Authors: Anara Bella
Back for You
Back for You
Anara Bella
He came back for her. Now if only he could convince her that’s a good
thing…
If there’s one thing bar owner Thea Maguire knows for sure, it’s that you
can’t trust men to stick around. They’re only good for one thing—fun and games.
Anything more than that? No way. Case in point, Cain Marshall. She’d trustingly
given him her heart and he’d left her high and dry to follow his dreams. So
she’s more than a little skeptical when he shows up claiming he’s come back for
her.
Cain has never forgotten Thea, nor stopped loving her. Nor has he
forgiven himself for leaving her behind. But the Siren call of adventure and
ambition had been a heady combination he couldn’t ignore. Especially when the
fear of being tied down was riding his tail. But if the past ten years have
taught him anything, it’s that life without Thea isn’t worth living.
Sparks are flying, and the heat is undeniable. Now it’s up to Cain to
convince Thea they belong together.
Warning: This book contains a sexy, smoldering bad boy, excessive
margarita drinking, drunk dialing, and oh yeah, plenty of molten-hot graphic
sex.
This is a work of
fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either
the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely
coincidental.
BACK FOR YOU
Copyright
©
2013 Anara Bella
Cover by Angela
Waters
All rights reserved.
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for
the use of brief quotations in reviews or promotion.
This
ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be re-sold or
given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another
person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re
reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use
only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
supporting and respecting the hard work of this author.
For Marie Harte, without whom this book would never have been finished.
You’re an absolute treasure. Thank you.
For Samantha Storm and Leah Braemel. I’d be lost without your
encouragement and support.
And most of all, for my wonderful readers. You guys make it all
worthwhile. This book is for you.
He’s back.
The shock of it rippled through Thea Maguire’s entire body as she fought the
crazy urge to rub her eyes raw. She had to be seeing things.
But nope, there he was. Big as life. Borne out by the jolt of awareness
now zipping its way through her entire system.
She was still trying to absorb it when she realized something else—the
man
still
made her stupid heart go pitty-pat. How on earth was that even
possible?
Not wanting to look like a gawking statue, she grabbed her bottled water and
raised it to her suddenly parched lips. Maybe it would help quench her thirst,
and more importantly, maybe it would cool her off because all of a sudden she
was feeling uncomfortably hot.
Why was Cain here in the one place he was sure to run into her? After
all, he’d managed to avoid her for the past ten years.
From her vantage point in one of the tall banquette seats she’d had
installed during the bar’s last renovation, she grudgingly admitted that the
tall, dark epitome of masculine gorgeousness now dominating the room
was
a stone-cold fox. Always had been. Still, the flushed and fluttery feeling invading
her traitorous body shouldn’t have been happening. Not with their history. She
knew better.
Or should have.
But against all logic, her hungry gaze took in everything from his
too-long, thick, dark hair to his long legs clad in well-worn faded denim that
lovingly hugged all the important parts of his anatomy. Lingering with
appreciation on his big, broad shoulders, she admired the strength evident in
every line of his lean, tall body. The kind of strength that could carry an
anything-but-petite woman such as herself up a flight of stairs without
breaking a sweat. She sighed at the memory of his strong arms holding her close,
taking the stairs two at a time in his desperate race to get her naked.
Yep. A girl could be forgiven for reacting to the likes of Cain Marshall.
Even after all these years, he was way-more-tempting than any man had a right
to be.
It was really kind of annoying. The least he could have done was go bald
and get fat. That wasn’t too much to ask for, was it?
Thea forced herself to stop enjoying the view while she slapped down her
wacky libido. She needed to remember who Cain was. And why she hated him.
She sat back and took another pull on her water as she watched him scan
the room. A sexy combo of confidence and charisma radiated off of him, accompanying
his perusal as if he were the one who owned the bar instead of her. She could’ve
been annoyed by that, maybe should have been, but she knew it was just his way.
As a take-charge kind of guy, he couldn’t help himself. It was an innate part
of who he was.
Just like his bold-faced nerve in showing up here in the first place.
It figured that today, of all days, she’d slept in and had to rush to
work. No makeup, messy hair caught up in a jaw clip, throwing on the first
thing she’d grabbed. Thank God she’d slapped on some lipstick or she’d look
like the walking dead.
Her first inclination was to slouch down into the seat in hopes he
wouldn’t spot her, not that she’d ever give in to her inner wimp. Instead, she
sat taller, threw back her shoulders and crossed her legs. She had great legs.
More importantly, Cain had always loved her legs. At least her worn denim shorts
showed off her best asset.
The invasive desire to know what he thought of her now ate at her. Had
she changed very much since he’d last seen her? Did he still like what he saw?
