Sweet Alibi Read online

  Contents

  Sweet Alibi

  Title

  Rights

  Description

  Further Reading

  Dedication

  Forward

  Part I

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  FIVE

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twenty-Eight

  Twenty-Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-One

  Part II

  Thirty-Two

  Thirty-Three

  Thirty-Four

  Thirty-Five

  Thirty-Six

  Thirty-Seven

  Thirty-Eight

  Thirty-Nine

  Forty

  Forty-One

  Forty-Two

  Forty-Three

  Forty-Four

  Forty-Five

  Forty-Six

  Forty-Seven

  Forty-Eight

  Forty-Nine

  Fifty

  Fifty-One

  Fifty-Two

  Fifty-Three

  Fifty-Four

  Fifty-Five

  Fifty-Six

  Fifty-Seven

  Fifty-Eight

  Fifty-Nine

  Sixty

  Sixty-One

  Sixty-Two

  Sixty-Three

  Sixty-Four

  Epilogue

  Bonus Scene

  Character Interview

  About Adriane

  SWEET ALIBI

  by

  Adriane Leigh

  Sweet Alibi

  Copyright © 2016 by Adriane Leigh

  Cover Design by PopKitty Reviews

  Editing by Adept Edits

  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 and retrieval system without the 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.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  From USA Today Bestselling author Adriane Leigh comes a passionate contemporary romance about giving in to desire so sharp and sweet it threatens to consume...

  Georgia Montgomery is desperate for an escape from the life she’s been leading. The perfect job, the perfect apartment, the perfect boyfriend—all are on the cusp of driving her over the edge. On a whim, she buys a beach house on the North Carolina coast, eager to spend a summer with her college friends. She thinks she’s found the perfect balance, until one pleasure-seeking playboy turns her world on its axis. Georgia tries to ignore the tornado of emotion that sweeps through her system whenever Tristan Howell is near, but just like an addiction, one look, one taste, one touch is never enough.

  The chemistry is scorching and it isn't long before the slow burn ignites into a full-blown wildfire that threatens to consume anything in its path. But Georgia and Tristan can't shelter their love from the outside world, and the moments of exquisite passion they share aren't enough to sustain the relationship. When scars from the past resurface--will their hearts meld together as one? Or will outside forces tear them apart, leaving an empty shell where love and passion once thrived?

  *Note: The characters in Sweet Alibi are real and flawed--they make bad decisions and learn hard lessons. It contains a love triangle, a sweet alpha-male with a broken heart, and a leading lady that doesn't always know what she wants. If you love a character-driven romance with a hard-fought happily-ever-after, Sweet Alibi is for you.

  Formerly published as The Morning After and Light in Morning duet, now with more than 10,000 words of never-before-published BONUS content.

  More steamy, contemporary romance from Adriane Leigh…

  For those new to her work, consider the bestseller Wild or the following standalones:

  ★ Experience edgy glamour and forbidden love in the fast-paced erotic suspense BLINDSIGHT. The first sixteen chapters are just $.99 in Blindsight: Part One. Available in KindleUnlimited now.

  ★ Fall in love with a spellbinding student-teacher romance about love that overcomes all odds in BEAUTIFUL BURN.

  ★ Get carried away with sexy, enigmatic billionaire Carter Morgan in the modern fairytale STEEL and LACE. The first 30 pages are $.99 in (#1) now.

  "Sexy. Hot. Leigh leaves you wanting more!" - K. Bromberg, Driven

  "Sizzling chemistry, a glamorous world, plot twists...a perfect combination held together with Adriane Leigh's addictive writing. I dove into this world, and didn't want to come up for air. I can't wait for more!" - Alessandra Torre, Hollywood Dirt

  "Adriane Leigh never dissapoints with equal amounts of heat and heart with all the sex, suspense and scandal...Leigh's newest mysterious hero will have you anxiously flipping pages well into the night trying to uncover his secrets." - Jay Crownover, Marked Men

  Don't miss a release! Sign up for the newsletter to find out about new releases and sales:

  http://www.adrianeleigh.com/contact

  Follow her on Facebook or Twitter (@AdrianeLeigh)

  To My Dearest Readers,

  Sweet Alibi is dedicated to you.

  This strory has been on a long journey to become the story it is now. It’s gone through a few title changes, starting originally with “The Mourning After,” to “Morning” to now. This however is the first time The Morning duet has been compiled together. I dug through my files to find Tristan point-of-view chapters that were left on the editing room floor, wrote new bonus chapters of a few favorite scenes, and included an extended epilogue.

