Break Me Read online

  Ohmygosh, that was seriously an intense stare down. What was up with that shit-eating grin he just gave me? Ugh, I must have looked like an idiot just staring at him like that.

  “Colt freaking Taylor was just looking at you like you were his next meal!” Kelsey expresses to me with the huge smile from earlier still on her face, breaking me from my internal beat down.

  “Um…he’s not really my type,” I confess awkwardly, wringing my hands in my lap.

  “Not your type?! What about that hot piece of man meat isn’t to your liking?” Savannah incredulously asks, eyebrows raised in mock confusion. Oh wow, I misread Savannah wrong, for sure not the shy one.

  “I don’t know; he seems like he would eat me alive.” The discouragement is clear in my voice while I take another shy glance in his direction.

  Two beautiful girls are sitting at their table, one with her hand on Colt’s shoulder. I break my gaze at the movement of her hand, clearly staking her claim. A guy like Colt Taylor wouldn’t waste his time on me. I’m a one man girl. He has a never-ending supply of girls begging to be with him. He would never settle for just one and I can’t, won’t, share.

  “And that would be a bad thing?” Hannah eyes me like I’m crazy.

  “Oh Brealynn, he just hasn’t met you yet. You should rectify that situation and go introduce yourself to him…now.” Kelsey nudges me, but I refuse to budge.

  “Oh yeah, let me just walk up to him and Tim as they are hitting on those two girls and introduce myself.” I roll my eyes. “No, thank you.”

  Rejection is still very fresh in my mind. I chance one more glance in Colt’s direction and see him staring past the girl in front of him and looking directly at me. His gaze sets a blaze off deep in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know if it’s a warning sign or lust that consumes me at this moment.

  All I do know is it sure as hell is intense.

  I find it interesting his eyes are locked in my direction as a goddess hangs on his every word…

  “You guys want to head back to our dorms? Kelsey and I still have a lot of unpacking to do.” I have to get out of here. The girls agree and we all stand up, push our chairs in, and walk toward the coffee shop door. The whole time I can feel those brown eyes burning a hole in my back.

  Colt

  I’m about to get up to go introduce myself to Brealynn when Tim’s girlfriend of the week and some random girl come walking up to our table.

  Great.

  “Hello ladies, what are two pretty girls like you doing in a place like this?” Tim asks, thickening his accent with a cheesy grin on his face.

  “Oh stop, Tim.” Erin takes a seat next to him and teasingly slaps his arm.

  “Hey, Colt,” Random coos sweetly batting her eyelashes. “I’m Candle.” She is hopeful she will be the one to draw my attention. I’m not relationship material, but she is for sure fucking material. However, my sights are already set on someone else.

  “Erin. Candle,” I say with a nod as I start to stand.

  Who the fuck names their kid Candle?

  “Colllllt, stay here. We have not seen you in almost, like, six months! I am so glad you finally came home,” Erin says with a whine as she laces her slim fingers around my bicep, halting me.

  I take my seat again and just hope this conversation doesn’t last long. Tim is absolutely no help to me. He is slacking on his best friend and wingman duties. “What’s up, Erin. How was your break?” I give her my standard question and look straight past her at the girl who I want to give my full attention—maybe a little more than that, too, if you get what I am sayin’.

  Erin babbles on and on about her winter break, I just stare at the gorgeous girl across the room while Candle places her hand on my shoulder. Brealynn sneaks a look at me again, but only for a quick second, and nervously starts biting her lip.

  Damn, I’d like to taste that lip.

  “Colt, seriously, what has your attention so much that you can’t even listen to a word I am saying?” Erin turns around to look at who is in my line of sight and starts to laugh. “Wow, Colt. Brealynn Sutton? Really.” The sound of disgust in her voice rides on my nerves.

  “We have to get going,” Tim says, ejecting Erin from his lap, interrupting her and saving me.

  The best friend is back in action.

  Once again, I glance back to the front of the shop to see her walking out.

  Brealynn

  It’s day two of spring semester and things could not be going any better.

