Anne Marsh - Wicked Nights

Winner takes it all…off

Former diving champion Piper Clark never loses. Unfortunately, if she doesn’t land this lucrative contract, her diving business will fail. Worse still, it will be at the hands of her childhood nemesis, Cal Brennan—six feet of hard, rugged former Navy SEAL. So Piper proposes a wager: whoever loses the diving contract must take orders from the winner…in bed.

Cal needs this contract for his own reasons. A former rescue swimmer, he may be having a few issues with diving since his last mission ended, but Piper doesn’t need to know that. Something about her impulsive nature makes Cal rise to the bait, and there’s nothing he’d like more than to show Piper exactly what rules are good for.

All bets are on. And someone’s about to start playing dirty….

“I’d like to propose a bet...”

Piper had to stand on tiptoe to reach Cal’s ear. Since she was pressed against his butt, he wasn’t complaining.

“What are we negotiating?” His voice sounded gruff, but some things were definitely beyond his control.

“The Fiesta contract.” She didn’t retreat. Nope. If anything, she pressed in tighter.

“I’m not stepping away,” he warned. If he wanted to bring more veterans out here to Discovery Island to work, he had to have that business.

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that…more than once.” He felt rather than saw her smile against his throat. Piper had always been honest. It was one of the things he liked about her. Her next words were a whisper meant for him alone. “Loser takes orders from the winner for one night—in bed.”

And…whoa.

He hadn’t seen that one coming.

“We’ve always had a certain…chemistry. Aren’t you curious?”

Oh, yeah.

“I accept,” he growled.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Extract Copyright ,

My husband calls my Discovery Island books my vacation books, and he may have a point. I wrote much of my first Mills & Boon Blaze book, Wicked Sexy, sitting on the bathroom floor of a Tahitian bungalow with a large albino gecko for company. It was the only room with electricity where I wouldn’t disturb my sleeping kids—although I’m pretty sure they woke up the first time I spotted Mr. Gecko staring down at me from the thatched roof and nearly launched the laptop at his head.

Pieces of our vacations also made it into Wicked Nights. I’ve always been a fish lover, and not just served up on my plate. I fell in love with snorkeling when a very sexy, itty-bitty-swimsuit-wearing French man in Bora Bora told me to jump into the current and look at the fish. I did, and, despite almost drowning, I was hooked. I’ve tried to share some of the beauty of that underwater world in Piper’s dives. While Discovery Island is a figment of my imagination, the kelp forests and damselfish Piper sees are not. And hey, just for you all, I made sure to do my research and swim with sharks before I included them in the book.

There will be a third book—Tag deserves a happily-ever-after—and I’m thinking it’s time to vacation again. Where do you think we should go?

Happy reading,

Anne Marsh

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Extract Copyright

ANNE MARSHwrites sexy contemporary and paranormal romances because the world can always enjoy one more alpha male. She started writing romance after getting laid off from her job as a technical writer—and quickly decided happily-ever-afters trumped software manuals. She lives in Northern California with her family and six cats.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Winner takes it all…off Former diving champion Piper Clark never loses. Unfortunately, if she doesn’t land this lucrative contract, her diving business will fail. Worse still, it will be at the hands of her childhood nemesis, Cal Brennan—six feet of hard, rugged former Navy SEAL. So Piper proposes a wager: whoever loses the diving contract must take orders from the winner…in bed. Cal needs this contract for his own reasons. A former rescue swimmer, he may be having a few issues with diving since his last mission ended, but Piper doesn’t need to know that. Something about her impulsive nature makes Cal rise to the bait, and there’s nothing he’d like more than to show Piper exactly what rules are good for. All bets are on. And someone’s about to start playing dirty….

Introduction “I’d like to propose a bet...” Piper had to stand on tiptoe to reach Cal’s ear. Since she was pressed against his butt, he wasn’t complaining. “What are we negotiating?” His voice sounded gruff, but some things were definitely beyond his control. “The Fiesta contract.” She didn’t retreat. Nope. If anything, she pressed in tighter. “I’m not stepping away,” he warned. If he wanted to bring more veterans out here to Discovery Island to work, he had to have that business. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that…more than once.” He felt rather than saw her smile against his throat. Piper had always been honest. It was one of the things he liked about her. Her next words were a whisper meant for him alone. “Loser takes orders from the winner for one night—in bed.” And…whoa. He hadn’t seen that one coming. “We’ve always had a certain…chemistry. Aren’t you curious?” Oh, yeah. “I accept,” he growled.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Extract Copyright , My husband calls my Discovery Island books my vacation books, and he may have a point. I wrote much of my first Mills & Boon Blaze book, Wicked Sexy, sitting on the bathroom floor of a Tahitian bungalow with a large albino gecko for company. It was the only room with electricity where I wouldn’t disturb my sleeping kids—although I’m pretty sure they woke up the first time I spotted Mr. Gecko staring down at me from the thatched roof and nearly launched the laptop at his head. Pieces of our vacations also made it into Wicked Nights. I’ve always been a fish lover, and not just served up on my plate. I fell in love with snorkeling when a very sexy, itty-bitty-swimsuit-wearing French man in Bora Bora told me to jump into the current and look at the fish. I did, and, despite almost drowning, I was hooked. I’ve tried to share some of the beauty of that underwater world in Piper’s dives. While Discovery Island is a figment of my imagination, the kelp forests and damselfish Piper sees are not. And hey, just for you all, I made sure to do my research and swim with sharks before I included them in the book. There will be a third book—Tag deserves a happily-ever-after—and I’m thinking it’s time to vacation again. Where do you think we should go? Happy reading, Anne Marsh