Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Read online

  Charmed

  Copyright © 2016 Joanne Schwehm

  All Rights Reserved

  Edited by Pam Berehulke, Bulletproof Editing

  Cover Design by Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Formatted by Integrity Formatting

  Kindle Edition

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

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The use of artist, song titles, famous people, locations, and products throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way been seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  DEDICATION

  To my loves, who always believe in me.

  Don’t be afraid to write your own story. Take life by the balls and hang on for the ride. You never know where it will lead you.

  —Gretchen Prescott

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Coming Soon

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Stay in Touch

  Books by Joanne Schwehm

  Excerpt: Unexpected Chance

  CHAPTER 1

  ~ Gretchen ~

  “I’m so glad you’re here.” I flung my arms around my boyfriend’s neck while I peppered his cold cheeks with kisses. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you too, babe.” Scott dropped his bag and arched his back as he hugged me at my front door, lifting my feet off the floor.

  “We’re going to have the best Christmas,” I said, giving him a big grin. His term of endearment had caught me off guard, but it was cute. “I can’t wait to make up for lost time.”

  He smiled and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry I’ve been away so much.”

  Even though Scott always told me he missed me when we spoke on the phone, seeing the longing in his eyes solidified it for me. We were in this together . . . he was the one for me, and I for him. If there had been any doubt, it vanished the minute he held me.

  My four brothers—Drake, Jack, Dane, and Josh—always gave me a hard time about Scott. They couldn’t stand him. At first, I figured they wouldn’t like anyone who dated their baby sister, but ever since Scott was promoted, he’d been working in Michigan more often. Since I lived in Virginia, this had become problematic. Quite frankly, my brothers didn’t like when I was sad.

  Don’t get me wrong; I was proud of Scott but wished he could be around more. However, we were together now and that was what mattered. We were actually celebrating our Christmas today, Christmas Eve, since Drake’s wedding was tomorrow, and Lucy, his fiancée, was sleeping at my place tonight. She’d wanted to stick with tradition and not see the groom the night before the wedding, and if it made her happy, then it was fine with me.

  Scott took off his coat and left his suitcase in my bedroom, then we cuddled together on my living room couch. Being in his arms was what I had wanted, what I’d missed.

  “When’s Lucy coming over?” he asked, twirling a lock of my hair between his fingers.

  “I’m supposed to pick her up from Drake’s later tonight.” I smiled, remembering how Drake had thought it was ridiculous for them to spend the night before the wedding apart. But since he’d do anything to make her happy, he’d reluctantly agreed.

  Scott slid a hand down my arm and grazed my nipple with his thumb. “So, we shouldn’t waste any time.”

  The huskiness in his voice was a signal to my lady parts to get ready, and they tingled in response. It had been so long since we’d been together, I couldn’t wait to be with him again.

  Taking my bottom lip between my teeth, I held his gaze and shook my head. “No, we shouldn’t.”

  Scott stood and removed his clothes. His muscular torso, strong legs, and hardened length made my mouth water. His eyes darkened to a deep shade of blue as he demanded, “Get naked, Gretchen.”

  Without hesitation, I stood up and stripped out of the tunic sweater and leggings I’d been wearing, then lost the matching bra and panties too. His eyes raked up and down my now bare body, and my skin prickled under his stare. Without another word, he tugged me down to the sofa and positioned himself on top of me.

  “I wish I could make this last, but I need to be inside you.” His lips fused to mine at the exact moment he thrust one, then two fingers into me. “You’re so gorgeous.”

  Thank goodness I was already somewhat wet. “Just make love to me, Scott.”

  He removed his fingers and was about to slide inside me when his phone rang. His head snapped toward the sound, and his hand left me to move toward the vibrating device on the coffee table.

  “Seriously? You’re not going to answer that, are you?”

  “It’ll only take a minute.”

  My jaw dropped as he reached for the phone. The tip of his dick, which was what he was being at the moment—a dick—dragged against my thigh. My heart pounded as I listened to him in disbelief.

  “Hello.” He listened for a moment. “Yes, I understand. Of course.”

  As I stared at him, Scott said into the phone, “I’ll be there. Send me the flight information. See you later.”

  He disconnected the call and set his phone back onto the table.

  It was that last line that got to me. What the hell?

  “You’ll see who later, and where?” I sat up and crossed my arms in front of my bare breasts, my chest heaving a little higher with each furious breath I took.

  Scott eased off the couch, not meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry, but I need to take care of something in Michigan.” He grabbed his clothes off the floor and walked into my bedroom, leaving me stunned into silence.

  “Tonight?” I called out. “Now?”

