For All The Right Reasons Read online

  For All The Right Reasons

  Rachael Brownell

  Contents

  For All The Right Reasons

  About the Author

  Also by Rachael Brownell

  A Warning

  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

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  Chasing Fate

  A special note

  For All The Right Reasons

  A fling.

  Our little secret.

  He was fun. Available. With a sharp tongue and a killer body.

  My attraction to him was palpable. I couldn't resist the magnetic pull anytime he was around. And to be honest, I didn't want to.

  But like all good things, our tryst came to an end.

  Our time between the sheets may have been over, but that didn't mean I wasn't still attracted to him. That I didn't dream about him at night or remember our time together fondly.

  Because if there's one thing I can say for sure about Nathan, it's that he's unforgettable. In more ways than one.

  About the Author

  Rachael Brownell is an award-winning author of young-adult and new-adult romance. She resides in the midwest with her husband and son. To learn more about Rachael and her books, follow her on social media or sign up for her monthly newsletter.

  For more information…

  www.AuthorRachaelBrownell.com

  [email protected]

  Also by Rachael Brownell

  Friends-to-lovers Romance…

  For All The Wrong Reasons

  Worth The Fight

  Chasing Fate

  * * *

  Second-chance Romance…

  Always in My Heart

  Waiting on Someday

  Imperfect Love Story

  Imperfect Love Story: New Beginnings

  Sticks & Stones

  * * *

  Dark, gritty, sexy Romance…

  Dark Bishop

  Caught in the Storm

  Surviving the Storm

  * * *

  Office Romance…

  Damaging Rumors

  Devious Rumors

  Delicate Rumors

  Deserving Rumors

  Devastating Rumors

  Defensive Rumors

  * * *

  Romantic Comedy…

  Dating Dilemma

  * * *

  Young-adult Romance…

  Holding On

  Unglued

  Weakness

  Flawed Reality

  Take A Gamble

  Lucky 13

  For All The Right Reasons

  A Warning

  Warning? Say what?

  * * *

  Just a friendly reminder that For All The Right Reasons is book 2 in the Reasons series. I highly recommend reading book 1, For All The WRONG Reasons before you read this book. If you haven’t read Gabby & Quinn’s story, there are many parts of this book that will ruin it for you.

  Chapter One

  JADE

  Used condoms belong in the garbage, not the hallway. Thank you! ;)

  Gabby's handwriting scrawled across the whiteboard on the refrigerator stops me in my tracks.

  She found a used condom. In the hallway. We are so busted!

  All summer long, we've managed to get away with it. We played it cool when we were in a group. I kept my hormones in check while in pubic. Even when we were drinking, when the truth tends to slip out, we were able to keep our little secret.

  Two. More. Fucking. Days.

  How the hell did this happen? When?

  I mean, I sort of know the answers to those questions already. Last night. His room. Multiple times.

  But we're always careful. And not just in the sense that he wears protection so I don't end up being a statistic. We're careful in the sense we always wait until Gabby and Quinn are in bed before I sneak into his room. Careful in the sense he always wraps the condom in a piece of toilet paper before he throws it away.

  We've taken several precautions to avoid being caught.

  When we split up cleaning duties that first night, he volunteered to clean the bathrooms and take out the garbage. At first I thought it was odd. Who wants those tasks? Aside from the kitchen, the bathroom is the grossest room in the house to clean.

  Then I realized what he was up to. He had a backup plan. If he was cleaning the bathrooms, it wouldn’t look suspicious. It was a way to ensure no one would ever notice the condoms in the garbage.

  Genius.

  We’ve been able to keep whatever this is a secret partially because of his quick thinking. Also because we’ve been careful and cautious. But now this is about to come to an end.

  A summer fling was not on my to-do list. I came here to work. To have a little fun. To meet new people and not have to think about homework and how, in two short years, I'll be an adult with adult responsibilities.

  I wanted one last summer of fun and freedom.

  And that's exactly what I've had. I've also had more mind-blowing sex than I care to admit to. More orgasms than I've had in the four years since I lost my virginity combined. Hell, I'm not even sure I ever had one before I crawled into bed with Nathan.

  That's probably why I agreed to his proposal. I hadn't come down from the euphoric high I was on. One kiss was all it took to win me over. To make my body crave his. To send my hormones into overdrive.

  Three months. No strings attached. We weren't a couple. We were friends with benefits. Fuck buddies for lack of a better term.

