Neutral Grounds Read online

  Table of Contents

  Other Books by Jiffy Kate

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  About The Authors

  Neutral Grounds (French Quarter Novel)

  Copyright © 2019 by Jiffy Kate.

  Jiffy Kate Books, LLC

  www.jiffykate.com

  Editing by Nichole Strauss, Insight Editing

  Cover Design and Formatting by Juliana Cabrera, Jersey Girl Design

  Proofreading by Janice Owen

  Cover Model: Tommy Pearce

  Cover Photo by Michelle Lancaster

  First Printing, October 2019

  Printed in the United States of America

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Books by Jiffy Kate

  Finding Focus Series (Complete)

  Finding Focus

  Chasing Castles

  Fighting Fire

  Taming Trouble

  French Quarter Novels (All Stand-alones)

  Blue Bayou

  Come Again

  Neutral Grounds

  Table 10 (parts 1-3)

  Turn of Fate

  (previously titled The Other One)

  Watch and See

  The Rookie and The Rockstar

  Stud Muffin

  (Donner Bakery #2 for Smartypants Romance)

  Acknowledgments

  And now for the part where we say thank you, which seems entirely insignificant because everyone we mention plays such a big part in this process.

  To the VIPs in our lives—our kiddos, family, friends, and readers. What is life without amazing people to share it with? Every Jiffy Kate book has an element of family, whether it’s the family our characters are born with or the family they create for themselves. Family is important to us, which is why it plays such a big part of our stories. And we wouldn’t be where we are today without ours.

  We’d also like to thank Pamela Stephenson for being our beta reader! She’s always there from the beginning, watching and reading as the story takes shape. Thanks for being you, Pamela!!

  Nichole Strauss, our editor, thank you for always approaching every new story we throw at you with an insightful eye. You’ve taught us better sentence structure and kept us from the pitfalls of repetitive words. Thank you for teaching us to be better writers!

  Our proofreader, Janice Owen, thank you for taking us on at such short notice!

  We’d also like to thank our cover designer and formatter, Julianna. Thank you for the creativity and time you put into every cover.

  Also, a huge shout-out to our pimp team—Pamela, Lynette, Megan, Shannon, Candace, Stefanie, Laura, Kat, Debbie, Polly, Letica. Thank you for always putting your two-cents worth in and giving us a safe place to bounce ideas! We love y’all!

  Thank you to all of our readers and everyone in Jiffy Kate’s Southern Belles. All of you make our days better. We always say it takes a village and we’re so glad all of you are in ours.

  Until next time,

  Jiffy Kate

  Prologue

  Shep

  Two Years Ago

  “Boardwalk for two thousand dollars? Fuck me, I’m out.” Maverick throws his fake money at me then unceremoniously finishes his drink.

  “That just leaves you and me, sweets.” I waggle my eyebrows at my beautiful opponent only to be flipped off in return.

  Rude.

  “Get him, CeCe. Don’t let this prick win!” Carys shouts and I flinch just a bit at her words.

  Again, rude.

  “Sorry, Shep,” Carys says sheepishly. “I just get really competitive when I drink. I don’t actually think you’re a prick, I promise.” She gives me a friendly smile, her head tilting just enough to show how tipsy she is, even though she’s been out of the game for quite a while.

  “It’s fine, Carys,” I assure her. And it is fine because she’s just being nice. I am a prick.

  A prick with a heart, but a prick just the same.

  CeCe, my current adversary—Carys’s best friend whom I only met one day ago when I let Maverick drag my ass to New Orleans so he could get his girl—sips her drink while waiting for my next move. She’s been watching me all night and I fucking love it. She also doesn’t seem to mind my eyes being on her the entire evening either, when they’re not on my growing fake bank account, of course.

  Priorities.

  CeCe and I have an odd relationship. Actually, relationship isn’t the correct word but I can’t think of another way to describe us after the many shots and drinks I’ve consumed while playing this game. Who knew playing Drunk Monopoly could be so much fun?

  I guess acquaintance is how I’d describe us. We only know each other because our best friends are in love. If it weren’t for Maverick and Carys, we’d be complete strangers. I’d still think she’s the hottest woman I’ve ever seen, but that’s beside the point. I’m fairly sure CeCe doesn’t do one-night stands and I’m even more certain I’m not her type.

  What a shame.

  I roll the dice and move the top hat game piece I was assigned, landing on Tennessee Avenue.

  Shit.

  “Pay up, sucker!” CeCe demands, sticking her open palm out to me.

  I hand over nine hundred and fifty dollars, watching as she adds the bills to her huge stack.

  “How do you have so much money?” I ask. “I own the most expensive properties in the game.”

  “Oh, Shep…silly, sexy, Shep,” she sing-songs. “Silly, sexy, smart-yet-stupid, Shep. It’s not about how expensive the property is; it’s about how often someone lands on it. Owning the red and orange properties will almost always give you a win. The dark blues? Well, the odds are against you, my friend.” She snorts and it’s oddly attractive.

