New Release

His Curvy Genius, chapter one

May 9, 2022 by Mary

Spending the evening with my friends was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. It wasn’t fair. I should be able to enjoy time with them. And I would if Xavier Hogan wasn’t there, too.

He made everything harder for me. Like my skin was on too tight. I was always tense, especially when I knew I’d have to face him. We’d only spoken a handful of times since he moved to town five weeks ago. No, I wasn’t counting how long he’d been in my town. My space. My life. Ugh.

I couldn’t see my closest friend and roommate, Finley, or her three-month-old son without seeing Xavier anymore. She was only home one or two nights a week, spending the others with her boyfriend, Trent, and baby George at MacKellar Estate. Not that I blamed her. Their little family was new, and she adored them, and she and Trent were getting married. I got it, but I missed my friend.

So, I sucked it up and went to their house whenever they called and invited me over. Like tonight. For Finley.

I parked next to Finley’s car in the driveway and turned off the engine. I needed a minute before I faced them. Another minute. Just to make sure I was okay.

It really wasn’t fair how great Xavier was doing. Between his adorable, sassy teenage daughter and the job Trent created for him, his life was easy. I didn’t know the full story about his ex, but I could do the math and didn’t want to know.

McJenna was fifteen. Which meant Xavier got together with her mom a few months after we broke up. Maybe. Assuming he wasn’t cheating on me when we were together. How the hell did I know? I didn’t know the man at all, apparently. If I had, I wouldn’t have been blindsided by him.

I blew out a frustrated breath and reminded myself I wasn’t there for him. I was there for Finley. And George.

I finally forced myself out of my car and went to the door. I rang the bell and waited for someone to let me in. It was a beautiful day out, sunny and gorgeous and the kind of day that made MacKellar Cove perfect in the summer. A part of me wanted to stay outside all afternoon, but then the door opened and I was beckoned inside.

“How are you?” Trent asked as he pulled me in for a hug. Trent MacKellar was a hugger. He was affectionate and friendly and seemed to think of me as family. It was weird after thinking of him as royalty most of my life, but why the hell not?

“Good. How are you guys?” I asked.

I never asked just about Trent. It felt weird. If Finley wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be either. They were a package deal in my mind because she’d still be living with me if he hadn’t pulled his head out of his ass and realized how lucky he was to have knocked Finley up out of all the women he could have accidentally gotten pregnant and been tied to forever.

“Good. Really good. Fin’s starting to talk about a normal work schedule again.”

“Really?” I asked, laughing. Finley was determined to go right back to work after George was born. She insisted she wasn’t going to be one of those women who altered their life completely when their baby came. Then George arrived. She hadn’t worked a full week since. I couldn’t blame her, but for her to talk about going back full time was definitely laughable.

“That’s what she says.”

“I’m sure her parents will be thrilled with that idea.”

Trent nodded. “Yeah, I think they’ve been working on her. But Anna’s been amazing. Finley is really grateful she’s been willing to help so much.”

“That’s what Fin told me, too. I haven’t gotten to know Anna as much, but I’m glad she was available.” Anna was a friend of a friend and started working for Finley before George arrived. She was a God-send and had definitely saved Finley’s romance only bookstore from shutting down.

“Me, too.” We walked into the kitchen, which was wide open with the back doors thrown wide to let the fresh air in. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Just a water would be great. Thanks.”

“Bottled or tap?”

“Either.”

“We have that sparkling water Finley said you like. Want one of those?”

“Sure. That would be great.” I smiled at Trent as he lit up. He was trying, and I appreciated that. We’d only just been getting to know each other when Xavier moved in, which put the brakes on Trent and I becoming better friends. I felt bad, but I couldn’t just put aside seventeen years of regret and act like nothing happened between Xavier and me. He broke me, and a part of me hadn’t recovered.

“Hi, Ms. Karissa,” McJenna said from the staircase.

I turned and smiled at the teenager. She was the only reason I tolerated Xavier besides Fin. McJenna was funny and smart and curious, and she made the times I came over much more tolerable. She liked computers and asked me a lot of questions about designing apps and expressed an interest in computers herself.

My mom was a server at a restaurant, and my dad worked at the hardware store. Neither of them knew anything about computers, so when I wanted to learn more, I had to teach myself or find the answers online. If I’d had a mentor, I think my career would have been different. I knew that wasn’t who I’d ever be for Xavier’s daughter, but I also wanted to encourage her as much as possible.

