The Inconvenient Bride

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Need more sizzling hot passion?

  'The Promise Pact' Excerpt

  About The Author

  THE INCONVENIENT BRIDE

  J.A. Fraser

  Peephole Press

  New York

  The Inconvenient Bride

  Copyright © 2015

  EPUB Edition

  Peephole Press 2015

  JAFraser@peeppress.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher or author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or person, living or deal, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-943311-03-3

  For anyone looking for love. Period.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Okay, I am almost ready. I just need a few more minutes." Carrie Heights shouted down the hall at her best friend Dylan McCray of nearly twenty years as she took one last look in the mirror. Her heart rate quickly accelerated followed by a wave of heat that ripped through her lean yet curvaceous frame. She wiped her sweaty palms on her conservative, thin, floral, polka dot blouse and tugged at her oversized, worn jeans.

  "Damn, why do I look so average?" She angrily huffed while rolling her eyes upward at her plain, five foot, two inch frame in her full length mirror. "There's no way Dylan will ever be interested in a girl like me." She mumbled to herself, then quickly slumped down on her full-sized bed. A bed that she recently found herself spending an ample amount of time in personally touching, caressing and relieving her raw, thirsty and deep primal needs. It wasn't something she readily shared with anyone or something Carrie really had a choice in. Her womanly desires had become so intense in the last several months that she was forced to masturbate every night and every morning in order to stay sane.

  And boy did she masturbate.

  Even now, the act of pleasing herself embarrassed her immensely, but it also turned her on to the point of mind-blowing orgasms. However, nowadays, any single thought involving Dylan made her weak at the knees and had her panties dripping wet with desire.

  Over the past few years, Carrie had tried, in earnest, to place some meaningful distance between them, but Dylan simply wouldn't have it. So, sadly enough, Carrie was left with no other choice but to massage and caress herself until she was raw to the touch below. If only Dylan knew how unbelievably sick and sexually frustrated he was making her.

  At twenty-nine, Carrie was still a virgin. A ripe, tender bud of innocence that needed the warmth of one man, Dylan McCray. The problem was, he didn't know she existed beyond being his best friend and with Dylan adamantly refusing to give her the space she requested, Carrie was stuck between a rock and a hard place. A place no woman ever desires to be. But what other choice did Carrie have other than to walk away forever. Currently, that wasn't an option.

  "Ah shit, stop it!" Carrie swore loudly as she quickly popped up from her bed and shrugged off the unwanted thoughts from her mind. But, it was too late. A familiar pain had already drifted into her core. The cringeworthy, nauseating feeling was called loneliness and despair. These two well-known feelings always seemed to creep into her gut every time she thought about making a decision when it came to Dylan. As much as she needed to find her own way, without Dylan, she didn't have the courage to break away from him. But why?

  "It's not his fault. He doesn’t have a clue,” she aggravatingly uttered to herself. And, that simple statement was the truth. Dylan didn't have a clue that Carrie had a deep longing to be in his warm, strong masculine embrace. Throughout the years, on several occasions, she had come close, very close, to confessing her deepest desires to him, but at the last minute, fear always crept in and stopped her. But, with his thirtieth birthday fast approaching, it was time to "woman-up" and take accountability for her feelings and emotions for once and for all. The problem was, she didn't want to scare him away and lose her best friend forever. And, for that reason, Carrie was irrefutably stuck in the friend zone. Her life sucked!

  From Carrrie’s vantage point, Dylan had the best of both worlds. He had a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week best friend who would roll out the red carpet for him. On the flip side, he also had dozens of dripping with sex, hot models and corporate executives on speed dial anytime he desired to get laid. And, she assumed Dylan got laid often.

  With that jealous thought bouncing around in her head, Carrie immediately slammed her heavy-lidded eyes shut and tried to calm down, but it wasn't helping. The mere thought of another woman receiving pleasure from Dylan’s erotic touch caused a small panic attack to overwhelm her. It made her sick with disgust to think about his tongue and fingers nipping and tugging at another’s sensitive region while she was thirsty for his affection. Didn’t Dylan realize she was the one who constantly nursed him emotionally back to health after every ridiculous break-up or trivial letdown? Why did he keep giving his heart to someone else when she owned the key? Why did he keep on selecting the wrong girl when the right one was directly under his nose?

  “No more pity parties,” she mumbled on her queen sized bed, then let out an exasperating sigh. Carrie’s current reality was a hard pill to swallow. She was tired of being a mere spectator, watching and observing her life unfold from the passenger seat. It was a cold, lonely, and desperate place that she had occupied for too long. Something had to change. Something was going to change.

  Either Carrie was going to confess her true feelings or she was finally going to move on. This terrible secret was crippling her at her very core. Pining over her best friend for the next twenty years was no way to live her life. As a matter of fact, it was a horrible place to be. Simply horrible.

  Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by Dylan's deep, sexually enticing, masculine baritone voice. "Carrie, what's taking so long? We are only going to grab a couple of slices! I told Katie we would be there at 7pm sharp. If you don't get a move on, I’m coming back there," he barked with a hint of impatience in his voice.

