~ NEW ~ EXCERPT BELOW ~
Max Troika never thought he'd be the alpha of his pack. That was his older brother's fate. Assassinations have a way of ruining everything. Including who Max can take as a mate. It sure isn't the cute and curvy librarian inspiring his dirtiest dreams every night.
Check prices before you buy.
Amazon US Amazon UK
They giggled and laughed and gossiped until Gal’s cheeks hurt. Man, she needed this. She absolutely needed to make more time to hang out with her friends and rekindle all the good times they’d had together. Who would have thought three girls who’d bonded over the horrors of the aerobics unit in their mandatory high school PE class would be such good friends after six years apart?
“Speaking of old gossip. Look who just walked in.” Heli gave the tiniest of motions with her head behind Gal. “Wait. Don’t just turn around and stare. Be cool about it.”
Cool? Right. Gal picked up her glass, downed the rest so it was empty and turned toward the bar like she was going to get another one. Standing where she expected to see the bartender was the boy, uh- huge, hot, man had he gained a lot of muscle, man she’d had a crush on since about the third grade.
He caught her looking and his eyelids lowered to half-hooded and he grinned. Every butterfly in the northern hemisphere flew straight into her stomach and a good fifty percent of those migrated south. Gal spun around and widened her eyes at Heli. “You could have told me it was Max. Cripes. He isn’t coming over here, is he?”
Heli nodded. “He sure is.”
“Ack. Do I have anything in my teeth? Did I spilled down the front of my shirt. I always do that. Allah, save me.”
The words poured out of Heli’s mouth, hurrying to answer. “You look great. His mouth is probably already watering. Here he comes.”
“Hi, Ladies.” A hand landed on the back of her chair and she could practically feel the heat coming off his extreme hotness. “Can I get you another round?”
“Hi Max. That’s nice of you.” Heli grinned up at Max. Gal didn't have the guts.
“Heli, Zara.” Max gave Zara a bit of a nod and a conspiratorial grin. The Troikas’ parents had never approved of Max’s older brother Niko and Zara seeing each other. Max and Kosta didn't agree with their parents. One time they even pretended to have a broken down car in the next town over to get their mom and dad out of the house so Niko could take Zara to the prom. His rebelliousness was one of those qualities that had drawn Gal to him in the first place.
Back then she couldn’t imagine defying her father. Dating a Troika would probably send him into fits. She was an adult now. She could do what she wanted. Sort of. Man, she really needed to figure out a way to move out of her parents’ house faster than what her librarian’s salary afforded her.
“You drinking chocolate milk there, Galyna?” Max tipped his head at the few dribbles left in the bottom of Gal’s martini glass.
She did love a good flirt. So why was there a funny wiggle in her tummy where her flirter should be? She couldn’t seem to get it kick started. “I’ve graduated to chocolate martinis, thank you very much.”
“Mmm. Sounds delicious. Can I try it?” Max eyeballed the glass in her hand, or maybe he was staring at her chest.
Okay, that grin he was giving her was way too sexy, and he knew it. Definitely her chest. She had dressed sexier than her usual sweater sets. Certainly not because she'd hoped to see him tonight. No, not at all. “Afraid there’s not much left.”
“Just enough.” Max took the glass, his fingers barely brushing against hers and oh, so slowly ran the tip of his tongue over the rim and then dipped into the well, once, twice. The pink of his tongue was visible through the bottom and he swirled it around licking up every last drop.
The inside of that glass wasn’t the only thing that was wet.
“Speaking of old gossip. Look who just walked in.” Heli gave the tiniest of motions with her head behind Gal. “Wait. Don’t just turn around and stare. Be cool about it.”
Cool? Right. Gal picked up her glass, downed the rest so it was empty and turned toward the bar like she was going to get another one. Standing where she expected to see the bartender was the boy, uh- huge, hot, man had he gained a lot of muscle, man she’d had a crush on since about the third grade.
He caught her looking and his eyelids lowered to half-hooded and he grinned. Every butterfly in the northern hemisphere flew straight into her stomach and a good fifty percent of those migrated south. Gal spun around and widened her eyes at Heli. “You could have told me it was Max. Cripes. He isn’t coming over here, is he?”
Heli nodded. “He sure is.”
“Ack. Do I have anything in my teeth? Did I spilled down the front of my shirt. I always do that. Allah, save me.”
The words poured out of Heli’s mouth, hurrying to answer. “You look great. His mouth is probably already watering. Here he comes.”
“Hi, Ladies.” A hand landed on the back of her chair and she could practically feel the heat coming off his extreme hotness. “Can I get you another round?”
“Hi Max. That’s nice of you.” Heli grinned up at Max. Gal didn't have the guts.
“Heli, Zara.” Max gave Zara a bit of a nod and a conspiratorial grin. The Troikas’ parents had never approved of Max’s older brother Niko and Zara seeing each other. Max and Kosta didn't agree with their parents. One time they even pretended to have a broken down car in the next town over to get their mom and dad out of the house so Niko could take Zara to the prom. His rebelliousness was one of those qualities that had drawn Gal to him in the first place.
Back then she couldn’t imagine defying her father. Dating a Troika would probably send him into fits. She was an adult now. She could do what she wanted. Sort of. Man, she really needed to figure out a way to move out of her parents’ house faster than what her librarian’s salary afforded her.
“You drinking chocolate milk there, Galyna?” Max tipped his head at the few dribbles left in the bottom of Gal’s martini glass.
She did love a good flirt. So why was there a funny wiggle in her tummy where her flirter should be? She couldn’t seem to get it kick started. “I’ve graduated to chocolate martinis, thank you very much.”
“Mmm. Sounds delicious. Can I try it?” Max eyeballed the glass in her hand, or maybe he was staring at her chest.
Okay, that grin he was giving her was way too sexy, and he knew it. Definitely her chest. She had dressed sexier than her usual sweater sets. Certainly not because she'd hoped to see him tonight. No, not at all. “Afraid there’s not much left.”
“Just enough.” Max took the glass, his fingers barely brushing against hers and oh, so slowly ran the tip of his tongue over the rim and then dipped into the well, once, twice. The pink of his tongue was visible through the bottom and he swirled it around licking up every last drop.
The inside of that glass wasn’t the only thing that was wet.