Authors: Mari Carr

Rough Draft: Big Easy (16 page)

BOOK: Rough Draft: Big Easy

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Epilogue

Carissa wiped the counter at the Royal Lunch. Her small bar was packed to the rafters with regulars, Jett’s family and friends, his publisher and his editor. Everyone was in a celebratory mood. His latest book had released and rocketed to number one on the
New York Times
bestseller list during the first week of sales.

Critics and reviewers were calling it his best book ever, raving over the intensity of the criminal investigation while marveling over a new element. Jett’s detective had found himself a new female partner. It seemed Riley James had fallen head over heels for a straight-shooting, ball-busting, sexy-as-sin bartender. Longtime female fans of his series were delighted to see the diehard hero reveal his romantic side and they swooned over the sexy scenes Carissa had helped her lover
research
for the story.

Caliph lifted his glass, toasting his baby brother as everyone clinked glasses and drank. Carissa grinned when Jett handed his mother a check for two-hundred dollars, claiming he was paying her back for the loan she’d floated him when he first started writing. Everyone laughed as his brother Justin teasingly remarked that Mama Lewis was letting Jett off easy by not charging him interest.

Carissa walked around the counter to join them. His family had accepted her instantly, Mama Lewis chastising her and Jett for taking so long to see what was clear as day to everyone else.

Jett’s sister Chloe mooched a dollar from him, declaring it was time to fire up the jukebox and start dancing. As the sound of Zac Brown’s
Chicken Fried
filled the bar, everyone except Justin shifted tables to the walls and started moving to the beat on the tiny makeshift dance floor.

Justin punched Jett’s shoulder. “I’m still waiting for you to give me credit for breaking your writer’s block. Sort of suspected you to dedicate this last book to me, instead of Carissa.”

Jett crossed his arms. “What makes you think you had anything to do with helping me write again?”

Justin gave Carissa a charming wink. “I told you the secret was to get laid.”

Carissa and Jett laughed, neither of them bothering to tell Justin sex had nothing to do with it. Jett had confessed shortly after their return from Eden he believed it was love that had set him free.

Carissa had told him that was the corniest thing she’d ever heard, but deep down inside, she loved the idea.

Jett was just reaching for her hand, intent on dragging her out for a dance, when a man entered the bar. Jett stopped when he spotted the stranger.

“Who is it?” Carissa asked.

Jett didn’t answer her question. Instead he changed direction, the two of them going to greet the man.

“You found something?” Jett asked.

The stranger nodded and handed Jett a file folder. Jett opened it, scanning the single sheet of paper inside.

Carissa snuck a peek and caught sight of a grainy black-and-white photograph of a pretty blonde woman playing the guitar.

“Is that her?” the man asked Jett.

Jett nodded. Carissa thought for a moment her boyfriend had seen a ghost. His mother didn’t miss his shocked expression. She made her way across the room quickly.

“What’s wrong, Jett?” Mama Lewis asked.

Jett handed his mother the photograph. “It’s Dani, Mama. She’s alive and well and in Nashville.”

About the Author

Writing a book was number one on Mari Carr’s bucket list. Now her computer is jammed full of stories — novels, novellas, short stories and dead-ends. A
New York Times
and
USA TODAY
bestseller, Mari finds time for writing by squeezing it into the hours between 3 a.m. and daybreak when her family is asleep.

You can visit Mari’s
website
at www.maricarr.com. She is also on
Facebook
,
Twitter
and
Goodreads
.

If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review.

Other Stories in the Invitation to Eden series

www.InvitationToEden.com

Blurring the Lines by Roni Loren

A year has passed since Gretchen lost her fiancé, but she still can’t sleep. Or paint. And her new home in New Orleans is either haunted or she’s finally going crazy.

Her bet is on the latter.

So when her best friend, Burke, offers to sweep her away to a private luxury island for a break, she can’t say no. Maybe if she can be someone else for a few days, the ghosts of the past will quiet. At least for a little while.

Burke knows what she’s going through. She lost her fiancé, but he lost family. He gets her in a way no else can. But lately she’s noticing things she shouldn’t about her former fiancé’s younger brother—his sexy smirk, that spicy Cajun accent, and the way he looks at her when he thinks she’s not paying attention. A week alone with him? Dangerous. If she blurs the lines between them, she could ruin the only friendship that means anything to her. She could ruin it all.

But the island of Eden has its own agenda.
The island knows what you need
. That’s what the invitation says. She just never imagines it will grant her the one wish that could destroy them both.