  This book has always been the closest to my heart. Every writer has a book, that book. The book they’re the most proud of, for whatever reason. This is that book for me.

  This story is me. Sweet Alibi is my heart on the page. I am Georgia.

  The story may be fiction, the events may be purely a work of creativity, but I shed every tear that Georgia did as I wrote. She suffered so much heartache, but in the heartache she learned that however your past may haunt you, it’s your purpose in life to find the courage to overcome the ghosts to become the person you choose to be.

  The future is yours, you’ve only got to take hold of it.

  I hope you enjoy Georgia’s journey.

  ♥ Adriane

  Love pressed them hard,

  as thirst presses the dying stag to the stream.

  Love dropped upon them from high heaven,

  as a hawk slipped after long hunger falls right upon the bird.

  And love will not be hidden.

  ~ The Romance of Tristan and Isolde

  PART I

&nbs
p; One

  Past

  “ANYONE ELSE?” A voice booms down the hallway.

  “Please just leave her,” he says groggily.

  A grunt echoes up the stairs, I shut my eyes to the world around me. I hear random screams and moans and then some time later–maybe hours, or minutes, or days–I hear a popping noise. I don't know what it is and my brain no longer has the ability to muster the energy to figure it out. My mind has shut down and the only thing I can hear is screaming. It seems as if I scream for days…I’ve been screaming for years.

  Two

  Georgia

  “SO YOU KNOW how you said you had nothing going this summer?” I called my best friend from a coffee shop off the freeway just over the North Carolina state line.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ve got something for you,” enthusiasm rippled through my voice.

  “Since this is the first time you’ve sounded excited in a while, I’m all ears.”

  “I bought a house.”

  “What?!” Drew shrieked over the phone. I held it away from my ear with a smile on my face.

  “I want you to spend the summer with me―it needs fixing up, and you can help me pick out paint colors and all that.”

  “Wait, you and Kyle bought a house?”

  “Noooo…I bought a house. Kyle didn’t have much say in it.”

  “Georgia Hope Montgomery! Did you break up with Kyle?” Her voice rose to registers only dogs could hear.

  “No, I’m just staying at the house this summer to fix it up and then I’ll rent it out next summer. You should see it, Drew. It’s amazing.” I finished on a dreamy sigh.

  “I don’t know. Dad probably wouldn’t be keen on me being away all summer. D.C. is far away.”

  Drew was the accountant for her dad’s construction company. I knew she wouldn’t have a problem working from the beach all summer, even if she would be more than a few hours away. “Please come. You can crunch numbers from anywhere. Let’s spend the summer together! We haven’t had much time together since college. Silas has already agreed. It will be a blast! And it’s not in D.C.”

  I heard a huff from her end. “Where is it?”

  “That’s the best part, Drew―it’s on the beach.” My grin grew impossibly wider, even though no one was there to see.

  “The beach? Like, the ocean beach?” I could hear the excitement rising in her voice.

  “The one and only. It’s thirty minutes outside Wilmington, North Carolina. I promise there’s plenty to do–you can troll for hotties, there are plenty of clubs...” I trailed off.

  “You had me at ‘beach.’ Although Silas…” She groaned at his name, though he’s also one of my closest college friends. Silas and I were nearly inseparable. We’d both moved to D.C. after college when Drew had moved home to Jacksonville. We’d had endless amounts of fun in college, but she and Silas bickered like an old married couple most days. For whatever reason, they did not click like he and I did. Perhaps it was because she had more competition from him when they trolled for men at clubs. Silas was ridiculously charming and deliciously hot and operated under the assumption that he could turn even a straight man bi for at least one night.

  “I know you love him deep down. I'll tell him not to hit on anyone you bring home,” I teased.

  “Actually,” I could hear the smile in Drew’s voice, “I’m seeing someone.”

  “More than once?” I coughed on my drink.

  “Yes, more than once. We’re pretty serious. And he’s amazing in bed.” She sighed wistfully.

  “How long have you been sleeping with him?” I asked, rolling my eyes. Drew was famous for her unapologetic one-night stands.

  “A few weeks.”

  “Met him at the bar?”

  “No,” Drew deadpanned. “He came into the office; he had a meeting with Dad. He’s sexy, Georgia, like really sexy. Big and tall and cut, and you should see how big―”

  “Great, thanks. He sounds great.” I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. “Back to the subject… Will you come? You, me, Silas. We’ll soak up the sun on the beach all summer.”

  I heard an audible exhale on the line.

  “It won’t be complete without you.” I softened my voice.

  “Well, there’s a bit of a minor detail I failed to mention…”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Gavin, he’s―”

  “Who?” I scrunched my nose.

