Sabrina's Song Read online

  www.beautifultroublepublishing.com

  Copyright © 2011 by Milana Howard

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright.

  This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  Published by

  Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC

  PO Box 61

  Colfax, NC 27235

  www.beautifultroublepublishing.com

  Cover Art: Shara Azod, www.sharaazod.com

  Editor: Stephanie Parent

  Proofreader: Barb Wilson

  Formatter: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/

  E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/

  ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-236-4

  For those who believe in happily ever after.

  NOTE ABOUT EBOOKS

  eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

  CAVEAT

  This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.

  Chapter One

  Time to start the countdown. Bryer Gaudet was in the middle of completing the nightly closing procedures at his bar, Votives. The sudden sound of glass shattering in the distance caused him to cringe. Immediately following the awful noise, Tara called out, “Sorry!” When his gaze met Sabrina’s, he knew she’d more than likely give her signature I-told-you-so eyebrow raise. She didn’t fail to meet his expectation.

  “Don’t look in this direction unless you want the truth.” Sabrina was reviewing the closing paperwork from the register. Stacks of receipts were organized into neat, paper-clipped piles. It was obvious she didn’t trust that Tara’s transactions had been performed correctly.

  “All right. Lay it on me.” Bryer prepared for the worst as he pushed up his shirt sleeves and wiped down the bar’s surface with a rag.

  “I have nothing personal against Tara. She tries. However, she’s been working here for three weeks and can’t keep an order straight. And has she ever served a drink without spilling it?”

  He let out a deep sigh. “I’ll admit she’s clumsy, but I thought she’d eventually catch on.”

  “Mm-hm. Keep telling yourself that.”

  “Okay, so maybe I made a mistake. No need to bust my balls,” he said with a laugh.

  “I’m just saying. You’re the one who hired her based on boobs, not brains.”

  Bryer looked pointedly at her chest. Though he was no expert on bra sizes, he’d guess that Sabrina’s breasts couldn’t be contained by the first four letters of the alphabet. Those mounds of glory had distracted him more than a few times. With feigned innocence, he whistled and went back to cleaning the bar.

  Sabrina laughed. “The difference here,” she gestured to her top heaviness, “is that they don’t subtract IQ points as they do in Tara’s case. Or she’s one of those chicks who believe having a huge rack means you don’t have to think. Either way, you only have yourself to blame for hiring her.”

  She was right. As usual. Sabrina had a no-bullshit way of putting things in perspective. Giving it to him straight, no chaser had been her modus operandi since the day they met. Growing up, they’d lived across the street from each other. It was hard to believe the girl next door grew up into the woman he was talking with now.

  Bryer encountered her at Votives fifteen years after he’d left their old neighborhood. She’d come into his bar to apply for the assistant manager position he’d advertised. Despite the years, he’d recognized her immediately. She was his first love.

  Concentrating was an immense challenge when Bryer interviewed Sabrina. Her presence left him at a loss for words. Seeing her again brought back a flood of memories, memories of their first kiss and the times he couldn’t sleep because he was wondering if she was thinking about him.

  He never thought he’d get a chance to have her back in his life after so many years. Hiring her on the spot seemed the most natural thing to do. Sabrina made his open-to-close shifts more enjoyable than if the day had been spent without her.

  Her schedule was committed to his memory. As an interior design student at the local art institute she had little time to socialize, a fact Sabrina had made abundantly clear. She’d spent unhappy years in retail management and was now pursuing her passion with a singular focus. Bryer was always pleasantly surprised when she spent a few extra minutes shooting the shit with him, as she did now. “What’re your plans for the night?” He watched her as she filed away the closing reports.

  “I thought I’d order Chinese food and watch some trashy reality TV. Alex is out of town, so I have the place all to myself.”

  Alex was Sabrina’s douchebag, oftentimes long-distance boyfriend. It was entirely possible that he wasn’t a douchebag, but his mere existence made him such. Bryer considered it irony at its best that Sabrina would reenter his life while in a relationship with a guy who resembled Ricky Martin. He didn’t want to get in the way of her happiness; he just thought she’d be happier with him.

  “Sounds great.” Bryer’s tone was flat and had a slight trace of the bitterness which manifested whenever Sabrina mentioned Alex. To soothe himself, he watched her bend over to put her nametag in a drawer under the register. Her plump, round ass put him into a momentary yet satisfying stupor.

  “Well…have a good night.” She grabbed her handbag and walked out the door with a sway of her hips.

  “Yeah, good night,” Bryer mumbled quietly to himself. Yup, it would be a good night. A good night of some good old-fashioned jerking off while watching some good old-fashioned porn. Too bad the busty, pouty-lipped porn stars were only a sad substitute for the triple X-rated action he imagined having with Sabrina.

