Cupid Knows Best: 4 Steamy Valentines Stories: Dirty-Sweet Romance Bundles

By Barbra Campbell

Cupid Knows Best is a collection of 4 steamy, short story romances that each highlight a couple from an interrelated set of characters, although each story can be read as a stand-alone.

MY BFD

As a single dad, I'd successfully raised my daughter who was moving to the big city to pursue her career and her dreams. But I had dreams, too.

Of Chastity, her best friend.

I couldn't live the rest of my life trapped in the dad role.

Chastity was all I could think about. There would be gossip about our age difference, and my daughter would be mortified. But my heart, my soul, and my cock were convinced Chastity belonged to me.

A stolen moment seemed to unlock our future but Chastity made it clear there was nothing between us.

Had I read too much into the moment? Was I doomed to live the rest of my life as a bachelor?

Only one thing remained certain. I wasn't ready to give up. I was determined to convince Chastity she was my one and only…my Baby Girl.

BE MY BURLY BARTENDER

When the marketing manager of my bar effectively turned me into a piece of meat by having women pay to pose with me, I went along with it. Turning the profits into a charity fundraiser calendar was the way I consoled myself that I was more than eye candy.

Then Alena walked in the door and her curves were the only ones I wanted tucked against my body ever again. Could I convince her I wasn't an arrogant jerk who wanted nothing more than to feed my ego?

And even if I could, would she be able to convince her boss that my reputation was nothing more than a marketing gimmick?

If Alena had to choose between me and the upstanding role-model pretense her boss expected, I feared she'd break my heart.

Without nearly enough time, I was determined to show Alena that if she trusted me with her heart, I'd prove myself worthy to be her Burly Valentine.

LET'S KISS

I'd worked with all types and had a knack for getting people to open up during photo shoots. But when Bronwyn stepped in front of my camera, I felt like an amateur. I filled my camera roll with close-up shots of her, amongst the smattering of shots I was supposed to be snapping for the school's community partnership photo shoot.

She'd captivated me. Her essence was a collage of beauty, power, and femininity.

Convinced I could make her mine, I pushed for more, but when reality reinserted itself, she shot me down.

The blow struck my ego and destroyed my heart.

Certain I hadn't misread her cues, I took another look at her proofs. It was unmistakable. We had something.

If it was the last thing I ever did, I would capture a lot more than her photograph. I was going to capture her heart.

IDLE HANDS

As a bartender at a high-end nightclub, I capitalized on being able to help fools part with their money by simply turning on the charm. The best part…I went home at the end of the night with a pocket full of tips and without falling prey to empty promises.

But if I didn't learn to trust a man's intentions, would I ruin my chances at finding love?

When a flood stranded me at work with a man that threatened to break down the walls I'd protected myself with, I was tempted to let him strip away more than my clothes.

Could I stay on top of my game while enjoying a fling?

 

Barbra guarantees a dirty-sweet Happily Ever After with no cheating and no cliffhangers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Romantic Escapes Publishing
• Release date: Feb 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781950166350

Book preview

Cupid Knows Best

4 Steamy Valentines Stories

Barbra Campbell

Romantic Escapes Publishing

Copyright 2022 Barbra Campbell

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-950166-35-0

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-950166-36-7

Cover design by Romantic Escapes Publishing

Contents

Sweet Deals for you

1. My BFD

2. Chastity

3. Rhett

4. Chastity

5. Rhett

6. Chastity

7. Epilogue

8. Be My Burly Bartender

9. Alena

10. Jay

11. Alena

12. Jay

13. Epilogue

14. Let's Kiss

15. Quinton

16. Bronwyn

17. Quinton

18. Bronwyn

19. Epilogue

20. Idle Hands

21. Stewart

22. Amelia

23. Stewart

24. Amelia

25. Stewart

26. Amelia

27. Stewart

28. Amelia

29. Epilogue

Want more sexy stories?

About the Author

Sweet Deals for you

A bonus book is available exclusively through my newsletter.

Sign up at:

https://BarbraCampbell.com

And...

Before you get lost in these 4 Valentines stories of Cupid Knows Best,

be sure to grab a copy of SWEET OBSESSION which is only available for a limited time.

https://books2read.com/SweetObsession

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My BFD

by

Barbra Campbell

Chastity

Hosting a goodbye party for my best friend was bound to happen. Somehow being opposites worked for us. Which was why Alena was standing on a picnic table giving her ‘It’s not goodbye’ speech to a huge portion of our small town while I was trying to blend into the trunk of a tree as far away from the crowd as reasonably possible, praying Alena would wrap it up without involving me.

But she loved to involve me. And part of me liked the challenge she offered. The other part caused me to inch around the tree, placing it between myself and her spectacle.

