Wet : A Westbrook Elite Standalone, page 1
WET Copyright © 2022 CAMBRIA HEBERT
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All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Published by Cambria Hebert
http://www.cambriahebert.com
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Interior design and typesetting by Classic Interior Design
Cover design by Cover Me Darling
Cover Photo by CJC Photography
Cover Model: Taylor Davis
Edited by Cassie McCown
Copyright 2022 by Cambria Hebert
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Welcome to Westbrook University…
Wet
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
Epilogue
WESTBROOK ELITE
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ABOUT CAMBRIA HEBERT
Welcome to Westbrook University…
Where the only thing more elite than the Ivy League academics and exclusive enrollment for the monied is the swimmers.
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Some colleges might revere football, baseball, or even hockey, but not Westbrook.
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At Westbrook, it’s all about the water.
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Or rather, who’s in it.
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More than one Elite swimmer has gone on to become a decorated Olympian and nationwide sensation, so it’s all eyes on the hot men who spend more time in Speedos than jeans.
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Eventually, though, these guys have to get out of the pool.
And when they do…
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Love, drama, and jealousy await.
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Westbrook Elite is a college sports romance series of stand-alone novels with sexy swimmers, suspense, and page-turning plots.
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The only promise the author makes is that each book will have a happy ending…
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But who knows what it will take to get there?
Wet
a Westbrook Elite novel
Making decisions I regret is basically a hobby.
So I guess it really wasn’t that surprising when I went out on a date with an Elite.
And then he tried to assault me.
I might be small, but I’m strong. I fought him off… then went straight to the dean.
He didn’t believe me. No one does.
And now my date from hell is in revenge mode, and I somehow end up in the campus pool.
Did I mention I can’t swim?
Lucky for me, a knight in shining armor saves me from drowning.
Except he’s not wearing shining armor. He’s naked.
And he’s also Elite.
Seriously, what is up with these Elite swimmers?
Of course, I have no intention of ever seeing his very good-looking, naked highness again.
Elite obviously can’t be trusted.
Until he wraps me in his hoodie and promises to believe me.
Now I’m drowning again—but this time in his enigmatic cobalt eyes and addictive touch.
My only oxygen is him. I think I maybe could fall in love.
But will he keep his promise when I tell him the truth about his teammate?
Or will trusting Ryan with my heart and my life be just another decision to regret?
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*Please note this book contains assault, mentions of rape, and themes that may be triggering for some readers.
1
Rory
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Sometimes I make dumb decisions. Like the time I texted my ex on his birthday.
Happy Birthday!
You just cringed, didn’t you? Don’t worry. I’ll feel that shame for the rest of my entire existence.
You’d think a girl would learn from the error of her ways, right? Well, apparently, I’m the type of girl who has to make horrible mistakes multiple times before I learn any type of lesson, something that was being sorely hammered home by the fact I was currently hiding in a bush.
A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, and this was one mistake I refused to regret for the rest of my life. Even if that meant having a branch poke me in places it really should not.
Wrinkling my nose, I started to shift, but the sound of a muffled, familiar voice made me freeze. Forgetting the branch, I tipped my head to the side, peering between the green leaves offering concealment.
His laughter rumbled quietly, a charming sound that set my teeth on edge. I’d been fooled by that husky chuckle, big brown eyes, and athletic body attached to it all.
“I’m serious,” the voice said, not quite as husky as his laugh but still not an unpleasant sound. How entirely deceiving. “You really are more beautiful than any star we saw tonight.”
I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from groaning as my stomach twisted with disgust. What a freaking jerk! He used the exact same line on me!
A giggle. “You’re so sweet.”
The couple came into view, Jonas looking as he always did, teetering the line between preppy and casual wearing a pair of dark jeans and a white polo left unbuttoned at his throat. His light-brown hair was brushed back off his face as if he’d just run his hand through it, and all his attention was focused on the dark-haired girl walking alongside him. She was wearing a flirty skirt that floated out around her hips and a crop top that showed just a hint of her midsection. Her long, thick locks floated out around her as they strolled, fluttering like velvet ribbons in the night.
“You think so?” he cajoled, leaning in to bump his shoulder lightly against hers.
