Made to be Mine (a steamy friends to lovers novella)

  MADE TO BE MINE

  JAQUELINE SNOWE

  Published: 2021

  Published by: Jaqueline Snowe

  Copyright © 2021, Jaqueline Snowe

  Cover Design: Star Child Designs

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author. For more information, please contact Jaqueline at www.jaquelinesnowe.com.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, dialogue, and description are of the author’s imagination and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Dedication:

  To all those who need a quick, dirty escape

  Blurb:

  Lexi and Charlize have been BFFs since first grade, so when Charlize proposes the holiday of a lifetime, Lexi hopes being in Miami will help her gain some much needed confidence with men. But those plans change when their holiday is crashed by the one man who's never looked at her that way—Will, Charlize’s brother and a huge baseball star.

  When Will’s ex hands over nude pictures to a sleazebag reporter, he sees his face--and more--plastered across every tabloid front page in the country. The press is hounding him, and his little sister's vacation home seems the ideal place to hide.

  Will intends to lick his wounds and recover his trust in the world, but he discovers Lexi's secret plan and offers to help her get over her fear of sex. They've known each other forever and can rely on each other implicitly. Neither of them would let anything pesky like feelings get in the way of their friendship.

  Lines blur as walls come down, and Lexi gets much closer to Will than she ever dreamed possible. Could he really be the man for her? After all this time, her dream guy could be right in front of her but only if she faces her insecurities and puts her heart on the line.

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Also by Jaqueline Snowe

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Lexi

  Regrets served no purpose in life because every choice, good or bad, was a teaching moment.

  That was my motto, and yet, staring at the small, three-bedroom rental and watching my best friend’s brother walk out of his room in swimming trunks…I regretted agreeing to tag along on their family trip. The holiday trip was supposed to be about relaxing, getting my flirt on with my best friend and her sister, and finding a way to get over our awful love lives. A girl’s trip was exactly what I needed, so seeing her older, sexy-as-hell brother put a dent in my plan. Will Slate had the unique ability to make my brain and mouth stop aligning and my body burn with lust.

  Well at least I know my sex drive isn’t broken.

  I cleared my throat, held the towel tighter against my chest, and thought of a million ways I’d make Charlize pay for omitting this little tidbit. With Will here, there was no way I could relax. He was my kryptonite, my hidden crush I’d harbored for years. How could I try to get over my fear of sex with him here? He oozed confidence and had zero problems in that area. He was a professional baseball player and had fans who waited for him after games.

  The man could blink and it was sexy.

  If I had to pick someone who was the complete opposite of him, it’d be me. My throat dried up as I admired the strong lines of his chest and the way his muscles shifted with his gait.

  “You bringing the snacks, Lex?” Will asked, waggling his dark eyebrows up and down as he stalked toward the fridge. He whipped the silver doors opened and put cans of beer into a pale blue cooler, the exact same color of his eyes. He paused from unloading the cans and tilted his head at me.

  Damnit. I never answered.

  He arched one brow and gave me a half-grin. “Are you?”

  “Yes,” I blurted out, pulling myself from the Will Fantasy Land I often visited around him. The curve of his lips had me clench my thighs together, and I managed a somewhat normal response. “Yeah, I’m bringing the food. Don’t worry.”

  “Thatta girl.” He flashed me a quick smile, showcasing very white and straight teeth, and tapped the top of cooler twice, making a loud thud. “You and Charley meeting me out there? Should I reserve you ladies a spot?”

  I nodded, pulling the end of my cover up down past my thighs. I packed my most revealing swimming suit, not caring about all of my curves around Charlize, but around Will, my skin burned with embarrassment. He dated stick-thin, beautiful models while I wasn’t that. Not even a little bit.

  Why didn’t I pack my larger suit? I set the towel down and quickly fixed the front of the top so it made my boobs look a little better. He might not notice me that way, but on the rare chance he did look, I wanted to showcase my best asset.

  “I really needed this trip,” he said, turning back around and shaking his head so strands of his hair fell over his forehead. “You and Charley are the least dramatic people I know. That’s what I need.” He gave me a sad smile, lifted the cooler with both hands, and headed out the back door. The rental lined up right against the water, and it took less than three minutes to walk through the tide. Being near the beach was the only requirement since this was supposed to be Charley and Lexi’s Plan to get Laid on New Year’s. We wanted to drink on the beach and hook-up. I stood, frozen in my spot, still shocked that Will showed up this morning instead of his other sister. He was here for a full week with me and Charley.

  How would I survive?

  Shit. He stopped walking and looked back at me. Was I drooling? I oh-so-casually wiped my hand over my mouth and made the gesture look like it was an itch. Totally smooth. God, I was an idiot. No wonder my ex said I wasn’t a long term kinda girlfriend.

  “Don’t forget sunscreen, Lex.” He leaned against the doorframe, narrowing his eyes at me for a beat. “It’s day one. We can’t have you burning like a lobster, huh? Not like that one summer when we went to San Diego.”

