Just Three Words Read online

  Synopsis

  Sometimes the one you want is the one you least suspect...Accountant Samantha Ennis craves order and structure. As the bookkeeper at the boutique advertising agency she owns with her three best friends, it’s her job to apply logic to the chaos. When one of those best friends, laid back Hunter Blair, moves in to share her loft apartment, Sam’s carefully organized world is thrown wildly askew. Hunter Blair’s been the coolest one in the room since elementary school. Until recently, her biggest worry in the world was which of the girls in her cell phone to call on a Saturday night. But it’s not long before Samantha sparks a fire in Hunter that has her questioning her old habits and longing for new ones. Isn’t it a bad idea to fall for one of your best friends? Samantha and Hunter are about to find out.

  Table of Contents Synopsis

  Praise for Melissa Brayden

  By the Author

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Other Melissa Brayden Titles Available via Amazon

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Praise for Melissa Brayden

  Waiting In The Wings

  “This was an engaging book with believable characters and story development. It’s always a pleasure to read a book set in a world like the theater/film that gets it right…a thoroughly enjoyable read.”—Lez Books

  “This is Brayden’s first novel, but we wouldn’t notice if she hadn’t told us. The book is well put together and more complex than most authors’ second or third books. The characters have chemistry; you want them to get together in the end. The book is light, frothy, and fun to read. And the sex is hot without being too explicit—not an easy trick to pull off.”—Liberty Press

  Heart Block

  “The story is enchanting with conflicts and issues to be overcome that will keep the reader turning the pages. The relationship between Sarah and Emory is achingly beautiful and skillfully portrayed. This second offering by Melissa Brayden is a perfect package of love—and life to be lived to the fullest. So grab a beverage and snuggle up in a comfy throw to read this classic story of overcoming obstacles and finding enduring love.”—Lambda Literary Review

  “Although this book doesn’t beat you over the head with wit, the interactions are almost always humorous, making both characters really quite loveable. Overall a very enjoyable read.”—C-Spot Reviews

  How Sweet It Is

  “‘Sweet’ is definitely the keyword for this well-written, character-driven lesbian romance novel. It is ultimately a love letter to small town America, and the lesson to remain open to whatever opportunities and happiness come into your life.”—Bob Lind, Echo Magazine

  “Oh boy! The events were perfectly plausible, but the collection and the threading of all the stories, main and sub plots, were just fantastic. I completely and wholeheartedly recommend this book. So touching, so heartwarming and all out beautiful.”—Rainbow Book Reviews

  Kiss The Girl

  “There are romances and there are romances…Melissa Brayden can be relied on to write consistently very sweet, pure romances and delivers again with her newest book Kiss the Girl…There are scenes suffused with the sweetest love, some with great sadness or even anger—a whole gamut of emotions that take readers on a gentle roller coaster with a consistent upbeat tone. And at the heart of this book is a hymn to true friendship and to human decency.”—C-Spot Reviews

  Just Three Words

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Just Three Words © 2015 By Melissa Brayden. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-379-0

  This Electronic Book is published by Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: April 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Lynda Sandoval and Stacia Seaman Production Design: Stacia Seaman Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  Waiting in the Wings

  Heart Block

  How Sweet It Is

  Soho Loft Romances

  Kiss the Girl

  Just Three Words

  Acknowledgments

  In writing Just Three Words, I had a blast returning to characters I’ve grown to love and to a place I love to write about. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this is my job. However, I am more than aware that there are numerous people responsible for bringing this book to life and giving me the chance to do what I enjoy.

  Many thanks to Bold Strokes Books and the whole fantastic team, who have shown my books a great deal of love and thoughtful care. I’m beyond lucky to work with you.

  My family puts up with a lot—whether it’s me staring off into space for extended lengths of time, canceling plans in order to meet a deadline, or stopping them mid-sentence to write down something awesome they’ve said to me (that is now going in a book). I’m blessed with the best group of cheerleaders ever.

  Working with my editor, Lynda Sandoval, is not only educational and fun, but inspiring. The passion she’s shown for the books we’ve worked on together makes me excited to get up each day and write more. And that’s everything.

  Thanks to Nicole Little, Georgia Beers, and Rachel Spangler for their continued love and friendship. I don’t know where I’d be without them in my corner—both in writing and in life.

  Alan and I have known each other since we were thirteen years old, and no one else on the planet gets me the way he does. I’m reminded on a daily basis how lucky I am.

  Lastly, thank you to you, dear readers. Thank you for spending a little bit of your time with my books. I’m so very grateful.

  In memory of my snuggly writing partner, Tucker Benjamin.

