The Right Mistake Read online

  The Right Mistake

  A. M. Guilliams

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Coming Soon

  Copyright © 2018 Amanda Berberich. All rights reserved.

  © The Right Mistake. All rights reserved. Except as permitted by U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the author.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  This book is intended for 18+ due to language.

  Edited by: Masque of the Red Pen

  Cover Design: Kari March Designs

  Chapter 1

  Avery

  How in the hell did I let them talk me into this?

  My best friends Lizzie and Madeline were in the other room getting ready for a night out on the town. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, not believing the person who stared back at me. They had both curled my long brown hair, which flowed down my back. I turned around to look, my bare back staring at me. This dress should be illegal to wear. It was gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t me. I was more of the sweatpants, t-shirt, hair up in a messy bun type of girl who enjoyed her ice cream and watching romance movies on television late at night. Not the nightclub type of girl who wore this scrap of fabric that barely hit my mid-thigh. The champagne color did look amazing on my tan flesh. The spaghetti strap mini dress clung to my front and all the way down my body, showing off every single curve. The sparkle reflected into the mirror as I turned from side to side, hoping that one of my boobs didn’t peek out from the side of the material that came down much lower than I preferred. Madeline had given me the smoky eye look and made sure my makeup was done to perfection, right down to my painted lips, the shade of sexy sin, as it was labeled. I just shook my head, hoping that I could pull this look off that they were so desperate to see.

  “Get your sexy ass out here, Avery,” Madeline yelled from the other side of the white paneled door.

  It was now or never.

  Taking one deep breath and letting out the air within my lungs, I walked out on shaky legs to greet my two friends.

  “Wowzer. Look at you, hot mama,” Lizzie screeched as she fanned her cheeks, her eyes wide and her lips parted in a shocked ‘O’. She looked way too excited to see me in this get up. I felt fake. This wasn’t me. But if it made her happy on her last hoorah, I’d do it just to see that smile that lit up her face as she took in my appearance.

  “Are you sure this isn’t too much? I don’t want to attract the wrong type of attention or have some crazy ass get the wrong idea,” I said as I nervously tried to pull down the non-existent material.

  “You won’t. You’re going out with your girls. Let the men gawk and look. You’re every man’s fantasy all rolled into one,” Madeline stated as she handed me a half full flute of champagne. I downed the contents, hoping they helped calm my now racing heart. It was one thing to stand here in front of my two best friends. We’d been friends since freshman year in college and inseparable ever since. Six years later and we all had the jobs we wanted and apartments within miles of each other. And now the first one of us was getting married. Hence, our trip to the city that never slept. Lizzie had never been and wanted her bachelorette party to be memorable. Who were her best friends to deny her? This weekend would go down in the memory books, that was for sure. Since the minute we arrived, we’d all had mani/pedis, massages, and were now about to go out for a night on the town, during our last night here before we headed home tomorrow. I’m just glad she’d found her happily ever after in Grant. He was a good man. No, a great man. I was often envious at the love those two so obviously shared. Now that I was going on twenty-six, I felt like I should be out searching for Mr. Right; I was just too picky and set my standards for romance high. Damn those romance novels I stuck my nose into for me wanting to find the perfect man who most likely didn’t even exist except in my mind. I had my reasons for being skeptical and stubbing my nose up at the dates and relationships that all ended with me finding the one thing wrong with them that I couldn’t tolerate.

  “Stop pulling at your dress. You look amazing. It fits you better than me,” Lizzie said as she handed me a clutch that matched perfectly to the dress. That was Lizzie. Everything had to be coordinated with her outfit. The bag, the jewelry, the shoes.

  She handed me the strappy heels that she’d pulled from her bag. Shoes I was sure would make me break my ankle and have my feet killing me by the end of the night. I’d asked earlier in the day if I could wear flats, and she and Madeline both gave each other a look and laughed. I knew I was doomed from that moment on. Quickly, I placed the death traps on my feet. They made my legs look a mile long and sculpted as I stood. My five-foot-seven frame now even taller than it was before by at least five inches.

  Lizzie had on a baby blue strapless dress that was so form fitted I knew she had to be completely naked underneath. There was no way undergarments would fit under that material. Her blonde hair was in an updo that looked like it took her hours to perfect, but it was less than fifteen minutes. She was a master at hair and makeup. Her diamond ring sparkled on her left hand just as it hit the light from the chandelier from above. Our suite at the Hard Rock was to die for. The bed was the most comfortable that I’d slept in thus far, and I traveled for work with my boss so many times I’d lost count. The view overlooking the Vegas strip was picturesque, especially at night with all the lights and movement of the tourists.