  “Right,” I said, sounding stupid and unlike anything I had worked toward. Confidence played a unique role in my life. Professionally, some would say I was smug. Working as a programmer, a female programmer, brought me a certain level of clout. I never hung my head when challenged at the office, but on a date? Sharing a house with Will for a week?

  I reverted to fourteen, feeling left out because I never had a first kiss.

  Once the door shut, I shook my head and got a bottle water to cool myself down. I was twenty-seven years old, not a teenager, and Will Slate was my best friend’s older brother. The same guy who farted so loud we could hear the sound across their house.

  Didn’t matter now that he became the hottest thing in Chicago and an ex leaked his nudes that anyone could find on the internet. His gorgeous body, tanned and chiseled, should not make me think about those photos or wonder what it would feel like to touch him.

  “Pull yourself together,” I mumbled, unaware that Charley walked into the room in a bright yellow polka-dot one-piece. Her black hair hung all the way down her back, and the only thing she shared with Will was her blue eyes and wild personality. They were physically opposite in every other way, and I pointed my finger at her chest. “You.”

  She snorted and shook her head, but her face held nothing but warmth for me.

  �
�Talking to yourself again, huh, Lex?” she said, her voice coming out sing-song. Where Will was thoughtful and determined, Charley was tough and loyal to a fault. “You spend too much time behind a computer, my friend. None of that here. I officially ban any devices.”

  I rolled my eyes as she moved into the kitchen. The countertops were empty, and the wallpaper in the rental was a pastel blue. She grabbed a spoon and a jar of peanut butter and took out a huge scoop. “Seriously, Lex. No internet for you or Will. You both need a break.

  “But my laptop is connected to my heart. Without it, I’ll likely die.” I moved toward her and crossed my arms over my chest, my pulse racing at my mini confrontation. “Listen, you. I didn’t know Will was coming.”

  She waved her hand, ignoring me and grabbing the whole handle of tequila. “We all need this holiday trip to escape the Chicago winter. I’m drinking away my break-up, Will is enjoying some anonymity after the nude photo debacle, and you, sweet, wonderful Lexi, are going to score some real action and get over your fear of getting it on”

  My face flushed at her insinuation while my heart simultaneously hurt for both her and her brother. Will and I ran into each other every few months, mainly with Charley, and I knew the scandal bothered him, no matter how flippant he tried to act. But that still didn’t mean I was chill about him being here. How could I try to get my dating confidence back when my biggest, longest crush would be around to witness the whole thing?

  Charley pursed her lips. “Okay, you’ve been quiet for an abnormal amount of time. That’s a warning sign. You trying to get out of our deal? New Year, new us. You’re getting laid, Lexi.”

  I sighed. She was pushy and persistent, and while I loved her, a prickle of annoyance crept in.

  “It’s been years since you’ve put yourself out there since your incident with the Asshole.”

  Asshole was our endearing term for Ashton, the reason I preferred being behind a screen when talking to the opposite sex. My shoulders tightened at the mere thought of him and the way he made me feel about myself. The constant hurtful comments, the degrading backhanded compliments. Ugh. I shook my head. “You conned me into this vacation with the ruse that it would be a girl’s trip. Booze, bikinis, and beach.”

  “Booze, check. Bikinis,” she said, waving her hand between our swimsuits. “Check, and beach, check. I wasn’t wrong.”

  “Will is not a girl.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sure, but he likes the same things. Don’t let his toughboy baseball act fool you.”

  The Slates were the kindest, softest people in the world, and when Will shot into stardom, it took their parents by surprise. They were unathletic music teachers, so the running joke was that Will was switched at birth. He was a carbon copy version of both their parents, making the adoption jokes completely untrue.

  “It’s not the same as if Haley were here.”

  “I thought you and Will got along?” Frown lines appeared around her blue eyes. “Did he say something to piss you off?”

  “No, no.” I exhaled slowly, hating how my body flushed at any emotion. Giving her my back so she couldn’t read my expression, I busied myself by throwing the snacks into the small duffel. “He didn’t do anything. We get along.”

  “Good. I’d deck him if he did.” She grabbed the folded towels from the table, put on her flip flops, and tossed the bottle of sunscreen into the air. “It’s beach time, Lex. Let’s go!”

  We locked the door and made our way through the sand, easily finding the spot Will claimed for the day. His bright orange Turbo Baseball towel might’ve been a giveaway that he played for the team, but Charley chose this place based on privacy. It was busy but closed-off from the public. Only those who rented or lived in the four complexes around us could go to this beach.

  “God, I can feel the sadness leaving my body when the sun hits my skin,” she said, sighing and tilting her face up at the sky. “Fuck Derick.”

  “He’s an asshole,” I said, forcing my voice stronger. Her ex dumped her because he wasn’t feeling it after a year together. A whole year, gone. The thought of all that wasted time made my throat close up. Ashton and I were together for two years, and through the whole relationship I lost a piece of myself, the part that made me love who I was physically. Afterwards, it was a slow climb back up to appreciate that my body wasn’t stick thin or that my boobs often spilled over my bra.

