by Piper Rayne
He pulls back, his eyes still closed.
“Do you want to know the real reason why I call you Ev?” he asks, rubbing his nose against mine. I don’t answer. I could nod, but I don’t want his lips any farther than they are right now. “Because you’re my everything. Since the day we met in the dorms, since the moment we met and became friends. You’ll always be my everything.”
With that, I pull away a little more, wanting to look into his perfect eyes. Just enough to look up at him.
“Would you rather,” I say between breaths, realizing what he meant about wanting to hear again.
But his lips find mine again. And it’s not so sweet or slow anymore. There’s a frantic need, a desire that starts from my toes only getting hotter and more intense as it moves upward.
Clothes start coming off before his door is even closed, but when it is, I back up to let the wood hold me up.
“You still haven’t answered,” I say, a palm on Colton’s chest, where I feel his heart matching mine, desperate beat for desperate beat.
His smile falls a little, but it doesn’t tip downward, only gets serious.
“I’ve always loved you,” he says. But then the grin is back as he keeps going. “You dope. I’d rather have you, even if it meant letting go of everything else. It’s only you. It’s always been you,” Colton says, making my knees go weak. “It will always be you.”
My fingers curl around his shoulders and yank him to me.
He doesn’t hesitate, needing me as much as I need him in this moment.
Our lips crash into each other one more time, and he’s lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, holding with arms tight around his neck. This I what home feels like. This is why nothing else has worked out before.
My head falls back against the door as he slides into me, and I don’t even try to quiet my gasps. I won’t ever try to quiet how I feel about this man ever again.
About the Author
Maria, an internationally bestselling indie author, lives in Minnesota despite the frozen winters. Actually, she prefers snow drifts and icicles over summer and all that sweat running everywhere. She lives with her husband and little family, which includes a couple lazy cats who make great lap warmers. You can usually find her whishing that she lived in a secret cabin in the woods where she could be a hermit reading and writing all of the time. Instead she lives the suburban life where she pretends to her neighbors and the other moms around that she doesn't swear like a sailor, have hidden tattoos, and loves a good bottle of wine. She absolutely believes in unicorns and ghosts and hopes vampires and monsters are real too. She's a coffee-in-the-morning and wine-in-the-evening kind of person, preferably with a nap in between. Maria prefers cats over dogs, books over people, and late nights over early mornings. She probably shouldn't talk to anyone until she's had her first cup of coffee. And if you ever want to hang out with her, you'll have to be game for a horror movie or just a quick run to target for two (hundred) little things. Also, you couldn't pay her to be in her twenties again; Thirties is where it's at. She's a creative, mouthy, introverted, proud bisexual, highly-sensitive INFJ, Slytherpuff, dork with a sweet-tooth.
Read More from Maria Ann Green
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A Million Christmas Gamble
By Aria Rae Blossom
Aria Rae Blossom
A Million Christmas Gamble
* * *
A shameless playboy. A sassy virgin. A match made in hell.
* * *
Tanner McGuire receives a phone call that brings him back to Houston, a home he had avoided for years. When his father landed in the hospital due to a car crash, his old man requested him to go settle a business deal in Las Vegas. Losing his father’s love and trust in the past, he had to work with the plain secretary in the company. Though her sharp tongue made his blood boil every single time they crossed paths.
* * *
Since Stacey Nelson’s boss had helped her escape poverty, she decides to help repay his kindness by agreeing to work alongside his son. Though she can’t stand the sight of him or the scent of his musky cologne, she’s determined to endure the situation. She hadn’t failed to do a task yet and isn’t going to now.
* * *
They have until Christmas to work out a business deal and stop a takeover. Even though Tanner and Stacey despise each other, they will have to combine wits and come up with a strategy to capture a deadly foe hiding in the dark. Will they set aside their grudges and help resolve things before the company is forced into bankruptcy? Or will they lose their lives?
A Million Christmas Gamble © 2020 Aria Rae Blossom
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Example Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Created with Vellum
1
Tanner
Will misfortune strike him again?
He stood in front of the elevator and tapped his foot as the dread in his heart thumped like beating drums. On the left side of the lobby, individuals bypassed him as they pushed the wheelchairs carrying their loved ones out of the hospital. Several people carrying bouquets strode through the entrance to visit their families. In the lobby, the noises coming from patients didn’t even disturb the panic in his heart.
Tanner glanced at the red number on the elevator for the fourth time, which the lift hadn't descended from the eighth floor in the past three minutes. He snarled and slammed his fist into the wall. He tried his best to ignore the glare from the bystanders as they persuaded him to stop making ruckus.
Why is this darn thing taking so long? Did it get stuck somehow?
