Dangerous Temptations Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by Kelly Elliott & Kristin Mayer

  Published by Once Upon a Forever, LLC

  Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Interior Designer: Elaine York, Allusion Graphics, LLC

  Editor: Jen Matera with Write Divas

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without 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 either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Visit my website at http://www.authorkristinmayer.com or www.kellyelliottauthor.com

  Chapter One – Sydney

  Chapter Two – Sydney

  Chapter Three – Mike

  Chapter Four – Sydney

  Chapter Five – Sydney

  Chapter Six – Sydney

  Chapter Seven – Mike

  Chapter Eight – Sydney

  Chapter Nine – Sydney

  Chapter Ten – Sydney

  Chapter Eleven – Mike

  Chapter Twelve – Sydney

  Chapter Thirteen – Sydney

  Chapter Fourteen – Mike

  Chapter Fifteen – Mike

  Chapter Sixteen – Sydney

  Chapter Seventeen – Sydney

  Chapter Eighteen – Sydney

  Chapter Nineteen – Sydney

  Chapter Twenty – Sydney

  Chapter Twenty-One – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Sydney

  Chapter Twenty-Four – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Sydney

  Chapter Twenty-Seven – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Eight – Mike

  Chapter Twenty-Nine – Mike

  Chapter Thirty – Mike

  Chapter Thirty-One – Sydney

  Chapter Thirty-Two – Sydney

  Chapter Thirty-Three – Sydney

  Chapter Thirty-Four – Mike

  Chapter Thirty-Five – Mike

  Chapter Thirty-Six – Sydney

  Epilogue – Wesley

  Part 1 – Quinn

  Part 2 – Quinn

  Part 3 – Quinn

  Stay Up-to-Date

  Play Me Sneak Peek

  Chapter Two – Kendall

  Chapter Three – Kendall

  Note to Reader:

  As you read this book, you will find that fact and fiction of historical events intertwine. Some historical events were modified. This is done intentionally as the lines of fact and fiction blur. We hope you enjoy this twist on the past.

  All the best,

  Kelly & Kristin

  Sydney

  Salem, Massachusetts

  Home.

  I was home.

  Or at least the place I considered home.

  As I turned off the SUV, the headlights disappeared, which left me alone in the dark of the night. The drive to Maine had been long, but I’d needed to spread Grandpa’s ashes in the place where he’d done the same with Grandma’s fifteen years earlier.

  I let out a deep, tired sigh, releasing some of the stress from the last few days while I watched the glow of fireflies in the yard behind the vet clinic.

  Grandpa had died two weeks earlier from a heart attack. There had been no time to say good-bye. He had simply been there one day and gone the next.

  My parents had died two years ago in a car accident with a drunk driver. Now I was here… alone.

  “I miss you, Grandpa.”

  Every summer since I was a little girl, I’d traveled from the West Coast to Salem for six weeks to spend time with Grandpa. It was where I’d developed my love for animals and the desire to become a vet. In two days, I planned to reopen the practice, which had been closed since Grandpa’s death.

  His death.

  I shook my head, unable to comprehend that he wasn’t in his apartment, waiting up for me to come through the door like I had on the countless nights when I’d visited from New York, where I’d gone to college.

  Another deep sigh interrupted the quiet.

  “I wish you were here to fulfill our dream of working together.”

  In his will, he’d left everything to me—the veterinary practice and a house he’d bought a few months earlier. I’d had no idea about the property until I’d read the will.

  So many of the decisions I’d made felt foolish now.

  I’d wanted to make it on my own.

  I’d wanted to prove my worth as a veterinarian.

  I’d wanted to explore the unknown and take chances.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  I shrieked as the knocks on my window interrupted my thoughts. A flashlight shone through the glass, nearly blinding me.

  “Ma’am, I’m Officer Murphy.” The words were muffled with the window up. “Is everything okay?”

  The deep voice silenced my cry, but I held my hand to my racing heart. “You scared me. Who are you again?”

  “Officer Murphy with the Salem PD.”

  Officer Murphy? The name wasn’t familiar. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the patrol car.

  “Ma’am, is everything okay? Could you step out of the car?”

  My heart still beat rapidly in my ears. Having lived in the city for most of my life, I was leery of getting out of my car at night with a stranger. “I’m going to verify you’re a cop first.”

  “What?”

  The window was still up, so I raised my voice. “I’m going to call Doug to verify you’re a cop.”

  “That’s fine, ma’am.”

  Ma’am? How old does he think I am?

  Salem had a small-town feel where everyone knew everyone. I probably had nothing to worry about, but it was late at night and I’d never heard of Officer Murphy. Although a lot could have changed in the three months since I’d visited last. When I was here for the funeral two weeks ago, I had been in a fog.

  With the beam of the flashlight still shining inside the car, I grabbed my phone and dialed. Doug was the chief of police in Salem, and I had his number. He picked up on the first ring.