“Hi, J. How are you doing?”

She shrugged and slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “It’s so boring here.”

“It’s summer. It should be fun right now. Just wait until it snows and you can’t get off the property.”

“Does that really happen?” she asked, her brown eyes wide.

Trent opened and closed his mouth, then handed over my water. “It can, but it won’t happen much.”

“I don’t think I can handle that. I need to move.”

McJenna walked away, her feet dragging with each step. I snickered as I watched her go, then I caught Trent’s expression.

“Why did you tell her that?” he asked, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

“That happened once in high school.”

I chuckled. “It’s possible.”

“She’s already been complaining because she doesn’t have friends. I know if she lived in town she’d be able to wander and meet people, but being all the way out here, she’s the weird Estate kid.”

“Like you were?”

Trent rolled his eyes. “You know how it is.”

I nodded. I did. There weren’t a lot of Black families in MacKellar Cove. Trent’s family was wealthy, and people respected money, so growing up there wasn’t as hard as it would have been in other places, but we were still the minority. And for McJenna, being new to town and living on the Estate where other kids didn’t just wander by and ask her to hang out, it would be harder to meet new people and make friends.

“Why is McJenna talking about needing to move before it snows?” Finley asked, walking inside with George in her arms.

“I need my godson,” I told her, reaching out for him with grabby hands.

Finley handed him over and raised an eyebrow at me.

I carefully avoided her gaze.

“Rissa told J summer is more fun and to enjoy it because when winter comes, we might get stuck out here.”

“You did not!” Finley gasped.

“I was joking. Sort of. She needs to go meet some kids. What about Anna’s son? Are they the same age?”

Finley shook her head. “Joey’s a year older.”

“Do we know anyone with a fifteen-year-old? How old is Goldie’s son?” Karissa asked.

“I think Paul’s fourteen,” Finley said.

“Does Valentina have a fifteen-year-old?” I asked.

Finley’s brows drew together. “I’m not sure. I know her girls are older, teenagers, but I don’t know how old they are.”

I made a mental note to stop into Cove Bakery sometime and talk to Valentina about her daughters.

“I’m going to start cooking,” Trent said. “Are you okay with that?”

Finley nodded and tilted her chin up for a kiss from him as he walked by. She smiled and watched him walk outside. He said something to McJenna we couldn’t hear, then went to the grill.

“How are you?” Finley asked me.

I smiled and focused on George. “I’m good. Busy. You know how I am.”

“I do, which is why I asked.”

I opened my mouth to tell her the truth when the reason for my hesitation cleared his throat from behind me. I clammed up, nuzzling against George’s neck and inhaling the baby smell that calmed me.

“Hello, Karissa,” Xavier said.

“Xavier.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I didn’t. I just waited until he walked outside, letting all of my attention stay on my godson.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Finley asked.

I forced a smile neither of us believed and nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

* * *

Sitting across the table from the only man, besides my father and step-father, that I ever loved was downright painful. I never thought I’d see him again when I moved back home, when he said small town life wasn’t for him and refused to come with me.

And now, he’s living a small town life. Complete with a kid of his own. Guess the joke was on me.

But I wasn’t there for him, good or bad. I was there for my best friend to celebrate the first time her newborn baby slept through the night. I didn’t know anything about kids, but apparently it was a big deal.

“I was so scared. I went in and checked three times overnight. I was sure something was wrong,” Finley said with a laugh.

“Me, too,” Trent said. He looked between Finley and the baby with so much love in his eyes it actually ached inside me.

I was happy for them. Really, truly, I was. I was there through all of their ups and downs, and I wanted Finley to have the kind of love she deserved. The kind that made everyone around them believe that love was real and it was out there for all of us.

I would have believed in it if it weren’t for the walking heartbreak across the table.

“The first night McJenna slept through the night, I did the same thing. It was a hard adjustment,” Xavier said.

“Dad,” McJenna said, drawing out the word like only a teenager could.

I forced a smile for the table. The one and only non-parent in the group. The only one who had no idea what it was like to wake up at night and wonder about the safety of another person. I’d always assumed I’d have kids one day, but one day turned into one year, and I was staring down thirty-nine on the other side of a preventative double mastectomy that left me feeling even less like a desirable woman than I ever felt before the surgery.

I didn’t regret the choice I made, but seeing my friend coo and fuss over her tiny little bundle made me think about all the things I never did.

