Red Hot Candy (22 All-New Delicious Romance Books by Best-Selling Authors about Alpha Males, Billionaires, Cowboys, and More for Your Summer Reading) (Red Hot Boxed Sets)

by Dani Dundee

Red Hot Candy

  Table of Contents

  The Things I Never Said by Jo Raven

  Perfectly Equipped by Lacey Silks

  Billionaires in Disguise: Rae, Kidnapped by Blair Babylon

  A Fan-TAB-Ulous Night by Olivia Rigal

  Take it Easy by Daisy Prescott

  Before Flesh by Sky Corgan

  Scorched into Submission by Daizie Draper

  Pandora's Box by Sarah M. Cradit

  Braving Love by SJ Mayer

  Always Enough by Molly McLain

  Mine In Dreams by Olivia Hardin

  Like Home by Mira Bailee

  Unshakeable by JC Valentine

  Yearning to Yield by Pavarti K Tyler

  First-Class Scoundrel by Liv Morris

  Mated in Bearfield by Jacqueline Sweet

  Le Moulin by JC Andrijeski

  Jesse's Girl by Alison Foster

  Dude by Gillian Cherry

  Biker Billionaire's Bitch by Layla Wilcox

  Swaying Fate by Irma Geddon

  Gender Studies 101 by Dani Dundee

  Disclaimers and Copyright Notices

  FIRST-CLASS SCOUNDREL

  by Liv Morris

  FIRST-CLASS SCOUNDREL

  by Liv Morris

  FIRST-CLASS SCOUNDREL © Liv Morris 2015

  Mallory Monroe escapes to a Caribbean island for the summer needing a break from her life as a fourth grade teacher and distance from her cheating ex- fiancé.

  On her flight from Miami to St. Croix, she encounters first-class scoundrel, David Lawson. He’s devastatingly handsome and interested in pursuing Mallory. She thinks he’s the last man in the world for her, but he’s on a mission to prove her wrong.

  Chapter 1

  “Excuse me, Miss.” I look up from the pages of my book and see the friendly flight attendant smiling at me. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  She’s holding a bottle of something red and inviting that could help me unwind. I nod my head and reach for my wallet.

  “It’s included with your first-class ticket.” Her whisper saves me my dignity. “Is red okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.” I pull out the tray from the sidearm of the chair and she sits the nearly full glass with a cocktail napkin in front of me. The motion of the plane causes the wine to ripple. I glance down at my lily-white sundress and wonder if red was a good choice after all.

  “I’ll be back with some warm nuts. Enjoy.” She turns to the couple sitting across from me and goes through the same spiel.

  I pick up the glass and take my first sip. I wasn’t expecting it to taste so good and I pray refills are free, because I need something to help me forget why I’m escaping Kansas City.

  The reason starts with a man and ends with a woman. The man was mine for a while, but the woman wasn’t me. I wish he would’ve made his choice before he left me standing at the altar.

  I keep telling myself I’m better off without him and it’s true, but the truth doesn’t help ease the pain. I keep thinking this sick feeling in my stomach will get better soon. I’m putting my faith in the healing powers of the Caribbean. Several months on a tropical island should help I hope.

  The flight attendant begins talking to the man one row up and diagonal from me. My scattered state must be to blame for the fact that I missed him before since he’s stunningly handsome. The panty-melting kind of hot. Even with the short distance between us, he exudes an almost animal-like sexuality. Like a wolf in Savile Row’s finest, he’s dressed in a bespoke black suit. The tailored kind that likely costs more than my month’s salary. A crisp white shirt peeks out around his collar.

  He begins to speak and his deep voice is smoother than the wine I’m holding. His jawline is severe with a broad appearance. The wisp of scruff etched across it makes me bite my lip. I’ve always loved a little five o’clock shadow. His thick black hair is slicked back in a controlled professional type style. He probably uses more hair product than me, but the result is well worth it.

  He stretches out his arm and long fingers curl around the offered wine glass. I watch the sleeve of his suit coat inch back enough to reveal an onyx cufflink. He oozes money, class, sex, and…. marriage.

