Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please Read online

  Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please

  By Ginny Glass, Christina Thacher, Emily Cale and Maggie Wells

  Discover four sexy stories with a military twist in Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please.

  E Is for Entice by Emily Cale

  Coast Guard Petty Officer Evan Marshall knows it won’t be easy proving to his hometown that he’s matured—especially his former girlfriend, Ciara Knowles. Though they soon re-create some very hot memories, it may take a disaster to truly bring them together.

  F Is for Fallout by Ginny Glass

  When Spencer Corwin returns from Iraq, all he can think about is finally meeting the woman he’s been corresponding with in the flesh. But will their red-hot passion survive the fallout of learning they’ve both been living a lie?

  G Is for Gun-Shy by Christina Thacher

  Colonel Jack Travis doesn’t want to be partnered with buttoned-up military strategist Davina McCall—even if she’s the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. When a freak storm traps them in Jack’s cabin, the buttons start coming undone…and things really start heating up.

  H Is for Hotshot by Maggie Wells

  Smoke jumper Luke Whitehawk usually fights fires—when he’s not fighting his sizzling attraction to pilot Tara Ferris. And Tara’s determined that this is one battle Luke is destined to lose…

  39,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  The month of May always brings, for me, the promise of new beginnings. I realize that it’s actually nearly the end of spring, but for some reason, I love the idea of May and that it means summer is coming and the fun is really about to begin!

  This month, very fitting for my excitement about new beginnings, we have three debut authors with stories releasing. Brighton Walsh joins Carina Press with her charming contemporary romance Plus One, where lifelong friends find deep-seated feelings growing into something more than friendship. Meanwhile, debut author Shawna Reppert has crafted a unique and captivating fantasy romance world in her male/male romance The Stolen Luck. Joining these two authors with a debut is S.G. Wong with the first Lola Starke novel, Die on Your Feet. Not only is this an unusual mix of mystery, paranormal and noir, but this book also has a striking cover that captured my imagination from the first look.

  Although not a debut author, Tamara Morgan joins Carina Press with the first in a new contemporary romance series. In The Rebound Girl, an outgoing plastic surgeon gets more than she bargained for when she offers to be the rebound girl for a sexy kindergarten teacher getting over his recent breakup.

  Along with new beginnings also come bittersweet goodbyes, and this month we wrap up Jax Garren’s fantastic science-fiction trilogy Tales of the Underlight. This series has kept us all on the edges of our seats with both the sexual tension between Hauk and Jolie and the fight to take out the Order of Ananke. Don’t miss the final installment, How Beauty Loved the Beast. Also wrapping up a trilogy this month, though on the opposite end of the romance spectrum, is contemporary romance author Kate Davies, offering the final installment of her high-school reunion trilogy, Girls Most Likely to…, with Life of the Party.

  As well, we have exciting offerings from a variety of veteran Carina Press authors this month. Jeffe Kennedy’s Ruby takes us to a contemporary world of BDSM and a sexy Cajun chef during the sensuality of New Orleans’s Mardis Gras. And last month saw the release of Volume 1 of our Love Letters anthologies. This month, discover four hot stories with a military twist in Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please.

  Sandy James, Shawna Thomas, Cathy Pegau and Stacy Gail all return to previously established worlds in their respective books. In Sandy James’s The Brazen Amazon, the Air Amazon is sent to protect computer wizard Zach from a rogue goddess who wants to use him to destroy the world. Journey of Dominion, book two of The Triune Stones series from Shawna Thomas, continues the story of Sara, trained from birth for one purpose: to reunite three ancient stones to restore balance to the lands.

  Female/female romance Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau follows the harrowing story of a beautiful agent and the woman she has no choice but to trust…until the secrets they’re each keeping threaten to get them both killed. And the plan for a demonic apocalypse is at last uncovered by a maimed member of the Nephilim and a scarred young woman who’s been to hell and back in Stacy Gail’s Wounded Angel, book three of The Earth Angels.

  Last but certainly not least, Dee J. Adams brings us the next installment in her high-octane Adrenaline Highs series with romantic suspense Living Dangerously. If you’re new to Dee’s books, you can easily start here, or go back to the beginning with Dangerous Race.

  This month, start a new series, revisit a favorite world or discover a new-to-you author with our May releases. And don’t forget to check out our catalog for backlist from these and other authors in all your preferred genres.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Contents

  E Is for Entice

  F Is for Fallout

  G Is for Gun-Shy

  H Is for Hotshot

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  E Is for Entice

  By Emily Cale

  She had to be another mirage. Evan had caught glimpses of her at least a hundred times over the past eight years. Walking across the street, perusing the aisles of the grocery store, even eating at their favorite restaurants.

  Except he hadn’t. Not really. The minute he did a double take or looked back, he discovered another woman with a similar body type or hairstyle. It’d been hell on him over the years. Each incident brought a web of emotions back to the front of his mind. It’d been at least a year since his last sighting. There were rumors she was back in town, but he’d assumed that was all it was. The town had a way of coming up with ridiculous stories that no one ever bothered to fact-check.