  Well, they could be better if I would’ve talked to Mr. Brown Eyes.

  Thoughts of his eyes running up and down my body yesterday consume me. If his hands made that same trail…Snapping out of that lust cloud, I push back the covers and climb out of bed.

  There are two beds here, one on each side of the room with a large window on the wall. I have the right side with my black and white chevron bedspread, and Kelsey is on the left with her side decorated in a sky blue and white chevron bedspread. We love chevron. I grab my shower bag and towel and start heading for the showers. It’s only eight, so Kelsey is still asleep and will be for a while. The girl never wakes up till after eleven. It is a good thing she didn’t sign up for any morning classes. I ease the door open, close it quietly, and start my walk down to the co-ed bathrooms.

  Yeah, you heard me right, co-ed.

  As I round the corner, I run right into a solid chest and fall backwards, landing ungracefully on my ass.

  How. Freaking. Embarrassing.

  “Whoa! Are you okay?” a deep voice drawls.

  I’m scared to look up.

  “Yeah- I- I’m fine. Sorry,” I stutter to his tan flip-flop feet.

  “Crashes happen every day. You should really take a defensive walking course, though.” His voice is full of humor and rumbles through me, shaking my whole being.

  I slowly look him over, sweeping my gaze from his feet up his bare tan legs, to a navy blue towel hung very, very low on his hips. I follow the V-line up where it blends into a firm six pack, and then to the amazing chest I just ran into. He has the most incredible tattoo sleeve that snakes up his arm, and wraps around his shoulder and probably continues to his back like it does his chest, which is lean muscle toned to perfection.

  I’m horrified by the time I look at his face, for many reasons. One being, I just ran smack into him and landed on my ass. Two, by the cocky grin that is on his face, he totally just caught me check him out. Three, I’m staring at the warmest set of brown eyes I’ve ever seen.

  He squats down to my level and offers me his hand. I’m totally distracted by the intricate details of his tattoo, the back and orange combination of artwork that starts at his wrist and travels upward. Colorful designs, one being a bike chain, stands out as it weaves across his forearm.

  I want to trace each one with my finger…or tongue. Either one. It doesn’t matter.

  Gah! What’s going on with me?

  I’m drooling over someone I don’t even realy know. He clears his throat and redness spreads over my cheeks as I realize his hand has been extended for quite a while. I grasp his hand as he helps me stand. Not releasing his grip, he introduces himself- not that he needed to.

  “I’m Colt Taylor.”

  I am feeling a little lightheaded, and I don’t know if it is from the fall, his touch, or his stare.

  “I-I’m Brealynn. I’m sorry about that, Colt,” I say, a little breathless.

  Damn girl, get a hold of yourself!

  “Not a problem. I got to meet a beautiful girl.” He flashes a straight white smile that contrast with his sun-tanned skin. As if in deep though, he stares at me a minute too long, “Did you enjoy your break?” He tilts his head slightly.

  I’m lost in thought again checking out this gorgeous man. Colt’s grin is holding the sexiest pair of dimples in place. His hair is styled into a wet perfect mess of a faux hawk. He should be illegal. I feel a slight tug on my hand and snap back to the conversation.

  “I-um- good?�
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  I really need to pay attention.

  I haven’t ever really talked to colt. There have been glances here and there, but that was the beginning of freshman year. Then, he was gone for over six months…I would have remembered any words with this man.

  “You don’t seem so sure. Who put the clouds in those beautiful eyes of yours?” he is currently rubbing circles slowly around my hand. I don’t realize that we have closed our distance to one another until I can feel his breath on my face, his eyes seeing into my soul.

  “Today’s forecast is clear. That’s all you need to know.” I step back with a smile on my face. Where this bout of courage came from, I have no idea. The fact that he notices something is on my mind, means nothing.

  I’m serious. It doesn’t.

  I’m a shitty liar.

  “Well, I love the sunshine, if you ever want to come outside and play.”

  “I’ll consider it.”

  And I will.

  “Please do. I know I will be thinking about you coming…probably when I am lying in my bed at night.” He shrugs and winks while releasing the hold he had on my hand.

