Sun's Out Guns Out: A Spring Break Novella Read online

  Sun’s Out Guns Out

  Genevieve Matthews

  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Coming in May!

  About the Author

  Also by Genevieve Matthews

  Copyright © 2017 by Genevieve Matthews

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Blurb

  Suns Out Guns Out

  Melanie Hudson is taking a chance and determined to lose her virginity in the process.

  It’s her senior year of college and she has never done anything wild or crazy. She has hardly had much of a life at all besides work and school. Her only family is her very over-protective older brother and he’s not about to let her head off on spring break for booze, men and sunshine. But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

  It just isn’t fair when Melanie runs into her brother’s best friend, Luke Frazier, at the airport. She’s desperate to keep her plan a secret, but Luke has a protective streak that kicks into overdrive when he learns what she’s planning. He’s wanted Melanie for as long as he can remember, and he plans on claiming her as his own.

  Now she’ll really have something to hide from her brother.

  Sun’s Out Guns Out is a standalone novella, perfect for reading on the beach or at night when you get a few hours to yourself. No cliffhangers, no cheating. Just lots of steamy encounters and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

  Chapter 1

  My arms are wrapped tightly around my waist in an attempt to keep the contents of my stomach from making an unscheduled appearance. The plane takes another significant dip and my stomach heaves. I’m eyeing up the small, flimsy barf bag tucked into the back of the seat in front of me, but there’s no way I want to have to resort to that. Not in front of a plane full of people.

  “You don’t look so good,” my friend Heidi says. “What’s wrong, getting cold feet?”

  “No, I’m okay. I can’t believe I’m really doing this, though. And the turbulence isn’t helping my nerves.”

  “What are you more nervous about? Sneaking off without telling your brother or having sex for the first time?”

  The way my stomach flips with her question, I’d guess it is my nerves making me feel this way. I feel guilty about deceiving my brother but I’m excited about the possibilities on this vacation at the same time.

  “Possibly doing it for the first time. I have to find someone that wants to have sex with me first.” I don’t want the pressure that I have to do it this week. Only that I give myself permission if the situation presents itself.

  “Oh please, you’re gorgeous. You have nothing to worry about.”

  I don’t feel gorgeous right now. After a full day of travel, my thick blonde hair is pulled up in a messy bun and I opted to wear my glasses instead of my contacts. I suppose I look good in a sexy librarian kind of way.

  Heidi has more of the classic beauty traits and I’ve always been a little envious. We both went with comfy yoga pants for the trip, but where she looks athletic and lithe in hers, mine are serving the purpose of comfort. My ample curves need to be able to move and stetchy yoga pants are the perfect solution to being stuffed in jeans.

  The plane dips again and my stomach drops. Heidi’s right, I’m nervous.

  “I honestly can’t believe you’ve made it through your entire college career without having sex.”

  “What do you mean? I’ve lived with my brother in his apartment to save money. There’s no way I’d have sex there and he’d have the police out looking for me if I didn’t come home at night.” I pause for a moment, remembering one of my most embarrassing moments to date. “Do you remember when I was dating that guy Beck for a little while sophomore year?”

  “Beck?” She tips her head back and closes her eyes, trying to remember back two years. “Yes. The guy with the shaggy blonde hair? Cute in a dopey kind of way?”

  I laugh. “Yes. That’s the one. I invited him over to watch a movie one night when Jason was at work. We started making out on the couch and didn’t hear when he got home early. Jason caught him with his hand up my shirt and he flipped out on the guy. Needless to say, he never spoke to me again.”

  “Your brother needs to take chill pill. Does he expect you to stay single for the rest of your life?”

  “No. He’s just been really protective of me after everything that happened with our parents. He put me in therapy and worked really hard to make sure I’d turn out okay.”

  “I guess.”

  She knows the general facts of what happened to me when I was younger but I don’t think she really understands what it was like for my brother and I. I’ll always be grateful to him for taking over guardianship of me and keeping me out of the foster system.

  “So tell me about your first time,” I say, changing the subject.

  “Oh man, it was after my senior high school prom. We did it in his basement. It was quick and didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. I’m happy to tell you that older guys know what they’re doing.”

  There’s a giddy excitement inside of me just thinking about the possibility of finally being able to experience what it seems everyone else on the planet has already done.

  “So if you could have sex with anyone who would it be? Give me your top three.”

  “Celebrities?” I ask.

  “Um, both. Give me a celebrity and someone you know.”

  “Hmmm, that’s a hard question,” I say, thankful that our conversation has taken my mind off of the nervous feeling in my stomach. “Well, I’ve always had a crush on my brother’s best friend, Luke. He’s older and so sexy. Of course I’m sure I’ll always just be his best friend’s little sister. I haven’t seen him much over the last few years but the last time I saw him, he was working construction. He’s tall and so strong from all of that manual labor. He gets so tan in the summer, he looks like a Greek God.”

