Meet Anne Marsh, author of Wicked Nights.
I live in Northern California with my husband, two kids and six cats. After ten years of graduate school and too many degrees, I escaped to become a technical writer. When not planted firmly in front of the laptop translating Engineer into English, I enjoy gardening, running (even if it’s just to the 7-11 for slurpees), and reading books curled up with my kids. The best part of writing romance, however, is finally being able to answer the question: “So… what do you do with a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures?”
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Enemies to Lovers…
The hero and heroine of WICKED NIGHTS aren’t precisely the best of friends. They’ve had a competitive rivalry going since childhood—and they both win when it comes to rubbing the other person the wrong way.
Former diving champion Piper Clark never loses. Ever. Now she’s in the running for a lucrative contract. Lose it and she loses her dive shop. Worse still, it will be at the hands of her childhood nemesis, Cal Brennan—six feet of hard, rugged former Navy SEAL. So Piper proposes a wager: whoever loses the diving contract must take orders from the winner…in bed. Something about Piper’s impulsive nature makes Cal rise to the bait, and there's nothing he'd like more than to show Piper exactly what rules are good for. All bets are on. And someone's about to start playing dirty….
Piper stepped up behind Cal as he eyed his final shot. It was game over as soon as he sank the eight ball. “I’d like to propose a side bet unrelated to this game,” she said.
This game. Not a game.
His critical-thinking skills suddenly became nonexistent, which was probably part of Piper’s master plan. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach his ear. God knew what it looked like to the other guys in the bar. Since her front was pressed against his butt, he wasn’t complaining.
“What are we negotiating?” His voice sounded gruff, but some things were definitely beyond his control.
“The Fiesta contract.” She didn’t retreat. Nope. If anything, she pressed in tighter.
“I’m not stepping away,” he warned. If he wanted to bring more veterans out here to Discovery Island to work, he had to have the additional business. No pool game got in the way of that.
“I wouldn’t ask you to bow out…more than once.” He felt rather than saw her smile against his throat. Piper had always been honest. It was one of the things he liked about her. Her next words were a whisper meant for him alone. “Loser takes orders from the winner for one night—in bed.”
Whoa. He hadn’t seen this bet coming.
“You’re crazy.” Of course, he’d known that for years. Piper had never met a chance she didn’t want to take. Twice.
“If you’re so sure you’re going to win, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
He looked down at her arms, caging him in place, and wondered if she’d thought her bet all the way through. “There are other ways to take a man to bed, Piper, if you’re desperate.”
The bar’s noise gave them just enough privacy that the others couldn’t hear their low-voiced exchange, but this still wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in public.
She gave a little laugh. “I’m not desperate, Cal.”
He eyed his cue stick and wondered what his next step should be. “Then, maybe you could explain it to me.”
“We’ve always had a certain…chemistry. Aren’t you curious?”
Oh, yeah, his inner bad boy growled.
“I’m going to take my shot,” he warned, all thoughts of deliberately throwing their match vanishing.
“I’m winning. You don’t want to give me that kind of opening.”
“Go right ahead,” she said, and he had no idea what she was inviting him to do. And then…she blew on his ear. Right as he shot.
He scratched, the eight ball rolling into the pocket. Well…hell.
She stepped away. “Too bad, Cal. You lose.”
Scratching the eight ball was an automatic loss. Piper was clever. And at least now he wouldn’t worry about her grocery money for the week.
“You going to pay up?” She parked her butt on the edge of the table and smiled at him. “Because I think we’re done here.”
He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and handed over a hundred. Had she even been serious about their new bet?
“You shouldn’t walk around with this much cash in your wallet. Someone might take advantage of you.”
She hopped down and started for the door, and the sassy twitch to her hips was the last straw. He opened his mouth.
“Drinks are on me tonight,” she called back, pouring oil on his fire.
“Piper.” Her name shot out before he could stop himself.
“Yeah?”
“I accept,” he growled.
This game. Not a game.
