by Whitley Cox
“I’d like to go out with you tonight,” she said, as she took a sip of her mimosa.
He heaved a sigh of sweet relief. “Dinner and a movie?”
“Sure.”
Holy shit! He was going on a date with Heather Alvarez. This was almost better than her agreeing to marry him. Because now, he got to woo and court and seduce her all over again. He was friends with a couple of high-profile chefs in Seattle; maybe they could go and get dinner with tableside service. The cogs were spinning at warp speed in his head with new ways he could impress and wow her.
Heather started to cut into her breakfast. “You should know, though,” she started. “I don’t put out on the first date. I made my first boyfriend wait nearly six months before we had sex. And I’ve never slept with anyone before the third date.”
Gavin smiled, feeling comfortable enough to dig into his own meal. “Poor bugger, six months, huh? You must have rocked his world, though?”
Her head was down as she ate, but a shoulder lifted and her lips tilted demurely. “He didn’t last long, just a minute or two.”
Gavin nearly choked on his oatmeal. “Shit. I bet it was because you’re just that beautiful, he couldn’t control himself.”
“Perhaps.” She lifted her head just slightly, but her eyes shifted upward and she stared at him, her gaze unwavering. “Two minutes or not, the guy was the love of my life. He hurt me, but I think I can forgive him. I think he’s changed. And last night he proved he’s not Mr. Two Minutes anymore. So, that’s a plus.”
Gavin’s chest tightened. “A huge plus. But more importantly, you think you can forgive him?”
Meeting his gaze dead-on, she lifted her champagne flute. “I think I can. To starting over? I can’t say I’ll fall in love with you quickly, or that this road will be easy, but I’d like to try.”
Love swelled inside of him as he lifted his own mimosa in the air to clink it with hers. “Take as long as you need, Hettie. I’m not going anywhere this time.”
Epilogue
A year or so later …
The door to the private jet opened to reveal a paradise Heather had never seen in her life—lush green hills, crystal blue water, and people standing on the tarmac wearing giant smiles and sunglasses.
They hadn’t even put two feet, let alone four on the tarmac, before Gavin was crushed into a big bear hug by a tall man with green eyes, light brown hair and a sexy smile.
“There he is,” Tate said with a chuckle, releasing his brother but holding on to Gavin’s shoulders. “How do you feel? Nervous?”
Gavin rolled his eyes, but the grin on his face was a mile wide. “Excited for sure. I’m marrying the love of my life and on a tropical island no less. Nothing wrong with that.” Heather snuggled in next to him. She couldn’t agree more. There were no nerves coursing through her today. None. She was marrying the love of her life. Her family was with her. Everything was perfect.
A woman with long red hair, bright blue eyes, a baby on her hip and what appeared to be another one in her belly stepped forward. She immediately embraced Heather. “We’ve Skyped, so I feel like I know you. But it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
Heather hugged her back, avoiding the swinging fists of the baby. “It’s nice to finally meet you, too, Parker. And this must be Ellie. Wow, she looks just like her daddy.”
Parker smiled wistfully and glanced at her husband. “I’m rather okay with that.”
Heather matched Parker’s grin. “I would be, too.”
A man who looked similar to the brothers approached hesitantly. But when Tate caught him hovering in the shadow of the big plane wing, he quickly dashed over, looped his arm around the young guy’s neck and brought him over. Heather didn’t think he could be any more than around twenty-four or so.
Tate was still all smiles. “Guys, this is Warren.”
Warren lifted his head, and the same blue eyes as Gavin’s twinkled back. “Long-lost brother number three,” he chuckled, toeing at a rock on the tarmac.
“Any word about our sister?” Gavin asked.
Tate shook his head. “Not yet. But we’ll find her. I found you two, didn’t I?”
Gavin frowned and nodded. Then he focused his gaze on Warren. “Nice to meet you, bro. Phone, Skype and email are nice, but I’m happy to know you’re not taller than me.”
Warren smiled back shyly. “You, too.”
Gavin draped an arm around Heather’s shoulders and tugged her in. “This here’s my woman, Hettie. Is it too early to ask you and Tate to be my best men?”
Warren’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
Gavin nodded. “Sure. We’re getting married. Growing our family. Might as well start by making you part of the whole damn thing. You are family.”
Warren’s giant Adam’s apple bobbed heavy in his throat. “I’d be honored.”