  Prologue

  It was the kind of night that felt important. While that wasn’t a thought nineteen-year-old Samantha Ennis voiced out loud to the three girls in her company, it was definitely a tidbit she filed away for herself.

  There was a gentle breeze brushing the streets of Greenwich Village as they walked to the Cornelia Street Café. It was close to midnight on a Thursday, and the neighborhood was still very much alive with college students and hipsters and even the occasional gutsy tourist. Samantha sent a sidelong glance at the other three girls next to her. They dotted the narrow sidewalk to her left as they chatted about anything and everything. Hunter and Mallory she’d gotten to know over the course of the last year, as freshmen at NYU, but Brooklyn was the new addition to the group. Yet when she’d arrived at the first meeting of the school year of the LGBT Student Interest Grou
p, Sam had a feeling that the fresh-faced blonde in the ponytail was a keeper. And after the foursome spent the past few hours planning the group’s upcoming film series at a nearby coffee shop, it felt like they’d found their missing puzzle piece. The four-way synergy had been palpable as they’d spun one idea for the film series into another in a planning session that just felt somehow ordained. But it wasn’t just their ability to work well together. They’d had the best time, too, laughing and getting to know one another better, which made the work feel fun. And after all that, they were certainly deserving of the late-night junk-food meal they sought.

  If there was any justice in the world.

  Imminently, that meant chocolate waffles at the Cornelia Street Café at Hunter’s suggestion.

  “You guys, I’m gonna pay for this later,” Mallory said, tucking her long dark hair behind one ear. She checked her watch. “I have my first chem test of the semester tomorrow morning and an essay on the relevance of Hamlet on contemporary themes of modern drama due on Monday. I always prepare for that kind of thing. Always.” And she did. Mallory Spencer was the most together person Sam had ever met. If there was a task at hand, Mallory led the charge to sort it out. In fact, she was president of the LGBT Student Interest Group they all belonged to and only a sophomore, the youngest president the group had ever elected.

  Hunter slung an arm around Mallory’s shoulders. “And if I know you, my very studious friend, you’re going to get an A on the boring test without so much as cracking a book for five minutes and then dazzle your prof with the Shakespeare thing you described shortly thereafter. Even after you’ve scarfed down some amazing food with us.”

  “I could maybe help with the Shakespeare,” Brooklyn offered, still seeming a little timid around the new group. “I’m not an expert, but I’ve read Hamlet a million times. I know all the angles.”

  Mallory smiled. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  “And I can quiz you on chemistry before class tomorrow,” Sam said. “I CLEPed out of that one.”

  Mallory shook her head at Sam. “Seriously? You really do rock at anything numbers related.”

  Samantha shrugged, but felt the blush brought on by the compliment the second it hit her cheeks. It was true. “Everyone has something they’re good at.”

  Fifteen minutes later and they were seated around a table at the small café as sounds from the live music in the basement made their way up the stairs. Surrounded by waffles, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, Samantha found herself in sugar rush heaven. She raised one hand, placing the other on her heart. “And then God said, let there be chocolate.”

  “Damn right he did,” Hunter said, slowly licking chocolate off her thumb with the sexy finesse only Hunter could master. A waiter on his way to the kitchen paused to take in the visual. A girl at the next table did the same. Samantha smiled to herself. Hunter Blair was equal parts beautiful and sexy. While her father was from Ohio, her mother was Hawaiian, giving Hunter an exotic quality that only turned more heads. Toss in her extra-added charm and she snagged the attention of anyone on two legs. To say she did well with the ladies was an understatement.

  Brooklyn placed a chocolaty bite in her mouth and shook her head in wonder. “I love chocolate at any time of day, but there’s something about it late at night that makes it extra decadent.”

  “That’s so true,” Samantha echoed, relaxing happily in her chair. “Midnight chocolate just makes everything seem easier.”

  Mallory nodded. “Doesn’t it? I’m gonna slam-dunk that exam. Pass the whipped cream and sprinkles. I’ll need seconds.”

  “See?” Hunter bumped Mallory’s shoulder and supplied her with the heaping dish. “I might even attempt to speak to my asshole father when I go home next weekend.”

  Samantha raised her glass of milk. “To midnight chocolate and its ability to make the world a little easier.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Brooklyn said.

  Four glasses met in the center of the table and Samantha felt excitement move through her. She passed a glance over each of the three smiling faces and knew innately that these girls were going to somehow matter to her.

  “I’m glad I met you guys,” Brooklyn said. They didn’t know a lot about Brooklyn Campbell just yet, but they had a whole school year spread out in front of them.

  Hunter nodded. “Likewise.”

  “Ditto,” Mallory said triumphantly.