  "N-No, don't! I promise I'm on my way!"

  "Carrie Heights, how much longer? We aren't going to the fucking prom," he chuckled sarcastically as his thunderous footsteps inched closer to her room door.

  “Dylan, have a little patience!”

  "Patience? Really Carrie? For the past few months I’ve been nothing but patient with you. Look, I’m coming in." He stated as he placed his hand on the door knob and turned.

  She quickly locked it.

  "N-No Dylan, I said two more minutes.”

  “Carrie, what the hell is going on?”

  “I said two more minutes. Shit, why did I ever give you a key to my apartment, Dylan McCray?"

  “Because you love me and you would do anything in the world for your best friend," he cleverly barked back. The words, I love you fell effortlessly from his lips and melted into her ears like chocolate on the tongue.

  "I do love you," she faintly whispered, then feel to the ground and buried her head in the pile of clothes she had scattered on the floor. An awkward silence quickly invaded her small apartment followed by a steady stream of panic. There was no way Carrie was going to let the cat out of the bag, tonight. “Dylan, it’s Thursday night. Why don't you have a date? Why do you always want to hang out around here?" She yelled not knowing what else to say.

  "Because, I’
d rather be with my twin sister and my best friend. You know that," he stated impatiently.

  "Really, Dylan McCray? You would rather be with Katie and I than one of your hot supermodel girlfriends?" She snapped back then braced herself for one of his quick-tempered replies, but oddly enough Dylan didn’t say a word. When he finally did speak, his voice was low and distant from behind the door. "Whatever! I'll be in the den! See you, shortly." His curt and unusually polite response caught her off guard. Something was wrong! Something definitely was wrong.

  It wasn't like Dylan not to seize an opportunity to go toe to toe with her in a verbal sparring match. Why hadn’t he attempted to respond to her with a sarcastic rebuttal? If he was looking for a way to get under her skin, he was absolutely accomplishing his mission. Standing now, she wondered if she had hurt his feelings? Carrie quickly brushed off that thought and forced her attention back on the real issue. She couldn't concentrate on Dylan’s overly sensitive feelings when she had a million real problems staring her dead in her face. Plus, a man like Dylan didn't have real problems. A man like Dylan McCray had it all.

  At six-foot, two-inches, he stood tall on a lean, muscular frame. His long, slender arms, wide defined chest, and rock hard ass was comparable to a Roman Gladiator; strong, athletic and perfectly carved. While his deep-set, midnight eyes were dark, sultry and mysterious in nature. His captivating gaze was so intense it felt like his eyes could easily burn through your flesh with just one blink. He was every woman's dream.

  Dylan’s perfect, masculine square face and high cheekbones appeared as if a Roman God had painted each line perfectly on his flawless face. But, his best feature, the one that won Carrie’s heart, was his wide, wickedly seductive smile that was known to moisten panties instantaneously. Yes, Dylan McCray was a stunning sight to behold for any able bodied woman with a pulse. And boy, did he cause Carrie’s pulse to move quickly.

  Buzz. Buzz.

  The sound of Carrie’s cell phone ringing forced her out of her sexual daydream. She answered the call abruptly, “Hello.”

  "I want details. Tell me everything! Is he there? What did he say about the sexy outfit we picked out?" Katie McCray, Dylan’s twin sister, excitedly inquired on the phone line.

  "Oh Katie, I couldn't do it. I chickened out."

  "You did what.! I thought we already discussed this, Carrie. He's never going to know your true feelings if you constantly act like his damn buddy."

  "I know, Katie. I made my mind up I am going to tell him.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know the exact time. Look, I can’t discuss this right now. He's in the other room. I promise, I will eventually tell him."

  "Hopefully, in this century," she snidely stated. Then continued with regret in her voice, “Sorry, Carrie. I’m just trying to look out for you. I want you to be happy."

  "I know. I just don't want to discuss this right now," she said with a quiver in her voice. She quickly blinked away the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes.

  “Okay. We can talk about it when you’re ready.” There was a long pause on the line before she spoke again. “Hey Carrie, there’s something else I really need to tell you," Katie stated with a hint of hesitation and concern in her voice. Something clearly was wrong, but Carrie had her own set of problems to deal with. As much as she wanted to provide her friend with an ear, she couldn’t deal with another issue.

  "Not now, Katie. Look, Dylan and I are on our way. We should be there in about twenty minutes."

  "But Carrie…”

  She cut her off mid-sentence, “Please Katie, not now.”

  “Fine, but promise me we can talk in private later?”

  “Okay, I promise.” Carrie impatiently huffed.

  There was another deafening pause, then Katie spoke. “I hope you remember I'm pregnant. Which means I’m always hungry, so hurry up. Carrie Heights, stop sulking and get a move on. I need my family with me." She joked trying to lighten the mood on the phone.

  Carrie laughed, then hung up the phone. She quickly tossed on her basic brown flats and immediately brushed her long, midnight locks into a messy ponytail instead of wearing her gorgeous tresses cascading down her back like she had originally planned. Her eyes glanced at a photo sitting on her dresser. It was her favorite photo. The last photo taken before her mother died. In it, was her mom, Dylan and Katie.

