Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Island County Book 5)

by Karice Bolton

  “My favorite,” I gushed as he gave me a quick kiss. “So you didn’t hear my idea about the Polar Bear Dip.”

  “No, I didn’t.” He grinned, setting the strawberries on the counter in the kitchenette.

  “I think we need to do a Polar Bear Dip with some real gusto.” I smiled, but he pulled me into him.

  “I thought that dip was pretty perfect,” he countered. “And the library even got more books.”

  I giggled and pulled away. I grabbed the stereo remote and turned on music. His eyes followed me as I slowly walked toward the bedroom but stopped just outside.

  “Come on.” I wiggled my finger, and a worried look darted through his gaze.

  “We have reservations,” he said, almost stuttering.

  “This is more important.” I smiled, cranking up the tunes. “It’s time for a Polar Bear Skinny Dip.”

  I dropped my robe, and his eyes became heated with want as I stepped toward him.

  “Holly,” he whispered as I wrapped myself around him.

  “What do you say?” I asked, taking a step back. “Ready to try the skinny dip version?”

  I wiggled my naked hips, ran my hands down my sides, and gave a little bounce, and he sucked in a jagged breath, but it wasn’t until I reached for the curtain to the patio that he nearly tackled me to the floor.

  It was a soft landing, but completely unexpected as the curtain rod bounced to the ground and the fabric fell to the floor.

  “What the heck?” I asked, his body curled around mine as if a bomb was about to go off. I glanced toward the sliding patio door and saw a row of shoes.

  “I swear to God, you’re going to keep me on my toes for the rest of my life.” He laughed, his body still covering mine.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, his embrace only tightening.

  “Surprise!” I heard our group of friends yell out at the top of their lungs.

  “Surprise,” Nick echoed, still on top of me.

  “Oh. My. Gosh. I just flashed my friends,” I groaned.

  “No, no. I’m pretty sure I got you in time,” he said, still covering me up.

  But I wasn’t so sure . . . timing and all.

  I heard Sophie instructing everyone through the glass door to turn around, and my heart sped up mightily with embarrassment.

  “So maybe we’ll try the skinny dipping another time,” I whispered, my cheeks flaming.

  “I honestly don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that this could happen.” Nick grinned and craned his neck behind him to make sure our friends had all turned around.

  He rolled off me and reached for the robe, draping it over me as he helped me up.

  I tied the robe around me and laughed, giving Nick a huge kiss.

  I glanced out the slider to see the snow on the patio surrounding our friends and the steam from the hot tub rolling into the air.

  “This was quite the surprise,” I joked, tapping on the glass, and everyone turned around.

  “It turned into quite the doozey.”

  I noticed Sophie, Natty, and Jewels bunched together and still not turning around.

  “We should probably let them in. How long have they been outside?” I asked, noticing Tori looking a little blue.

  “Since you were in the shower.” He slid open the slider, and the girls turned around, holding a street sign that read Holly Lane.

  I glanced at Nick, who was beaming. “I petitioned the state, then the island, then the town. You no longer live on State Road 26. Our road has been officially changed to Holly Lane.”

  “You can do that?” I asked.

  “Apparently so.” He smiled, hugging me as everyone piled inside, laughing and talking excitedly, wishing me happy birthday and almost making the other mishap blend into obscurity.

  “Happy Birthday,” Sophie said, giving me a big hug. “We didn’t see a thing.”

  “Not a thing,” Natty said, nodding.

  “Well, we might have seen a little.” Tori pinched her fingers together. “But it all happened so fast, I’m not even sure any of us know what we saw.”

  “What time are the reservations, Nick?” Sophie asked, trying to soften the blow.

  “Fewer than ten minutes, actually. I think we might be late.” Nick glanced at me still standing in my robe.

  “I can hurry,” I promised him, but Sophie shook her head.

  “Don’t rush. You’re the birthday girl. We’ll go downstairs to the restaurant and check in.”

  She gave me a quick hug and ushered everyone out of our suite.

  Nick laughed and glanced toward the patio. “I think I need to come up with lots of plan Bs.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  He looped his hand in mine and pulled me outside.

  The crisp air took my breath away, but the snow-covered mountains surrounding us were so beautiful I didn’t care.

  “So I just can’t wait any longer,” he began, and my eyes fell to the hot tub.

  “You want to do the skinny dip after all?” I asked.

  “Everything you do is so damn cute.” He grinned.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Not a problem but a definite complication, especially if we’re supposed to get things done in this world.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Like asking you to marry me.”

  Nick kneeled in front of me and reached for my hand.

  “Holly, I wanted to make your birthday one you’d never forget because you’ve made every one of my days unforgettable since you came dancing into it. I wake up in the morning excited to hear about your dreams, I look forward to finishing work so we can watch eighties movies together, I dream up things I can do to surprise you, and yet you always outdo me. You always manage to surprise me.”

  Nick’s eyes stayed on mine and my entire world went into slow motion. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tiny ring box. My heart sputtered in delight.

