Past Regrets: Love and Friendship, Book 2 (26 page)

“A blog about what?” Julia asked, rolling her eyes. “Desperados? Bandits? What’s a bad ass?”

Maggie closed her eyes briefly to summon courage. This next part was worse. Her teeth clacked when she closed her mouth. The longer her hesitation, the worse the mental strain would become. Big bad ass, she wasn’t. More like a marshmallow, burnt on the outside with a gooey interior.

“I explore…um…my adventures in spanking,” Maggie said, forcing a smile. “Does anyone want another drink?”

“Spanking,” Susan cried out as the band ended their song and the haunting notes of a sax faded. Everyone in the vicinity heard her shocked shriek. Heads turned, customers surveying them with distinct interest. Two men at a nearby table leered. Their dark suits suggested they worked at the lawyer’s office next door, but their toothy smirks told Maggie their minds crawled in the gutter, armed with floggers and paddles.

“Shush,” she muttered, aware of the two plum-sized patches heating her cheeks. “It’s a secret. I don’t want everyone to know.”

Christina picked up her drink, golden bracelets jingling with musical grace. “Since when were you interested in spanking, Maggie?”

“Yeah,” Julia demanded. “How long has this been going on?”

Susan smirked, her gaze darting from Christina to Julia and back to Maggie. “Does Greg spank you?”

“Um…” Oh, heck. She’d known they’d have lots of questions. Greg was her boyfriend. Solid, dependable and boring. How was she going to tell him? True, she was still a spanking novice, but Maggie was determined not to chicken out. She would explore spanking. It wouldn’t be like the fad diets she tried and failed.

Her spanking interest—or sickness, depending on how a girl looked at it—began with a book and some in-depth soul-searching along with a bottle of wine. She’d hauled her drunken self off to bed and, after reading more of the erotic romance, she’d had the best orgasm ever. Yeah, if she could scale those heights by herself, a real extravaganza lay ahead with a male lover. Right there, she decided to explore her wild side and the naughty spike of pleasure that jolted her right to the core every time she considered a swat on the ass. The fiery heat…

She could see the curiosity filling Susan’s blue eyes, the nosy interest mirrored in Christina and Julia’s faces. “You asked for one secret. I’ve given you one and you have to promise not to tell anyone.” Maggie had no idea where this new bravery had come from. It reminded her of her teenage years, and she liked its return. The inner Maggie cheered, enjoying the nonplussed expressions on her friends’ faces.

“What about Connor? We can tell him, right?” Julia toyed with her straw, cocking her head to the side as she studied Maggie. “He would have been here if his rugby coach hadn’t called an extra training session.”

“No!” Color climbed into Maggie’s cheeks. “Not unless you’re going to tell him your secrets as well.” A glower through narrowed eyes served as a warning, an attempt to enforce her will.

She closed her eyes briefly. Her recent behavior would appall her father and stepmother who still reeled over the scandal of Penisgate. More gossip about their daughter would send them over the edge. What had come over her lately? Maybe a vitamin deficiency or something. In addition to thinking about spanking and researching kink, her fantasies had sprung into full sexy Technicolor. They featured Connor, and it wasn’t his cooking skills that interested her.

Sometimes you have to lose it all to find what you really need.

Then, Again

© 2013 Karen Stivali

Photographer Kay Turner is dealt a double whammy when she flies home for her grandmother’s funeral to find her boyfriend with another woman. Now with two losses to mourn, she retreats to her newly inherited beach house to clear her head.
 

Everything at the beach is familiar: the sounds of the ocean, the scent of her grandmother’s perfume—and the irresistible smile of James Margolis. The man Kay spent her adolescence pining for is every bit as charming as she remembers.

James always thought of Kay as “a nice kid”, but he feels something very different for the woman she’s become. Especially when he asks if she’d be willing to part with some of her grandmother’s recipes for his new restaurant—and they wind up sharing much more than culinary secrets.

But as their relationship deepens, Kay finds herself caught between the demands of her dream career as a travel photographer, and a chance for happiness with the one man she’s wanted for a lifetime.

Warning:
This foodie romance contains sensual scone baking, a heroine who discovers one bad apple hasn’t spoiled her appetite, and a delicious hero you can’t help but crave. Blend well, serve hot.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Then, Again:

James had been hoping Kimmy would come by the store. He knew she’d be back in town, at least for the funeral, and he’d been scanning the crowd of customers for her all day. He hadn’t expected her to look quite so fantastic. Her long wavy hair was the exact color of honey, innocent but sexy in two simple ponytails. Even in jeans and a T-shirt she was a knockout. Her once oversized features now perfectly accented her heart-shaped face, the gangly legs had grown shapely. There was no hint of the awkward girl she’d been years ago when they’d first met. She was all woman now, and it took his breath away.

When he told her the restaurant was his, her already round eyes widened, glistening like molten dark chocolate flecked with gold. “Really?” Her voice was low, crooning. “You’re in the restaurant business? I thought you’d gone into finance.”

“I did, but I kept getting sucked back into the family business with the fish market and I’ve always loved food. I did some restaurant management courses and spent some time at culinary schools in Italy, Montepulciano and Palermo, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever go for it. Then this place went on the market and I decided to just do it.”

“That’s awesome.” She made her way around the kitchen, her delicate hands running along the smooth stainless steel surfaces, her hips swaying as she moved around the center counter. “When do you open?”

“I wish I could answer that. A couple of months, I hope. We’ve hit a few snags with the contractors. It’s okay, though. Gives me more time to perfect the menu. Starting with the chowders.”