She shouldn’t care, and God knew she’d be mortified if Cain had an
inkling of what she was thinking, but there it was. Her sane, logical side said
it shouldn’t matter, but her vanity wanted him to be struck dumb by her beauty.
She
wanted
him to regret dumping her, and the feeling was made more
acute because the passage of time had only added to Cain’s allure. It had made
him a man. Sexier. Harder. Colder.
Hotter.
As if on cue, Cain’s sharp gaze zeroed in on her like a human GPS. There
was no missing the glint of hot recognition in his piercing gray eyes. It told
her as plain as words what was on his mind, and there was no doubt he
recognized her. Nor had he forgotten anything about their steamy time together.
But then, neither had she.
His gaze ate its way down her body, lingering with burning intensity on
her thighs. She fought the urge to squirm. When his gaze snapped back to hers,
she read hunger in their depths, and an unwanted shiver of awareness ran up her
spine. Without breaking eye contact, he headed straight for her, force of will
evident in every step he took.
The faint hope he’d come to see someone else flew off into the ether, but
then the ridiculous notion should never have been there to begin with.
What did he want anyway?
Stopping in front of her, he tipped his head, his guarded, watchful eyes
holding a hint of something more in their sharp depths. “Hello, Thea.”
Steel-gray eyes pinned her to the booth as irritation edged into her
consciousness.
She acknowledged him with a cool nod of her own, not willing to reveal
more than he did. “Cain.”
Staring him down, she hoped against hope she projected cool indifference.
If only feigned lack-of-interest were enough to keep her from appreciating his
strong wide shoulders, ripped abs, tight ass, not to mention all of his other
significant assets. No question, the bastard had it all.
A flood of hot memories prickled up her neck, bringing a wave of unwanted
awareness along with it. The man had always made women melt into a puddle of
lust just by walking into a room. She’d been no exception. Not ten years ago,
and by the looks of it, not now either.
She faced the obvious. Despite everything that had happened between them,
Cain still generated enough lust-filled thoughts to fill ten football stadiums.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.”
Something dark flickered in his eyes, but his mouth kicked up at the
corner. “I’ve never lacked for nerve, Thea. You should know that.”
Yeah, she knew it all right. And with that nerve, he’d always managed to
bring out the willful wild child in her too.
She fought back an unexpected grin at the heretofore buried memories of
the two of them doing wild, wicked and crazy things together. The wave of
nostalgia and desire that crashed through her would have brought her to her
knees if she’d been standing. “Go away, Cain. You’re not wanted around here.”
His heated gaze slid a sensuous path from the top of her head to her strappy-sandal
clad feet, again lingering for long moments on her legs, making her hyper-aware
of her cut-off tank top and skimpy shorts. Making her feel completely exposed
and disconcertingly naked. Making her more than a little hot and bothered.
“Is that so?” His gaze slammed into hers again, and the oh-so-familiar
white-hot spark of electricity arced between them. Nothing had changed in that
department at least. The magic was still there. But then, he’d always been the
match to her tinder, able to send her up in flames faster than gasoline-soaked
rice paper, all with just one heated look.
There was no doubt in Thea’s mind that even now the man was nothing but
trouble. She raised her chin in defiance of the lust she felt even now.
Placing one hand on the tabletop beside her, he shoved it aside in one
smooth move. His other hand rested on the back of the bench seat, so close to
her head she felt the heat radiating off his skin. Panic fluttered in her
breast at his heart-palpitating closeness, distracting her until it was too
late.
Before her brain registered what he intended, he leaned in and kissed her
with such toe-curling, mind-bending thoroughness her brain shorted out.
Everything inside her melted. Her pulse tripped about with giddy abandon,
her breath hitched in her throat. And with frightening speed her mouth opened
to his seeking tongue and took him in.
God, she’d missed this—his soft but firm lips, his taste, his scent.
Everything.
A moan pierced through her sensual fog sounding suspiciously like it came
from her. A fact she knew was important. A fact that should matter. A lot. But
she wasn’t able to piece together why.
He shifted, his knee brushing against her inner thigh—
when had she
uncrossed her legs?—
a shiver of response skated to her core, setting up a
slow burn and throb deep inside her soul.
His hand left the table and cupped her jaw. God, she loved it when he did
that. It was
so
sexy, made her feel cherished and special. It had been a
long time since she’d felt that way.
Too long if it affected her like this.
She had to be a special kind of stupid to allow this kiss, but she was ravenous
for him, way beyond breaking it off.
When she thought she’d literally melt into him he broke the kiss, pulling
back just enough to look into her eyes. He was so close she could count the
black flecks in his silvery gray eyes, feel his sweet breath wafting across her
face. So close she was afraid of what he might see lurking in the depths of her
wide-eyed gaze.