Tanner couldn’t wait for the door to open so he headed for the stairs. He sprinted two steps at a time to reach the Intensive Care Unit on the fifth floor. Dashing through the hallways, he evaded all the patients and nurses along the way to reach his father's room. The strong smells of medicine and germs lingered in the air, reminding him of dried rotten blood in the butcher shop. He cringed as he covered his nose to stop the revolting stench from making him vomit.
The scent caused him to remember the incident from eight years ago about the horrible accusation that ruined his reputation to the point that he nearly lost his life. Ever since he was laid up in the hospital for nearly six months due to his suicide attempt, he never liked the smell of flesh and blood. The terrible incident was like a sword that slashed his heart in half. He wanted to forget his awful memories.
All the time, Tanner had continued living in New York with his friends, since he got released from the hospital. Since his happiness vanished long ago, he drank alcohol, played cards at the casino, and frolicked with girls to escape the painful reality that he wanted to erase from his life.
He planned to amend for being an irresponsible son, though his father never once called to check about his wellbeing in the past eight years. With no courage and no method to resolve the grudge between his father and himself, he stayed as a wanderer in Manhattan by using the money his mother sent to him once a month. Tanner hoped it wasn't too late for him and repay his parents.
It’s already 3 PM! Father, please don't leave yet. Wait for me to reach you first!
Strolling past the nurses in the hal
lways, he marched to the room. Tanner glanced at the room plate, realized the number was correct, and opened the door with a bang. He strode inside with hurried steps.
“Hudson, is my father all right?” Tanner glanced at the butler, who was standing in front of the bathroom door, pouring a cup of water. “What does the doctor say about his condition? Will he live for another day?”
Before the elderly fellow answered, a pillow flew out of thin air and smacked Tanner right in the face. He stumbled back against the doorframe while clutching the soft item in his hand.
What in the world? Is my father awake?
“You ridiculous fool! What do you mean by that?” an enraged voice growled. The mattress creaked. “Do you really want me to die that soon?”
Tanner frowned, recognizing that tone. Glancing around the white walls of the room, his gazes landed on the hospital bed. His father, wearing a blue gown, sat up straight, a white blanket covering from the waist down. Besides losing more gray hair on his nearly bald head and the increasing wrinkles on the temple, his father was safe and sound.
Turning a blind eye to his old man, who tried to escape from the butler’s hands, Tanner sighed from relaxation. He was happy from the strong reaction from his father, but Tanner became annoyed for falling into a trap. Even his father’s face flushed deep red and he was attempting to throttle him, even though Tanner stood nearly ten feet away.
“So, you’re still breathing, old man.” Tanner huffed in annoyance. I’ve been fooled big time. How dare he use this ugly trick on me?
“Please, young master,” Hudson pleaded as he bypassed Tanner and shut the door. “Your mother couldn’t come in time since she needed to watch over the company. With no family members here, I had to pretend to be your uncle to accompany your father until you arrived. Your disturbance will make the nurses kick us out of the room. So, please stop yelling.”
Tanner raised his brows and reevaluated his father’s body again. His dad wasn’t even pale. The only thing the old man had were scratches and bruises on his forehead. Tanner narrowed his eyes at his father, trying to control the rage in his heart. He folded his arms, wrinkled his brows at his dad’s scuttling fists, and refused to soothe his father’s ego with any calming words. In the end, he didn’t budge one inch from his spot.
“Your condition is not even as dreadful as the phone call I received earlier from your secretary made it seem. What’s up with the ‘Your father won’t live past tonight’? Hm… Tell me!” Tanner snapped in frustration. He stared at the white board to check for the patient’s information. “I want to speak to your doctor. How terrible is your condition that you have to use this awful method to lure me here?”
“So, you’re telling me that you’ll only visit me when I’m six feet under the ground?” his father growled as he threw another pillow at his son. Tanner dodged at the last second. “Why on earth did your mother give birth to an ungrateful son? Oh heavens, what have I done to receive this retribution of a devil spawn?”
Tanner groaned at his father’s dramatics. The old fool was still the same as ever, exaggerating every small thing. He had wanted to patch things up with his father, but fear caused him not to act at all. Now, his father’s words shattered the last emotion in his heart. Why should he be here if he clearly wasn’t welcome? Their relationship had already been so tense from that incident eight years ago.
I can’t stay to face him anymore in this room. Too uncomfortable! I better leave before I make our relationship worse.
“If you’re fine, then I’ll head back now,” Tanner uttered in a slow breath. “I won’t disturb your rest.”
He turned around to walk out of the room, but the butler’s voice stopped him again. “Young master, please don’t leave yet. I’m sorry on behalf of the secretary’s phone call. The doctor said your father only had slight injuries, but he broke his left leg in the car accident. Are you really not going to have any sympathy for your father, who will be bedridden for the next two or three months?”
