Maxen (Kinky Shine Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  MAXEN (Kinky Shine #2)

  Also by Stephanie Witter

  Newsletter Sign Up

  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

  Epilogue

  Author’s Babbling

  About Stephanie Witter

  MAXEN (Kinky Shine #2)

  Copyright © 2018

  Stephanie Witter

  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 events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical without express permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  Cover Design by Stephanie Witter

  Editing by Ellie (Love N. Books)

  Formatting by Stephanie Witter

  Also by Stephanie Witter

  Patch Up (Patch Up #1)

  Fix Up (Patch Up #2)

  2B Or Not 2B? (The Roomies series #1)

  Six Years

  We Shouldn’t And Yet…

  Dex (Kinky Shine #1)

  Maxen (Kinky Shine #2)

  Be A Doll (a Carter Manor novel)

  Take a Chance (a Be A Doll spin-off novella)

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  http://stephanie-witter.weebly.com

  LARK

  “Fuck!’’ I yelled when the steaming coffee spilled all over my blue sweater. I watched the fabric turn an ugly brown, and one look at my cleavage showed me that my breasts weren’t faring much better.

  “Sorry!’’ the guy who bumped into me threw over his shoulders, but he didn’t stop his jog toward the flights of stairs.

  I glared and held the sweater off my skin while precariously holding my bag full of books. “Great. Just great.’’ I sighed and looked around, trying to locate the closest bathroom but saw nothing. “Excuse me,’’ I said, hoping someone passing by would stop. Thankfully, a tall brunette with thick-framed glasses walked to me and offered me a funny smile. From the way her lips twitched, I bet she was doing her best to keep her building laughter inside.

  “Are you looking for a bathroom?’’

  “I’m still trying to find my way around, and I’m in a hurry,’’ I said and grimaced when I got another look down at my shirt. At least, the liquid wasn’t burning anymore.

  “Go to the first floor to the left. The first door is the ladies’ room, but I don’t see what you can do to salvage your sweater.’’

  “Um… yeah, I know. Thank you anyway.’’

  She nodded and went on her way while I turned around and quickly climbed the stairs, sidestepping the other students milling around.

  So far, freshman year was a lot underwhelming. It’s been close to two weeks now since classes started, and I still wondered when I would find my footing.

  Back in high school, I had spent months fantasizing my first year of college and nothing was going according to plan. My roommate was cold and always looked down her nose at me. I was able to get just one class I wanted because apparently the others were already full. I ended up with a Russian folklore class, and I was still curious what the exam will entail. And friends were non-existent. I was grateful that my cousin started college here too. At least, I wasn’t on my own.

  I pushed open the door to the bathroom and was glad when I didn’t see anybody else. I hurried to the mirror and gaped, but it wasn’t at my reflection.

  Suddenly, the view of my soiled sweater didn’t hold my attention or concern. No, I was too surprised by something else.

  Eyes growing wide, I turned around and stared at the farthest stall. There, inside, a girl’s high-pitched moans echoed through the bathroom in time to the bumping noise coming from behind the closed door. From the top of the door, I noticed a male hand gripping the edge.

  The girl’s voice turned louder as the bumping sounds increased in tempo.

  There was absolutely no wondering as to what was going on there.

  I swiftly turned back around and gripped the first sink I reached. My face grew hotter as embarrassment hit me.

  What do I do? Should I leave? But I can’t meet my cousin and his new friends he wants to introduce me to with my shirt like that. Shit.

  One last long, drawn-out girly moan stopped my quiet freak out. They were finished and no sooner were they done that they flushed the toilet and opened the door to the stall. The guy walked out first, and I stood there watching him from the reflection in the mirror.

  He was insanely good-looking, the kind of good-looking I didn’t think existed in real-life from a real guy. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes that pierced you on the spot. His square jaw gave him a manly exterior that was intimidating. But what had me really gaping all over again was the way he shamelessly adjusted his clothes and the smirk he sent the girl he just fucked in a public place. Carelessly, he waved at her without another word as she so obviously tried to get him to agree to go somewhere. And right before he walked past the threshold, he turned to me and winked, letting me know that he was aware there had been a witness to their sexcapade, and it didn’t look like he was bothered by it. On the contrary. With that swagger of his, the huge smile that showed his white teeth and the dimple in his cheek, he probably was the kind of guy who wore that adventure as an honor badge.

  The girl sucked in a breath, glared at me as if I were to blame for her being treated like a used tissue by that asshole and left, wiping away the tears that ruined her thick makeup.

  It had all happened in under ten minutes, and I was still there with the dirty sweater, cheeks flaming and my whole body unnervingly tingling. It was my first close encounter with a blatant asshole.

  And I had thought college was going to be boring!

  ***

  LARK

  I tugged on my blue scarf and prayed that it hid the spilled coffee that dirtied my shirt. That was all I could do as damage control once I got my wits back after the scandalous scene I had been witness to.

