Blown Away (Next Generation 8) Read online

  Blown Away

  Book Eight in the Nashville Nights Next Generation Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to: [email protected]

  Blown Away © 2013 Cheryl Douglas

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  Nashville Nights Family Tree

  The Turners

  Trey and Sierra Turner - Nashville Nights, Book One, Shameless

  Jared and Elaine Turner - Trey’s parents

  Alisa Turner - Next Generation, Book One, High Stakes

  The Coopers

  Josh and Lexi Cooper - Nashville Nights, Book Two, Fearless

  Jay and Victoria - Josh and Ashley’s son and daughter-in-law / Nashville Nights, Book Seven, Hopeless

  Mike and Tori Cooper - Josh and Ashley’s son and daughter-in-law / Nashville Nights, Book Eight, Careless

  Aiden Cooper – Josh and Lexi’s son / Next Generation, Book Two, Trade Off

  Brianna Cooper – Josh and Lexi’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Three, Game On

  Ava Cooper – Jay and Victoria’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Eight, Blown Away

  The Spencers

  Luc and Marisa Spencer – Nashville Nights, Book Three, Ruthless

  Nikki Spencer – Luc’s daughter / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Ryan Spencer – Luc and Marisa’s son / Next Generation, Book Three, Game On

  Evan Spencer – Luc and Marisa’s son / Next Generation, Book Four, Burn Out

  The McCalls

  Ty and Avery McCall – Nashville Nights, Book Four, Reckless

  Anna McCall – Ty and Avery’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Five, Fast Track

  Nick McCall – Ty and Avery’s son / Next Generation, Book Six, Time Out

  J.T. McCall – J.T. and Derek’s brother / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Nikki Spencer – McCall – J.T.’s wife / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Lauren McCall - J.T. and Nikki’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Seven, Face Value

  Derek McCall – J.T. and Derek’s brother / Nashville Nights, Book Six, Heartless

  Ashley McCall – Derek’s wife, Jay and Mike Cooper’s mother / Nashville Nights, Book Six, Heartless

  Book Eight –Blown Away

  Ava Cooper owns a successful dating service. Her life`s work is to connect people and hope they`ll fall in love, but she isn`t looking for her soul mate. On the contrary, she`s a busy professional with a full life. She has a great family, friends, and a cute little dog who follows her wherever she goes. When she gets a private message from a man who`s intrigued by her profile, she`s knows her assistant, Tara, is to blame. Tara`s determined to help her boss find a man, apparently against her will. But Ava isn’t taking the bait.

  When Brent Armstrong`s brother emails him a link to a dating website, he assumes he’s just giving him grief again, but when Ava`s picture appeared on his screen, he can’t breathe. He knows that woman. He tries to get her out of his head, but when that doesn’t work, he decides to swallow his pride and send her a private message, hoping she`ll remember him. When she doesn’t respond, he has a choice to make. Should he let it go, or give her a friendly reminder of the night she rocked his world?

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Coming Soon

  Prologue

  Ten Years Earlier

  Ava Cooper was cursing body shots and bad ideas when she stumbled into her best friend’s bedroom. She’d vowed she would leave her problems behind, but she hadn’t intended to go so far. She was a good girl, a smart girl. Good girls didn’t drink too much, kiss random strangers, and proposition sexy men.

  What if he took her up on her offer? She glanced at the door. Why hadn’t Tara been smart enough to install a lock? Because she hadn’t needed one. She was too smart to get herself into a mess like this. The Jack-and-Jill bathroom gave Ava an escape route, but before she could stumble across the room and lock herself in it, the bedroom door inched open.

  He stood there looking like every woman’s naughty fantasy, and Ava suddenly remembered why she’d propositioned him. She was nineteen and tired of being a virgin. The nice boys she usually dated couldn’t fulfill the fantasies that were starting to keep her awake at night. Only an older man who promised multiple orgasms with just one body-tingling glance could properly initiate her into the wonderful world of sex.

  He swept his chocolate brown eyes over the room as though he half-expected her bodyguard to jump out of the closet. “I thought you might have changed your mind.” He treated her to that yummy smirk that made naïve, young girls like her squirm.

  Ava knew him well… Brent Armstrong was the older brother of one her classmates and a graduate student pursuing his M.B.A. Ava, and every other girl she knew, had been salivating over him all year, but they were just friends. She never would have found the nerve to try to seduce him without a little help from her friends, Tara and Smirnoff.

  Tara had been her best friend since middle school. She always told Ava to live a little, take chances once in a while, get her head out of her books and discover the world around her. Ava was determined to take her friend’s advice tonight. She wanted her first time to be unforgettable, and Brent practically came with a written guarantee.

