by Regina Kyle
“Wake up, space cadet.” Ethan jostled her shoulder. “You won.”
“We won,” she said, pulling him up with her. “Come on. I’m not doing this alone. Besides, I might need help on the stairs. This gown is impossible to walk in. And don’t get me started on the shoes.”
They made it to the stage, where they were congratulated, and Holly was handed her statuette. She fingered the silver disk, etched with the comedy and tragedy masks that symbolized the theater. “Wow.” She flicked the shiny medallion, spinning it. “I guess now we have bookends.”
The audience laughed, and she looked over her shoulder at Ethan, who gave her an encouraging nod. “In all seriousness, this is truly an honor. This time last year, I was eating ramen noodles and mac and cheese, struggling to get by while I wrote the play of my heart. Now I’m standing in front of you all, my peers, holding this—” she raised the statuette “—as validation that it was all worth it.”
Holly took a deep breath, wiped away a tear and continued, “There’re so many people I need to thank. Judith Aaronson and the Churchill Foundation for putting their money behind my words. Ethan Phelps and the entire cast and crew, for bringing them to life. My family and friends, for seeing me through some pretty dark times. And last, but no way near least, my husband, who...”
A commotion in the wings made her stop and turn. Nick, tall, dark and delicious, the stage lights bouncing off his thick, black hair, crossed the stage toward her.
She covered the microphone with one hand. “I thought you said to meet you backstage.”
“I couldn’t wait.” The sexy grin was back, with a playful spark in his eyes to boot.
“For what?” Her hand fell away from the microphone, the crowd forgotten. All that mattered in that moment was the man—her man—standing in front of her, opening himself up before their family, friends and pretty much all of New York’s theater elite in a way she never imagined possible just twelve months ago.
“For this.”
To the hoots and catcalls of the audience, he scooped her up and kissed her so passionately she was sure the network censors were poised with their fingers over the red button. When he was done, he raised his head, beaming, and she pointed at the conductor in the orchestra pit.
“You can cue the music. I’m done.”
Holly laughed as Nick carried her offstage to an up-tempo version of “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” one hand wrapped around his neck for balance, the other still clutching her Tony.
A backstage attendant sporting headphones and carrying a clipboard waved her arm, directing them up a flight of stairs.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Pressroom.”
“Are you planning on carrying me there?”
“If I have to.”
“Sure you can handle it?” She looked down at her stomach, still flat for the time being. “I’ve put on a few pounds.”
“You’re not even showing yet.” He hefted her a little higher, as if to prove his point.
“But I will be. Soon. I’ll be as big as a whale and I won’t be able to see my feet and—”
“And I’ll still be there to pick you up. You and this baby are everything to me.”
“Oh, Nick.” She tipped her head back to look at him, and her breath caught at the depth of emotion reflected in his eyes. “I’m scared. What if...?”
“Shh. It’s going to be different this time. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe and comfortable.” He traced her jawline with his knuckles, making her shiver. “Even if it means carting you around until you give birth.”
She buried her nose in his neck, reveling in his warm male smell and the crispness of his collar against her cheek. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“I ask myself the same question about you every day.” They reached the pressroom door and he paused to brush a soft kiss across her forehead. “Ready to face the fourth estate?”
She bit her lip. “What do we say when they ask what’s next for us?”
He blew out a long breath and smiled. “How about we tell them we’re working on something very special that we’ll be ready to debut in about six months?”
“That sounds perfect.” She threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, bringing his head down to hers, and kissed him. “Absolutely perfect.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from WICKED NIGHTS by Anne Marsh
Ten years ago one devastating night changed everything for Austin, Hunter and Alex. Now they must each play their part in the revenge against the one man who ruined it all.
Austin Treffen has the plan… Hunter has the money… Alex has the power!
Read each of their stories in the captivating Fifth Avenue trilogy, only from Harlequin Presents:
Avenge Me by Maisey Yates
Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews
Expose Me by Kate Hewitt
And don’t miss the Fifth Avenue prequel that started it all, Take Me, by Maisey Yates!
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1
PIPER CLARK CUT hard right, the prow of her motorboat slicing through the clear blue water, yards in front of his. He’d have recognized that impish, take-no-prisoners grin anywhere.
Plus, she flipped him the bird as her wake hit his deck, soaking both him and his gear.
Definitely Piper.
Good thing for her he’d grown up in the past twenty years. Cal Brennan’s ten-year-old self would have gunned his motor and gotten even, racing her for Discovery Island’s marina until he’d swamped her deck every bit as much as she’d swamped his. Tit for tat—those were the rules of engagement they’d always competed by. Still, he picked up speed, hugging her wake—and was just in time to watch as she maneuvered her boat into the last decent slip. Mentally, he readjusted his assessment of his maturity. Score one for Piper. He forced his fingers to unclench from the wheel, counted to ten and concentrated on searching out an empty slip. She waved jauntily as he motored past her, close enough to read the name painted on the boat’s side. What kind of name was the Feelin’ Free anyhow?
