Prologue

How it all started…

Cassie

"Come on. You know you want to."

I do want to. That's the problem. Camden Fellows can make a woman want to do a lot of things they shouldn't. He's the quintessential love 'em and leave 'em bad boy. I can't even count the number of hearts he's broken in this town. "Um hmm. Yeah. Me and every other woman Bellehaven, but I'm a big girl, Cam. I know how not to overindulge in things that are bad for me."

He grins and, God above, it rockets through me like a fucking firestorm. He's too pretty. With his blonde hair and All-American boy next door looks, he's hot to start with. But it's the little bit of wickedness that you can see in his eyes—-that's what makes him so damned irresistible.

"Cassie," he says, holding his hands out palms up. "I'm harmless."

Now it's my turn to laugh. "You're a lot of things, Deputy Fellows, but harmless ain't one of them."

"Dinner. Not even dinner. A drink? Coffee? I can buy you a fucking donut for Christ's sake. And don't tell me you don't eat donuts. I've seen you going into Sally's every morning before you go to work."

I lean back from the counter of the nurse's station and cross my arm's over my chest. I don't miss the fact that his eyes are tracking my every move. The good Lord blessed me with this rack and I'm not afraid to use it to my advantage. "You know my schedule?"

He shrugs. "I'm a cop, Cass. I pay attention to the details. And besides, your car is kind of hard to miss."

I laugh. I can't help it. He's right. I inherited it from my grandmother, the Mary Kay queen pin. She was so damned proud of that baby pink Cadillac. "Yes, I stop at Sally's. And I do get a donut some days. Most days it's a muffin. And I'd go to the Drip but Brandon's little sister works there and I don't trust her not to do awful things to my coffee." I don't know how it is that Brandon and I still get along, both of us quite happily not married to one another, and his whole family still thinks I'm the devil.

Cam grimaces. "She'd do it too. That one's got a mean streak in her. I promise to take you somewhere that no one will do anything gross or weird to your food."

I'm a goner. I knew it the minute he leaned over the desk and smiled at me. "One date. That's it. Just one. And nowhere in Bellehaven. You're gonna take me some place nice and where everybody and their brother won't be gossiping about us the next day."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll pick you up Saturday at six."

"Do you need my address?"

He grins. "Nope. I know just where to find you, Cassie. Wear something black. It looks damn good on you," He points one of his fingers at his own chest. "And if it's cut about down to here ... that'd be a bonus."

I'm shaking my head as he walks away. I know it's a mistake. I know that Camden Fellows isn't the type to stick. And I am. I've been stuck on him since second grade. Even while I dated Brandon all through school and Cam worked his way through the cheerleading squad and the dance team, I was stuck on him. I'm finally going on a date with a man I've been in love with for two decades. And he's not going to just break my heart, he's gonna pulverize it.

"I'm so fucking stupid," I murmur to myself. Then I remind myself it's better to regret the things you've done than all the things you were afraid to do. So I'm gonna go out with Camden Fellows Saturday night. And I'm going to break every rule I've ever had about first dates. Because that date isn't going to end until sometime Sunday morning.