Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, MARIE HARTE is a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit www.marieharte.com and fall in love.
Maya and Dex are at a popular New Year’s Eve party in town, where Dex’s cousin prepares to trick Maya’s friend into a kiss. The story takes place between the end of SERVED HOT and the beginning of SERVED SWEET.
One would think she’d have learned by now.
Maya Werner glared at the behemoth calling himself her boyfriend. If any man could be more wrong, she didn’t think he existed.
Dex smiled at her, his gray eyes bright. “Come on, honey.”
She gritted her teeth “No. I have to tell her.” It was a wonder she hadn’t strangled him yet.
The volume of techno music swelled. Her best friends waved and danced as the brewpub sent flickering lights over the disco ball overheard. The DJ rocked the house. The alcohol flowed, and Maya watched her oblivious buddies having a terrific time…while she and her lover played Benedict Arnold.
The most popular party in town this New Year’s Eve should have been the icing on the cake to the most amazing year of Maya’s life.
Maya’s best friends, Ann and Riley, continued to make her laugh, there for her through thick and thin. She’d reconnected with the love of her life—or as she liked to think of Dex lately, the bane of her existence. And her father had recently married a woman Maya liked very much. But this, what Dex wanted…
“He’s family,” Dex tried to explain. “I have to help him.”
Maya wished Dex wasn’t so loyal all the time. Yet that’s what she loved about him, his sense of fairness, his love for family, and his need to do what was right…even if he was clearly in the wrong.
“Riley will kill me if she finds out I had anything to do with this.” Hell. She felt herself faltering under Dex’s smoldering stare. The sexy jerk.
Dex shrugged, looking handsome as always in jeans and a black Henley. At six four, he towered over her own formidable five-eleven. And the muscles on her ex-Marine never failed to make her breathless. “She’ll never know, Maya. Trust me, baby.”
“She totally will,” Maya muttered. Riley knew everything. The blasted girl had eyes in the back of her head and a sixth sense about being messed with. Besides, they all knew Ann was too damn nice to screw with Riley. Not like Maya. No matter what Dex’s cousin did tonight, somehow Riley would realize Maya had been a part of it.
“Shh. Watch.”
The DJ muted the music and started the countdown to the new year. Maya watched Anson, Riley’s rival and Dex’s cousin, slide closer and closer to her. Next to him, Ann and her fiancé watched with amusement as Anson positioned himself.
“Five…four…three…”
Maya cringed, seeing Anson quietly move Riley’s date—a friend of Maya’s, actually—out of the way. Roger spotted Maya across the room and gave her a subtle thumbs up.
She was so going to hell for this.
The DJ yelled, “Happy New Year,” and Riley turned to kiss Roger, only to find Anson there instead. Anson didn’t hesitate, planting a huge kiss on Riley’s lips.
Dex sighed. “Ah, there we go. Now my cousin is happy, and I’m happy.”
“Well, I’m not,” Maya growled. She wanted to laugh at Riley’s shock because she knew how much Riley liked protesting her desire for the arrogant Anson Black.
As much as Maya liked getting one over on her friend, she now felt a little disloyal.
But before she could bitch Dex out for convincing her to go along with his scheme, he ushered her with him out of the main dance area into a quiet hallway.
“Hold on. You can yell at me in here,” he said as he dragged her into a broom closet. He turned the light on and locked the door behind him. “Go ahead.” He sighed.
“You…I…” She didn’t know where to start. “Riley will—”
He interrupted her with a finger across her lips. “Hold on, baby. We forgot one thing.”
“What?” she snapped, doing her best not to laugh at his hangdog expression.
“Our New Year’s kiss.”
She set her hands on her hips. “Oh, fine. Go ahead.” Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, eagerly anticipating Dex’s firm mouth. He was the absolute best kisser, and she loved him to pieces. That still didn’t mean he wouldn’t need to pay for dragging her into his mess.
Then she felt his hands on her bare thighs, inching under her skirt and raising it higher while prodding her to widen her stance. Chancing a look down, she saw him on his knees, his gaze intent on her lacy red panties. Now how could she chastise him when he looked so dang happy?
“A thong?” He sounded strangled. “Fuck. Happy New Year to me.” Dex pulled the thin scrap of material aside and set his mouth over her.
Maya went from amused to aroused in seconds, her climb toward orgasm a delicious foray into the new year with the future Mr. Maya.
Dex moaned as he tongued her, then added questing fingers.
“Dex, in me.” God, he got her so hot, so fast.
He moaned but didn’t stop, increasing the friction against her. The scrape of his stubbled cheeks between her thighs made it worse, and Maya moaned as she came, unable to help herself, so in love with Dex it still stunned her to be so lucky.
He slowly stood and gathered her in his arms. Then he kissed her, and she tasted herself on his lips. “Happy New Year’s, baby.”
“Back at ya, Poindexter.” She laughed at his grimace.
“Quit rubbing against me before I come in my pants.”
“We can’t have that now, can we?” she said as she slid out of his arms and slowly moved to her knees. The hitch in his breath made her smile.
“No,” Dex rasped. “We can’t. And trust me, I know I owe you for tonight.”
“Yes, you do.” And I’ll take it out of you one way or another. “So prepare to suffer. Your orgasm is going to take a while.”
Up For Grabs:
Maya Werner glared at the behemoth calling himself her boyfriend. If any man could be more wrong, she didn’t think he existed.
Dex smiled at her, his gray eyes bright. “Come on, honey.”
She gritted her teeth “No. I have to tell her.” It was a wonder she hadn’t strangled him yet.
