by Nicola Marsh
“There’s always Love Byte.”
“Thanks for the offer but no, I need to do this myself.”
“Sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
“No more GOLF?”
Belle crinkled her nose. “Thing of the past.”
“You’re serious.” Sierra waited while the waiter topped up Belle’s glass before continuing. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Haven’t found him yet.”
Belle shrugged and sipped her drink as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “I will though. And when I do, he won’t know what hit him.”
“Boy talk again, ladies?”
Marc snuck up behind Sierra, crouched down and draped an arm across her shoulder, the possessive gesture thrilling her. She’d missed touching him when they’d been apart, thankful he enjoyed the hands-on approach of a relationship as much as she did.
“We’re talking men, not boys, Gorgeous.” Belle winked, picked up her drink and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I see a guy in dire need of my help on the dance floor so I’ll leave you lovebirds alone.”
Marc slid into Belle’s vacated chair and reached for Sierra’s hand. “I didn’t interrupt anything important?”
“Just girl talk.”
She wound her fingers through his, laughing when he tried to pull her onto his lap. “What will people think?”
“That we’re in love, like most of the other crazy people in this town,” he said, kissing her fingertips, slowly, sensuously, until she almost groaned out loud.
“Take those two for instance.”
He pointed to Flo and William dancing cheek-to-cheek, oblivious to the couples around them. “Friends, they keep saying. Have you ever seen such a sickening display?”
She smiled as Flo glanced over at that exact moment and made the universal thumbs up sign of approval behind her partner’s back.
“And look over there.”
He pointed to Hank and Olivia, arms entwined as they sipped champagne. “More of that mushy stuff this town is famous for.”
“What’s so crazy about love?”
He stared into her eyes and she almost melted under the intensity of his warm, dark chocolate stare.
“Love makes people do crazy things. Take us, for instance. I’m on an extended vacation from CEO duties and embarking on a six month trip around the world with this fiery red-head I only just met.”
“Sounds perfectly sane to me.”
She plucked a strawberry from the fruit platter in the centre of the table and fed it to him, shuddering with pleasure as he licked the rivulets of juice running down her finger.
“This red-head I’m loco about is crazy too. She’s leaving her precious business in the hands of some friend of her mom’s guru while she follows this guy around the world. And when she really loses the plot, she’ll say yes.”
“To what?”
Sierra’s heart thudded as Marc slipped his free hand into the breast pocket of his tux and pulled out a small blue box from Tiffany.
Her heart stuttered before kick starting again as he opened the box, a small sprig looking cute but ludicrous nestled in the expensive satin.
“Kissing me under the mistletoe. It’s Christmas Eve, after all.”
She shouldn’t be disappointed. A long-term commitment was the last thing on her mind.
They barely knew each other.
They needed time to get reacquainted.
They needed to test their compatibility by spending the next six months together.
There were a dozen reasons why a serious commitment wasn’t right for them.
Then why did she feel like a kid who’d discovered Santa wasn’t real?
She hoped her bright smile hid the hint of sadness that the box didn’t contain something else. “Yes.”
“Good. You hold the mistletoe and I’ll do the kissing.”
He held out the box and she silently chastised herself for being disappointed. How many guys had a romantic streak like this? She should be grateful he liked surprising her, not wishing for things to complicate matters.
“Cute, Slick. Real cute,” she said, reaching for the sprig.
As she picked it up her fingers encountered something behind it. Something round, something solid.
“Wow,” she said, lifting the mistletoe and finding a stunning sterling silver key ring embossed with a miniature globe and tiny plane circling it, a single key attached.
“Know what that’s for?”
He pointed to the key, lifted it out by hooking a finger through it and offering it to her.
She took it, turned it over in her palm several times and shook her head. “By the symbols on the key ring, something to do with our trip?”
He pretended to ponder her question before slowly shaking his head. “Actually, more to do with after our trip.”
“After?”
She flipped the key over, her mind racing with possibilities before lighting on one that took her breath away.
Her gaze flew to his as he nodded, his expressive eyes telling her what she all ready knew, his dazzling smile making her shake with elation.
“That’s the key to my place.” He grabbed her heads and hauled her closer. “Move in with me. I can’t see you leaving this crazy town but we can live together part-time in LA, part-time here, whatever you want. Let’s give this a real shot, see how far it can take us. I have a feeling it’s going to be all the way.”
“If this is your idea of a joke—”
“No joke. All you have to do is say yes and—”
“Yes!” She shrieked, leaping onto his lap. “Yes, yes, yes!”
He pressed the key ring into her palm and curled her fingers over it as she rained kisses on his face while bouncing up and down on his lap.
When she finally stopped, he cradled her face in his hands, the blazing love in his steady stare leaving her breathless. “See? Told you love made people do crazy things.”
“If spending the rest of my life with you is crazy, then commit me,” she said, knowing there was no place she’d rather be than by his side.
“You’re committed all right.” He held up her hand and kissed the knuckles closed over the key ring to prove it. “And who knows? If this living in sin thing works out, we may go all the way and get hitched.”
“You’d go down that road again for me?”
Brushing a kiss across her lips, he nodded. “Anything for you.”
“The way I see it, that key ring’s practically an engagement ring anyway.”
“You’re right. There’s no escape now.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She snuggled into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. “Remember when I told you love would get to you in the end?”
“Yeah?”
She kissed him, pouring her heart and soul into it in an effort to show the man of her dreams how much she loved him.
“The end…”
I hope you enjoyed CRAZY LOVE. If you’d like to read more of my books, they’re available from all e-book suppliers. My complete booklist is here: http://www.nicolamarsh.com/books.html
An e-newsletter is also available and I’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
About the author:
USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair.
She has published 32 books with Harlequin Romance and Presents series, a fun, flirty contemporary mainstream romance BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD with Entangled Publishing (nominated for Romantic Book of the Year 2012) and sold over 3 million copies worldwide.
Her first category romance for Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence series, NOT THE MARRYING KIND, released July 2012, with another category contemporary romance FALLING FOR FLYNN releasing with Crimson Romance October 2012.
Her urban fantasy young adult series debuts with SCION OF THE SUN, November 2013, with Month9Books.
She’s also a Waldenbooks and Bookscan bestseller, has finalled in a number of awards including the Romantic
Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and has won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards.
A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curling up with a good book!
She loves connecting with readers online:
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/NicolaMarsh
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/NicolaMarshAuthor
Blog:
http://nicolamarsh.blogspot.com
Contents
Title page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
About the author: