STEAL (Right Men Series Book 2) Read online

  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

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  EPILOGUE

  Table of Contents

  STEAL

  Copyright

  Blurb

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Epilogue

  Books By Mayra Statham

  COPYRIGHT © 2017 BY MAYRA STATHAM

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL METHODS, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER, EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF BRIEF QUOTATIONS EMBODIED IN CRITICAL REVIEWS AND CERTAIN OTHER NONCOMMERCIAL USES PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW.

  THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, BUSINESSES, PLACES, EVENTS AND INCIDENTS ARE EITHER THE PRODUCTS OF THE AUTHOR’S IMAGINATION OR USED IN A FICTITIOUS MANNER. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, OR ACTUAL EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

  EDITING JULIA GODA

  FORMATTING: CP SMITH

  COVER DESIGN: DARK WATERS COVERS

  BLURB

  Never steal. But if you must steal, steal away from bad company.

  Divorced police detective, Bryan Wright, let his life revolve around nothing but work after his marriage all but imploded. Now he is ready to hit play on living again; as long as love and commitment are off the table. But the curvy blond goddess who happens to be his new roommate cracks the veneer of his walls with her sassy mouth and shy smiles.

  ER nurse, Valerie Duncan, isn’t one to trust easily. When she discovers she has a sinfully handsome new roomie, she is more than cautious. After all, nothing good can come out of being around a man who drips testosterone and masculinity with every breath he takes.

  Heat and desire collide, breaching their walls, leaving each of them vulnerable to love, though they stubbornly deny it. When the past spills into the present, will they admit to stealing each other’s heart? Will they be brave enough to steal away from the bad company that comes knocking at their door?

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  My forever boyfriend: You have been my #1 cheerleader. Without you, life would not be as bright.

  My children: Don’t follow your dreams, chase them.

  Julia Goda, CP Smith, Tracie Douglas, Kelly Tucker: I feel completely honored and blessed to be able to call you my friends. Each of you is more than a friend; you are my family. I love you guys with all my heart and appreciate your words and support more than you could ever imagine. I’m a lucky girl!

  Diamond in the Rough Editing & Dark Water Covers: You are amazing to work with! Thank you for your help at making Steal shine that much brighter!

  Statham’s Sexy Stars: Your endless support means more than you can ever imagine. You guys are amazing!

  #WordSprintSisters: You know who you are. Thank you for helping me get those words out onto paper!

  You, my reader: Thank you for taking a chance on me. I know you have a world of books to choose from, and I really hope you enjoy Bryan and Val’s story! Please always feel free to contact me, whether via email at [email protected] or on social media.

  DEDICATION

  NEVER STEAL. BUT IF YOU DO, STEAL AWAY FROM BAD COMPANY.

  -WILL SMITH IN HITCH

  PROLOGUE

  He stared at the phone—the call had more than ended—and tossed it onto the end of the couch.

  That didn’t go as he planned, he thought to himself with a sigh, running his fingers through his freshly cut hair.

  He would have thought his brother, Marcus, would have been happy he was looking for a new place to live. Looking around the big open concept game room/loft area upstairs, he shook his head. When he had moved in a couple of years ago, his plan hadn’t been to stay there this long to begin with. He had only planned on getting his head together, licking his wounds and manning up to face the world.

  Instead, one thing after another happened, and before he knew it, his two older brothers, a childhood friend who was more family than friend, and himself were all living under the same roof like in some fucked-up cable TV show.

  His phone rang, and he leaned over and grabbed it, answering without looking at it.

  “Wright,” he barked, slightly pissed but mostly frustrated that Marc was somehow upset. He really had no right to be. It was time. Not only that, but Marc was engaged now. He had an instant family, so he was going to need the space and privacy. Maybe with him getting the hell outta here, it would help to get Garrett and Don out, too.

  “B?” a somewhat familiar voice rang out, and his frustrations faded away and he found himself grinning.

  “Vaughn? Vaughn McGuire?” he asked, feeling his lips tilt upward.

  “Yeah! Hey, man! I can’t believe you recognized my voice!” His old college buddy laughed, and Bryan settled into the couch.

  “Damn, man, it’s been a long time!”

  “Yeah… couple years now.”

  “Shit, dude, you blink and years fly past you.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “Not to be an ass, but how did you get my number?”

  “Donnie. I, uh, saw him out one of these days.”

  “Nice. How’s it going?”

  “Well, that’s what I was calling about. Don mentioned you were looking for a new place. You’re all living at Marc’s pad?”

  “Yeah, long story.”

