by Maria Luis
“Wait, Luke, hold on. Did you get another dog . . . while we weren’t even home?”
“He said the little guy’s face called to him, Mom. He has no self-control.”
Luke stole a kiss, chuckling low. “We’ll talk about it later. Sassy was lonely as an only dog. Anyway, I dare you to spend your days being the successful woman you are, and I dare you to spend your nights in my bed.”
“Luke,” Julian muttered, “I’m going deaf. Right now. What is the script for if you don’t use it?”
“I dare you to marry me, Anna Bryce. I dare you to marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”
“You mean, happiest man in a tunnel, right?” Julian threw in, still holding up the phone. “Because that’s where we are, Luke. We’re in a tunnel. This is either the best proposal ever or the weirdest.”
“Julian.”
His hands lifted. “Sorry, sorry, no more commentary. I love y’all. Say yes, Mom.”
She blinked up at the man who had thrown her entire life off course, and who would continue to do so for the rest of their lives. She met Luke’s green gaze, soaking in the warmth she saw there. “Yes,” she whispered, “to everything. I never expected to meet a man like you, a man who’s both my best friend and the man of my dreams. But I have one last thing to say.”
Luke’s gaze dipped to her mouth. “Yeah?”
“I dare you to kiss me, Luke O’Connor. I dare you to kiss me and I dare you to never stop.”
And so he did, slipping the diamond ring onto her finger as his mouth claimed hers. It was everything she’d ever wanted, everything she’d ever dreamed of, and when she heard Jules whisper, “hooah,” just like Luke tended to do whenever he was excited, Anna knew that she was truly home.
Did you love Luke & Anna? Do you want to stay updated on releases, sales, free books, and all that juicy goodness? If your answer is yes (and it should be! LOL), consider signing up for my bi-monthly newsletter here.
And, if you really want to delve into the world of my books, receive weekly short stories, and all the latest news before anyone else, then definitely join my Facebook reader group, Book Boyfriends Anonymous.
The only requirement?
You have a somewhat (un)healthy addiction to the men we read about in our romance novels. ;)
Join Book Boyfriends Anonymous
Dear Fabulous Reader
Thank you so much for reading Dare You To Love Me, and I so hope that you enjoyed Luke & Anna’s journey to their HEA!
For new readers to my books, you might be wondering what this space is – welcome to the fun! I always love to give a little behind-the-scenes glance to the plot or locations that are utilized in my novels, and here it is for you. Let’s get started numeral-style, shall we?
#1 – Tuck’s, aka Luke & Anna’s bar. Does it exist in real life? Well . . . not quite. But! In a way, it does, though I’ve taken some major liberties. For local New Orleanians, you may recall a very (ahem) trashy college bar in the Uptown area. As a university student at Tulane or Loyola, Tuck’s was the “it” spot to be – they didn’t card, you see, and offered drink specials throughout the week. When I needed a bar/restaurant for Luke and Anna to meet, Tuck’s immediately came to mind, though the fiction version is much classier. It’s been closed for a half-decade now, and the building is now home to a sushi restaurant, but I couldn’t resist paying a little homage to a former haunt. Nowadays, if you mention “Tuck’s” in the city, most will think you’re talking about the Mardi Gras parade. Also fun, but be prepared to have toilet paper thrown at you from floats, as well as plungers. Have fun! LOL
#2 – Herbal Heaven. Again, there are quite a few places in the city that are “real-life” versions of Herbal Heaven, including Maypop in the Bywater neighborhood. For me, though, I created Herbal Heaven as a little fun for my mom, who is a licensed herbalist. Most of Luke’s reactions in the books are reactions that I’ve had myself in the past, not to mention the time I forgot she’d given me tea blends as I was heading on a plane. You can imagine the fear I had when I realized TSA might be thinking I was harboring pot and trying to bring it aboard! (Nothing happened, thankfully). Still, the herbal world is a welcoming one, and the medicine and techniques used are centuries-old. I liked to think that a little “love potion” might be sought after sometimes.
