Mr. Silver: An Enemies to Lovers Fake Dating Standalone (Kings of Cypress Pointe Book 5) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Copyrights

  Written by Rachel Jonas

  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

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45—Epilogue

  Join the Shifter Lounge

  A note from the Authors

  About the Author

  Soundtrack

  COPYRIGHTS

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including, but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Rachel Jonas & Nikki Thorne.

  Copyright © 2021 Nikki Thorne & Rachel Jonas

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Rachel Jonas.

  Cover Design by Rachel Jonas. All Rights Reserved.

  Cover Photo Credit: Daniel Jaems of The Paperback Model

  Interior Design and Formatting by Stephany Wallace at @S.W. Creative Publishing co. All Rights Reserved.

  This e-book is licensed for personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

  If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Published December 26th, 2021

  WRITTEN AS RACHEL JONAS

  THE LOST ROYALS SAGA

  The Genesis of Evangeline

  Dark Side of the Moon

  Heart of the Dragon

  Season of the Wolf

  Fate of the Fallen

  DRAGON FIRE ACADEMY

  First Term

  Second Term

  Third Term

  THE VAMPIRE'S MARK

  Dark Reign

  Hell Storm

  Cold Heir

  Crimson Mist

  WRITTEN AS RACHEL JONAS

  & NIKKI THORNE

  KINGS OF CYPRESS POINTE

  The Golden Boys

  Never his Girl

  Forever Golden

  Pretty Boy D

  Mr. Silver

  Sexy Beast

  DESCRIPTION

  Sterling Golden—Cocky football star. Rich Playboy with a secret. Guy I’d most like to throat-punch. The cherry on top? I’m stuck pretending to be this d-bag’s girl for the next few months.

  When I spotted him sneaking out the Dean’s window—a woman whose reputation precedes her—I could’ve minded my business. But it’s not every day you catch your nemesis in such a compromising position, so I did what any self-respecting person would’ve done.

  I added fuel to the scandal that ignited, then laughed while the cops hauled him off in nothing but handcuffs and his boxers.

  Of course, the arrogant prick found a way to rope me into the lie that got him out of trouble. Which means the only way I come out of this unscathed is to go along with it, pretend we’re a thing.

  Most girls would kill to be on the arm of a Golden triplet, but I’m counting down the days until it’s over. In public, we give the city the show they crave—a chance to witness their local bad boy falling in love. But when we’re alone, the gloves come off and we give each other hell.

  Only, who knew exchanging insults and cruelty could feel a bit like… foreplay?

  There’s an expiration date on this arrangement, but as we turn up the heat to convince our city this “relationship” is the real deal, Sterling and I sometimes forget that it isn’t. He might think his recent fall from grace was a disaster, but if he makes me regret this, I swear I’ll make his life a living hell.

  Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… your belongings might mysteriously catch fire.

  Consider this your final warning, Mr. Silver, because it’s the only one you’ll get.

  Mr. Silver is a full-length standalone novel (roughly 100k words). This book can absolutely be read on its own, but for the sake of flow and clarity, it’s recommended that you start with book one, THE GOLDEN BOYS (a bully romance trilogy within this series).

  Do you love the frustratingly hot push and pull of a good enemies-to-lovers romance? Then you’ll love getting to know Sterling and Lexi. Due to adult themes and sexual situations, this one’s only for the 18+ crowd.

  One-click and get lost in this story today!

  Smooches,

  RJ & NT

  Thank you for your purchase! I would love to get your feedback once you’ve finished the book!

  Please leave a review and let others know what you thought of

  “Mr. Silver”

  You can stay up to date on new releases and sales by joining my newsletter or by joining my Facebook Group.

  For all inquiries, please contact me using my primary email address:

  [email protected]

  4 years ago…

  Lexi

  “You okay?”

  I glanced over at Amelia in the driver’s seat, then turned to stare out the windshield, watching the woods on either side of the road. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re seriously gonna pout the whole way there, Lex? I already told you; if you don’t want to go, I can drop you off at a friend’s instead.”

  She said that like she was doing me a favor, but I only heard selfishness in her offer. And there was one option that hadn’t been placed on the table even once, which was me being allowed to stay home and not be bothered with any of this.