Like find someone who wanted to live in a small town. Someone I could build a life and a family and a future with. Instead, I helped countless other people find love.

Regrets were a funny thing. My mom talked about regrets when she was close to the end of her life. Her regrets were different, but maybe that was a few extra decades and the love of not one but two amazing men that changed her. As for me, I regretted all the things I promised myself I’d do one day but didn’t.

“What are you working on these days, Karissa?” Trent asked. He was trying to be nice and bring me into the conversation, but I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be included.

“I’ve been developing something new for a client. I was approached a few months ago about it,” I told him.

“A few months? That must be a big project.” Trent understood a little about how app design worked, but not much from what I could tell. It wasn’t the most exciting topic for people who didn’t get all hot and bothered about computers.

“It is, but the pay is really good and it’s given me a place to focus my energy lately.”

“That’s always a good thing. Maybe I should have you design an app for the theater. Something to help with buying tickets or choosing seats or something.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded. I hated working with clients who thought they wanted an app but didn’t really know what they wanted. It was easier to deal with the ones who knew exactly what they were looking for. Trent hired me to design an app for Finley’s store before George was born, but I knew exactly what Finley wanted and needed. A maybe I should was never helpful.

“Can I be done?” McJenna asked. She pushed her plate away from the table and looked at her dad. Her soulful brown eyes tugged at me. I’d never be able to say no to her. Good thing I didn’t have to worry about that.

“Put your plate in the dishwasher. We don’t need to create more work for Ms. Emily.”

She nodded as she stood. Her phone was in her hand before she made it to the dishwasher in the next room, texting someone.

“I don’t know how we’re going to deal with all that,” Trent said to Finley. “I don’t think I’m ready for a teenager.”

Finley snorted. “I think that’s why they start out small. By the time we have a teenager, we’ll be able to handle it.”

“I hope so. It does not look like a lot of fun to me.”

“Especially when you drag your kid across the state to a place she doesn’t know and people she doesn’t know. I’m pretty sure she hates me,” Xavier said. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“She agreed to it. She’ll be fine. I hated growing up here, but it’s a good place for families. And she can’t get into as much trouble here,” Trent said.

His tone was light, but his words were loaded. I wanted to ask what kind of trouble she got into before they moved, but I didn’t have the right.

“Maybe not, but she’ll try.”

“Are you guys ready for dessert?” Finley asked loudly. “Karissa brought cake.”

“I could definitely go for some cake,” Trent said. “Thanks. We’re glad you could be here tonight. I know we’re boring and only talk about baby stuff, but we want you to be comfortable coming over here whenever you want to.”

“Thanks,” I told him. I would never feel comfortable going to his house, but I would try. For Finley, I would try.

“I also really hope you two can get along again. I know you were friends in college, but—”

“Friends?” I asked, turning to look at Xavier. “You told him we were friends?”

He shrugged like that was the best descriptor for what we’d been to each other.

“Did I say something wrong?” Trent asked.

I huffed a laugh. “No. No, you didn’t say anything wrong. But I think us being ‘friends’ again is going to be a high bar. I mean, maybe I’m wrong, but a prefer to be friends with people I can trust. People I can count on. People who don’t spend three years planning a future with me only to decide, out of the blue, that all the times we talked about getting married and building a life together was just fiction.”

“That’s not fair, and you know it. I told you I didn’t want to live in a small town. That there weren’t a lot of job opportunities there.”

“Yeah, and then you said we could try it.”

“I said maybe we could try it. Maybe. In the end, it wasn’t for me.”

“But it is now?”

Xavier glared across the table at me. “My life has changed a lot in the last seventeen years.”

“Well, I hope you’re happy with all the changes in your life. Funny enough, my life hasn’t changed all that much. But this is my small town. This is where I live. This is my home. And I’ll be damned if you’re going to make me feel like I don’t belong here.”

“I never—”

I stood and turned away from him. “I apologize for running out, Trent, but I seem to have lost my appetite. Fin, I’ll catch ya!”

“Rissa,” Finley tried.

“Nope. I’m good. Love you.”

“Love you,” she said.

I let myself out and drove home alone to my condo on the other side of the cove. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be living alone or living in the same town as Xavier Hogan. Life definitely didn’t go the way we planned. Ever.

Available May 10

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Loving Yourself

January 7, 2020 by Mary

January is always the time of year when the pressure is on to lose weight. Gyms are more crowded than any other month, people sign up for every weight loss program available, and we feel just a little more guilty for eating that extra piece of candy.