  At first, I had my doubts. How could we be friends when all we wanted from each other was sex? Still, we managed to make it work. It was almost as if we were different people during the day. We were Jade and Nathan, roommates who bantered back and forth all the time. Two people who barely knew each other but always had fun together.

  At night... that was a different story. We were explosive. We couldn't keep our hands to ourselves. He was the match, and I was dry kindling waiting patiently for him to light the fire that burned deep inside.

  And light that fire he did. Every chance he got.

  I still laugh when I think about the way we met. Him naked, stepping out of my shower. His lean, muscular body on full display. Every. Single. Inch.

  All I can do is stare.

  Of course, that gets a rise out of him. In the literal sense. Because I can’t look away. His cock is massive, bigger than any other I’ve seen. My first thought is that he could break me. My second… how much I’d like to let him try.

  When our eyes meet for the first time, before either of us speaks a single word to each other, I know I’m a goner. I get lost in the deep blues of his irises and pray no one will rescue me.

  Then he speaks, and I immediately want to throttle him. Throat punch him. Kick him in his glorious dick for being exactly that. A dick.

  He invites me into the shower with him. Asks if I want to inspect the merchandise.

&
nbsp; Which, I do. I want that more than anything, but I'm not willing to admit that to myself, or him, just yet. We’ve just met. barely. I don’t even know his name. As much fun as it could be, jumping in the shower with him is a bad idea.

  He has bad boy written all over his sculpted body.

  Still, I can’t help but be intrigued.

  So I do what I do best and put up walls between us. Well, a door anyway.

  My most recent boyfriend and I have been over for six months. I haven't been touched in just as long and crave companionship more than I realized. The way shower guy looked at me, like he was a starved man and I was the only thing that could cure his hunger, has goosebumps covering my skin long after I forced myself to shut the bathroom door.

  "Stay out of my shower," I demand when he walks into the kitchen, fully clothed with a sinister grin on his face.

  "Who says you get to claim that room?"

  "I do. I was here first, and I'm the one that made the reservation. You can have any room but that one."

  "Ah, you must be Jade," he notes, taking a seat at the table and watching me as I scurry around the kitchen, putting away the little bit of food I picked up while he highjacked my shower. I can feel his eyes on me, but I avoid looking in his direction.

  Am I that weak? I don't even know this guy. Yet I've seen him naked, so I know him better than I should at this point.

  "And which one are you? Nathan or Quinn?" I ask, focusing my attention on the Pop-Tarts in my hand, wondering if I need to put my name on the box or if they're safe. I eat one every morning as I put my makeup on. I only brought enough to last me a few weeks.

  I'll be pissed if people eat my food and I don't know them yet.

  It was a risk, moving in with people I'd never met before. It could turn out to be catastrophic or it could be the best summer of my life. I was hoping for the latter, but my hope died the moment he invited me into the shower.

  "Nathan."

  "Well, Nathan, I think we need to get a few things straight," I start, closing the cupboard, the box of Pop-Tarts still in my hand, and turning to face him. He's standing right behind me. Closer than I should be comfortable with considering the way my heart skips a few beats before jump-starting itself again.

  "What's that?" he counters, unaffected by the serious tone I was attempting to take with him.

  "These," I say, shaking the unopened box of Pop-Tarts, "belong to me."

  "Anything else you want to discuss?"

  He's calm, cool, and collected. Leaning against the opposite counter, he crosses his arms over his chest, a dangerous smirk firmly in place. God, those lips.

  "Nope," I reply, popping the p for emphasis.

  "My turn, then."

  Before I realize what's happening, he's in my personal space. He has a hand on either side of me, effectively trapping me between him and the counter, but our bodies aren't touching. Yet.

  Avoiding eye contact as I wait for him to continue, I focus on the rise and fall of his chest. His uneven breathing. Seconds tick by, but it feels like hours as the scent of his bodywash fills the space between us. It's fruity, in a manly way, with hints of lavender and fresh citrus. I like it. More than I should.

  "You can have the room, but I get to use the shower. And next time, you should join me. Showering is more fun when you have someone to wash your back for you."

  Flicking my eyes to meet his, I expect to find a hint of laughter in them. Instead, I see desire pooling, and I imagine it's a reflection of what he sees in mine my own begins to build.

  "You want me to wash your back?"

  "You can wash any part of me you want to."

  "Seeing as how I barely know you and we have to live together for the next few months, I think that's a bad idea."

  "Really? I think it's the best idea I've had in a long time."

  I'm about to respond when I hear the front door creak open and a deep male voice call out hello.

  "I guess we'll continue this conversation later," Nathan states, pushing away from me suddenly and leaving the kitchen.