  When he came out of my bedroom, carrying his coat and rolling his suitcase behind him after letting me stew for ten long minutes, I glared at him in disbelief. Scott was completely disregarding what we had been doing on my sofa, not to mention ignoring my questions.

  He stopped by the couch and slid his arms into his coat. “Please give your brother and Lucy my best.”

  Oh my God. Seriously? He was actually going to leave me right now? But he’d just gotten back into town, and we were supposed to have tonight and all day tomorrow together before he left again the next day. This was so unfair.

  Feeling completely vulnerable sitting on my couch naked while he was fully dressed, I jumped up to grab my long sweater off the floor and pulled it over my head. It helped, but not much.

  �
��But you just got back,” I said, trying hard to keep the whine out of my voice.

  “I said I was sorry,” his clipped tone made me flinch. “This can’t be helped.”

  “That’s all you have to say? What about my brother’s wedding? What about me? Tomorrow is Christmas.” My eyes welled with tears, but I prayed they wouldn’t fall.

  He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Gretchen, but I need to handle this. They’ve moved my flight to tomorrow and it leaves before dawn. Since Lucy is coming over, I’ll go to my place now.” After he gave me a lame smile, he reached into the front pocket of his suitcase and pulled out a box. “This is for you. I hope you like it.”

  He sounded excited, which heightened my anticipation although I was still upset.

  I swallowed hard and took the present he offered before retrieving his gift from under the tree I’d decorated on my own. I’d bought him a new iPad, but that wasn’t the entire gift. I’d also created a website dedicated to us. It had pictures of us from college to the last time we went to the beach. I’d planned to update it with more memories as we made them. It was a virtual scrapbook. Something I’d wanted to do for years. I’d been so excited about it, but now it just seemed unimportant.

  “You go first.” He nodded toward the rectangular box. When I shook it, he chuckled. “Always impatient.”

  From the size of the box, I thought maybe it was a bracelet, an exciting thought. He’d never given me jewelry before. Leave it to Scott to pick a time when I couldn’t thank him properly to finally do it. Then I unwrapped the rectangular box and my heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach—again.

  It was a silver pen. A freaking pen. I spun it in my fingers, looking for an inscription, but it was blank.

  “Do you like it? When I saw it, I thought of you.”

  He thought of me? Since I was a website designer, all my writing was done online. A thumb drive would have been more thoughtful.

  Trying my best not to sound even more disappointed, I smiled. “Thank you. I love it.”

  At least I could use it for when I filled out the polls in Cosmo. Maybe there’d be one about the most unromantic gifts you’d received from your boyfriend. On the outside, I tried to look pleased, but on the inside, I was confused.

  Scott didn’t bother opening his gift; he swiftly slid it in his bag and headed toward the door. So much for that.

  After we said good-bye, my heart felt heavy. Not because of the pen, but because of Christmas and the wedding. Once again, I’d be flying solo.

  My brothers were going to flip out. Scott’s absence at this important family occasion would add one more nail in the coffin—the coffin that held my relationship. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought about Scott. He was my boyfriend, and I still saw the charming guy I’d met in my college economics class. Back then, he couldn’t take his eyes off me and was relentless in gaining my attention until he finally won me over.

  I shook my head in frustration. Scott might not be perfect, but no man was, even my own brothers. From what I heard, they were every woman’s dream come true, but to me they were overgrown boys who had pulled my pigtails when I was a kid, and to this day protected me like I was the first lady and they were the Secret Service.

  Not knowing what to do with myself, I got dressed again and sat at my computer to check my e-mails. I was excited to see one from Jonas West, a sports agent who wanted to discuss redesigning his website after the first of the year. I shot back a quick reply, telling him I looked forward to meeting with him.

  I spun in my small desk chair and stared at the painting of a sandy beach that hung on my living room wall. One day I’d live in a place like that. Being near the water made me happy, as it did Scott. We’d taken trips to Ocean City and Virginia Beach, but that had just whet my appetite for that lifestyle, not satisfied it. Our dream, well, my dream was to one day live where the tide rolls in, where the horizon fades into the sky.

  But that would have to wait since I was nowhere close to that goal. My stomach, however, had its own goal, and that was dinner. Rather than order takeout, I curled up on my couch with a bowl of cereal and watched a sappy Christmas movie.

  * * *

  By the time I picked Lucy up a couple of hours later, I was more than ready for a girls’ night.

  “Are you sure it’s all right that I sleep over?” Lucy asked, obviously a bundle of nerves.

  Drake carried her overnight bag as he greeted me at the door. “Hey, sis.” He turned toward Lucy. “I understand tradition and all, but isn’t this a bit extreme?”

  All I could do was laugh at my big brother as he reluctantly handed me Lucy’s bag. “I think you can go one night without her. Plus, you’ll see her in the morning.”

