Dirty Distractions (17 page)

Best of all? She’d been using her honeysuckle special occasion stuff all week. When he’d asked what she was celebrating, she’d told him the fundraiser. He preferred to believe she was commemorating
them
.

Every now and then she peered over her shoulder at him to make sure he was paying attention, and her cute little nose twitched each time he crossed his eyes to make her laugh.

The moment she faced front again, he resumed staring at her backless dress. There were few things more alluring than a woman’s naked back. Especially his Sara’s naked back. Or her front.

He reached for his water to soothe his dry throat—for some reason, he’d gotten the bug way worse than Sara, must have been some super adaptive strain—and tried not to smile. So he was gone for the sexy, smart doctor. Who could blame him?

He’d happily wake up to her for the foreseeable future, on the way to the rest of his life. But one incredible thing at a time, he mused as swing music swelled from hidden speakers and couples started to move toward the dance floor.

Huh. Imagine that. He’d missed the end of the speech.

As Kim hobbled to her feet and started to swing her butt in her version of dancing while her date looked on in bemusement, Sara leaned close. “So what do you think? Tonight hasn’t been half bad, right?”

“Not at all.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed his nose over her hair. She’d clipped it up again, but he’d yank it out later. “And you’ll notice, no one has laughed at you showing up with me. I haven’t gotten one boytoy comment yet. Except from you, since you objectify me so.” He gave an indignant sniff, pleased to hear her laugh. That sound was better than birds singing. The only sound he preferred was her orgasmic moans, and the best was a mix of the two.

“Silly, they won’t say it to our faces. It’ll be behind our backs.”

“Do you honestly care?”

She gave him her serious doctor look before she smiled. “No. I don’t. Not anymore.”

“Good.” He trailed his fingertips down her shoulder blade and enjoyed her shudder. “Me either. Especially since you ordered that ‘mechanics tighten all my screws’ T-shirt.”

Laughing, she shook her head at him. As she often did. But he didn’t care, because she really had bought that shirt. And hell, he couldn’t argue with the sentiment. She certainly seemed happy with the
service
he was providing.

He hadn’t gotten over all his insecurities in her direction yet, namely those that involved his lack of an investment portfolio and membership in an alumni association from some fancy university. Getting there, though. How could he concern himself with that when her eyes lit up every damn time he entered the room?

And vice versa. Times one thousand.

“Want to dance?” She brushed her lips over his baby-smooth jaw. He’d shaved and cut his hair and suited up in a tux, all for her. Must be love. “I have a surprise for you, if you’re good.”

“What if I’m bad?”

“You get
two
surprises.”

He stood, moving just in time to get her chair. Stubborn woman never let him do a thing for her, except sexually. Then she could get quite demanding. “Consider me bad.”

“Oh, I already do.” Grinning, she led him to a secluded corner of the dance floor. He reached for her, but she’d already turned away to fumble with the hem of her dress. Had to be a loose thread or something. She turned back and slipped into his arms. “Show me your moves, O’Halloran.”

They danced for two songs. As great as it felt to hold Sara close and to know all the other men knew she was his—though she’d vetoed the
Property of Brad O’Halloran
tattoo he’d suggested for her back—he couldn’t wait anymore. “So where are my surprises?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She pressed something into his palm. It was hard and warm. And wet. Very wet.

He opened his hand and frowned, not understanding. “A giant marble?”

Her sudden gust of laughter took him by surprise as she leaned toward his ear. “Remember those ben wa balls?”

He literally swayed on his feet. Then he grasped her hand tightly in his, her hidden treasure trapped between their palms. “Is the other where I think it is?”

She blinked innocently. “I’m not sure what you mean. Maybe you should check for yourself.”

With a growl, he whirled for the exit. She laughed and matched him step for step. Together they pushed open the glass doors that led outside, exchanging grins.

“Let’s go home,” he murmured.

About the Author

USA Today
bestselling author Cari Quinn wrote her first story—a bible parable—in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. She attempted her first romance in junior high, long before she'd ever read one. Writing what she knew always took a backseat to what she wanted to know, and that still holds true today.

Though she also fires up her computer as a graphic designer, proofreader and editor, she can’t resist the lure of disappearing into a world of her own creation. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars. The only thing she loves more than writing is hearing from readers! Visit Cari at
www.cariquinn.com
and email her at
[email protected]
.

