by Nikki Winter
www.beautifultroublepublishing.com
Copyright © 2012 by Nikki Winter
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright.
This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.
Published by
Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC
PO Box 61
Colfax, NC 27235
www.beautifultroublepublishing.com
Cover Art: Akil Davis
Editor: Barb Wilson
Proofreader: Novellette Whyte
http://authorgurunovellette.blogspot.com/
Formatter: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/
E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/
ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-300-2
Hmm. I suppose it’s been quite a while since I took the average blue collar male and made him into someone that could cause a woman’s thighs to clench with just one glance, hasn’t it? I could say I’m sorry or you guys could just call it even and go enjoy the hotness that is firefighter Maikao Iona. No? All right, all right! I’m sorry! I’ve been on a bit of a whirlwind with my characters the last six months and they finally started cooperating. So with my deepest apologies, I want you to take the gift of my tatted, Samoan fireman and enjoy his every move. (grin) Because I damn sure did.
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CAVEAT
This work may contain adult language and sexually explicit scenes. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.
Chapter One
“I like the color, Addie but...are you sure that’s your size?”
Addison McClain’s eyes slid shut at the same time the taste of copper filled her mouth. That might’ve had something to do with the fact that she bit her bottom lip so hard it started to bleed.
“But then again,” That infinitely amused and seemingly bottomless voice stated behind her. “You always did like a challenge.”
Her fingers clenched around the item in her hand before she did a slow turn and reopened her eyes. Sure enough, bright hazel orbs with flecks of gold stared down at her. And yes, they were just as amused as that voice had been.
One arm proportionate, in her estimate, to the branch of an oak tree, reached over her head and grabbed another one just like the one in her hand, except it was purple—her favorite color.
“I find it funny, though.” Maikao ‘Mak’ Iona continued as he stared down at her, one dark brow slightly arched. “I thought you liked purple more than anything else.”
She swallowed, heart hammering in her chest as she stared back up at him. “It...it’s not for me.”
His lips lifted at the corners. “Really?”
Addison shook her head. “Seriously, it’s a gift for Carmen.” Liar! You are such a liar! And a bad one too! The only reason you didn’t pick up the purple one is because you couldn’t reach it!
That brow just went higher. “I have to say you two have an awfully...interesting relationship if you’re buying her,” Maikao looked at the words on the package in his hand. “A sixteen function, waterproof, super-rabbit with a g-spot stimulating tip and...” He squinted at it. “Okay, for the sake of my mind, I won’t say what that part attached to the back is for but...wow.”
Addison’s face burned. Even with her darker complexion, she knew her skin was screaming her embarrassment. She peeked up at Maikao through her lashes and blurted out, “Please don’t tell Eli about this.” It was a lot to ask for, considering the best friends seemed to share everything with one another. Addison couldn’t count how many dinners she’d sat through with them giggling like ten year olds and relaying old stories about embarrassing moments they’d witnessed with women.
For a moment something dark flashed behind his irises. Annoyance? When he smiled again, it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course.” His tone was sarcastic. “Can’t tell precious Eli about your private purchases. Wouldn’t want his delicate sensibilities offended.”
Addison’s brows rose this time. “I’m hearing tone.”
“Yeah, you are.” He drawled.
Her eyes narrowed. “Is there a reason you’re stalking me in an adult store? Better yet, harassing me about what I may or may not use?”
A muscle in his jaw leaped before he finally answered. “As a matter of fact, yes.” Maikao handed her the second toy, then backed away from her and walked a few feet down the aisle before stopping in front of the wall of bondage toys. Addison watched him grab a pair of faux leather cuffs. He dangled them from one finger and grinned lasciviously. “I came in here for these.” His eyes raked her. “But what I discovered was a lot better, if you ask me.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I didn’t ask you and I’m glad you found what you were looking for. So why don’t you slither...I mean scurry along and leave me alone?”
Those hazel orbs never once veered from her face. “Because tormenting you is so much more fun than slithering...I mean scurrying along.” His grin was pure mischief and that damn twinkle in his gaze made her almost smile back.
“Go away, Mak.” She was whining but goddamn it, this shit was humiliating enough. Addison had no doubt that despite what he said Eli would be hearing about her little adventure into Kiss and Tell—the adult store they were in—and just the thought made her shudder. Being that she had a list of reasons why Mak’s friend was, in theory, perfect for her, she didn’t want her chance with him suddenly ruined because every time she got near him he couldn’t stop laughing at her. Buying a nine-inch dildo with a motor powerful enough to jump a dead car battery was not something she wanted advertised.