  “Man, when I saw him, I would have bet an easy grand you were living in the burbs with Courtney and half a dozen kids by now,” Vaughn joked, and Bryan bit the inside of his lip. So did I. Shaking his head of the dark thoughts that threatened to cloud his min
d, he cleared his throat.

  “Na, man, we split up a while ago.”

  “Sorry to hear that, man. I know you guys had been together forever. Since high school, right?”

  “Yep.” He almost wanted to laugh at how Vaughn hadn’t changed. Never knowing when to stop talking.

  “But hey, look, I’m subletting this place right on the beach—“

  “Vaughn, I’m looking to buy my own place, not really thinking about having a roommate,” he interrupted.

  “Right. Don mentioned that. Said you didn’t know where exactly you wanted to relocate to. That’s why I’m calling. I gotta head outta town for a while. A couple of months. I was hoping you might be interested.”

  “A place on the beach.” He didn’t hate the idea.

  “I just wanna make sure the place is taken care of. Someone around to watch over it.”

  “Sounds good, man.”

  “Listen, it has this small guesthouse in the back.” Ah, and here was the catch.

  “I have a boarder.“ The call cut out and he couldn’t hear more than static, “… Duncan. Best person I know. No one I trust more, man.”

  “Okay, why not just let Duncan take it?” he asked, and the call once again broke apart as Vaughn spoke. “Man, I can’t hear you,” he spoke hoping that his friend could hear him.

  “In and out of the hospital all the time,” came through the bad connection, hardly ever there. “You know that life. Shift after shift and then sometimes even picks up doubles.”

  “Man, it’s cool. You said Duncan lives out in the guesthouse?”

  “Yeah, man. Like I said, no one I trust more.”

  “Send me some pictures and the cost, and I’ll hit you up.”

  “Trust me, you are going to love it. It’s a great place. Great views, close to a bunch of restaurants and shit. Worst case, a great place to try out for a while.”

  “Cool. Send me the stuff. I’ll let you know.” He smiled thinking that as much as he loved the place he was living at, a place on the beach sounded good.

  Not even five minutes after his phone dinged, ten pictures of the place came into view, and just like that, Bryan had a new place to stay.

  He was ready to start living again.

  CHAPTER ONE

  BRYAN WRIGHT

  He pulled his Ford Explorer into the driveway of his new place, feeling confident he had done the right thing by moving out of his brother’s place. It was time for him to start again. The beach hadn’t exactly been on his radar when he had first thought about moving, but looking at the house in front of him, he was glad he was where he was. Nicola, his quirky grandmother, would have told him that this was one of those moments when life reminded you it was going to take you where you were meant to be. Whatever the fuck that meant.

  Either way, he was glad for the change. He knew the days of having to deal with his brothers arguing were behind him. And the cherry on the sundae was the sound of nothing but peace and quiet. And the waves breaking on the shore. Even now, in his car, he could make out the sound.

  The only thing that had sucked was, Bryan had just moved his things into the empty room in the house the day before. The place had three. One had been locked and he figured it was Vaughn’s, and the other must have been decorated by a woman. It had small, soft, feminine touches and tons of fucking books. Bryan assumed Vaughn used it as a guest room. Especially since there was a box of tools and what looked like building materials stacked neatly in a corner.

  His phone rang and he raised an eyebrow.

  “Vaughn?”

  “Hey, man, glad I caught you before my flight took off.”

  “No problem. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, man, listen, buddy...” The line cut out, and he frowned.

  “Vaughn?” Bryan could hardly make out what he was saying, and it seemed Vaughn had no damn clue there was an issue.

  “A pipe burst, so Duncan is going to take a room in the house…pshppsshh… forgot to tell you, hope that’s okay.”

  “How long till it gets fixed?” he asked, his free hand running through his dark hair. What if his guy was a total dick?

  “Two weeks, tops.”

  “Whoa, man…”

  “Don’t worry, B…. pssh pshhh… Duncan is a buddy of mine. We go way back. Like I said, no one I trust more.”

  “Okay, I guess.” What other choice do I have?

  “Cool.” The static started up again as Vaughn spoke, and Bryan stepped out of his SUV. “Works at the hospital…” Now the static made it even harder to hear.

  “Vaughn, man, you keep cutting out.”

  “Don’t worry, Duncan’s cool as shit and …”

  “Hello?” Shit. He looked at his own phone and saw he had crap reception. “Vaughn?”

  “Heads up, though…hosts hot girls…” Hot girls? Maybe this Duncan guy won’t be so bad?

  “Man, I can’t hear shit,” he told Vaughn, but apparently, his own voice wasn’t getting through to the other side.