  Madeline wore a pale green halter dress that had stones across the breasts and flared down from underneath them. She was the most modest dressed of the three of us. But the look was all her. Her hair was also curled and pinned up. They both had insisted that my hair be kept down for some reason. Most likely because a bun was my go-to hairstyle. It was suitable for work and kept the long locks out of my face while I rushed around the office completing various tasks for the day. Plus, with the rain in Seattle, it helped keep the frizz to a minimum.

  “Alright, chicas. Let’s go rock this joint,” Madeline said with her arms in the air and a swing of her hips.

  I grabbed the flute out of Lizzie’s hand and downed the rest. Liquid courage was needed so that I had the confidence to even cross the threshold.

  “Hey, biotch. That was mine.”

  “I’ll buy you enough drinks tonight to make up for it,” I told her as I placed my clutch under my arm.

  “Good. It’s my last night of fun out with you guys before I’m no longer considered single,” Lizzie joked as we exited the hotel room.

  With every person I passed, I felt like their eyes were trained on me, but when Madeline linked her arm within mine, I pushed those thoughts down and focused on giving Lizzie the night she deserved.

 
We headed to the casino and each grabbed glasses of wine from the waitress that had been walking around. I didn’t even care what it was. I never drank, but I’d need all I could get tonight.

  We sat down at the slot machines and within minutes, Lizzie’s machine sounded like crazy.

  “Holy shit. I just won!” Lizzie jumped up from the seat and clapped.

  Madeline and I both stood and walked over to where Lizzie stood in shock.

  "You just won five thousand dollars. What the fuck?” Madeline announced as she hugged our best friend. She totally deserved this.

  “You want to keep playing?” I asked, before she made a move to continue at the machine.

  “Hell no. That’ll only get me in trouble. I want to cash out,” she replied as she hit the correct button on the machine and grabbed the ticket that printed her winnings.

  We walked over to the counter, and she cashed out her funds. They tried to comp her to get her to continue playing, but she refused any of their rewards. She wanted her money and money alone.

  We returned to the room long enough for her to put her reward in the safe and have another glass of champagne before we went down to the nightclub. My liver was going to hate me tomorrow, but it would all be worth it.

  “Alright, ladies. You ready to go shake our asses on the dancefloor?”

  As ready as I’d ever be.

  The music blared all around us as we paid our entry fee to get into the club. The lights were making my already tipsy mind even foggier. We walked around the space taking in the closely dancing bodies and others laughing at the groups they were with until we were in front of the bar.

  “What can I get you, beautiful?” the bartender shouted over the sound of the techno beat.

  “Three lemon drops and three sweet tarts.”

  I enjoyed the sweet, yet sour taste and so did Madeline and Lizzie.

  He made the drinks in record time, never stopping the beaming smile on his face. His blue eyes were mesmerizing, especially in the flashing lights. I was sure he made a killing on a nightly basis. I already wanted to give him a big tip just based on his smile alone.

  He told me the total and I handed him a fifty, telling him to keep the change. Fuck it. You only live once, right?

  “To Lizzie. May you always have happiness and great sex,” I cheered as we held up our lemon drop shots, taking them back, and we clanked our glasses together. The girls laughed after we were finished at my lovely speech.

  Madeline spoke next after we picked up our sweet tart shots. I had him make the grape ones since they were our favorite.

  “To us. May we always have friendship no matter what life brings us,” she said, and we repeated taking the shots just as we had moments before. Damn Madeline for always being the sappy one.

  “We’ll always be friends. Nothing and no one can change that. Who’s up for making this night even more fun?” Lizzie asked, a mischievous grin on her face. She was up to something, and I had a feeling that I would be taking the brunt of whatever she had planned. Especially since I was the conservative one of the bunch.

  “What did you have in mind?” I almost choked as I spit the words out. Nervousness filled my veins as I waited for her to respond.

  “Well, this is more for you two and my amusement. Since I’m a taken woman and all.”

  Damn her. I knew it.

  “Just spit it out already,” Madeline egged her on.

  “First, I bet you two won’t kiss a stranger. Right here in this very nightclub.”

  Kiss a stranger.

  That couldn’t be that hard.

  Could it?

  “But what about Brad? I’m not totally single here, ladies,” Madeline interjected.

  “Brad’s a douche, and has he given you a commitment yet?” I yelled into her ear.

  “Well, no, but,” she tried to say, but Lizzie cut her off.

  “No buts. He’s not committed so neither are you. Now off to it,” Lizzie said as she gave our friend a shove into the direction of a crowd of people.

  I’d need more liquid courage to partake in this foolishness.

  Kiss a stranger.

  Sheesh.

  I’d never kissed someone on the first date let alone a damn stranger, and she knew it.

  That was more Madeline’s speed. She didn’t need a commitment from a man. I did.

