Authors: Sarah Elizabeth
Misjudged
MISJUDGED
Sarah Elizabeth
Table of Contents
Copyright © 2013 by Sarah Elizabeth.
1.
The Masquerade Ball
2.
Operation Orgasm
3.
The Blonde
4.
Non-existent
5.
I Felt It
6.
Breaking Point
7.
Everything
8.
Tainted Water
9.
Holly
10.
Time
11.
I'm Sorry
12.
Proud of You
13.
Try
14.
Treasure Hunt
15.
Reliving the Past
16.
The Declaration
17.
The Ultimate Betrayal
18.
The Kiss
19.
The Promise
20.
Forever
All Rights Reserved.
This is a
work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews. Please do not participate or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This book
is intended for adult readers only due to the sexual content, and strong language.
Cover Design by S
arah Elizabeth & Judy Bullard - Custom E-book Covers.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7102348.Sarah_Elizabeth
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Email:
[email protected]
For my three beautiful sons Charlie, William, & Edward for being patient and allowing their mummy to focus most of her attention and time on bringing these fictional characters to life over the past few months.
To Adam, for putting up with the frequent temper tantrums and other obscenities I threw his way while I spent most of my days and nights in front of the laptop. (Although, we did learn he is the much better cook, so he will be staying in the kitchen from now on!)
For Molly. Even though our friendship started with our mutual infatuation with a certain person, I feel as though I’ve made a lifelong friend in you, and hope we will eventually be able to meet in person one day. You have been my superstar throughout the whole thing and I’m thankful to you for playing an enormous part in both my life and Brandon and Alexis’ story.
.
This is going to be a long one, and there is no way I can put all the people who have helped me along this journey in any particular order. If I could, I’d have you all on the top line. Here goes…
Special thanks to the people I met via Goodreads, for kindly offering to read the very first 8 pages back in March 2013, and for whom have stuck with me ever since. Looking back over the very first, I both cringe and laugh at how far the story has developed from its original starting point. (The bus stop!)
Janette, Karen, Marie, Emily, Teresa, Stephanie, Colleen, Kathy & Carly - without you all giving me your support and feedback, I don’t think I would have ever gotten to this stage. A massive thanks to each and every one of you for setting some of your time aside and accommodating everything I threw your way!
Molly – I think we need to thank Matt Bomer in here somewhere for bringing us together. (I’ll see you in Vegas, baby!)
Katie Mac for helping me and providing the most magnificent beta readers: Teri, Elle, Lea, Julie & Amy. You all committed so much of your time to both myself and the story, and I can’t thank you enough for everything you have all done for me and in such a short time frame.
Jake
and Sarah, I don’t know how to thank you enough for all the advice and support you have given me over the short time I’ve known you. You have been a tremendous help, and it’s great to know that I have you both on the other side of the Facebook inbox to make me smile!
The
Masquerade Ball.
The campus grounds look absolutely stunning on this surprisingly mild, mid-January evening. The trees and surrounding buildings are draped with bright, white fairy lights that look like twinkling stars in the night sky. As I make my way along the stony pathway, which leads down to the exceptionally large white tent, I can hear the sound of music floating through the air from the inside. In the near distance, I can already see a gathering of students around the entrance, which in turn is making me extremely excited to see my friends again, after having spent almost three weeks back home for Christmas break.
I began studying
at Seattle’s College of Performing Arts and Music as a freshman back in September, and this is my first experience attending a masquerade ball. I’m excited, but apprehensive, all at the same time. The evening’s festivities officially began at seven o’clock, although it’s already a few minutes after nine as I reach the main entrance doors.
The drive from my father's house was absolute chaos, so it took me almost five hours to
arrive back, rather than the three it should have taken. I realize now that maybe I should have planned my return trip better. Of course, the roads would be busy. It’s the end of the holidays, and with the new college semester commencing in less than three days, I should have known the highways would have been gridlocked upon entering the outskirts of the city. This means that I was unable to attend the pre-drinks gathering that my best friend, Alyssa, had organized for our small group of friends before the main event of the evening got underway. I’d already sent my friends a message and told them to go ahead without me, and that I’d meet them once I got back in town.
The dress code for the evening is
formal wear, and as I step inside, I‘m amazed at how exceptional everyone looks. The guys are wearing overly smart tuxedos, where the women are dressed in either ball gowns, or cocktail dresses. This evening, I decided upon a floor length, cream-colored, lace gown with off-the-shoulder straps, which has a split running up the left side, stopping mid-thigh. The dress clings to my curves in a flattering way and I was stoked when I managed to find a gold and cream diamante eye mask to match. I chose to wear my chestnut brown hair down, and curled it into loose waves that hang just above my breasts.
