The Maybe Series

by Ella Miles

  I shake my head at my friend.

  Me: Chica, you just about gave me a heart attack, and then you wouldn’t have been able to share your news with me. Just name the time and place, and I’ll be there tomorrow.

  Kinsley: Eileen’s Cheesecake. 1:30 p.m.?

  I laugh at her message. Since when does my friend think it is a good idea to skip lunch and just go straight for dessert? Sounds like I am finally rubbing off on her.

  Me: Done.

  I smile, excited to take a break tomorrow to go be with my best friend. It has been a while since I have seen her. Three months? Or is it four?

  Even though we live in the same city, we might as well live on different continents. With my busy schedule, it’s too hard to find time to see each other. Especially since Killian, her husband, doesn’t like the idea of us going out to pick up guys for me at night. I need to change that.

  I pull up my calendar on my phone. Shit. I have meetings all afternoon. Not anymore, I think, smiling. I hit Delete on every single one that starts after one o’clock and then type in Afternoon with Bestie, starting at one thirty p.m. instead.

  I open my email and type a quick message to my assistant, Preston, to cancel everything and reschedule for later. I also tell him to make sure I have an hour or two in the afternoon at least once a week to make time for my friends. I’ve worked hard enough these last ten years. I think I deserve an hour or two break to actually enjoy the money I make and spend time with my friends.

  I should also think of planning a vacation soon. Maybe see if Kinsley and Killian would want to tag along. I’m sure I could find plenty of men to enjoy my time with if we went to a beach in the Caribbean or Mexico. So, I tell Preston to find a good time in my schedule to do that, too. I hit Send, knowing that Preston is going to hate me when I come into the office tomorrow, but he can handle it. It’s my business, and if I decide I need a break, then I need a break.

  I feel better already as I take another sip of my gin and tonic. I might not be going home with a man tonight, but at least I can go home, feeling good from the alcohol and knowing that tomorrow is going to be a good day.

  I finish my fourth drink.

  “Another?” Todd asks although he knows I usually stop after four, my usual limit for feeling good without overdoing it.

  “A shot of tequila and then another gin and tonic.”

  Todd raises his eyebrows at me, but doesn’t question me as he goes about making my drinks. “What’s got you in a better mood?”

  “My best friend has good news that she is sharing with me tomorrow.”

  “I thought I was your best friend,” Todd says, placing the shot and glass of gin and tonic in front of me.

  “Best guy friend.” I wink at him. I raise the shot glass. “To my best guy friend.”

  Todd smiles, and to my surprise, he raises his own shot glass. We clink the glasses together and then both down our shots. The tequila burns in the best possible way as it goes down my throat.

  My phone buzzes again, and I expect to see a message from Kinsley. Maybe she wants to meet up tonight after all. I doubt she will be able to keep her good news to herself any longer. But it’s not from Kinsley. In fact, I have no idea who it is from. I open the text message.

  Unknown: I want you, just for tonight. I want to make you feel things you have never felt before. I’ve been watching you all night, Beauty. You’re exactly what I want.

  I stare down at my phone, confused as to what is going on. I glance over at Todd, assuming it is a prank, but he is deep in conversation with the older gentleman who is now sitting at the bar instead of at one of the pub tables.

  Hmm…

  Me: I think you have the wrong number.

  My phone buzzes again almost immediately.

  Unknown: I have the right number, Beauty. I want to shred into pieces that little red dress you’re wearing that hugs your overwhelming curves. I want to tame that mane of long, wavy brown hair. I want to feel your tan legs wrapped around my waist until you dig your black pumps into my back so hard that I have to punish you for the pain you have caused me.

  I bite my lip as I stare at the seductive message I just received. A message that seems like it is meant for me. The woman he is describing fits me to a T. I uneasily shift in my seat at the thought of having a stranger stalking me. Someone has been watching me, but I can’t deny that the thought of a sexy man trying to seduce me via a text message turns me on. It does—more than I would ever admit to this stranger.

  I pick up my gin and tonic and spin in the barstool until my back is to the bar, trying to act as casual as possible as I scan the room. But I don’t see anyone new who could be sending this. I sigh. And how would a stranger get my number anyway?

  Todd.

  I turn back around and wait impatiently for Todd to find his way back down the bar to me.

  “Did you give my number to any strange men?”

  “Nope. Why would I want to give any other man a chance to snag my girl?” He smiles.

  I wonder if Todd really thinks that way or if it’s just a joke in the same way we tease each other about our choice of TV shows. Todd isn’t bad-looking. The only odd thing about him is his missing tooth that he told me he’d lost when playing ice hockey. To some women, that would even be a turn-on. He’s about my age, but he’s just not my type. Not dangerous enough. And I see him more as a friend than a lover.

  I look back at my phone. If Todd didn’t give this person my number, then who did?

  Me: Who is this? Who gave you my number?

