Prequel to the Coyote Hunger series.

Forced to make the heartwrenching decision to leave Whispering Mountains, Rowan Wilder isn’t about to go without securing her bond with Quinn MacClellan. Neither expected their first time to be on the forest floor or while running to escape a madman but when it comes to claiming their mate, nothing can stop the hunger from burning out of control and consuming them both.

Publisher’s Note: This is not a standalone story; it has a cliffhanger ending. The next book in the series, Coyote Home, is needed to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

From Long and Short Reviews

Fast paced and riveting, you’ll turn the pages desperately rooting for Jessie to find it in her heart to open herself up to Caleb’s love and at the same time find her husband’s killer. – Oleander

From Fallen Angel Reviews

Because Of You is a compelling contemporary romantic suspense. Jessie will ensnare you; she’s a strong character, who’s suffered such tragedy, yet she’s determined to uncover the truth behind her husband’s death and the reader can’t help but admire her for it. Five Angels! - Kara

From Two Lips Reviews

When you want a heart tugging romance you will not forget, read Because of You, just be sure to have a hanky ready–you will really need it.  - Tina

Today’s snippets revolve around holidays. Having just come off a fabulous summer break (I’m a teacher in real life) and a week at the beach with my family. I can truly appreciate the value of just getting the hell out of town! My snippet today comes from Friday I’m in Love, my latest book from Ellora’s Cave and the fifth story in my Wild Irish series. In the beginning of the story, the heroine is taking a break from her everyday life and getting away from the west coast for a while. Little does she know that love is awaiting her on the opposite side of the country.

Friday I’m in Love.

“You sure you wanna stay here this week? I know you’ve attended Collins celebrations before, but staying with them for an entire week could be tough for you.”

She filled in the blanks on the things her friend was too polite to say out loud. He didn’t think she’d enjoy staying with the Collins family because that would involve her being in close contact with other people for more than a few hours. Sky knew she preferred her solitary existence because her interpersonal skills were more than slightly lacking.

She’d taken a month-long working vacation away from her photography business to hit the road with Sky. He’d invited her to travel around with him to take some behind-the-scenes pictures of him and Teagan as they toured. They’d told everyone it was for a photo-biography she was compiling, but the truth was, Sky wanted to surprise Teagan with a special video as a wedding gift. Natalie had been snapping photos of the couple for three weeks straight, trying to capture some really perfect moments in their lives together. He planned to play the video at their wedding reception.

The word romantic floated through her mind again and she did an internal eye roll.

She’d jumped at Sky’s offer to escape her ho-hum life, thinking travel would lure her out of her doldrums. It had certainly worked in the past. It wasn’t unusual for her to leave the business in Christine’s capable hands while she got away for a bit to try to get her shit together, try to overcome her dark moods. Unfortunately, this time the escape hadn’t worked. She wasn’t any happier now than before she’d hit the road. If anything, she was in a deeper funk.

“I’ll be fine with the Collins family. Besides, Teagan’s going to be working on wedding preparations and we agreed it would be cool to get some pictures of her with her family as they got ready for the big day.”

“Yeah, well. I’m worried about you, Nat. This feels like,” he paused, “last time.”

She grinned and tried to mask the agony his words provoked. She was worried about herself too. She felt so sad, so heavy, so adrift…but these weren’t feelings she wanted to admit. She’d succumbed to the darkness only once before and she was not going back there.

“I’m fine, Sky. Promise. It’s not the same as last time. This will pass.”

“Sky, come on. Let’s give Caitlyn her gift,” Teagan called out to her fiancé.

Natalie waved him off as he rose. “Wouldn’t do to keep Princess Catie waiting,” she teased. It was safe to say no child had ever been more doted on or adored than Caitlyn Wallace, Teagan’s niece. A glance at the food table confirmed this as Natalie shook her head once again at the colorful cupcake castle dominating the table.

“You know, I never told you my birthday wish for you,” Sky said. They’d started the silly tradition back in high school. On their birthdays, each made a wish for the other.

“Still trying to top my wish?” On Sky’s eighteenth birthday, she’d wished for him to become the most famous musician in the world. She claimed the wish had worked. God knew he was certainly on his way toward reaching that level of stardom.

“I wished for you to fall in love and live happily ever after.”

“You didn’t,” she hissed. She’d always forbidden that wish in the past, claiming she didn’t need or want a man to interfere with her life or career.

“I did,” Sky replied, kissing her on the cheek. “Happy belated birthday, Nat.”

Friday I’m in Love is available at Ellora’s Cave.

Why don’t you take a mini-holiday with the following authors?

Lauren Dane 

McKenna Jeffries

Shelley Munro

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

HelenKay Dimon

TJ Michaels

Jody Wallace

Lacey Savage

From ecatoromance.

“Mari Carr has written a titillating story of sexual desire.” 4.5 stars. -Emily
 

From The Romance Studio.

Liv and Rem are perfect for each other and the interaction and dialogue between them will be remembered with a smile for a long time…It’s what I call a ‘Happy Book’. Five hearts. – Abi

From Night Owl Romance.

Hot and steamy, with a touch of BDSM, the story was mostly about them finding a balance in their relationship. – Chris

From Romance Junkies.

I got a huge kick out of Mari Carr’s SPITFIRE.  Liv is such a force to be reckoned with that you just never know what she’s going to do and since Rem hasn’t seen her in so long he’s completely stunned by the changes in her. – Chrissy Dionne 

From Fallen Angel Reviews.