  “The guy I’m seeing,” she said.

  “Oh, right. Tall, dark, and handsome.”

  “Right. So, Gavin is having a house built this summer and is a bit homeless right now until it’s finished, so…he’s been staying with me,” she said the last part in a rush.

  “You’re living with him?!”

  “I couldn’t just leave him out in the cold,” she defended.

  “Right, and I’m sure the fact that he has a big d―”

  “It doesn’t hurt…unless I want it to…” she cracked.

  “How old is he, Drew?” She had been known to date men far out of her age bracket and I wanted clarification before we went any further.

  “Same as us―twenty-seven.”

  “Surprise of surprises,” I mumbled.

  “What?” Her irritated tone made it clear she’d heard me just fine.

  “Nothing. So, you want Gavin to come too? Doesn’t he work?”

  “From home. He’s an entrepreneur.”

  “Aren’t they all?” I grunted.

  “No, really. He does well with it if the house he’s building is any indication.”

  “Ok, great. So Gavin can come too. I’ll put you in the room farthest from mine so I don’t have to hear your love romps all summer.”

  “I don’t know about love romps, but the man can fuck like a―”

  “Uh-huh. Great, Drew, thanks. It’s going to be a great summer, I can see it now.” My words dripped with sarcasm.

  “It will. I’ll call you once I make some arrangements. When do you want me there?”

  I hesitated before admitting, “Tomorrow…”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “I signed the papers today, got the key, and I’m headed there now. I’m a few hours away. Silas is meeting me there. Just come whenever you can.”

  “Okay, G. I’ll call you later and let you know.”

  “Great. I gotta go; I want to make it there before dark.” I looked at the sky and noticed how late it was getting.

  “Okay.” Drew paused for a moment. “Are you okay, G? Really?” A few silent beats of my heart echoed in my ears.

  “Yeah.” A frown whispered around my lips.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I'm sure.” My cheeks lifted in a slow smile.

  “Okay. Can’t wait to see you,” her melodic voice soothed my anxiety.

  “Me too.”

  “I’ll call you.”

  “Bye.” I pushed end call on my phone and stared at it for a few moments as I stood in the coffee shop’s parking lot. I knew I should call Kyle too, but he was not on my list of favorites right now.

  A part of me felt guilty for making this monumental decision without him, but I’d been suffocating in D.C., so I couldn’t allow myself to have regrets. By the time I’d loaded the last box in the car, Kyle's anger about my spontaneous beach house purchase had cooled to a slow simmer. He’d kissed me and said he would visit when he could. I’d nodded with a smile.

  A piece of me held onto the hope that we'd get through this summer and be stronger than ever. We could buy a house in the 'burbs and live the dream we’d conjured when we were fifteen. Hopes were high. But just like a balloon pushed past its breaking point, hope is fragile. One lungful of air too many and the balloon bursts leaving ugly, shriveled fragments behind, impossible to piece back together.

  I hovered over Kyle's name on my contacts list and paused. The man I loved. The man who had always been there through thick and thin. The man I was leaving for the summer. It would be the fi
rst time we would be apart for such a long time but the thrill of following my dreams eclipsed any sadness I had.

  I exited the list and tossed my phone on the passenger seat before sliding behind the wheel.

  These last few years I’d been the effect to Kyle’s cause, but this, this would be for me.

  * * *

  “TOOK YOU LONG enough. How many potty breaks did you take?” My charming best friend leaned against his car door with a grin. He looked like a natural on the beach with flip-flops, cargos, and a bright green polo shirt. His bronzed skin and perfectly styled, sandy blond hair a clear indication that he took care to look good.

  I took a few steps toward him and stopped, gazing up at the sprawling beach house. My eyes locked on the white shutters, the multiple decks, the wooden staircases, and weathered shingles―it took my breath away all over again. I closed my eyes and inhaled the salty sea breeze caressing my face and whirling my dark hair. The call of gulls that swooped overhead, a far cry from the sounds of the city that I’d just left.

  “Earth to Georgia,” Silas called, throwing an empty Styrofoam coffee cup at my head.

  “I stopped for coffee a while ago and called Drew.”

  “How’s that hussy doing?” Silas mumbled as he pulled a duffel bag out of the back seat of his car.

  “You can ask her tomorrow,” I grinned.

  “What? Fuck!” Silas swore as he knocked his head on the doorframe of his car. I hadn’t told him that I was going to invite Drew.

  “She’s bringing her new man candy.”

  “Of course she is.”

  I laughed and faked a punch on his bicep before heading back to my car and getting my own bag. “Ready, sport?”