Read Fixed up in February (Spring River Valley Book 2) Online
Authors: Clarice Wynter
“You’re scaring me a little.”
She laughed and tapped the heel of her stiletto. “Iron Audrey says, Be quiet and prepare to be boarded.”
* * * *
Hours later, Audrey lay sated, floating on a cloud of rose-scented feathers. Max lay beside her, teasing her with his fingertips and brushing a petal softly across the underside of her breasts. She shuddered every time he moved, still lost in the last waves of a third orgasm—or maybe the fourth. She’d lost count and didn’t care. There’d always be more.
She hummed softly to herself and grinned as his lips replaced the edge of the rose petal.
The flutelike notes of her ringtone interrupted their blissful rest, and she groaned. “Who could that be? Everyone I know knows I’m on a date.”
“Maybe it’s the hospital,” Max said, his smile fading. She sat up and kissed him quickly. “I’m not on call, but you never know.” She rolled along the bed to the edge and grabbed her purse from the nightstand. The phone tumbled out onto the floor, and she had to vault over the side to retrieve it. Max hauled her back onto the bed by one ankle.
“Careful there, no head injuries tonight.”
“Gotcha.” She checked caller ID. It was Cassandra. “It’s your cousin.”
“Ignore it. We can give her the details tomorrow.”
“No.” Audrey sat up, wrapping part of the voluminous duvet around her just because it seemed odd to answer the phone completely naked. “I’d better talk to her. Hey, Cassie, what’s up?”
“What’s up? The date— It’s after midnight. Are you still with John?”
Audrey tipped the phone so Max could hear. “Um…let’s just say the date isn’t over yet.”
Cassie gasped. “Really? You mean you two hit it off?”
“Oh, yes…we hit it
off
all right.”
“Wow. I’m…glad I guess. So you found the perfect guy?”
Audrey winked at Max. “Yes, I absolutely did, thanks to you.”
“Hmm. I’m sort of sorry it wasn’t Max. I guess I should tell him.”
“Good idea, hold on, he’s right here.” Audrey handed the phone to Max.
“Hey, Cass, what’s up?”
“Are you two…what’s going on? You’re putting me on, aren’t you?”
“We are.” He laughed. “I ditched Appendix Guy and took what I wanted for myself. Audrey’s all mine, and I guess that means the point does go to you. You can put another notch in your bedpost, or wherever you’re keeping score.”
“Really? You guys are together?”
Max looked at Audrey and twined his fingers with hers. “We’re completely together, and everything is just perfect.”
THE END
Coming Soon
Emerson Bartoli’s business trip to the New York City Ad Expo wasn’t supposed to include a sexy stranger in her hotel shower. But how can she complain when he offers to share the room after a mix-up leaves her no place to stay?
Jared Barton’s job is to land a global advertising account, not fall in love with his prospective client’s corporate image rep.
With their jobs and their hearts on the line, can they take a chance on each other and convince everyone that mixing business with pleasure just might be a winning combination?
MIXED UP IN MARCH
Chapter One
Icy slush splattered on Emmy as she reached for the handle of her suitcase. The cold, semi-hard drops of dirty, half-melted city snow plinked against her coat and slid down to land on the tips of her suede boots. She cringed. “Could this day get any worse?” she asked herself, just daring the universe to heap something else on her.
Between flight delays for her trip from Spring River Valley to New York City, the smelly cab ride, and the back ache she was going to have from dragging her luggage around, she’d reached her wit’s end. At least her hotel was four steps away, and a nice hot bath in a Jacuzzi tub awaited, along with room service and a good night’s sleep before she got to spend the day at the noisy, crowded Ad Expo at the Convention Center.
She gathered her bags and made her way to the revolving door of the hotel, struggled her way inside, and crossed the lobby. The woman at the desk offered her a tired smile, one that Emmy returned in kind.
“Can I help you, miss?”
“Reservations, Bartoli.”
