end restaurants in the area. Being at work meant running their feet off for tips. Which is what happened when you got a generic communications degree and couldn’t decide on a career. But thinking about that meant Lyssa’s inner voice was starting to sound a lot like her over-achieving elder sister.

Lyssa took a long swig of her beer and chose a pretzel from the bowl on the table. I think you might actually have worse luck with men than I do.

Um, no. Abbie threw a pretzel at Lyssa. It stuck in the knot of tangled black hair piled on top of her head. I have never dated anyone who dragged me to the Sturgis bike rally only to ditch me for some biker babe and then tell me to find my own way home from South Dakota.

Oh she would bring that up! Not that Abbie was wrong. Lyssa did have a legendary ability to pick guys that fell under the heading of emotionally unavailable. She just couldn’t stop being attracted to bad boys. If a man walked in wearing leather or ripped jeans and had tattoos all over, her hormones were immediately interested. Give him a little bit of bad attitude and she was in love.

What is it about bad boys? Abbie moaned. You’d think we’d get a clue.

Well I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of picking guys based upon how quickly I think I can fix them. I want one that has his shit together. Lyssa tried to picture this hypothetical guy and got stuck on his lack of tattoos.

Abbie glared at Lyssa. Yeah? What is it that has you so hyped to find Mr. Right?

I’m tired of being single. I want to settle down and have the American dream. Don’t you? Of course Lyssa had no idea what that American dream was actually going to look like, but she knew it didn’t involve a big black motorcycle and a guy with a huge Peter Pan complex.

Abbie looked miffed, probably because she’d been picking partners out of the same pool. So if that’s really what you want, why have you been dating every biker bad boy in two states?

They’re exciting, Lyssa murmured. In her peripheral vision, she saw a hot guy bend over the pool table. He had an ass to die for.

Yes, but is it really exciting to have someone rip your heart out and then stomp on it? Abbie slapped the tabletop for emphasis.

Lyssa dragged her gaze away from the eye candy across the bar. Beautiful butts did not mean beautiful personalities. See? That’s what I’m talking about. You’re right. We’re going about this all wrong.

Going about what?

Lyssa’s mind was already working at top speed. Our guy catching strategy.

We have strategy? Abbie asked doubtfully.

Well, no. But we do now. Lyssa felt the first thrill of a perfect plan about to be set in motion. We both like bad boys. Right?

Abbie narrowed her gaze in suspicion. Yeah?

"So what we need to do is actively pursue guys who are the opposite of what we’re attracted to." It all seemed so simple Lyssa couldn’t imagine why she hadn’t thought of it before.

So purposely date ugly guys?

Lyssa rolled her eyes. Not ugly, just boring. You know, business types. Clean cut guys who work in the IT department, or stockbroker types in a three piece suit and a tie. Lyssa thought about it some more. Insurance salesmen maybe?

You’ve lost your mind.

No! Lyssa rubbed her hands together and gave Abbie her best evil villain face. Remember when I decided to lose thirty pounds after college?

Abbie nodded, but the expression on her heart shaped face was less than enthusiastic. She tucked her short blonde hair behind one ear. Are you talking about the cupcake binge strategy?

Exactly! I just need to binge on one last bad boy before I settle down to find Mr. Boring. Lyssa’s gaze immediately swung back around to the cute butt she’d spotted earlier. And I think I’ve found my candidate.

Abbie immediately zeroed in on Lyssa’s target. Ooo, that is prime final fling material.

Lyssa would have responded, but her mouth was dry. The cutest ass in the world belonged to a guy who was maybe six foot two or three. It was hard to tell with the boots. His black jeans were worn in the seat and thighs as if he spent a lot of time straddling a bike. He wore a snug white tank top and his arms were covered from wrist to shoulder by tattoos. Lyssa had the strongest urge to run her fingers over every inch of ink just to see if the muscle felt as hard as it looked.

He stood straight and paused. Lyssa sucked in a breath. Could he actually feel her staring? His slow turn made it seem like he could. She tried to be cool, but her breath was stuck in her throat and it felt like she was about to choke.

Hot did not cover this guy’s looks. He was sinfully gorgeous with a tanned complexion, beautiful hazel green eyes, and a jawline that would be the envy of any billboard model. His dark hair was shorn close to the scalp and there was a matching layer of dark scruff on his cheeks and chin. Lyssa was so busy cataloging every inch of the washboard abs outlined by the ribbed fabric of his shirt that failed to realize he’d started smirking at her.

Abbie cleared her throat. Yeah, you’ve totally been spotted.

"This is my very last fling. Ever. Who cares if he knows what I want? Lyssa licked her lips and scraped up her courage. I’m going to go over there."

Seriously? Abbie did not sound supportive. "You’re going to go proposition that guy for a one-night-stand? Have you ever even had a one-night-stand? Because I have and I’m here to tell you that it sucks."

Lyssa wasn’t stupid. She knew Abbie was right to some extent. Lyssa had never been one to jump in bed with a guy right away. She liked to know them for a while first. Of course that was probably because she’d spent most of her life dating emotionally barren losers who were never going to be ready to settle down in a relationship that lasted longer than a week or two. That short span of time before they got laid was the only real connection Lyssa ever got from them. This time she was going in with her eyes wide open. No expectations, no strings, and nothing to lose.

Lyssa downed the rest of her beer and slammed the glass on the tabletop. Yes I’m going over there! The sooner I have my final fling, the sooner I can get started on my search for Mr. Boring.

Oh yeah, way to make that sound appetizing. Mr. Boring? Really? Abbie took a sip of her margarita. You go have fun. Please text me in the morning and let me know I don’t need to instigate a search for the body.

See? Once we find our Mr. Borings we will never ever have to joke about that again. Lyssa didn’t give voice to her fear that it was also possible to die of boredom.

TRAY

Tray Hollis was equal parts annoyed and intrigued when he noticed the dark-haired woman heading his direction. She’d been staring at his ass since he’d started his game of pool, which made her a little bold for Tray’s taste. Given a choice he would have continued his solitary game of pool without any interruptions. He liked his women with confidence, but bossiness was number one on his list of turn offs. He got enough bossiness at home with Griffon. God knew, the man was hell bent on micromanaging Tray’s life.

Focusing on the multicolored balls, Tray chose his next shot and set it up with care. The woman was only a few feet away and closing fast. She wasn’t unattractive. In fact she was really very attractive. Her hair was long, black, and curly. It was carelessly piled on top of her head as if she couldn’t be bothered to do anything else with it. Her eyes were a beautiful deep blue, and her complexion was pale. Tray wondered idly if her skin was that smooth all over.

Unlike most of the other women in the bar, she was wearing cut off jean shorts and a plain black T-shirt. The outfit left a lot to the imagination. Tray could make out the contour of her shapely derriere and he got a great view of her long tanned legs, but her T-shirt didn’t tell him much about anything above her waist.

Hi, she said.

Her voice was huskier than he’d expected. Tray offered her a terse nod and expected her to go away.

Her expression was utterly determined. I normally don’t proposition guys in bars.

And I’m supposed to believe that, why? Tray grabbed the chalk and rubbed it on the end of his pool cue. For all I know that’s a line and you use it every night.

The laugh caught him completely off guard. It was throaty and sexy and it made his cock stand up and pay attention. Lifting his gaze, he took in her smile and it knocked the wind out of him. It transformed everything about her from average to gorgeous.

Oh you are too perfect, she announced. My name is Lyssa.

Tray, he managed to grunt.

Well, Tray. She