Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her...and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook's resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he'll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he's worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River's body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time...

* * * *

“How much longer?”

Vaughn De Matteo groaned the words into River Purcell’s sweaty neck. This was it. His life was over. Or beginning. Fuck if he knew. His world had been whittled down to one incredible fact. The girl he’d been in love with since time began—or so it seemed—was beneath him in a rucked up prom dress.

And she was minutes from turning eighteen.

“I…” The breathy music of her voice warmed his ear. “The clock s-says two more minu—” She broke off on a cry when Vaughn got pumping again, thrusting his abused cock up against the lace barrier of her panties, creaking the motel room bed springs. Christ. They’d been at this for an hour. Vaughn getting worked up and River soothing him back down. To wait.

“Who did you dance with dressed like this?” His voice had gone hoarse, scraped, tortured. “You look like some kind of fairy.”

“Only because I knew I’d see you afterward,” River whispered, pushing back the hair that fell into his face. “I don’t dress up for anyone else.”

Vaughn’s laugh sounded agonized as he dragged his forehead down the center of River’s body. Through her cleavage, down the labored flutter of her belly button, stopping at the source of his baser lust, his frustration. River’s pussy. And he hated himself for calling it such a vulgar name when those crucial minutes hadn’t ticked past yet, but Vaughn reasoned he’d earned that liberty by refusing to fuck his younger girlfriend for two painful years.

“One more minute, Vaughn.”

He exhaled a curse between her legs. “You dress up for me, huh? The no good prick who can’t afford nothin’ but a cheap place that rents by the hour?” After finally securing one of the condoms he’d brought around his hurting flesh, Vaughn curled his hands around River’s risen knees, unable to stop his lips from gliding over the swath of pink lace. “Ah, God. You sure you want this, doll?”

River’s fingers tugged at his hair, urging him back up her body. “You’re the stubborn one who made us wait. I’ve wanted nothing but this since my sophomore year. Nothing but you.” With those blue eyes shining up at him, those unbelievable words hanging in the air, Vaughn couldn’t have refrained from kissing River if world peace depended on it. How’d I get this lucky? I shouldn’t have gotten this lucky. Senior class presidents from educated families don’t date thieving dropouts with no future. No one had clued her in?

When Vaughn finally managed to tear himself away from the frantic kiss, she surprised him by dropping the pink panties onto the bed beside them. “Time’s up.”

He cupped his girl’s cheeks, careful not to abrade her skin with the roughness of his palms. “I love you so damn bad, River Purcell.”

“I love you, too.” Her voice was unsteady, her fingers tunneling in his hair. “I’ll never, ever stop.”

Vaughn double-checked the digital bedside clock—midnight—before fusing their mouths together. As both of them whispered oh God, oh God, oh God, Vaughn bared his teeth against River’s swollen lips and pushed through River’s virginity. His prolonged growl of pleasure was eventually followed by River’s, the bed springs and distant sounds of televisions blaring joined them to create a symphony all their own.

On behalf of 1001 Dark Nights,

Liz Berry and M.J. Rose would like to thank ~

Steve Berry

Doug Scofield

Kim Guidroz

Jillian Stein

InkSlinger PR

Dan Slater

Asha Hossain

Chris Graham

Pamela Jamison

Jessica Johns