Ruthless Read online

  Ruthless

  Cheryl Douglas

  (2012)

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  Product Description

  Marisa Turner has wanted her brother's best friend, Luc, forever. But she also wants a baby and it seems Luc isn't up to the challenge. She has to choose between the man she loves and the family she hopes to have. Fortunately, there's another man waiting in the wings to make her baby fantasy a reality.

  Luc Spencer is tired of hearing about marriage and babies. He loves Marisa, but he can't promise her forever. After two years together, she tells him it's over. He's not worried, he believes she'll be back. But what will happen when he finds out there's another man ready and willing to give Marisa everything he can't?

  Ruthless

  Book Three in the Nashville Nights Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  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].

  Ruthless © 2011 Cheryl Douglas

  Read What Others Are Saying About Nashville Nights…

  “Shameless has wonderfully flawed characters that have to fight to get back what they lost, but when they get it right, it is absolutely fantastic.”

  Cocktails and Books

  “Shameless is a sensual story packed full of passion, temptation, and forbidden love.”

  For the Love of Reading

  “Shameless drew me in heart and soul from the very first page to the satisfying conclusion after the final page was turned. Those wanting an emotional roller coaster ride, climb on board and add this one to your bookshelf.”

  Wow from the Scarf Princess Blog

  “There were times throughout Shameless where I was actually overcome with emotion. It made me cry and smile, and sometimes gasp or laugh out loud; a piece of art that couldn’t have come at a better time. Simply a must read. I give this book a solid five stars!”

  Read2Review

  “The flow of this story (Fearless) was perfect. I cannot wait for the 3rd installment.”

  Insightful Minds Reviews

  “I really adore all of the characters in this series.”

  Autumn Review

  Table of Contents

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  About the Author

  Coming Soon

  Chapter One

  “I still can’t believe I’m going to be an auntie in just a few short hours,” Marisa Turner said squeezing her friend Lexi’s hand.

  Lexi grinned. “I can hardly wait to meet our niece.”

  Marisa glanced at her friend’s flat stomach, feeling a pang of envy. “It won’t be long before we’re sitting in this waiting room anticipating the arrival of your little one.”

  Lexi rolled her eyes. “Can you believe it? When I went off the pill, I thought it would take months, maybe even years, to get pregnant.” She laughed. “I guess my hubby has some pretty potent swimmers, huh?”

  Marisa tried to smile. She was happy for her sister-in-law and her friend, but she couldn’t help but wish she was sharing the journey with them. “Guess so.”

  Lexi put her arm around Marisa’s shoulders. “Hey, you okay, honey?”

  Marisa glanced across the waiting area. Lexi’s husband Josh was engaged in an animated conversation with her ex-boyfriend, Luc. She ended the relationship months ago, but it still hurt to see him. “I’m fine.”

  Lexi looked at Luc. “You’re still not over him, are you?”

  Marisa dropped her head into her hands. “I’ve loved that man forever, Lex. How the hell am I supposed to get over him?”

  Lexi shifted in her seat until she was facing her friend. “Have you tried talking to him?”

  Marisa looked at the ground. “What’s the point? He’s hell bent on staying single for the rest of his miserable life.”

  Lexi grabbed her hand. “I know how much you want to get married and have a baby of your own, Marisa. If Luc doesn’t want that, then maybe he’s not the guy for you. I know it’s hard to hear this, but you’ve wasted too many years waiting for him to change his mind and make a commitment. It’s pretty obvious that’s not gonna happen, sweetie. It’s time to let him go and move on with your life.”

  Marisa felt tears stinging her eyes. “I could have said the same thing to Josh about you. You swore you’d never get married. Next thing I know, we’re all flying off to Barbados to watch you two tie the knot, and less than a couple of months later, you’re pregnant. Who says people can’t change?”

  Lexi smiled fondly at her husband, who winked at her from across the room. “You’re right, if you’d told me a year ago that Josh would be my husband and I’d be carrying his baby, I’d have told you that you were nuts. But it was different for us. Josh and I were just friends for a long time, but you and Luc were in a monogamous relationship for over two years. He had plenty of time to change his mind about settling down, and he didn’t, not even when you gave him an ultimatum. Instead of fighting to keep you in his life, he let you walk away.”

  Marisa knew her friend was right, as difficult as it was to hear the truth. She couldn’t go on being Luc’s girlfriend, and he didn’t want to be her husband. They were at an impasse, and no matter how much time passed, things were never going to change.

  “How are things going with Tim? Are you two getting closer?”