Addison wanted to date Eli Aaronson...badly. He was the quintessential catch. Grounded and intelligent with a successful security business of his own, Eli also came from a good family background. It didn’t hurt that he was also extremely good looking. Even though she’d known Maikao for much longer, Addison had quickly scratched him from her list of potential spouses after seeing the way he discarded women in the same manner someone would do used tissues.
They’d been friends since Addison’s unfortunate “incident” at a charity event for children with leukemia five years prior. Her dress had apparently ripped in the back and Maikao had been able to see her “smile” from across the ballroom. As charge nurse of pediatrics at St. Vincent before she was promoted to supervisor, she’d been standing in for her chief who couldn’t make it to speak on the behalf of the hospital’s sizable donation to that particular foundation for cancer research.
To hear Maikao tell it, a devout firefighter used to rescuing, he’d swooped in and saved the day by whispering in her ear, “I really love the way that yellow lace looks against your skin.” Addison had been too paralyzed by embarrassment to slap the shit out of him at the time but instead of making fun of her, he�
��d simply taken his jacket and placed it over her shoulders leading her out before anyone else got a glimpse at what they were hiding.
More than a little grateful, she’d thanked him and went to hand him his jacket but Maikao had told her she could really thank him by being his date to another event he was set to attend a week later. He promised that he’d be on the lookout for anything that would possibly make her “incident” occur more than once.
She’d gone with him and had a great time but afterwards they just sort of fell into being there for one another, the same way big brothers and little sisters were. Addison loved Mak dearly but he was a man-whore; something she’d never been interested in placing into her repertoire of relationship experience.
Standing at an even six foot five with broad shoulders and a muscle-packed frame; with jet black wavy shoulder length hair, his face clean shaven, those gorgeous eyes and a tribal sleeve tattoo going from his right shoulder and stopping at his wrist, Addison understood why Mak never found himself dateless...she just didn’t want to be one of his dates.
Then by chance, she’d met Eli. Having been mildly intrigued by his smile and dry, sarcastic humor after she spent a night at a college football game with him and Mak, she’d begged Maikao to tell Eli she was interested in him. He’d adamantly refused, saying that he didn’t want to get into playing matchmaker.
She was a little surprised that the two men were friends in the first place being that they were polar opposites. Mak had a slightly lower register to his voice and his expressions were a little less brooding than Eli’s. Eli spoke slower and never squinted; meanwhile, it was an adopted habit of his counterpart.
To those who weren’t around them enough, their laughs sounded the same, but Mak’s was huskier. Some would say they even walked the same. Addison could point both out in a crowd because Mak had a way of moving that was lithe and graceful like a big cat. Eli just sort of ambled about. Yeah, Addison knew much about the both of them but out of the two Eli was what she thought best suited her needs in a spouse. He was quiet but not anti-social. He was intelligent but not pompous. He could be playful but wasn’t annoyingly childish. He was safe and faithful.
Not to say Mak wasn’t amazing. He had a way of making her come out of her shell. Maikao was amazingly funny, surprisingly smart and incredibly intuitive, but there was something about him that left her feeling off-kilter. She never knew what she was going to get with him and that scared, and excited her; feelings she’d chosen not to examine too closely just minutes after meeting him. Addison wasn’t Maikao’s type, of that much she was sure. The women he’d dated never acted or looked anything like her.
Now she’d come to the conclusion she wanted to pursue something deeper with Eli. She just needed to get him in the same frame of mind. They’d gotten to the point where he wasn’t seeing anyone and neither was she. He was spending more time with her alone and the habit of making their duo a trio with the inclusion of Mak was no longer there—even though sometimes it felt like something was missing when he wasn’t nearby. Addison could never understand that niggling in the back of her mind that said things weren’t complete unless she had the other man around. Sometimes it was awkwardly quiet or tense but she chalked that up to their still feeling each other out. They’d only been out together alone a few times. That meant something, right?
Besides, her and Eli’s steps to a relationship were all falling into place. She just needed Maikao to stop being so goddamn stubborn and put in a good word for her. Sure, Addison hadn’t actually felt the same butterflies in her stomach from Eli that Maikao caused from just one look. Yes, she’d caught herself more often than not staring at Mak. She’d mentally pinpoint the small differences between him and his friend that made her smile; like the fact that he never really stopped smirking and that his eyes were a little brighter. If she were honest with herself—which she had no intentions of being—she could admit that on paper Eli was her guy, but Maikao...
“No can do, Addie.” Maikao retorted, shaking his head and effectively interrupting her train of thought. “See, I feel as though it is my obligation to make sure you get the perfect little friend...for Carmen, of course.”
Her lip curled. “And you wonder why I’ve always liked Eli better.”
There was that look again. Mak’s lip curled right back. “Trust me, I’m well aware of your feelings for my perfect, perfect friend.”