The woman checked her computer, but before she turned her attention back to Emmy another uniformed hotel employee appeared behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. “Can you check this print out? We’re having a problem with the—”
“Hang on just a sec, I’m checking someone in.”
Emmy kept her smile in place
even as the wet chill of the slush seeped through her boots
.
Patience. Patience.
The two employees argued for a minute over the printout in question. “I’m sorry,” the woman said finally
, a hint of professional exasperation in her tone
. “This will just take a minute.”
“Sure.”
Patience
. All Emmy wanted to do was throw her luggage in the corner, strip off her travel clothes, and sink into that hot tub pictured in the hotel brochure. Her cell phone rang while she waited, and she figured it wouldn’t be rude to answer since the hotel clerk was busy messing around with the computer and glaring at her coworker.
“Hey, Evie.” Guilt washed over Emmy. She hadn’t called her friend when her plane landed as she’d promised. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you.”
“So you made it?”
“Yeah, despite the terrible weather. I thought March was supposed to be springtime in the city.”
“Well, maybe in New York City, but not here. It’s still snowing.”
“I’m knee deep in slush. I’m just checking into the hotel. How’s Pauly?”
“He’s fine. I’m giving him his dinner now, but you’re out of paper towels. Where do you keep them?”
“In the garage, but be careful. Don’t let Pauly follow you in there. There’s a hole in the wall where an old vent used to be, and he likes to climb inside it.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful.”
“Tell him I said hi.”
“He says meow.”
Emmy laughed. “Thanks for watching him for me. I can’t believe I have to come all the way to New York to listen to ad pitches. It’s such a waste of time.”
“Hey, you’re getting paid, and you’re staying in a fancy hotel. Don’t knock it.”
“I’m knockin’ it. I’m—oh, gotta go, my room is ready. See ya in a couple of days.” Emmy hung up just as the hotel clerk handed over a key card.
“I’m sorry for the delay, miss. We’re swamped because of the Expo, and we’re having computer problems.”
“It’s fine. As long as I’ve got a room, I’m happy.”
“Your room is on the seventh floor. Take these elevators up and make a left when you exit.”
Emmy grabbed the key. “Thanks.” She headed for the elevators and rode up to the seventh floor
,
humming to the Muzak, her mind on mountains of bubbles and waves of hot water. Why couldn’t these Ad Expos be held in warmer climates? She’d have happily gone to Miami or Barbados…but no. She had to take a one-hour flight to a city she could drive to in seven hours to listen to pitches for an ad campaign from
half
a dozen companies, some of which were closer to Spring River Valley than New York City was. It seemed like a waste of money to her, but as Evie said, she was getting paid, so why not make the best of it?
She found her room with no problem and let herself in. The bedside light was already on, giving the place a cozy glow. It sounded like the heat was on also, blowing a steady stream of warm air through the room. This was service. Finally letting the tension in her shoulders dissipate, she tossed her purse and carry-on across the fluffy queen-size bed, set her suitcase down in the middle of the room, and stripped off her coat. She rummaged in her bag for the lilac-scented bubble bath she’d brought with her and kicked off her
soggy
boots.
Just as she turned around, the bathroom door opened. Panic left Emmy mute and frozen to the spot as a puff of steam escaped into the room followed by the glistening muscular physique of a completely naked man.
She threw her bubble bath at him and screamed.
Considering herself the third of two voices, Clarice Wynter is the contemporary romance alter ego of a multi-published paranormal and science fiction romance author. She lives in the Tri-State area with her husband and her children and a trio of cats.
To learn more about
Clarice and her books visit her website and blog
:
Look for the rest of the Spring River Valley Series-
to be released
throughout 2013
Jilted in January
Fixed up in February
Mixed up in March
An Affair in April
Matched up in May
Jaded in June
Jealous in July
Awakened in August
Seduced in September
Outmatched in October
Naughty in November
Desired in December