The volume of techno music swelled. Her best friends waved and danced as the brewpub sent flickering lights over the disco ball overheard. The DJ rocked the house. The alcohol flowed, and Maya watched her oblivious buddies having a terrific time…while she and her lover played Benedict Arnold.
The most popular party in town this New Year’s Eve should have been the icing on the cake to the most amazing year of Maya’s life.
Maya’s best friends, Ann and Riley, continued to make her laugh, there for her through thick and thin. She’d reconnected with the love of her life—or as she liked to think of Dex lately, the bane of her existence. And her father had recently married a woman Maya liked very much. But this, what Dex wanted…
“He’s family,” Dex tried to explain. “I have to help him.”
Maya wished Dex wasn’t so loyal all the time. Yet that’s what she loved about him, his sense of fairness, his love for family, and his need to do what was right…even if he was clearly in the wrong.
“Riley will kill me if she finds out I had anything to do with this.” Hell. She felt herself faltering under Dex’s smoldering stare. The sexy jerk.
Dex shrugged, looking handsome as always in jeans and a black Henley. At six four, he towered over her own formidable five-eleven. And the muscles on her ex-Marine never failed to make her breathless. “She’ll never know, Maya. Trust me, baby.”
“She totally will,” Maya muttered. Riley knew everything. The blasted girl had eyes in the back of her head and a sixth sense about being messed with. Besides, they all knew Ann was too damn nice to screw with Riley. Not like Maya. No matter what Dex’s cousin did tonight, somehow Riley would realize Maya had been a part of it.
“Shh. Watch.”
The DJ muted the music and started the countdown to the new year. Maya watched Anson, Riley’s rival and Dex’s cousin, slide closer and closer to her. Next to him, Ann and her fiancé watched with amusement as Anson positioned himself.
“Five…four…three…”
Maya cringed, seeing Anson quietly move Riley’s date—a friend of Maya’s, actually—out of the way. Roger spotted Maya across the room and gave her a subtle thumbs up.
She was so going to hell for this.
The DJ yelled, “Happy New Year,” and Riley turned to kiss Roger, only to find Anson there instead. Anson didn’t hesitate, planting a huge kiss on Riley’s lips.
Dex sighed. “Ah, there we go. Now my cousin is happy, and I’m happy.”
“Well, I’m not,” Maya growled. She wanted to laugh at Riley’s shock because she knew how much Riley liked protesting her desire for the arrogant Anson Black.
As much as Maya liked getting one over on her friend, she now felt a little disloyal.
But before she could bitch Dex out for convincing her to go along with his scheme, he ushered her with him out of the main dance area into a quiet hallway.
“Hold on. You can yell at me in here,” he said as he dragged her into a broom closet. He turned the light on and locked the door behind him. “Go ahead.” He sighed.
“You…I…” She didn’t know where to start. “Riley will—”
He interrupted her with a finger across her lips. “Hold on, baby. We forgot one thing.”
“What?” she snapped, doing her best not to laugh at his hangdog expression.
“Our New Year’s kiss.”
She set her hands on her hips. “Oh, fine. Go ahead.” Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, eagerly anticipating Dex’s firm mouth. He was the absolute best kisser, and she loved him to pieces. That still didn’t mean he wouldn’t need to pay for dragging her into his mess.
Then she felt his hands on her bare thighs, inching under her skirt and raising it higher while prodding her to widen her stance. Chancing a look down, she saw him on his knees, his gaze intent on her lacy red panties. Now how could she chastise him when he looked so dang happy?
“A thong?” He sounded strangled. “Fuck. Happy New Year to me.” Dex pulled the thin scrap of material aside and set his mouth over her.
Maya went from amused to aroused in seconds, her climb toward orgasm a delicious foray into the new year with the future Mr. Maya.
Dex moaned as he tongued her, then added questing fingers.
“Dex, in me.” God, he got her so hot, so fast.
He moaned but didn’t stop, increasing the friction against her. The scrape of his stubbled cheeks between her thighs made it worse, and Maya moaned as she came, unable to help herself, so in love with Dex it still stunned her to be so lucky.
He slowly stood and gathered her in his arms. Then he kissed her, and she tasted herself on his lips. “Happy New Year’s, baby.”
“Back at ya, Poindexter.” She laughed at his grimace.
“Quit rubbing against me before I come in my pants.”
“We can’t have that now, can we?” she said as she slid out of his arms and slowly moved to her knees. The hitch in his breath made her smile.
“No,” Dex rasped. “We can’t. And trust me, I know I owe you for tonight.”
“Yes, you do.” And I’ll take it out of you one way or another. “So prepare to suffer. Your orgasm is going to take a while.”
Twelve years ago, geeky Dexter Black blackmailed Maya Werner into a prom date, and she was shocked when she had a good time. But for a strong-willed, hot-tempered artist who’s used to having the upper hand, that night has never sat well with her.
Fast forward to the present, where Maya indulges in weekly wine night with friends and ends up pledging to get revenge on Dex. Except the nerd she remembers has transformed into a hot, sexy Marine who has the audacity to blackmail her again.
Dex is back in town with one goal in mind: to win the girl of his dreams. His strategy? Keep her off balance enough until she melts into the passion between them. But when a misunderstanding stokes old hurts, Maya backs away, and Dex has to go with a contingency plan: pour on the charm until he gets what he wants—Maya, forever.
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Sounds like an amazing series! Thanks for the great giveaway! Happy New Year also!
ReplyDeleteSounds awesome. Love the excerpt. Thanks for the excerpt and awesome giveaway chance. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteCarol Luciano
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Thanks for having me. Glad you guys enjoyed the short!
ReplyDelete