“Unless you know anyone that meets my strict requirements.”
“I might. What’s it worth to you?” Kate took a step forward, then another, closing the distance between them.
Jagger held out the bouquet and candy, grinning like an idiot. The price sticker on the flowers said $8.99.
“Nine bucks?” she asked. “I see you spared no expense.”
“Oh, that’s not even the best part. When I told the deli guy the whole story, he threw in the chocolates for free.”
“Yeah? What story was that?”
“The one about how I had to come charging over here to get my girl back. Convince her to give me another chance. See if I could get her to fall for me all over again.”
Kate swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes blurring with tears.
Jagger leaned in closer, crushing the flowers between them. In a conspiratorial whisper, he said, “I really, really hope you don’t have a Valentine already. Deli guy said no refunds.”
Kate laughed, the sound bubbling up out of her throat, tangled up with a sob. She was so happy, so blown away, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So she did both.
“I already told you,” she said. “I hate Valentine’s Day. You do, too. I thought we talked about this?”
“I know. But I was so damn nervous coming back here, I couldn’t keep my hands from shaking. Needed something to hold on to.”
Kate took the gifts from his hands and set them on a nearby table, then turned back to face him. With a gentle touch, she took his hands and placed them on her hips. “Better?”
“Getting there.”
She moved in closer, feeling his hands slide up her back as her chest pressed against his. They fit perfectly, all their lines and curves and muscles aligned. “How about now?”
“Almost.”
“You seem pretty steady to me,” she said. She could feel him growing hard against her.
“Only when I’m with you.”
“So what happens now?” Kate held his gaze, their mouths just a breath apart, hearts banging wildly.
“I want another shot at this, Kit-Kat. You and me. Me and you. Tell me I’m not crazy.”
Kate nodded, looking deep into his amber-brown eyes. She didn’t have words for what she was searching for, but she knew it the moment she found it—that connection, that unguarded honesty, the pure hope. He was her mirror, feeling everything she felt.
Sure, they had some issues. Major ones—things they’d only begun to scratch the surface on. But who didn’t? Besides, both of them had changed a lot since their twenties. Grown up in some ways. Maybe they weren’t doomed to repeat the same mistakes again.
And even if they were, something told Kate that this time, they’d find a way to work them out. No running. No pulling away. No shutting down.
“You are crazy,” she said. “But I like crazy.”
Jagger smiled, his dimples out in full force, completely disarming her yet again.
“You have a little frosting right…” Jagger pressed his mouth to hers, licking the corner. “…there. And also here.” He kissed the other corner, his tongue sliding across her bottom lip. “There’s also some on your nose.” He kissed the tip of her nose, his lips warm and soft. “And in your hair. What the hell were you doing today?”
Kate shook her head. “You don’t even want to know.”
“No, I do. Really.”
“Let’s just say that I’m glad you’re here now, because no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, making out with cupcakes is so not the same thing.”
“So not,” he said. “Then again, you do make a damn good cupcake.”
“Yeah? You want some?” she asked. “We sold out of a lot of stuff today, but if you give me half an hour, I can whip you up a batch of… pretty much anything. Name your favorite flavor. Cherry, chocolate, vanilla…”
“You know my favorite flavor, and it sure as hell ain’t vanilla.” Jagger grabbed her hips and spun her around, pushing her against a table, biting the back of her neck. “Bend over, Valentine. I’ve got another present for you. Way better than flowers.”
Kate melted beneath his touch, shivering and laughing as he nipped at her neck, her ear, his hips grinding against her ass, teasing her, seeking her warmth. They’d only had one night together since he’d come back—they hadn’t even begun to explore each other yet.
A rush of hot desire flooded her core as she thought back to that night, thought about what else was in store for her this Valentine’s Day, and all the days and nights to come. Her legs were already trembling, her insides turning into boneless goo.
How did this even happen? Cupid’s damn arrow?
Kate smiled. She didn’t know if she believed in Cupid, but she believed in second chances. She believed in the way Jagger made her feel, inside and out. And above all of that, she believed in love—real love—no matter how hard, how challenging, how impossible it sometimes felt.
It was like some of her best desserts—the ones she’d invented from scratch, honed over time. You couldn’t always follow a recipe. Sometimes you had to improvise. Add more sugar. Toss out the whole batch and start again. But if you believed in it, if you were willing to try again and again until you got it right, you could create something magical.