  I already had a semi from our witty banter, but after that little explanation, I have a full-on erection. Her beauty is a natural turn-on but knowing she has brains, too, just upped the ante. Big time.

  Wait, did she just say I was sexy?

  “Did you just say I’m sexy?”

  Her eyes flash to mine while her cheeks turn a delicious shade of pink. How far does that blush go? I shamelessly let my eyes wander down to her tits. They’d definitely be a handful, if not more.

  “What?” she asks, feigning ignorance, but we both know CeCe Calhoun is anything but. Clearing her throat, she cocks her head. “I…I think the liquor is getting to me. What I meant to say was silly, stupid, Shep.” Her coy smile is enough to make me hard, but then she bites down on that plump bottom lip and I’m a goner.

  “I have an idea,” I say, deciding to
let her off the hook for her slip-up, for now.

  “What?” CeCe eyes me warily and it makes me want to laugh but I manage to hold it in.

  “Let’s make the game interesting,” I suggest.

  “You mean more interesting than having to take a drink for nearly every step of this game?”

  Oh, yeah, Drunk Monopoly is a beast, and even if you win the game, you’ll more than likely lose to your alcohol of choice. That Jose Cuervo is a sore winner, for sure, trust me.

  “I believe you and I are evenly matched in this game, so it only makes sense that we should make the stakes higher.”

  “We’re not playing with real money, Shep.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” I say, rolling my eyes at her absurd assumption. I have more than enough money. Why would I want hers?

  “Then what do you want?” CeCe sits up straight and looks me dead in the eyes. She’s challenging me and it makes me want to sweep this fucking Monopoly board in the floor and fuck her right here on this table…all night long, not caring if Carys and Maverick are still in the room.

  I return her gaze and hold it, simply wanting to see how long she lasts. Only after I hear Maverick mutter “for fuck’s sake” under his breath do I finally answer.

  “A kiss.”

  The laughter that erupts out of CeCe is surprising, but I don’t let it affect my composure.

  “And, what do I get if I win?” she asks.

  “What do you want?”

  “The empty space next to Neutral Grounds.”

  What the hell? This girl doesn’t pull any punches, she goes right for what she wants. How the hell did she know I own that property?

  I hear a throat clearing, followed by a chair scraping against the floor that brings my attention to Maverick. “Come on, Mess, let’s leave these two to their game.” He grabs Carys’s hand and practically pulls her out of her chair.

  Fucker.

  “But I want to see who wins.” Her voice is whiny and tipsy.

  “I was thinking we’d play our own game,” he mutters. “Strip Monopoly.” That’s all Carys needs to hear as she lets Mav lead her down the hallway to their bedroom.

  “Y’all keep it down. We don’t want to hear any live porn action,” I grumble.

  CeCe laughs, waving as Carys blows a kiss to her friend over her shoulder.

  It was only an hour ago that the four of us left the lobby of the hotel and retired to Carys’s apartment for a nightcap. What was supposed to be a drink between friends escalated to shots over a fucking board game.

  “You looked surprised by my answer,” CeCe says, bringing my attention back to her. “I’ve wanted that space for years, so I make it my business to know everything about it. Imagine my surprise when I was told who the new owner is.”

  “I have plans for that space,” I tell her, thinking back to when I purchased it only a few months ago. Funny thing about that is it was long before I knew Maverick would be coming here to stay. I saw it in a stack of listings, various properties in the French Quarter area for sale, but one of the few that had potential. And quite honestly, I bought it because I knew Spencer Kensington was looking for properties in the same area and I would rather have it and sit on it for years, letting it rot, before I let him get his hands on it. Sure, it sounds juvenile and petty, but I don’t mind stooping to his level to beat him at his own game. “But,” I continue, holding CeCe’s gaze and trying not to get lost in her big brown eyes. It must be the whiskey. “If it’s what you want to win, I guess I could give it up.”

  Lies. There’s no way in hell I’ll let her win, but I can let her think she’s winning so I can get what I want. “Just know, if I win, our kiss has to be fucking spectacular to even come close to being comparable to real estate.”

  “My kisses are always spectacular, don’t worry.”

  Fuck, now my dick feels like a brick. I couldn’t hide this erection if I wanted to, which I don’t. I want CeCe to know what she does to me.

  “How about we end the game right now and count our money,” I suggest, not wanting to prolong this any further. “Biggest bank wins.”

  “You’re on,” she says. Her eyebrow rising in challenge and I fucking love it.

  She starts counting her fake bills, which turns out to be more difficult than you’d think. I get distracted watching her separate them by denomination, the tip of her tongue poking out between her full, pink lips. I want to suck that tongue into my mouth and taste her.