Sometimes it’s not just the tide that rises…

Full Moon

© 2013 Mari Carr

Second Chances, Book 2

In the two years since her divorce was finalized, Josie Jacobson’s life has become one long, boring routine. Work, home, repeat. She has her hands full as a single parent, and while she’s not looking for a serious relationship, she sure wouldn’t mind getting laid.

When her friend, Zoey, challenges her to make a New Year’s resolution for a second chance at happiness, Josie goes one better and creates the “Howl List”. Every full moon, she will indulge in a different sexual fantasy. Right at the top? Sex without strings. 

Fate leads her to the Blue Moon bar in January. After all, what better place to howl? And when she meets Jake Stewart, the sexy bartender, and engages in some red-hot sex with a stranger, her year seems to be off to a great start. 

At least, until Jake declares he wants
all
her full moons…

Warning:
This is NOT the shifter story you are looking for. While the heroine howls during the full moon, she does it in naked, human-form only. Sorry—no wolves, but there is a really sexy bartender and lots of red-hot fantasies. 

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Full Moon:

“Tonight’s full moon is sex in public.”

Jake choked on the drink and put the glass back down. “In public?”

She nodded.

“What the hell do you mean by full moon?”

Josie considered avoiding the question, but there was no harm in telling him the truth. She explained about her list and her desire to fulfill the fantasies.

“So what’s on the list? Besides the stranger danger and PDA ones.” Jake was exactly as she’d remembered him. Unflappable, fun, funny.

She shook her head. “I’m afraid the contents of the list are privileged information. If I told you, I’d have to fuck you.”

Jake grasped her shoulder, pulling her closer. “I’d have no problem with—”

“Jake?” A waitress stood by their table. She pointed to a couple of loud drunks by the door. “I think we might have trouble. You wanna take care of it?”

Jake sighed. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be right over.”

The waitress went back to work.

Jake leaned closer, whispering in her ear. “If you don’t have any luck with number two on the list within the next hour, come find me.”

Josie didn’t have a chance to respond before Jake rose and went to address the problem by the entrance. She took a sip of her drink, hoping it would calm her down. It was suddenly quite warm in the bar.

Josie watched Shelly and Lance dance, then gazed around the room. The place was crowded and there certainly wasn’t a shortage of men hanging around, either drinking alone or standing in large groups.

She spotted one large table across the room. It appeared the men were all out for a bachelor party. She found the groom-to-be instantly. The party must have been going for a while because the man had at least a dozen empty shot glasses in front of him. His friends were sending him out of bachelorhood in style. She slowly studied each of the men at the table, silently trying to decide which were married, which were mama’s boys, which were playboys.

Josie had never paid much attention to the opposite sex. Tony had been her first boyfriend. She’d fallen fast and hard for him toward the end of their junior year in high school and she’d convinced herself she was lucky. She’d honestly believed she’d found her soul mate at sixteen.

She closed her eyes wearily. The silly romantic girl she had been was long gone, leaving Josie struggling to figure out what her beliefs regarding love were now. Since the divorce, Josie had concentrated on setting up a new home for her and her son, working long hours to pay the bills, and avoiding the dating scene as much as possible because she refused to open up a revolving door of men in Tommy’s life.

She remembered too well how painful it was when her mother would bring home a new boyfriend, include him in every aspect of their lives, then yank him out again after the break-up.

Josie wouldn’t—couldn’t—do that to Tommy. The full-moon list had been created to protect him. And her.

So while she was tempted by Jake’s offer, she wasn’t sure she should accept it. She’d thought about the handsome bartender too many times the pshe ��do that to Tommy. The full-moon list had been created to protect him. And her.

So while she was tempted by Jake’s offer, she wasn’t sure she should accept it. She’d thought about the handsome bartender too many times the pshe ��do that to Tommy. The full-moon list had been created to protect him. And her.

So while she was tempted by Jake’s offer, she wasn’t sure she should accept it. She’d thought about the handsome bartender too many times the pshe ��do that to Tommy. The full-moon list had been created to protect him. And her.

So while she was tempted by Jake’s offer, she wasn’t sure she should accept it. She’d thought about the handsome bartender too many times the pshe ��do that to Tommy. The full-moon list had been created to protect him. And her.

So while she was tempted by Jake