As I
make my way over to the refreshments table, I see a beautiful, tall blonde woman in a sparking red cocktail dress approaching me. I know who she is straight away, so I head over in her direction instead.
“You look amazing!” Alyssa beams, before letting me out of her tight embrace. Without giving me any time to
return her compliment, she leads me by the hand and towards two guys who are dressed in black tuxedos, over in the far corner.
A
large smile crosses Neil’s lips as he pulls me into him. He gives me a tight squeeze and twirls me around in the air once, before placing me back onto my feet. “Alex, you look absolutely stunning,” he says before releasing his hold, although he keeps his arm firmly wrapped around my waist.
“Cr
eam lace suits you, Miss Harper,” I hear Ryan next, and see that he’s nodding in what appears to be complete approval. His eyes appear to be glinting beneath the mask he’s wearing, as they roam over my body from head to toe.
“You all look great, too,” I tell them, and smile widely as I
allow my eyes to scan the room, and take in the surroundings.
Ryan leans into me so
I can hear him over the delightful song the blues band has just begun to play, “So, how was your time back home? How’s your
father doin’
?”
“He’s doing okay,” I reply, giving him
a small shrug while trying not to think about having left my father on his own.
Ryan motions
towards the dance floor as he links his left arm with my right. “Alyssa tried to drag us up there earlier, but we were waiting for you. Would you care to dance, o’ beautiful one?”
“Why, I would love to, young
handsome one!” I laugh as we make our way onto the dance floor, with Neil and Alyssa following closely behind.
It’s so exciting to be back amongst my
close friends again. They’re not only my friends but also my roommates, and the four of us share dorm 105 in the East building. All three of them have just turned twenty-one, so they’re older than my almost nineteen years, but I couldn’t ask for better friends and prefer to be around a more mature crowd.
Alyssa is my
best girlfriend, and we’ve been close ever since we first met. As soon I arrived to start my first semester, she bounced out of her room and greeted me with the biggest smile, and we bonded from day one. We have a lot in common and spend most of our free time together, although Alyssa, along with Neil and Ryan, study in music, while I study the Arts. Neil and Ryan have known each other almost their entire lives, so they have this unique bond. Sometimes you’d think they were brothers because of the way they act, but they look nothing alike. Ryan is over six feet tall and is of a medium build with light brown hair, whereas Neil is only slightly taller than I am, so I’d say around five foot nine, and has dark brown hair. Ryan has the rugged look going on, and Neil has the cute boy-next-door vibe.
“So, do you have any news?” I
inquire, moving my hands off of his chest and placing them around his neck as the music changes to a slower beat.
“Neil and I have a gig o
ver at Aruba Bar in a few weeks.” He looks excited about this, and I smile as he continues, “You and Alyssa should come and watch us. You could be our groupies or something!”
“I haven’t
gotten any ID, remember?” I raise my eyebrows when I see his mouth turning up at the sides. It’s as though he’s thinking about how we can get around this little problem. I would love to go and watch them perform. Ryan and Neil formed an out-of-college band a couple of months ago, and they’re amazingly talented musicians.
“Alex, let’s get a drink!” Alyssa pulls me away from Ryan an
d over to a suited waiter who’s carrying a silver tray of flutes, which are filled to the brim with champagne. Before she has a chance to pass me one of the flutes, we both hear a voice to our left, and when I turn my attention in that direction, I see that it’s Seth.
“Hey,
sexy!” He smiles at Alyssa, and that’s when I notice her own smile widening.
Seth’s a junior and he and Alyssa have been
in an on-again, off-again relationship, ever since we began studying here. I’m guessing it’s on-again, for now, anyway.
“Are you gonna be okay?” She asks,
and when I nod enthusiastically, I see her green eyes beaming brightly at me.
I watch as Seth wraps his arm tightly around her waist
, and find myself smiling at the way he looks at my best friend. It may not be too far from the truth in saying that he’s totally smitten with her.
As I’m watching Alyssa and Seth
near the dance floor, the sound of a gentleman clearing his throat draws my attention. Sensing a presence by my side, I turn, glance down, and notice a pair of smart and shiny black shoes. Tilting my head up, I see a guy standing before me.
“
Would you care to explain why the most beautiful girl in the room is standing all by herself tonight?” His tone is low and sexy, and I don’t think I recognize his voice. He hands me a flute of champagne as he smiles. Wow. Even though I can’t see all of his face, because of the mask he’s wearing, his smile is mesmerizing.