His critical-thinking skills suddenly became nonexistent, which was probably part of Piper’s master plan. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach his ear. God knew what it looked like to the other guys in the bar. Since her front was pressed against his butt, he wasn’t complaining.
“What are we negotiating?” His voice sounded gruff, but some things were definitely beyond his control.
“The Fiesta contract.” She didn’t retreat. Nope. If anything, she pressed in tighter.
“I’m not stepping away,” he warned. If he wanted to bring more veterans out here to Discovery Island to work, he had to have the additional business. No pool game got in the way of that.
“I wouldn’t ask you to bow out…more than once.” He felt rather than saw her smile against his throat. Piper had always been honest. It was one of the things he liked about her. Her next words were a whisper meant for him alone. “Loser takes orders from the winner for one night—in bed.”
Whoa. He hadn’t seen this bet coming.
“You’re crazy.” Of course, he’d known that for years. Piper had never met a chance she didn’t want to take. Twice.
“If you’re so sure you’re going to win, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
He looked down at her arms, caging him in place, and wondered if she’d thought her bet all the way through. “There are other ways to take a man to bed, Piper, if you’re desperate.”
The bar’s noise gave them just enough privacy that the others couldn’t hear their low-voiced exchange, but this still wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in public.
She gave a little laugh. “I’m not desperate, Cal.”
He eyed his cue stick and wondered what his next step should be. “Then, maybe you could explain it to me.”
“We’ve always had a certain…chemistry. Aren’t you curious?”
Oh, yeah, his inner bad boy growled.
“I’m going to take my shot,” he warned, all thoughts of deliberately throwing their match vanishing.
“I’m winning. You don’t want to give me that kind of opening.”
“Go right ahead,” she said, and he had no idea what she was inviting him to do. And then…she blew on his ear. Right as he shot.
He scratched, the eight ball rolling into the pocket. Well…hell.
She stepped away. “Too bad, Cal. You lose.”
Scratching the eight ball was an automatic loss. Piper was clever. And at least now he wouldn’t worry about her grocery money for the week.
“You going to pay up?” She parked her butt on the edge of the table and smiled at him. “Because I think we’re done here.”
He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and handed over a hundred. Had she even been serious about their new bet?
“You shouldn’t walk around with this much cash in your wallet. Someone might take advantage of you.”
She hopped down and started for the door, and the sassy twitch to her hips was the last straw. He opened his mouth.
“Drinks are on me tonight,” she called back, pouring oil on his fire.
“Piper.” Her name shot out before he could stop himself.
“Yeah?”
“I accept,” he growled.
WICKED NIGHTS isn’t my first enemies-to-lovers story. My smoke jumper series, for example, has several couples who start out disliking each other and then discover that all that heat is actually something else (BURNING UP and SMOKING HOT, I’m looking at you!). Some of my favorite books also explore enemies-to-lovers, where two people start out on opposite sides and end up in bed and in love. SOULLESS, the first book in Gail Carriger’s Parosol Protectorate, is one of my all-time favorites, as is Zoe York’s BEYOND LOVE AND HATE. Two completely different stories, but both have incredible chemistry between the hero and the heroine. Do you have a favorite enemies-to-lovers book?
Winner takes it all…off
Former diving champion Piper Clark never loses. Unfortunately, if she doesn't land this lucrative contract, her diving business will fail. Worse still, it will be at the hands of her childhood nemesis, Cal Brennan—six feet of hard, rugged former Navy SEAL. So Piper proposes a wager: whoever loses the diving contract must take orders from the winner…in bed.
Cal needs this contract for his own reasons. A former rescue swimmer, he may be having a few issues with diving since his last mission ended, but Piper doesn't need to know that. Something about her impulsive nature makes Cal rise to the bait, and there's nothing he'd like more than to show Piper exactly what rules are good for.
All bets are on. And someone's about to start playing dirty….
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looking forward to reading your new book and the older ones too! I love discovering new authors to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThese two sound like a fun couple. Thanks for sharing the excerpt and for the giveaway opportunity.
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