  This time was different. Even after he looked down, mentally shook himself, then looked back up, she was still there. Walking toward him. Ciara Knowles, the girl who’d driven a semi over his heart, backed up, then run over it again.

  “Evan Marshall. I never took you for the local festival type.” She spoke. The apparitions never spoke. Well, except for the few times some angry woman had told him off for staring.

  “Trust me, I’m not.” He squinted a little, thinking that the pinkish hue of twilight was playing tricks on him. After all, it’d been a long time since he’d seen her in the flesh.

  It’d been so long that he was probably doing it again—mistaking some other woman for her. In a minute she’d be berating him for not remembering who she actually was. A high school classmate he’d spoken to twice but who expected to still be fresh in his mind, or the lady from the flower shop who’d helped him last week. Except he knew that wasn’t true. The minute he’d caught sight of her, his entire body had recognized her. She could have had a nose job, bleached her hair and started wearing giant sunglasses, and he still could have picked her out of a lineup without breaking a sweat.

  “And yet, here you are.” She had a point. One he would like to refute with a long list of reasons why he hadn’t been able to flee the town with the rest of the residents before the tourists took over for the weekend, but not a single one see
med good enough at the moment.

  “So are you.” The realization hit him like an anvil. He’d been back to Crook Bay for enough holidays to know that she hadn’t. Not once had she walked into the local bar the day after Christmas to join in the informal high school reunion that always took place. His parents never mentioned running into her while out shopping, and his mother would have been sure to at least send him a text about it. Hell, she probably would’ve taken an ad out in the paper. His family always referred to Ciara as the one who got away. He swore they still expected her to follow him through the door when he came home.

  “This is true.” She shifted her weight and dug into the sidewalk with her heel. As she glanced around, she twisted the ring on her right index finger. It was the same one she’d owned back in high school, though she’d worn it on her left hand then. The action reminded him of the first time he’d asked her out. Back behind the middle school, both of them quiet and awkward. She’d been playing with the piece of jewelry then too. Studying it as though she’d never seen it before.

  He waited for her to offer up more information, but she kept quiet. Why did it feel like they were two people who’d barely known each other? The conversation between them used to be natural and easy. Now he found himself searching for any reason to escape. And yet he wanted to stay. He wanted all the feelings he’d had for her to fall back in place. Any of them would do. It didn’t have to be the happy ones. Anything would be better than the empty feeling he was currently dealing with.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked when he couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

  “I—I just moved back here last week.” Her voice shook.

  “You don’t sound sure. Would you like to think about it?” He meant for the words to come off as playful, but the sour look on her face said he’d missed.

  “It’s just weird to actually say the words out loud. You’re the first person I’ve run into and had to explain myself to.” She avoided his eyes, instead focusing on the various festival attendees who kept passing them.

  “Well, then, I’ll be the first to welcome you back to Crook Bay and the great state of Oregon.”

  She didn’t look amused. Quite the opposite actually. He took a deep breath. All the forced conversation and fake pleasantries were tiring. This wasn’t some random person he knew. Time to cut the crap.

  “I’m guessing your move back here wasn’t entirely your choice.” He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

  Her head snapped up with such force, he thought she might get whiplash. She didn’t answer, but her pursed lips told him everything he needed to know.

  “Can I buy you a drink?” Not just for her, but because he could certainly use a little alcohol. This whole situation felt as though it’d been pulled directly from one of his fantasies. He doubted it would end up in the position his dirtier dreams went, but a man could always hope.

  She stopped fidgeting and stared straight at him. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  One look from her could still destroy him. The glares she’d give him when he fucked something up had been enough to make him fall to his knees and beg forgiveness. Then there was the other kind. The one she gave him when she was thinking about him in a way that meant he’d be getting lucky later. At sixteen, it’d given him an instant hard-on. At twenty-six it seemed to have a similar effect. The shyness of a teenager uncomfortable in her own skin had been replaced by the confidence of an adult. She kept her shoulders back and her arms at her side. Aside from the fidgeting, she seemed grown-up in a way he couldn’t have imagined.

  “I’d ask what you wanted, but I think we’re going to have to settle for wine tonight.” He glanced around at the booths that were set up along the main street. “Lady’s choice.” They all tasted the same to him. Wine was wine. Give him a couple bottles of scotch and he could talk for days about the differences.

  “That one looks nice. Plus, they look a little lonely.” That didn’t sound very good. He followed her gaze toward one that exuded girlieness. Aside from the pink-and-white signs and the lacy doilies set up under their bottles, the women working the stand both had glitter covering their cheeks. That had to be a violation of health codes. Or at least a violation of common decency for anyone over the age of thirteen. Still, he put on a big smile and motioned for her to lead the way. He could always dump his glass out over the bay later and simply claim that he’d enjoyed the sweet, earthy flavors. Those sounded like words he’d heard used before in reference to wine.

