A Naughty New Year with Alice Gaines

USA Today bestselling author, Alice Gaines, lives in Oakland, California with two feral cats she cares for (neutered, of course), her adorable corn snake, Casper, and dozens of neglected orchids.  Her hobbies are cooking and vegetable gardening as well as knitting and crocheting.  If you join her newsletter, you may win one of her handmade projects.

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My first Scorched from Entangled will be out this February.  His for the Week tells the story of two strangers who get to know each other at an exclusive sex resort.  It was hella fun to write.

None of my books take place around New Years, so I wrote the story below for Ramblings from This Chick.  It’s my idea of a perfect New Years Eve…minus the divorce part.

New Year’s Eve. A warm, moonlit night on an isolated island off the cost of Baja California. Scented breezes and waves crashing only a few yards away. And here sat Joy Carlisle in a beach chair next to the most handsome man she’d ever met. He’d even handed her her favorite cocktail in a martini glass. The scene would be perfect aside from the fact Tom was her ex-husband.

He eased his large body into the chair next to hers and stretched out his legs, burying his heels in the warm sand. “I knew something was up when I found the gin and Cointreau,”

“Rachel and Bill’s work, I guess.”

“Who else?”

Their best friends. They’d served as matron of honor and best man at Joy and Tom’s wedding. They’d been more upset about the divorce than Joy’s parents.

She sipped the London lemonade. Tangy, sweet, and full of liquor, it went down so easily. “I haven’t had one of these since…”

She didn’t finish that sentence. She didn’t have to. Neither of them would ever forget that miserable night when she’d ordered him from the house. She’d only seen him a few more times between that and the final court hearing that had ended their marriage. Only slightly less ghastly than the argument that had split them up.

“Don’t you make London lemonades for yourself?” he asked.

“I tried. No one makes them like you do.” Not even the occasional bar where she’d ordered her favorite drink. Tom used to joke his special ingredient was love.

“I jumped at the chance to be alone here on New Year’s Eve,” he said.

“So did I. I didn’t know I’d be alone with you.”

Alone. With each other. In the most romantic setting imaginable. Rachel and Bill had planned well—scheduling Tom’s arrival before Joy’s so they wouldn’t realize what had happened until the supply boat left, not to return for three days. Neither of them could go anywhere, and the cabin had only one bed.

“Bill called me,” Tom said. “Who called you?”

“Rachel.”

“Definitely a tag team.”

“Yup,” Joy said. “And very effective.”

Joy finished her London lemonade and twirled the glass between her fingers.

“Can I get you another one?” Tom asked.

“I shouldn’t.”

“You don’t have to drive anywhere.”

“But if I keep drinking, I might do something stupid,” she said. “Like jump your bones.”

God, had she really uttered those words out loud? Tom laughed. Obviously, she hadn’t offended him or scared him off. Her cheeks burned. She had to be blushing a furious red, but he couldn’t notice that in the moonlight.

“I’ll go make you a pitcher of them,” Tom said.

“It was a joke,” she said. But that was a lie. Not only did he make the best London lemonade in the universe, but he fucked better than any other man alive. She hadn’t tried too many lovers other than Tom, but she’d discovered pretty quickly no one else satisfied her. Maybe love was the secret ingredient.

“Besides, you messing with someone you shouldn’t broke us up,” she said. “Don’t want to repeat that with me.”

Neither of them spoke. The only sound came from waves splashing on the shore.

Finally, he let out a long breath. “I’m sorry, Joy,”

He’d said that over and over the night they’d split. She’d been too angry to hear it then. Now the sadness in his voice washed over her, settling into her bones.

She reached over and tangled her fingers in his. “No one’s perfect.”

“Holly was a mistake,” he said. “Just a one-time thing.”

“I thought the two of you might get together after we broke up.”

“I was too angry with her for telling you.” He hesitated. “Nah, I was just too pissed at myself.”

“So, you’re not involved with anyone now?” Her breath stopped in her chest as she waited for his answer.

“No. How about you?”

“No one.” Because no one made love the way Tom did. His whole being concentrated on giving her the ultimate pleasure.

He held his hand out for her glass. “It’s close to midnight. I’m going to make one of those for each of us.”

“Okay.” She handed him the glass, and he rose and headed up the path toward the cabin. Now she had only the moonlight and the waves for company.

Would she really ask him for sex the way she’d half-joked? Lots of divorcing couples did fall into bed occasionally. She and Tom had never done that. They were both single now, and an Auld Lang Syne fuck wouldn’t hurt anyone. It might make her hope for the impossible, though—a true reunion with the man who’d been her best friend. But if she took the risk, she could have him again, if only for a few days. She closed her eyes and did her best to empty her mind of extraneous thoughts. Did she really want this? God, yes. Was she risking her heart? Maybe. Would the feel of his body over her, inside her, moving with her make the risk worthwhile? Yes.