  Unknown: It doesn’t matter who I am. All that matters is, we both want the same thing. One night of danger, passion, and mystery. One night that will forever be burned in your memory. One night that will ruin you, so every time you fuck another man, you will think about tonight and wish he were me. Wish he could thrill you the same way that I could.

  I read his message, and it’s like he has been reading my thoughts. It’s exactly what I want. It’s what I need. But I still don’t know exactly what he is proposing. I begin typing to ask him that very question, but I receive his message first.

  Unknown: Will you meet me in my room on the top floor of the Waldorf, Beauty? I want to fuck you until you’re so sore that you can’t walk without thinking about me tomorrow.

  My eyes widen as I read his text. I’m supposed to go to a hotel room without even knowing who he is. He could be planning on raping me. He could kill me.

  Or he could give me the best night of my life.

  I begin to type, No, but then stop. Why am I even considering this? This is crazy! I can’t go.

  Kinsley would kill me if she found out. I wouldn’t have to tell her though. It would just be one night, and then I would never see this man again. Whoever he is.

  He picked the Waldorf, one of the nicest hotels in New York City. He has money.

  What if he is that old man sitting down the bar from me? I glance over at him. I study his jeans and button-down shirt. There is nothing fancy or designer about his clothes. His watch is a knockoff. And he’s drinking cheap whiskey. He couldn’t afford a hotel room like that.

  I could ask Todd to go with me. Check out this man and let me know if he’s okay first. But that would take all the excitement out of it.

  I reach into my purse, making sure the pepper spray I bought after Kinsley had gone missing is still there. It would be my only defense.

  I do a lot of kickboxing to stay in shape. I’ve taken some self-defense classes. Being a single woman, living in New York City, I felt I needed some level of protection. But I know my skills would be no match for a man who is prepared to rape or murder. If he has a gun, I’m fucked. If he surprises me, I’m fucked. If there is more than one man, I don’t stand a chance. It doesn’t matter how many classes or how strong I am for a woman; most men are still stronger than me. I shouldn’t even be considering it.

  I hear the door open, and warm, humid air fills the room. I turn just in time to see a tall, dark man leaving.
A man in a suit with tousled hair on top of his head. He looks like any typical businessman my age who works in New York. But there is one thing not typical about him. He turns to look at me just before the door closes, and for a split second, I see the danger lurking in his eyes as he stares at me like no man ever has. A danger that pulls at my heart.

  I glance back down at my phone and hit the Delete button until I erase, No. And then I type, Yes, and send the text.

  Click here to keep reading Definitely Yes.

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  Ella Miles writes sexy romance with a twist. She’s currently living her own happily ever after near the Rocky Mountains with her high school sweetheart husband. Her heart is also taken by her goofy three year old black lab that is scared of everything, including her own shadow.

  Ella is the author of the ALIGNED series, MAYBE series, and DEFINITELY series. Get a free book by visiting her website: EllaMiles.com/freebooks.

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  The Maybe series is the second series I have written. At the time when I was writing the Maybe series I had just published the first two books in my Aligned series and was dealing with many decisions about what I should do to succeed as a writer. Should I write a second series or a standalone? Should I do Facebook advertising to promote my series or do other promotions? What is the best way to advertise my books? What books should I give away for free and which should I charge for? What should my website look like? Should I put my books in the Kindle Unlimited program or go wide on all platforms? The list of decisions I had to make went on and on.

  Usually I am a very decisive person when it comes to things I care about. And I really care about my writing, so I thought it would be easy to make all of these decisions. But it wasn't. I was suddenly faced with a million decisions and no idea how to make them. I never felt more indecisive in my life. I felt like whatever decision I made, it was the wrong one.

  From that experience the character for Kinsley came about. I wanted to write what I was feeling at the time. So I wrote a very indecisive character that was naive and gullible and simply made too many wrong decisions in her life. That is where the inspiration for the Maybe series came from. From that I let Kinsley tell me her story and the rest of the story came to life.

  I want to say thank you to everyone that helped make this book possible. I want to thank my husband for continuing to support me on this journey by being my everything. Technical computer support, beta reader, proofreader, shoulder to cry on, and encourager throughout this series. I couldn’t have done this without him.

  I want to thank my editor Jovana for being awesome and pushing me to write better and stronger stories with less grammatical errors.

  Thank you to my cover designer Sarah for designing the perfect covers to go with this series.

  Thank you Cara for creating chapter headings and designs to spruce up the inside of the book.

  I must say thank you to my street team that has done an amazing job of helping me to promote this series. You guys love this series as much as I do and I’m so thankful to have found a tribe that will help support me and encourage me. You guys have really gone above and beyond by being my last set of eyes to make sure the final draft is as perfect as possible. You have emailed me countless times encouraging me to keep writing. And you have supported each release on social media. Thank you for everything you have done for me and for becoming part of my family. I couldn’t do this without you.

  And most of all I want to thank you, my reader. I write for you. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for reading and supporting me. I’m forever grateful.