That’s the kind of love she once had with Jagger Barnes. Wild. Crazy hot. Intense. Sweet. One-of-a-kind. Perfect and imperfect, all at once.
And now that they’d found their way back to each other, she couldn’t wait to fall in love with him all over again—one day, one night, one sinfully delicious, frosting-covered kiss at a time.
* * *
Thank you so much for reading Kate and Jagger’s story! Nothing beats a bad boy with a heart of gold… and I’ve got lots more to share with you. If you haven’t already, check out Snowed In with the Bad Boy! And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay on top of all the hot and juicy bad boy book news. There are lots more bad boys coming your way in 2016!
ABOUT SNOWED IN WITH THE BAD BOY
“Santa lost my address a long time ago, Cupcake. The only present you’re getting tonight is my face between your thighs.”
Former black ops mercenary Ronan Steel doesn’t do Christmas—not anymore. And he abso-fuckin-lutely doesn’t do damsels in distress, banging on his door in the middle of a blizzard. Give her a ride? Hell, no. With her big blue eyes, innocent smile, and fuck-me-senseless elf costume, that girl is nothing but trouble.
Sweet, sexy trouble that leaves him aching for a taste of what’s hidden under those candy-cane-striped tights…
Georgie Taylor will not miss another Taylor family Christmas—not after last year’s disaster, and especially not after shelling out $500 for the perfect elf costume. But a freak storm puts her holiday travel plans on ice, leaving her stranded at the secluded mountain cabin of a cocky, sexy-as-sin recluse who makes Scrooge look like a fuzzy pink teddy bear.
If only his filthy mouth didn’t make her so hot…
As the blizzard rages on, all Ronan wants for Christmas is to fuck that good-girl smile right off Georgie’s face. And all Georgie wants is to punch Ronan in the snowballs… until he pins her down and gives her a full-blown Christmas miracle right there on the kitchen table…
High in the Colorado Rockies, cabin fever has never been hotter. But when Christmas morning dawns, what does Santa have in store for the naughty bad boy and his nice little elf?
Buy Snowed In with the Bad Boy
Books by Sylvia Pierce
BARED TO THE BILLIONAIRE
Bared to the Billionaire 1
Bared to the Billionaire 2
Bared to the Billionaire 3
Bared to the Billionaire 4
BAD BOYS ON HOLIDAY
Snowed In with the Bad Boy
Bad Boy Valentine
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I’d like to send a ginormous, chocolate-dipped THANK YOU to all of the amazing, generous readers out there who lo
ve bad boys as much as I do, and who keep messaging and emailing me, asking for more! I wouldn’t be able to write these stories without your support, and I’ve got so many more hot and dirty bad boys planned for you this year… just you wait!
Thanks and cupcakes also go to my friends and colleagues in the Boneyard—Jessie, Michelle, and Eva; to Janice Owen, a dedicated reader like none other; and to the bloggers and book reviewers who continue to share their love of books with the world.
Finally, the biggest hug and kiss of them all (and whatever else you desire **wink wink, nudge nudge**) goes to my husband, who is just crazy enough to keep me around.
About the Author
Sylvia Pierce is the author of seductive erotic romance stories, including the BAD BOYS ON HOLIDAY series and the BARED TO THE BILLIONAIRE series. Sylvia loves writing about kick-ass, headstrong women and the gorgeous alpha guys who never see them coming. She believes that life should be a lot like her favorite books—smoking hot, with happy endings and lots of temptations, twists, and trouble along the way. She lives in the U.S. Pacific Northwest with a strong, sexy husband who appreciates her devious mind, loves making her laugh, and always keeps her guessing. Like the heroes in her stories, Sylvia’s man didn’t see her coming… but after fifteen years together, he’s finally figured out who’s boss!
* * *
I love hearing from readers! Connect with me at:
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If you enjoyed reading BAD BOY VALENTINE, I hope you’ll consider sharing the love! You can help other readers discover this book in a number of ways:
Lend it. This book is lending-enabled for most devices.
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Thank you so much for reading my work!
XOXO
Sylvia
Bad Boy Valentine (Bad Boys on Holiday Book 2) Page 12