  “I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, Holly Wildes. I know sharing a life with you will mean a dull ride will never exist, and I can’t wait for it. You challenge me and make me excited for each day.”

  I slid my hands across my cheeks, wiping away the tears of joy.

  “Holly, will you marry me?” he asked.

  I nodded my head and fell to my knees, the snow soaking through my bathrobe as he slipped the ring on my finger.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you,” I said. “A million times over, I’ll marry you.”

  “You’ve finally given me what I was looking for and didn’t even know it,” Nick whispered. “You’ve given me a new way to look at the same old things.”

  “I love you, Nick,” I whispered.

  “I love you more,” he teased.

  “Wanna bet?”

  “Always.”

  I never imagined when I moved to Fireweed Island that my life would be forever changed, but as I looked at the man I’d fallen so deeply in love with, I knew this had always been in the plan. I was just lucky enough to find the right path to him, and for once, I didn’t get stuck on one of life’s detours.

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  Looking for another series to try? Check out Mia and keep reading for an excerpt...

  Sometimes people come into your world and wreak havoc. They leave a mark that can't be removed. That mark for me was Drake Volkov.

  I didn't know my introduction to the New York art world would begin with a sexy as hell stranger at a masquerade ball. Everything about this guy screamed sex and danger, and I knew I should run in the opposite direction.

  It didn't help that he was the man my brother asked me to keep an eye on. Why? I had no idea--just another perk of having a brother in the private security business.

  I'd been tol
d Drake was heartless and ran the streets of Manhattan. They said he was vicious, ruthless, unrelenting, and a player with a heart of stone.

  But the stories didn't line up with the man I'd come to know.

  Drake protected me in my darkest hour. He sheltered me from the very viciousness the world accused him of.

  They were wrong.

  He became my secret--my hidden obsession--and sinful addiction.

  I wasn't reckless, but I was falling in love with a man who was.

  Chapter One

  Mia

  “Come on, Mia. You can do this,” Ginger Mesnet coaxed me. She shook her head full of blonde curls as she climbed up the steps with her black stilettos clacking.

  I looked up the long flight of marble stairs that threatened to carry me straight to hell. Granted, it was a hell I chose, but I didn’t expect things to feel so wrong once I arrived.

  On the surface, the idea sounded like a good one, possibly even fun. Enjoy a night of drinks, meet a few good-looking men, and help out my brother, Luke.

  Luke owned one of the largest private security firms in the country. Celebrities and politicians regularly tapped his company for services that law enforcement couldn’t provide. He also specialized in countersurveillance and risk management, which often meant being proactive when it came to the bad guys, which was what led me here tonight.

  My brother’s line of work often put him in complex situations with outcomes bordering on downright dangerous. Thankfully for him, he managed to run into the right woman who was about as twisted as he was, and they both loved the adventure of it. In fewer than two weeks, they’d be walking down the aisle, and because of that, I volunteered to keep an eye on someone for my brother so Luke could spend a blissful three weeks away from work.

  My preference? I tended to enjoy a paintbrush and a blank canvas rather than sneaking down an alley to spy on someone, but here I was in all my sparkly glamor.

  I think my willingness to help my brother out was because his relationship with Hannah had secretly given me hope that screwed-up people could find love. Plus, he’d caught me in a weak moment. I’d just broken up with another quasi-boyfriend before coming to New York. I seemed to specialize in men who were as walled off as me. Usually, it was a win-win.

  Regardless, I now stood at the entrance to a singles event in the middle of Manhattan with a gallery owner I didn’t want to disappoint and a mission to spy on someone for my brother, of whom I’d only seen a photo.

  I watched Ginger tread up the stairs as a group of men, with satin and feathers wrapped around their heads, meandered up the steps.

  Was this what my life had come to?

  Why, yes. I think it had.

  “I don’t hear your feet trying to catch up.” Ginger’s voice rang through the air as her red silk dress cascaded down the steps behind her.

  One thing I learned about Ginger was that she lived for any type of affair that would allow her to dress up and drink, which was probably what made her the perfect owner of an art gallery. She was also the perfect unsuspecting companion for the night.

  A woman with a black cape hopped up the stairs, and I kept in a groan.

  Did I mention the singles event tonight was a masquerade ball? I guess that would explain the capes, masks, and feathers a little better. Truthfully, the idea of hiding behind a disguise seemed like a great idea yesterday.

  Now?

  Not so much.

  It didn’t provide nearly enough protection from the world I was about to enter.

  It was like Eyes Wide Shut met a New York Furry Convention.

  It didn’t matter how much gold glitter I’d painted around my eyes. I didn’t belong here. Where I did belong was back in my studio on the beach in California, painting to raging music and blissfully ignoring the outside world.

  A man clad in a rented tuxedo zipped past me and glanced over his shoulder as I stood rethinking my life. His peacock mask made me cringe as his beady eyes stared back at me like I was a disgrace to singles everywhere.

  I probably was. I didn’t like dating, relationships, or any complication that involved emotion. I reserved those pesky feelings for the canvas.