#3 – The Friend and the Doll. Think that was weird? Well, I’m here to tell you that Anna’s Date from Hell was inspired by reality. Once upon a time, when I worked at a restaurant here in the city, I had the best table ever. Seriously, they were so nice and funny! It was a large group of folks, maybe ten or so. It didn’t occur to me that their friendliness might be trying to gauge how . . . receptive I’d be at the end of their dinner. There I was saying good night, when the guy in charge slid me his card. I won’t mention the company’s name, just as a matter of privacy, but they belonged to a fetish group with a penchant for including blowup dolls and, yes, dolls. In case you’re wondering, I politely turned them down, handed the card over to a coworker in the kitchen, who promptly told me, “Oh, their parties are awesome! I totally go to them every few weeks.” Ahem. To each their own!
I have others, but we’ll cap it at these highlights. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read Dare You To Love Me!
Acknowledgments
Dare You To Love Me wouldn’t be a reality without my partners-in-crime. With each book, with each new release, these people become more like family. I don’t know what I would do without them—probably cry in the corner, honestly—and a simple mention below can’t even capture the love and friendship I have for each of you.
Najla, as always, you are the queen of design. Thank you for listening to my confusing requests, and thank you for always finding the perfect legs, LOL. Each cover or teaser you give me is more stunning than the last, but, Dare You To Love Me truly has my heart. Which is only appropriate, as the book has gripped me from the start!
Kathy, thank you for taking a chance on a newbie author this past year! I can’t believe that this is already our fourth book in working together. You have a knack for calling me out on my sex scenes (LOL) and for pushing me to take my characters to new heights. Thank you, always, for your editing expertise, and I can’t wait to finally make you your WWKD T-shirt. It’s happening.
Viper! I don’t even know what to say. You are the other half to my crazy—the better half, truly. Thank you for reading my work before anyone else, correcting my improper usage of the word conscious and preposition, and for still liking me after I told you that I prefer the 2005 Pride & Prejudice. You can stalk my words anytime, girl.
Tandy, I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful to have taken a chance on a recommendation from an author group online. Thank you for ensuring that my story is clean, and, even more, for your hilarious emails. Each one I receive, I know I’m going to start laughing!
Other thanks goes to Give Me Books promotions for setting up my release for this book, to all the bloggers who shared, promoted, or reviewed Dare You To Love Me. Thank you for taking a chance on a new-to-you author!
To my VIPers, you know who you are, and – to put it lightly – none of this would be possible with you. Thank you for letting me into your lives, for becoming a part of mine, and for becoming part of my family. This book’s success would be nothing without you.
Family, friends, you rock. I think I’m getting the hang of this work-life balance, maybe? Ha! Probably not. Soon, I promise, soon. Until then, thank you for putting up with my crazy.
And, finally, to my fabulous readers . . . thank you from the bottom of my heart. For almost twenty years, my dream has been to be a romance author. You’ve helped me to achieve that. I can’t wait to bring you more sexy books, more laugh out loud stories, and more love that pulls at you and just won’t let you go.
Thank you.
Much love,
Maria
About the Author
Maria Luis is the author of sexy contemporary roma
nces, though she may or may not have (read: she does) a few historical romances hiding in the cobwebs of her computer.
When she's not writing about strong men and the sassy women who sweep them off their feet, Maria is a historian/content marketing buff with a specialization in medieval England and 19th century New Orleans. What do the two eras have in common, you ask? Not much, except for disease, scandalous activities and crime--Maria's favorite topics.
Maria lives in New Orleans with her better half, where she can generally be found hiking with her two dogs, Zeus and Athena, kayaking in Louisiana's intercoastal waterways, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
Stalk Maria Out in the Wild!
www.marialuis.org
Also by Maria Luis
Blades Hockey series
Power Play
Sin Bin
NOLA Heart series
Say You’ll Be Mine
Take A Chance On Me
Dare You To Love Me
Tempt Me With Forever (coming Nov. 2017)