  Her family.

  Her everything.

  She couldn't imagine her life without Katie and Dylan. But, as much as she loved them, she was different from the McCray's. Different in so many ways, but the main difference was money.

  Dylan McCray just wasn't one of the most attractive eligible men in Charleston, South Carolina, he was also heir to the entire McCray Construction empire. An empire that was founded by his great grandfather, then run by his father. Once Dylan turned thirty, the nearly billion dollar company would be in his complete control. It was a position he had been groomed for his entire life, and every single, money hungry, southern socialite was trying take a bite out of Dylan McCray. This fact concerned Carrie, because she didn’t know how far some of these woman would go to stake their claim in the McCray fortune. Over the years, some meddlesome people had even questioned her loyalty and motives, but for Carrie it was never about the money. It was always about the little inquisitive boy she met nearly twenty years prior when her mother took the lead housekeeping position at the McCray's southern mansion. A job that would change their lives forever.

  Dylan's dad, John McCray, was generous man. So generous in fact, that when it came to Carrie’s education, Mr. McCray provided the same opportunities for her as he did for his twins. Without hesitation, he paid full tuition for Carrie to attend the most prestigious private schools in Charleston. They all graduated with honors. Although Carrie didn’t have the elite McCray blood pumping through her veins, she was afforded all the same societal advantages as a McCray. To the McCray’s, she was family and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this made them all inseparable. Especially Dylan and Carrie.

  That nearly inseparable bond remained even during college. No matter what, he would always make time to see her at least once a month. Dylan attended Columbia University in New York and earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. Then, he earned his MBA from Harvard. He wasn't just an attractive man, he was an intelligent one. Carrie and Katie both earned degrees in Early Childhood Education from Boston University. After college, the trio all settled in their hometown of Charleston. It was their plan, a pact of sorts, which they all had sworn to when they were kids. However, nowadays, Carrie was seriously considering leaving Charleston and returning to Boston. She needed to find her own way. A way without Dylan.

  Carrie took a quick check of the time and realized Dylan had been waiting nearly an hour. She felt horrible about avoiding him, but she had no choice. Especially in her current condition. She needed some space and time.

  Taking one last look in the mirror, she opened her bedroom door and slowly walked down the narrow hallway. Her hands, her face, her entire body began to drip in perspiration the moment she reached the den and saw him. She took a deep breath then spoke, “Sorry, I took so long Dylan. I just wasn't feeling well, today."

  ***

  Bullshit.

  Dylan didn't have a clue what the hell was going on, but whatever it was, he was going to get to the bottom of it for once and for all. For the past few months, his best friend had put up an enormous, fucking skyscraper of a brick wall around herself. Every time he tried to get close to her she pushed him away. Far away.

  On several occasions, he questioned his twin sister about Carrie's recent distance, but she would always say, "Don't push her. She'll talk to you when she's ready." What the hell did that mean? Tell him what? Whatever it was, it was distracting the shit out of him and he needed it to stop. He couldn't even concentrate at work because Carrie was always on his mind. But why?

  Dylan quickly stood, then moved slowly towards
her. The moment their eyes met, they both looked away. Something felt awkward, but Dylan ignored the feeling.

  One step. Two steps. Three…

  The closer he got to her, the more flushed Carrie became. “Why does he have to look so fucking good?” she mumbled to herself as her knees went weak. She took a deep breath and tried to speak, but not a word exited her mouth. Shit, only Dylan could render her speechless.

  “What’s wrong Carrie?” he questioned as he continued to stroll towards her with all the confidence and sexiness in the world. With each step he took, her thunderous heartbeat became louder. So loud, Carrie wondered if he could hear the deafening sound.

  "Talk to me. What’s going on?" he questioned, with a deep, southern erotic drawl, as he stood in her personal space. Just as she was about to speak, Dylan’s rich oak scent drifted into her nostrils and immediately sent shockwaves throughout her system, rendering her paralyzed from head to toe. First, her mouth became parched, then her dark eyes become heavy, while her pulse quickened. Get control of your emotions, Carrie Heights! Don’t let him see you sweat.

  But, it was too late. She was already a willing victim in his sexual game.

  "Are you okay?" he questioned as he moved closer, staring at her unusually pale face.

  She didn’t respond, so a concerned Dylan inched even closer. So close that Carrie thought she would pass out right in front of him.

  "Carrie what is it? Come here," he whispered as he wrapped his strong masculine arms around her hourglass waistline. A waistline that she kept under lock and key. His embrace felt like a warm fire during a cold, blustery winter's night. It was intense and inviting.

  Carrie purred as she nestled her face into his massive chest. Dylan could sense that she needed his affection so he squeezed tighter. Then tighter. Pressing his fingers into her flesh, he rested his face close to hers. The feeling was overwhelming. And, not just for Carrie. Dylan also felt a sense of peace as he was wrapped in her embrace. "Gosh, I've missed you so much. I missed my best friend.” And, he truly did. He missed her desperately.