  I should follow him to greet our new roommate, but my legs feel like jelly and putting words into a sentence seems harder than it should at the moment. Instead, I open the box of Pop-Tarts and pull out a pack, then take a large bite of the sugary sweetness hoping it will satisfy the craving I'm feeling right now.

  It doesn't even taste good.

  "Who’s getting some?" I hear Quinn ask from behind me.

  "No clue," I reply, opening the fridge and pretending to look around. I came in here for my morning Pop-Tart, but heat is building in my cheeks, and I'm praying the cool air from the fridge will cool me down before Quinn notices.

  "Has to be Nathan," he replies, a hint of laughter in his voice. "I think I'd know if someone had crawled in my bed last night."

  "I suppose." Agreeing with him is my only option as I close the fridge and reach for the cupboard, eager to snag my breakfast and retreat to my bedroom.

  "Any idea who it might be? I didn't hear anyone come in last night, but I was a little drunk. I passed out hard. I don't even remember getting undressed."

  We were all a little drunk last night. With only a few more days before we head back to school, we were trying to make the most of the time we had left together. Nathan built a fire in the backyard. Quinn made a trip to the mainland for refreshments. Gabby and I put together snacks. It was a team effort.

  And all four of us drank more than we should have. Enough that Nathan and I didn't want to wait our usual thirty minutes before we snuck into his room. Instead, we let Gabby and Quinn head to bed and we had sex in the backyard, where anyone could have caught us in the act.

  It was dangerous. Hot. Like every time we have sex, only there was the element of exposing ourselves that made the fire between us burn brighter for some reason.

  Then we tiptoed into the house, where we attempted to go for a second round.

  Did I mention we were drinking? Heavily? Yeah, round two was a no go.

  Not our smartest decision.

  But we didn't get caught. Well, not in the act anyway.

  "No clue, but I went to bed shortly after you did. He must have invited someone over."

  "I didn't even realize he was hooking up with anyone. Then again, he doesn't really talk about shit like that."

  Of course he doesn't. We promised we'd keep our agreement just between the two of us. It was no one else's business, and the last thing I wanted was to make things awkward in the house.

  "Doesn't really matter," Quinn continues. "We're all headed back to reality in a few days. Whatever summer fun he was having is about to come to an abrupt halt."

  His words cut me like a knife.

  The truth hurts. More than I anticipated.

  I may have agreed to a no-strings-attached relationship with Nathan, but my heart never got the memo.

  Chapter Two

  NATHAN

  Everyone's gone by the time I drag myself out of bed. I hadn't planned to sleep until noon, but I also didn't have anywhere else to be. My last day of work was yesterday. I could go home if I wanted to. Start preparing for my classes that start next week.

  But that's the last thing I want to do.

  I want every second I can milk with Jade.

  She's only going to be thirty minutes from me next year. We could continue what we have going. Hell, there's even a chance we could turn our little agreement into a real relationship. One where we don't need to sneak around and lie to our friends.

  The chemistry is there. It was obvious the first time we met. Me in all my naked glory and her in shock, checking me out. I didn't miss the way her breath hitched in her chest. Or the fact she stared at my dick longer than necessary.

  He took notice too, excited by her presence as I memorized her curves. Her tiny tank top that barely covered her chest. Cleavage I wanted to bury my face in. The short shorts she was wearing accentuated her slender frame and bronzed legs, giving me visions of what they might look lik
e wrapped around me.

  But it's going to take more than chemistry, and my cock, to get her to agree to continue sleeping with me. I'm going to have to come clean with her about how I feel. And, in my experience, I'm not great at sharing my feelings. The last time I tried, my girlfriend broke up with me.

  Yeah, I'm that bad at expressing myself.

  My words get jumbled, my brain goes on vacation, and my heart plays a game of hide and seek.

  In the past, I attributed it to not being ready to commit. Sure, the idea of one person for the rest of my life has its good and bad points. I'm only twenty-one. I'm not ready to highlight the good points. The happily-ever-after bliss is so far in the future I find it unattainable right now.

  And I don't want that.

  Or I didn't.

  Then I met Jade.

  She challenges me. Drives me crazy, both in and outside the bedroom. Her smart mouth is sexy and infuriating at the same time. She can hold her own in a conversation about anything and always has to have the last word.

  Smart. Witty. Kind.

  And a goddess in bed.

  I wasn't exactly inexperienced before we met. I'd been with a few women. Had a few tricks up my sleeve. Knew how to bring a woman to the brink of sexual satisfaction.