Five Exotic Fantasies: Love in Reverse, Book 3 (44 page)

He dropped his hand and ferreted around in the pocket of his Levis. And extracted a small navy blue velvet box.

“You get to keep this whatever your decision,” he said huskily. He opened the box to show a huge sparkling diamond solitaire. “I don’t know what your answer’s going to be. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me to fuck off, although after that kiss I’m beginning to think that won’t be your answer. But I’d like more. I’d like to move in with you. I’d like to get a place together so we can share the same bed and wake up every morning together, because I can’t bear to be apart from you again.”

He spoke more quickly now, as if he had to get the words out before he forgot what he was going to say. “I’d like to get somewhere with an annexe, a separate apartment, for your mother, and then we could pay for her to be cared for full time, so you could call in whenever you wanted but also have the freedom to come and go as you pleased because I think she’d like that, but if you’d rather she lived with us, I don’t mind.” He kissed her fingers. “I’d like to marry you, to have children with you, to be with you forever. But I’m afraid to ask in case you say no because I know it’s ridiculous to ask you so early, so all I shall say right now is that I’d like you to wear my ring and be mine, and think about it. Would you do that for me?” He took the ring out of the box and held it out to her.

Coco stared at it. The diamond glittered in the sunlight.

He waited for a moment. Then, slowly, his hand dropped into his lap. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess that was a bit overpowering.”

Her brain, which had ground to a halt, suddenly clicked into gear, and she gasped. “Felix!” She caught his hand and brought it back up in front of her. “Oh my God, you are kidding me?”

His eyes lit up. “You like it?”

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.”

He laughed and slid it onto her finger. “If it’s too big we can get it resized.”

“It’s perfect.” She held it up and watched it sparkle.

“No, no, no.” He pulled her into his arms. “Please don’t cry. This is supposed to be a happy moment.”

“I am happy.” Tears poured down her face. “I know it’s stupid too and that I can’t possibly love you, but I do, I do, and I want to be with you too.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “I want to curl up with you at night and wake up with you. I want to be able to explore our exotic fantasies every day.”

“Every day?”

“Twice a day. Three times a day.” He kissed her again. “I want to stand in the aisle next to you in a whistle and tell everyone—”

“A whistle?”

“And flute. A suit, honey. And tell everyone I love you and that I’m going to look after you for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t,” she sobbed. “I can’t bear it.”

He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her eyelids. “Do you think we can work together? Could you bear to put up with me all day as well as all evening?”

“I could.”

“You’ll be sick of the sight of me within a week.”

“Felix…” She threw her arms around his neck. He was there, he was really there—she wasn’t dreaming—and he wanted her, he loved her. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in the smell that was all him, of manly aftershave, coffee and muffins and warm, hunky man. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” And he held her tightly, while the currant bun beamed down on them until their skin was as warm as their hearts.

About the Author

Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty and sexy romances in a variety of romance sub-genres.

She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. You can check out all her books at
www.serenitywoodsromance.com

Look for these titles by Serenity Woods

Now Available:

Something Blue

White-Hot Christmas

Love in Reverse

Seven Sexy Sins

Six Naughty Nights

Sensual Healing

An Uncommon Sense

Making Sense

Talking Sense

Love—and healing—can come from the most unexpected places…

Talking Sense

© 2013 Serenity Woods

Sensual Healing, Book 3

Still hurting physically and emotionally after a tragic car accident, Mia Nicholls has everything but love on her mind. Until quiet, sexy Colm Molony—a man who barely registered on her romantic radar—gives her a more-than-friends birthday kiss that really rings her bell.

The minute he laid eyes on Mia, Colm knew she was trouble, which is one reason he’s kept his distance. The other is that he’ll be leaving New Zealand to go back to Ireland at summer’s end. Yet when he touches Mia’s watch, his supernatural ability to sense others’ emotions kicks in, and his instinct to soothe her private pain overrides his intention to stay away.
 

While away on a course together, talk leads to massage, then to a game of strip whist, culminating in a physical relationship that turns emotional faster than either expected. But when a shocking event threatens to upset Mia’s tenuous equilibrium, Colm must untangle himself from his own past before he can save her wounded heart from slipping beyond his reach.

Warning: Includes men in rugby shorts, strip whist, an unashamedly romantic hero performing heroic acts, and a touch of the Twilight Zone.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Talking Sense:

By this time they’d made their way through half the box of chocolates he’d been thoughtful enough to buy. He’d slid down the pillows until he was practically lying down, and she’d moved closer so they were only a foot apart.

It was late, they’d drunk a bottle and a half of wine between them, and his eyelids had slid to half-mast. He looked relaxed and content and sexy, and she finally plucked up the courage to make a suggestion.

“Want to play strip whist?”

He stared at her. Gradually, he smiled. “You’re only saying that because you know I’m rubbish at it.”

“Yep.”

He grinned. “Okay.”

Her heart pounded as she dealt out seven cards. Her inhibitions were rapidly fading and naughtiness surged through her. “Right, so every time you win a trick, you can ask a sexy question of the other person, as well as making them remove an item of clothing.”

