Page 1 of Our Hearts to Break

ChapterOne

RIVER

As we drivethrough Beacon Bay, my heart races faster than a pack of wolves. Nate senses my anxiety, keeping one hand on the steering wheel, the other covering mine. He only moves his hand to shift gears, and when he does, I mourn the loss of his heat.

His touch grounds me.

He makes me feel safe.

I need him to make this disappear, to keep the world from discovering my dark secret. Well, now it’soursecret. But it’s ours to tell, not The Kingston Spy or the author ofDirty Pucking Secrets.

“We need to make a list of all the girls we remember fucking in the past year,” Nate says over the thumping of my heart.

My head snaps to him. “Remember? Yeah, good luck with that. We were high or drunk half the summer.”

“We have the NDAs at the house. I say we go through them and track down the girls.”

“That’s a good start, I guess. But it could backfire on us.”

I pull out my cell phone and reread the article fromThe Beacon Press. The headline readsThe Secret Life of Ryan Rousseau’s Son.

A former girlfriend of River Rousseau, the son of NHL legend Ryan Rousseau, spills the tea in a spicy new book. River is slated to sign with an NHL team and follow in his father’s footsteps, but the salacious biography could derail his plans.

The publisher has yet to release all the details. However, they are teasing that River shares women with his best friend and teammate, Nathaniel Brooks, the son of Texas oil billionaire Spencer Brooks.

In this juicy tell-all hotter than a sexy romance novel, the author, who uses the pen name R. Daly to conceal her identity, pens a graphic love story guaranteed to break the ice and steam up your Kindle. Dirty Pucking Secrets is available for pre-order and will hit shelves in May.

My secret life.

They have no idea.

Thankfully, no one knows about my feelings for Nate.

The article has already had over 200,000 views and five hundred comments. I avoid reading the comments and click out of the web browser.

Nate’s phone rings through the speakers. I glance at the dashboard screen, not surprised to seeDad Calling.

With a sigh, Nate clicks the steering wheel button and answers the call. “Hey, Dad.”

“Don’t hey me,” Spencer snaps. “What the fuck is this shit? My good name is being slandered all over the internet because of you and River.”

“The girls signed NDAs. Call the lawyers. Have them threaten the publisher for the identity of the author… and get the book taken down.”

“As usual, Nathaniel, I’m already ten steps ahead of you,” he says in a cold tone, devoid of emotion.

“Thanks,” Nate bites out. “So, we’re good then?”

Spencer growls into the phone like a wild animal. Even I’m scared for Nate.

“River shares women with his best friend and teammate, Nathaniel Brooks, the son of Texas oil billionaire Spencer Brooks,” Spencer yells, reading directly from the article. “My name is synonymous with wealth and success, and you have shit on it. I have been fielding phone calls all day about this nonsense. If y’all don’t get your acts together, I will come to that campus and whoop your ass, boy.”

Nate snickers, knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel tighter. “Okay, Dad.”

He’s smart enough not to engage.

“I’ve already spoken to Ryan. He’s equally disgusted with River’s behavior. Our lawyers are working together to rid this filth from the world. But you two had better keep your noses clean and stay out of trouble… or so help me, boy, I will end you.”

A shiver rolls down my arms at his threat. Spencer’s nasty tone, combined with his thick Texan drawl, induces fear and anxiety.

---