Wish

by Deborah Bladon

  Dozens of people are already gathering, drinking champagne and taking in the massive displays of flowers that Maya and Julian ordered.

  When Matilda and I walked through the space earlier, she was in awe.

  She stopped to smell the fresh roses and orchids every few steps.

  “I’ll go check on her again.” I turn to see the hotel room door open and Griffin walk in. His dark brown hair is pushed back from his forehead. His gaze is laser focused on us.

  He’s dressed as we both are, in tuxedos with a single red rose pinned to our lapels.

  “When is this show going to start?” Griffin crosses the room to stand next to us. “You’re making me look bad, Julian. How am I supposed to top this when I marry Piper?”

  Julian laughs. “I wanted to give Maya the wedding of her dreams.”

  “You’ve done that.” Griffin grins. “I just met her folks and her sister. They’re good people.”

  They’re amazing people.

  We had dinner last night with Matilda’s family. It was the first time I’ve seen Frannie face-to-face. I’ve been pulled into her video chats with Matilda on more than one occasion, including the night just a month ago that Frannie told us she was pregnant.

  It was incredible to share a meal with Matilda’s folks, Frannie, her husband and their daughters. We went for ice cream for dessert so Cooper Gallo could meet Jolie and Becca. Carolyn and Darrell are happy, taking their relationship one day at a time.

  Tomorrow, we’ll have brunch with my family. It’s our regular Sunday routine when time allows.

  The other constant in our lives is Kate. We’ve grown close the last few months. She’s been a good friend to Matilda and is becoming one to me too.

  “I’m going to see how Maya is doing.” I pat Griffin on the back. “You stay here and watch over the groom.”

  “Have you and Tilly picked a date yet?” Griffin stops me with a hand to my shoulder. “I’m trying to win the sprint to the altar here. I’d like to slip a wedding band on Piper’s finger before you do the same with your fiancée.”

  “You’re still as competitive as you were in high school.” I lightly smack his cheek. “Don’t worry about us. Do what makes Piper happy.”

  He grabs my face in his hands and plants a kiss on my forehead. “I’ve never told you how happy I am for you, Sebby. I am.”

  I playfully punch him in the shoulder. “Never call me that again.”

  ***

  “Tell me that you haven’t said a word, Sebastian.” Matilda looks up and into my eyes.

  We’re standing in the corridor outside the room where Maya is gathered with her mom, her friends, Frannie, Becca and Jolie.

  Matilda looks beautiful today, as she does every day.

  Her hair is pinned up into a messy bun on the top of her head. Her makeup is minimal. The dress that she picked out with Maya is light blue. It floats around her knees and hugs her body in all the places I want to plant kisses.

  I slide my hands into the pocket of my pants.

  I palm the wedding rings in my right pocket, feeling the rough edge of diamonds. I’ll hand them to Julian and Maya when they exchange vows in less than an hour.

  When I close my hand around the two rings in my left pocket, I’m immediately comforted by the smoothness of them. They are plain, thin, silver bands that represent a love that will never die.

  I tug my hand out and open my palm. “I haven’t told a soul, Matilda.”

  She reaches for her ring. She slides it back onto her ring finger. “I hate that I’m not wearing it today.”

  I slide mine on too. “My hand feels bare.”

  “We’ll tell them in a few days that we’re married, won’t we?” Her eyes lock with mine. “We’ll tell everyone everything.”

  The story is as simple as it is complicated.

  I married the love of my life a week ago on a beach in Mexico.

  We took the trip to celebrate our love, our future and my appointment to the position of sergeant. I’ll be working in the division I wanted with new police officers.

  The day before we left, a bouquet of black roses was left on the step of the house we bought in Queens, but this time Matilda caught sight of the man who dropped them off as she was coming up the street after taking our dog, Lunar, for a walk.

  She called me as she set off after him, following him as he strolled leisurely down the sidewalk completely unaware that she was behind him. Panic ran through me as I drove through the streets of the city, calling for any units close to where she was.

  The asshole was apprehended. His grudge was rooted in an arrest I made of his brother a year-and-a-half ago.

  Two days later as we walked in the warm sand and the sun was setting, I asked her to marry me. She accepted and after we made love that night, we decided that we didn’t need anything but two simple rings and our vows.

  She was stunning in a white sundress with her long hair blowing in the breeze and a single white rose in her hand. I wore a white dress shirt and dark blue pants. I had packed them hoping to wear them to take her out to a nice dinner.

  Instead, I stood on the beach barefoot with the shirt untucked and my belt left on the bed at the hotel.

  We’ll get married again here, in a small ceremony in our backyard in a couple of months so that the people who love us can share in our happiness.