  “Why would I change my mind?” she asked, easing onto the edge of the bed. Oh god, am I being too easy? Maybe he likes a challenge. She thought about getting up, but since she didn’t trust herself to walk a straight line, she remained seated and hoped he would join her.

  Brent handed her a large mug. “Drink.”

  She frowned. Was he trying to ply her with alcohol to wear down her defenses? Didn’t he realize that was overkill? Short of tearing her clothes off, she didn’t know what else she could say or do to prove she wanted this to happen.

  “What is it?” She wrinkled her nose when the familiar aroma assailed her nose. “You know I don’t drink coffee.” They’d spent enough time together at the campus café for Brent to know she drank herbal tea.

  “You do tonight.”

  Bossy,
wasn’t he? Ava couldn’t decide how she felt about that. She was used to gentle, respectful men who always deferred to her and her wishes. Instead of arguing, Ava asked, “Why are you giving me coffee instead of vodka?”

  “Why the hell would I give you more alcohol?” he asked between gritted teeth. “That’s clearly the last thing you need.” He crossed the small room as he ran his hands over his cropped, dark hair.

  Ava watched the muscles in his back bunch under his long-sleeved T-shirt. Irresistible. That was the word that came to mind every time she looked at him. He was tall with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and powerful legs. She was willing to bet he could go all night. Biting her lip, she drank her fill of him. Her eyes made a feast of traveling up and down his body.

  “Quit looking at me like that,” he growled.

  Ava looked up, startled by his harsh tone, even she was more startled when she was trapped by his heated gaze. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, but he was fighting it. Why? “Why don’t you sit down? You’re making me nervous, pacing like that,” she said.

  He faced her, setting his hands on his hips as he glared at her. “You should be nervous. What the hell were you thinking, asking me to come up here?”

  Is he serious? Apparently so, because there wasn’t a hint of a smile on his face. “Um, I was thinking we could have some fun.” Oh God, did I really just say that? What kind of girl would he think she was? The kind who invited some random man into her best friend’s bedroom to ravage her with dozens of drunk people partying downstairs.

  His pupils grew larger, the rim of brown almost disappearing. “Were you thinking you’d like to have a little fun with Smyth too?”

  Smyth. The guy she’d kissed. Her stomach roiled just thinking about his fumbling hands as he tried to shove his tongue down her throat. “Um, no.”

  “Then why the hell did you let him kiss you like that? You can’t lead a guy like him on without consequences, little girl.”

  “Who’re you calling a little girl?” She thrust out her chest to prove her point. She hadn’t looked like a little girl since the sixth grade when she was the first one in her class to don a training bra.

  “You’re way out of your league with that guy.”

  “I suppose I’m out of my league with you too?” Ava was pleasantly surprised her voice didn’t sound as though she’d swallowed a mouthful of cotton balls. She could handle her booze pretty well for a lightweight.

  Brent rolled his eyes. “You have no idea, sweetness.” He looked at the mug clutched tightly between her hands. “Drink up.”

  “I said I don’t drink coffee.”

  “And I said I don’t care.”

  Apparently everything she’d heard about his reputation was true. Dominant. Arrogant. An expert between the sheets…? That remained to be seen, and given the tension in the room, Ava began to question whether she would ever prove or disprove that rumor. “Why do you want me to drink the coffee?”

  “So you’ll remember this in the morning.”

  Ava quickly swallowed the strong, tepid liquid. He was right. If he was going to indulge her fantasies, she didn’t want to forget a single second of it.

  “Good girl,” he said, nodding his approval. “Now tell me what the hell possessed you to get shit-faced at your girlfriend’s party?”

  “I am not-”

  “Don’t even try to deny it. I saw how much you had to drink. You must weigh a hundred and ten pounds on a good day. No way could you drink that much and be unaffected.”

  One hundred and thirteen pounds, thank you very much. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.” She watched him over the rim of her cup. Hmm, this coffee tasted pretty good. Maybe her friends were right about it.

  “You do, and you will.”

  That guy was too much. Maybe she should have sought out his brother instead. At least Keith didn’t have Brent’s attitude. Of course, he didn’t have those ridiculously broad shoulders either. “I just wanted to have a little fun tonight.”

  He crossed his arms, causing his sleeves to stretch over bulging biceps. “And you need to get loaded and have sex to have fun?” She didn’t answer. Should she tell him the truth about it being her first time, or would that scare him off? “You shouldn’t have to think about it. Just answer the question.”