She’d always named things badly. He distinctly recalled being hit over the head with a stuffed teddy bear named Grand Poo-bah. There had also been a rescue puppy named Mr. Cuddles. Mr. Cuddles had been a mostly deaf white Boxer with a severe drool problem. Mr. Cuddles had moved on to the Happy Hunting grounds some years before, but apparently Piper’s lack of naming skills had stuck.
Not that the other four thousand full-time residents on Discovery Island would mind. Twenty-two miles long and eight miles wide, the island’s main selling point was its horseshoe-shaped bay with postcard-perfect deep blue water, dotted by boats and two piers. The pier for the cruise ships stretched out into deeper water, but the shorter pier was pure pleasure and clear at the other end of town. The good folks of Discovery Island had named that pier Pleasure Pier and the broad strip of creamy, palm-tree-studded sand fronting an old-fashioned boardwalk was Primrose Path. The hotels, shops an
d restaurants lining the street sported even worse names in Cal’s opinion. Good Time, Please Your Eye and Wine, Women and Song. The daily influx of tourists who ferried over from the California coastline to explore the boardwalk loved the names. Or they simply loved diving, fishing, zip-lining or doing any one of the hundreds of activities on offer. Discovery Island was big on keeping busy.
Grabbing his sodden gear bag and his deck shoes, he padded barefoot along the dock, enjoying the heat from the sun-warmed boards soaking into his feet. He and Piper had business, more so than usual. The familiar, soothing noises of the marina washed over him as he fielded greetings from the occasional other boaters and closed in on his target. Discovery Island’s marina was a hopping place, but the blue water with its glint of fish and kelp were an invitation to take it easy, as was the familiar bouquet of sea salt, motor oil and Neoprene rubber filling the air. Lazy waves broke against the docks, slapping fiberglass hulls, and he could just make out the beach boardwalk. On a summer day like today, the place bustled with tourists looking for the quintessential California dream. It was also an ideal day for diving, but he’d stuck to the surface. He hadn’t strapped on a tank or even free dived. Not him. He’d had a nice swim, stuck his head under water and promptly panicked.
Just like yesterday.
And every other day since his last dive as a U.S. Navy rescue swimmer. The dive boats he passed, loading and unloading, were an unwelcome reminder of what he’d lost. Temporarily. Somehow, he’d get his head on straight, would figure out how to get back in the game and back in the water. He’d never failed before; he wouldn’t start now. He had too much riding on his ability to dive.
Turning the corner and spotting Piper’s boat was almost a relief. The sighting was definitely a welcome distraction from the panicked voice in his head asking, What if you don’t get back in the game? What if you never dive again? Hearing voices was never a good sign.
“Piper Clark,” he bit out, relieved to have something to do. Setting his gear bag down on the dock, he moved to the edge where she’d tied up.
Retreat, the inner voice demanded. Stand your ground, sailor, his body urged.
Piper was naked.
Okay, so, she wasn’t totally naked, but a man could dream.
Somehow, he’d timed his arrival at her slip for the precise moment she grabbed the zipper running up the back of her wet suit. Undeterred by his presence—because surely she’d heard him snap her name—she pulled, the Neoprene suit parting slow and steady beneath her touch.
Hello.
Each new inch of sun-kissed skin she revealed made certain parts of him spring to life.
If someone had asked him what the over-under was on his seeing Piper naked, he’d have bet heavily against his spotting so much as a sliver of her bare flesh. If he’d expressed an interest, Piper would have shot him down, hard and fast. After all, she didn’t like him any more than he liked her. Their shared past was proof of that.
Even as he reminded himself she’d spent most of their early days trying to either torment or kill him, his eyes were busy. Piper’s arms were spectacular, strong and toned from hour after hour of pulling herself through the water and then back up into the boat. Diving wasn’t for the weak, and she’d had a professional platform-diving career long before the accidental collision five years ago between his boat and her Jet Ski had destroyed her right knee. After she’d rehabbed on the mainland, she’d up and moved full-time to Discovery Island. Island gossip hadn’t shared with him the reasons behind the move, but since he’d come back himself, he had to assume she simply loved the place as much as he did. Now she was looking sexier than any stripper, uncovering skin tanned a rich golden brown from time outdoors. The way she’d braided her water-slicked hair in a severe plait only drew his attention to the deceptively vulnerable curve of her neck.
But this was Piper.
So dragging his tongue over her skin and tasting all the places where she was still damp from her dive should have been the last thing on his mind. He’d read her the riot act about her careless driving and say his piece about tomorrow’s business meeting. Then he’d go his way and she’d go hers. After all, he’d been back on the island for almost six months and had managed to avoid all but the briefest of interactions with her. They said hello, goodbye (he suspected she preferred the latter), and nodded tersely at each other from across the street. Life was much quieter that way, because Piper invariably did plenty of yelling when she spent too much time around him.