  He was thankful the waist apron he wore while bartending hid just how badly he wanted her. Bryer could barely maintain professionalism in their working environment. Over time, he’d developed a torturous habit of checking out Sabrina when she wasn’t looking. Sometimes it seemed like she knew what he was up to by the markedly flirty strut in her steps. She’d flash a smile and walk by him as if she wasn’t the least bit aware of her feminine power.

  After a year of working with Sabrina, Bryer continued to be fascinated by her features. Sabrina’s smooth skin was a luscious mocha shade that appeared to be lit from within. Deep mahogany, tightly crimped curls cascaded around her shoulders. For work she often wore her hair up in a bun. Although it was a conservative style, it made him picture her as a naughty geisha. Her almond-shaped hazel eyes added to the effect.

  And then there was Sabrina’s mouth-watering fragrance that always managed to throw him off kilter. She smelled like the sensual sweetness of night-blooming jasmine. He was fixated on finding out whether the tantalizing scent lingered over all her hidden areas.

  Often he tried to put together a mental picture of e
xactly what was underneath her clothes. At one point in time, he was well acquainted with all of Sabrina’s splendid dips and curves, not that he did much except ogle their majestic qualities. All that was before she’d fully developed into her womanly figure. Now there was a new, mysterious aspect to the adult version of Sabrina. He wondered about the shade of her nipples and if she kept herself smoothly shaven, or if she left a thin trail of hair to lead to her tastiest parts. Sabrina consumed his senses entirely, frequently causing him to lose his train of thought when she was around.

  “I’m so sorry about the broken glasses.”

  “What? Oh. Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Tara’s apology caught Bryer off-guard. He hadn’t seen or heard her until she was directly in front of him.

  “Really?” She bit down on her bottom lip. “Thanks. I know I’ve messed up a lot here, but I’m really trying.”

  He chuckled. Being reminded of Sabrina’s words only made him wish he had the privilege of sharing takeout and TV with her.

  “What’s so funny?” Tara’s expression registered complete confusion.

  “Nothing. It’s time to go. Do me a favor and let everybody know we’re getting out of here.”

  “Sure…and Bryer?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for being so understanding.” Tara placed her hand on his shoulder, slowly rubbing and squeezing it with the clear implication that she was willing to do more to show her gratitude.

  “Don’t mention it.” Even though he knew he could’ve had Tara in his bed that night, it made no difference to him. She was nothing compared to Sabrina.

  Chapter Two

  Driving home, Sabrina was determined to shake the electricity that sparked between her and Bryer. Although she’d been going with Alex for six months, it didn’t make her impervious to the chemistry she’d just experienced. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she did have something very personal against Tara. The clumsy cocktail waitress gave clear signals that she’d set her sights on their boss. Sabrina was starting to believe the chick wasn’t as accident-prone as she put on. Every time Tara made an overly meticulous show of cleaning up her messes, it came off as a contrived excuse to put her ass in the air.

  Sabrina refused to compete with her for Bryer’s attention. And why should she? Her relationship with Alex was ripe with possibilities, even though she rarely got to spend time with him. As a regional sales director for a popular fitness club, he was always traveling from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Phoenix to…wherever. What mattered was that he always took the time to text her an “I miss you” or call with an “I wish you were here.” It wasn’t his fault sentimental words didn’t fill the emptiness of so many nights spent alone.

  With a twinge of guilt, Sabrina remembered Bryer’s lingering glances. His blue eyes roved over her much like they did when they were younger. Only now the puppy-dog look had transformed into something much more mature and masculine and…dangerously sexy.

  When Sabrina unlocked the door to her apartment, she realized how easily she could imagine Bryer there with her. She glanced around the quiet space of the living room. After setting down her bag, she began her usual routine of changing into her comfortable cotton pajamas and relaxing with a glass of wine.

  She sat on the couch with her Beaujolais, reminiscing about the first time she saw Bryer at Votives. It took a moment to relate the image of the over six feet tall, rock-solid man to the gangly, slouching boy who gave her a very awkward but sweet first kiss. Maybe milk really did do a body good. With his broad shoulders and large hands, the grown-up Bryer looked like he’d know exactly how to handle her.

  Absorbed by the idea of him, she imagined that he was sitting beside her. Bryer’s soulful blue eyes would smolder with that fiery intensity that to this day still drove her crazy. In that adorable way of his, he’d run his hands through his thick, dark brown hair, disheveled from a long day at work. He’d take her in his sinewy arms and finally reveal how badly he wanted her, how much he’d always wanted her.

  The idea of it all made her laugh. It was a ridiculous fantasy, made especially ludicrous considering she was in a relationship and should no longer be playing out what-ifs and imaginary scenarios. Sure, she and Bryer shared a past, but interpreting their status quo as something more meaningful was taking it a step too far. Life moves on, and her life moved her on to a man named Alex.

