Voices murmur outside the condo’s door, the sound piercing my delightful daydream. I swing the telescope upward, not wanting to be caught using it. The snippets of conversation drift away.
I don’t relax. If the telescope isn’t positioned in the same way as it was last night, Cyndi will realize I’ve been using it. She’ll tease me about being a fellow pervert, sharing the story, embellished for dramatic effect, with her stern, serious dad—or, worse, with Angel, that snobby friend of hers.
I’ll die. It’ll be worse than being the butt of jokes in high school because that ridicule was about my clothes and this will center on the part of my soul I’ve always kept hidden. It’ll also be the truth, and I won’t be able to deny it. I am a pervert.
I have to return the telescope to its original position. This is the only acceptable solution. I tap the metal tube.
Last night, my man-crazy roommate was giggling over the new guy in three-eleven north. The previous occupant was a gray-haired, bowtie-wearing tax auditor, his luxurious accommodations supplied by Nicolas. The most exciting thing he ever did was drink his tea on the balcony.
According to Cyndi, the new occupant is a delicious piece of man candy—tattooed, buff, and head-to-toe lickable. He was completing armcurls outside, and she enthusiastically counted his reps, oohing and aahing over his bulging biceps, calling to me to take a look.
I resisted that temptation, focusing on making macaroni and cheese for the two of us, the recipe snagged from the diner my mom works in. After we scarfed down dinner, Cyndi licking her plate clean, she left for the club and hasn’t returned.
Three-eleven north is the mirror condo to ours. I straighten the telescope. That position looks about right, but then, the imitation UGGs I bought in my second year of college looked about right also. The first time I wore the boots in the rain, the sheepskin fell apart, leaving me barefoot in Economics 201.
Unwilling to risk Cyndi’s friendship on “about right,” I gaze through the eyepiece. The view consists of rippling golden planes, almost like . . .
Tanned skin pulled over defined abs.
I blink. It can’t be. I take another look. A perfect pearl of perspiration clings to a puckered scar. The drop elongates more and more, stretching, snapping. It trickles downward, navigating the swells and valleys of a man’s honed torso.
No. I straighten. This is wrong. I shouldn’t watch our sexy neighbor as he stands on his balcony. If anyone catches me . . .
Parts 1 – 8 available now!
An Excerpt from
TEMPT THE NIGHT
A Save the Date Novel
by Dixie Lee Brown
Dixie Lee Brown concludes her thrilling Trust No One series with the fast-paced tale of a damaged hero and the sexy fugitive he can’t help falling for.
She pursed her lips and studied him. “That’s deep, Brady.” A crooked grin gradually appeared, erasing the worry wrinkles from her forehead. Then, without any encouragement from him, Mac took a step closer and leaned into his chest, sliding her arms around his waist.
He hesitated only a second before wrapping her in his arms and pulling her close. A groan escaped him.
She shifted her head to glance up. “Do you mind?”
A soft chuckle vibrated through him. “Sugar, I’ll hold you anytime, anywhere.”
Mac snuggled closer, and he tipped her head with his fingers, slowly covering her mouth with his, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. When she didn’t, he drank of her sweetness like a man dying of thirst. Again and again he kissed her, his tongue pushing into her mouth, swirling and dancing with hers. He couldn’t get enough of her full, soft lips, her sweet taste, and the bold way she pressed against him.
Brady couldn’t say which of the day’s events was responsible for her change in temperature where he was concerned, but it wasn’t important. They were taking steps in the right direction, and he wasn’t going to do anything to screw that up. He wanted her warm and willing in his hands, but he also wanted her there for the right reasons. The decision was hers to make.
When he lifted his head, there were tears on her eyelashes, but her smile made his heart grab an extra beat. He let his fingers trail across the satin skin of her cheek as he kissed her neck tenderly and breathed in her sweet scent.
“God, you smell good.” He kissed each of her closed eyes, then leaned his forehead on hers and took a deep breath. “I’d love for this to go on all night. Unfortunately, Joe wants us to meet with Maria.” He steadied her as she straightened and took a step back.
Mac’s gaze was uncertain. “We could meet later . . . if you want to . . .”
“Aw, sugar. If I want to? That’s like asking if I want to keep breathing.” He threaded his fingers through her hair and brushed his lips over hers. “I’ve wanted you since the first time you lied to me.” Brady chuckled as her eyes lit up.
She punched his chest with a fisted hand. “Hey! That was the only time I lied, and I had a darn good reason. Some big galoot knocks me down, pounces on me, and then expects me to be truthful. Nuh uh. I don’t think so.” Her eyes sparkled with challenge.
“Galoot, huh? No more John Wayne movies for you, sugar.”
She sucked in a big breath, and he could tell by the mischief in her eyes that she was getting ready to let him have it. He touched his fingers to her lips to silence her. “Let me say this, okay? There’s a good chance we’ll go in and meet with Maria, and sometime before, after, or during, you’ll think about us—about me—and decide we’re not a good idea. I want you to know two things. First . . . it’s the best idea I’ve had in a long time. Second . . . if you decide it’s a mistake or that you’re not ready to get any closer, that’s okay. No pressure.”
He stepped back and gave her some room. It struck him that he’d just lied to her. What he said would have been true for any other woman he’d ever known, but he damn sure wasn’t going to give up on Mac that easily.
A grin made the sparkle in her eyes dance as she slipped her hand into his. “Obviously you’re confusing me with some other woman, because I don’t usually change my mind once it’s made up, and I’m a big girl, so you can stop worrying that your charm, good looks, and sex appeal will bowl me over. As for thinking about you—yeah.” She stepped closer and lowered her voice to a silky whisper. “You might cross my mind once or twice . . . so let’s get this meeting over with.”
“You got it, sugar.” Brady couldn’t remember when he’d been so contented—or when he’d ever used that word to describe himself before. Whether or not tonight ended with him in bed with this amazingly beautiful and brave woman didn’t really matter. The last few minutes had made it clear that his interest in her went way beyond just the prospect of sex. He wanted everything she had to give. Shit! She’d turned him upside down and inside out until he doubted his own ability to walk away . . . or even if he wanted to.
COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Excerpt from The Devilish Mr. Danvers copyright © 2015 by Vivienne Lorret.
Excerpt from When Good Earls Go Bad copyright © 2015 by Megan Frampton.
Excerpt from The Wedding Band copyright © 2015 by Lisa Connelly.
Excerpt from Riot copyright © 2015 by Jamie Shaw.
Excerpt from Only In My Dreams copyright © 2015 by Darcy Burke.
Excerpt from Sinful Rewards 1 copyright © 2014 by Cynthia Sax.
Excerpt from Tempt the Night copyright © 2015 by Dixie Brown.
THE ELUSIVE LORD EVERHART. Copyright © 2015 by Vivienne Lorret. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text ma
y be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition MARCH 2015 ISBN: 9780062380500
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062380494
AM 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
The Elusive Lord Everhart: The Rakes of Fallow Hall Series Page 24