Marrying Mari (33 page)

’Tis the season for double seduction.

Checking it Twice

© 2012 Jodi Redford

The only item on Jana Colton’s Christmas list this year is Kevin Monahan. Preferably naked in her bed. The delicious, hunky chef has been resisting her forever, but she’s pulling out all the sexy stops this holiday. Especially since his acceptance of an out-of-state job threatens to nix her quest to rock his boxers off.

Jana has always been Kevin’s personal Kryptonite, but giving in to her isn’t an option. Relationships are a four-letter word in his book. He cares far too much for Jana to let his emotional baggage ultimately break her heart.

With the arrival of his best friend, Nick Pappas, the balance of temptation shifts. From their past history of sharing women, Nick knows every dirty trick it takes to lead Kevin astray, and he’s not afraid to use them. Particularly since Nick’s convinced that Jana is exactly what Kevin needs to be happy and whole.

Their game of seduction quickly snowballs into something that feels an awful lot like love—in triplicate. But with Kevin dead set on leaving Michigan, there’s a real possibility it could be a blue Christmas for them all.

Warning
This book contains an extremely tormented voyeur, a very naughty and not so saintly Nick, a liberal application of candy cane-flavored body paint, a buzzing butterfly, and enough raunchy fun on a sex swing to melt a snowman…or two.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Checking it Twice:

Nick shifted his position, his free hand grasping Jana’s nape seconds before his mouth covered hers in a devouring kiss that was far wickeder than the one Kevin had walked in on three days ago. He’d witnessed Nick in action too many times to count and was no stranger to the power of his seduction. Even so, those past instances were a pale shadow of the raw, animalistic hunger inherent in Nick’s performance now.

He knew without any doubt Nick was seducing him as equally as he was Jana. The son of a bitch knew his weaknesses. Knew how to fucking get him. Much as it infuriated Kevin, he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

Temptation a hypnotic siren in his head, Kevin unconsciously took a halting step forward, his gut tensing. As if he’d sensed Kevin’s approach, Nick coasted his hand down Jana’s rib cage and caressed her hip before disappearing beneath her skirt. A moment later, he awarded Kevin with a tantalizing flash of Jana’s bare butt cheek.

Lust nailing him square in the groin, Kevin hissed in a breath. Just like the other night, she was bare-ass naked under the skirt.
 

Nick released Jana but kept her close, his palm brushing her waist. He gazed directly at Kevin, the intent in his eyes a silent demand.
Play time.

Kevin swallowed, the unbreakable chain of his addiction shackling him tight. He took several more stiff-legged steps until he was standing in front of the two individuals responsible for annihilating his defenses. Jana’s breath hitched in uneven gasps. “K-Kevin…” Clouds of worry mingled with the desire dilating her pupils.

As if he’d intuited her hesitation, Nick massaged her shoulder before lightly kissing her temple. The look he offered Kevin was substantially less soothing. “She didn’t know what my plans were tonight. If you’re going to be pissed at anyone for what’s about to go down, make it me.”

He clenched his jaw. “What makes you think anything is about to happen?”

“Because I know you. And you better fucking believe I know myself. This is who we are. A big part of what makes us tick and fulfills us. I’m not going to deny that part of myself. You damn well shouldn’t either.”

His muscles tensed and rigid, he watched as Nick sipped at Jana’s lips again before murmuring to her softly and taking her hand. Her mouth trembling, she gave him one last pleading stare and turned to follow Nick. They headed toward the wrought-iron stairway leading to the upper level, and Kevin cursed under his breath. The motherfucker must have reserved one of the private rooms. Of course he did. There was no way in hell Nick would have risked a thirty-minute drive that might have granted Kevin a shot at cooling off.

Like a cornered beast, he tracked their journey as they ascended the stairs. Nick’s palm slid beneath Jana’s skirt again, providing a longer and even more mouthwatering view of her delectable, heart-shaped ass. Liquid lust boiled inside Kevin, disintegrating his willpower. No force on earth would save him now. Balling his fists in rigid defeat, he stalked after them.

