Across the Road: The Cassidy Brothers, #2

By Dawn Love

Get to know Cameron and Elaina!

 

She fled the city searching for a new life. Leaving all she'd ever known behind her had been a snap decision, but if things go her way, it will be the best decision she will have ever made.

 

He was looking for love without ever realizing it. When she walked in his bar seeking a job, he had no idea she would be the love he was waiting for.

 

But they can only have their happy ending if her disastrous past doesn't track her down and destroy the life they want to build together.

 

***This book contains descriptions of explicit sexual encounters between consenting adults, abduction, attempted rape, sexual assualt, and violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawn Love
• Release date: Jun 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215990599

Dawn Love

Dawn Love was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, and spent the first twenty-six years of her life there. Always a creative person and an avid reader, she began writing stories for her own entertainment as a teen, and her love of writing continued to grow into adulthood. Meeting the love of her life brought many changes, including moving 900 miles away from home and settling on the Delmarva Peninsula where she resides on her 50-acre farm. Now the mother of two teenagers, she spends her free time creating the characters and stories of her fantasies. She also writes an internationally read Blog where she gives her readers a glimpse into the craziness of her day-to-day life, her mind, and all that the world throws her way.

Book preview

Chapter One

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Elaina looked up at the two-story restaurant with hope. The beautiful old building stood tall and strong although it had obviously weathered its share of storms. It was the off-season in Ocean City and even though a cool wind blew she had nothing but warm thoughts as she crossed the parking lot and walked in to take a seat at the bar. She’d left Baltimore with little more than the clothes on her back and hopes, dreams of a better life. She had been fired from a prestigious restaurant on the outskirts of the city. Fired, not because she had been bad at her job, no, quite the contrary, she had been excellent at her job, an exemplary employee. She’d been fired because she wouldn’t sleep with the head chef, and what he said was the law in his kitchen, whether it related to food preparation or not.

It really wasn’t fair, and she could and probably should have pressed charges against him. But he had fired her in front of the entire kitchen crew, completely embarrassing and humiliating her in the process. After months of harassment from him, as well as a few of the other line chefs, she had just been ready for a change, and didn’t feel up to the battle she would have to face to try to get her job back. When he’d fired her, she had picked up her purse, flipped him off, and walked out of the restaurant putting the whole nasty business behind her with intentions of only looking forward. A fresh start had been in order and she’d been more than ready for the change and challenge.

It hadn’t taken her long to decide what to do and where to go. She had been to Ocean City once for a long weekend with some girlfriends and had completely fallen in love with the beautiful ocean resort. Even during the middle of the summer, the busiest season for the area, everything was laid back and moved at a much slower pace. She’d felt like she’d belonged and ever since that trip, she felt she’d been called to return.

Two days after she’d been fired, she had cleaned out her sad, rundown one-bedroom apartment, loaded up her old rust-riddled car, and taken off down Route 50. With the windows down, music blasting, and singing at the top of her lungs, she let the butterflies in her stomach go, deciding to only think positively. Somehow, she knew that this change was just what she needed and that there were big things ahead. She was free, finally free of the life that she’d felt had kept her chained down. The closer she’d gotten to Ocean City, the more she’d felt she was finally home.

She’d been in town for a week and had applied for multiple jobs across the city, everything from fast food places to some of the finest, upscale restaurants. Every day she knocked on doors, answered ads, and handed out her resume. She hoped and prayed that one of those doors would open and be the opportunity she needed to turn things around, make a good life, and finally find her place in the world.

She took a deep breath as she walked into the restaurant and absorbed the atmosphere. It was clean and fresh, the dim lighting only there for ambiance, not to hide anything from view as was the case in so many restaurants. She approved of the deep, rich woods that gleamed under the soft lighting, warm and welcoming, as well as the classic rock that played quietly in the background. She approached the hostess stand and asked to be seated at the bar. The hostess showed her the way and Elaina thanked her, making her way over to a high-backed stool.

It was early so there were only a couple of tables filled and just one other person sitting at the bar. The dark mahogany of the rounded bar was spotlessly shiny and very inviting. The bartender wiped down the bar with a white cloth and as she sat down she caught his eye, and he came to take her order. He returned with a long-stemmed glass of white wine and she took an appreciative sip, letting the flavors linger on her tongue. It was cool, sweet and fruity. With any luck, it would also help calm her nerves. With an eagle eye, she began to take a closer look at her surroundings.

This was a reconnaissance visit to the restaurant. She had applied for a line cook position through an online job site and had been called for an interview at 9:00 a.m. the next morning. Her stomach turned a flip as she thought about the interview process. Though she knew it was a necessary evil, she despised interviewing. She always felt like she was under a microscope, every flaw highlighted. And while she knew she wasn’t perfect, she knew that her positive attributes and skills far outweighed the negatives. In an effort to calm some of her nerves, she had made the decision to come and check out the restaurant, hoping that she would at least have a feel of the place and what they might be looking to hire.

She took another sip of wine and suddenly felt eyes on her. Her skin tingled in reaction and she looked up to see that the other bar patron was checking her out. She offered a flirtatious smile, acknowledging his attention. He was gorgeous. His black hair was cut short but stylish, enhancing his chiseled features. A high forehead and well-defined cheekbones, a strong, masculine mouth and chin, and a tan that would make any woman jealous.

He wore a black long-sleeve dress shirt, but the sleeves were rolled halfway up his muscular forearms, the top button of the shirt undone. He appeared relaxed and very much at home. She tilted her glass at him and he did the same to her. She felt the first stirrings of arousal which hadn’t happened to her in so long that she almost didn’t recognize it. Well, she thought, this could get interesting.

The stranger got up and walked around the bar to her, carrying his drink with him and settling on the stool next to her.

Cam had been sitting and staring into the crystal lowball glass, his mind wandering in no particular direction, the amber liquid partially hypnotizing him as his thoughts circled. The Four Roses Single Barrel was top-of-the-line and one of his favorites, but it just didn’t seem to be the answer he was looking for. It was truly one of the finest bourbons he’d ever tasted, but it was doing nothing to settle the antsy feeling he’d been having. No, he wasn’t being calmed at all. There was something stirring in the air and he couldn’t quite put his finger on the origin.

It was his night off but for some reason, he hadn’t made plans as was his usual habit. The buddies he would normally hang out with had plans of their own or were married and only able to find time to hang out every great once in a while. Thinking back, he realized it had actually been several months since he’d seen any of them. He was in a dating slump and couldn’t bear to call up any of the women he had been seeing recently. They no longer held any appeal for him as they all tended to want the same thing: commitment, money, or easy access to his brother. Cade was a fairly famous rock star, and even though he was married with three-month-old twins, women still thought they had a chance with him, and constantly threw themselves in his direction. They couldn’t be more wrong. He had never seen anyone more committed to love and marriage, except maybe his parents.

Cam was bored with all of them and tired of the same old crap. And while the thought of commitment absolutely did not frighten him, he knew without a doubt that he hadn’t met the right woman. He refused to settle, knowing that someday she would walk into his life, turn his world upside down, and pull the rug out from under him. He was thoroughly looking forward to it. So while he’d had the night off, he had been restless, a little lonely, and in need of… something. He just wasn’t sure what that was. His condo walls had been closing in on him and the only solution he could find was to come to the bar and hope that an evening relaxing with the familiar would mellow him out.

He had watched the petite blond walk into the bar and begin to check out the place. One-night stands weren’t normally his thing and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. So he had been surprised at the stirring of his libido and the immediate direction his thoughts had gone. Maybe, just maybe, one night of fun was what he needed to get his head on straight. If nothing else, it would be a release of the tension that had been building layer upon layer in his body for the past few months.

She was absolutely breathtaking. Her blond hair had to be natural, as there was no way to get that color from a bottle, and it curled softly to her shoulders. Her eyes were vivid blue and her barely there makeup only enhanced their sparkle. Her lips were enticing, a perfect ripe peach-colored bow, and as he looked at them her tongue darted out, sending shivers down his spine. Whether in invitation or merely to wet her lips he wasn’t sure, but with the stirring in his jeans he definitely wanted to take the time and find out. She’d caught him looking, and with a smile that made the entire room light up, acknowledged his stare. That was the only invitation he’d needed, so he’d picked up his glass of bourbon and walked around the bar.

Chapter Two

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H i. Mind if I join you? Cam smiled in greeting.

Not at all.

Are you waiting for someone?

Actually, no. Are you?

Cameron laughed lightly. No. It’s my night off and everyone that I had any interest in being around had other plans.

Well, that’s a shame and a waste of a perfectly good night off. So, you ended up in a bar drinking bourbon and waiting for some unsuspecting female to walk through the door and catch your eye? she winked playfully at him.

The quick grin he returned lit up his face. Actually, no, that wasn’t the plan. But you walked in and my plan changed.

Smooth.

They chuckled and smiled knowingly at each other.

He held out his hand in introduction, I’m Cam.

She took his hand and when she did, she felt a spark. I’m Elaina. Nice to meet you.

You, too. He took a drink of his bourbon so that he would have a moment to gather his racing thoughts. I know this is going to come across as one of the worst pickup lines in the history of pickup lines, but I’m being 100% honest with you. I don’t normally do this.

Sit and drink bourbon at a bar all by yourself? Or hit on women you’ve just met?

Cameron grinned again, You’re sharp. I like it. And to answer your questions, I don’t normally do either of those things. Actually, I spend a lot of time working. I’m something of a perfectionist when it comes to my career and I’m very dedicated. And no, I don’t usually pacify myself sitting in a bar. I just didn’t feel like being home tonight.

Well, if we're being honest, this is my first time here. I haven’t been in town long and I’m trying to see what I like, what I don’t, where I might fit in, that sort of thing. And no, I don’t normally sit in a bar by myself, either.

Where did you move from?

Baltimore.

Really? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a city girl.

You would be correct. Charm City wasn’t very charming to me. Actually, I don’t know that I ever really fit in there, even though I lived there my entire life. Too fast-paced, too crowded. It was definitely time for a change. Time to be somewhere laid back, where I can actually enjoy life.

That’s a shame for Baltimore but definitely good for Ocean City. Would you think I’m being too forward by saying I think you may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen?

Elaina nervously took a sip of her wine. No. Not too forward, although I would most certainly think it was a line. However, turnabout is fair play. You’re quite handsome yourself.

Embarrassment flooded Cam’s face. I’m not certain where to go from here. I really don’t ever do this.

Me neither so I guess we’ll have to figure it out together. Do you live close by?

Actually, he chuckled, yeah, I do. I have a condo directly across the road from here.

Seriously? A condo? But you chose to come sit in a bar by yourself?

Yeah. Weird, huh?

Unexpected, but not altogether weird.

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