* * *

Return to Sender by Steena Holmes

Lauren Summers leads a life of routine, rules and lists. She doesn’t have time for romance or excitement and certainly not for mysterious invitations that tempt her to break all her own rules. The only solution? Return it. It wasn’t mean for her anyways. But while she’s determined to rid herself of temptation, someone from her past has other ideas…

WARNING: This is a SWEET ROMANCE novella full of love, laughter, soul mates and chocolate. LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOCOLATE.

Excerpt: Full Position

Big Easy Series

Mari Carr

“Open your legs. I want to see exactly how wet you are.” Justin tugged on her knee as he issued the command, then felt Ned’s hand on the other. Her thighs parted easily as her skirt inched higher. She tried to tug it down, but Ned caught her wrist, his voice deep, stern.

“Leave it.”

“Ned,” she whispered, uncertainty creeping in again. There was a difference between talking and doing. They’d test her limits tonight, push her completely out of her comfort zone.

Justin leaned closer, trying to set her mind at ease. Ned was always too intense, his need to control a woman coming out stronger, darker. While Justin didn’t think Bella was balking, she was still a novice and probably not completely confident in her decision to pursue this adventure. “Trust us, Bells. We’ll never hurt you.”

Her expression cleared, showing him just how much faith she had in them. It twisted Justin’s insides, made him warm, happy.

She touched his face gently. “I do trust you. Completely. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

Unable to resist any longer, Justin ran his hand along the inside of her leg. He sat close enough to hear her sharp intake of breath. The heat of her pussy hit him before his fingers reached their goal. Their girl was on fire.

Then he hit pay dirt. Bella’s eyes closed as he stroked his finger along her slit. She was heat and moisture and sex incarnate.

Ned leaned closer. “Don’t close your eyes, Bella. Look at what’s happening on that stage.”

Bella lifted her eyelids slowly and he watched her struggle to focus. Justin studied her face and realized when she recognized what was happening in the performance.

“She misbehaved,” Ned whispered as Justin circled her clit. Bella bit her lip so tightly, he worried she’d split the skin and draw blood.

Ned continued to talk about the show onstage. “Her teacher is angry with her. He’s punishing her.”

The actor onstage—the professor—had bent his naughty schoolgirl over his desk and taken out a ruler. The scene was an old, familiar one, but Justin could tell from Bella’s responses it was speaking to some hidden desires. Did she like the idea of being punished by an authority figure?

She slid down on her chair—just a little, but enough—to allow Justin better access to her pussy. He didn’t accept her invitation, determined to crank the heat even higher. While the silent actions of her body told him she wanted a stronger touch, he wouldn’t give in until she was pleading, begging. He dragged his finger over her clit once more, making the touch lighter this time.

She groaned softly.

“We’ll punish you the same way the next time you’re late to work.”

Bella’s gaze jerked to Ned’s face. No doubt she wanted to reiterate the time limit she’d placed on this encounter, but neither of them was in the mood to continue that pretense. Justin pressed on her clit again, distracting her before moving lower to circle the entrance to her pussy.

Bella’s breathing became more labored. Between Justin’s touches and Ned’s dirty promises, she appeared to be losing her grip, relinquishing control of her inhibitions.

“We’ll pull you into my office, bend you over the desk, lift your skirt and yank down your panties.”

“I don’t wear skirts to work,” Bella whispered, though it was clear she was turned-on by Ned’s story.

“You will from now on. We’re changing the dress code for you.”

She looked as if she would argue, so Justin went for more distraction, pressing the tip of his finger into her wet pussy.

She closed her eyes, her expression betraying how much she loved this. She gave herself up to the moment.

“I’ll pull a ruler out of my desk drawer and Justin and I will take turns spanking you. I want to see that sexy ass of yours blush as prettily as your cheeks are right now.”

Justin pressed his finger deeper, realizing Ned’s fantasy wasn’t just working against Bella. His cock was so stiff it hurt. The tight clench of her pussy didn’t help. She felt like heaven.

Ned added more fuel to the fire building in her body. “Once we’ve finished punishing you, we’ll take turns fucking you from behind. You’re going to spend hours with our cocks inside you from now on, beauty.”

Other Titles by Mari Carr

Find buy links
HERE
.

Ellora’s Cave books

What Women Like:

Sugar and Spice

Everything Nice

Scoundrels:

Black Jack

White Knight

The Madison stories:

Kiss Me, Kate

Three Reasons Why