They reached the landing, and Nick glanced back at him, not bothering to hide the relief and approval evident on his face. “They gave us room 208.”

Kevin gestured toward the hall ahead of them, and Nick led Jana in that direction. Once they reached the right door, Kevin slid his member card into the slot and twisted the handle. He stepped into the room first and scanned its interior. Far as rooms at Arabesque went, it was one of the tamer ones. A four-poster bed with black satin sheets that were regularly replaced with each new occupant. Varying padded cushions in different shapes stacked to one side on the floor, all used for helping maintain certain sexual positions. A table occupied the opposite corner, its surface holding a gamut of unused plugs, vibrators, lubes and condoms. You name it, the club had you covered. The only major concession to kink was the sex swing hooked to a spring over the bed. Kevin couldn’t take his damn eyes off it. At least not until Jana and Nick stepped into his line of vision.

Jana gnawed her lip. “Can I just remind you that I’m the only one in this room who’s never been in a situation like this before? I’m kind of lost here.”

Nick hugged her in reassurance. “There’s no reason to be nervous.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Brushing his lips over hers, Nick halted her troubled words. His hands drifted to her breasts. Circling his thumbs over her nipples, he broke their kiss to watch the motion of his fingers. “Are you wearing my present?”

“Y-yes.”

“Good girl. Do you think we should show Kev?”

Breath hitching in her throat, Jana nodded.

“I do too.” Nick pinched the ends of the bow securing Jana’s top. Giving a tug, he carefully freed the satin ribbon.

Kevin’s heart raced at the excruciatingly slow unveiling. Finally the fabric gave, and the soft fullness of Jana’s breasts inched the top open. Nick slid the garment from Jana’s arms and let it drop to the carpet. Like a moth drawn to flame, Kevin zeroed in on the small silver hoops and dangling beads decorating her nipples. His mouth went a thousand degrees of dry. “
Sweet Jesus
.”

“No.
Sweet Jana
.” Giving a hum of approval, Nick gently tugged the tiny beads, making her nipples tighten. “I knew these would look fantastic on you. Are you wearing the rest of what I gave you?”

Kevin gulped. There was more? He was never going to fucking survive this.

“Y-yes.”

“Excellent.” Moving with the same snail pace he’d employed with her top, Nick started on the skirt’s buttons. He paused for a moment to trace the upper seam on one of her stockings. “We’re going to leave these on for now. I’m a big fan of the naughty-elf look.”

Jana’s lips twitched. “I wore them in deference to good ole St. Nick.” She transferred her sparkling gaze to Kevin. “And I already know how much
you
like this particular outfit.”

Nick glanced at Kevin, his eyebrow raised. Fortunately he didn’t hound Kevin for an explanation, and instead made swift work of the last button on Jana’s skirt and let that garment drop too.

Kevin took one look at the intriguing piece of jewelry adorning Jana’s waist, and lower, and forgot how to breathe. A delicate chain spanned her hips. A matching one bisected the middle and disappeared between her pussy lips. Perched right at her clit was a little gold butterfly, poised to take flight.

His cock on the verge of bursting through his fly, he visually drank in every exquisite detail of the mouthwatering picture she made.

“Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful and sexy?” Nick’s voice resembled gravel as he bent to flick Jana’s nipple with the tip of his tongue.

Kevin hungrily observed every wet swirl stiffening her nipple. “Not by a long shot.”

Jana shivered and gripped Nick’s head. “Oh God.”

“Feel good, sweetness?”

A throaty purr was her only response. Nick gave her nipple another lingering lap before straightening and guiding her toward the bed. His heart knocking harder, Kevin waited to see what Nick would do next.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, Nick reached for Jana again. Her eyebrows dipped in confusion, but she allowed him to coax her onto his lap and arrange her so that she faced Kevin. Planting his feet farther apart, Nick nuzzled Jana’s neck, making her eyelashes flutter on a blissful moan. Nick slid his mouth up to her earlobe and sucked it between his teeth. She jolted in his arms.