I feel myself
blush at his words and notice slight amusement dancing around his eyes as I allow my gaze to roam over him. He’s taller than I am, even with my four-inch heels, so I’m guessing he’s around six feet tall. I can’t help but notice the way his smart black trousers hang deliciously low on his hips. I bring my eyes higher and see his crisp white and black bow tie, before I hear him clear his throat again.
“Do I pass your inspection?” He laughs, and I
feel slightly embarrassed at the fact that he’s just caught me checking him out. “Dance with me.” His voice is low, but hints softness, as he offers his arm to me.
A
wave of excitement begins to flow through me. Dance with him? I would love to. He appears to be immensely charming, and there’s something mysterious about him. It’s a masked ball after all, so it’s not as though you would recognize a lot of people, but I don’t see anything familiar about this guy. His voice, his smile, and the way he carries himself. No, I don’t recall ever having been acquainted with him before.
I
place my arm around his before he raises his other hand up to mine, squeezing it gently as he leads me onto the dance floor. He places his hands gently on to my hips as I wrap mine around his neck. We begin swaying to the music and I move in closer. So close that my cheek lightly brushes against his. I inhale and smell a spicy aroma in his cologne. This guy obviously has taste.
“So, are y
ou new here?” I question as I try to fill the silence between us.
“What makes you ask that?” His breath breezes over my neck when he answers, and I
start to feel all tingly from the sound of his voice when he speaks.
“I just don’t think I’ve seen you around
before,” I answer, and turn my head to the side so that I can see him more clearly. “Am I wrong?”
“Maybe
...” I hear him take a breath, and watch as an amused smile etches over his lips. “Maybe not.” He’s teasing me now, and although I prefer when people are up front with me, I laugh lightly at the way he’s attempting to be so mysterious.
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” I shake my head, and
feel a wide smile spreading over my lips as I rest my cheek back beside his.
“Do you know what? I’m not, b
ecause, I like that we don’t know anything about each other. It makes it more exciting and intriguing, don’t you think?” I feel his breath on my ear as he whispers softly, and close my eyes for a brief moment. My breath becomes shallow from the sensation, and I find myself leaning back slightly so I can read his features and try to figure out who he is. I’m immediately drawn to the intensity in his eyes.
They’re the
most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They have a certain indefinable sparkle within them, and they’re unquestionably alluring and sensual. I see slight mischief flitting through them, and think that I could quite easily get lost in them if I was given half the chance.
He
breaks his gaze away from mine, and I notice the spark I saw in them just a moment ago, has been replaced with what appears to be caution, with the expression over his face becoming equally guarded. He pulls my body closer to his, and I feel his hands wrapping tightly around my waist as a slower song begins to play. Shocks that I can only describe as being similar to electrical currents, rush through my veins from the intimacy of his touch, and I start to feel breathless. He removes one of his hands from my waist and begins stroking his fingers lightly up my back until he reaches my neck. I automatically tilt my head to the side again as he tenderly places a few stray strands of my hair behind my ear.
“You’re
beautiful,” he says with a husky tone. I feel his lips skimming over my collarbone as he leans closer, and I swear I just heard a low groan escaping from his mouth.
My heart rate rises
to a whole new level as I feel him placing tender and lingering kisses along my jaw, before trailing them slowly upwards, only stopping when he reaches my ear. My legs tremble slightly as his hot breaths skim over my neck before he begins to nibble gently at my earlobe. I take a breath but can’t stop myself from letting out a small moan of my own from the way he’s caressing me. I’m beginning to feel a little dizzy.
“Come with me,” he whispers
into my ear as the band start to play another song. He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me towards one of the side exits. My brain finally seems to be functioning again, and it’s screaming for me to stay inside and not to go with him. I don’t listen though, because, despite the fact that I don’t know him, I feel safe. I’m not an idiot, and I’m most certainly strong enough to say no if he were to cross any kind of line. We step into the dark night, and he leads me along a narrow pathway that stretches down to the far end of the college grounds.
“Um,
where are we going?” I ask, and I’m unable hide the trace of nervousness in my voice. My heart is hammering in my chest, but I’m not sure whether it's because he’s leading me away from the party and into an area where there’s no one around, or due to the excitement that’s running through me for doing something I wouldn’t normally do.
“Just some place a little quieter,”
he leans closer, and whispers into my ear while stroking the fingers of his left hand softly along my lower back. “The music in there isn’t really my taste,” a grin forms over his lips as his eyes continue to bore deeply into mine.
I
break our eye contact and slow my pace down for a moment as I try to process my thoughts, but find myself nodding when I bring my eyes back to his. I feel another rush of excitement course through me. I’m flattered that a guy like him, so polite, respectful, and handsome, has chosen to spend his time with me.