He returned quickly with a cocktail shaker and two glasses in his hands. Under his arm, he’d tucked what looked like a blanket.

“What’s that for?” she asked.

“In case you want to jump my bones. The long walk back to the cabin could give you a chance to change your mind.”

“Are we joking again?” she asked.

“You tell me.” He dropped the blanket at his feet and handed her a glass. Then he poured for both of them and resumed his seat.

She lifted her glass in a toast. “To a new year.”

“New Year,” he repeated. After clinking the glasses together, he curled his arm around hers and drank. Their faces came close enough for his breath to graze her cheek. Certainly, close enough for her to make out the wicked glint in his eyes. Like the time he’d come home from the office in the middle of the morning. He’d just gotten a promotion and wanted to celebrate with his “reason for being,” as he’d called her. The memory wound around her heart and squeezed. That risk she’d feared before suddenly got a whole lot bigger.

She finished her drink in a few swallows. “Tom, I—”

“Shhh.” He took their glasses. “It’s midnight, Joy.”

He hadn’t glanced at his watch, but that didn’t matter. A new year. New possibilities. What better place to start all that than this gorgeous beach?

“I think we need that blanket,” she said.

“That’s my girl.” He set the glasses aside and rose. Then he spread the blanket nearby. When he offered his hand, she took it and stood.

Neither of them wore much, so Tom got naked in a flash. His body was as beautiful as ever. And aroused—his erection standing straight out from his pelvis. She stopped in the act of undressing and stared at him. Her sex moistened at the sight of his cock. She’d had one lover since their divorce. A nice but boring man. She’d always craved Tom’s sex. That made her shallow, no doubt, but Tom always filled her as if they’d been built for each other.

“I’ve been like this since you threatened to jump my bones,” he said.

For a moment, she couldn’t find her voice. “I’m glad I did.”

“Let me finish undressing you.”

She only wore her underwear now. He bent to nuzzle her neck as he undid the front closure of the bra. When her breasts fell free, he caught them in his palms and tugged gently at the nipples.

More wetness accumulated between her thighs. She’d already grown so hot, so needy. And she could relax and let Tom take over. He did, ridding her of the bra and then kneeling before her. He slid her panties down her legs and waited for her to kick them away. Then he eased her thighs apart so he could place his mouth over her sex.

Damn, but she’d melt into a puddle. The first swipe of his tongue over her clitoris set her nerves on fire. She let out a cry and swayed, but he ran his arms around her to hold her against him.

He made pass after pass with is tongue, each one driving her higher. She held onto his head for balance as the world grew fuzzy around the edges. She tried her best to memorize the scene so that whatever happened she’d have these moments to cherish in the year to come. But he was too good. The rasp of his tongue would finish her.

“Don’t want to…oh!...come this way,” she said.

He pulled back. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be inside you.”

“Then you’d better hurry.”

He chuckled as he released her and laid on his back on the blanket. Wrapping his fist around the base of his erection, he offered it to her.

Her clitoris throbbed, and her legs were shaky as she took the few steps to him and knelt on the blanket. After swinging her leg over him, she separated the lips of her sex and lowered herself onto his cock.

Letting out a low moan, she took him all, right down to the root. For a moment, she couldn’t move but had to stop and revel in the fullness he created, the stretch of her inner walls to take his bulk. How had she ever lived without this?
Then he began to move, and a whole new set of sensations took over. His thrusts jostled her clitoris, taking her closer to the edge but not to the breaking point. So, she shifted, back and forth, searching for just the right angle and pressure. He’d made her so wild, so hungry for him. The orgasm lay just out of reach.

When she couldn’t bear any more, when she could have screamed, Tom performed magic. He placed his hand where they were joined and found her clitoris with his thumb. Yes! A few strokes, and she shattered the barrier, rushing into a climax that grabbed her and tossed her up into the moonlight. She shouted, and the spasms came, hard and strong. He came, too. A few deep thrusts, and his voice joined hers. It went on for seconds—an eternity—before she went limp, falling against his chest.

The sound of the waves returned, as did the breeze over her back. As consciousness slowly seeped back into her, she raised herself up to kiss him. The first time their mouths had touched since that awful night that had driven them apart. Their lips held a promise and the knowledge that love was, indeed, the secret ingredient.

“Happy New Year, baby,” he said.

“Happy New Year,” she repeated. “Here’s to us.”

Her brother’s best friend is not only the hottest man Michelle Dennis has ever seen, he’s the reason she left town eight years ago. Of course he’s the one waiting at the airport. Worse, he made sure they’re staying in the same house.

Alex Stafford is expecting to pick up his friend’s kid sister, not a full-fledged bombshell. He was planning to apologize for their past, but the feelings he had years ago come roaring back…and this time, there’s no denying them.

Keeping his hands off is a test he’s bound to fail—especially when they’re stuck in close quarters. But falling in love with Michelle, living in her world, isn’t an option for a guy like him. And remembering that will save them both a lot of heartache…

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