“Plural? How many chowders will there be?” She leaned against the counter, tilting forward just enough to make her breasts swell against the fabric of her T-shirt. His stomach knotted as he tried not to be too obvious about noticing.

“You want to see the tentative menu?” He reached up and pulled a folder off the top shelf.

She traced her finger down the paper as she read. He eyed the invisible trail with envy.
Jesus. Settle down.
She probably thinks you’re an old man.

“This sounds amazing,” she said. “Clam and sausage chowder. My grandmother used to make that.”

“I know. It’s her recipe.”

Her plump pink lips fell open. “Seriously?”

“She used to bring it into the fish market for us at the holidays, and one year I talked her into teaching me how to make it. It’s one of my favorite soups, there’s no way it wasn’t going on the menu. I’ll name it after her, I just haven’t gotten around to naming the dishes yet.”

“She’d love that.” Kay’s eyes misted and she glanced away.
Kay. A grown-up name to go with the rest of her look.

“You want to try a bowl? See if I got it right?”

“What, now?”

“Sure.” He pulled open one door of the double fridge. “I made a pot last night. I was going to have it for dinner with some of these oysters. The rest will become oyster and corn chowder, a recipe I don’t have perfected. Yet.”

Kay stared at him with an expression he couldn’t read. Gratitude? Fascination? Maybe she just thought he was crazy to be opening a restaurant in the current economy. Whatever it meant he was glad to have an excuse to make eye contact with her. He held her gaze until she flushed and looked away. She handed him back the menu. “I haven’t had a real meal in days, I’ll try anything you like.”

Her words stirred endless possibilities in his mind, but he tried to push them all aside and concentrate on getting her some food. He scooped crushed ice out of the ice machine and went to work shucking the oysters while the soup heated on the stove.

She sat perched on one of the barstools he’d brought in from the dining room.

“If you want a beer there are some in the fridge, bottom shelf.” He couldn’t help but sneak a look at her ass as she bent down.

“You want one?” she asked, catching him watching her.

“Sure.”

“You’ve got an awful lot of food in here for a restaurant that’s not open.”

“Barter. I’ve been feeding the workers and training the kitchen staff. They grumble about the heat less when they’ve got full stomachs. Plus I get to try out new recipes. Can you grab that small silver bowl from the fridge?”

“This one?”

“That’s it.” He set the platter of oysters between them and quartered a lemon. “How do you take your oysters? Straight? Lemon? Or you want to try the sauce?”

Her brow furrowed as she settled herself back on the stool. “How about one of each?”

“You’re my kind of woman.” She giggled, her thick lashes batting against her cheeks as she flushed a shade darker. For a second he caught a hint of the teenaged Kimmy, then her eyes met his again. One sexy flash and she was completely back to being Kay.

“Let’s start with plain.” He handed her an open shell then took one for himself.

She raised the oyster to her lips then tossed it back, her neck arching, eyes closing. He could imagine her tongue rolling as she tasted the briny-sweet morsel before swallowing. His throat went dry. The low moan she emitted tugged at something deep within his belly.
Jesus.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Oh my God. I’d forgotten how much I love oysters. These are fantastic.”

“Fresh as they can get.” His voice rasped. He tipped a shell into his mouth, letting the flavor distract him. “Man, these are good. Lemon on the next one?”

“Sure.” She sipped at her beer, and he realized the soup was about to boil over. He leapt up and caught it before it overflowed out of the pot.
She’s got me so distracted I can’t even heat up soup.

He ladled the rich red broth into two wide, ceramic bowls and carried them back to Kay. She’d worked her way through another two oysters.

“That sauce is out of this world.”

“You like it? It’s a classic mignonette sauce—white wine and shallots, but I added some sautéed spinach to give it an oysters Rockefeller taste.”

“Whatever you did, write it down. That’s a keeper.”

The combination of her complimenting his food and the smile on her face was definitely the highlight of his day.

She stirred her soup in wide circles before blowing on a spoonful. He waited while she took her first sip. “Oh.” She sighed. “I haven’t had this in years. You totally nailed it.”

He grinned so broadly it made his cheeks ache. “Good. I wouldn’t want to let Maria down.”

“She’d be very proud.”

They talked and laughed and drank more beer. James had practically forgotten that this was a catch-up session and not an actual date. Every time he looked at her he imagined what it would be like to kiss her.
Don’t rush things. She’s here for a funeral. Slow down.

Past Regrets

Shelley Munro

Never look back…unless that’s where your heart belongs.

Love and Friendship, Book 2

Julia Maxwell was a seize-the-moment party girl until the night she spent with up-and-coming rocker Ryan Callander. From that moment, she was a one-man woman. Pity he hasn’t kept with the program.

Tired of the secrets that have kept her out of the press and Ryan’s fans happy, angry with mounting evidence of infidelity, Julia is older, wiser, and determined to divorce his cheatin’ ass.

Ryan’s long European tour had more than its share of hard knocks—one of which landed on his head when he was mugged. Divorce papers waiting for him at home are a shock that fills in some of the holes in his sketchy memory. But it could be too late to salvage his marriage.

If Ryan thinks flirtatious smiles, seductive touches, and hot-and-heavy kisses are going to smooth things over, Julia’s got a hammer with his name on it. To her surprise, he picks it up, determined to rebuild a bright future for both of them. But the past is lurking with some missing pieces that could bring their hearts crashing down.

Warning: Contains a pissed ex-stripper turned burlesque dancer, a bunch of nosy friends and a smooth-talking rocker with one thing on his mind. Stripper poles and skimpy costumes may be involved.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.