River of Love

by Melissa Foster

  The masked man turned, giving Amanda a better view of his wide chest and shoulders, draped in black leather. I’d like to be draped in you. A shiver chased the thought. Was she really doing this? She inhaled a shaky breath and took in the silver mask dipping low on his cheeks, hiding some of his thick, sexy dark scruff, and riding up over his nose to his hairline. His gaze shifted, catching her staring. Her nipples tightened with awareness. The unfamiliar sensation startled her, momentarily shaking her confidence again. She averted her eyes to catch her breath, reminding herself this was what she was here for—a flash of fire, a forbidden fuck.

  Pushing past the frightening thunder inside her chest, she curled her fingers around the hem of her treacherously short skirt. She couldn’t chicken out. Not after weeks of research and pep talks. Especially not after finally finding the courage to get waxed from head to toe, including all the painful parts in between, which was easily as scary as standing in a crowd of strangers searching for someone to have meaningless sex with.

  Oh God, am I really going to do this?

  She chanced another look at Leatherman, now casually leaning against a pillar and brazenly watching her. A dizzying mix of thrill and fear soared through her. She wasn’t a quitter. Careful Amanda fought hard, but vixen Amanda thrust her aside. She was doing this. She was doing him.

  If she could stop shaking like a frigging leaf. She lowered her chin, holding Leatherman’s steady gaze. One, two…I can’t breathe…Three, four…She tore her eyes away. Damn it. The book said to count to seven.

  She’d build up. Practice on a few unsuspecting men before going in for the kill.

  Kill? Really? That’s awful.

  Stop overthinking!

  Inhaling a calming breath, she drew upon what she’d read. Chapter Fourteen, Conquering the Man of Your Dreams, and knew what she had to do. Staring out at the sea of masked and painted faces, she conjured up her boss’s handsome face and envisioned her tall, dark fantasy man moving across the dance floor, his attention trained on her.

  He would never go to a bar crawl.

  She sighed. Not helpful.

  Her boss represented some of the wealthiest and most beautiful entertainers in the world. His female clients were always hitting on him or trying to set him up with their friends and sisters. That thought made her knees wobble even though it was known around the office that he never mixed business with pleasure, and she stumbled in her sky-high boots. She probably shouldn’t have had two drinks at the last bar, but the liquid courage was necessary. Another masked man turned a predatory stare on her, his arm swooping around her waist as she tried to regain her footing.

  His eyes slid over her face with little interest and dropped to the ample cleavage spilling out the top of her rib-crushing costume. Perfect. She swallowed hard to steady her mounting panic. I can do this. The Handbook claimed once the first seduction was under her belt, the rest would be easy. She wished she could skip the seduction part and go straight to the easy stage. Her brain told her to walk away. She didn’t know this guy, or who he’d been with, or anything. But wasn’t that exactly what tonight was about? Finding her sexual freedom? Owning it? She’d chosen the sexy black velvet dress with the tight bodice she could hardly breathe in and satin and lace trim that barely covered her ass specifically to throw off I’m-all-in vibes. And just in case that didn’t say it all, she’d bought the lace-up fuck-me boots Cosmo suggested and the blond wig Bagyourman.com raved about—because everyone knew blondes had more fun.

  Drawing from the flirtation tips she’d studied, she fingered the blond wig and drew in a deep breath, arched her back, and thrust her breasts forward.

  The stranger licked his lips, and his eyes flicked up to hers long enough for him to say, “’Sup?” then slid south again.

  Really? ’Sup? ’Sup wasn’t a word. It wasn’t even a greeting. It was a noise some lazy, uneducated person came up with because they couldn’t put enough real words together to form a sentence. I wore the outfit. I’m owning my sexuality. And this is who’s attracted to me? She could get this type of guy with hairy legs, flip-flops, and no makeup.

  Ally’s voice whispered through her mind. You’re doing it again. Her sister claimed she limited her dating options by being overly judgmental. But Amanda didn’t believe she was overly judgmental. She was smart. Period. Was it too much to expect intelligent conversation?

  Her answer came in a recollection from The Handbook.

  Chapter Three: Don’t talk. Touch.

  Right.

  I can do without intelligent conversation for one night. Tonight she was uncorking her body and releasing her inner temptress. Acutely aware of the blazing bead Leatherman had on her from across the room, she flashed him her most seductive smile and turned the inferno he stoked on the numskull beside her.

  “Hey.” The word lingered on her tongue for a few extra beats.

  Genius took a swig of his beer, arm still fastened around her waist. “You’re hot. What’s your name?”

  She wanted primal, and the only thing primal about this guy was his stench. Forcing herself to see him as foreplay for the main event, she said, “Lola,” with practiced casualness. “You?”

  “Rick.” He nodded a few times, laughing under his breath.

  She needed more alcohol for this. A lot more. “Buy me a drink?”

  He looked over his shoulder at the crowded bar, giving Amanda an opportunity to scan the crowd for a different man to practice on, but Leatherman’s gaze was too powerful to ignore, and it reeled her back in.

  “Too long of a line,” the man beside her said, and handed her his beer.

  “Thanks, I’m good.” She shook her head to tear her attention from the man she wanted and tried to slip back into character.

  He tugged her closer with a lecherous grin. “I’m counting on you being better than good.”