“Some women can come just from having their neck kissed.” Nick swirled his tongue in the hollow beneath her ear. Jana’s breathing ratcheted up, and he immediately stopped. “We’ll mark that down for future exploration, but this time?” Nick’s smile turned darker than sin. “This time I’m not going to make it that easy on you.”

Kevin’s balls tightened. So it was going to be Nick’s favorite game tonight. String out the torment.

Nick traced teasing figure eights along Jana’s upper arms. “My goal is to find all of your climax triggers.
Your
goal is to not come until I let you.”

Jana released a wispy breath. “That doesn’t sound like a very good goal for me to pursue.”

“It is, sweetness. Especially since when you
do
come, it’s going to be a million times more spectacular.” Nick’s hands roved inward and massaged the weight of her breasts.

The sight of Nick fondling her was almost more than Kevin could take. His cock throbbing, he adjusted his fly. Hawk-eyed Nick didn’t fail to notice the move. “Poor Kev. He’s already near the breaking point. This is going to be nearly as hard for him as it is for you, baby.”
 

Safety in numbers? Depends on what you mean by safe…

Because You Love Me

© 2012 Mari Carr

Bridget Wilder’s life is shot to hell—literally—when she witnesses the murder of her best friend, Lyle. Protective custody? What a joke. Time after time, someone has leaked her whereabouts, forcing her to run from one safe house to the next.

Tired of cold, lonely beds and living in fear, Bridget convinces her guardian cop she’s safer off the grid, following Lyle’s trail of clues to a missing flash drive that could put the killer behind bars.

It doesn’t take twins Mark and Matt James long to figure out two things. Bridget’s not only in trouble, she is trouble—they both want her. When things get a little hot and heavy one night, though, they’re stunned to discover that they don’t mind sharing. And she loves being shared.

Between the James brothers’ hot, hard bodies, Bridget finally feels safe—and loved. When a hit man tracks her down, the last thing she wants is for them to place those bodies between her and danger. But those cowboys have other ideas. Like keeping her alive long enough to convince her she belongs with them. Forever.

Warning: Scary times ahead! An evil judge, a car chase, a hit man and more! Luckily, the rough times are soothed by lots and lots of ménage sex with two red-hot alpha cowboys.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Because You Love Me:

Mark was more turned on then he’d ever been in his life. He wondered what his brother was thinking of this. He watched Matt’s hands as they traveled closer to the juncture of Bridget’s thighs. Christ. This was quickly reaching a point of no return.

He looked up at Matt’s face, captured his glance. Mark tried to convey his concerns. They were traveling down an uncharted path.

Matt gave him an easygoing grin that in most circumstances would have annoyed the shit out of Mark. Tonight, right now, the smile felt right, comforting, encouraging.

Even so, there was a small part of him that couldn’t let things go any further without asking permission. He knew Bridget wasn’t drunk, but she’d definitely had enough wine to take the edge off.

“Bridget,” he whispered in her ear.

“Hmmm.” She was completely relaxed. He’d never seen her so peaceful or at ease. While the past three days had cemented in his mind that something was definitely wrong in Bridget’s world—she still jumped at shadows and she’d visibly begun to shake after their old ranch truck backfired—she’d yet to confide in them.

“Are you okay with this, darlin’?”

She turned her head to the side, glancing at him over her shoulder. She nodded once. “Yeah, I am. Are you?”

Leave it to Bridget to worry about his response to the unconventional dilemma they were currently in. “Yeah. I’m good. How about you, Matt?” he asked, looking up at his brother.

Matt leaned forward, shrinking the distance until all three of them breathed the same air. Mark had shared a room with this man for his most of his younger life, the two of them only opting for separate bedrooms a few years earlier. There were no secrets between them, but this.…