Sweet Regret

SWEET REGRET K. BROMBERG This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Copyright © 2023 by K. Bromberg All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by JKB Publishing, LLC Cover design by Indie Sage, LLC Editing by Marion Making Manuscripts Formatting by Champagne Book Design Printed in the United States of America Be sure to sign up for my newsletter where you will receive up-to-date information on my latest releases, chances to win prizes, as well as a FREE book every month from bestselling authors, available only to my subscribers. Make sure to add [email protected] to your contacts before signing up to be sure the list comes right to your inbox. • • • DID YOU KNOW . . . This book is available in both paperback and audiobook editions at all major online retailers! Links are on my website. If you’d like to order a signed paperback, my online store is open and can be accessed here. TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE PRAISE FOR K. BROMBERG ALSO WRITTEN BY K. BROMBERG PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE CHAPTER THIRTY CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE CHAPTER FORTY CHAPTER FORTY-ONE CHAPTER FORTY-TWO CHAPTER FORTY-THREE CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE CHAPTER FORTY-SIX CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT CHAPTER FORTY-NINE CHAPTER FIFTY CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE EPILOGUE EPILOGUE ABOUT THE AUTHOR PRAISE FOR K. BROMBERG “K. Bromberg always delivers intelligently written, emotionally intense, sensual romance . . .” —USA Today “K. Bromberg makes you believe in the power of true love.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Audrey Carlan “Always an absolute must-read.” —New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting “An irresistibly hot romance that stays with you long after you finish the book.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout “Bromberg is a master at turning up the heat!” —New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans “Supercharged heat and full of heart. Bromberg aces it from the first page to the last.” —New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott ALSO WRITTEN BY K. BROMBERG Driven Series Driven Fueled Crashed Raced Aced Driven Novels Slow Burn Sweet Ache Hard Beat Down Shift The Player Duet The Player The Catch Everyday Heroes Cuffed Combust Cockpit Control (Novella) Wicked Ways Resist Reveal Standalone Faking It Then You Happened Flirting with 40 UnRaveled (Novella) Sweet Cheeks Sweet Rivalry (Novella) The Play Hard Series Hard to Handle Hard to Hold Hard to Score Hard to Lose Hard to Love The S.I.N. Series Last Resort On One Condition Final Proposal The Redemption Series Until You Holiday Novellas The Package The Detour PROLOGUE Bristol Eleven Years Ago My heart jumps out of my chest as I scan the shadows of my room for whatever just yanked me from sleep. Knock. Knock. Knock. I bite back a yelp as my eyes register the dark silhouette standing outside my bedroom window. About the same time as my brain computes the notion that an axe murderer wouldn’t be knocking—they’d just break in—my phone vibrates on the nightstand beside me. The illuminated screen shows text after text from Vince. I scramble out of bed, bleary-eyed and anxious. With a glance toward my bedroom door to make sure it’s shut, I pull the curtain aside and open the window as quietly as possible. “What are you doing?” I whisper-yell before emitting a nervous chuckle and looking over my shoulder again. He’s removed the screen. There’s no way he can come in here. What if my parents hear? What if they walk in? What if— “Are you out of your mind? Do you know how grounded I’ll be if my parents find you here? How much trouble we’ll be in?” But at the same time, I’m so glad he is. Our fight earlier was a rarity, and I hated the sick feeling I had in my stomach when I went to bed without hearing from him. “Trouble?” He chuckles, but it doesn’t sound like the Vincent I know. He sounds off. Dejected. Maybe even drunk. “Like I care about getting in trouble.” He cups the back of my neck and brings his mouth to mine. For the briefest of seconds, the fight from earlier disappears, and I lose myself in everything Vincent Jennings has become to me. The dark spark in my mundane life. The best friend I can tell anything. The rebel that pushes my boundaries when I’d rather paint inside the lines—or exactly, perfectly on the lines. The person who looks at me and makes me feel beautiful. My first love. But there’s something more to this kiss and the faint taste of beer on his tongue, and it takes me a few seconds to recognize it. There’s desperation here—hunger—an urgency that I can’t comprehend. “Vince?” I ask as the kiss ends and he rests his forehead on mine, his hand still at the base of my neck holding me to him. “What’s wrong?” He gives the slightest shake of his head but doesn’t move. He’s been like this before when whatever happens at his house . . . happens. He’s come to me not wanting to talk but needing my company. He’s come to me with a swollen cheek or busted lip but has refused to explain other than to play it off with a “you should’ve seen the other guy” type of comment. But