CHAPTER 1

“Chug! Chug! Chug!” Garret Roth watched as his friend Seth was kneeling in front of a sun-kissed blonde in a gold bikini holding a jug of beer over his head. Garret tried not to smile, but with Elle King blasting through the speakers, Seth kneeling in a sacrificial pose about to be doused in beer, and his three other friends flirting and laughing with a couple of girls it was hard not to get a party mood.

The smile broke through the permanent scowl on his face as the bikini clad blonde poured about half a gallon of beer over Seth’s head. After a long day at his office followed by the drive to the Hamptons, Garret wanted nothing more than a tall beer and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore at his newly acquired ocean view mansion further up the road. At least he had the beer in his hand, he thought ruefully. Seth walked towards him smiling wide and eyes happily glistening from too much beer. “Roth! You’ve got to try that, man!”

Seth didn’t even wait for an answer from Garret before diving into the pool to wash off the beer. Across the pool Garret noticed a couple of men in black suits and instantly realized they were probably security for the numerous celebrities attending the party. Not that he was a fan of pop culture or reality shows but it was hard not to recognize someone when their face was on billboards and advertisements every time you opened a magazine. When he had arrived that evening he had made the horrible mistake of asking someone for a beer only to have to be informed that was the new and upcoming teen pop star and not to bother him. Garret had shrugged it off. If he was younger he probably would’ve been just as star struck as the young people attending the party, but at the age of twenty-nine and after being in business consulting for a few years now he had worked with people more wealthy and famous than the few celebrities attending this party. After all, they were also just human after all.

“Hey man, what’s with the long face?” Cayden’s eyes took in the designer suit that Garret had failed to change out of before coming over. “Or the suit for that matter?”

Garret turned to find his oldest and best friend Cayden standing next to him. Running a hand over his face he smiled ruefully at Cayden. “Honestly? I think I’m too old for this.”

A roaring laugh surrounded Garret as Cayden slapped him on the back. “Really grandpa? Want me to fetch your slippers with a cup of wuss?”

Garret smiled. “No need to take it that far. I just meant I had a long day at the office, and actually wanted to spend a quiet evening at home.”

“You mean you wanted to gloat in glory at your new mansion, not spend the evening at someone else’s? Anyway you can do that the rest of the weekend. By the way, congrats again.

“Thanks. Now I actually need to start furnishing the place.”

“It comes furnished.” Cayden said as he took a long pull from his beer.

“No Cayden, it comes with a bed and essential appliances. I actually need things like living room furniture, tables, chairs, etcetera.”

“So go shopping, it’s not like you can’t afford it.” Cayden had spotted two blondes eyeing them and held up his beer in salute.

“It’s not that, it’s that I’ve never had to buy furniture before.”

“Yeah yeah we all know you were spoiled, get over it or hire someone to do it for you.”

“About that, you wouldn’t be open to fill the position would you?” Garret asked Cayden with a serious expression.

Garret laughed as Cayden punched him affectionately in the arm. They had met at college seven years ago and had instantly become friends even though Garret was a senior and Cayden a junior. Even though Cayden’s family had never been dirt poor, they had never been wealthy either. Garret had always avoided friends that didn’t come from wealth like he did because eventually they started to resent the money. Cayden had never made Garret feel guilty for being born into a wealthy family. Their friendship was stronger for it. Garret was a born and bred New Yorker, privileged to be born into the wealthy business of heirloom furniture. Soon after college Garret had decided that even though the family business needed an heir and would ensure a substantial income it wasn’t for him. He had been born with pride and ambition, both which didn’t bode well in a family business. After two years he had finally gathered the courage to tell his parents that he would be starting his own business consulting firm. It had been hard in the beginning, and the hours had been long, but the rewards of owning his own business soon started to pay off. He could afford to take risks as he had the financial backing of his trust, he knew business and wasn’t afraid to tell clients twice his own age that he knew more about growing their businesses than they did. After five years he was a self-made billionaire who had earned his parents respect along with some of the most influential businessmen in Manhattan.

“Your beer's getting warm grandpa.” Cayden spoke as he waved the blondes over.

“Come on Cayden, you go there. I really don’t feel like playing wingman.”

“The question wasn’t whether you wanted to play wingman, it was whether you wanted to get laid.” Cayden turned on the charm as the blondes approached before whispering to Garret. “Try and let your heart thaw for a few minutes man, you might even find one of these might warm it up a little.” Cayden winked playfully at Garret as he turned to the woman approaching them.

