by Mari Carr
“I love you, Sydney. You’ve been my best friend since kindergarten. I can’t imagine how much my life would have sucked if you weren’t in it.”
Sydney laughed, though the sound came out half sob. There were happy tears in her eyes.
Chas reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a beautiful ring. “Sydney Sparks, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Sydney had begun to nod before Chas even got the question out. “Yes.”
Then Chas was up, hugging her.
Macie was relieved to realize she wasn’t the only person in the room crying when she spotted Gia and Jeannette reaching for napkins to wipe their eyes.
Luc and Diego were quick to shake Chas’ hand as Gia and Jeannette immediately started talking about dresses and summer weddings. Soon the guys were included in the conversation as they discussed honeymoon locations.
Macie, however, appeared to be the only person focused on the most important thing, the one thing that offered Macie an answer to her dilemma.
A change of scenery. A chance to break out of her damn rut.
Macie raised her hands, speaking above everyone. “I hate to interrupt all of you, but you’re jumping the gun.”
“How so?” Jeannette asked.
“There’s not going to be a wedding…” she paused for dramatic effect, just because it was fun, and then she added, “without a bachelorette party. Vegas, here we come!”
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Be sure to check out other books in the Sparks in Texas series.
Sparks Fly
Sparks in Texas, Book 1
I Do is the easy part. Happily ever after? Not so much.
Evan and Annie are deeply in love, but that hasn’t stopped tension from creating cracks in their relationship. Determined not to fail his wife, Evan takes action before those cracks become craters, damaging their marriage irreparably. Over the Fourth of July weekend, he’ll reignite Annie’s passion with his own brand of fireworks.
Stand back and watch the sparks fly.
Please enjoy this excerpt from Sparks Fly. Available now.
“Are you searching for something special, officer?”
The breathless quality of her voice let him know she’d finally caught up with him.
“I need to be sure you aren’t carrying any concealed weapons.”
She looked over her shoulder and gave him a flirty smile. “Oh, I’m packing heat. But you aren’t looking in the right place.”
He fought to restrain a groan. Annie was a master at dirty talk. Then it occurred to him that this fantasy—the cop and his criminal—was one they’d never played out. Which was strange considering his occupation and the fact he had all the right toys.
“Face forward, Ms. Iser. I don’t think you understand the seriousness of this situation.”
Annie held his gaze a few seconds longer before looking away. Her hips wiggled seductively as he moved his “search” lower. He didn’t take the bait. He had a definite strategy for how the night would unfold and it had everything to do with his pretty criminal submitting to his authority.
“Have you been drinking, Ms. Iser?”
She lifted her shoulders casually, unconcerned, unrepentant. “I may have had a glass of wine earlier. It is a holiday, you know.”
Annie wasn’t much of a drinker, even on the holidays, so he wondered about the wine. Was she feeling the same pressure he was? Had she been looking for a way to relax before seeing him again? That thought made his chest ache. He pushed it away. Hopefully, tonight would help them mend the rifts they’d unconsciously let grow.
He reached for her upper arm, dragging her upright and turning her until she faced him. “Drinking and driving?”
“You don’t really expect me to confess to that, do you, officer?”
“Lieutenant.” The mischief in her eyes told him she was purposely refusing to acknowledge his rank. “And I don’t need your confession. I have a breathalyzer.”
She didn’t pretend to be worried. He loved her spunk, the challenge in her posture. She crossed her arms, allowing them to push up her breasts. The move drew his attention to her hard nipples. His mouth watered for a taste of them, but it was far too early for that. If he started taking off her clothes, the game would end too fast.
For months, he’d viewed sex as a chore, the two of them going through the motions with very little passion or foreplay. As he looked at her flushed face, as he watched her chest rise and fall with breathless expectation, he wanted to kick his own ass for forgetting how good it could be between them.
“Don’t I have to consent to the breathalyzer?”
He shook his head. “I’m not giving you a choice.” He cupped her face in his hands, pulling her closer. “Are you ready?”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond before placing his lips on hers. He pressed them open, touching his tongue to hers. He couldn’t detect even the faintest hint of wine on her breath. Regardless, he kept kissing her, tasting and breathing her air. Evan didn’t need alcohol. He could get drunk on Annie.
Finally, after several minutes, he forced himself to release her, working overtime to maintain control, to stay in character. “You realize you’re in quite a bit of trouble, Ms. Iser.”
She feigned a contrite smile that didn’t fool him for a minute. “Maybe there’s some way I can convince you to forget all this and let me off with a warning?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you attempting to bribe a police officer?”
She reached out to run her hand along his chest, toying suggestively with his badge. “I didn’t say anything about a bribe.”
He moved so quickly she didn’t have time to counter or retreat. Evan turned her toward the car, grasping her wrists and tugging them behind her back. She had just begun to struggle when he slapped on the handcuffs. Then he bent over her, pressing her against the hood of the car, letting her helplessness sink in.
“What did you have in mind?” he murmured in her ear.
He’d taken her off-guard. It took her a few moments to regroup.
“I…” She swallowed heavily when he ground his cock more firmly against her ass. “I…” She paused again. Finally she said, “What do you want?”
Evan chuckled. Annie was rarely at a loss for words. It felt good to shake up the self-assured woman. “I want it all, Ms. Iser. Your total submission. For the entire night.”
Waiting for You
Sparks in Texas, Book 2
How do you protect the woman you love…when the greatest danger is sleeping in her bed?
Sydney Sparks can’t remember a time when Chas wasn’t part of her life—from childhood playmates, to high-school sweethearts, to long-distance friends. Now, after twelve long years, Chas is leaving the Marines and coming home. Sydney’s thrilled to have him back on American soil, safe and sound, even if his return is doing funny things to her heart.
The second he stepped off the plane and locked gazes with Sydney, Chas refused to waste a minute more on their “just friends” status quo. Together again, it feels as if they were never apart, the love they’d shared as innocent teens now vastly more intense as adults—with a sexual hunger to match.
However, despite his newfound happiness, Chas can’t seem to shake the memories of his tours in the Middle East, of the firefights, the killing…the deaths of his friends. When the flashbacks grow stronger, Chas struggles to hide his increasing lack of control, terrified of losing everything he’d just regained—including Sydney.
Please enjoy this excerpt from Waiting for You. Available now.
Sydney stood next to Gran, who was flanked by Julian on the right. The three of them were standing at the international arrivals gate, grinning like fools as they held the banner Sydney had made. Chas’ flight had landed and her heart was racing a million miles an hour. She’d seen him just a few months earlier over the holidays. They’d exchanged small gifts and consumed a bottle of eggnog together.
Chas had even told her a little bit about two friends he’d lost in combat, the story breaking her heart.
Chas had ended up sleeping on her couch that night, while she’d tossed and turned in her bedroom, fighting the urge to go out and comfort him. However, there had been something in his eyes—some dark, unfamiliar sadness—that had stopped her, that had told her to keep her distance.
Several more people walked through the gate. Sydney watched as relatives reunited with hugs, laughter and sometimes tears. She loved coming to the airport, loved the energy and the atmosphere, the hustle and bustle. It was a hotbed of emotions unlike any other place.
Gran captured her attention with a nudge of the elbow. “There he is.”
Chas strolled through the doors in jeans and a t-shirt. It would seem so weird to see him dressed in civilian clothing rather than his fatigues from now on, and she wondered if he’d give up the crew cut he’d kept for so many years and return to the longer style of his youth. He looked around the area, searching for them. Sydney smiled and waved when his eyes met hers.
Chas walked faster then, laughing when he read their banner. Sydney took it from Julian and Gran, stepping back so that Chas could greet his family.
She was shocked when he bypassed both of them and walked right up to her. He tugged the banner out of her hands and dropped it to the floor a split second before he grabbed her in his embrace and kissed her.
His mouth was demanding, forcing her lips apart so he could stroke her tongue with his. Sydney fought off a wave of dizziness and disbelief. Even a bit of embarrassment when she recalled his grandmother was standing less than five feet away from them. She put her hands on his shoulders, intent on pushing him away, but Chas only gripped her tighter, one of his hands rising to cup the back of her neck, his fingers lightly stroking the sensitive skin there.
She was a goner. Sydney stopped giving a shit who was there and what they were seeing. Chas was home. And he was kissing her.
Twelve years melted away into a haze of nothingness. He was home. Finally.
Other Titles by Mari Carr
Trinity Masters:
Elemental Pleasure
Primal Passion
Scorching Desire
Forbidden Legacy
Hidden Devotion
Sparks in Texas:
Sparks Fly
Waiting for You
Something Sparked
Big Easy:
Blank Canvas
Crash Point
Full Position
Rough Draft
Triple Beat
Second Chances:
Fix You
Full Moon
Status Update
The Back-Up Plan
Never Been Kissed
Say Something
Compass Brothers:
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Eastern Ambitions
Western Ties
Compass Girls:
Winter’s Thaw
Hope Springs
Summer Fling
Falling Softly
Black & White Collection:
Tequila Truth
Rough Cut
Happy Hour
Power Play
Slam Dunk
Naughty is Nice
In the Running
Just Because:
Because of You
Because You Love Me
Because It’s True
Cowboys:
Spitfire
Rekindled
Inflamed
Lowell High:
Bound by the Past
Covert Affairs
Mad about Meg
Wild Irish:
Come Monday
Ruby Tuesday
Waiting for Wednesday
Sweet Thursday
Friday I’m in Love
Saturday Night Special
Any Given Sunday
Wild Irish Christmas
Wild Irish Boxed Set
June Girls:
No Recourse
No Regrets
Madison Girls:
Kiss Me, Kate
Three Reasons Why
Madison Girls boxed set
Boys of Fall:
Free Agent
Red Zone
Wild Card
Scoundrels:
Black Jack
White Knight
Behind the Scenes
Under the Lights
Over the Threshold
Scoundrels Boxed Set
Foreign Affairs:
Princess
Cowboy
Master
Hands
Foreign Affairs Boxed Set
About the Author
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller, Mari Carr writes contemporary erotic romance novels. To learn more about her spicy stories, click here.
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