One night changes everything...
Escape You by Diana A. Hicks is now live!
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One night changes everything...
ATF agent Tyler Cole finally gets the break he’s been waiting for— a big NYC mob case. He just never expected for things to get this complicated.
Before he went undercover he spends an unforgettable night with a mysterious woman.
When they meet again, she’s his prime suspect, pregnant with his baby and about to be married.
Tyler should be trying to put Mia and her crew behind bars— but his desire is blurring the lines between right and wrong.
Mafia boss Mia Torelli learned the hard way that things aren’t always what they seem. She never planned on having a one night stand... with the enemy.
No names. No rules. No regrets.
Her passion filled night with a stranger raised the stakes in a very dangerous game.
Determined to make sure her Family survives the devastating loss of their boss, she must prove herself when she steps up as the new leader.
Mia must protect her secret at all costs, but an underground faction has other plans for her… and Tyler.
Note: This is a steamy romance with explicit sensual scenes, happily ever after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger. Can be read as a standalone.
Don't miss out on this suspenseful and seductive series!
Unravel You, Book 1 (Derek and Valentina) - OUT NOW! https://amzn.to/2Kj35Jn
Provoke You, Book 2 (Matt and Ela) - OUT NOW! https://amzn.to/2rnkutX
EXCERPT
Allie offered me a warm smile until her gaze moved from mine to someone behind me. Then she beamed as if she’d just had the come of her life. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him. Or did I? I looked again. Shit. I did a double take on a stranger. I covered the side of my face and concentrated on my drink. Honestly, I’d been dealing with man-children all week. I didn’t need this at my oasis too.
In my peripheral vision, long fingers braced the edge of the counter. A voice something like warm honey ordered a bourbon neat. Had I seen that face right? I had a feeling I knew him, but at the same time I was sure he wasn’t from around here. I knew everyone in town. A guy like that stood out. Allie poured his drink, biting her bottom lip, which looked very creepy because she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Thank you.” The guy sat and took a long swig of his drink. He raked a hand through his hair. A few dark tresses rebelled and fell back on his cheek.
“As much as I hate to say this”—Allie leaned on the bar—“it’s last call.”
I’d seen that look on her face many times. She was taking this guy home. A part of me wished I could do the same. But my old life, my freedom, all that was gone. Or it needed to be gone. As Uncle Mickey used to say, love would get you killed. In the end, greed got him killed, but I still thought there was truth in his words. Not that I was planning on falling for this guy who I’d seen a total of two seconds. Thing was, I couldn’t fall for anyone at all, or they’d end up dead, like Mom.
I knew being the lady boss would take some adjusting. Backing down wasn’t an option for me. If that meant I couldn’t take a gorgeous guy home with me, so be it. I could be like Queen Elizabeth I and swear off men. Sipping my drink, I settled in my barstool to watch Allie flirt and work her thing on this guy.
“No problem. I’ll cash out.” He stood and dug into the front pocket of his dark pants. Dark dress shirt, dark hair, dark stubble on a chiseled jaw, and steel blue eyes. Dammit, why did I look?
Don’t smile.
He smiled at me — all straight, white teeth, and full lips. “Would you put her drink on my tab?”
“No, thanks. I can pay for my own alcohol.”
He put up his hands and flashed me a grin. “Okay, no drinks.”
His gaze met mine, and I pulled another newbie mistake. I looked. I tried not to, but my eyes dropped to the pecs showing just above the first button of his shirt.
Allie placed a couple of dirty glasses in the dishwasher behind the bar, then took off her apron. She poured me another cocktail and winked.
His deep voice boomed a barstool away as he leaned toward Allie. “How come she gets another drink and I don’t?”
“She works here, honey.” Allie surveyed his face. After several beats, she shook her head and served him another bourbon. “On the house.”
She stalked around the counter and hugged me. “I’m taking one for the team today. He’s all yours. Don’t ever say I don’t get you shit.”
I barked out a laugh. “I’m good. I was gonna go home anyway.”
“You have the key.” She raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips to my ear. “Lock the door behind you.”
“That wasn’t the point for giving me access,” I called after her.
“It is tonight.” With a quick wave and sigh directed at the stranger, who looked as confused as I was, she went out the front door.
My body jerked when I glanced around the bar. We were alone. How’d that happen? I had to get out of here. The last thing I needed was a new friend. New friends came with a bunch of complications. I had plenty of those. I had a crew to run, and no time for beautiful strangers.
“I have to walk you out.” I gestured for him to leave the bar.
“You’re not even going to ask my name?” He stood, and his tall frame oozed confidence and something else I recognized as danger.
“Nope.”
“What’s your name?”
I shook my head. On a normal day, I’d give him my name, flirt, or maybe I’d check to see if that chest was as muscled as it looked. But my life was on south of normal these days. Think Queen Elizabeth I.
“Okay. No names.” He glared at the front door, then turned his attention to me. “I had a rough day, week, if I’m being honest. Would you mind if I finished my bourbon?”
I glanced back at the bar. We both had fresh drinks. “I suppose that’s harmless enough.”
“Thanks.”
We sat in silence, sipping from our glasses. My gaze darted over to him every time he moved, when his finger tapped on the counter, when he licked his lips, when his legs slid down the stool until his feet were fully planted on the wooden floor.
“What happened to you? Female problems or work stuff?”
He shifted toward me, and I did the same. “So talking about work problems is safe, but not names.”
“Something like that.” I should have left ten minutes ago.
“Work stuff. I got passed over for a job I wanted.” He shrugged as if it didn’t sting anymore, though the gloom that lingered in his blue eyes said otherwise. That was something I could relate to. Someone literally had to die for me to get the job I wanted.
“And you?” he asked.
“What about me?”
“The way you’re clinging to that drink suggests you also had a hell of a day. Week?”
I raised my hand. “Week.”
He offered me a kind smile. “Want to talk about it?”
I did my best not to melt off my seat. “I got the job I wanted last week. But my subordinates seem to be on a mission to see me fail.” I attempted a smirk, but it quickly turned into a frown. That was the crux of it. My own people, my family, wanted to see me fail. Or rather, they wanted to see me not try at all.
“I’m sorry to hear that. People can be assholes sometimes.”
“I say cheers to that.” I tapped his glass with mine, and we both drank.
My gut told me this was a bad idea. Not listening to my gut was also a bad idea. I braced my hands on the bar and pushed myself off the stool. He watched me with expectant eyes, as if he wanted me to leave.
I went for honesty. “Bad timing.”
He nodded, sucking air through his teeth. “Same. Otherwise, I would beg you to stay.”
The electric shock his words infused through my body set me right. I walked backward several steps, and he advanced a single one. Technically, I was walking him out, but his slow gait felt more as if he were chasing me out the door.
About the Author:
Diana A. Hicks is an award-winning author of steamy contemporary romance and science fiction. Her latest release LOVE OVER LATTES, Book 1 in her Desert Monsoon Series, recently hit the Amazon #1 Best Seller list in a category!When Diana is not writing, she enjoys kickboxing, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta, and loves spending time with her two children and husband.
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