  I spot the thick gold band adorning his wedding finger and take a deep breath. All the good ones make it down the aisle it appears.

  Returning to my romance novel, I continue the story of that one incredible man who would do anything for his love. To make the fairytale seem possible, I indulge in the bottomless wine pours, not to mention the delicious food served in the “special” section of the plane.

  I’m only sitting here by pure luck, since the airline receptionist solved the problem of me having to pay for three suitcases at check in. It would’ve been two hundred and fifty dollars. An outrageous fee for someone living on a teacher’s salary. But those three suitcases contain all of the essentials for my three-month stay in St. Croix over the summer.

  The receptionist upgraded me to first class on my Miami to St. Croix flight for one hundred-fifty dollars. The simple act let me have all my bags checked for free. Plus I am now a first-class snob with enough legroom for a giant.

  I glance over at the married man and frown as I see his legs barely contained in the generous area. He isn’t just hot he’s tall. Handsome and hitched. I sigh at my always-present bad luck.

  He must have felt me looking at him, because he swivels in his seat and his eyes meet mine. For the first time I’m able to see his face fully. No partial side view, but his entire glorious face.

  He’s devastating with black eyes that draw me in as if I have no will. A nose and cheekbones so precise, a master may have sculpted them.

  I’ve never called a man beautiful, but he is simply breathtaking. Face to face as we are now, he possesses an untamed sexuality that is overwhelming. I shake my head a couple of times and melt back into my seat hoping I can escape his pull.

  A slow smile slides across his face as he observes my discomfort. He knows exactly how he’s unnerving me, but I’m helpless. I offer a weak smile in surrender and silently chant, “He’s married,” over and over.

  The flight attendant breaks my pathetic trance as she walks by. I bury my head in my book and don’t glance his way until we are preparing to land.

  I believe I read the same two pages in my novel for about forty-five minutes. The book might as well have been upside-down, because my concentration stopped the second his eyes met mine. Damn him.

  I dutifully readjust my seat and secure my tray table. The flight attendant makes one more round to make sure her chosen subjects are buckled in.

  Against my better judgment, I stop fighting this crazy pull he has over me, and glance over at the subject of my naughty thoughts. He’s fiddling with his wedding ring, and to my shock I watch him brazenly remove the band and stuff it into his suit pocket. I blink a couple of times in hopes I will see the ring reappear on his finger. But instead all that lingers is a prominent tan line and a blatant disregard of his wedding vows.

  This man reeks of mendacity. He’s nothing more than a first-class scoundrel. If we weren’t two seconds from landing, I’d get out of my seat and slap him on behalf of his poor wife who’s probably home counting the days till his return. What a complete jerk.

  ***

  Chapter 2

  Most of the other passengers have walked away from the airport’s open-air baggage claim with their bags in tow. The buzz of conversation has turned to silence, and I find myself waiting for my three suitcases with the one person I didn’t want to see again, Mr. Married with No Ring.

  He stands tall across from me with his legs slightly a part and arms crossed over his chest. Even in the empty space his presence crowds me. I take a deep breath with the intention of turning my eyes down toward the baggage claim, but I can’t force them away from his hypnotic gaze.

  He’s looking at me with an impassive expression, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking as he appears to assess me.

  I watch
his eyes travel from my face to my chest and he stops in a fixed stare to gaze at my boobs. This act solidifies him as a typical player and shouldn’t have an effect on me, but I squirm and stand a little straighter. Something about him makes any willpower I have disappear.

  Then a devilish grin crosses his disgustingly handsome face. Bastard. He throws his head backwards in a small laugh which makes me a little unnerved and curious. So I glance down where his stare was targeted and see a perfectly round drop of wine staining my white sundress. The large drop has landed exactly where my nipple is located with the help of my push-up bra.

  Deep red marks the spot and the color of my face. Damn him.

  I glance back up and I swear he winks at me. The gall of this horrible creature makes my blood boil. I turn my body, so he no longer has a view of my chest. His show and my humiliation are now over.