  I look over and Heidi’s looking at me with a huge mischievous smile on her face. “I’d say you like him alright! I mean, I’ve never met the guy and you have me panting over here.”

  “Okay, okay, now it’s your turn. Who would you have sex with if you could choose anyone?”

  “I’ll let you know when we get to the resort and I can scope out who I have to choose from.”

  She elbows me in the side and we both laugh.

  The rest of the flight goes by quickly. I manage to sleep for most of it and the next thing I know, Heidi is gently shaking my arm to wake me up.

  “Hey, Mel. Time to go,” she whispers.

  I look around and see that the rest of the passengers are starting to gather their things. Some people are already standing in the aisle, pulling their bags down from the overhead storage bins. I can’t believe I slept through all of the commotion.

  “Sorry,” I say as I rub my face and stretch my arms over my head. Quickly I stand up to get our things as well. I have to wait a moment for a man on the other side of the aisle to move out of the way so I look over to see how our other two friends, Mattie and Shari, are doing.

  Instead of finding them, howe
ver, I see someone else whom I know all too well, Luke Frazier. For a moment, I can’t breathe. I quickly look away, hoping that he didn’t see me. How is it possible that I was just talking about him and here he is?

  Normally it would be a good thing, running into him like this. Obviously he’s to-die-for gorgeous with his large, muscular frame, athletic body and panty-melting smile. The fact that I haven’t told my brother that I’m going to Mexico for spring break, however, means if Luke sees me, he’ll tell my brother. And then I’m screwed. And not in the way I want to be.

  Heidi and I grab our things and follow the slow progression of people out of the plane. We meet up with Mattie and Shari and all head down to baggage claim. I’m on edge, worried at every turn that I’ll run into Luke again. Part of me wants to continuously scan the area to be on the lookout and the other part of me wants to try to disappear into the sea of people.

  “How was your first flight?” Mattie asks while we step onto the escalator together. Now that we aren’t frantically following signs to figure out which direction to go we have a chance to take a breath and relax.

  “Not too bad. I had some serious nervous tummy but Heidi helped take my mind off of it.”

  “Oh no!” she says, linking her arms through mine and laughing. Her laugh is infectious and I can’t help joining in. Mattie and I have been friends since we were little. She’s been around for most of my firsts. Now we can cross flying and vacationing together off the list.

  We step off the escalator and follow the signs to customs. After waiting in line and getting my very first passport stamp, we head for the baggage claim area. Heidi and Shari are right behind us, holding the straps of our bags so we don’t get separated. Maneuvering into a small space at the end of the belt, we wait for the bags to start coming around.

  “Well, Mel, hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon so you can get right on your special mission for the trip.” Shari leans forward, talking in the middle of us so we can all hear each other among all of the noise.

  “Mel?” I turn around when I hear someone say my name. “I thought that was you.”

  I’m conflicted as I look up into Luke’s handsome face. My body immediately responds to his closeness like it has for years. My heart rate speeds up, I can feel my face start to flush and normally I lose the ability to think rationally. Right now, however, I can’t help thinking that I’ve been caught, the jig is up, and my brother is going to know that I lied to him and snuck away.

  “Luke!” I say, way too enthusiastically. “I can’t believe this! What are the odds that we’re vacationing in the same place?” I step forward and put my arm around his neck for a hug. He leans close and I can smell a mixture of leather from his shoulder bag and a soft woodsy smell, either from his cologne or body wash. He has a five o’clock shadow from traveling all day and when it rubs against my cheek, a tremble cascades through my body. I step back before he notices my reaction to him.

  “Yeah, quite a coincidence. So…Jason agreed to let you go on a trip to Mexico?” His look tells me he’s skeptical. He knows just how protective my brother can be and I can tell he’s not buying it.

  “Not exactly,” I say. Before I have a chance to beg and plead my case for him to forget he ever saw me, Shari interjects.

  “Hi there!” She steps next to me, holding out her hand. “I’m Mel’s friend, Shari. I don’t think we’ve met.”

  Luke takes her hand and shakes it while I remember my manners and introduce him to my friends. Once they’ve all had a chance to say hello and shake hands, Shari says, “I think he’s a great candidate, Mel.” She nudges me and whispers it but it isn’t quiet enough. I know he heard her.

  My face flames red and Luke furrows his brow in confusion. “A great candidate for what?” he asks.

  “Oh, nothing,” I say quickly. “Look,” I put my hand on his arm and direct him a few steps away from our group, “Do you think you could do me a small favor and not mention to Jason that you saw me here? I mean, I don’t want to put you in an awkward situation or anything…but maybe you could avoid bringing it up?”

  I’m thankful when he tips his head back and laughs, shaking his head at me like he can’t believe I’m up to my usual shenanigans.

  “He won’t hear it from me.” He puts his hand on his chest, a gesture signifying his promise to keep my secret.

