CHAPTER ONE
PPO
Regan Morel stirred after a loud knock on her apartment door. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and instantly went from groggy to annoyed when a second knock came.
It was six o'clock in the morning and the knocking could only mean one thing: Eddie Levan. Regan jumped out of bed, ran her right hand through her dark brown hair and bolted for the front door. As she had predicted, Eddie was standing there when she opened it. He held out an assortment of spring flowers and smiled with his perfect set of white teeth.
"Really?" Regan said. "Is this the part where I swoon and fall into your arms?"
Eddie shrugged. "I just thought--"
"That's a contradiction in terms. You don't think, because if you did, you wouldn't be here. Hang on just a moment. I want to show you something."
Regan left the door ajar, stepped back into the apartment and headed straight for her galley-style kitchen. She removed a refrigerator magnet and grabbed the piece of paper it held.
"Can I come in?" Eddie called out.
"No. Don't move."
Emily, Regan's roommate, emerged from her bedroom rubbing her eyes and stumbling toward Regan. "What's going on?"
"Just another visit from Edward," Regan said.
"Jeez. Can't he take a hint?
"I'm about to remind him."
"You want me to call the cops?"
Regan was so angry she felt as if she could kick a Marine's ass at the moment. "Oh, no. I’ve got this one. Go back to bed, Em. This won't take long."
She marched back to the front door and Eddie was standing there with his hands on his hips looking, as much as Regan hated to admit it, hot. It was that hotness factor that brought them together in the first place.
Eddie Levan was built like a Greek god and had a face to match. He was tall at 6'4, had the ripped look that Regan adored, and, yes, an ass that put Channing Tatum's to shame. Eddie's pretty-boy face was framed by long, wavy black hair. If Hollywood ever did a remake of Tarzan , he would have to be cast.
Regan shoved the piece of paper in front of his face. "What does this say? You can read, right?"
Eddie snatched the paper from her hand. "I know what it is: 'Personal Protection Order.' Completely unnecessary, Rea, you know? Are you going to take these or not."
"I don't want the flowers, Eddie. I don't want you. How many different ways do I need to say it. You screwed up--"
"It meant nothing. It was a frat party. I got wasted and that little freshman--"
"Was handy? I've heard all your excuses. It's time to move on. I have and you need to. I could call the cops right now and have you removed."
Eddie grinned. He tossed the bundled flowers inside the apartment. "Okay, play it that way for now. I'm feeling you. But you know, you still love me. You're not going to throw away two years for one little mistake."
Regan closed her eyes and blew a strand of hair out of her face. She didn't think it was possible, but Eddie's good looks were actually eclipsed by his ego. Truth was, his one-nighter was the out she had been looking for over the last six months of their "relationship." Still, his bravado was on her last raw nerve.
"I'm not going to stand here and debate this with you," she said after a long moment. "We are done. Go home now and don't come back. Leave me the hell alone, Eddie."
He glared at her and smiled again. Eddie Levan turned and walked to his BMW convertible in the adjacent parking lot without saying a word. As he got in, he waved goodbye. A squeal of the tires and gunning of the engine later, he was on Ocean Beach Boulevard zipping away.
REGAN LOVED DAISIES. In fact, she loved all of the flowers in the arrangement Eddie had tossed on her tile floor: Stargazer lilies, blue iris, white daisies, orange mini carnations, purple statice and yellow solidago. She knew her flowers from her days of working at an FTD shop back home in Illinois.
Still, as much as the flowers' fragrance delighted her, she probably should just toss them in the trash. Why be reminded of
PPO
Regan Morel stirred after a loud knock on her apartment door. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and instantly went from groggy to annoyed when a second knock came.
It was six o'clock in the morning and the knocking could only mean one thing: Eddie Levan. Regan jumped out of bed, ran her right hand through her dark brown hair and bolted for the front door. As she had predicted, Eddie was standing there when she opened it. He held out an assortment of spring flowers and smiled with his perfect set of white teeth.
"Really?" Regan said. "Is this the part where I swoon and fall into your arms?"
Eddie shrugged. "I just thought--"
"That's a contradiction in terms. You don't think, because if you did, you wouldn't be here. Hang on just a moment. I want to show you something."
Regan left the door ajar, stepped back into the apartment and headed straight for her galley-style kitchen. She removed a refrigerator magnet and grabbed the piece of paper it held.
"Can I come in?" Eddie called out.
"No. Don't move."
Emily, Regan's roommate, emerged from her bedroom rubbing her eyes and stumbling toward Regan. "What's going on?"
"Just another visit from Edward," Regan said.
"Jeez. Can't he take a hint?
"I'm about to remind him."
"You want me to call the cops?"
Regan was so angry she felt as if she could kick a Marine's ass at the moment. "Oh, no. I’ve got this one. Go back to bed, Em. This won't take long."
She marched back to the front door and Eddie was standing there with his hands on his hips looking, as much as Regan hated to admit it, hot. It was that hotness factor that brought them together in the first place.
Eddie Levan was built like a Greek god and had a face to match. He was tall at 6'4, had the ripped look that Regan adored, and, yes, an ass that put Channing Tatum's to shame. Eddie's pretty-boy face was framed by long, wavy black hair. If Hollywood ever did a remake of Tarzan , he would have to be cast.
Regan shoved the piece of paper in front of his face. "What does this say? You can read, right?"
Eddie snatched the paper from her hand. "I know what it is: 'Personal Protection Order.' Completely unnecessary, Rea, you know? Are you going to take these or not."
"I don't want the flowers, Eddie. I don't want you. How many different ways do I need to say it. You screwed up--"
"It meant nothing. It was a frat party. I got wasted and that little freshman--"
"Was handy? I've heard all your excuses. It's time to move on. I have and you need to. I could call the cops right now and have you removed."
Eddie grinned. He tossed the bundled flowers inside the apartment. "Okay, play it that way for now. I'm feeling you. But you know, you still love me. You're not going to throw away two years for one little mistake."
Regan closed her eyes and blew a strand of hair out of her face. She didn't think it was possible, but Eddie's good looks were actually eclipsed by his ego. Truth was, his one-nighter was the out she had been looking for over the last six months of their "relationship." Still, his bravado was on her last raw nerve.
"I'm not going to stand here and debate this with you," she said after a long moment. "We are done. Go home now and don't come back. Leave me the hell alone, Eddie."
He glared at her and smiled again. Eddie Levan turned and walked to his BMW convertible in the adjacent parking lot without saying a word. As he got in, he waved goodbye. A squeal of the tires and gunning of the engine later, he was on Ocean Beach Boulevard zipping away.
REGAN LOVED DAISIES. In fact, she loved all of the flowers in the arrangement Eddie had tossed on her tile floor: Stargazer lilies, blue iris, white daisies, orange mini carnations, purple statice and yellow solidago. She knew her flowers from her days of working at an FTD shop back home in Illinois.
Still, as much as the flowers' fragrance delighted her, she probably should just toss them in the trash. Why be reminded of
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