Read A Risky Proposition Online
Authors: Dawn Addonizio
A Risky Proposition
| A Risky Proposition |
| Third Wish Duology [1] |
| Dawn Addonizio |
| Nouveau Ventures Unlimited (2013) |
What would you do if a sexy djinn offered you three wishes? Before you get too excited, you'd better read the fine print - because the price for pleasure could be your eternal soul. When Sydney Corrigan tries to forget her problems with a night out in exclusive Palm Beach, the sinfully handsome Balthus is only too happy to help. Unfortunately Balthus is no ordinary man. He's a death djinn intent on claiming her soul. Luckily Sydney has her faerie guardian on her side. Not to mention Pat Sparrow, an exceedingly hot Irish detective who would love nothing more than to discredit the death djinns and show Sydney what real pleasure is all about...
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A Risky Proposition
Third Wish Duology [1]
Dawn Addonizio
Nouveau Ventures Unlimited (2013)
What would you do if a sexy djinn offered you three wishes? Before you get too excited, you'd better read the fine print - because the price for pleasure could be your eternal soul. When Sydney Corrigan tries to forget her problems with a night out in exclusive Palm Beach, the sinfully handsome Balthus is only too happy to help. Unfortunately Balthus is no ordinary man. He's a death djinn intent on claiming her soul. Luckily Sydney has her faerie guardian on her side. Not to mention Pat Sparrow, an exceedingly hot Irish detective who would love nothing more than to discredit the death djinns and show Sydney what real pleasure is all about...
**
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Careful What You Wish For
Chapter 2 – Contractual Obligations
Chapter 3 – Ironing Out the Details
Chapter 10 – The Price of Passion
Chapter 16 – Playing With Matches
Chapter 17 – Lessons Relearned
TITLES BY DAWN ADDONIZIO
Novels Of The Faerie Realm:
A RISKY PROPOSITION, Book 1 of
The Third Wish Duology
SOUL SEDUCTION, Book 2 of
The Third Wish Duology
PASSIONATE MAGIC
GREY’S MAGIC – Coming Summer 2013
Published by Nouveau Ventures Unlimited
3606 Woods Walk Blvd
Lake Worth, FL 33467
Edited by DM Eburn
A RISKY PROPOSITION
Book 1 of The Third Wish Duology
Copyright © 2012 by Dawn Addonizio
ISBN 978-0-9889992-0-6
All rights reserved.
First e-book release January 2012
For information contact:
Dawn Addonizio
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, locales and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination, or are used purely for fictitious purposes.
The Third Wish Duology is dedicated to:
Dr. Amy Kaufman—Who read it first as both a friend and an English professor, and kept me going with a priceless combination of encouragement and good feedback. I couldn’t have done it without you!
My Mom—Who has always encouraged me to think bigger and better and to believe that anything is possible.
My Husband—Who inspires my fantasies…and makes them come true.
Ann C. Crispin & the attendees of her 2008 Writers Workshop at Dragon*Con (which was Amy’s idea)—Thanks for the feedback & encouragement!
Much Love & Faerie Blessings Upon You All! -Dawn
Chapter 1 – Careful What You Wish For
“What the hell am I doing here? Ugh, I wish I was dead,” I muttered as I shoved the ladies’ room door open with more force than necessary. A dark-haired man at a nearby courtesy phone jerked his head in my direction. I looked down and quickened my step through the doorway, my pale cheeks heating in embarrassment.
I wasn’t usually prone to such outbursts, but I had just found out that my husband was cheating on me.
Jeremy and I had been married seven years and I’d thought everything was fine between us. We still talked…laughed…had semi-regular sex. Money was okay. We could have used a little extra, but who couldn’t?
And he had to go and screw it up by sleeping with some vapid little tramp that made eyes at him at the office.
I fought a fresh bout of angry tears as I stomped from the restroom and crossed the ritzy hotel lobby in search of the bar. My heels struck a sharp echo against the polished marble tile and I pushed my long brown hair past my shoulder, doing my best to ignore my discomfort over the near-indecent length of my cocktail dress.
Relief coursed through me as I escaped the naked space of the hotel foyer and made my way into an intimate corner lounge. I positioned my short skirt beneath me on the burgundy leather of a barstool and glanced up as the bartender approached from the dim wooden depths of his post.
He gave me a mocking look as I tugged at my hem. “What can I get for you this evening, madam?” he sniffed.
My expression hardened and I ordered a Grey Goose martini, foregoing a ‘please’ and my usual ready smile. I wasn’t in the mood for his attitude. So what if he worked for one of the most exclusive hotels in the country?
