Untamed

  Untamed

  by MJ Carnal

  Moretti Novel, Book 5

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by MJ Carnal, author. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding rights, contact the author. Republishing without permission is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this book and have not purchased it from a reputable site such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks or Kobo or have not been given a copy by the author, this book may have been illegally copied. If you downloaded this book for free from any other site, it is a pirated copy, stolen without permission from the author and is in violation of copyright infringement. Please report the site that offered the book to you and purchase a copy at one of the above sites.

  Cover photo by Eric Wainwright, Wainwright Images, Portland, Oregon.

  Cover Model: Preston Tate www.facebook.com/prestontatemodel

  Book cover by Dawn of Dark Dawn Creations

  First Edition June 2014

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked names and owners.

  This book contains adult themes and content.

  Dedication

  To Rachel Van Dyken for always inspiring me.

  To Janelle for always pushing me to become better.

  To you, the readers! Thank you for your constant support. The Moretti Novels were successful because of you. Thank you for going on this journey with me.

  Prologue

  The Moretti House

  the night before Hawaii

  Sophie skipped into the kitchen with a grin on her face. In just a few days, she would be Mrs. Mark Moretti. Her college roommate and best friend, Lily, had arrived from Georgia the day before and she was excited to introduce her to everyone she hadn’t met.

  Steve shut the refrigerator and jumped when he saw Sophie standing behind him. “Shit.”

  The giggle was the first thing he noticed. It was like music to his ears. Her blue eyes sparkled as they met his. He had suddenly forgotten how to breathe.

  “Steve, this is my friend from home. Lily this is Steve Wainwright. He’s one of Mark’s friends since, what would you say, birth?”

  Steve laughed as he took Lily’s hand and shook it. The electricity he felt when he touched her had him feeling complete guilt. He’d been with Amber for seven years. She’d been his first real love. She’d dated Mark through high school but had left for college right after graduation. He’d run into her at a bar the summer after college and the rest was history. They’d gotten engaged after four years, bought a house the year after that and Steve spent all his time making sure she was happy.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Steve.” Lily winked and he shivered.

  Mark’s laughter from the doorway had him pulling his hand out of Lily’s. “How’s it feel when you get that little jolt that makes you realize you’re not with the right person?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve uncapped his water and took a few chugs. “Amber and I are good.”

  “Come on, man.” Ryan shook his head. “Amber’s not good enough for you. You’ve heard the rumors. Have you asked her about them yet?”

  “Guys, lay off.” Layla rounded the corner. “You can’t help who you love. If Amber is the skank we all think she is, she’ll show her true colors.”

  Steve growled as Mark and Ryan laughed. Sensing everyone’s discomfort, Kevin turned on the stereo and pulled Andi into his arms. “Dance with me, doll.”

  “Don’t rub up against me. I don’t know what I could catch. I’d prefer my shit not itch.” Andi pushed him back as Lily broke into hysterical laughter. “Lil, you rubbed him last night, please, cut in. I insist.”

  Lily danced with Kevin as Andi grabbed Caleb from the couch. Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous. Her blond hair fell down her back and looked like silk. She was tiny, not much more than five feet tall. She was the first person in seven years that had turned his head.

  “She’s stunning, isn’t she?” Layla’s voice broke into his thoughts.

  “She is.” Steve gulped his water.

  “I’ve never seen that look on your face before. I wish you could see it.”

  “Lay, I’m engaged. Stop pushing.” Steve pleaded with his eyes. “Amber has been good to me.”

  “No she hasn’t. I just don’t understand why you’re the only one that can’t see it.” Layla groaned. “There’s so much you don’t know about her. I just wish you could believe one of us.”

  “If that’s true, Lay, I will learn my lesson the hard way. I just don’t want to believe that about the woman I love.”

  Several weeks later, Steve stood outside the home he shared with Amber. The bomb that she had slept with Mark his first night back in Los Angeles hit him with such force that he couldn’t breathe. Steve’s hands shook. Amber had been gone for three nights with no contact. He was convinced her absence was due, in part, to his game of twenty questions the other night. Same ole Amber. Run when things got hard. Lie when things got serious. Not anymore. He had dedicated years of his life to her. He had sailed through their relationship with blinders on, blissfully happy with the success of both his personal and professional life. Stupid and Naïve.

  She admitted to bedding Mark his first night back in LA with a smirk on her face like she was the victor in some evil game. She admitted to a few random kisses at the night clubs. She adamantly denied anything else. She had called Mark her moment of weakness and had fallen to her knees with tear filled eyes begging him to forgive her. His heart and mind had gone to war that night. He loved her and wanted more than anything to believe that she was being truthful. He had no proof to the contrary and talk was cheap.

  Thank God for Andrea Allen. During their trip to Hawaii for Mark and Sophie’s wedding, Andi had kept him company during all the required couple activities. He had known Andi her whole life but she had just been Caleb’s little sister. The Hawaii trip changed things. She was just like her brother, honest to a fault and generous beyond reason. He had been drawn to that right away. It didn’t hurt that her Puerto Rican roots made her one of the most beautiful women on earth. She had listened to him when he confessed the rumors he had heard about his own fiancé. She had been there when he made his sixth attempt to call her with no answer. She had also been the voice of reason when he spent any time with the amazingly beautiful Lily and felt like his whole body had been hit by lightening.