Gavin grinned as he swung Heather up into his arms. “Perfect. Now that I’ve found myself a family and groomsmen, let’s go get me and this gorgeous woman hitched. I’m tired of not being able to call her wife.”
Heather giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and glanced back at her new family and the guests pouring out of the jet behind them. “Sounds like one hell of a plan!”
If You’ve Enjoyed This Book
If you’ve enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. It really does make a difference.
Thank you again.
Xoxo
Whitley Cox
Other Available Books by Whitley Cox
Love, Passion and Power: Part 1
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Series Book 1
Love, Passion and Power: Part 2
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Series Book 2
Sex, Heat and Hunger: Part 1
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Book 3
Sex, Heat and Hunger: Part 2
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Book 4
Hot and Filthy: The honeymoon
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Book 4.5
True, Deep and Forever: Part 1
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Book 5
True, Deep and Forever: Part 2
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Book 6
Lust Abroad
Quick & Dirty
Book 1, A Quick Billionaires Novel
Upcoming in 2018
Hot Dad
Quick & Reckless
Book 3, A Quick Billionaires Novel
Hard Hart
Book 1 of The Harty Boys
Hard, Fast and Madly: Part 1
The Dark and Damaged Hearts Series Book 7
Acknowledgments
There are so many people to thank who have helped me on this daunting journey to becoming a published writer. First and foremost, my friend and editor Chris Kridler, you lady are a blessing, a gem and an all around amazing human being. Thank you for your honesty and hard work.
Jeanne St. James for doing the first beta-read for me, your notes, insight and ideas were so helpful. Thank you. Justine and Krista for their beta-read as well. I love that I can hand you the rough, unedited stuff and you’ll read it and give me your feedback. Thank you.
Tara at Fantasia Frog Designs, your covers are fantastic, and you are a peach. Keep ‘em coming, lady!
The Naughty Room Readers authors, I love being part of such a tremendous set of inspiring, talented and supportive women. Thank you for letting me learn, lean on and join the team.
My street team, Whitley Cox’s Curiously Kinky Reviewers, you are all awesome and I feel so blessed to have found such wonderful fans.
The ladies in Vancouver Island Romance Authors, your support and insight have been incredibly helpful, and I’m so honored to be apart of a group of such talented writers.
And lastly, of course, the husband. My rock, my travel companion, my partner in crime, my everything. I love you.
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About the Author
A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have a spirited toddler and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn't end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it's not quite wine o'clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.
A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role playing, these books have everything we need to satisfy the curious kink in all of us.
You can also find me here
Website: WhitleyCox.com
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Sneak Peek - Quick & Reckless
Quick & Reckless
Book 3, A Quick Billionaires Novel
Coming July 29, 2018
Quick & Reckless - Chapter 1
Silver
Stupid motherfucker. Selfish jackass. Prickless prick. If she ever saw that son of a bitch again, she’d rip his balls off with her bare hands and shove them down Candy’s throat. Lord knows that home-wrecking slut had other parts of Silver’s fiancé down her throat at some point.
Fuckers. Both of them. And they could rot in hell for all she cared.
Handing the cab driver a hundred dollar bill and not even bothering to get change, Silver stepped out of the taxi, slammed the door and made her way toward the wide double doors of the hotel bar. She’d asked the cabby to take her to a bar, far, far away from the church. To a place where she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew and could just wallow, drink and forget. He’d nodded solemnly, taking in her state of dress and tear-stained face, and then driven roughly forty minutes out of West Vancouver and toward downtown.
The June weather was warm. Perfect wedding weather. Fuck weddings. Fuck grooms. Fuck commitment. Fuck life.
The hinges squealed as she heaved on the brass handle and pulled open the door. The bar was dark, but clean and inviting. There were no weird stains on the carpet, the smell of Lemon Pledge hung gently in the air, and the bartender appeared to have all his teeth and not be a lecherous weirdo. Things were looking up … slightly.
It was a newer hotel, so everything still seemed shiny and fresh. Yet, even then, there was an Old World vibe to the place. A grand piano sat on a stage near the back along with a microphone stand, there were dark booths lining each of the walls, and all the lighting was muted and intimate. The perfect place to get lost in one’s problems and not be noticed by a soul as the alcohol slowly numbed the pain. Dusk was setting in, so the outside patio seemed to be hopping, but inside was still rather quiet, and only a scattering of people rimmed the horseshoe bar.