But January is just another month.

Maybe it’s because we just got through the holidays, or maybe it’s because so many people set goals that start in January, or maybe it’s because we want to do better, but it all boils down to wanting to change. There’s something we don’t love about ourselves, something that we have decided needs to change, so we make a new commitment to doing something different.

What if instead of changing our bodies we decided to change our minds and love ourselves a little more?

I’ve struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I lost a ton of weight a few years ago, but I gained it all back. I felt better, and I liked the way clothes looked, and I still want to lose the weight again, but more than that, I want to love myself.

The people I love aren’t perfect. I could pick apart little things about everyone I know and love. But I love them, so I don’t. I wish I did that about myself, and that’s one of my goals for 2020. To be kinder to myself, to love myself more, to celebrate the things my body has done for me instead of regretting the things it hasn’t.

Are you with me?

Falling for my sister’s best friend was not my best idea. But she was the kind of woman I couldn’t help but love. Everything about her made me crave more of her. And from the moment I held her in my arms, I knew I’d do whatever it took to make her mine. Even lying to her.

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Is it really fair?

June 25, 2019 by Mary

It’s release day for All’s Fair In Love And Wine! Like all my couples, Sara and Leo gave me a little trouble, and were frustrating at times, but in the end, their story is a pretty great one.

Leo is the kind of guy you want to cheer for. The guy who is not only sweet and sexy, but funny and kind and just plain good. He goes out of his way for his family and says yes to everything, which bites him in the ass a few times.

Leo wants what his siblings and cousins have. He wants someone to come home to. Someone to share his struggles with. Someone to love. Too bad he’s falling for the one woman in Bereton who promises she’s not sticking around long.

Maybe he can change her mind…

All’s Fair In Love And Wine available now!

Excerpt from All’s Fair In Love And Wine

Her eyebrows drew together, and she tilted her head. “You don’t know my name?”

He shook his head.

“I gave you my credit card.”

He chuckled. “No, you didn’t. You paid at the gift shop.”

She tilted her head again, then her brown eyes brightened and she laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. We’re strangers. And it would have been pretty weird if you started the conversation telling me you owned the place.”

Leo nodded. “You either would have thought I was hitting on you or lying. Or both.”

“Since you were hitting on me, I would have assumed lying.”

Leo laughed and shook his head. “True. So, now that my secret is out, are you going to tell me yours?”

Panic flashed across her face, eyes wide with fear. She tried to recover, but it wasn’t before he realized she had a few secrets.

“Your name,” Leo said, hoping to calm her.

She visibly relaxed, her shoulders falling and her breath coming out in a relieved sigh. “Oh, sorry. Sara. Sara Donovan.”

“Wow, I get a last name, too? That’s impressive.”

She laughed again. “Yeah, well, I know where you work and I met your sister, so I guess we’re even.”

He shook his head. “Hardly. Are you hungry?”

Her eyebrows drew together.

“I have dinner, and it’s too much for me to eat. We can sit outside and share. I figure that’s more likely to get a yes out of you than inviting you back to my place.”

Her wide eyes and lustful look told him he might have gotten a hell of a lot more than a yes out of her if he’d gone for door number two.

“Sounds good,” Sara said.

A little extra romance?

May 14, 2019 by Mary

When 50 Shades of Grey came out, my husband encouraged me to buy it. He heard ‘good things’ about it, and said I should pick it up.

It didn’t quite have the effect he hoped for, but it made me think about reading. There are those books that keep you up all night because you’re worried that your significant other is really plotting your murder and if you go to sleep, you won’t wake up again. Yep, read one of those this week. Then there are those about struggles people have gone through (real or fiction, still serious struggles). Those make you think and appreciate everything you have.

And then there are romances.

When their eyes meet and her pulse races.

When they kiss for the first time and her lips tingle.

When a kiss leads to a lot more and…

Mission accomplished.

Hubby didn’t get what he bargained for when I read 50 Shades, but romance is very, very good for your sex life. It just has to be the right romance. Maybe you need something sweet. A story about childhood best friends falling in love. Or something a little funny with a friends or enemies to lovers story. Or something with an element of danger that makes you snuggle up close to him.

If you like the last one, Pilar and Jack could be the right couple for you. Her brother is kidnapped by her ex, and Jack’s there to protect her. Even though both of them know getting involved is a bad idea, neither can resist the thread that pulls them together. She’s his job, but one he’s more than willing to…do.

