to be truthful, he wanted her to think
12
well of him.
13
The specter of his past rose. He wasn’t ashamed of his hard
14
living. But because he’d been that way and openly so, it had
15
played in the media. He wasn’t just the drummer of Sweet Hol-
16
low Ranch. He was the party- boy, sex- hungry, hard- drinking
17
drummer.
18
From the outside, he could see it all bringing pause to Mary.
19
He liked her. He wanted to know her better. And he wanted
20
very much for that reputation to not get in the way.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28S
29N
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
5
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
J
16
eez, a private plane too?” Jules waggled her brows as they
17
got settled in for their fl ight to New York.
18
“Erin, I wager. She loves to give presents.” Daisy said.
19
Levi sat next to her, his hand in hers.
20
“I bet you Levi is no stranger to private planes. Look at him.”
21
Mary winked at him and he snorted. They had a good back and
22
forth. Once she accepted that he was good for Daisy and would
23
continue to be so. She also liked that Levi had wanted her to
24
approve. Some guys wouldn’t have cared.
25
“I did my time in coach.”
26
“You make it sound like prison,” Daisy scoffed.
27
Mary laughed. “It is! If I could do this every time you’d never
S28
see me in coach ever again jammed in the center seat for seven
N29
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
hours while I begged for peanuts after having to take my shoes
02
off in an airport.” She shuddered.
03
“Jules says you’re doing a food- truck tour tomorrow. Is there
04
room for me?” Gideon Carter, Jules’s other man, looked at her
05
hopefully.
06
“Defi nitely.”
07
“Is the rock star coming?” Cal asked, trying to be casual.
08
Ryan, their brother, groaned. “You have no fi nesse at all.”
09
“And you do?” Cal tossed back. The two of them bickered a
10
lot, but it was a front. They were, as her mother often said, thick 11
as thieves. But they did love to poke each other.
12
“I could have found out if Damien Hurley was coming along
13
way smoother than you. And I wouldn’t have agitated her in
14
fi nding out.” Ryan shrugged.
15
She snorted. “Boys, please. Yes, he’s coming along. I think
16
he is, anyway. I think one of his other brothers is coming too.”
17
She was admittedly a little nervous about that. Sure, they
18
were just having fun and all, but she knew he was tight with his
19
family. Didn’t want them to think ill of her.
20
“So what do you envision this thing between you being any-
21
way?” They took off easily as she sat back and let Ryan pepper
22
her with questions. She’d probably want to know if their situa-
23
tions were reversed so she’d answer until she thought he went
24
too far.
25
“Look. He’s an adult male with a busy schedule. I’m an adult
26
female with a busy schedule. Occasionally, for however long
27
this works, we meet up and hang out awhile and then go back
28S
to our busy schedules. I like him. He’s sexy and funny and tal-
29N
ented.” She shrugged.
• 58 •
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
“I’ve seen the celebrity news.” Ryan was calmer than Cal,
01
but no less intense. Maybe more once you scratched the surface.
02
She heard the warning and wanted him to know she understood.
03
“So have I. I know what he is. But I think he’s more than the
04
shorthand we know from the Internet. Anyway, I’m not going
05
to marry him, for heaven’s sake. I’m going to fuck him and let
06
him make me laugh and enjoy his company. I’m not
12
well of him.
13
The specter of his past rose. He wasn’t ashamed of his hard
14
living. But because he’d been that way and openly so, it had
15
played in the media. He wasn’t just the drummer of Sweet Hol-
16
low Ranch. He was the party- boy, sex- hungry, hard- drinking
17
drummer.
18
From the outside, he could see it all bringing pause to Mary.
19
He liked her. He wanted to know her better. And he wanted
20
very much for that reputation to not get in the way.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28S
29N
• 56 •
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23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
5
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
J
16
eez, a private plane too?” Jules waggled her brows as they
17
got settled in for their fl ight to New York.
18
“Erin, I wager. She loves to give presents.” Daisy said.
19
Levi sat next to her, his hand in hers.
20
“I bet you Levi is no stranger to private planes. Look at him.”
21
Mary winked at him and he snorted. They had a good back and
22
forth. Once she accepted that he was good for Daisy and would
23
continue to be so. She also liked that Levi had wanted her to
24
approve. Some guys wouldn’t have cared.
25
“I did my time in coach.”
26
“You make it sound like prison,” Daisy scoffed.
27
Mary laughed. “It is! If I could do this every time you’d never
S28
see me in coach ever again jammed in the center seat for seven
N29
• 57 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 57
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 57
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
hours while I begged for peanuts after having to take my shoes
02
off in an airport.” She shuddered.
03
“Jules says you’re doing a food- truck tour tomorrow. Is there
04
room for me?” Gideon Carter, Jules’s other man, looked at her
05
hopefully.
06
“Defi nitely.”
07
“Is the rock star coming?” Cal asked, trying to be casual.
08
Ryan, their brother, groaned. “You have no fi nesse at all.”
09
“And you do?” Cal tossed back. The two of them bickered a
10
lot, but it was a front. They were, as her mother often said, thick 11
as thieves. But they did love to poke each other.
12
“I could have found out if Damien Hurley was coming along
13
way smoother than you. And I wouldn’t have agitated her in
14
fi nding out.” Ryan shrugged.
15
She snorted. “Boys, please. Yes, he’s coming along. I think
16
he is, anyway. I think one of his other brothers is coming too.”
17
She was admittedly a little nervous about that. Sure, they
18
were just having fun and all, but she knew he was tight with his
19
family. Didn’t want them to think ill of her.
20
“So what do you envision this thing between you being any-
21
way?” They took off easily as she sat back and let Ryan pepper
22
her with questions. She’d probably want to know if their situa-
23
tions were reversed so she’d answer until she thought he went
24
too far.
25
“Look. He’s an adult male with a busy schedule. I’m an adult
26
female with a busy schedule. Occasionally, for however long
27
this works, we meet up and hang out awhile and then go back
28S
to our busy schedules. I like him. He’s sexy and funny and tal-
29N
ented.” She shrugged.
• 58 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 58
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 58
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
“I’ve seen the celebrity news.” Ryan was calmer than Cal,
01
but no less intense. Maybe more once you scratched the surface.
02
She heard the warning and wanted him to know she understood.
03
“So have I. I know what he is. But I think he’s more than the
04
shorthand we know from the Internet. Anyway, I’m not going
05
to marry him, for heaven’s sake. I’m going to fuck him and let
06
him make me laugh and enjoy his company. I’m not
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