  “Thank you,” I say, releasing a nervous laugh. “I owe you one.” I’m so relieved I put my hand on his arm and give him an affectionate squeeze. I do it without thinking and it feels more intimate than I intended. There’s an instant shift in the tension between us. I’ve had a crush on him for years but I didn’t think he ever noticed me in that way.

  There’s a flutter in my stomach when I realize that he is very aware of me. Maybe it’s the way he’s looking at me like he’s repressing heat just under the surface, hiding it the way a smoldering fire builds in intensity under the branches.

  “Mel, our bags,” Heidi says, pulling me swiftly back to reality.

  “Coming.” I yell to her over my shoulder but can’t pull my eyes away from Luke. It feels similar to when I am talking on the phone and don’t want to be the first one to hang up. Suddenly, I don’t want to say goodbye. I don’t want this feeling to slip away.

  He looks at the girls I’m with and puts his hand on my back, directing me back over to them. “Grab your bags, have a good time, and don’t worry about Jason.” He leans down and places a soft kiss on my cheek before he turns to walk away. Before he leaves completely, though, he stops by Shari and says, “Nice to meet you, Shari. One quick question…a great candidate for what?”

  Before I can interject and give her any sort of signal to lie, deny, or cover for me, she blurts out indiscreetly, “Oh, Mel’s on a mission to give away her V-card. Being a good friend, I’ve got to help her find a good contender.”

  Chapter 2

  My mouth would have hit the floor if I didn’t have my hand covering it. Shari’s confession has me completely flustered. That’s not something one tells just anybody…especially a really hot guy that I obviously have a history with. That’s a strictly-between-friends confidentiality and she has broken the code in a major way.

  I could have tried to play it off as a joke, but when I look at Luke’s face, he knows the truth. Whether from knowing Jason so well or knowing my nonexistent history with boys, I don’t know. I see the fight within him; he wants to scold me and put me right back on the plane, but he doesn’t want to embarrass me in front of my friends either.

  “Mel…you can’t be serious.” His tone is disapproving and there’s a silent plea in his eyes. If I could go back in time to erase the last sixty seconds, I would. I can’t stand that I’ve let him down. I inwardly cringe when I imagine what he must think of me.

  “No, no…it’s nothing, Luke.” I want to turn tail and run but that doesn’t prove a thing about my maturity. Did I want to have some fun this week? Hell, yes. But it isn’t as crude as Shari made it seem. I don’t see anything wrong with doing a little soul-searching while I’m here.

  “Yeah, nothing.” His sarcasm is a clear sign that he’s pissed. He was never the type of guy to get into a shouting match when he was upset about something, though. He would just disappear for a while, working everything out on his own, I imagine. And then when his feelings were in check again, he’d show up. It would be like nothing ever happened.

  “I’ve got to catch a taxi. Where are you staying?” This certainly isn’t going how I thought it would. I’m going to have to kick Shari’s ass later. He’s being bossy and I’m at the point in my life where I know I’ve earned the right to make my own decisions. I don’t need someone questioning my behavior.

  He grabs my hand and I get the impression he’s not letting go until I give him the information he wants. Knowing resistance is futile, I give him the name of our resort.

  “I need to go but I’ll see you, okay?” He turns and walks away with a casual wave. The nauseous feeling in my stomach is back w
ith a vengeance. This time my heart is involved, too. My entire midsection is a mixture of unpleasant feelings.

  I watch him walk all the way to the revolving doors. Even after he has disappeared through them I continue to stare, trying to get a handle on what exactly it is that I’m feeling inside.

  “Oh, hon. You look like a little lost puppy,” Shari says.

  “Shari!” Mattie says, coming to my defense.

  “What?” Shari gives Mattie a dismissive wave but she’s not having it. For two people that have been friends for so long, they sure are like oil and water.

  “What do you mean, what? You totally embarrassed her!”

  “Not to mention that wasn’t your information to tell,” Heidi chimes in. “How would you like it if we told some random guy that you were a virgin but looking to cash in your V-card?”

  “I would thank you! I planted the seed in his head. You know it’s all he’s going to be thinking about now.” She turns and looks directly at me. “Mel, I didn’t mean to embarrass you but it’s obvious that you two have chemistry and he’s hella hot.”

  “He’s my brother’s best friend, Shari. Nothing can happen between us, my brother would never allow it.”

  “Your brother isn’t here. What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico,” Shari says, putting her hands on my shoulders and looking directly into my eyes to make sure she gets her point across. “Sooner or later Jason’s going to have to realize that you aren’t the little girl that he thinks he needs to take care of anymore. You’re a smart, beautiful, grown-ass woman. A grown-ass woman who needs to get laid, that is.”

  Some of the anxiety finally starts to ebb and I let myself smile. Ready to move on I say, “Okay, let's get our bags and get to the hotel before it gets too late. We need to have time to explore and find some trouble to get into tonight.”