  The man hopped up the rest of the steps to join the other singles, and I debated whether I wanted to make a run for it. No client of my brother deserved this type of devotion. Besides, how would I know who was who with masks on everyone? As a team, we didn’t think this through very clearly.

  I sucked in a deep breath and glanced around. It was definitely time to get out of here. Ginger would have to forgive me, and so would my brother.

  “Don’t even think about getting out of here.” A man’s sultry voice snuck up on me from behind. He sounded like pure sex. The huskiness intrigued me, but I refused to turn around to give him what he wanted.

  When I didn’t acknowledge him, the man placed his fingers on the small of my back and an unexpected thrill spiked through me.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, turning to face the guy who was beyond brazen, but instead of being angry, I was in awe of the man in front of me.

  His icy blue eyes rested on mine as I studied him. His chiseled features looked like a carving from one of the masters, and he filled out his expensive suit to perfection. My eyes dropped to his pouty lips before bringing my gaze back to his, and that’s when I realized how much he resembled the photo of Drake Volkov, the man I was supposed to be watching from a distance.

  I stiffened at the realization but forced the worry away. There would be absolutely no reason for Drake to know anything about me or why I was here. Luke would’ve made sure of that.

  I turned my gaze to the street below. My brother’s instructions had been simple. Keep an eye on Drake from afar and find out who he was here with and where he was going after the event. By the looks of it, I’d say Drake Volkov was here alone.

  “Well?” I asked again, attempting to sound annoyed. “I’m waiting for an answer.”

  Intrigue flashed through his eyes, and my pulse increased slightly. I’d never gotten nervous around men.

  Ever.

  In fact, I liked to believe I made them nervous. I’d always managed to maintain control of my life. Relationships had never been a priority, and they never would be. I didn’t need a man to be satisfied. I had my work. I had a full life back in California. If I had needs, I made sure they were met and moved on.

  “My hope is to convince a very beautiful woman to stay and endure the horrors of the evening with me. You don’t belong here, and neither do I.” The man could cast a spell with just his words, and they curled around me like magic.

  “When you put it that way, why would I ever run away? Sounds like a delightful event.” I couldn’t hide my smile, but a pulse of worry dashed through my veins. “If you can tell me one good reason to stay at an event with a bunch of men in feathers, then maybe I’ll reconsider.”

  “Because I’m not one of them.” His eyes glinted with satisfaction, and I had to chuckle.

  Drake was confident and smooth, two characteristics that usually got me in deep trouble.

  “Which reminds me. How did you get away with wearing no mask to a masquerade ball?” My brow arched.

  “I’m not much for rules,” he replied simply as he held out his arm for me, and rather than run away, I slipped mine through his.

  Drake slowly led me up the stairs, and I had to remind myself that he was completely off-limits and the man my brother wanted me to tail.

  “What made you come tonight if you’re dreading it as much as me?” I glanced at him and noticed the dark stubble along his jawline. This guy was beyond sexy and definitely my kind of trouble.

  “I’m here on a dare. How about you?” he answered.

  I let go of his arm and glanced toward the crowd of people congregating near the bar. I didn’t see Ginger, which wasn’t a surprise. She managed to get swallowed into whatever affair she was attending.

  “I wish I could say the same.” I smiled and
saw a number of women slow their steps purely to admire how handsome this guy was. I couldn’t say I blamed them. Besides, he wasn’t mine to claim.

  “There you are,” Ginger said, rushing over with a martini in her hand. “There are men all over the place.” She barely gave a glance in Drake’s direction. “How about we move toward the dance floor?”

  “I’m not feeling much like dancing,” I confessed.

  Noticing Ginger’s expression fall, I quickly changed my tactic. After all, I didn’t want to blow my chances at her art gallery because I’d brought her here under false pretenses. In Ginger’s eyes, I was here to find a date for my brother’s wedding.

  “Maybe it’s just my nerves. He’s already caught me trying to escape once.” I pointed my thumb in Drake’s direction, but she didn’t bother to look at him.

  “It’s true. Really, you should be thanking me that she’s still here.” His low voice held an intensity that unsteadied me. I wasn’t used to this kind of reaction. I always knew how to keep a safe distance between desire, need, and lust, but as I stood here next to him, the line was starting to blur. Maybe it was because I knew he was off-limits. That had to be it. I knew I couldn’t have him, so I wanted him even more.

  Made sense.

  I snuck a look at Drake, but his eyes were already fastened on mine. His gaze was filled with some sort of possession I’d never encountered before, and it sent an unexpected shiver through me.

  “Umm . . .” I bit my lip, completely taken aback at my response. I was rendered speechless.

  I was never rendered speechless. I always had too much to say about everything and everyone.

  “Let’s get you a drink and get you loosened up.” Ginger pulled me with her before I could gather my thoughts or object.

  I felt Drake’s eyes on me all the way to the bar, and I was quite tempted to give him another look, but I resisted.

  “So you can thank me later for pulling you away from the most notorious bachelor in all of Hell’s Kitchen.” Ginger laughed nervously. “Not to mention, he’s the son of a mobster. Not wedding date material.”