  She slides the ring off and hands it to me. “Guard it with your life.”

  I kiss it before sliding off mine and tucking them both back in my pocket. “I only agreed to hold off on telling anyone because I know you don’t want to take anything away from Maya’s special day.”

  “I want her to have today.” She wraps her arms around me. “She’s waited for this day for a long time.”

  “I’ve waited for you forever,” I counter with a soft kiss on her mouth.

  “You have me now so never let me go.”

  “I won’t, Mrs. Wolf.” I press my lips to hers. “I’ll never let you go.”

  Preview of SIN

  A New Standalone Novel

  West.

  That's what he said his name was when I met him on the flight from New York City to Las Vegas.

  I was on my way to sin city for a bachelorette party. West had business there.

  He was wickedly handsome, demanding, and the intensity in his eyes melted me from the inside out.

  I left his hotel suite before he woke up because a one-night stand is just that. It's one night of pleasure that doesn't seep into the next day.

  At least that's what it's supposed to be if it doesn't go completely wrong.

  I didn’t give him my real name. We never exchanged numbers.

  West didn’t need any of that to find me.

  All he had to do was look across a conference table in Manhattan two months later.

  Out of all the advertising agencies in the city, Jeremy Weston chooses the one my father owns to work on the campaign for the launch of his company’s latest product.

  I try to pretend I’m not the woman he spent a night with in Las Vegas, but my body betrays me.

  Not everything that happens in Vegas stays there.

  The sins of my past are proof of that.

  Author’s Note: This standalone novel contains a handsome stranger on an airplane, male strippers, and a HEA that will leave you breathless. Although some characters from my previous books appear in SIN, you don’t have to read any of my other books to enjoy this sexy romance!

  Chapter 1

  Lincoln

  “If this is how you dress on Monday morning, I’d love to get a glimpse of you on Saturday night.”

  I close my eyes even tighter. There’s no way he’s talking to anyone but me.

  His breath inches over the skin of my neck. “Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I can’t see you.”

  I thought he was still fast asleep.

  When I boarded the flight in New York City two hours ago, the man in the seat next to me was already belted in a
nd silent.

  It took me a few minutes to realize that his eyes were shut beneath the dark sunglasses he was wearing.

  I used that to my advantage. I spent the first thirty minutes of the flight blatantly staring at him while he slept.

  Broad shoulders, day-old stubble covering his jaw, brown hair that is messed up just enough to promise a sexy, bad-boy beneath the tailored suit and expensive tie.

  “I’m West.” His deep voice rumbles through every part of me.

  If I could orgasm just from a man’s voice, this would be the one.

  “And you are?” he continues talking even though I’m clearly not responding to him. “You’re not asleep. You can stop pretending you are.”

  I bite the bullet and open my eyes. I turn to look at him.

  Holy hell.

  I thought this man was hot when he was wearing sunglasses.

  His deep brown eyes add another dimension to how devastatingly gorgeous he is.

  “What’s your name?” He looks into my green eyes before his gaze travels over my shoulder length brown hair.

  I turn my head so I’m facing forward again. I was the odd woman out when my friends and I decided to take this trip to Las Vegas. After a quick game of rock-paper-scissors they ended up sitting next to each other in the third row.

  I was stuck with this aisle seat in the first row next to this stranger.

  I can’t decide if that’s a bad thing or a very good thing.

  “We’ll revisit the name issue.” He slides his hand to the armrest so it’s just mere inches from mine. “I need a vodka.”

  “It’s ten in the morning.”

  I catch a side glimpse of him sliding up the sleeve of his suit jacket to look at a big watch. “In New York. It’s three in the afternoon in London so cheers.”

  The flight attendant is pushing a glass of clear liquid into his hand before I can absorb what he just said.

  First class definitely comes with perks.

  “Can I get you anything?” She looks me over trying to hide the smirk that’s tugging at her lips.

  One dose of self-esteem with a chaser of courage, please.

  I wish that were on the drink menu.

  “She’ll take one of these,” West says.

  “I don’t day drink.” I glance in his direction again.

  “You’re fucking kidding me.” He lets out a deep laugh. “You were sober when you got dressed this morning?”

  I look down at the tight white tank top, bright pink tutu and white high heels I’m wearing.

  Thank God I tucked the tiara that was on my head back into my bag after my friends took their seats.

  “I’m not the only one dressed like this.” I jerk a thumb over my shoulder. “There are two other women on this flight dressed just like me.”

  The plan we hatched a week ago seemed sane at the time.

  Our mutual friend, Kendra, is set to marry her fiancé is less than a month. Since we’re all bridesmaids, we thought it would be fun to plan a one-night-only bachelorette party.

  Unfortunately, the only night our schedules synced up was tonight.