  “Sydney, is that you?”

  “Hey, Doug. Sorry to call so late at night. I’m outside the clinic. An Officer Murphy is outside my car window. Is he part of the PD now?”

  Doug had been a longtime friend of Grandpa’s. As a kid, I had been best friends with his daughter, who had mysteriously disappeared without a trace nearly seven years earlier. We’d been inseparable during the summers and had written and called through the months I was home in California. Vickie had only been twenty-two years old when she disappeared. The case was still unsolved.

  He chuckled. “Oh, that’s Mike. Yeah, he’s new. I asked him to keep an eye on your place since I didn’t expect you home until tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Doug. I was ready to get back.”

  “I’ll call him real quick. He was one of those big-city cops looking to slow down. Sometimes he forgets we’re not all out to cause issues. Mike wasn’t here for the funeral. He had to go back home to see his mom.”

  “I get it. Thanks again. I’ll have to bring you some of my homemade fudge soon.”

  Yelling away from the receiver, Doug said, “Gladys, Sydney is going to bring us some of her homemade fudge.” I chuckled while they bantered back and forth because Gladys couldn’t hear Doug. He came back on the line. “Gladys wants you t
o come over for tea when you bring the fudge.”

  “I will. Have a good night, Doug.”

  “You, too, punkin pie.”

  My throat tightened at the nickname Grandpa had given me when I was five. He’d called me that until the day he died, and it had stuck with some of his friends.

  I grabbed my purse and my duffel bag. For the time being, I planned to stay in the small apartment at the back of the clinic where Grandpa had lived until I looked over the house he’d bought. I had been numb when I read the will, and few of the details had stuck.

  As I opened the door, Officer Murphy’s phone rang. The moon was only a sliver in the sky and didn’t offer enough light to illuminate the man’s features.

  “Hey, Doug.” Given the dark, husky voice and broad shoulders, I could have only imagined how handsome he was. “Yes. I will. Thanks.”

  Nothing else was said. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, but I could only make out an outline of the man. “I’m Sydney Burch.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Doug told me. Sorry I scared you. I was keeping an eye on the place since you were still supposed to be out of town.”

  Something about his voice intrigued me. I squinted harder, trying to align the features of the man with the voice. Checking out Officer Murphy in the light of day had officially jumped to the top of my to-do list.

  “Sydney?”

  Oh shit.

  I’d spaced out for a second while thinking about him. “Umm… thank you for keeping an eye on the place. I came home early.”

  “You’re welcome. Let me walk you to your door,” he said.

  The presence and size of Officer Murphy further frazzled my thoughts. I tightened my hand on my bag to focus on something other than Officer Murphy.

  Exhaustion. It had to be exhaustion. I decided I was going to blame my thoughts on being worn out from the drama of the last two weeks.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes.” My response came out quiet. A bit stronger, I said, “Yes. I’m tired. It’s been a long trip.”

  After the first step, the next became easier. Officer Murphy’s flashlight was pointed at the ground, illuminating our path. I wondered if it would be weird to glance his way.

  Yes. Yes, it would. Get inside the house and go to bed.

  When we were nearly at the door, I took out my keys. “Thanks again, Officer Murphy. Have a good night.”

  “You, too, Syd.”

  Syd.

  No one had ever called me anything but Sydney or punkin pie.

  I opened the door and flipped on the light. When I turned around, all I saw was his retreating back and dark hair. I waited at the door longer than I should have to see if he turned around.

  He didn’t.

  If I’m still standing at the door gawking when he gets in his car, I’ll look like a loser.

  On that thought, I quickly closed the door, rested my forehead against the wood, and closed my eyes. I needed sleep stat so that my rational mind could return to me.

  The two-bedroom apartment was small and homey. Grandpa’s room was to the left and mine to the right.

  Without even flipping on the bedroom light, I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed, still fully dressed. A dreamless sleep claimed me before long.

  Sydney

  The early morning sun shone through the windows, filling the room with bright light. I hadn’t closed the blinds when I’d gone to bed. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was after nine.

  Oh man, I slept in late.

  Normally, I hit the running trails around six.

  The plan was to meet my childhood friend Wesley Youngsten for lunch. Every summer when I came to visit Grandpa, Vickie, Wesley, and I had been thick as thieves. Now he was a successful lawyer in Salem and had handled the probate for Grandpa’s will.

  While I’d been on the road, Wesley had called to tell me there were a few papers that still needed to be signed. My appointment with him had been for the following morning. However, on my way back, I’d asked him to move it up a day to get everything settled.

  I stretched my limbs and tried to prepare myself for how empty the apartment would feel without Grandpa. Life would never be the same again. His death was still hard for me to comprehend at times. The fact that I had no family left stung and was a little scary. I had to remind myself I had friends who were like family. I wasn’t alone.

  Tossing back the blankets, I decided I most definitely needed a run.