  “See you around, Brealynn.”

  I just stand there dazed as he walks off down the hall.

  As he lays where? What? Damn.

  I thought see you around was a figure of speech, but since our run-in yesterday, I’ve seen Colt everywhere. I passed him several times between my other classes, and now that I sit here in Cougar Beans waiting for Kelsey to grace me with her presence—BOOM—in he walks with his friends.

  I immediately regret coming to this coffee shop.

  As if he can sense my presence, Colt looks over at me and gives me the cutest smile. Ugh! I smile back at him because it’s the polite thing to do and with a blush, look toward the door. I can’t handle the way my body reacts toward him; it’s best to hold him at an arm’s length. I’m practically burning a hole through the entrance of the coffee shop, wishing Kelsey would come bouncing through soon. The chair next to me screeches across the wood floor, and I slowly turn my head in that direction.

  “Hey, Brealynn. You decide to come out and play yet?” Colt scoots his chair a little too close for my comfort.

  Or, hormones.

  “Maybe,” I confess, darting my eyes shyly to make contact with his. It is true. I have been anxiously awaiting the party tonight, but running into him intensifies the butterflies that have been in my stomach since our run-in.

  He grabs a hold of my chair and scoots me closer to him. There isn’t much room between us at all. My heart rate picks up to an insane speed, and that same blaze he lit at our last meeting in this coffee shop is flaring back to life.

  “Don’t play with me, Brealynn. I haven’t been able to get you off my mind,” he speaks softly, leaning in close, tickling the hair around my ear, causing the fire to rise higher with each inch.

  “So, you’ve been thinking about me a lot while you lay in bed?” I couldn’t keep the look of amusement off my face if I tried. I can’t help but tease him.

  “That and other places,” he smirks as he leans back in his chair, assessing me.

  Oh. I see.

  “See you soon,” Colt says matter-of-factly while standing up and walking back to his group of friends right as Kelsey approaches our table.

  “Hey, Brea! Sorry I’m so late, I met a boy!” Kelsey drawls out with a dreamy smile on her face. Of course, she met a boy. I try to calm my nerves after the conversation with Colt seconds ago. I swear that boy brings out the lust in me something fierce.

  “Do tell?” I say with my own grin. The fact that Colt put the smile there, again, means nothing.

  “Well, his name is….oh crap, I didn’t get his name!” Cupping her hand over her mouth her eyes get big and I can see her cheeks turning red.

  “Seriously, Kels?” I laugh.

  “Well, anyways, he is a total CU-TEE. He is a junior. And did I say how cute he is? Dang it! I cannot believe I didn’t get his name!” I can. Kelsey is always meeting new guys. She is a certified serial dater.

  “You probably did and just spaced out on it,” I reassure her before taking a sip of my lemonade.

  “Yeah.” She breathes out a sigh. “Anyway, what was Colt doing over here?” I proceeded to tell her about running into Colt yesterday. “Oh man, so you have already seen him pretty much nakie! You should have grabbed the towel on your fall.”

  “Kels!” I scold, laughing.

  “What? At least that way you could see what he is working with,” she teases. “So, what did he have to say just now?”

  “He keeps asking me to come out.”

  “And, you say?”

  “Maybe. Besides, I am not ready to hear Parker gloat for being right about Nick.”

  “Is Parker here?” Making a show of her finger, she presses it into the table. “In this coffee shop?! Right now?!” Her voice is gradually getting higher with each word.

  “Shhh, Kelsey! He is going to hear you. He is over to your right at the back of the shop,” I whisper, frustrated.

  “Tim is over there; we can go say hi to him and then bitch slap Parker. No big deal,” she expresses, getting up.

  Quickly, I grab her arm and pull her back down. “No! Have you lost your damn mind?” Kelsey slowly lowers herself back into her chair and looks at me with squinty eyes.

  Like I’m the crazy one.

  “I don’t need any more guy drama. You can stop being mad at Parker now. He was just telling the truth about Nick.”