  “But it’s Christmas Eve. We should be together.” He looped his arms around Lucy’s waist. “I’ll miss you, baby.”

  Feeling like a voyeur, I said, “That’s enough, you two.” I stood in the threshold, urging her to leave.

  Lucy giggled and turned red. My brother licked his lips, which was a move I wish I hadn’t seen.

  “I love you, baby,” he said, and once again, they were lip-locked.

  I was so happy for them, but decided to retreat to my car and give them some private time.

  All my thoughts revolved around my family as I sat and waited for Lucy. Was there any excuse they would accept for Scott ditching me?

  Dammit. The more I thought about him, the more disappointed I became. It was so sad to think the past few years of my life had been with someone who today seemed like a stranger.

  * * *

  Morning came fast. Lucy and I really didn’t have much alone time since Drake followed us to my apartment and stayed until the stroke of midnight. That’s when we kicked him out, or he would have stayed longer. Every time he attempted to leave, he came back for another hug or kiss. Finally, I locked the door so Lucy and I could go to bed.

  Once we got up the next morning, Lucy and I spent the day talking about anything other than men. When I told her Scott wasn’t going to be at the wedding, she felt awful.

  “Please don’t make a big deal about it,” I told her. “Today is about you and Drake. Speaking of which, I have something for you.” I went into my room and grabbed a white gift bag.

  Lucy’s eyes filled as I held it out to her. “I love it.”

  “You haven’t even opened it yet,” I said with a laugh. “If you’re crying over a gift bag, we definitely better use extreme waterproof mascara on you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t expecting anything.” Lucy wiped her eyes.

  “I know we all said we wouldn’t exchange Christmas gifts, but this is different.”

  With a shaky hand, she pulled the light blue ribbon, removed the tissue paper, and pulled the box out of the bag. When she opened the box, my silver Tiffany bracelet with a single aquamarine stone lay inside.

  “Drake gave that to me when I graduated from high school.”

  The dainty chain dangled off her index finger as she studied it. “Gretchen, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say thank-you and that you’ll give it back to me.” Grinning, I explained, “It’s for your something borrowed and something blue.”

  More tears streamed down her face. “Thank you.”

  Lucy pulled me into a tight hug. She was the perfect match for my brother, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

  “You need food in you. Then we’re going to get ready for your big day.”

  We stood and Lucy turned toward me. “Thank you for everything. I hope you’re as happy as I am one day. You deserve it, Gretch.”

  “Thanks. I hope so too.”

  Lucky for us, the roads were clear late that afternoon when it was time to head to Jack’s house, where the wedding was being held. That’s one thing about Virginia—we didn’t get much snow, but when we did, it was a pain in the ass. When I was a kid, I loved winter, but now, not so much.

  When we arrived at Jack’s, his long
driveway was full of delivery vans. I let out a breath and put on my happy face, determined not to let anyone or anything put a damper on Drake and Lucy’s big day.

  Once we were inside, my jaw dropped. Jack’s marble foyer was lined with flowers on pedestals, leading into the living room where the ceremony would be. As if on auto-pilot, my hand covered my heart when I took in the aisle Lucy would be walking down. Each side was lined with flowers and candles; it was a bride’s dream.

  “Hey, ladies.” Jack stepped forward to give us each a hug. “It’s good to see you. How are you holding up, Lucy?”

  She beamed. “I’m doing great. How’s Drake?”

  “He’s fine.”

  Lucy smiled, but I knew by Jack’s expression that Drake was anything but fine. She released a breath and headed upstairs before the groom-to-be spotted her.

  Jack glanced behind me. “Is Scott meeting you here?”

  A lump formed in my throat. “No, he had to go back to Michigan this morning.” When Jack scowled, I placed my hand on his arm. “Please don’t make a big deal out of it. Honestly, I’m good, and you know how it is when duty calls.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I understand. His loss is my gain, right? I found my dance partner for the evening.”

  I rolled up on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s a date, big brother. Now, I need to go get ready.”

  “The women are in the master bedroom, and your oldest brother is outside sweating as if it’s July rather than December.”

  Jack and I shared a laugh at Drake’s expense.

  Lucy and I took over Jack’s bedroom so we could get dressed. Her gown was beautiful, but she was radiant. The creamy silk-and-lace gown hugged her shape perfectly. Drake was going to have a fit when he saw her.

  “Lucy, you’re gorgeous.”

  “Can you believe I’m going to become Mrs. Drake Prescott today?” She squeezed me again, and I couldn’t help but smile at my soon-to-be sister-in-law. The love she had for my brother radiated from her, making my heart full with emotion.

  “I’m excited to have another female on my side. It’s been brutal being the only girl.”