She giggled. “Yes. This is the first time anyone has taken me stargazing on a date.”
I rolled my eyes. Still, I had to hand it to Jonas. Taking his conquests on a date to the campus planetarium was pretty genius. Hell, I’d been excited too.
Until afterward.
I lifted the Canon EOS camera, pointing it right at the couple, then glanced down to make sure they were in frame. I wasn’t sure if the mic would pick up their voices from inside a bush, but if things went the way I was almost positive they would, the video wouldn’t need sound.
“Well, you gazed at the stars, but all I could stare at was you,” Jonas said smoothly, sliding in front of his date and stopping her on the sidewalk.
Even though it was night, the campus had many well-placed streetlamps to keep it from being too dark, which was also helpful in collecting evidence.
“You really are so beautiful,” he murmured, brushing her hair back from her shoulder, letting his knuckles graze over her exposed collarbone.
A knot formed in my stomach as he leaned in and sealed their lips together. It was a gentle kiss at first, but then he deepened it, reaching around to cup the back of her head.
She made a soft sound, and he shifted closer. She pulled away first, ducking her head. “I have to get back now, but this was fun.”
“Already?” He pouted.
I fell for that too.
“Curfew at the dorms is soon,” his date explained.
“Just a few more minutes,” he cajoled, curling his hand around her waist. She had a nice curvy frame, her side dipping in perfectly for his palm.
She smiled, and he kissed her again. The knot in my stomach coiled tighter, the fingers holding on to the camera turning white with the force of my hold. I knew what was coming, and my eyes automatically averted, but I forced them back up.
I had to see. I had to make sure I captured it all on camera. Jonas Hughes wouldn’t get away with this.
A surprised sound zeroed in my focus. Jonas’s hand disappeared beneath her skirt, totally feeling her up. His wandering touch jolted their lips apart, but Jonas just smiled. “Come back here.”
“I have to go.” The girl tried to wiggle away.
He pulled her more firmly against him. And though it was her he was holding, it sparked a memory for me.
How his possessive palm gripped my ass. The biting and clear warning delivered by the tips of his fingers digging into my crack.
Jonas’s free hand went up to drag along the little strip of exposed skin at her waist. “You are so sexy.”
“Let
“Oh, I’m not done with you yet,” he said, swiping at her skin again.
“Well, I am!” she insisted, putting both palms on his shoulders and shoving.
He stumbled back, and she spun, her skirt floating out around her. Jonas caught her around the waist from behind, dragging her body into his. My hands started to tremble when he thrust his crotch into her ass.
“Jonas!” The alarm in her voice was something I knew well.
He grunted, putting one hand on the back of her head, forcing her to bend at the waist. “Yeah, that’s it.” He grunted, rutting against her. “Let’s go back to my room.”
“No.”
“No?” He pulled her around so they were facing each other. “Here’s good, then.”
He tried to kiss her again, and she bit him.
He howled, jerking back. Anger bloomed around him, polluting the air. I wanted to jump out of the bush and yell, but I held back, wanting to get more on camera.
The sound of skin hitting skin when he slapped her across the face reverberated over the sidewalk. She cried out, putting a hand to her cheek to stare at him incredulously.
“Listen here,” he intoned, taking an arrogant step toward her. “I took you out and showed you a good time, and now it’s your turn to show me a good time,” he insisted, reaching under her skirt with both hands.
“No!” she shrieked, and he lifted her off her feet.
“Please. You were giving me signals all night. I know you’re into me.”
“Stop!” she said, slapping him on the shoulder as he hauled her closer to where I hid in the bush.
Sick inside, I decided I’d had enough and pushed out of the branches and leaves. A few snapped and cracked as I practically fell out of the shrub, stumbling a bit as I went.
His footsteps stuttered, and the girl he was carrying gaped at me.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he snarled the second I straightened and he saw my face.
I smirked. “Did you really think I’d let it go that easily?”
“You really should have.” The dark declaration made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Lifting the camera, I hit a little button and snapped a photo. The flash was like a burst of lightning in a storm.
“You stupid bitch,” he muttered darkly, practically dumping his date onto the pavement.
