by Anna Durand
"You do?" he asks, sounding baffled. "We've known each other for not quite two weeks. I assumed you'd think I'm barmy if I told you how I feel."
"I don't think that. And I didn't fully understand how I feel until you said that, then I couldn't stop myself from saying it back. I know this thing between us happened fast, but I also know it's real. I love you, Rick."
He rises to his knees and leans in to kiss me.
By the time he's done doing that, I feel warm and soft and blissfully satisfied.
"Have you decided about that job in Atlanta?" he asks.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I texted Naveen yesterday morning while you were still asleep and told him I appreciate the offer but it's not right for me."
"What did he say?"
"That he understands, and he wishes me well."
"So, what will you do now?"
"Don't know. I'll figure that out later." I lay a hand on his cheek. "Today, I just want to have fun with you and your friends and your family. Speaking of family, when do I get to meet the mysterious Nick?"
One corner of his mouth slants upward. "Soon, I promise. But first, I need to go inside and check on something."
"I'll come with you."
"No. This is a… private matter. You'll understand in a little while."
He stands, kisses my forehead, and walks away.
What is that sneaky, sexy man up to?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Richard
I hover at the edge of the patio, a few meters behind Maddie's chair, not speaking to make sure she doesn't know I'm here. I've orchestrated a surprise for her, one I think she'll appreciate. She loves to tease me, so I'm going to tease her. Or rather, get my mate to tease her on my behalf.
Alex Thorne stands beside me, his gaze shifting back and forth between me and Maddie. He keeps his voice soft enough that she won't hear. "Are you sure about this? You know I'm game for anything, but you don't strike me as the practical-joke sort."
"Maybe I haven't been until now, until I met Maddie."
"The right woman can completely alter your perspective. Though I have to wonder about Maddie's mental state in light of her potty theory about us."
"She was joking. I think."
"Let's hope so." He claps a hand on my shoulder. "Shall we do this?"
"Yes, go on. You're up first."
Alex nods, then he approaches Maddie's chair, halting just behind it.
She's engrossed in studying the bushes or something, so she doesn't notice.
I move closer, though not too close or she might spot me.
Alex leans in to cover her eyes with his hands. "Hungry for a kiss, Luscious?"
She contorts her mouth into an expression I've come to know as Maddie thinking. I can't see her eyes, but I'm sure she's squinting them. Her brows have lowered too. Gradually, her lips curve into a sexily teasing smile. "Oh yes, I'd love to make out with you, Alex. I'm sure Rick won't mind at all."
Alex removes his hands from her eyes and glances at me, shrugging.
Maddie tips her head back to peer up at him.
"Clever girl," Alex says. "Rick was sure you wouldn't be fooled, but I hoped calling you Luscious might confuse you a little."
"Nice try, but I spent a week with the Dixons before they shipped me off to the Caribbean for a matchmaking vacation. I know Reese calls his wife Luscious. Besides, I might think you Brits all have similarly smooth voices, but I know who's who when I hear you guys talking."
"Now I understand why Rick fell under your spell. You're even cleverer than I expected, Dr. Solberg."
She cranes her neck around to see me. "Richard Hunter, you naughty man, playing a trick like that. You're testing me, aren't you?"
I amble over to her chair and kneel beside it, giving her a quick kiss. "It wasn't a test. It was payback for your claim that I sound like the Dixons, Alex Thorne, and Dexter Armstrong-Hill."
Alex is still standing behind her chair smirking.
"You can bugger off now," I tell him. "Your services are no longer needed."
"If you need help with Maddie again, I'm always available. In whatever capacity you need me to fulfill."
"No thank you, Alex. I fulfill every capacity that Madeleine requires."
The cheeky arse walks away.
I take hold of Maddie's hands and help her get up. "Lunch is almost ready."
"Great. I'm famished."
"But I have another surprise for you first. To complete my two-arm parallel assignment."
"You really shouldn't use that term since you have no clue what it means." She pats my cheek. "But it's adorable that you're trying to use my scientific terms."
I step away from her, creating a gap of several feet between us. "Close your eyes, Maddie. I have one more test for you, and it was my brother's idea."
"He's finally here? I've been waiting to meet him."
"Now you can. But close your eyes first."
She does what I asked.
I wave at the person who waits just outside the door to the house. My brother strides over to us, flashes me a snarky smile, then leans in close to Maddie. He blows a breath over her lips.
That was not part of the plan. I want to tell him to bugger off, except that would ruin our little test.
But I do scowl at him.
Nick grins and winks, enjoying this game a bit too much for my taste. His mouth is far too close to Maddie's when he speaks. "Do you still think all British men sound the same? Maybe I should kiss you to make sure this test is thorough."
Did his lips brush against hers? I think they did. The sod seems to be trying it on with my girlfriend. And why has he made his voice lower and huskier like he really is trying it on with Maddie?