  “I said I’m fine. You wanted to get rid of me, so we’ll just stick with that.”

  She sighed, and I didn’t bother glancing over this time. Odds were, she had on that ‘I feel so guilty’ face that meant nothing. Her plans were set, and what I wanted didn’t matter. Not even a little bit.

  “Come on, Lex. You love Halloween, plus all your friends will be there.”

  “You keep using that word. Friends. I don’t have friends. I hate people because they all suck.”

  That includes you.

  She laughed, and I passed her an angry glare.

  “You don’t hate people. You don’t trust people. There’s a difference,” she ins
isted. But was there really a difference? Either way, I disliked crowds with a passion and preferred to be alone. “The least you could do is pretend you’ll try to have fun.”

  “Why? So you don’t have to acknowledge that you’re forcing me—your only sister—to go to a party where I’m guaranteed to be miserable?”

  Another laugh came from her side of the car and my nerves wore just a little thinner.

  “I mean, you’d think there’d be a little bit more gratitude. After all, I even got you the costume you wanted. Against my better judgment,” she added under her breath.

  At those words, I glanced down at the Phantom of the Opera get-up I insisted she buy me, then shot her another glare.

  “What’s wrong with my costume?”

  She never answered the question. In fact, we didn’t speak at all the entire rest of the time we drove. It was probably for the best since she likely would’ve continued pushing her agenda, trying to convince me this was all for my own good.

  And had nothing to do with her hoping to end the night with a mouthful of whoever this new guy was she was dating.

  Freshman weren’t, technically, welcome at the Monster Bash, but with the mob expected to show up that Halloween, no one would notice me or anyone else planning to sneak in. Most looked forward to crashing but being at the party wasn’t my first choice. Or even my second, for that matter. If I’d had it my way, my dad would’ve called like he promised, and the night would’ve gone a lot differently.

  But he ghosted me.

  Again.

  Like always.

  Somehow, that all seemed to go right over my sister’s head. She still wanted the house to herself while our mom and stepdad were out of town for the weekend, and she could be very persuasive. She knew I responded well to monetary bribes, so she paid me good money to make myself scarce until midnight. All so she and her boyfriend could ‘hang out’.

  So, there I was, dressed for the party-of-the-year, keenly aware of who’d be there, despite having tried not thinking about him. Quite a few made mention of their plans to attend, but I only really cared about one.

  Sterling Golden—one-third of the triplets best known as The Golden Boys.

  They were like royalty in this city, placed on a pedestal, worshiped. It doesn’t hurt that they’re kind of the trifecta of hotness—star athletes, rich beyond anyone’s imagination, easy on the eyes.

  Very easy on the eyes.

  And the summer before high school, all three turned up the heat to a million, packing on muscle and growing a few inches during break. They showed up that first day back, after having gone through one hell of a metamorphosis, and everyone noticed.

  Including me.

  The moment I laid eyes on Sterling during Freshman Orientation, something clicked. All of a sudden, he was in my thoughts more than I wanted to admit. This was also around the time I started getting up a few minutes early, trying to do something with my hair just in case he noticed me. Not that I would’ve owned up to any of this if I’d been called out on my crush, but for a time, what he thought of me mattered.

  The plan was to keep those rogue feelings secret, to suffocate them, with hopes that they’d die off quickly. Only, that plan got blown to hell when we ended up partnered for a project. The feelings I loathed grew stronger. Every time I’d ask him a question and our eyes locked. Or when he’d laugh at my off-beat jokes that went over most people’s heads.

  Our after-school study sessions started to feel more like an excuse to hang out when he was done with football practice. We’d talk about whatever we were into back then—movies, music—but rarely the assigned project. Somewhere around week three, one thing became crystal clear to me—I wasn’t hiding my feelings so well anymore.

  And if I wasn’t completely out of my mind, I was starting to believe… maybe he felt something to.

  Possibly.

  Maybe.

  It’s honestly kind of a blur.

  On paper, we were the same—products of wealthy families respected within the city. Our parents even sprung for the same outrageous tuition payments every semester, but the similarities ended there. There was an in-crowd I was never a part of, and that world, which seemed lightyears away, revolved around the Golden boys.