The star of the show, she was in her element. I’d been the sidekick ever since my earliest memories. The silent partner. The voice of reason. People could have even predicted our personalities by our names, the bright and shiny Alena versus Chastity. They would have been right, down to how many guys we dated. Chastity zero, Alena…well, enough to keep our average on the norm.

She’d tried to help me out by arranging a few opportunities under the guise of games, but kissing a guy in a closet while our friends were timing us had done nothing to excite me.

If it wasn’t for Alena, people probably wouldn’t even know I existed. But she never considered me anything less than her BFF.

That was exactly what made it critical to control the way my heart raced, my knees got weak, and my sex tingled when I thought of her dad, Rhett. Sins by much of the town’s standards, but my bigger worry was ruining my relationship with Alena.

I’d tried to sneak a comment into a conversation with her, thinking I could dip my toe in with mentioning how cool her father was then wading deeper with a plan to say he was kind of hot for a dad…but she’d shut me down at the word cool, informing me how uncool my comment was.

So my fantasies remained a secret.

The only secret I kept from Alena. I was in love with her dad.

I gasped when Rhett’s head popped above the gathering. Alena had called him onto the table with her, but by the looks, he’d only gone as far as standing on the bench. It was enough. Seeing him, thinking of him, even knowing he was alive had forbidden acts storming my mind.

Crossing my legs, I attempted to relieve some of the pressure and get myself under control.

His deep voice barely carried to my outpost but rendered my attempt useless.

Then he explained how proud he was of Alena, and guilt shook the naughtiness right out of me. The party was a chance to celebrate my Best Friend Forever, not ogle my Best Friend’s Dad. I tried to focus on his speech, watching a little too intently.

I’ve always known Alena would rush off to pursue her dreams. She’s talented, confident, and boldly goes wherever she damn well chooses, which got her grounded more than once. He paused while everyone laughed.

I’d been too nervous to go on some of those bold adventures, but she’d managed to talk me into other ones. Honestly, it was never anything horrible, just good, clean rule-breaking. Hearing her dad praise her bold qualities reminded me how different she was from me. I’d dropped out of college with the certainty I wanted to live the rest of my days in our quaint town of Virginville, Pennsylvania. Although it was a toss-up whether I loved Rhett or the community more.

For a second I swore my eyes locked with Rhett’s, but I was too far away to be sure.

I’ve never been more proud of my baby girl…uh, that’s not…um, proud of…my daughter, I’m proud of Alena. I just hope she remembers where she came from and has time to stop back home once in a while. That got awkward fast.

I slumped into the tree, rolling around the back of it. His baby girl. I wanted him to direct those words at me which would take awkward to an all-new level. Staring at the trees that had bordered Sacony creek for all of eternity, I wondered if that’s how long I’d be a virgin—forever? Not in the way the kids at school had joked, saying the residents of Virginville were called Virgins, but the real kind who never had sex. Why when Cupid had finally struck me with an arrow had he put Rhett’s name on it? Had I stepped in the way of his shot, stolen an arrow intended for someone more appropriate for Rhett? Had I doomed us both to being single and lonely?

Hoots and hollers broke out from the party and I peeked around the tree to see our resident Spiderman running past. Nothing more than a local guy prepping for a fundraiser with his twice-a-day run, but the costume got him a lot of attention. The park wasn’t on his normal route so he must have made a surprise appearance for the party. Another bold, attention-loving individual.

No one would confuse me for being bold, adventurous, or even wanting attention. It was pointless to even think of telling Alena’s dad how I felt because I’d never live up to the qualities he admired. But he was the only guy I’d ever even wanted to love. While my parents had praised my lack of dating, believing it represented some elevated level of maturity, I bore the secret I would take to my grave.

I couldn’t risk losing my best friend. Especially since I didn’t stand a chance. I laughed at myself. I was adding qualifiers as if there was a scenario where we would work out. Wonderful. Full-scale delusion was in my near future.

I closed my eyes and forced my mind to the revamp I was doing on my business’s website. You either did your own thing in a small town, took one of the few available jobs, or commuted. I’d taken enough business management and marketing classes to get myself started on the right foot.

There you are. Rhett’s voice rippled through me like a dream.

I imagined him walking up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist, planting a kiss in my hair. Only I wasn’t dreaming. I blinked away my fantasy. He was several feet away and moving in. Hi, Rhett. Nice speech.

My heart was in my throat as he approached. I wanted to tickle my fingers over the dark stubble on his jaw. Then I’d run my hands down the front of his shirt and over the contours of his sculpted chest. I couldn’t stop myself from imagining we were alone, that he’d sought me out. Wait. Why was he seeking me out? I tamped down the insane notion he was ready to profess his love now that his daughter was leaving.

Chastity? Are you okay? His hand grazed my bare upper arm, shivers overtaking the warmth of the July day.