Garret grimaced but forced a smile as the ladies greeted them. Ever since he had broken up with his girlfriend two years ago he had barely looked at another girl. Cayden’s theory was that his ex girlfriend was an ice queen and froze Garret’s heart when he broke up with her. Garret was starting to wonder if the curse Cayden joked about held some truth to it.

“Hello, I’m Sally and this is Mika.” Sally smiled as she twirled her long curly blond hair through her fingers. Her mouth was a little too wide and threw off the symmetry of her face. Garret knew he was being over critical because he wasn’t interested, luckily he soon realized Sally wasn’t interested in him either, she only had eyes for Cayden.

“Hello Ladies. I’m Cayden and the sour face next to me is Garret. He’s in dire need of loosening up.” Cayden laughed at his own comment along with the two blondes who were easily entertained after too many cocktails.

“Hi.” Garret forced a smile and noticed Mika was already looking around for more interesting conversation.

“So what do you do?” Sally asked as she ran her hand up Cayden’s arm flirtatiously.

“I’m a courier.” Cayden lied easily. He had taken over his family’s small Italian restaurant and turned into a multi-million dollar franchise. Garret had asked him about his flagrant lying about his job years ago and Cayden had explained it easily. If he was having fun for the night he didn’t want his nights to show up at his restaurant demanding more.

“Got any deliveries tonight?” Sally cooed.

Shaking his head at the blatant invite, Garret noticed a woman sitting on the other side of the pool on a lounger. Long auburn waves tumbled over slim shoulders framing a face with a sharp chin. For a moment she reminded Garret of a lost pixie. Her lips were full and almost pouting. From the distance between them he struggled to see the color of her eyes, but if he had to guess it would be green, a sharp green. She wore a white tank top that hugged her small breasts and denim shorts. From where he was Garret couldn’t see her legs clearly but he would put money on the fact that it would be as impressive as what he had seen. Most of the girls at the party wore bikinis or less for some reason Garret liked the fact that she wasn’t one of them.

Mika excused herself just before Cayden and Sally explained to Garret they were going for a walk. Normally Garret would be irritated that Cayden invited him and then headed off with a busty blonde shortly after arriving, but Garret was too interested in the Auburn haired girl to care. To Garret she seemed bored and vaguely uninterested in the party. The girls sitting at her table were deep in conversation, trying to get her attention by touching her arm. She briefly smiled at them and Garret felt his heart skip a few beats. Attraction shot through him like a bolt of lightning.

Her gaze roamed over the people partying around the pool until they met Garret’s. For a moment it felt to Garret like the world stood still on its axis. The noise from the speakers faded into the background as he lost himself in the green eyes he had correctly predicted. With her full profile turned to Garret she was even more beautiful than he could’ve guessed. Garret fought between confliction desires; walk to her and ask for her number or walk away and forget about her. Before he could decide which it was going to be he heard the people around him start to chant.

“Stefan, Stefan, Stefan.”

Feeling responsible for whatever his friend was about to do, Garret broke eye contact and turned around to search for his friend. On the second floor a window was open and in the cavity stood Stefan. He was wearing his board shorts and his muscled chest glistened from the baby oil a pair of hands were slathering on from behind. From down by the pool Stefan looked like a Greek god to all that didn’t know him well enough to know he was actually an all-American boy. The chanting continued and girls started to scream in anticipation of his jump.

Garret knew Stefan probably already had too much to drink and wasn’t thinking clearly, he also knew the pool probably wasn’t deep enough to handle a dive from the second story. Before Garret could shout a warning Geronimo started blasting through the speakers when someone turned up the volume. Stefan pushed off the balcony and completed an impressive twist in the air before cannon balling the water. Garret held his breath until Stefan surfaced for air and he knew his friend’s only injury was stupidity.

Stefan heaved himself up by the side of the pool where Garret was standing with a smile a mile wide. “That was fricken awesome!”

“You’re an idiot!” Garret said with his eyebrows raised.

“At least I’m having fun.” Stefan started shaking his head and droplets splashed against Garret’s suit. “Let me guess that’s your second beer?”

“Actually...”

Before Garret could finish Stefan cut him off. “Dude if you’re going to say that’s your first, please don’t. You’ll just embarrass yourself if someone hears.” Laughing Stefan walked away to a circle of girls shouting his name. Garret turned back to where he had noticed the Auburn haired girl but disappointment crashed through him when he realized she was no longer there. The table where she had been seated with her friends were occupied by a group of guys. He searched the crowd unsuccessfully feeling disappointment welling in his chest.