  I hurried up the sidewalk and silently congratulated myself for finding the coffee shop without using my phone’s GPS this time around. Maybe things were looking up, and I was getting a better handle on the campus’ layout.

  The yellow and orange sign signaling the coffee shop grew larger as I walked closer. I saw the inside of the crowded place when I pushed open the door. It wasn’t as small as it looked from the outside, but with the number of people crammed in here, it was difficult to take the décor in. Or to find my damn cousin. I kept looking around, standing on my tiptoes to get a better view over the shoulders of the line facing the counter when a familiar voice reached my ears through the noise, followed by a booming laugh I couldn’t place.

  “Lark! Over here!’’

  With a cringe when I noticed several stares looking for the origin of the commotion, I turned to my left and found him sitting at two small tables pulled together to make it easy for him and four other guys to sit wit
hout bumping into each other.

  My cousin, who had always been the tallest of my friends and of the few guys our age I knew, looked oddly thin and short in comparison to these guys, and mostly to the blonde one sitting to Alan’s right. This blonde guy was huge and packed with muscles stretching his cheap white t-shirt and showing off many tattoos. I looked at his face and found myself stumbling a bit as I walked to them. His green eyes were quite possibly the most striking feature on him. I found myself staring only at him, foregoing the other guys, but it wasn’t because of how his looks affected me. Nope. It was because I had just met that guy.

  He was the fuck-and-dash douche from the bathroom earlier.

  It didn’t take him much longer to recognize me, and his huge smile dimmed when he put two and two together.

  Yeah, buddy, I’m your new friend’s cousin.

  When I reached the table, I took the seat on my cousin’s other side, the only chair available and offered everybody a weak smile, a bit out of my depth here. I wasn’t necessarily shy, but being surrounded by big guys wasn’t my everyday routine and even less so when I had stumbled upon one of them while he was having sex with a girl who had porn star-worthy moans.

  The douchebag was still blatantly looking at me with his incredible eyes. At that moment, I prided myself on not blushing.

  “Found the coffee shop okay?’’ Alan asked me with a gentle smile that eased away some of my tension and drew my attention back to my cousin.

  I’ve been on edge all day, and my misadventure earlier hadn’t helped one bit.

  “I’m here, aren’t I?’’

  He laughed, and the other guys chuckled, but the blonde one laughed so loudly that I gasped and openly gawked. His laughter boomed in the coffee shop, and a few heads turned toward us. I wasn’t surprised when a table of a few girls started to ogle him appreciatively. He was the kind of guy you couldn’t stop yourself from looking at. But I had a peek into what laid beyond the looks, and I bet that the girl who left in tears after he discarded her without care would side with me now. That guy was a plague to women.

  “Your cousin sounds like a feisty one,’’ the blonde guy said.

  I narrowed my eyes at him when his bright smile was directed at me. It wasn’t a fake one. It reached his eyes and made the green in them lighter, brighter. “Not necessarily.’’

  He tilted his head to one side and went to say something, but then a leggy redhead girl stalked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He started a little before he relaxed into her embrace and turned his head to the side to look at her. She was attractive I supposed, but I wasn’t exactly sure she needed that much makeup during the day, or clothes so tight it made you wonder if they would sustain a whole day. But to each their own. What unhinged me was that she wasn’t the same girl as earlier and yet it was blatant that they knew each other. Very well.

  I watched the girl talking to him and him grinning in return with confidence. I crossed my arms over my chest, completely ignoring the other guys at the table and offering a small ‘hey’ when Alan made the introductions. I was riveted to the spectacle this redhead and the blonde guy, who I now knew was named Maxen, offered. And it was quite the sight when he kissed her. His tongue slipped into her mouth without care for a minute or two and then, right when I was getting ready to finally look away from the heavy PDA that made my stomach tighten and my heart beat a notch faster, he pulled away and dismissed her. It must be his thing. Fucking and kissing in public before waving girls away.

  “Thanks for last night. It was fun.’’ And just like that, he turned back toward us as the girl gaped at him.

  I haven’t had a lot of experience, but even I knew what this was about.

  This girl slept with Maxen last night, and he’s now not interested anymore. That was just plain crazy.

  That redhead last night, the brunette twenty minutes ago… Who was this guy?

  I glared at him, and he must have felt it because he locked his eyes with mine, a genuine smile on his face as if everything was all chill and he was a damn poster boy. What a joke!

  “What?’’ he asked, his smile not falling.

  His lips were smeared with pink lipstick, but he’s the kind who didn’t care. No, I was sure he’s the kind who proudly showed it off. A guy like him shouldn’t look so good or like an angel. False advertising at its finest.

  “Nothing. I’ve never been in such close proximity to an asshole. That’s all.’’