She scrambled up, staring at me with wide eyes.
“Go,” I told her.
She hesitated, and I snapped, “Run!”
She took off, and Jonas didn’t even watch her go. Instead, all his attention was focused on me. On the camera I was gripping.
“I’d like to see the dean ignore my allegations now that I have proof,” I said with much more bravado than I felt. In truth, suddenly, I felt like I was back there in that moment with him when he made me feel so weak.
His face darkened, and he took a menacing step forward. My knees actually started to shake, matching the trembling in my hands. I hadn’t really thought this through, had I?
I mean, sure, the plan was to get concrete evidence that Jonas was a rape-y bastard—which I did. But I never really thought about after. I should have stayed hidden. But how could I? That girl might not have been lucky like me and able to get away. There was no way I would hide in a bush while this douche raped her.
He took another step forward, eyes glittering and jaw locked. “Your proof is only as good as that camera.”
He lunged, and I screamed. I threw myself back at the bush, cutting through it and coming out the other side. I didn’t stop running even as I felt a stinging, burning pain in my cheek. Jonas gave a hoarse shout, and footsteps pounded the pavement behind me.
He can’t catch me! If he got ahold of this camera, all of this would be for nothing, and God only knew what he would do to me.
Adrenaline surged through my limbs, jumbling my thoughts, making it hard to rationalize. All I could think was, Get away! A hard hand slapped down on my shoulder, and I gave a strangled yell. His fingertips dug into my bone as he spun me. I stumbled and fell onto my hip, crying out in pain.
He dove to tackle me into the dirt, but I rolled and lurched up. He caught my ankle with a grunt, and I shook my leg like it was on fire. He yanked, but instead of falling back, I went forward.
Glancing back, I noted his dumbfounded look as he sat there with my shoe in his hand.
Run!
I tore off again, running crooked and out of balance now that I only had one shoe. My lungs burned and my eyes watered in the night air, but I kept running, hyperconscious of his pounding behind me.
Up ahead, a light glowed, and I let out a strangled plea. Please let someone be there. Please let the building be open.
He lunged, catching the back of my shirt, and I screamed. The fabric ripped, and we both fell in a tangle of limbs. He rolled, pinning me to the pavement. A sick, triumphant look darkened the eyes I once thought looked puppyish. I don’t know how I ever thought that because now he just appeared rabid with flared nostrils and wild hair.
He grinned maniacally and rolled his hips into mine with a grunt. “You really should have left well enough alone.”
The camera was still clutched in my hand, and I swung wide, slamming it into the side of his head. He groaned, falling off me, and I was up and running again, tears streaming down my face.
The panic was so overwhelming I couldn’t think. I just ran on wobbly legs, eyes latched on the well-lit building. Please just let me get there.
2
Ryan
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Late-night swims were the best kind of swims. No one else was around, hogging up the water, no one there to scrutinize your every stroke. It was just me and the silky waves caressing my skin as I cut through the water with precision.
My limbs were quivering when I finally hoisted myself out of the pool with a heavy sigh. I was probably going to feel that in the morning, but it would be worth it. Pulling off the goggles and swim cap, I grabbed my towel but didn’t bother drying off.
In the locker room, I dumped everything on the bench and left it there to go toward the back where the walk-in showers were located. It was basically a giant communal shower, a huge square with many showerheads and ledges for soap and shampoo bottles. All the water ran into the center of the space where it was carried away by several drains. The walls leading inside were glass, and they separated the open shower from the rest of the locker room.
No one cared there was no privacy. Hell, we all walked around in tiny Speedos anyway, and it wasn’t like we all lingered in here. It was get in, get out, and move on. Besides, why did I need to scope out another dude’s junk? Mine was far superior.
I turned on the spray, then stepped back as it heated to peel off my Speedo. It was basically a glorified black banana hammock, and I hated wearing it, but it came with the job. It slapped against the tiles when I dropped it and then stepped under the warm spray.
An involuntary groan slipped between my lips as the heated water hit my shoulder muscles. I stood there, head bowed for long minutes, just letting the spray work some of the soreness out of my body. Just as I reached for the shampoo, a noise made me pause.
