Sweet Temptation

Copyright © 2023 by Alexandra Moody All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Developmental editing by Pete Thompson Proofreading & copy-editing by Kelly Hartigan (XterraWeb) editing.xterraweb.com CONTENTS Book One Recap Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Epilogue Stay Connected Also by Alexandra Moody About the Author BOOK ONE RECAP Click here for a brief recap of what happened in book one CHAPTER ONE I thought I knew what heartbreak was. I’d experienced the hurt and betrayal of a relationship ending in disaster once before, so I was familiar with the empty feeling that came from my chest being torn open and my heart ripped out. Somehow though, this time felt worse. I’d foolishly trusted Noah with my slowly healing heart only for him to take a hammer to the cracks, shattering the fragile pieces until they were nothing more than specks of dust. I let out a long sigh as I stared up at the night sky. It was dark and completely clear tonight, and the stars were so bright it almost felt like they were mocking me from above. Why couldn’t I be a star? They were perfect and untouchable, and they never had to deal with pain or sorrow. A low chuckle came from beside me, and I glanced over to find Wes had turned his head and was watching me rather than the sky. It was just the two of us. We were resting on the hood of his car in the middle of a field. He had found me crying alone in the courtyard after Noah broke up with me and had whisked me away. He hadn’t pressured me to explain why I was so upset. He just listened to me when I said I wanted to leave the ball and get as far away from the school as possible. I’d had no idea where Wes was planning to take me. I hadn’t really cared. I would have happily gone anywhere to get away from the school, but the quiet field he had chosen was the perfect place. The long grasses rustled pleasantly in the breeze, and though we were only a ten-minute trip from Weybridge Academy, it felt like we were a million miles from civilization. It was peaceful out here and, until now, Wes had stayed silent, giving me space to work through whatever it was he thought I was going through. “Is something funny?” I asked, tugging his suit jacket in closer around me as the evening air danced across my skin. Wes had to be cold without his jacket, but he had refused to take it back when I’d offered it to him. I didn’t have the energy to argue. “You’re scowling at the stars like they’ve done something to piss you off.” “Yeah, well, maybe they have.” I threw another scowl up at the sky. “It feels like they are rubbing their happy, sparkling butts in my face.” “I didn’t know stars had butts.” “Oh, they do,” I replied, rolling to my side so I could look directly at Wes. “They’re big balls of gas, after all. And we all know where gas comes from…” Wes laughed, and I somehow managed a small grin in response. It quickly fell from my lips though. How could I smile after everything that had happened tonight? “So, Matthew LaFleur is your father,” Wes said. Now that we’d broken the silence, Wes was probably eager to start asking questions. I wasn’t surprised this was the first one he ventured, having seen the stunned look on his face when Matthew had introduced himself at the ball earlier. I slowly nodded in reply. “He is.” I hoped my short response was enough to deter Wes from digging any deeper. I wasn’t particularly interested in talking about my father, but I had to admit it was damn sight better than lying here thinking about Noah. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Wes’s voice was soft, and I knew he wasn’t annoyed about being kept in the dark. It seemed he was just trying to understand. “It’s not like I was keeping it a secret. It’s just that I barely know the man, and I never thought to bring it up. He doesn’t feel like my dad, so why would I say anything?” “That makes sense,” Wes said, but his head was tilted as though he was still considering my response. “What?” “I was just thinking a lot of people at school will be surprised. You’ll probably find them all clambering to be your friend now that you’re a LaFleur.” “I’m not a LaFleur.” My response was immediate, and my defensive tone caught me off guard. I took a quick, calming breath before I tried to explain. “Just because Matthew LaFleur is my father, it doesn’t mean I’m a LaFleur,” I said more gently. “Surely the kids at school won’t care who he is?” “A lot of them might. Your father has a lot of success and influence in our world.” That was just it. This was Wes’s world, not mine. And I didn’t care one bit how much influence someone’s parents had. In my view, a person’s worth came from their actions, not their DNA. Apparently, I was in the minority when it came to that opinion though. At least, around here I was. “This isn’t my world,” I muttered. Wes frowned and nodded, as though he was thinking of a different way to