Tempting Chaos

Tempting Chaos By M.A. Lee Copyright Tempting Chaos is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Tempting Chaos: A NOVEL Copyright © 2023 by M. A. Lee All rights reserved. Editing by Literary Edits This novel was originally published in 2019 as New Jersey Boy. It had been reformatted and revised. The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Table of Contents Dedication To anyone who has ever experienced undeniable, unattainable, and unguarded true love- this is for you. Book Playlist Somebody Else Will - Justin Moore All My Love - Led Zeppelin In Case You Didn’t Know - Justin Moore Fading - Decyfer Down Crazy in Love - Beyonce and Jay’Z 1 I had never been struck speechless before in my entire life. I was always the girl known for her smart ass comebacks or opinions that no one else seemed to share. Throughout my short eighteen years on this planet, I had never seen anyone like him before. I had never found myself noticing the curve of a guy's jawline or the way his tongue partially touched his lips as he spoke. And, I had never felt my heart flutter deep inside my chest, ever, before he unexpectedly arrived. Before entering my life, I never knew there was a missing piece to my soul. That was, until I discovered that Ryan existed in this world. The line full of hot and hungry golfers reached far beyond the door of the country club grill where I worked. Watching the line grow, I blew a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. I fanned my face as the summer heat flowed through the doors each time a customer hustled into the busy cafe seeking air conditioning and a nice stiff drink and meal. The air was thick and heavy from the scorching day's heat and now, as the sun began to settle beyond the horizon, I silently prayed for the coolness that the night air would surely bring. Working Friday nights sucked, and what was worse, was that the other two girls who were supposed to work tonight’s shift with me had called at the last minute. Of course, they would. So, on one of the busiest nights at The Grill, our small town’s only sit down restaurant acceptable to the country club elite, I was expected to take the orders of the hungry customers by myself. Great, I thought as I watched the line continue to grow. “Wow, that line is never going to end,” Reagan said, as she stopped by the register where I was stationed and waited to take orders. Her fiery red hair was pulled back and her emerald green eyes seemed to dance tonight as she looked throughout the hectic restaurant. “Tell me about it,” I said, as I rolled my eyes and handed change to the family of five who had just ordered their overpriced meals. The strong scent of grease and sugar mixed in the air and almost made me nauseated as I took them in. My long wavy brown hair was swept up in a tight bun, allowing my neck to breathe. Our uniforms, which consisted of tight black pants and an even tighter shirt, were not in my opinion ‘family friendly’ for a family country club, but it did help the waitresses with their tips. This was definitely not where I wanted to be on a Friday night, especially in the last few weekends I had left of my summer break. Most of my friends were out partying while I was stuck at work. “I don’t know why you are complaining, you don’t need this job,” Reagan said, as she grabbed a stack of plates from behind the counter where I was standing. “My rent is due next week and I had to pay to have my car fixed,” she said, as she faked a smile to the customers. “Besides, you and your family are members of this country club. Why aren’t you out there sitting by the pool having me wait on you instead of being stuck in here? You are crazy to choose this,” she said, as she waved her free hand around. Feeling bad, I hated that Reagan was in such a mess. She was only a year older than me, but her parents had kicked her out the day she turned eighteen. It was probably for the best since they weren’t really parents to her anyway, but I knew Reagan was doing the best she could as she attended a small community college in Lexington. Reagan and I had been friends since middle school, we were both on the soccer team and had bonded over our love of boy bands. While I had gone off to the State University, Reagan had been stuck here in our small town. I knew she didn’t understand my need to earn my own money. No one did. But, when you had assholes for parents like I did, you wanted to earn your own way in life and not have another reason to hold something else above my head. It was bad enough they were paying my tuition. That was why I decided to work during my summer break- I needed to feel confident and independent. “You are right,” I said, as I smiled at her. “We need to take next weekend off and have some fun,” I said as I waited for the man in front of me to give me his order. “Yes, I