No, he's not doing that. I'm an arsehole for thinking it. Nick might be more like Reese Dixon than like me, but he's not a girlfriend thief. This is the first time I've introduced Maddie to my brother or any of my family, so of course, I'm a tiny bit anxious about having her meet Nick. For our entire relationship until today, we'd been sequestered on a Caribbean island. Coming home feels good, but also strange. And I have no idea how she'll react to my brother.
"Well, Maddie?" Nick asks with his mouth still much closer to hers than necessary. "Should I give you a big, hot, wet kiss?"
"Nice try, but I know you're Nick."
"You know?" He backs away from her, shaking his head. "I suppose my impersonation of Rick wasn't very convincing. It's hard to talk like a businessman who has a stick permanently shoved up his arse."
"Can I open my eyes now?"
I open my mouth to say yes.
But my brother intervenes. "Not yet. One more small test. One of us is going to kiss you."
"Like hell you're kissing Maddie," I say, grabbing Nick's arm to drag him farther away from her. "She's my girlfriend. Get your own."
"How did you find your soul mate before I found mine? I'm much more entertaining than you."
"Yes, you and Reese love to harass me and the other mature men in the room." When Nick tries to move closer to Maddie, I slap a hand on his chest to stop him. "The test is over. Open your eyes, Maddie."
She does that, and her jaw drops. "But you—your faces—holy shit." She smacks my arm, much harder than I'd slapped Nick's chest. "You rat. Why didn't you tell me you have a twin brother?"
Nick slaps a hand on my shoulder. "He's embarrassed because I'm the one the ladies love. Rick has always had his nose in a book while I was chasing skirts."
Maddie glances at me. "Rick does just fine with the ladies."
"I'm a massage therapist," my brother announces. "That means I know all the best ways to touch a woman."
"Piss off, Nick," I say, elbowing him out of the way.
He raises his hands, palms out. "All right, Rick, settle down. Naturally, you're sensitive about blokes talking to your girl. She's the first one you've ever brought home to meet Mum and Dad."
Maddie blinks at me. "Is that true?"
"Yes, it is."
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm honored to be the first."
She's smiling at me sweetly, and I know she means that.
The three of us go inside the house for lunch. Luckily, the Dixon elders have a large dining room with a long table that fits all of us. Nick wants to sit beside Maddie, and I consider saying no, but then I realize I'm being a ruddy arse again. Besides, I want Maddie to get to know my brother. Despite his sometimes-annoying behavior, I love Nick. We are twins, after all, so he's a part of my life no matter where I go.
Nick and I sit on either side of Maddie.
Reese Dixon and Alex Thorne wind up seated directly across the table from us, so Maddie is treated to plenty of naughty jokes and innuendo. Maddie can dish it out as well as they can, and she seems to love the banter. Since she keeps massaging my thigh under the table, I know she's not at all interested in those other blokes.
After lunch, we excuse ourselves, saying we need to go back to my house and rest. It's jet lag, you know.
We don't sleep, though. We shag. Repeatedly.
For the next two weeks, Maddie spends a lot of time with my parents and Nick while I manage my company from the comfort of home so I can be with my family and Maddie too. I've delegated the task of preparing Dexter's manuscripts for release to my editor-in-chief, a man I trust implicitly. He's been with the company since before I took over for my father. We settle the lawsuit Miriam Watkins filed against our company, and I inject my own money into the deal to sweeten the settlement.
At least it's over now.
Things aren't as bad for my company as I'd feared they would be in the aftermath of the lawsuit. I've signed a new author who I know will never commit copyright infringement. Alex Thorne has written a terrific book about sexual practices throughout ancient history, and I have a feeling Dirty-Sexy Archaeology will be a winner. An honest winner. No cheating necessary. With Alex and Dexter signed with Hunter Publishing, the future looks bright indeed.
I take Maddie to London with me for the press conference where I'll make the big announcement about Dexter's books. No one is talking about that silly reality star or her lawsuit. They're applauding the biggest publishing deal in decades and buzzing about what Dexter's new novels will be like. Maddie suggests I should put at least one of Dexter's books up for preorder right now, at least in ebook format, so everyone can order while the buzz is still hot. I doubt any traditional publisher has ever slapped a book up for preorder faster than my team does when I give the order.
And the sales flood in. It's already turning into the biggest success my company has ever seen.
Maddie and I stay in London for a few days, taking a mini holiday to celebrate…everything. When we return to Colchester, I decide I've waited long enough to ask the question I now realize I've wanted to ask for as long as I've known Maddie. I delayed only because it felt insane to move this fast, but I don't care anymore. No more overthinking. I'm going to do what feels right—and for the first time in my life, I know what that is.
I take Maddie out into the garden at my home, where blooms of all colors surround us, though their beauty can't compare to Maddie's. When I drop to one knee, she smiles—and I know she knows what I'm about to do.
