Love Me ~ Without Regret

Copyright © 2016 Renee Kennedy

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. - [email protected]; Editing: Flaming Pen Editing – http://www.Flamingpenediting.com; Cover Design: Allusion Graphics, LLC/Publishing & Book Formatting- http://www.allusiongraphics.com; Photographer: Kristy Rogers- https://www.facebook.com/KristyLouisePS

DEDICATION

For my very own Lizzie. Stay awesome!

To a very special person, sweet Miss Emma and her mom, Heather. Thank you for sharing everything, Emma.

To the darling Miss Grace and her mom, Elaine. Thank you for being good friends. Grace, you amaze me how you don’t let anything stand in your way of achieving your goals.

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, and forget the ones who don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

– Harvey Mackay

Table of Contents

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

ten

eleven

twelve

thirteen

fourteen

fifteen

sixteen

seventeen

eighteen

nineteen

twenty

twenty-one

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Recommended Reads from the Author

one

Lizzie

“How about him? He looks like he would have a big cock.” Aubrey checks out the guy at the end of the bar.

“I would break him. He’s too little,” I muse. None of these guys are really my type. They’re all too “good,” and I like rough around the edges. We need to head out to another bar, but I have an ulterior motive for being here.

Aubrey and I reached the bar about an hour ago, and I’m ready for the band to start playing. We get our new drinks from the bar and test them with our swizzle sticks. I don’t mind going home with someone, but only on my terms. There won’t be any date rape going on with this chick. You would think with my mom’s past, I wouldn’t like one-night stands and casual sex, but that’s what I prefer.

“Have you gotten picky? What’s been wrong with you here lately? You’re going soft.” Aubrey downs her drink.

So, I down mine, too, ready for round three. Who will be the lucky guy to buy this round? Damn, there isn’t anyone interesting here and I wore my favorite outfit.

I saved for a couple of months for these ankle boots, and they look fucking hot on me. The black leather Hades Oxfords are so steampunk! They lace up and have three buckles on each side, with five-inch metal heels. These babies are total kick ass and have some cool metal gear work on them, too. I’ve perfectly paired them with my black, leather, barely there mini skirt, and my black tank with a Harley and skull cut out on the back. My makeup is heavy tonight with thick black eyeliner, flicked up on the sides. My lips are ruby red and full. I don’t know why I’m wasting how good I look here. Almost everyone else is in denim. Freaking rednecks. I mean I dress that way, too but Oh Mi Gawd! Can these people not wear something different? “I’m ready for some action, Aubs, but we’re in the wrong bar for that. If the band isn’t any good, then we’re leaving.”

“You were the one insisting we come here tonight.” She crosses her arms and checks her watch for the third time in the last thirty minutes.

“They should be on any minute. Let’s get on the dance floor so we can get a good view.”

She shrugs. “Whatever. But you don’t really like this kind of music, so what’s the big deal?”

A huge dance floor is set in front of the stage, which is centered against one wall. The lighting is fantastic for the performers, and the speakers and sound system are top of the line. I wonder how this bar can afford this kind of equipment.

Tables and booths line one side of the dance floor. They are extremely cozy, with little candles flickering on each of them, casting a romantic glow. The lights on that side of the room are turned down low, creating the ideal atmosphere for setting the mood. On the other side of the dance floor are a few pool tables. High top tables and barstools are scattered haphazardly. With the non-smoking policy in effect everywhere, we don’t have to endure a thick layer of smoke, thank goodness.

The announcer comes onto the stage. “Please welcome the band we all have come to love. Shades of Regret.”

Girls all over the bar come to the dance floor, screaming like these guys are famous or something.

“What kind of name is Shades of Regret?”

Aubrey looks annoyed and I pull a twenty out of my bra, “Here. Get us more drinks.” She is going to have to quit that whining, I can’t put up with that shit. I mean Bailey doing it is one thing, but anyone else grates on my nerves. Aubrey is my best friend outside of Bailey, but right now, Bailey is so far up Cash’s ass, I’m surprised she doesn’t smell like shit. I can say that because I love her and she is like my sister

He
takes the stage. I can get my fill of looking without him going all cheesy on me since I’m sure he won’t recognize me dressed like this.

