by Luis, Maria
My bare feet sink into the warm sand as I come to a stop before Savannah. She peers up at me through long, spiky lashes. I hold onto her dark gaze, trying to get a read on her. Has Joe told her a damn thing? Has he relayed the message that I need to tell her myself—that I don’t love her the way she deserves to be loved?
That I can’t propose forever with her, let alone the rest of today?
Her pink glossy lips curl in greeting, offering a shy smile that sucker punches me in the gut.
She doesn’t know. No way in hell would she smile at me like that—or at all—if she knew how I really feel.
Ah, fuck.
I slide a quick glance over to Joe, who keeps his attention locked on the monitor set up before him.
He wants his good TV. It’s his job, and I get that too.
But that doesn’t mean I’ll willingly ruin mine and Savannah Rose’s lives to pacify the public’s demand for cheap shots and trashy entertainment.
“Nick,” Savannah Rose murmurs, her gentle New Orleans accent barely audible over the crashing of the ocean waves behind her, “I just want to say how—”
“Óxi.”
She blinks. Then blinks again. “I’m sorry, what—”
“Do you remember what I taught you when we were in Australia?” If Joe wants to publicly humiliate me, I’ll go along—but only if Savannah catches on since he’s clearly passed along nothing of what I told him. So much for letting her hold the reins. The asshole obviously didn’t plan to tell her anything, preferring to send her into today’s proposal as blind as a damn bat. “The Greek words?” I prompt when she says nothing.
“Well, yeah, I think—” She scrunches her nose, clearly trying to recall our exact conversation from a few weeks back. “Óxi, óxi means . . .”
I refuse to look away until the word registers in her head.
No. It means no.
And I’m banking on her understanding everything that I’m not saying, so she can keep her pride and hold her chin up high when it’s obvious that Joe the Prick wants nothing more than to see her fall—and watch the show’s ratings skyrocket in contrast.
“Oh.”
The word emerges from her mouth, small, hesitant, and then she’s blinking away, running a hand through her dark hair and nodding, nodding, nodding, like she’s trying to get her brain back into the game plan.
Tell me no, I mouth slowly, tell me no.
I drop to one knee, just as she fixes her gaze on my face.
Her eyes are clear, her mouth relaxed and un-pinched. My guilty conscience kicks in, and, dammit, but I’m seriously hoping that she was prepared to accept Dom’s ring today. That’ll make this easier for the both of us when we go our separate ways.
I’m sorry, Savannah Rose.
I never break hearts.
Until today.
* * *
Buy or Read Hold Me Today via Kindle Unlimited now!
Preview of Tempt Me With Forever
Curious to know where it all began? The Put A Ring On It crew first was spotted in Tempt Me With Forever, the fourth book in my NOLA Heart series. All books can be read as a standalone—and a certain twin of one “Owen” from Kiss Me Tonight is the hero of this book! Keep reading for a sneak peek, where Beauty Influencer Lizzie Danvers is determined to prove that bad boys can’t be tamed, and she’s found the perfect man for the job . . .
* * *
“You here for the butterfly?”
At the sound of his gruff question, she turned around, and Gage felt his gut clench with unexpected lust. Owen hadn’t had the right of it; this woman wasn’t cute, she was gorgeous. The sort of breathtaking that had you questioning your sanity. The sort of breathtaking that made you wonder what the hell you could say to get her into your bed, her slim legs wrapped around your waist, and her breath hot and fast against your neck.
Damn.
Blue eyes lit with nervous anticipation as she rubbed her hands together. The motion jostled her bracelets. And, if her shirt weren’t so loose, he’d have had the opportunity to see if all that rubbing and jiggling affected her breasts too.
“I am,” she said with a bright smile—straight white teeth, lips painted the color of a ripe plum. He wanted to see the color mussed, kissed into nonexistence, and discover the true shade of her lips.
Get a grip, man.
Right. Right.
He ran a hand through his dark hair. This is what he got for spending the last few months with only his right hand. Between work with S.O.D., and then spending every free moment helping Owen here at the parlor, Gage hadn’t had a night to himself in what felt like forever.
Or a day, either.
He lived two lives, and neither of them left room for casual sex, which was the only sort of sex he engaged in.
Swallowing his lust, Gage motioned for her to step up to the vintage bar. “Let’s get your paperwork settled.” He pulled one of the already prepared clipboards from the pile, and then slid it over to the woman, a pen on the side. “This your first tattoo?”
She slipped her purse from her shoulder, dropping her head to sift through the contents. “It is,” she said, placing a gold wallet on the bar. “I’m turning over a new leaf. Doing something new with my life, and I figured that a butterfly is—”
“Metaphorical?”
Her stunning blue eyes leapt to his face. “Yes!” she exclaimed, either ignoring his dry tone or oblivious to it. “That’s it exactly. I mean, I know I could have gone with something a little more original, but—” She crooked her finger at him, and he fell for it, leaning in close as she mock-whispered, “I’m deathly afraid of needles. Silly, isn’t it?”
The cop side of his brain wanted to say that her aversion to needles was a good thing. In the fourteen years that he’d been on the force, he’d witnessed way too many drug overdoses to count.
But this woman . . . Gage inched his gaze down to those plum-colored lips of hers. Yeah, women like her weren’t in that world; they didn’t exist in the underbelly of his beloved hometown. And so he only smirked and said, “You’ve still got time to rethink this. Once we start, trust me when I say you’ll only look ridiculous if we stop midway through.”
She cocked her head to the side, surveying him with a single look. “Good thing I’m getting it done on my butt, then, right? No one will know if I cry mercy. No one but me and . . . you.”
Gage laughed, loudly. “Want me to offer you a strip of leather to bite down on?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Does that cost extra?”