  There was once a time I loathed being an outsider and wanted nothing more than to fit in, but probably never more than I did as my sister drove along that dark road. I mused about telling Sterling the truth, but didn’t have the guts to own my feelings. One major rejection had been enough, I guess, so I refused to add Sterling to a list that bared a single name.

  Arturo Rodriguez—my father.

  Amelia hung a left, and after thinking of our dad, my gaze lowered to the phone I’d been clutching all this time. My hope was that maybe I missed his call, but no, I hadn’t. My best guess was that he’d found something better to do this Halloween. Or, worst case scenario, he was drunk off his ass and had no recollection of the promise he made when I tracked him down two nights ago.

  The latter felt truer to his character.

  There was a pattern with us, and I fell victim to it every time. He’d make me a promise, I’d get my hopes up, then he’d disappear for weeks, months, or even a year without a trace.

  In other words, being disappointed by another letdown was completely my fault. I should’ve known, shouldn’t have hoped for more.

  At any rate, his indifference toward my sister and me made me less willing to put myself out there with Sterling, but that was probably for the best. Life had already taught me that all men—except my stepdad—break hearts and move on like it never happened.

  Amelia and I pulled up to the address that had gone out a couple hours prior by way of a social media account only known as Pandora. These gatherings were always held at secret locations Pandora revealed just shortly before things kicked off. This time around, the venue of choice was an abandoned barn in a town on the outskirts of the city. Tucked away where no one would hear the music, where no one would call the cops and get us shut down.

  I didn’t immediately jump out of the car and I’m pretty sure my sister noticed. I guessed as much when she waited with me at the end of the long, gravel driveway, being uncharacteristically patient. I felt her staring even before she reached out, attempting to tame my ‘wild-child hair,’ as she called it. I snatched away before she had the chance, though. With a frustrated sigh, she gave up, shoved cash and a condom into my palm, then offered her version of sisterly advice.

  “Don’t leave your drink unattended. Don’t wander off on your own. And… don’t swallow. You’ll get a bad rep.”

  “Gee, thanks.” I glared, then rolled my eyes when I couldn’t fight it anymore.

  Realizing this was really happening, I climbed out of the car, and Amelia was finally rid of me. I was essentially alone in the middle of nowhere, with a condom in one pocket, and enough cash to buy a Happy Meal in the other.

  Oh, yeah. This was going to be way fun.

  2

  Lexi

  Lights flashed and bass thundered in the distance, all of which came from the sinister barn on the other side of an overgrown field. The music was so loud I wondered if the barn’s dry-rotted panels—which had to be at least a century old—would shake apart at any moment. Still, I trudged through the tall grass, through the darkness, all with hopes that tonight wouldn’t suck.

  And… maybe a small part of me hoped I’d see him, too.

  I made it about halfway before regretting my costume choice. It hit me when a group of giggling airheads rushed past, and I took notice of how none wore tuxes, capes, nor white masks that covered half their faces. Apparently, I was the only one who thought those things were a good idea. Instead, they opted for outfits that showed skin.

  Lots and lots of skin, accounting for the train of boys who followed closely behind them.

  I’d never been one of ‘those’ girls—giggly, batting my eyelashes, wearing the shortest, tightest clothing I could squeeze into. Mom always descri
bed me as being a little rough around the edges and I didn’t mind being seen that way. Well, not until I did mind. This was around the same time it began to sting a bit that boys looked through me, instead of at me. This also happened to be the time I became increasingly aware of Sterling.

  Except, I convinced myself he wasn’t like the others because, for a time, I believed he actually saw me.

  I finally made it close to the action and flashed a tight smile. Then, wished I hadn’t when the cute senior who walked past didn’t even notice, delivering yet another blow to my ego. I stepped through the open doors anyway, subscribing to the ‘fake it ‘til I make it’ mantra, hoping some actual confidence would eventually show up on the scene. I’d gotten so good at pretending not to be affected, pretending not to care, but being alone here brought every single one of my insecurities to the surface.

  Tenfold.

  Breathe, Lexi. Just breathe.

  “Watch it!”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled to the tall blonde who ran into me at full speed, not the other way around. She turned to give me the finger, then continued trudging toward a huge keg in the corner with her entourage as they pointed and laughed in my direction.