  She grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels. Nothing looked appealing. Finally, she settled on a Family Feud rerun. The game show had certainly gotten racier over the years—a final round answer included “penis.” After watching an hour’s worth of mindless entertainment, she started to nod off to sleep. The sudden jarring sound of her cell phone ringing snapped her awake. Sabrina answered it with a groggily uttered “hello.”

  “Hey girl!”

  “Amara, what’re you doing up so late?”

  “Your birthday is coming up!”

  “And?”

  “And we should be making plans for a celebration.”

  “At one o’clock in the morning?”

  “My baby sister is turning thirty. It’s a big deal! Thirty is a milestone. We must do it up this year.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Come on! How can you not be excited?”

  “Because meeting the demise of my twenties doesn’t exactly make me want to turn cartwheels.”

  “I disagree.”

  “Of course you would. You’d use any reason to throw a party.” Her sister was an event planner slash boutique owner whose love of her work often spilled over into her personal life.

  “Maybe, but that new Cuban restaurant at Sunset Plaza has the most gorgeous outdoor space. I’ll rent it out for your night. We can have an intimate gathering. Just friends and family.”

  “I guess.”

  “Think about it, I mean seriously think about it, and give me a call once you’ve come to your senses.”

  “You mean when I give in to your demands.” Sabrina was accustomed to her older sister bulldozing over any objections if it meant getting her way. Amara cackled maniacally before hanging up.

  Noticing that her glass was nearly empty, Sabrina decided it was time for a refill. She’d just gotten her hands on the bottle when her phone rang again. It was most likely her sister calling back with some over-the-top idea she was compelled to tell her about. She reached the phone just in time to catch the call before it went to voice mail. The number on the screen made her smile.

  “Hola, morena!”

  “Alex! You don’t know how much I miss you. I was just about to go to bed. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “Same here. I just wanted to let you know that it looks like this trip is running longer than originally planned.”

  “Oh. Well, you know my birthday’s coming up. Amara wants to throw a party for me. You’ll be back by then, right?”

  “Of course, mi amor. Wouldn’t miss it. Anyway, I’ve got an early flight to catch, so I’ll talk to you later this week.”

  “Okay. Get some sleep. I love you.”

  “Te amo.”

  When Sabrina heard Alex’s gravelly, accented voice saying “I love you,” she knew that all was right in her world. She had all she needed with the man who made it to her present. With a flick of her wrist on the remote, she turned off the TV, sauntered to the kitchen to put her glass in the sink, and went to bed.

  She’d just drifted away from consciousness when her cell phone’s vibration rattled against the nightstand. Half asleep, she groped around in the dark for the source of the annoying sound. When she answered her phone, Sabrina wasn’t sure if she was dreaming.

  “How’s the beef and broccoli?”

  The sound of Bryer’s voice made her instantly wide awake. He rarely called her outside of work-related issues. And though it shouldn’t affect her, it warmed her heart to know that he remembered her favorite takeout dish. “I haven’t ordered any, and probably won’t since it’s so late.”

 
“That’s too bad. Want some company?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She glanced at the other side of the bed, noticing how empty it looked. The sheets and pillows were undisturbed.

  “Why? Afraid something unseemly would happen?” He laughed.

  Did he have ESP or something? “No…it’s just—”

  “I’ll be good.”

  She could definitely believe that. However, he was crossing the line of her unspoken rule. Flirting at work was one thing, but if he came over, who knows. All hell could break loose.

  “Are you there?”

  Shit. Thinking about how good Bryer could be led to a noticeable silence on her part. She had to stop doing this. “Yeah. Actually, I’m really tired. I must’ve fallen asleep for a second. See you at work tomorrow night.”

  “All right then. Good night, Sabrina.”

  Chapter Three

  Bryer yanked open the fridge, grabbed a beer, and swallowed half of it. He sat with his guitar and played notes that echoed his frustration. Music had always been an outlet for the emotions he couldn’t express. The current emotion being epic fail.

  Knowing that he’d screwed up with Sabrina irritated the hell out of him. Even though their “just friends” status was a thorn in his side, he’d rather have her friendship than nothing at all. Bryer tried his damnedest to get used to the idea of her with someone else. He thought he’d eventually be okay with it, but hearing her say Alex’s name tonight pushed him over the edge.

  It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard the Latin Lothario’s name before; it was the tender way she’d said it tonight that drove him insane. Bryer could remember when she used to say his name like that. Years ago, when they used to have to beg their parents’ permission to stay out longer on school nights, Sabrina would look into his eyes and say his name in a soft, sweet tone that sent shivers through his body.