  Just thinking about his final comments made me almost regret not bringing a better suit. You’re pretty for being overweight. I’ll be the best you get.

  Charley skipped toward the towel her brother set down and applied sunscreen over every part of her skin. She handed me the bottle to spray her back, and while I did, she clicked her tongue, eyeing me with too much knowing in her eyes.

  “Remove the cover up, Lex.”

  I shook my head, and she reached the hem, yanking the fabric so I tilted over onto my side.

  “You monster, are you stripping me down?” I said, half-laughing.

  “If I have to,” Charley said. “You’re beautiful and have boobs I want to bury my face into. They’re like pillows, and I hate you for them.” She arched a brow, her stern expression much like her brother’s when he was on the field. I caved.

  My heart pounded in my chest when I tore the black dress over my head. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I lay there, my boobs spilling out and my love handles showcased by the tight dark green material. My shoulders hurt from tightening them, but Charley paid no attention. She got the bottle and sprayed me head to toe before I could stop her.

  “God, is that a new suit?” she asked, studying me up and down. “You look incredible, woman. Fuck.”

  Goddamn blush. My skin prickled at her perusal, but shame and embarrassment didn’t cloud the moment. Charley never made me feel bad about being overweight, despite how tiny she was. Her compliments were sincere from the day we became friends in third grade. “Thanks, and yes, it is.”

  “Your cleavage is the same size as my arm. It’s not fair.”

  “Don’t get me started on fair,” I mumbled, almost regretting the comment. It wasn’t her fault Ashton made me feel fat, gross, and undesirable. Needing to make amends for the retort, I pointed toward her brother. “It’s not fair that Will eats three times as much as I do, and he looks like that.”

  “I hate him.” She lay back on her yellow towel and cracked open margarita from a can, which she always added more alcohol to. “Ah, yes. Hello, tequila.”

  I snorted and wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them to my chest. Holding my legs close to my body provided some protection from Will’s eyes as he approached us with a large smile. My heart fluttered at the sight of that damn grin. Water dripped down his chest, disappearing into his trunks and showcasing the fist-biting v-line.

  Hoping to cover up the fact I checked him out head to toe, I said, “How’s the water?”

  “Perfect,” he said, shaking his head so little water droplets landed on me. He plopped down on the towel to my left, placing me right in the center of the Slate siblings. “What’s on the itinerary today, sis?”

  His question made me laugh. Charley was known for her never-ending lists of activities. One Christmas, she had what movies, what snacks, and even what gifts to open mapped out.

  “Nothing besides getting tipsy and convincing Lexi she’s hot. Wanna be my wingman to get her laid? It’s been years. Years, Will. She needs the dick bad.”

  God. If the sand started sinking with me in it, I wouldn’t be mad. Not even a little.

  “Wait, what?” He opened his eyes, the perfect blue color, and stared at me hard. “Why is that the plan?”

  Oh my god. His attention was all on me, and my entire body burned the longer the silence went on. I shifted my weight on the towel, crossing my feet at the ankles, and took a long sip of my own margarita to gather my thoughts. My best friend used the quiet to answer for me.

  “Because,” Charley said, moving onto her elbows and looking over at me. “This chi
ck spends too much time behind a computer, so having a fling while in Florida for the holiday would be perfect. Any one of these chumps would be lucky to get to motorboat you.”

  “You talk about my boobs too much,” I said, avoiding Will’s pointed gaze as my entire body blushed redder than my hair. “It’s a problem.”

  “They’re nice boobs. A girl can compliment her best friend’s rack. Come on, Will, doesn’t Lexi have nice tits?”

  I was going to kill her. With my bare hands.

  Will was polite enough not to react by saying anything ridiculous or untrue. He’d always been kind to me. His sharp inhale was the only sign he heard the question, and I focused on the waves crashing in rather than his lack of response. I felt a sinking in my chest and a prickle across my skin the longer the silence went on. This was humiliating.

  He dated supermodels half my size. His face was on a billboard in the city—multiple billboards. His boob list had to be a mile long, and my extra-large ones were nothing special. There was no way.

  What felt like six hours was in fact thirty seconds before he said, “Yeah, they’re tempting.”

  “See? I’m right,” Charley said, relaxing back onto her towel and closing her eyes. “Ah, this is heaven. Fuck, I needed this. I might live here.”

  Tempting.

  What did that mean? Tempting as in he thought about them? About me?

  Or like, tempting, but not for me? My heart thumped hard in my ears as my brain tried to rationalize his comment.

  Oh my god, did it even matter?

  “So, Little Lexi wants to get laid,” Will said, his voice holding the right amount of affection and teasing to it. I chanced a look at him. His signature smirk had his lips curving up on one side as his eyes sparkled with amusement. “This should be fun.”

  “Fun? How is this fun?” I said, undoing my messy bun and letting my long and wavy hair cover my back, as if I could hide my rolls. When his gaze dropped to my chest, my skin tingled like an electric current ran through my veins. “I’m mortified.”