  Following her across the street, he nodded as she picked out one of the bottles and told the owners to pour them each a full glass. It didn’t even look appealing. The nearly clear liquid looked more like rubbing alcohol than a choice vintage. Still, he forked over a ten and took his glass without complaint. He’d always been willing to do whatever it took to impress her, and that seemed to still be the case.

  Ciara held the plastic goblet up to her nose and took a deep breath. “Ooh…you can really smell the raspberry in this one.”

  He sniffed. It smelled like wine to him. Nothing more. “Yep.”

  She nodded toward the boardwalk that overlooked the ocean and he followed her over to the railing. She tipped her cup and took a sip. “Yum…I might have to go back and get a bottle of this. It’s very oaky too.”

  Reluctantly, he tasted the wine. He didn’t know much about the aging process, but if this is what oak tasted like, he was pretty sure it shouldn’t be used for anything. Ever. Toilet water tasted better than this crap. “I see what you mean.”

  “Really? I didn’t take you for much of a wine guy.”

  “Well, typically I’m not, but I’ve been known to order a bottle or two for a special occasion.” That wasn’t a lie. He did that often. Especially to impress women. Though he typically allowed them to pick it out and tell him what he thought of it. They both got what they wanted out of the situation. The woman got a free drink and he got a companion for the evening. He’d been lonely since moving away. Dating helped to fill the void in his life, but there was always this open wound that none of the women seemed to be able to close.

  She broke out in laughter. He stared at her, stunned by the sudden outburst. What the hell was so funny? Looking around, he saw nothing worthy of being bent over and crying.

  *

  “You, Evan Marshall, are full of shit,” Ciara finally managed to say after she stopped laughing. Her sides hurt more than after a grueling workout, but it was worth the pain to watch him stare at her as though she’d grown an extra appendage.

  “Excuse me?”

  “This stuff is crap.” She could barely believe she’d managed to swallow that small sip. It was worth it, though. She hadn’t laughed that hard since—well, she couldn’t remember when. Certainly not in the past year.

  “A second ago you were raving about the raspberry and oak flavors.”

  She remembered the flecks of green that appeared in his gray-blue eyes when he was riled up. Just another detail she’d tried to forget over the years.

  “And you believed it?” She leaned against the railing. She hoped the cool air from the ocean would help to quell the heat building in her body. Since she’d only had one sip of wine, she doubted the alcohol was to blame. She knew who was, but she didn’t want to believe he could still make her feel that way. Not after all these years.

  He stared into his wineglass. “Maybe I just didn’t expect to be led astray.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her the same way he used to when they were teenagers.

  She’d seen him do it a thousand times, but somehow it still tied her stomach up in knots. “Well, then, you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with.”

  Evan might have been the one who got blamed for all the pranks in town, but he’d never been working alone. Not really. In fact, she’d been the evil mastermind behind most of them.

  “I remember. I also remember you being on my side.”

  “I’m sorry. The Evan I grew up with would’ve thought it was hilarious.” R
ight after he threw her in the ocean for punishment. He’d done that after she tricked him into eating one of the bad batches from her aunt’s saltwater taffy shop. “To be honest, I didn’t think you’d get within a foot of that stand.” Pink frills and doilies used to repel him faster than anything else she could come up with. He’d even requested she wear any color but pink to prom junior year. She’d purposefully defied him and bought a bubblegum-pink ball gown. They’d spent an hour on her front porch arguing and waiting to see who’d give in first. She’d eventually changed into something else, but only so they could get to the dance in time to see who was crowned prom princess. Thinking back, she wished she’d stuck it out longer and made him take her in the original outfit, even if it was hideous. Especially since she’d lost the election anyway.

  “Back to the fact that you suckered me into buying two glasses of the world’s worst wine. Did I really deserve that?”

  She didn’t dare answer that question. She’d known better than to wander down, but somehow she couldn’t stay away. She’d heard he was back in town and wanted to see him, even for a second. She hadn’t planned on actually going up and talking to him, but the minute she caught sight of his golden brown hair and athletic body, she was drawn to him. The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of him.

  “I’ll make it up to you. How about I get us both something that couldn’t take the paint off this railing?” She dumped the rest of her drink over the edge into the sea. “Please? I promise you’ll like what I pick this time.”

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I? I need something to get the aftertaste of this crap out of my mouth. If your next selection doesn’t pan out, I’m going to rub sand against my tongue.”

  Pleased with herself, Ciara started walking away from the busy central section of the festival. While scheming, she’d completely forgotten about everything else going on in her life. For a moment, it was nice to pretend that she was still the popular girl rebelling against everyone by dating the rebel boy from down the street. Though he seemed a little straitlaced now. The polo shirt and khaki shorts didn’t exactly say “juvenile delinquent.” Then again, they weren’t children anymore.