  “I… uh… never drink or…” She brought the mug to her lips, praying he wouldn’t notice the crimson stain on her cheeks.

  “Or…” He gestured for her to continue. “You never what?”

  “I’ve never had sex.” She spit the words out, hoping she wouldn’t be as mortified if she said it quickly.

  He ran a hand over the stubble covering his jaw before pressing his thumb and forefinger into his closed eyes. “Then what the hell are you doing? Why did you invite me up here?”

  “I can’t stay a virgin forever!” She thought that much would have been obvious, but judging by his stunned expression, it was anything but.

  “You don’t just jump into bed with some guy at a party after saving yourself for…” He frowned. “How old are you again?”

  “I’ll be twenty next month.”

  He sighed and tipped his head back. “You need to keep saving yourself for the right guy. Someone who loves you and appreciates you.”

  She was tired of saving herself for Mr. Right. Her body was demanding she take action. Now. If Mr. Armstrong couldn’t rise to the challenge, she would find someone who could. She had plenty of male friends downstairs, and if they weren’t interested, surely someone at the party would be.

  When she jumped up and set her mug on the dresser, Brent asked, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Downstairs.” She reached for the door handle. “I’m obviously wasting my time with you. I’ll just find someone else who’s actually interested in me.”

  Brent moved in and slammed his palm into the door above her head. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  ***

  Brent was trying so hard to be good, but since “good” was the antithesis of who he was, it wasn’t easy. He’d been interested in Ava Cooper for months. Every time he spotted that long blond hair in a crowd, his body jumped to attention. But she was young. Too young. And even more innocent than he’d suspected. A virgin. God help him.

  “I should warn you, I’m a black belt in karate,” she said nervously.

  He pressed his body into hers, deeply inhaling her berry-scented shampoo. She was so sweet, so innocent. So perfect for him. “You really think I’d try to force you to do something you don’t want to do?”

  Brent was actually relieved she could defend herself. She was half his size, and if he’d been serious about taking what she was offering, she would have found fighting him off difficult, especially with his training as a martial artist. That was a line he would never cross, but he knew dozens of guys downstairs would gladly take her up on her offer and get seriously pissed if she tried to back out at the last minute.

  “No.” She covered his hand with hers as she rolled her hips, pressing her bottom into his arousal. “You’re turned on.”

  He had been since he caught sight of her in those snug, low-rise blue jeans, thigh-high boots, and cropped black sweater. The only thing he could think about was peeling it all off, but he couldn’t take advantage of her. She’d had too much to drink and she was offering him something precious, something she’d been guarding for a long time.

  “So am I. I want you. I’ve wanted you for a long time.” She moved her platinum blond hair aside and tipped her head, exposing more of her neck. Brent had carefully ignored the sexual tension brewing between them because a girl like Ava would run for cover if she ever caught a glimpse of his dark side. “I was hoping you’d be here tonight.”

  He hadn’t intended to come to the party, but his brother had asked him to be his designated driver. “Ava…”

  “Touch me,” she whispered.

  Her plea drew him in like the lure of a drug he knew would be his downfall. Brent sli
d his free hand over her bare abdomen. He was losing control. Her soft, warm skin made him want to uncover every mouth-watering inch of her taut little body.

  She turned into his arms, looping her arms around his neck. “Kiss me.”

  Her eyelids were heavy, concealing the bright blue eyes he loved to get lost in. If she were sober, this would have been a no-brainer, but he refused to be her morning-after regret. One kiss. He told himself he would indulge in one kiss, because he would never forgive himself for passing up the opportunity to find out if she tasted as delicious as she looked.

  As soon as their lips met, he got lost in her. Reason disappeared as he fisted her hair, sanity slipped away with the slow slide of her tongue against his, and good intentions died a fiery death when she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  He walked backward to the bed, praying she would find the sense he’d lost and demand he stop before they took this too far. But she deepened the kiss, and he knew he couldn’t walk away. It was crazy, but he wanted to be her first lover. He wanted to be the man who showed her how incredible sex could be when she gave herself over to the passion and let her body guide her in to oblivion.

  “Brent,” she whispered, sliding her hands under his shirt, as greedy as he was to banish the barriers between them.

  Clothes were flying before his conscience could tell him to stand down. She was naked and spread out on the bed, looking like the cover girl in one of his brother’s favorite magazines, and he was falling deeper in lust with every breath. Ava shocked him by cupping her full breasts, squeezing and pulling her nipples on a deep moan of satisfaction. His mouth went dry. He may never let her out of this room. He’d keep her here, captive, a prisoner to her own body until he had his fill of her... which he suspected may never happen.