  When she’s done, she looks at me with hazy eyes and a very confident smile. It’s the smile that does things to my insides—weird and new things, but things I must ignore.

  “Two thousand, eight hundred and fifty-two dollars. What’d you end up with?”

  I’ve been keeping a running tally in my brain for the entire game, so I don’t really need to recount my stack to know she has more money than I do. I’m not afraid to lose a silly board game. I’m not even afraid to lose to CeCe Calhoun. It’s not about winning or losing tonight; it’s about getting that kiss I was promised.

  I want it. I want her. But just for tonight.

  So, I do something I’m not very proud of. I slide three five-hundred-dollar Monopoly bills out from under my thigh, the same ones that have been hiding there since the game began, and add them to my stack.

  “Sorry, babe. Looks like I got you by seven hundred dollars. Congrats on a great game, though.”

  Glancing up, I catch sight of those big, brown eyes and the way they go a little wider when they realize I’m serious. Yeah, CeCe, I always collect on my debts, so pay up. When she swallows hard, my dick twitches in my pants and my fingers itch to touch her.

  It’s been a while since I’ve fucked anyone. Relationships aren’t my thing and I’m not interested in making my life messy with females who get attached. Co-workers are off-limits. People who are after my family fortune are way the fuck off-limits. So, my options are limited.

  A woman I met in a hotel lobby in San Francisco.

  The lady who shared an Uber with me in Chicago.

  Hot, red-headed bartender in New York.

  She was the last one, over a month ago, but now I have my sights set on the delicious brown-eyed, brown-haired beauty across from me. I shouldn’t. My best friend is in love with her best friend. She’s too closely connected and if things work out between Maverick and Carys, I’ll be forced to see her again. It’s not my style. She’s not my style, but fuck if I don’t want her more than anything I’ve wanted in a long damn time. Which is all the more reason I need to fuck her. She’ll mess with my head if I don’t. I’ll always wonder.

  What does she taste like?

  What does she sound like when she comes?

  What face does she make when she’s at the peak of ecstasy?

  “You want to kiss me?” she asks, her voice coming out slow and breathy, a hint of disbelief.

  I can’t help being intrigued by her. In one breath, she’s confident and sure of herself. In the next, there’s a bit of self-doubt, just enough to keep her feeling real and honest. She doesn’t come off like a girl who’d be up for a one-night stand, but the way her tongue darts out to wet those fucking lips, I know there’s more to CeCe Calhoun than what you see on the surface.

  Standing from the chair, I let it screech against the floor as I walk around the table and brace my arms on either side of her. “We have a deal.”

  “Yeah,” she agrees, leaning back a little due to my proximity, but her eyes are still drinking me in. Her smidge of self-doubt is mixed with lust and desire.

  “We’re both business people, right?” I ask, letting my voice drop as my mouth lingers near her ear. “I don’t know about you, CeCe, but I never go back on a deal.”

  “N—no…me neither.”

  “Good.”

  The second my lips brush her cheek, I hear the inhale of breath and then her hands come up to grip my shoulders. Oh, yeah, she wants this.

  Chapter 1

  Shep

  2 Years
Later

  “Fucking hell, it’s hot. How did I manage to forget how hot it gets down here? And, who the fuck thought it’d be a good time to move?” I glare at my best friend and business partner—who might be demoted to ex status after today—as I carry another box inside my new townhouse. “Oh, that’s right, you.”

  He smirks. “If you think it’s hot now, just wait until August,” he calls back as he turns to retrieve more of my shit from the moving truck. “Your balls will be melting down your legs!”

  I meet him at the back of the truck and take the box from him. “That’s a lovely visual, Mav, but that won’t be me. I’ll be locked away with my new, high-powered air conditioner until December.”

  “Such a fucking spoiled brat,” he mutters to himself, making me chuckle. We’ve always given each other shit for being rich kids, but we’d never let anyone else talk about the other that way. “No worries. New Orleans will fix you right up.”

  Maverick pulls out a handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes his brow before heading back into the truck to grab more of my belongings.

  “You sound like such a local when you say shit like that.” I say it like it’s a bad thing but, deep down I know it’s not. I also have a feeling he’s right, but I won’t be admitting that any time soon.

  “I know. Ain’t it great?” he counters with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  Smug bastard.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Maverick has settled in here as well as he has. Thrilled, even. He’s living his best life in The Big Easy and it shows. I’ve never seen him happier and more content. Our business is doing very well and the hotel he helps run, the Blue Bayou, has been booming for the last year or so. And, as if that weren’t enough, the poor sap is in love. Like, completely smitten, head over heels in love. I don’t envy him that, though. He can have his real-life fairytale and I’ll gladly stick to the single life, thank you very much.

  That’s another bonus to living in a new city, fresh fish. Particularly, ones who don’t know me from Adam and couldn’t care less my last name is Rhys-Jones.