“Sure.” He fanned out his cards and began to put them in order. “I like the way you got me drunk before you suggested this so I’d be even more useless at it.”

“You’re drunk after three glasses of wine? Jeez. Way to hold your liquor, dude.”

“I’m a cheap date.” He turned over the top card on the pack. “Hearts are trumps.” He played the ace of diamonds and grinned at her.

Cool as a chilled cucumber, she laid down the two of hearts.

He stared at it. “You have to lay a diamond if you have one.”

“I don’t have one.”

He huffed a sigh and plonked his cards face down on the bed. “Shit. Okay. Go on then.”

“Clothing first.”

He took off a sock and threw it on the floor. “Fire away.”

She studied him thoughtfully. “Favourite sexual position.”

“Woman on top.” He picked up his cards, unfazed. “Too easy. Your turn.”

She blinked. “Do you want time to think about it?”

“No need.”

“What do you like about the woman being on top?”

He fanned out his cards again. “I get a good view. Plus she can control things at her own pace.”

His lack of embarrassment and matter-of-factness made her shiver with desire, but she played it down. “It’s a bit passive. Some would say lazy.”

He grinned at that. “You worried I’m not macho enough for you?”

“Are you? I can be quite demanding.”

“We’ll see.” He smirked and indicated her cards. “Your turn.”

Some things never change. Others never stay the same. Thank God.

Status Update

© 2013 Mari Carr

Second Chances, Book 3

Laura Sanders thought post-divorce life would be simple. What a rude awakening to realize that after too many years as a wife and mother, she’s stuck in a rut so deep she’s forgotten how to have fun.
 

Determined that this year will be different, she sets a New Year’s goal to rediscover the woman she used to be—the one who loved to dance, to laugh, to kiss.

When Bryan Sinclair spots his best friend from high school in the Blue Moon bar, he wonders how the hell he failed to notice her beauty and vitality all those years ago. Laura’s confession that she plans to experience lost opportunities tempts him into joining her on the journey.
 

Together they make up for lost time, in and out of the bedroom. But there’s one area in which Laura has no plans to change the status quo—her heart. And Bryan has his work cut out convincing her to take another chance. On him. On forever.

Warning: This story contains sex at Rocky Horror, sex at a Jimmy Buffett concert, sex on the stairs, sex on the dining-room table, sex on the dance floor, and even sex in a bed.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Status Update:

The ride back to her townhouse was made in silence as Laura filled every second with one panic attack after another. She hadn’t anticipated the evening going this way. Sure, Bryan had told her he wanted to fuck the hell out of her, but she’d dismissed those words, decided they were said in the heat of the moment.

Bryan had a wicked sense of humor. Laura had thought perhaps they were just indulging in some innocent flirting and dirty sexual innuendos.

Yeah, right.
Had she honestly thought they’d have a nice dinner, talk, maybe go dancing, and then she’d offer him a bit more of that red-hot kissing he’d introduced her to without sex entering the equation?

Regardless of their unquestionable, off-the-charts attraction, things were moving too fast. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around what was about to happen.

Bryan pulled into the parking lot adjacent to her building and turned off the car. “Laura—” he started. His tone said it all.

She’d given away her nervousness. He was going to back out and let her off the hook.

Was that what she wanted?

She looked at Bryan’s handsome, concerned face.

Fuck that.

She was sick of the wise, old, never-take-a-chance woman she’d become.

New year. New Laura.

She reached across the console, leaning forward, while reaching for his shirt. She grabbed a handful of the cotton and used it to pull him toward her. Bryan met her halfway, their lips connecting in a kiss that triggered an arousal she hadn’t experienced in years. There was something so completely magical about Bryan’s kisses. Over the years, Laura had forgotten the intensity, the excitement that could be wrapped up in that initial touch of lips.

Bryan cupped her face, holding her as if she were not only the most precious woman on earth, but the hottest one as well. His fingers drifted along her cheek before he ran them through her hair. His grip tightened as if he were afraid she would change her mind and escape.

She wasn’t going anywhere without him.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against her lips.

Her hands rested on his shoulders, but she wanted more. Wanted to feel him—skin to skin. She ran her fingers over his jaw, loving the roughness that betrayed he hadn’t shaved since this morning.

Though it was winter outside, the temperature in the car had to be pushing a thousand degrees.

They remained there, locked together, neither willing to be the first to break the connection.

Finally, Laura pulled away, resting her forehead against his. “I haven’t had sex in a really long time,” she admitted.

“Neither have I.”

“I’m counting in years, Bryan.”

He grinned. “Oh. Then I revise my previous statement. I haven’t had sex in a while.”

She laughed, then decided she didn’t want to start something that she potentially couldn’t finish. “Should we also revisit that comment you made in the restaurant?”

He tilted his head, confused. “Care to narrow it down for me?”

“The control thing.”

Bryan leaned closer and placed a quick, hard kiss on her lips. “That’s not going to be a problem for us.”

She studied his face, trying to decide if his answer was enough. Hell, she didn’t have a clue what he meant.

Bryan didn’t give her a chance to ask for clarification. “Trust me, Laura.”