“I’ll make it free just for you.” He tapped his hip, drawing her gaze down to his worn Levi’s. “Leather belt meet to your satisfaction, princess?”
Her reaction surprised him.
Instead of blushing like any of the other women who waltzed into Inked, this one planted her hands on the marble, bit her bottom lip, and saucily whispered, “Where do I sign up?”
Heat raced up his spine, and a strangled laugh stuck in his throat.
Damn, but he liked her. Liked her spunk and the teasing glint that appeared in the form of twin dimples in her cheeks. Gorgeous and witty—if Gage had a type, and usually he didn’t, this woman would be it.
He wondered how long she was in town for. She had West Coast written all over her, though her accent didn’t have a hint of California sunshine. “Let me grab your license,” he said, for once thankful that records were a necessity.
Her long lashes fluttered down as she fished around in her wallet, pulling out both her I.D. and a black Amex credit card. Gage checked back a low whistle. Either this woman was a high-roller or she was related to someone with a lot of money.
Subtly he checked out her ring finger. Empty.
Good news.
“Here you go.” She gave him another bright smile and slid the I.D. across the marble with the tip of her manicured finger. “Do you by any chance have a restroom I can use?” She lifted her purse and gave it a little shake. “I brought a pair of shorts to change into, considering
the placement of the tattoo.”
She winked playfully.
Gage’s cock hardened.
Jesus, five minutes in her company and he was panting after her like a teenager.
“Yeah.” He jerked his chin toward the hallway off to the right. “First door on your left. Can’t miss it—there’s a mural of a Roman bath on it.”
“Great!”
Her heels tip-tapped against the floor, and just before she would have left his sight, she twisted around, hand on the wall, one foot rubbing the back of the other enticingly. “You can leave the belt on the bar for me,” she said, a slow smile tugging at her lush lips, and then she disappeared.
Gage squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head.
Either he was that desperate for the touch of a woman or his next client was about to make him come in his pants.
Not once in eight years since Owen had opened Inked on Bourbon had Gage ever wanted to take a patron home. He lived by certain codes of morality, and fucking someone who had just paid him, however indirectly, was on his list of things not to do.
Not today.
Today, he was going to find a way to get that woman’s number and take her out for dinner. After that, he planned to feast on her body. Every single inch of her.
The sound of shouting caught his attention, and he opened his eyes. A second line paraded down the street, plastic go-cups in hand, Mardi Gras beads strung around their necks, and a marching band trailing behind the partiers. A motorcycle cop pulled up the rear, helmet on and leather jacket zipped up to the neck despite the warm September weather.
Gage caught the man’s finger-salute and returned it with a brief wave—most of the NOPD knew he worked at Inked when he wasn’t on a tour of duty, and they often came in to get tatted themselves.
He glanced down, eager to discover the woman’s identity.
Surprise hit him when he saw “Louisiana” stamped across the top. Her photo was demure—no plum lipstick, that’s for sure. He saved her name for last. Height: five-five. Weight: one-thirty-five. Eyes: blue. Hair: brown.
He skimmed up, and stopped dead.
Elizabeth Danvers.
Lizzie Danvers.
Oh, fuck no.
* * *
Buy or read Tempt Me With Forever via Kindle Unlimited now!
Acknowledgments
I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who helped make Kiss Me Tonight what it is today. Of all my books, this one was by far the most fun to write—and it’s safe to say that I don’t think I’ll ever get over Dominic & Aspen!
Najla—you are the queen! Thank you for designing a cover that made not only me scream in excitement but readers too.
Kathy—Dom & Aspen wouldn’t be here without your encouragement and support. Thank you for always pushing me to better my craft, to give more of myself to these characters, and never accepting less than they deserve.
Brenda—I would be so lost without your friendship! Thank you for always keeping me steady, sending me words of encouragement, and reading this book before anyone else.
Viper—you are amazing! Thank you, more than anything, for two years of friendship and two years of you reading my work in its raw (and terrifying) form.
Ratula—girl, I adore you! Dom & Aspen thank you. I thank you. Pretty much, this book would be a shell of itself without your words of wisdom. You are the best.
Dawn and Tandy—you are the reason this book sparkles and shines!
Dani—I’m so glad to call you a partner-in-crime in the book world. Thank you for sticking with me and believing in my work!
To my besties/family/awesome-sauce friends Tina, Sam, Terra, Jami, Amie, Jess, Jen, Joslyn, and to my girls in 30 Days to 60k and Indie AF, this author journey would be so much less exciting without you. Also, I’d probably never get anything done without you pushing me along.
To my VIPers and to all my friends in BBA, just know that every one of you has changed my life for the better. This series is just as much for you as it is for me, and thank you so much for coming along on the ride.
And, lastly, to you Dear Reader, for picking up this book and giving me a chance. Thank you for allowing me the chance to live my dream—my very own permanent longing—as a storyteller.
Much love,
Maria
Also by Maria Luis
Nola Heart
Say You’ll Be Mine
Take A Chance On Me
Dare You To Love Me
Tempt Me With Forever
Blades Hockey
Power Play
Sin Bin
Hat Trick
Body Check
Blood Duet
Sworn
Defied
Put A Ring On It
Hold Me Today
Kiss Me Tonight
Freebies (available at www.marialuis.org)
Breathless (a Love Serial, #1)
Undeniable (a Love Serial, #2)
The First Fix
About the Author
Maria Luis is the author of sexy contemporary romances.
Historian by day and romance novelist by night, Maria lives in New Orleans, and loves bringing the city's cultural flair into her books. When Maria isn't frantically typing with coffee in hand, she can be found binging on reality TV, going on adventures with her other half and two pups, or plotting her next flirty romance.
* * *
Stalk Maria in the Wild at the following!
Join Maria’s Newsletter
Join Maria’s Facebook Reader Group