“Thank y’all for coming out tonight. We appreciate all of our loyal fans, ladies.” He winks at a group of girls to the right of center stage.

They act like a bunch of stupid ass teenagers going crazy over the latest boy band.

“The boys and I are playing for our favorite charity tonight, Crossroads Ranch. So ladies, if you like what you hear, come by and fill our jar with your change.” He turns and nods to the drummer.

I hear the opening licks to ‘Rusty Cage’ by Soundgarden, but the song sounds country. I have to say, if I were to listen to country music, I would be jamming to this kind.

Aubrey comes back with my vodka and cranberry. I take out my little tester stick and swirl it around. Normally, I’m a beer kind of girl, but tonight I need something stronger if I’m going to pull this off. Getting him to come home with me won't be hard, seeing he is already after my coochy and all. I just need these drinks to forget he's an easy-going country boy. I’ll make things easy for him this one night to get him out of my system then I’ll go back to my bad boys.

I wonder how he is going to like my Nefertiti. My piercing runs vertical on my hooha and normally drives guys wild, but you never know. Bailey and I got them together when she was dating Hendrix, the guy before Cash. Hendrix took hers out, saying a genital piercing was trashy. I lovingly refer to him as ‘A Joke’. I couldn’t be happier that she is rid of him.

“Who is that? Is he the reason you wanted to come?” Aubrey points to the lead singer. “They aren’t half bad.”

“Just shut up and listen to the music, ho.” I grin at her.

“I call dibs.”

She is lusting after the lead singer, too. Has she lost her ever-loving mind? “Like hell you do.”

He does look exceptionally hot tonight wearing perfectly fitting blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a long sleeved button up shirt left hanging open. He has on a baseball hat and cowboy boots and has grown a little bit of a beard since I last saw him. The scruff looks good on him. The whole look makes him appear a smidgeon more rugged, which is doing wonders for my libido—like it needs any help.

“We will let him decide on that,” Aubrey replies, lifting her chin.

Yes, we will let him decide.

He announces the next song as “Heavy is the Head.” I swear I’ve heard this song somewhere. Man, I do like the way he sings. He plays a few more songs equally as good. You wouldn’t exactly consider him a country singer. He’s more southern rock to me. I love dancing to this music. His songs can certainly get me swaying my booty.

I look back at the stage, and we make eye contact. At first, he looks thoroughly confused then recognition appears, and a sly little smirky grin shows up on his face.

“We are going to take a little break then we’ll be right back,” Clay says after he finishes the song. He jumps off the stage and heads my way.

Good boy. You might get rewarded.

“Lizzie? You look different. I like it.” When he gets through eye banging me, he says, “Come on, let me buy you a drink.”

Just as he is about to put his arm around my shoulders, Aubrey butts her way in between us.

“Hi, I love your music. I’m Aubrey!” She leans over and hugs him.

Aubs better keep her hands to herself. Dicklicker.

“Was that country?”

“Oh, hey there! Is your hand heavy? Let me hold it for you.” Clay politely removes her from humping his leg and takes her hand to give it a kiss. “I’m Clay. Are you a friend of Lizzie’s?”

She is eye drooling all over him now. She needs to back off.

“Yes, he is my friend, Cheesy Ass,” I say as an introduction. “You do sound impressive tonight.” Lifting my eyebrows, I comment with a tiny giggle, “Who knew you had it in you?”

“What? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. I know you didn’t just give me a compliment,” he howls.

I roll my eyes.

“I thought you sounded amazing,” Aubrey says.

She is flirting shamelessly.

“You guys should go professional.” Aubrey twirls her hair around her finger.

“Thank you. Are you the moon? In the dark, you still shine brightly.”

Aubrey laughs her ass off and touches his shoulder. “Aren’t you the charmer? Lizzie hasn’t told me about you, I guess that means either you’re bad in bed or she hasn’t gotten you into bed yet.”

I’m fixing to whoop this bitch’s ass. I give her my “you had better back the hell up” look. She doesn’t have the same telepathic communication abilities as Bay and I do, so she is thoroughly lost.