  Tim Mitchell was a man any woman would be proud to call her husband, but Marisa couldn’t get past the fact he wasn’t Luc. Marisa shrugged. “Tim’s a great guy, but I’ve known him since we were kids. The Mitchells were like second parents to me growing up. I guess it just seems weird to be dating, given all that family history.”

  Lexi giggled. “You two ever play doctor when you were kids?”

  Marisa felt her cheeks grow warm. Tim was the first boy she’d ever kissed. They were both thirteen and alone in his tack house when he asked if he could kiss her. She was curious about what it would feel like, so she said yes. Unfortunately, Tim wore braces at the time, which made a mating of the mouths not only difficult, but painful.

  “Ohmigod, you did!” Lexi said, laughing. “Was he your first?”

  “Was who your first what?” Luc asked, walking up with a cardboard tray filled with Styrofoam cups from the cafeteria. He looked from Marisa to Lexi.

  Marisa dipped her head, wishing she could escape his penetrating glare. “Nothing. Forget it.”

  Josh smirked and looked at his wife. “You were talking about your first lovers, weren’t you?”

  Lexi shook her head. “Not my first lover. Marisa’s.”


  She could feel Luc’s eyes boring through the top of her head.

  “Who was it?” he demanded.

  Lexi giggled. “None other than Tim Mitchell.”

  Marisa glared at her. “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t have to. I can tell by the look on your face that I’m right. I think it’s sweet, re-united with your first love after all these years.”

  Luc thrust the tray of drinks at Josh. “’I’ve gotta get some air.”

  Marisa watched Luc as he stalked through the sliding glass doors to the parking lot. She knew he still had feelings for her. Why was he being so stubborn? Just because his parents’ marriage ended in divorce didn’t mean theirs would. She presented that argument dozens of times over the years to no avail. Lexi was right; Luc wasn’t going to change. It was time to accept that and move on with her life.

  Josh handed both ladies a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “Think I should go and talk to him?”

  Marisa shook her head. “What’s the point?”

  “Ohh, speak of the devil,” Lexi said, pointing toward the admissions desk. “There’s your handsome cowboy now.”

  Marisa looked up to see Tim talking to a pretty young nurse who seemed to be flirting with him. He was ruggedly handsome, whereas Luc was more polished and sophisticated. Why couldn’t she stop comparing the two men and just accept Tim as a supportive and loving man?

  “I texted him to tell him Sierra was having the baby,” Marisa said. “I guess he just wanted to check in.”

  “That’s so sweet,” Lexi said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. “I think that man’s a keeper, Marisa.”

  She raised her hand when he smiled in her direction. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Luc heard footsteps behind him as he braced his hands on the wrought iron fence and pretended to admire the lush hospital grounds.

  Josh came up beside him and slapped him on the back. “You okay, buddy?”

  Luc grunted. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I thought you might have crossed paths with Marisa’s boyfriend.”

  Luc felt the sting of iron piercing his palms, and he realized he was transferring his frustration to the inanimate object. “The rancher’s here?”

  Josh nodded. He backed against the railing and folded his arms across his chest. “Does that bother you?”

  Luc clenched his teeth. “I hate his guts.”

  Josh threw his head back and laughed. “Tell me how you really feel, man.”

  “I mean it. I hate him. Every time I see him, I want to rip him apart.”

  Josh jabbed his cheek with his tongue. “Now why do ya suppose that is?”

  Luc glared at him. “Hell, I don’t know. How would you feel if some dirtbag was sleeping with your woman?”

  “She’s not your woman anymore, Luc,” Josh said quietly.

  As much as it hurt to hear, he knew it was true. She hadn’t been his since the day she threw a pair of two-carat diamond earrings in his face and walked out of a crowded restaurant. He knew when he presented her with the small velvet box on her thirtieth birthday she hoped it was a diamond engagement ring, but he couldn’t give her what she wanted, not then, not even now.

  “I can’t stand the thought of her...” His voice trailed off. He couldn’t finish the thought. He looked up at Josh. “You know they shared a suite in Barbados, right?”

  Josh nodded. “I noticed. That couldn’t have been easy for you.”

  Luc scrubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do, Josh. She’s my best friend’s sister, not to mention his stylist. She’s gonna be going on tour with us soon, and I’m going to be with her day and night, knowing I can’t even touch her. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

  Josh frowned. “You thinkin’ about skipping the tour, Luc?”

  Luc looked him in the eye. “I’m thinking about telling Trey I can’t do this anymore.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I think Trey’s gonna have to find a new manager.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You’re the best manager in country music, Luc. Trey needs you.”

  The last thing Luc wanted was to abandon his best friend, but he needed to put some distance between himself and Marisa or he was going to go insane. “It’s not that I want to...”