  Lily Ann Lee. She was a goddess with golden hair and a southern accent. If it hadn’t been for Andi’s reality check, he was sure he would have been tempted to commit the very thing he was convicting Amber of. He had been a gentleman. He would continue to be one. It had been simple when he knew Lily was going back to Georgia. Now that asshole, Kevin Merck, had gotten her a job in the city and she was staying. The guilt wrapped around him and he pushed Lily from his thoughts. Regardless of what was happening with Amber, she was still his fiancé and his heart was still tangled in her web.

  Lost in thought, he hadn’t heard Andi approach. “Hey Stevie. What’s up?” She hugged him and smiled.

  “A site for sore eyes.” Steve laughed when she smacked him.

  “You ready for this?” Andi took his hand and squeezed. The simple act gave him courage. “It’s like a band aide. Just rip it off. If she’s here, you get some stuff and go. If she isn’t, then you don’t have to worry about what to say.”

  Steve looked at the two story house he had purchased for them a year ago. He had been promoted to the morning show on one of the most popular radio stations in LA. The promotion came with a fat pay i
ncrease and Steve had invested wisely. His one potential error? The house in Malibu that he bought so they could get married and start a family. It had been a hard decision, but he was going to stay in Caleb’s guestroom for the week. He wasn’t sure what he was trying to accomplish. Part of him hoped Amber would miss him so much that she would come running back.

  The house was dark when they entered. Dread immediately filled Steve’s body. Muffled voices sounded from upstairs and he took the steps two at a time. He eased the door open. His bed. His fiancé. His radio co-host. His heart shattered. He swore he could hear it break and the agony he felt brought him to his knees. Caught up in the heat of the moment, they didn’t realize he was even there.

  “Get out.” He didn’t even recognize his own voice.

  Amber jumped off of Justin and covered herself with the sheet. Her face paled and tears filled her eyes. “Steve.”

  Andi stared at the bed. She had no idea what to do and for the first time in her life, she felt completely helpless. Rage coursed through her veins. Her first instinct was to attack Amber for hurting someone she cared for but the look of dread on Steve’s face stopped her in her tracks. She was frozen.

  Amber scrambled from the bed. She yelled at Andi for being in the bedroom and at Justin for still being in the house. She was frantic as she grabbed at Steve, who knelt nearly lifeless on the ground. He didn’t try to push her off. There was no fight left in him. Reality crashed down on him and it was a truth he was not ready to face. Tears flooded his face as he stared wordlessly at his now empty bed. In one second, his life had been changed forever.

  “Get out.” His voice was stronger now. “Get out of my fucking house. You have ten minutes to pack a bag.”

  “Baby. Please don’t do this. I’m so sorry.” Amber’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. Please.”

  “You’re down to eight minutes. Get your shit.” Steve stood and walked out of the room.

  Amber glared at Andi. She didn’t even try to hide her hatred. “If you think it’s over and you can have him, think again. I’ve been here for seven years and I’m not going anywhere. Keep your trashy hands off him.” She shoved her finger in Andi’s chest.

  Andi laughed and it only made her angrier. “I am going to warn you once. Get your hands off me.”

  Amber didn’t move. Her jaw tensed and she pushed a little harder. “Don’t threaten me.”

  “Do you even realize what you threw away? What an amazing person you had? For what? A cheap night and a quickie orgasm? I should thank you. Now he’s free to be with a real woman.” Andi swatted her hand away.

  Amber grabbed for her. “This is my house. That is my bed. Don’t forget that when you’re getting my sloppy seconds.”

  Andi looked her right in the eyes and smiled. “There’s not enough time left in my life to get all your seconds.”

  She lunged but Andi was quicker. Grabbing Amber’s hair, Andi pushed her to the ground. “I warned you not to touch me. I mean it. Don’t be stupid. I will not hesitate to kick your ass for the fun of it.”

  Amber kicked her leg out and Andi stumbled backwards. Taking advantage of the misstep, Amber landed a punch. That was all it took. Andi punched back, landing the blow right under the jaw. Amber dropped to the floor.

  “I told you not to touch me. When you wake up, you can thank your precious Mark Moretti for teaching me that move when he came home from the marines. Sleep tight you crazy bitch.” Andi closed the bedroom door behind her and set out to find Steve.

  He was sitting on the bottom step, his breathing shallow. He didn’t even look at Andi, just took her hand and followed her from the house. Tonight was a night he would never forget and it was an image that was burned into his brain forever.

  “Never again, Andi. Never again.” Steve’s voice broke. “No one can hurt me if I don’t let them in.”

  Chapter 1

  “Your obsession with zombies is getting seriously out of hand.” Steve read the return label on Lily’s most recent envelope and threw the mail down on the counter.

  “You’ll be thanking me when the apocalypse starts.” Lily’s voice was breathless as she responded from the living room. “My skills will keep you alive.”