My lack of friendliness seemed to have the opposite effect on him. His frosty demeanor warmed as he handed me my drink, and he was downright solicitous as he offered me a choice of two crystal bowls filled with bar munchies. Sad that being rude actually makes some people treat you nicer.
I sighed and sipped the icy vodka, realizing that this encounter wasn’t helping my current, less than favorable, view of humanity. I managed to swallow without pulling a face, which would have ruined the sophisticated image I was attempting to cultivate.
No one here had to know that I was in a place I would normally never go, wearing a dress that was far more revealing than anything I would normally wear, drinking a drink I would normally never order.
I picked up the frilly pick with the olives and slid one free with my lips, chewing slowly as I glanced around the bar to give myself a break from the alcohol.
A couple sat in a booth off to one side. A generous sprinkle of salt and pepper dusted the man’s hair at his temples. The obviously younger woman had not an ounce of fat on her, with platinum blonde hair and a red dress that clung to her tanned, surgically enhanced curves like a second skin.
Blech. His wife of fifty years, and the mother of his children, was probably waiting for him at home while he was out hoping his wealth could buy him a newer model.
A maddeningly fair voice in my head insisted that my opinion of men might be just a bit skewed at the moment. I nearly stuck my tongue out at it.
A guy closer to my age, several barstools down from me, caught my eye and raised his glass in a friendly salute. His eyes twinkled as if we were sharing a joke and I found myself smiling back at him. He made a questioning motion toward the seat next to me.
I gave a shrug of assent and he picked up his glass and moved to join me. Polite, but confident; I liked that. There wasn’t anything not to like about his looks either—tall, lean and muscular, with chestnut hair and vivid green eyes. No sign of a wedding band.
That was lucky for him. I was in the mood to perform a Bobbitt on the next married guy who showed signs of cheating.
“Good evening. My name is Balthus.” His voice was rich and cultured, with a faint accent that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“I’m Sydney.” I smiled and took his extended hand, wondering what kind of parents named their kid Balthus.
I had a firm handshake. Some men seemed to take it as a challenge and squeezed my hand painfully in return. But Balthus’ grip was almost sensual, lingering for just a moment longer than necessary before he released me.
“Balthus—that’s an interesting name,” I commented, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that traveled up my arm at his touch.
“It’s a family name,” he explained, his mesmerizing eyes never breaking contact with mine. They appeared molten, almost as if flames burned within their depths.
If there was such a thing as vampires, they’d probably have eyes like this guy’s
, I thought.
“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance Sydney,” he said in a velvet tone, “and I appreciate you allowing me to join you. Solitary drinking is never as entertaining as imbibing with a companion.”
Ooh bonus—cute and well-spoken. I shook my head and chuckled at myself. Vampires—what a crazy idea! Besides, he was far too tan to be anything of the sort.
“Are you staying here at the hotel?” I asked.
“Yes. Just for the weekend, on business.”
“And what type of business are you in?” I took a small sip from my glass, giddy that I was actually doing this: sitting in a posh bar, drinking a high-end martini, making small talk with an attractive stranger. I really hadn’t been sure that I could pull it off. Years of faithful marriage can make for rusty flirtation skills.
“Oh, mostly trading and commodities,” answered Balthus with a vaguely amused gleam in his eyes. “And what do you do, Sydney?”
“Well, a little management, a little advertising, a little bookkeeping,” I responded with a dismissive wave. My job truly wasn’t that interesting.
“Like a free-lance consultant,” he surmised.
“I guess you could call it that.” I grinned. It sounded better than Administrative Assistant, or any of the other titles I usually gave myself when people asked me what I did for a living.
“And are you here on business, or do you live in the area?” He took an easy swallow from his glass.
“I actually live about a half hour’s drive away, but I work here on the island.”
“And what is a beautiful woman like you doing here alone on a Friday night?” His voice was warm, but his smile was deliberately teasing. “Where is your husband this evening?”
“What makes you think I’m married?” I asked, playing along with a surprised tone.
He reached over and softly traced the faint tan-line on my ring finger. I forgot how to breathe for a moment as pure electricity crackled between us. It sent waves of awareness traveling across my skin and my gaze involuntarily jumped to his, finding a knowing look behind the heat in his eyes.
I took a gulp of vodka to steady myself, and as an excuse to look away. After seven years of monogamy, I wasn’t used to even entertaining the sorts of feelings I was beginning to have about this man. My fingers played nervously over the stem of my martini glass as I decided how to respond.
“We’re separated,” I said finally. Not officially true, but I promised myself that it would be soon enough. Oh, Goddess—what were we going to do with the house? I shoved back a fresh pang of hurt at Jeremy’s betrayal and looked up with shielded eyes to find Balthus staring at me.