  Josh chuckled. “Man, you really are messed up. You can’t stand the thought of Marisa being with anyone else, but you don’t want to marry her. What do you want her to do, waste her life with you?”

  Luc felt the bite of his words. He didn’t feel the two years he and Marisa spent together were wasted, and he hated to think she felt that way. Those were the best two years of his life. “Why does everyone make such a big deal out of a piece of paper?”

  Josh shook his head. “It’s not the piece of paper. It’s what it represents. Marisa wants what we all want, to know she’s not alone.”

  “Marisa’s not alone. She’s got friends, family...”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Josh looked at the people crossing the parking lot to enter the emergency room. “She wants to know that at the end of her life someone will be sitting there holding her hand. She wants to know that a little piece of her will live on in someone else.”

  Luc looked at his friend. He had never thought about it like that before. He wondered whether anyone would be there to hold his hand at the end of his life. Probably not.

  “Hey, where you going?” Josh asked.

  “I need to talk to Marisa.”

  Luc sprinted into the hospital only to find Marisa immersed in conversation with her parents and her new boyfriend. The happy tears and laughter made it obvious that they were celebrating. He tried to suppress the feeling of melancholy that washed over him. This was a time to celebrate his friend’s good fortune, not pout because he was excluded from a group where he once felt he belonged.

  Trey came out of Sierra’s hospital room, beaming like a proud papa. He looked tired, overwhelmed, and happier than Luc had ever seen him. He felt a pang of envy when he realized he would never know what it felt like to share in the miracle of life beyond his role as the outsider looking in.

  He watched Trey greet his family. He hugged his parents and picked his sister up off the ground, spinning her in a low circle. Marisa threw her head back and laughed as tears of joy trickled down her face. He had always admired their close-knit family. Even more so now, watching them share such an important moment. He felt like a voyeur, sneaking a peek into a world where he didn’t belong. He was planning his escape when Trey spotted him.

  Trey said a few words to his family and crossed the lobby in Luc’s direction.

  “Hey, buddy, guess you heard the news?”

  Luc grinned at his friend and held his hand out. “Not officially, but given all of the excitement, I have to assume the Turners have just added a new member to the family?”

  Trey clasped his hand and pulled him into a hug. He slapped Luc on the back. “Can you believe it? You’ve gotta see her, Luc. She’s beautiful. I mean, I know I may be biased, but...”

  Luc smiled. “Nah, I’m sure she’s every bit as beautiful as you say.” He winked. “That’s assuming she looks like her mama?”

  Trey laughed. “Yeah, she does. Same big blue eyes, blonde hair...” He shook his head. “Why the hell am I wasting time telling you about her? You can go on in and see her for yourself.”

  Luc looked over Trey’s shoulder. Marisa was heading into the room, accompanied by her parents and Tim. “It looks like Sierra’s already got some company. I think I’ll grab a coffee and come back in a bit, okay?”

  Trey frowned. “You sure?”

  Luc nodded. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough, not that he wanted to admit as much to his friend. Trey had waited a long time for this day. He wouldn’t do anything to diminish his excitement. “Give your little princess a kiss for me. I have some shopping to do.” He stroked his chin. “Think a diamond tiara would be a
bit much?”

  Trey laughed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “Why do I get the feeling that her Uncle Luc is going to spoil her rotten?”

  “Because he is. Now get back to your wife and baby. I’ll see ya later.”

  Trey started to walk toward Sierra’s hospital room.

  “Hey, Trey?”

  He stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

  “Congratulations, buddy. Seriously, I couldn’t be happier for you guys.”

  Trey smiled. “Thanks, Luc. You’re the best.”

  Chapter Two

  “She’s so beautiful,” Marisa whispered, leaning over the glass enclosure that held her precious niece.

  “Look at those long eyelashes and that full head of hair.”

  Sierra couldn’t tear her eyes away from the tiny bundle swaddled in a pink blanket. “She is perfect, isn’t she? I feel so blessed, and I have you to thank for it, Marisa.”

  Marisa tore herself away from her niece long enough to claim a seat at her best friend’s bedside. “What do you mean? What did I do?”

  Sierra rolled her eyes. “Please, you were the one who talked me into telling Trey about the baby. If I hadn’t told him when I did, I may have been bringing her into the world without her daddy by my side and that would have been horrible, for her and for me.”

  Marisa squeezed her friend’s hand. “You and Trey belong together. I may have given you a nudge in the right direction, but you two would have found your way back to each other with or without my help.”

  “I wish you could find what we have, honey.”

  Marisa squeezed her eyes closed. She refused to burden her friend with her problems on the happiest day of her life. “I’m fine; things are good,” she said quietly.

  “You don’t know how much I want to believe that.”