Snorting, Addison unconsciously put down the first rabbit she’d picked up and held onto the purple one. “You don’t know as much as you think you do.” When she turned around he was looming over her.
“Trust me when I say I know enough.”
She patted his chest. “Why don’t you take your bit of knowledge and skip off before I decide to acquaint my foot with your balls?”
His brows winged up. “All I heard was ‘Blah, blah, blah, Mak, I wanna see your balls, please.’”
Looking away, she gnawed at her bottom lip, determined not to give him the satisfaction of laughing. “I hate you.”
“You adore me.”
“You wish.”
“On a shooting star, sweetheart.”
Addison glanced up at him. “Sure, you look for shooting stars every night, just hoping I’ll finally notice you.”
He nodded with a solemn look on his face. “It’s right before I say my nightly prayers, then climb into bed with my favorite Superman underwear on.”
Addison blinked up at the clearly mentally defective male standing before her. “You really own a pair of Superman underwear don’t you?”
Maikao leaned in and whispered, “I also have Batman, Aquaman, and Spiderman. Wanna come over for a play-date and see?”
Rolling her eyes, she pushed past him. “There’s something wrong with you.”
Maikao watched Addison walk away and murmured, “Yes there is something wrong with me. A constantly hard cock and a woman who simply refuses to hear the needy cries of my prone form.”
Addison McClain was something else. The buxom beauty had spent too much time doing a song-and-dance to get Eli to notice her. Meanwhile, Maikao was doing that same song-and-dance to get her to notice him. Oh, they were just the definition of a fucked-up trio, weren’t they?
It was tiring, it was frustrating, it was...so worth it. She was so worth it. For every day that went by where Addie bypassed and brushed off his not-so-subtle advances, Maikao tried harder. She was convinced Eli was a great match for her and she was wrong.
His best friend was great, he wouldn’t take away from that but Addie needed something different. There was a quiet reserve in Eli that Maikao didn’t have. He brought out the fun in people. And he wanted to bring more than just the fun out of Addison, but it was like running at a bulletproof wall. You could make an impact, but never penetrate.
Penetrate was the wrong word to think while he was following closely behind her, watching her hips sway back and forth and staring at the toy in her hand. For Carmen? Maikao snorted. If she thought he believed that line of bullshit, she was in for a rude awakening. He was well aware that his little Addie had needs. He just wished she’d let him be the one to fulfill those needs. Rabbits were fun but what was an electronic bedside partner aside from a few minutes of pleasure just to be put away again?
Maikao had been strolling through the mall when he’d walked past the entrance of the store and saw Addison staring up at the wall full of toys. More than a bit curious, he’d snuck up behind her.
He had nothing against adult novelties; he just knew they could never be the substitution for a real lover. There was something about hearing the catch in a woman’s breath right before she crested on the edge of her pleasure. Seeing her eyes glaze over, her lips part on a silent cry. Watching her hands clench into fists and her chest rise and fall with rapid breaths just before she unleashed a litany of curses and moans.
Wait, Maikao was wrong. It wasn’t just some woman he wanted to witness all of those with. It was Addison, with her full curves and sweetly innocent smi
le. Her lush lips and catlike eyes. Her feline grace and velvety dark skin. Maikao wanted to be able to fist her curls while he rode her into oblivion. Then once she was sated with a small grin in place, chocolaty irises content and warm, he’d wrap her up in his arms and hold her. He’d whisper to her how perfect she was and how if he had his way, he’d never let her go.
Maikao would wake her with breakfast in bed and soft nuzzles to her throat, murmuring how beautiful her skin was when the first peeks of sunlight hit it. When those sleepy eyes finally opened and focused on him he’d let her know how happy he was that she was his.
Yes, these were all things he wanted to do. He just needed to figure out when, where, and how to do them with the difficult female who thought she’d be dating his best friend. From day one he’d been drawn to Addison and the light inside her. She wasn’t just a pretty face and fantasy body. No, she had layers that, once peeled back, had rocked the very foundation of Maikao’s soul. As cliché as it sounded, she made him reconsider what he wanted in a woman. Soon he figured out that he wanted her.
Her sense of humor, her laugh, her intellect, her compassion and her dorky side all served to create what he knew was the woman for him. So how was he going to go about getting her to the point where she wanted him, too? Maybe suddenly coming up behind her and taking the toy from her hands before holding it above his head and watching her desperately jump for it calling him all kinds of names wasn’t the best way to go about it.
But he did have a purpose for it and he said as much. “I’ve been roped into another charity event and I want you as my date.”
This was the norm for him. As a well-known firefighter who’d been in several special calendars, had rescued too many kids to name and was up for promotion to become lieutenant of the Santa Fe fire department, these things were expected by now. As usual, he needed the one person there who he’d enjoy the dog and pony show with. He needed Addison.