Tanner whirled around to glance at the bed once again and finally saw the cast on his father’s shin. He hadn’t seen this injury earlier, probably since the blanket had been covering his father’s lower body. At last, he had calmed down the bitter feeling within himself and he sat on an empty chair and poured himself a cup of tea.
“So, spill it. What do you want so badly that you have to call me back from New York?” Tanner scowled as he drank his tea. “Is there an emergency that requires my presence?”
Tanner’s father stopped moving on the bed as he shoved the butler aside. The elderly fellow glanced back and forth between his two masters to realize the commotion had settled down. At last, he stood on the right side of the bed, waiting for orders from either man.
“I need your help to go visit this client on my behalf.” His father pointed to a binder on top of a pile of work on the cot. “If I wasn’t injured, I’d go to the meeting myself.”
After Hudson snatched the folder and put it on the table, Tanner took the papers inside and glanced over each document. He frowned at each word on the contract, and then stared at his father. Was his old man serious?
“I don’t think I can help you much. In this contract, the client indicated discussing business with Joseph McGuire.” Tanner tossed the file on the table. “You’re not asking me to impersonate you at the meeting, right?”
“Of course not, you fool.” Joseph growled and slammed his fist on the food stand. “My secretary already informed the client earlier about my car crash and persuaded them to have my son visit in my place. Everything is all settled so you just need to be in Las Vegas from December fifteenth to December eighteenth.
“That’s in three days!” Tanner exclaimed, standing up and approaching the bed. “I have to head back to Manhattan in four days to attend a friend’s birthday celebration on December sixteenth. Can we reschedule the dates? I can’t really make time for this meeting at all.”
“This business discussion is more important than your friend’s party!” Joseph shouted, pointing a finger at his son. “You should stop hanging out with those guys. They only know how to frolic with girls. I’m getting old now, and you should start being responsible and take over all my duties. I’m not even sure how long I’ll live. You’ll inherit my position. Do you understand?”
Come on, I don’t have time to deal with your nonsense! Tanner let out a heated breath, calming the anger bubbling in his heart once more. His dad had complained earlier how Tanner had overemphasized his health, and now his old man was using his wellbeing to manipulate him. He wanted to give his father a piece of his mind, but he didn’t want to increase the resentment between them more than necessary.
“I’m not sure if I’m the perfect person for this task since I haven’t done any business with your company in eight years,” Tanner interjected as he reviewed the contract one more time. “I think you should hire one of your employees to go on your behalf. They have better experience.”
The butler interrupted them. “Don’t worry, young master. The boss can ask his secretary to tag along and give guidance on the job so you won’t have to go alone to the meeting.” Looking at his watch, Hudson scratched his head. “The time is already 4 PM. Shouldn’t your two secretaries be here by now, Master McGuire?”
“Go and call them for me,” Joseph ordered as he settled back down on the bed. “I want them in my room in the next thirty minutes so we can continue with the discussion.”
Hudson took out his own phone to make the call. “All right. I’ll reach out to them now. Since the young master was already here, you don’t have to worry about putting more pressure on your leg now, Master McGuire.”
“I’ll only agree to go after I hear more details.” Tanner nodded. “And I hope this important client won’t be very difficult to deal with.”
Tanner relaxed back into the brown chair. Moving the documents to the edge of the table, he poured himself more tea. His cell phone rang from inside the pocket of his blue jacket. He
picked up his cellphone, glanced around the room, and stood up in an instant.
"Father, I need to answer this right away," Tanner mumbled as he headed into the hallway to answer the call. "I'll be back after I take this call."
Joseph was startled at the interruption. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not finished talking with you yet, you lousy son of mine!"
Ignoring his father’s reprimanding tone, he sighed and closed the door. Even standing in the hallway, he could still hear his old man shouting. What was his problem?
He walked a few steps away and answered the phone. “What’s up, Devon?” Tanner walked farther to get more privacy. “Is there anything wrong on your end? I can’t hear you clearly.”
His friend laughed out loud. “Dude, the music from the karaoke is too noisy! There are so many girls here! You need to speak louder!”
“Ah! Those girls must be gorgeous! I’m mad I can’t be there.” Tanner’s heart jumped with joy when he heard about those giggling voices in the background. “I can’t come to your birthday party since I have to help my family down here in Texas. So, I’ll see you guys after Christmas or New Year’s instead. Remember to save a few ladies’ phone numbers for me. I’ll get in contact with them after I come back to Manhattan.”
“Sure, dude. You’ll just miss all the fun for now.” Devon chuckled. “You should just enjoy the warm weather in Houston instead of coming back here to freeze in the snow. I’ll catch up with you in January then.”