The wet suit hit her waist.
Neither short nor tall, Piper had medium brown hair, brown eyes and a slim build. Those cut-and-dried facts didn’t begin to do the woman in front of him justice, however. They certainly didn’t begin to explain why he unexpectedly found her so appealing or why he wanted to wrap an arm around her and take her down to the deck for a kiss. Or seven. He didn’t like Piper. He never had. She’d also made it plenty clear he irritated her on a regular basis.
So why was he staring at her like a drowning man?
And...score another point for Piper. Like many divers, she hadn’t bothered with a bikini top beneath the three-millimeter wet suit. His kiss quota rocketed up to double digits.
“Piper.” His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears. Focus. Adrenaline rushed through him, sweat dampening his skin. He forced himself to breathe in, slow and easy. To push his heartbeat down and make the sudden energy pumping through his veins work for him. This wasn’t a rapid rappel down to a crash site to search for survivors or a midnight recon of a hostile-infested beach. Nope. This was Discovery Island, a good place with good people. He was home.
Without acknowledging his greeting, she bent over, shoving the heavy suit down her legs, and his throat went dry. Game over. Silver earbuds, which explained why she hadn’t answered him, flashed as she shimmied, working the suit off. Like always, Piper was lost in her own world, marching to her own beat. Ignorant of his presence, she gave him ample opportunity to admire the longest, sleekest legs he’d ever seen. Her blue-and-white-striped bikini bottom was all practicality, although the conservative cut still clung to her butt. Her water-darkened braid slid over her shoulder, and he wanted to fist her hair, holding her in place as he ran his hands up those legs and parted her for his kiss. Which made him a first-class bastard, even if he kept those thoughts to himself.
Yeah. But she clearly had more than one advantage on her own side.
He didn’t negotiate, he reminded himself. He acted. Decided, he approached the boat, knocking on the side to draw her attention.
She jumped, her head swinging around toward him. “If it isn’t my favorite SEAL.” She flashed him a grin as she popped the earbuds out, taking in his soaking-wet jeans and damp T-shirt. “Had a mishap?”
She knew precisely what had happened.
He dropped down off the dock, onto her boat. Deliberately, he let his feet hit the deck hard, savoring her little flinch. She wasn’t as off balance as she’d made him, but it was something. He’d take every advantage he could get because, Christ, she still wasn’t wearing a bikini top. Instead of covering her breasts or grabbing for a towel, she glared at him as if this whole situation was his fault. She was lucky her slip put her out of the line of sight of the other boaters in the marina and he was the only one who could see her. Piper flashed him, and any thoughts he’d had of being a gentleman flew out of his head. He imagined cupping her soft curves in his palms, rubbing his thumbs over the tips. He’d just bet she was a moaner, and—
He jerked his gaze back up to her face. “We’ve got to talk.”
* * *
FEET BRACED, LEGS APART, Cal Brennan made himself at home on Piper’s deck, nothing but challenge in his gaze as he waited for her to finish checking him out. He was magnificent. And mildly pissed off, which was pretty much the usual state of affairs between her and Cal. Of course, her soaking him when she’d buzzed past him into the marina might explain his foul mood. Faded jeans clung to a pair of powerful legs, and an old cotton T-shirt
stretched over broad shoulders. Dog tags flashed as he turned his head to track her. Cal had never needed power suits to scream, “in charge.” He moved smoothly, confidently, as he came closer, his bare feet silent on the deck after his initial gunshot-loud landing. Behind him, down the dock, she caught a glimpse of a Harley parked in the street near her dive shop. Cal’s black low-rider bike screamed, “race me,” followed by, “take me.” And, while she’d never considered Cal as dating material, she had to admit he was hot.
Really, really hot.
“We need to talk,” he repeated and his patronizing, self-assured tone did a great job dampening the desire blazing a hot path through her belly. His eyes dropped briefly to her breasts again—darn it—then returned to her face. Like he was taking inventory and nothing more.
Right. The words coming out of his mouth were perfectly pleasant, but he clearly intended to do all the talking—while she did all the listening. That wasn’t how she lived anymore. She wasn’t six years old to his ten, any more than she was still a teenage diver bombarded by coaching advice. She was a businesswoman now. A grown woman.
Even if being near him made certain parts of her feel like a teenager.
“I’m listening,” she said neutrally because there was no point in pissing this man off before she had to. Plus, gazing at him was no hardship. If she was objective (which she usually wasn’t when it came to Cal), he looked every bit as sexy as his bike.
Not going there. Swiping her bikini top from her dive bag, she got busy with the ties. While she didn’t particularly care about the peep show she’d given him—you got used to stripping down on the dive boat and skin was just skin—she didn’t need to introduce the whole male-female thing to this conversation or tempt her hormones any further.