  The trails behind the clinic were peaceful and my favorite place to escape. I found my running gear in my duffel bag. There were more clothes in the dresser to tide me over until the moving truck came along later in the week. At that moment, my life felt like it had been turned upside down and inside out.

  Up until the day he died, I’d thought I had plenty of time before I moved to Salem and joined the practice with Grandpa.

  I shook my head. No regrets. Live each day with no regrets. All the decisions I’d made had led me down the path I was meant to follow.

  The pavement of the trail called to me, so I donned my running shoes, hoping to leave all the thoughts of what would have been behind me.

  I felt more rested than I had been on my trip to Maine, though I still had dark circles under my eyes. Running would help. I tightened my blond hair in its ponytail before I headed out the door.

  The fresh air invigorated me as I stepped onto the wet grass. It must have rained overnight. At nine fifteen, the sun was halfway up the sky, and I stepped beneath the tree canopy that shaded the trail, where it cooled down five degrees from what felt like the upper sixties.

  After stretching, I took off at a steady jog to build my pace. This was exactly what I needed. The constant pounding on the pavement in rhythm with my breathing centered me. Like anything else in life, I would tackle one thing at a time.

  Meet with Wesley.

  Go see the property Grandpa bought.

  Get ready to open the clinic tomorrow.

  Figure out what I’m going to do next.

  The last task daunted me the most, and I wasn’t sure why. I had so many plans for the clinic and my life.

  One step at a time.

  The trail curved to the left, and I kept my focus on the pounding of my feet and my steady breathing.

  “Syd?”

  That voice. That voice. It was the voice from the night before, coming up from behind me. Officer Murphy. Oh shit. I had been a complete idiot last night. And I’d pushed the incident to the far recesses of my mind, hoping to never have to think of how I must have come off in my mute state while he’d talked to me like a normal person.

  What do I say to him?

  Oh shit. I was doing the same thing I’d done the night before.

  “Syd?” The voice was closer and slightly out of breath.

  Do I pretend I can’t hear him? I kept my pace steady, my breathing even.

  There was a cough behind me, and it sounded like he was right behind me.

  Is he sweaty? Will I be able to put a face to the amazing voice?

  On that thought, my feet got caught up in invisible strings, and I toppled to the ground. I threw out my hands to take the brunt of the impact.

  “Ouch!” I hit the ground and quickly rolled to a sitting position.

  “Hell, are you okay?”

  I closed my eyes and dropped my forehead to my knees in humiliation. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  A shadow fell over me as I mentally gathered myself. Peering up, I saw concern in his deep blue eyes.

  I gulped. I seriously gulped. “Officer Murphy. Nice to see you again.”

  Nice to see you again?

  Okay, it had apparently been a while since my lady parts had gotten a workout from the opposite sex. A good, long while. Longer than I cared to admit after my last breakup. And even in my nonbreakup state, said lady parts had not been satisfied.

  “You sure you’re okay? That was a nasty fall.”

  I felt his hand on my elbow, and the tingles near
ly had me gasping in shock. “I’m sure. Probably still tired.”

  Hell, Sydney, how many times can you use the tired excuse?

  “Let me see your palms.”

  The Adonis in front of me squatted to my level, popping out his calf muscles in the process. I only imagined what his thighs looked like. And those abs. Oh, and that ass. I would have bet he had one of those asses that curved inward at just the right spot.

  Oh my gosh! Get a grip, Sydney! Get. A. Grip!

  With gentle hands, he turned mine over. “Nothing too serious. You didn’t break the skin.”

  “I probably should have slept a little longer.”

  He gave me a wink. “Probably. Doug told me you went to Maine. I’m sorry for your loss, Sydney. I hate that I missed the funeral. I had to go home and help my mom.”

  I powered through it, though part of me wanted to cry. “Thank you. I hope your mom is okay. Yes, I went there to scatter his ashes in the same place he took my Grandma’s. That was where they met for the first time.”

  “She is, thanks.” Officer Murphy held out his hand to help me up. I had two options: take his hand to ensure I got up, or try on my own, which most likely would end up with me flat on my ass again.

  It was a no-brainer.

  I put my hand in his as he helped me up and felt the same pulse between us at the moment of contact. Unable to meet his gaze, I glanced down as I retracted my hand and kicked at an invisible rock. My foot nearly caught on the invisible string again, and I wavered. With lightning speed, he caught me by the shoulders.

  “Steady there.”

  Do not take another step while he is here.

  I gave a smile. “Thanks, I’ve got it now. Sluggish feet are the worst.”

  Not to mention a short-circuiting brain due to testosterone overload.

  I brushed off my hands gently after he released me. “Thanks again, Officer Murphy. Come by the clinic sometime if you ever need a vet.”

  What. The. Hell?

  If you ever need a vet?

  For the most part, I was a fairly intelligent individual. But this man turned me into a babbling, tripping goober.

  “Mike.”

  “Mike? Is that the name of your dog?”