  “Damn, my flight just got called. I gotta go. Be nice, man… kid’s kinda reserved but great people.”

  Great. Does reserved mean a total nerd? Or worse, a hipster?

  “Bye, bud. Safe travels.” He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  What did I get myself into?

  He looked at the house and took a deep breath. It was fine. He was going to ignore the way his gut was yelling at him. He should have looked into Vaughn and this Duncan guy but hadn’t. What kind of cop was he, not doing his due diligence? But he was going to ignore it. It was time to move forward. One leg in front of the other as he unstuck himself of his past and what he had wanted out of life.

  Opening the door of the darkened house, he almost wanted to laugh. Shit, it was better than the headache he got looking at the place. The pictures Vaughn had sent were of the good spots of the house. Not that it was a ramshackle. It just looked like it was somewhat under construction. He would have never pegged Vaughn as a do-it-yourselfer, but then again, it had been years since they’d been friends in college. People changed. Didn’t they?

  Stretching, he went straight to the newly redone shower in his room and then to bed. He had the next three days off and planned on not doing a single fucking thing other than sit under the sun and listen to the waves from his new backyard.

  VALERIE DUNCAN

  Water ran down my body, and I leaned my forearms onto the wall as water pounded my back, washing the tension down the drain. Steam surrounded me, and I was glad I had talked Vaughn into the tankless water heater. The water pressure was perfect. So much better than the couple of droplets that used to sprinkle out not even three weeks ago. The hot water soothed my aching muscles. Running around all day at the hospital the last three days did a number on your body. Or had it been four? God, I needed some time off. My days were bleeding into one another.

  Shutting off the water, I rung the excess water out of my dirty blond hair with my hands, then wrapped myself up with my towel. Walking out of the bathroom without a glance at what I looked like, I noticed Vaughn’s bedroom door still shut.

  The big guy was sleeping in. Not unusual for him on a Saturday. Or is it Sunday? Ugh, all these double shifts and overtime were completely screwing with my sense of time.

  Sneaking into the kitchen, I started the coffee. While the magical machine percolated, brewing the only thing that was going to get me going today, I stood by the bay window, holding my towel with both hands. The waves were great today, the water looked bluer than usual, and I wished I’d be able to head out. The idea of sprawling out on a soft towel on the warm sand with a sexy book to read sounded like heaven. One more day and I’d have two whole days off. I couldn’t wait.

  “Fuck,” a deep voice rumbled, making me turn. My tongue was suddenly too big for my own mouth at the sight before me.

  “Holy cheese sticks!” I whispered to myself and felt the smirk on his face like a touch on my skin. It made me stand up straighter and blink. How can
I feel that? I wondered. A shiver ran down my neck to the base of my spine with the way the more than sexy stranger stared at me.

  Vaughn brought back a guy to the house? This was new. And really against our house rules. “Ummm, who are you?”

  “Holy cheese sticks?” He raised an eyebrow, repeating my stupid words. “Vaughn warned me about Duncan and the hot chicks,” he weirdly said, and I couldn’t help but frown.

  “What?” I asked, confused about what he’d said, almost like he was talking to himself.

  “Baby, you shouldn’t be walking around like that. I don’t know your man, but if you were mine, I wouldn’t let you walk around in almost nothing.”

  Baby?

  My man?

  Let me?

  Who the hell does this guy think he is?

  “Unless you guys are just casual, in which case”—he crossed his arms over his muscly bare chest, his arms becoming more pronounced, and I felt myself blush at the sight. Damn it—“I can pass you my number. I got a couple of days off, and I have a feeling you and I could have a lot of fun, Blondie.”

  “Blondie?” I finally found my voice, and he tilted his head, drinking me in like a frozen lemonade in the middle of the desert.

  “Yeah. Your hair…” he started to explain, but something about him irritated me.

  “Original. Thanks.” I rolled my eyes, walking closer, right to the coffee machine, not at all intimidated by him.

  Vaughn was open about his sexual preferences and how he didn’t have one. He was bisexual and didn’t care what people thought about him. I didn’t care, but we were going to have words. His ‘date’ was starting to more than annoy me. “Look, I don’t know what bisexual-gay bar Vaughn fished you out of—”

  “What?” the very tall, sexy shirtless guy asked with a semi-surprised look on his face. Almost like he was shocked by my words, but I couldn’t get myself to care. I was too tired to care about anything and was definitely not looking forward to the day that lay ahead of me if this guy was a premonition of things to come.

  “And I couldn’t care less. I really couldn’t. What you do is your own business, and in the words on Lin Manuel Miranda, love is love is love.”