  Samantha smiled. “I think this was all meant to be.”

  Chapter One

  Ten years later

  Friday afternoons in May didn’t get much prettier than this. An even sixty-eight degrees, a soft breeze, and sun shining for days. As a result, New York City seemed to move at a slower pace. People lingered with their friends on street corners, drank their iced coffee at outdoor cafés, and luxuriated in the first warm temperatures the city had offered up in months.

  Samantha glanced at the door to the Ground Support Café in Soho for any sign of Libby and then double-checked her text messages to be sure she’d gotten the time right. She had.

  They’d agreed to meet at one p.m. for a late lunch, as Libby had taken the afternoon off from her sales job across town. But it was twenty minutes past, and Samantha hadn’t heard from her. While not always the most conscientious about time, Libby made up for it in other ways. Just thinking about her, Sam felt the beginnings of a blush. In fact, each time she saw Libby she blushed. And when she kissed her, Sam felt like she was hovering somewhere above the universe. Just seeing her name on a text message made her stomach flip-flop.

  And she would be arriving any minute. Right?

  Instead of watching the seconds tick by, Sam adjusted to Plan B. Luckily she’d brought work along and turned her attention to balancing Soho Savvy’s accounts for April. Music played faintly from the café’s speakers, and departing customers smiled politely as she turned to her laptop. As the bookkeeper, money manager, and all-around numbers ninja at the boutique advertising agency she owned with her three best friends, she found it important to stay ahead of the monthly budget. As she stared at the spreadsheet in front of her, tick-tacking new entries as she went, she lost herself. This was not unusual. Numbers carried a powerful allure for Sam, and when she started working with them, something clicked into place. They made sense to her in a way real life didn’t always. In the numbers world, the results were hard and fast. The solidarity of that was highly gratifying. Thrilling even, if she was being honest. You could depend on numbers. Count on them.

  “There you are, honey bear. I’m so sorry I’m late.” Libby Weatherup slipped into the booth across from Samantha, and all was right with the world again. She wore a medium-length blue sundress and carried a handful of packages that she crammed in the tight space next to her, creating a proverbial hill of shopping bags. Mt. St. Retail. Sam had first met Libby in the elevator of Sam’s building. She’d been carrying packages then, too. Sam had thought Libby was one of the most gorgeous women she’d ever seen, and after finally getting up the courage to ask her to coffee, things had progressed. Libby moved to Chelsea just before their relationship became official, and life had taken off from there.

  “It’s okay. I didn’t mind waiting. You’ve been shopping?” Sam asked, closing her laptop. Libby was always complaining about her cash flow. Before answering, Libby leaned across the booth and kissed Sam hello, which left her momentarily speechless. Libby had the most perfect mouth. She daydreamed about it often.

  “I did. But before you say anything, I thought through each and every one of these purchases like you advised me to and came to the conclusion that I could afford them because”—Libby took a deep breath—“I got the promotion.”

  “You did? Whoa.” Sam covered her mouth in happily surprised mode. Those really were the best kind of surprises, the ones you weren’t expecting. It wasn’t just good news, it was great news. Libby had been pulling some killer hours lately to prove herself worthy to her boss, and Sam had said a silent daily prayer
that her work wouldn’t go unnoticed.

  Libby sat a little taller. “You’re looking at the newest full-fledged sales rep for Lioness Shoes. No more assistant duties. No more junior account rep status. No more second fiddle. Life just opened up.”

  Sam broke into a smile. She couldn’t have been happier if it had been her own success. “I don’t know what to say. Wow. This is fantastic. I’m so thrilled for you.”

  Libby beamed back. “I knew you would be. You’re the one person I couldn’t wait to tell, who I knew would understand. You’re so smart and together and you’ve helped me get my ducks in a row, Sam. You know, it was your advice to chase down my goal that did it. Thank you.”

  The declaration resonated. Libby appreciated her, and that meant something to Sam. The smile tugged again, and her heart soared. “You don’t have to thank me. I just know how awesome you are and what you’re capable of.”

  “Aw, honey. You are just the sweetest.” Then a look of apology crossed her face. “And I made you wait. I’m sorry. Maybe I can make it up to you later?”

  “I’m sure we could find a way.” Sam melted into the daydream before shaking herself out of it and shifting her glance to the packages. “So this was a bit of a celebratory shopping trip, then?”

  “It was. I decided spring was noticeably absent from my wardrobe. And when you’re a full-fledged sales rep in fashion, you have to stay up on trends.” She pulled her shoulder-length blond hair into the shape of a bun and let it fall again in a way Sam found endearing. It was sort of Libby’s thing, playing with her hair, shaping it into different styles absently. Le sigh.