  “Hey, duo! Colt’s welcome home party is tonight if y’all feel like being big kids,” Tim teases as he pulls up a chair and sits down. Eyeing us, he must have seen our exchange while he was walking over to our table.

  “We will make sure to have our big girl panties on tonight. What time?” Kelsey leans back in the chair, crossing her arms, and wiggling her head with her question. Kelsey’s response is pissy. She’s throwing a fit. She doesn’t care for Parker very much after the last party we attended. Tim continues smiling toward her; he knows all about her mood swings.

  “Duo?” Clearly, I’m the only one who finds the name odd.

  “Yeah, ‘duo.’ Y’all are my hot as fuck duo girls.” He winks. Kelsey grumbles something inaudible. “All right, see y’all kiddies tonight. Maybe, Kelsey will be more pleasant when she’s drunk.” His chuckle fades as he makes his way across the café.

  “Well, I have to go. I have a two thirty class, and I should be out around three forty-five. Meet you back at the dorm?” I question Kelsey.

  “Yeah, sounds good.”

  Walking to my next class, I’m more excited about Colt’s welcome party than I want to admit to anyone. The thought of seeing him again sets off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. The way he looks at me, as if he can see past my exterior, scares me. Colt Taylor doesn’t do relationships; therefore, I’m not his type. After all, this is just a regular college party.

  I’m reading too much into it and have no idea what I’m going to wear.

  The Taylor boys are known around here for their BMX talents. Colt rides in several competition tours a year. Some require him to travel for months at a time, but the past several months he has been away on tour, and I assume, running from his pain. Rumor is, Parker decided to stay closer to college and get his degree over BMX. Colt has been riding pro since his freshman year of college. I have only really ever been around him a few times. I’m not a stalker, I swear! Everyone who goes to this school knows all about the Taylor boys. Most guys want to be them and the girls want to sleep with them.

  Just not this girl. At least, I am pretty sure I don’t.

  Well, I am pretty sure right this minute I don’t.

  Class drags on for ages, it seems. I click the top button on my iPhone to see it is only three o’clock, and I have a text and Instagram tag from Kelsey.

  Holy hotdog buns! We’re going to have so much fun tonight! – Kels

  At least she’s excited about the party now. Ducking my pho
ne under the desk, I type out a reply:

  Hotdog buns, really? LOL.

  Checking the tag, I see a picture of Kelsey and me that she snapped right before we left Cougar Beans. We both have our tongues sticking out. Looking under the photo, I see the caption she wrote: ‘Par-tay tonight! #Besties #SingleDuoStatus.’ A slow smile spreads across my face. I place my phone back in my pocket, grab my pen, and prepare to take some more notes while struggling through the rest of this painful lecture.

  My mom has already called me twice and sent a few text messages during the day today. She wants to know how I’m settling in after the break—AKA, post-Nick break-up. He was my first, and I was fast to believe that he loved me. I will not be making that mistake again. My parents never did like Nick or the fact I was going off to college and keeping my high school boyfriend. They wanted me to get the true college experience, and well, now I plan to. I would be damned if I let Alex see how much it affected me so I walked away with my head held high and broke things off with Nick. The truth came out when people realized it didn’t work out. It is shocking how many people knew he was cheating on me while I was away at college and never found it in them to tell me. Bastards.

  My parents are fun and pretty up to date with trends, but sometimes I think they forget they are the parents. I was born during my mother’s junior year at college, before the marriage. She still finished school and later married my father. However, because of her past, she wants better for me. Pulling out my phone, I send her a quick reply telling her I am doing just fine and will call her later this week. She is used to us texting or calling at least daily, so if she doesn’t hear from me, she can get a little crazy.

  Walking in the dorm room, I see Kelsey sitting on her bed texting away. I lie down on my bed and take a deep breath before interrupting her. “Hey, girl.”

  After about a minute, she finally looks up at me and smiles. “Hiiiii, I ran into that guy again today and got his number.”

  “Did you get his name, too?” I tease, sitting up and pulling my hair into a high ponytail.