Tell us below if you like a little danger with your romance!

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From First

“Jesus. You two need to break it up. This is a job, Jack. Not your personal fuck time. And that’s my damn couch, dude.” Howler whimpered. “I’m taking the dog out. When I get back in, please…don’t be naked on my couch.”

Jack nodded and waited until the door slid closed behind Slade, then groaned. “You’re going to kill me.”

Pilar giggled. “I’m sore, but I want you again.”

Jack pulled back and looked at her. “Shower?”

She grinned. “It’s economical. Saves time and water.”

“Yeah, we’re saving the earth.”

“Exactly,” she said.

First…date?

May 8, 2019 by Mary

A first date is a lot of pressure. You’re getting to know someone with the hope that you can find love. Even if you don’t go into it thinking long term, any date has the potential to turn into your last first date.

When I started dating my husband, I was fresh out of college and we were both broke. We went to dinner and a movie. Not very original, but we had a chance to get to know each other a little better over dinner, then the pressure was off during the movie. And we bonded over the fact that we ended up at the worst movie in history.

Last week we celebrated our 15th anniversary. He’s the first man I ever truly loved, and someone I can’t imagine not having in my life. And it was pretty fitting that First came out the same week as we were celebrating. Obviously, it’s been a long time since I went on a first date, though!

Jack and Pilar never got their first date. They met at a parade (which would have been a pretty fun first date), and went from first meet to moving in together in a few hours. Talk about moving fast!

Getting to know someone, especially if you didn’t know each other well before your first date, is a tall order. A first date should be fun. Something where you can get to know the other person. Some of my favorite dates have been ones where we get a little competitive – mini golf or go-kart racing or arcades. It’s a chance to show each other how you handle pressure, and how you handle losing (I’m not very good at either!). It also gives you the chance to play and tease and have some fun.

I had Jack and Pilar meet at a parade because it made sense for them. It showed that they’re both fun, lighthearted people who could laugh and be silly and have fun. Obviously, things didn’t exactly go as planned, but it was a great start for them. Who wouldn’t want to meet someone at a parade where you throw sausages and hit each other with pussy willows? Sounds fun, right?

What did you do on your best (or worst) first date?

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From First

Pilar took a deep breath and set her hand between his legs, connecting with the soft cushion. Before she could think about it, she pushed back and swung her top leg over his, balancing on one knee and the other foot.

She looked up at him to make sure she didn’t wake him up and gasped, nearly falling back to the couch.

“Nice moves,” he said. His voice was all rough and raspy like men’s voices were first thing in the morning.

It was more than a little sexy, and coupled with the erection now very visible since she’d dragged the blanket off him, she was in serious trouble. “I was trying not to wake you.”

“I’m already up,” he said, his gaze not leaving hers.

Some things are better left forgotten

November 27, 2018 by Mary

We all have things we’d like forgotten. Memories that aren’t that good. Regrets. Stupid things we’ve said or done. Sometimes we get lucky and they’re forgotten by everyone around us, even if they feel like they’ll never go away for us.

Jaymes still remembers the moments he was taken with clarity. But lucky for him, being forgotten isn’t all bad.

Excerpt from Forgotten

Kelsea stuck a bite of pasta in her mouth and laughed. She and Jaymes spent the day together, in and out of bed. It had been a long time since she let herself be that free with a man, but it felt natural with Jaymes. He made her feel beautiful, so walking around naked wasn’t an issue for her.

“I wish I’d known you when you were younger,” she told Jaymes.

He shook his head. “Oh, no. That wouldn’t have been good. I never would have gotten my degrees if I had a woman like you around when I was younger. I spent most of my sex life alone. That worked well for me.”

“Yeah, right. A guy like you can’t possibly go unnoticed. The glasses give you a sexy, nerdy vibe. And these muscles. You’re seriously hot, Jaymes.”

He went silent on her for a minute. When he met her gaze, there was something unreadable in his. “I started working out after I was taken. And the glasses are new, too. I was kept in a basement. It was so dark and I stared at a computer screen for so long that it strained my eyes and I need glasses now.”

Well, shit. “I’ll just chew on my foot in silence for now.”

He shook his head and gave her a tight grin. “You didn’t know.”

She shrugged. “No, but I should have. You said something before, and I just forgot. Is that bad? That I forgot you were taken.”

He shook his head. “It’s not. It’s good. It means you see more of me than the victim I am.”

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