  I toss my purse over my shoulder and pray my suitcases appear. I need to escape this sexual magnet of a man. He’s on the prowl and God help the woman, or more likely women, who succumb to his evil ways on this island.

  Even as I think this, there’s a part of me that wonders what it would be like to succumb to a man like him. Have his long fingers lingering over my body. Touching me in private places, and having his full lips kiss me with passion. I bet he’s a powerhouse in bed.

  What in the hell is wrong with me?

  I should pinch myself for even entertaining what this Adonis is like in bed. Even if it has been nearly six months since a man touched me.

  My three suitcases finally appear and I start to lift them off the belt. I grit my teeth as I pull each one of them to a standing position. Now I need to find a cab to get me to my best friend Sarah’s villa.

  “Mal.” I turn to see Sarah walking toward me or more like walk-running. She was supposed to be working tonight, but I sure am happy to see her. It’s been way too long. “You made it.”

  She’s embracing me before I can even respond. “Of course I made it. I’ve been counting the seconds. I thought you had to work late?”

  “The powers that be let me leave early.” Sarah works as an emergency room nurse at the island’s only hospital. They sponsor a program to help new graduates pay off student loans in exchange for a few years service in paradise. She accepted their offer and has been down here for a year.

  “Thank God. I worried about taking a cab to your place. I’ve only been here once, and it was just for a few days.”

  “It’s all good. And you look great, but way too pale.” She scans my exposed arms. As a true redhead only my freckles tan. “We need to dip you daily in a vat of sunscreen.”

  “Funny,” I laugh, but she’s right. I had a horrible sunburn when I visited her over Christmas, and I was sitting in the shade. She said the sun’s reflection off the sand cooked me.

  I frown at the thought of Christmas. I used my supposed honeymoon ticket for the island to visit her instead. I drank half the island’s rum, which is a feat, but it didn’t do much to numb the hurt.

  “I know that face.” She scolds me, because it’s impossible to hide anything from my closest friend. “I promised to never bring up his name, but I did enjoy hearing the slut left him for the Chiefs’ quarterback.”

  “I might have celebrated with friends the day I saw the news.” It didn’t make me feel better in the end, but I wasn’t upset that he knew the pain and embarrassment I endured when he cheated on me and didn’t show up for our wedding. At least his betrayal of me didn’t make the front page of the newspaper’s gossip column. That had to sting. “I know I’m better off without him.”

  “Yes you are.” Sarah glances at the three suitcases parked next to me. “Are you planning on moving here?” Her goodhearted laugh makes me laugh too.

  “It’s possible.” I tease as she starts to walk away with two of my suitcases. There’s a part of me that would love a new beginning in a faraway place, but I’m not a risk taker like Sarah.

  “I’ve heard from many mainland transplants that it’s best to purchase a one-way ticket here. Just in case.”

  We make our way to the outside parking lot, and I run into the back of Sarah as she stops dead in her tracks. I peek over her shoulder to see the first-class scoundrel crossing our path.

  He’s dragging two extra-large rolling bags toward a taxi, which seems odd for a weekend getaway to cheat on his wife. Surely he will only need a couple changes of clothes and a gross of condoms. Jerk.

  “Whoa,” Sarah practically purrs. “What a man.” I roll my eyes so hard I think I pull a muscle.

  “He’s a pretty package, but he’s also on a mission to cheat on his wife.” Sarah turns her head toward me as I move to her side. She knits her brows and silently asks me to continue. “He sat near me on the plane. I watched him pocket his wedding band.”

  Sarah crinkles up her face and mouths the word “no,” but I nod in return. “It’s true. Swear.”

  “I’ve never seen him before. But there’s a constant flow of men who fly here from Miami to explore the island.” She winks at me and I understand what she means by explore. “I always look for a tan line on the ring finger.”

  “Oh he’s definitely got one of those. Promise.” I want to say I’m thankful I saw him remove his ring, because I might have succumbed to his charming ways if he showed any interest in me.