  His heart picked up speed hearing her voice. They had only been living together a few months and he fought every day not to lose himself in her. She was his first true female friend and things were incredibly easy with her. There was no drama. There was no competition. There was nothing but easy conversation and mutual respect. Becoming roommates at the darkest time in both of their lives had just made sense. Lily had almost lost Kevin and he had lost Amber. That common bond had made them instant friends and sealed their fate.

  Things had been disastrous with Amber. And that was putting it lightly. She had ripped his heart out and stomped on it before throwing it to the wolves. Her engagement ring still sat on his dresser, a constant reminder to himself to not fall completely for anyone else. Ever. The house he had purchased for them had been on the market for three weeks before he had gotten the offer he had been waiting for. Cutting all ties with her was the only way to survive catching her in bed with his traitorous ex friend and ex morning radio co host. He had put in for a transfer after not being able to stomach seeing his face every day. Jennifer, the last member of the morning trio, had threatened to leave the radio show with him and the station had promptly fired the traitor. But even that hadn’t helped. He was haunted by the memory of tangled bodies lost in each other in the very place he slept. The memory of losing all the dreams he had for the future. The loss of the possibility of ever losing himself in another woman again. He had known it was over before finding them together. The admission from Mark Moretti had told him everything he needed to know. But somehow, in the quite depths of his soul, the place that had loved her completely, he had hoped for a miracle.

  He rounded the corner to the living room and his breath hitched. She was covered in sweat, her tiny black shorts revealing her toned legs. Her long hair was piled loosely on the top of her head and her makeup free face confirmed she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever met.

  “What’s up, Wain?” Kevin’s voice pulled him out of his daydream.

  “What a surprise to see you here. Again.” He nodded and turned his attention back to Lily. “Another private session in the apartment, I see.”

  “Don’t be a pansy. Put some shorts on and join us. We’re practicing our zombie killing skills.” Lily stretched her arms above her head, revealing a few inches of flat stomach. “Kevin calls it kick boxing. I call it kicking serious undead ass.”

  “Pass. Threesomes are Merck’s thing, not mine.” Steve laughed and turned to leave the living room but stopped in the doorway. “I’ve got an interview tonight with a new rock group so I need to head back into the station in a few. Don’t wait up for me dear.”

  Lily stood motionless, staring at him wide eyed. Their eyes locked. “You pierced your ears.”

  He smiled as she approached him. “Too much?”

  She nodded her head and bit her lip. “No way. Totally hot.” Clearing her throat, she looked back at Kevin. “You should pierce something.”

  “Not a chance in hell, doll.” Kevin picked up his sweatshirt and his keys. “I’m out. I have a date with an extremely sexy woman that I plan to make scream a few times tonight.”

  “Tell Andi hi.” Lily laughed as Kevin winked.

  Steve couldn’t help but laugh. “You can talk a big game, sir, but you are one whipped son of a bitch.”

  Kevin threw his hands above his head. “Guilty. See ya tomorrow, doll.”

  After the front door shut, she looked back at Steve. She took an awkward step forward before deciding to wrap her arms around his waist. “They look great. Very hot.”

  He wanted to kiss her. His heart raced. Her eyes met his and he was lost. The buzzing of his phone made him jump. “Shit. I really don’t want to head back in but his new group, Liquid Regret, just go
t signed and we have an exclusive with them tonight.”

  “I love them. I heard them live once. They opened for a group that Andi and I went to see. They’re really good. Not bad on the eyes either. The lead singer bought me a drink after. He’s dreamy. D Rey or something like that.” She hummed the chorus of one of their songs.

  “Dreamy? Get dressed. You can go with me. We’ll grab a late dinner.” Steve watched as she walked down the hall, stripping her t-shirt off as she went. “Rules, Lil. Rules.”

  She laughed as she shut the bathroom door.

  Steve shuffled his papers, memorizing every question the station had scripted for him. He had listened to the Liquid Regret single that would be dropping the following morning. It was a tortured song, filled with angst and heartbreak. It had hit close to home and he was excited to interview the band on the night before their debut.

  Lily paced the studio and bit her lip. She may have been nervous to meet the band, but there was nowhere Steve felt more at home. The feel of the headphones as they cradled his ears, the echo of the music that cut deep into his soul, the connection to the lyrics that could change lives, the smooth sound of the voices as they hit the airwaves every morning during the agonizing Los Angeles commute. He made a great living but if he was being honest, the perks that came along with the job weren’t half bad either. He loved meeting the musicians and having front row seats at concerts and award shows. He loved the crazy hours and sleepless nights.

  Steve had loved music his entire life. His mother had listened to classical music when she was depressed. Therefore, his knowledge of all things Beethoven or Bach was vast. His dad had preferred jazz, further deepening Steve’s passion. Then there was Damien, the long, lost cousin that was more like a brother. He had loved all things hip hop and reggae. At sixteen, when he had turned to drugs and fell into the wrong crowd, his whole life had become dark. Dark music, dark clothing, dark moods. And then he was gone. Without a word, in the middle of the night, vanished like a ghost. Steve had lost his brother so young and then the only other person he loved that much had disappeared. He had mourned him for months and as time went on, his mourning turned to despair as Steve faced the stark reality that Damien was probably gone for good.