  Which was probably why I’d only ever slept with two people. I had to have a connection before I took a relationship that far.

  The bartender was busy making drinks for a group of ladies that smiled and giggled at him as I walked over and leaned against the wooden frame to wait my turn.

  That’s when I felt something strange. An electric pull from behind me. A shiver ran up from the bottom of my spine to the base of my neck as I tried to pull off turning around and not seeming too alarmed. Then I saw him. A gorgeous male leaning against the bar behind me dressed in a solid blue button-down shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to the bottom of his elbows. Without seeming too obvious, I continued my gaze down to find him in a dark pair of denim jeans and black boots. Ever so slowly I continued to secretly gawk at the man beside me as I continued my gaze back up to his beard covered face hoping that I could catch a glimpse of his eyes. A lot could be told when looking into the eyes of another.

  He turned toward me, and our gazes instantly locked. The music around us faded into the background along with the vast amount of people. There was just the two of us. My body felt warm all over as he continued to stare. My tongue licked my bottom lip, and my teeth grazed my flesh. I couldn’t look away, mesmerized by the crystal blue color of his eyes and the yellow hue that surrounded his pupils. A woman could easily get lost in those beautiful baby blues.

  “What can I get you?” the bartender asked, breaking away all thoughts I had of the hunk of a man standing next to me.

  “I’ll have a light beer. What about you, beautiful?”

  I went to speak, but the bartender cut me off.

  “A lemon drop and a sweet tart?” he asked, shocking me that he remembered.

  “You remembered?”

  “I never forget what a beautiful woman drinks,” he said as he scooped a cup full of ice out from the chest in front of him and set off to make my drinks.

  Kiss a stranger.

  He looked like someone I could get lost in kissing. Someone perfect for this game of Lizzie’s. If only I had the courage to just go for it.

  The bartender, whose name I’d yet to get, brought our drinks back quickly, only the handsome gentleman wouldn’t let me pay, insisting that he had it covered.

  “What’s your name, beautiful?” he asked before he took a swig of his beer.

  I licked the salty, sugary mixture off the rim of the lemon drop before I could speak.

  “Avery. My name’s Avery.”

  “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” he said just before I downed the contents of my first shot.

  I reached for the second as our fingers collided on the glass.

  A shock tore through me from his touch.

  “A sweet tart for a sweetheart,” he said as he picked up the glass and handed it over to me.

  Man, he was good. Too damn good at wooing me.

  I downed the second shot without even thinking as I shut my eyes and waited for the burn to overtake me of the Southern Comfort.

  This bartender knew what he was doing. This shot was better than the last. And it was watermelon flavored this time.

  “My name’s…” and I cut him off by placing a finger over his lips. His eyes squinted in confusion.

  “You’re not a stranger if you tell me your name, right?”

  “I guess?” he questioned. “What’s that got to do with anything?” He cocked his head waiting for my craziness to end.

  It was now or never.

  “This,” I whispered, removing my finger from his lips. I placed my other hand on the back of his head and brought his lips down to mine.

  The second our lips touched
, I was lost in sensation. A millisecond was all it took for him to catch on, and he returned the kiss. His hand came around the small of my back as he pulled me closer to him to close the gap between us. His leg went in between mine as our lips tasted each other. I didn’t want to pull away. The electric current I’d only read about in books was existing right before my eyes and as much as I wanted to continue, the conservative portion of my brain won the battle. I pulled away, thankful that the lip stain wouldn’t smear onto his lips. Only the gloss had transferred. His gaze had turned into one of longing and desire.

  “I’m sorry. You’ve got,” I said, but stopped as I reached up to wipe the sheen of gloss off his mouth, desperate to get in one last touch.

  “I can’t believe you did it. You actually did it,” Lizzie screamed into my ear as she bounced up and down beside me.

  The man whose name I’d yet to get held my gaze with a questioning look in his eyes.

  I was busted.

  With no way to explain.

  This man. The one who just kissed me senseless probably thought I was insane.

  “Hi, I’m Lizzie and this is Madeline. We’re the two best friends of this one,” Lizzie introduced the two of them since I was still stunned speechless.

  “Gage. Gage Rivers. It’s a pleasure to meet you two. What did this one do to shock you so much? I have to say, you’ve piqued my interest.”

  His cocky smile filled his features making him even more irresistible.

  Calm down, Avery. You’re acting like a bitch in heat.

  I had to remind myself that this wasn’t me.

  This was just for fun.

  “Who wants another shot?” I tried to interject, but the three of them weren’t having it.

  “Why don’t we see if we can get a table? My feet are already killing me,” Madeline said, and I held back the urge to say I told you so. We’d been here thirty minutes’ tops and she swore she could last all night in those shoes.