  She closed her eyes briefly, trying like hell to bring on the fantasy so she could forget this guy was a stinky loser, but no matter how hard she tried to conjure up her boss’s handsome face he refused to appear. Leatherman’s stare drew her in like a slave. Adrenaline surged through her veins, a carnal ache growing low in her belly, filling her with pulsing heat.

  This is primal. Her senses careened, and she fought the urge to jump up and down and scream, I feel primal! Frantically searching her mind for an escape from the man who had her in his grasp, she remembered chapter eighteen, Gracefully Bowing Out, and ran her fingers down Rick’s arm, eyes still locked on Mr. You’ll Do Perfectly for Tonight.

  “Oh, I’m better than good,” she promised. “But my friends are getting antsy. I’d better head over.”

  **

  MICK BAD STRODE across the dance floor, sizing up the asshole gripping the blonde’s arm. He’d come to the bar crawl hoping to get lost in a good fuck, and the blonde was sending the same greedy vibes, with an alluring hint of cat and mouse. He wasn’t about to let this twentysomething shadow of a man get in his way. Mick had been that guy once, cocky and stupid, taking what he wanted despite the consequences. He’d carried the anger of losing his younger sister like a calling card for vengeance, but he’d outgrown that reckless troublemaking stage. Whoever said wisdom came with age was right. There were better ways to handle idiots like him. Unfortunately for this asshole, the anniversary of Mick’s sister’s death always brought him closer to the reckless edge, and if the guy pushed, he just might make an exception.

  He stepped between the blonde and the man holding her captive, his six-three frame forcing enough space that the guy had to reach around him to keep hold of her.

  “What the fuck, dude?”

  Ignoring him, Mick put a hand on the blonde’s elbow, and in his best disappointed-husband voice, he said, “Honey, I leave for a few minutes and you pick up another guy?”

  “Wha…?” She looked from him to the jerk, who was spewing bullshit Mick also chose to ignore, and silenced as understanding dawned on her.

  Mick gave her a reassuring nod, then turned to
the guy. “Sorry, man.” He draped an arm around the curvy blonde and strode away. She felt heavenly against him, well worth the moment of irritation.

  “I was handling him,” she said with a slight quiver in her voice.

  “Thought I’d speed up the process. I can think of better ways to expend your energies.”

  ~To continue reading ~

  Buy: BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: MICK

  **

  Love the Bradens?

  The Bradens are just one of six families in the Love in Bloom big family romance collection. Characters from each family series make appearances in future books, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth.

  - Keep track of your favorite characters with the essential

  Love in Bloom Series Guide

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  - Like steamier reads? Try Wild Boys After Dark

  BOOK LIST

  LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order

  Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.

  SNOW SISTERS

  Sisters in Love

  Sisters in Bloom

  Sisters in White

  THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)

  Lovers at Heart

  Destined for Love

  Friendship on Fire

  Sea of Love

  Bursting with Love

  Hearts at Play

  THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO)

  Taken by Love

  Fated for Love

  Romancing My Love

  Flirting with Love

  Dreaming of Love

  Crashing into Love

  THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)

  Healed by Love

  Surrender My Love

  River of Love

  Crushing on Love

  Whisper of Love

  Thrill of Love

  BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS

  Daring Her Love

  Promise My Love

  THE REMINGTONS

  Game of Love

  Stroke of Love

  Flames of Love

  Slope of Love

  Read, Write, Love

  Touched by Love

  SEASIDE SUMMERS

  Seaside Dreams

  Seaside Hearts

  Seaside Sunsets

  Seaside Secrets

  Seaside Nights

  Seaside Embrace

  Seaside Lovers

  Seaside Whispers

  THE RYDERS

  Seized by Love

  Claimed by Love

  Chased by Love

  Swept Into Love

  Rescued by Love

  WILD BOYS AFTER DARK

  Logan

  Heath

  Jackson

  Cooper

  BAD BOYS AFTER DARK

  Mick

  Dylan

  Brett

  Carson

  HARBORSIDE NIGHTS

  Includes characters from Love in Bloom series

  Catching Cassidy

  Discovering Delilah

  (Coming Soon)

  Tempting Tristan

  Chasing Charley

  Breaking Brandon

  Embracing Evan

  Reaching Rusty

  Loving Livi

  More Books by Melissa

  Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)

  Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)

  Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)

  Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)

  Megan’s Way (literary fiction)

  Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)

  Where Petals Fall (suspense)

  Acknowledgments

  Writing a book is not a solo endeavor, and I am indebted to my fans, friends, and family, who inspire and support me on a daily basis. Please continue to keep in touch. You never know when you’ll end up in one of my books, as several members of my Street Team have already discovered.

  If you don’t yet follow me on Facebook, please do! We have such fun chatting about our lovable heroes and sassy heroines, and I always try to keep fans abreast of what’s going on in our fictional boyfriends’ worlds. www.Facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor

  Remember to sign up for my newsletter to keep up to date with new releases and special promotions and events and to receive an exclusive short story featuring Jack Remington and Savannah Braden. www.MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter

  For a family tree, publication schedules, series checklists, and more, please visit the special Reader Goodies page that I’ve set up for you! www.MelissaFoster.com/Reader-Goodies

  As always, heaps of gratitude to my amazing team of editors and proofreaders: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, and Lynn Mullan. And, of course, to my awesome hubby, Les.

  ~Meet Melissa~

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  Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.

  Visit Melissa on her website or chat with her on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event. Melissa’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback and digital formats.