Silver pulled up a stool at the bar. It wasn’t lost on her that she was drawing a few glances. She was hard to miss. But she hadn’t had time to run home and change. At least not to their home. She fought back tears.
I will not cry.
Their home. God. She couldn’t live there anymore. Not with the knowledge that Trent had probably fucked Candy all over their goddamn apartment. Besides her clothes, Silver was going to have to burn the rest of her stuff, or at the very least disinfect the bejesus out of it.
She shuddered at the thought.
“What can I get you?”
Silver’s head snapped up from where she’d been staring at the engagement ring on her finger to find the bartender, an attractive man in his mid- to later fifties, giving her the curious lone eyebrow quirk. “I’m guessing something hard and mind-numbing?”
Silver nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
The bartender nodded back and walked away for a moment. He returned seconds later with a clean lowball glass and a bottle of what looked to be decent whiskey. He poured an ounce.
“More.” Silver nodded, tapping the bar.
He added another ounce, then glanced up at her.
She nodded.
He poured.
When it was around four ounces she finally tapped the bar again. He sniffed through his nose and gave her a lopsided smile filled with sympathy before taking off to the other side of the bar.
Silver brought the glass to her lips and took a sip.
It burned.
She winced.
She took another sip.
It still burned.
But she liked the pain. It matched the pain in her heart. It matched the pain she wanted to inflict on Trent and Candy.
“People only drink like that for two reasons,” said a deep and sexy voice with what sounded like an Australian accent. “They’re either wallowing or celebrating. And I’m guessing right now,” his eyes traveled the length her, climbing her body with such lazy indulgence you’d think she was naked, “you’re the former.”
Yes, definitely an Aussie. Her skin broke out into gooseflesh despite the warmth of the bar. She could have sworn she felt his hand travel up her arm. But he was several seats over, and both his hands were cradling his beer bottle.
“What gave it away?” she asked with a snort.
His smile stole the breath from her lungs, and she swayed where she sat. Glancing briefly at her glass, Silver contemplated another sip. Was she already drunk? Or was he just that handsome?
“You here alone?” she asked. Glancing at her glass again, she shrugged, tipped it back and drained it. This time both the bushy brows of the bartender lifted on his forehead. She nodded. He was over in a jiff, topping her up.
Aussie man chuckled. Fuck, even his laugh was sexy. Throaty and deep, and just rough enough to suggest he may at one point have enjoyed the odd cigarette or indulged in a weekly cigar. He was tucked just far enough away, near the dimly lit corner of the bar, so she couldn’t quite tell how old he was or what color his eyes were. She knew his hair was dark, but if his eyes were blue, she was a goner.
“I’m here alone,” he finally answered. “Why do you ask?”
Silver’s eyes drifted to the vacant seat beside her. “I hate to drink alone,” she said.
Taking her invitation, he moved over three seats and joined her. One of the pot lights overhead was shining down on him now, giving her the perfect opportunity to see every inch of his big, hard body.
He was younger than she would have thought, given the deep voice, maybe twenty-eight or thirty? But his face didn’t hold an ounce of baby to it, it was all man. Chiseled and refined, with a dark, close-shaved scruff hugging his angular jaw.
His laugh stirred her from her scrutiny. “Ya done checking me out?”
Silver swallowed and removed her eyes from the V of his legs. Fuck, had she really been staring at the crotch of his dark-wash jeans? She was biting her lip, and her face was warm.
Yup, she had been.
Shit.
With embarrassment clinging to every cell of her body, she slowly lifted her head.
Double shit.
Those were some blue eyes.
“Hmm?” he hummed.
Swallowing again, she
nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“Good.”
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth again. Could she? Should she? She’d never done a reckless or spontaneous thing in her life, and look where that got her. Sitting in a random hotel bar on her wedding night, contemplating asking a hot, sexy foreigner to fuck her brains out on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Yep, if this wasn’t rock bottom, Silver didn’t know what was.
“You, ah, you staying at the hotel?” she asked, nerves running rampant through her at the idea of what she was doing. She’d never propositioned someone before; hell, she’d never even hit on a guy before. But just like a bolt of lightning, that whiskey hit her in the brain hard and then whooshed right down until her toes tingled. She could do this. She was going to do this. Tipping back her glass one more time, and with new whiskey-fueled confidence, she signaled for the bartender.
He was back in a flash. “Careful, Miss. I hope you intend to cab home.”
“Cabbed here,” she said, flashing him a big, drunk smile.
He nodded solemnly as he poured her two more ounces.