  I watch him take off his suit jacket, throw it into the taxi, and roll up his sleeves to expose bare arms built like a weight lifter’s. He proceeds to help the cabbie lift his bags into the vehicle, and his broad shoulders pull the seams of his shirt. If that wasn’t bad enough, he bends over to pick up something the cabbie dropped, and I’m greeted by a perfectly tight butt.

  “Mal?” I notice Sarah shaking my arm as I hear her voice. “Mallory? Are you okay?”

  “Sure.” I blink the sight of him away and fix on a smile. “He’s a jerk, right?”

  “The worst kind. So hot you might forget why he’s a scoundrel.” I crack a slight grin when I hear her use the very word I’d tagged him with in my mind. If the shoe fits…

  We walk away from the culprit of my wet panties toward Sarah’s car in the parking lot. After maneuvering through a lot of cars packed in like sardines, we load my gear and we pull up to the airport’s parking pay station. There are two lanes and I glance to my right and see the scoundrel staring back at me in the back seat of his taxi.

  I turn my head toward the windshield and lower myself in my seat. Since I’m apparently a sex-deprived mess, I have no self-control and peek over at him again.

  This time he’s grinning at me with pearly-whites so bright I almost need to squint. However it’s his eyes that draw me closer to the car’s window. They’re gleaming with mischief and dare I say, sex. I cross my legs to control the odd sensation his look causes.

  Determination hits me, and I grab my sunglasses out of my purse and nearly slam them on. I face forward, but I feel his stare like the noonday sun on my cheek.

  Thankfully, Sarah’s car pulls ahead breaking his spell over me. She hands the attendant her lot ticket and the gate bar rises up.

  “Yes! Free for the first thirty minutes.” She turns my way and starts to smile until she sees me. “What’s with the glasses? It’s almost dark.”

  “Nothing.” I pull the glasses off and tuck them back into my purse. Hoping that I can tuck away the thoughts of Mr. Hottie too. “What are the plans for tonight? You mentioned something about watching the sunset from that bar on the beach.”

  “I think we need to make a stop at my place before we head there. You have a big red stain on your boob. And believe me you have a big enough rack that you don’t need to give the men another reason to gawk.” She giggles and I try to smile, but I remember that man laughing at me instead.

  ***

  Chapter 3

  “I’m picking out your clothes.” Sarah leaves no room for arguments as she digs through a closet containing all the colors of the rainbow. “I have an awesome dress that would look great on you.”<
br />
  I start to protest as I’m hit in the face with a small piece of bright green material. It falls to the floor, and after picking it up I realize it’s Sarah chosen garment for me to wear.

  “There’s not enough here to cover me below the waist.” I stretch the dress and gasp when the size almost doubles.

  “See.” Sarah points to the now larger dress. “Trust me. It will look just right and tight.”

  “Oh my God. You’re out to get me laid my first night here aren’t you?” I’m tempted to fling the dress back at her; instead I decide to give it a try.

  “Okay, turn around.” I demand, and Sarah huffs while spinning around to walk back into her closet.

  “Whatever. I was your roommate for four years. I’ve seen it all.” Her voice echoes out to me from the depths of her floral abyss.

  I remove my stained clothing and step into the sinful dress as best I can. I shimmy it up my legs and realize it’s nothing more than a tube of green fabric contouring over my curves.

  I remove my bra and adjust the girls. They stay in place because there’s barely enough room for me to breath.

  “See, it fits.” I don’t miss the smug look on Sarah’s face when she walks out of the closet wearing a bikini top and a matching sarong. “And so what if I’m trying to get you dolled up for some action. You need something besides that battery operated friend.”

  “God, don’t remind me.” I lean over her dresser to get closer to her mirror so I can freshen up my makeup. I decide to leave my hair down in waves around my shoulders since I’m showing so much skin.

  “Some of the island guys around here are pretty good at helping a lady burn off a little steam. And that guy at the airport, though he’s scum, seemed to have you worked up.”

  “He was a charming snake!” I won’t admit it out loud but I get tingles just thinking about those eyes of his staring at me. I don’t remember a man giving me that look before. It was pretty damn incredible even if he’s a seasoned cheater. I swear I have the crappiest luck when it comes to men.