"Madeleine, I love you," I tell her as I hold both her hands. "I don't care that we've only known each other for a few weeks—"
"Four weeks and two days."
"Precision isn't critical here." I gaze up into her blue eyes. "Will you marry me, Maddie?"
"Yes, of course I will."
That's all I need to hear. I pull her into my arms and kiss her.
I thought I didn't have time for a relationship, but Maddie Solberg proved me wrong.
My fiancée receives good news of her own later in the day. She's been offered a part-time teaching position at a university in London, which leaves her with plenty of time to keep up her disease-detective work too, on a freelance basis from the comfort of our home in Colchester.
When we have our engagement party a few days later, Maddie's sister and her husband spend more time with us than even my parents and brother do. Rika is very happy—thrilled might be a better word for it—that Maddie is getting married. Rika keeps glancing at my brother so frequently that I finally have to ask her.
"Why are you staring at Nick?"
Rika swerves her attention to me, fluttering her lashes like she's confused or has something in her eyes, then she smiles and laughs. "Maddie and I have been talking about your brother."
"Why? If you want a free massage, I'm sure Nick would love to give you one."
"Like hell he will," Dane Dixon declares. "I'm the only one who gives my wife a massage."
Rika snuggles up to her husband. "Relax, baby, that's not what Maddie and I were discussing."
"Then what were you talking about?" I ask.
"What to do about Nick."
I'm not sure what she means, but I have a sneaking suspicion. "What exactly do you think needs to be done for him?"
Rika curls her lips into a knowing smile. "He's single, so we're going to find him a girlfriend."
Won't Nick love that? I think these women need a hobby—other than matchmaking.
Later, when Maddie and I are crawling under the covers together, she reintroduces the topic.
"Nick needs to settle down, don't you think? He's so cute and nice."
"Don't try to rope me into the matchmaking scheme you and your sister dreamed up."
"I won't. But you have to admit, Rika's meddling worked for us."
"And I'm grateful for that, but please stay out of my brother's love life."
Maddie slips her arm and her leg over my body, her head nestled against my neck. "I will. But there's no stopping Rika now. She's on a mission, and Arden and Elena have signed on to her plan."
Since I'm quite sure I don't want to know their plan, I roll us both over so I'm on top of Maddie, then I make love to her.
As for Nick… Well, he's about to find out what lengths these determined American women will go to in the name of love.
Author's Note
Did you wonder what the deal is with Maddie insisting Richard sounds a lot like his British pals? It's a little inside joke for fans of my audiobooks. Narrator Shane East has taken on the role of the hero in each Hot Brits book as well as playing Alex Thorne, the British hero in Irresistible in a Kilt (part of the Hot Scots series). Vanessa Edwin has performed the heroines' roles in the Hot Brits series, so that's why Richard gets his revenge by suggesting Maddie sounds like those other American ladies.
I hope you enjoyed these humorous moments in One Hot Escape, and if you haven't listened to the audio versions of these stories, maybe you'll want to now. Shane and Vanessa are amazing!
Thank you for reading One Hot Escape!
About the Author
Anna Durand is a bestselling, multi-award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her books have earned bestseller status on every major retailer and wonderful reviews from readers around the world. But that’s the boring spiel. Here are some really cool things you want to know about Anna!
Born on Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Anna grew up moving here, there, and everywhere thanks to her dad’s job as an instructor pilot. She’s lived in Texas (twice), Mississippi, California (twice), Michigan (twice), and Alaska—and now Ohio.
As for her writing, Anna has always made up stories in her head, but she didn’t write them down until her teen years. Those first awful books went into the trash can a few years later, though she learned a lot from those stories. Eventually, she would pen her first romance novel, the paranormal romance Willpower, and she’s never looked back since.
Want even more details about Anna? Get access to her extended bio when you subscribe to her newsletter and download the free bonus ebook, Hot Scots Confidential. You’ll also get hot deleted scenes, character interviews, bonus chap
ters, fun facts, and more! You even get bonus audiobook chapters narrated by Shane East, Vanessa Edwin, and Ava Lucas.
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ONE HOT ESCAPE
Copyright © 2020 by Lisa A. Shiel
All rights reserved.
The characters and events in this book are fictional. No portion of this book may be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, including recording, photocopying, or inclusion in any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher and author, except for brief excerpts quoted in published reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-949406-39-9 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-949406-40-5 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-949406-41-2 (audiobook)
Jacobsville Books
www.JacobsvilleBooks.com
Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication Data
provided by Five Rainbows Cataloging Services
Names: Durand, Anna.
Title: One hot escape / Anna Durand.
Description: Marietta, OH : Jacobsville Books, 2020. | Series: Hot Brits, bk. 4.
Identifiers: ISBN 978-1-949406-39-9 (paperback) | ISBN 978-1-949406-40-5 (ebook) | ISBN 978-1-949406-41-2 (audiobook)