  We told the bride-to-be to meet us at the airport since her flight from Atlanta lands thirty minutes before our flight. She has no idea that we’ll all be dressed in the same over-the-top outfit she wore in the pictures she posted to social media to announce her engagement.

  The part of the plan was not my idea. I was outvoted. Twice.

  “I don’t care about them.” He leans so close to me that his lips almost touch mine. “Something tells me that you’re the one who is unforgettable.”

  Coming Soon

  Preview of VERSUS

  A Standalone Novel

  I chose the woman I brought home with me last night for one reason and one reason only.

  She looks like her.

  It's the same with every woman I bring home with me.

  They always look like her.

  Light brown hair, sky blue eyes and a body that takes me to that place I crave. It's where I forget – her innocence, my cruelty, everything.

  Last night was different.

  This one didn't only look like her, she danced like her, spoke in a soft voice like her, and when she lost control on my sheets in that split second I live for, she made a sound that cracked my heart open. My heart; cold and jaded as it is, it felt a beat of something for this one.

  She left before I woke up.

  I need to forget about the woman from last night, just like I've forgotten every woman but the one who started me on this path to self-destruction.

  I might have been able to if I wasn't standing in a crowded courtroom ready to take on the most important case of my career staring at the woman who crawled out of my arms just hours ago and into the role of opposing counsel.

  I may be a high-profile lawyer, but her name is one I'd recognize anywhere.

  The woman I screwed last night is the same one I screwed over in high school.

  Court is now in session, and it's me versus her.

  Chapter 1

  Dylan

  The world within Manhattan is its own beast. You learn that when you live here. When you claw your way around this city looking for something that’s elusive.

  For some, that’s a job that will actually keep a roof over their heads.

  For others, it’s a relationship that will stand the test of time and weather the winds of change.

  I have the first and no interest in the second.

  My needle in the haystack is a particular type of woman.

  I don’t bother with blondes.

  My cock has zero interest in redheads.

  For me, it’s all about the type of woman I see in front of me now.

  Petite, light brown hair, blue eyes and a body that can move to the beat of the music.

  Experience has taught me that if a woman can dance, she can fuck.

  The woman I’m watching now is graceful, beautiful and within the hour will be in my bed.

  I slide off the bar stool and approach her.

  “I’m Dylan.”

  She taps her ear. “What was that?”

  I lean in closer as she dances around me. “I’m Dylan, and you are?”

  “Dancing.” She breathes on a small laugh. “It’s nice to meet you, Dylan.”

  “You’ve been watching me.” I stand in place while the patrons of this club down around me, brushing against my expensive, imported suit.

  She spins before she slows. “I could say the same for you.”

  I look down at her face.

  Jesus, she’s striking. Her eyes are a shade of blue, that particular shade of blue that always takes my breath away.

  “We’re leaving together tonight.”

  That cocks one of perfectly arched brows. “You’re assuming that not I’m leaving with someone else.”

  “You’re here alone.” I spin when she does to catch her gaze again.

  The skirt of her black dress picks up with the motion revealing a beautiful set of legs. “Maybe I like being alone.”

  “Not tonight.” I reach for her hand.

  She slows before she slides her palm against mine. “Dance with me, Dylan.”

  I breathe out on a heavy sigh. I haven’t heard those four words in years. I haven’t danced in as long.

  I pull her close to me, sliding my free hand down her back. “What’s your name?”

  “Does it matter?” She looks up at me.

  It never does.

  I dance her closer to an alcove, a spot where the crowd is thin and the music quieter.

  Her body follows mine instinctively, our shared movements drawing the admiring glances of others.

  She’s letting me lead now, but the sureness of her steps promises aggression in bed.

  “We’re wasting time. “

  Her lips curve up into a smile. “Foreplay comes in many forms.”

  “Is that what this is?” I laugh. “I want to fuck you.”

  She press
es every inch of her body against me. “You will.”

  My cock swells with those words. “Now.”

  “Patience, Dylan.” Her lips brush my jawline. “I promise this will be a night you’ll never forget.”

  Coming Soon

  THANK YOU

  Thank you for purchasing and downloading my book. I can’t even begin to put to words what it means to me. If you enjoyed it, please remember to write a review for it. Let me know your thoughts! I want to keep my readers happy.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Deborah Bladon has never read a romance hero she didn't like. Her love for romance novels began when she was old enough to board the bus, library card in hand to check out the newest Harlequin paperbacks. She's a Canadian by heart, and by passport, but you can often spot her in New York City sipping a latte and looking for inspiration for her next story. Manhattan is definitely her second home.

  She cherishes her family and believes that each day is a gift for writing, for reading, and for loving.