How embarrassing. But he was touching my skin. Swoon. His fingers slid around my arm then up to cup my shoulder. Fantasy and reality collided.

I struggled to catch my breath. I’m sorry, what did you say? I was…distracted.

"Alena wants you on stage. She asked me to find you."

My shoulders slumped as I peeked around the tree. Worse than him not seeking me out of his own volition, his daughter motioned wildly, eager to have me by her side.

Hey, he said softer. His finger brushed under my chin, tenderly bringing my eyes to meet his.

My body was vibrating. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice so it must have been an internal thing. Geez. Keep it together, Chastity.

His hand hadn’t left my chin and the backs of his fingers taunted my neck. When his lips parted, I staggered a breath but his words quickly dispelled the assumption he was going to kiss me. Want me to remind her that speeches and fanfare aren’t your style?

I nodded, my hair dragging along the bark of the tree as my head was still angled upward while I stared into his dark eyes. I wanted to find boldness, confidence, anything that would impress him.

He withdrew and retrieved his phone from his pocket before dropping his gaze to the screen. He typed a message then looked toward Alena’s pulpit. Waving his phone in the air, he pointed to it.

She paused her speech and checked her phone. A quick wave dismissed her request to have me up there, and she raised a red Solo cup. The rest of the group followed suit.

In a feeble attempt to keep Rhett to myself a moment longer, I said, I’m going to miss her. But if anyone’s ready to make a splash in the big city, it’s Alena. She’s got what it takes.

His finger circled my pinky and pulled my hand up before closing his fingers around mine. If the tree hadn’t been there to physically support me, I might have fainted.

Other people are made for small towns. They find their special someone. The melody to their symphony. There was a wicked seduction to his words, but I was probably imagining that too.

Rhett

Chastity’s hand shook. I was making her nervous. Shit. That was the exact opposite of what I wanted. I’d let a single moment alone with her get to me. I dragged my fingers along hers, hating to lose the contact. But I was being an asshole.

Neither of us spoke, and I wanted, with all my heart, to believe we had something. Holding her hand was like holding onto heaven.

My attempt to show that I understood her, get her out of having to go in front of everyone, had almost gone too far. Her big, dark brown eyes looking up at me, her full lips parting like she wanted a kiss, and the way I would have sworn the air was crackling between us were nothing more than me almost losing control. In public. At my daughter’s party.

I let her fingertips slip from my grasp. It’s okay if you don’t have big-city dreams. Or even medium-city. You’ve always measured yourself against Alena. It’s time you recognize that you deserve the fairy tale of your dreams, not hers.

Her gaze dropped and she didn’t say a thing, but I’d sensed sadness.

A big possessive hug, that’s what I wanted to give Chastity, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to let her go. We were suffering the same loss but I’d seen a silver lining, a chance with the woman of my dreams. I settled for staying on topic. I already miss her too.

"Maybe if you hadn’t done such a good job raising her to be independent, your baby girl wouldn’t be leaving. She slapped her hands over her mouth. I’m sorry. That came out really wrong."

I was thankful her words stymied me because I had to refrain from clarifying that Baby Girl had infiltrated my comments when I saw her standing against the tree. I had wanted to part the crowd and run to her, sweep her away from the festivities, into my bed. She’d never looked so sexy as she did in her white sundress. Temptingly pure and innocent. Things she would not be if I got my hands on her. I cleared my throat.

Alena’s always had her eye on something bigger. She has a drive that will take her far, regardless of what kind of parent I was. I’m happy with the simple life. It’s not bad to want something simple, Chastity.

My dick twitched when she blushed.

Do you believe that? Simple is okay?

I held my palms up. I love it here. The ambiguity of my words could easily mean Virginville, but I loved having a simple conversation with her, being inches from her. I could live off of nothing as long as she was in my life. You’ll know when you find the right place. It’ll feel right, like you could never be together long enough.

Her lips parted but she didn’t speak for a second. A smile teased her face. Be together with a city?

Despite trying to be clever with my wording, the truth had slipped out. I glanced toward the party and Alena had finished her speech. Mingling had begun. Would it be terrible to tell Chastity how I felt? I’d take full responsibility for telling Alena. Desperation welled in me. A goodbye party didn’t just mean my daughter was moving away, but there would be no reason for her best friend to come to our house anymore.

How some guy hadn’t swept her off her feet yet was beyond me. But the party was the wrong time. I had to respect my daughter’s space. Yeah. When you find the right city, you’ll want to live there forever.

Chastity’s smile sank. Had she hoped I meant person? Her? The possibility gripped me. I couldn’t take another breath without finding out. I stepped closer, brushing my fingers against hers.

Her chest rose and fell sharply. The tops of her breasts had lifted that much closer to my lips and my mouth watered to dive into her soft mounds. I couldn’t even blame the heat for getting to me. The weather was mild.

She hooked one finger around