  Silence fell around the table and Alan gaped at me, eyes wide open. And Maxen? His smile fell immediately, and his jaw locked.

  “Funny, because I’ve never met a judgmental bitch before.’’

  “Ha! If you don’t want people to judge you, you better fuck girls behind closed doors and be nicer to them once you got your rocks off.’’

  “Why? Are you offering?’’ he asked me, the dare so loud it was impossible to miss.

  “Never even if you paid me.’’

  Present day…

  LARK

  There are moments in life that could be seen as perfect. You felt good, you had a wonderful hair day, your clothes were still pristine after a full day running around, and you were with a handsome man, perfectly dressed, shaved, and with eyes only for you.

  And there was more.

  Champagne sparkled in our glasses and it tasted heavenly. Soft music played to cocoon us in a romantic atmosphere. The meal we shared has now vanished, and I was looking at the man of my dreams dressed in the smart navy suit I loved, my left hand in his.

  It was perfect. Truly.

  That’s why I should have remembered that perfection didn’t fucking exist and that one question had the power to derail everything.

  Caleb brought my left hand to his smiling lips, and kissed it softly, his brown eyes still locked on mine. “Will you marry me?’’

  My heart seemed to stop beating, and a sudden wave of heat invaded me from my toes clad in high heels to my head, now ready to explode. “Oh my God.’’

  He laughed softly and with elegance, released my hand. He produced a black ring box with assurance and opened it. As soon as the gleaming stone registered in my brain, I shook my head.

  It should be the best night of my life, but instead, it was a nightmare.

  Why?

  Because I was already married.

  Trouble was, how did you go around telling your boyfriend of two years that you were a married woman?

  “Lark?’’ he asked with the ring between his fingers, waiting for me to give him the green light. His smile wasn’t as bright or easy as before, probably because I was still stuck there with my mouth open and my eyes wide.

  “I… I…’’

  “I wasn’t expecting it to be this much of a surprise,’’ he said, stopping my stuttering before I embarrassed myself further. “We’ve been dating two years, and we moved in together a year ago. Marriage is the next step.’’

  Yes, it was. Dating, moving in, marriage and then kids. Caleb Harris was the kind of man who lived by a set plan, following a path he had traced years ago. Fortunately, it appeared that I was a part of his plan and I was lucky. I had never thought I could be with a man like him or that he would ever be interested in me. He proved me wrong.

  My throat tightened as the words I had to say didn’t want to leave my mouth. They had the power to derail my plans and the kind of life I’ve been working hard to achieve.

  “I want to marry you.’’

  His smile widened again, brightening his brown eyes. He made a move to take my left hand again in order to put his ring on my finger and complete his proposal, but I pulled away.

  Actually, I moved so brusquely the chair made a screeching sound on the floor. As a result, his dark eyebrows slammed down and his hand swallowed the ring. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

  “What is it?’’

  His question was harsh and I couldn’t exactly fault him. The proposal wasn’t going as smoothly as he had probably envisioned and it would only
get worse.

  Swallowing thickly, I cradled my left hand in my lap. “I’m sorry, Caleb. Please, trust me when I say I want to marry you, but I can’t say yes right now. I mean, I can but…’’

  “You’re not making any sense. Stop babbling and tell me what’s wrong.’’

  “I’m already married.’’

  He blinked and said nothing. I only worried more when he pressed his lips so hard they formed a thin line.

  “Married,’’ he finally muttered. Happiness was gone from his face, and only disappointment was left behind with a hint of judgment. My stomach twisted.

  “It was stupid. I was in college, and I went to Las Vegas with friends and—’’

  “I don’t want to know.’’ He stood up and put the ring back in the box. When he closed it, the clack noise sounded quite ominous. I cringed. “You had a tacky wedding in Vegas, and now you’re still married. That’s…’’

  “I know. Believe me, I know. I… Give me a few days to set things right.’’

  “Set things right?’’ He shook his head and buttoned his suit jacket. From his standing position, he looked down on me, and I had never felt more insignificant before. “Your marriage isn’t going to disappear, Lark. And you should have told me about it.’’

  “Caleb—’’

  “You should go.’’

  “What?’’ This time I was the one frowning.

  “I just proposed to you, and you throw back at me that you’ve been married since college. I can’t look at you right now.’’

  “The marriage was a stupid bet!’’ I blurted and jumped to my feet. I teetered on my heels and leaned against the top of the table before I toppled over and ruined the night more. “I never even kissed him and—’’

  “I don’t want to hear it!’’ he shouted in my face and lost his usual calm and collected exterior. The anger in his eyes sucked the air out of my lungs.

  But I wouldn’t let this bump in the road ruin everything. With a new determination, I straightened up and snatched the ring box from the table. “I’m going to make this right, and I will put your ring on my finger, Caleb. You have every right to be mad, but this is nothing.’’