Mari Carr’s Spitfire is a wonderful contemporary western erotic romance that I really enjoyed. Five Angels! – Kara

This week’s Meet the Heat summer event ends with me! I like to say the IH gals saved the best ’til last, but I think we all know that’s not true. LOL. I will say it’s been a fantastic summer for me. Check out the IH blog to find out why! OH–and there’s a contest too!

SANDIE

I will email you about the prize. Thanks to everyone who participated and for your patience!

Today’s theme is foodies. Unfortunately, my hero and heroine from No Regrets aren’t exactly enjoying their meal.

Excerpt:

Wine?” he asked.

“Yes, please. I’ll be sure to thank Mrs. Henry for her trouble. She certainly is a wonderful housekeeper. She remade this dress for me from one of your great aunt’s. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’m sure Aunt Mary never looked as exquisite in it as you do. That shade of blue suits you. It matches your eyes perfectly.”

She lowered her head at his compliment, sipping the wine, determined not blush again and anxious to turn the conversation away from her appearance. He didn’t mention the kiss and for that, she was relieved. She was determined that tonight she would be charming, refined and a clever conversationalist. And she would absolutely not blush.

Unfortunately, in terms of witty banter, her mind was completely blank. Nothing new there, she thought with a loud sigh.

Mercifully, Mrs. Henry bustled into the room with a tray followed closely by Mr. Henry carrying a tureen of soup, breaking the uneasy silence. Vee had met the silent Mr. Henry at breakfast her first day out of the sick room and attempted to draw him into conversation only to receive grunts in reply to her comments. She assumed years of marriage to the outspoken Mrs. Henry had probably robbed him of the ability to speak. The housekeeper made it very difficult to get a word in edgewise, and Vee decided that after several years of marriage, Mr. Henry had simply stopped trying.

“Ah, dinner,” Ben said, clearly grateful for the Henry’s presence. “Mrs. Henry, you are a wonder.”

Preening under his praise, Mrs. Henry placed the bowls in front of them, carefully ladling each of them a portion of a soup Vee couldn’t recognize. Ben thanked the Henrys as they left before turning his gaze to the bowl before him.

“Chowder?” he asked, picking up his spoon cautiously.

“I was going to guess potato,” she answered, following his lead.

“Yes, well, shall we?” he asked somewhat hesitantly, almost as if he were hoping for the best.

She was confused by his reticence. “Yes, I’m starving.” Dipping her spoon into the thick soup, she saluted Ben before taking a big bite and immediately froze. Her mouth was assaulted by the most repulsive flavor imaginable. No, flavor was definitely not the correct term. It was quite simply the most repulsive taste she could ever recall, though granted, her memory was not long. She quickly glanced around the table for somewhere to spit it out before realizing that would be the worst possible thing she could do in front of the son of a duke. Swallowing heavily, unwilling to attempt chewing and prolonging the agony, she quickly attempted to stifle her unseemly choking with a healthy gulp of wine.

“Oh, my God,” she said after several painful swallows, trying to rid her mouth of the horrific aftertaste.

“Yes,” Ben said, putting his spoon back down without sampling the fare. “I was afraid of that. I really need to hire a cook. First thing tomorrow. Maybe even tonight.”

“You knew,” she said. “You knew what that would taste like, and yet you let me take a bite.”

“Well, in all fairness, I’ve never had this particular soup from Mrs. Henry. At least, I don’t think I have,” he replied, seriously considering the soup.

“Ben, don’t you think it would have been a nice gesture to warn me?” she asked. “I mean you just sat there and let me put it in my mouth. Of all the things I’ve forgotten, that soup is the one thing I’d like to forget and likely will never be able to.”

He laughed at her comment, a loud, long laugh that stopped Vee in her tracks. She was utterly amazed at how the smile transformed his entire face. If she thought him handsome before, now he was utterly gorgeous.

He struggled to maintain his composure obviously unaware of her close scrutiny. “I’m sorry, but it was worth your anger to see your face when the taste hit your tongue.”

Losing her battle to remain irate and thrilled by his laughter, she began to snicker as well, deciding suffering the ghastly flavor was worth hearing Ben laugh. It was quite possibly the nicest sound she’d ever heard. “I’m so glad I amuse you,” she said. “However, I do fear that permanent damage has been done to my sense of taste.”

“Yes, well, if it’s any consolation, that may help you consume the rest of the meal, while my sense of taste, sadly, is still functioning.” He was still smiling as he spoke, a fact that pleased her greatly. She suspected he didn’t smile nearly enough, and the fact that she’d been able to make him laugh made the past week of tedious boredom worth the wait.

“I don’t understand. I’ve been here for nearly a week and a half and the food has been quite nice,” she said.

“There is a girl from the village who comes in each morning to prepare breakfast. She also does the baking, breads and some desserts. If you will recall, the rest has been rather simple fare–meat and cheeses. The reason I don’t insist on formal meals is because, unfortunately, for all her talents, Mrs. Henry is a terrible cook.” Ben shrugged as if this didn’t pose a problem, which she found surprising. For the son of a duke, this man certainly didn’t seem to be pampered or spoiled as she suspected many members of the aristocracy must be.

“How are we going to eat this soup?” she asked, suddenly concerned. “Or the rest of the meal? I don’t want to hurt her feelings after she’s gone to so much trouble.”

“I agree,” he said, considering their predicament. “I suppose there is no help for it. We’ll simply have to–”

“I’m not eating it,” she interrupted, her refusal adamant. “I adore Mrs. Henry, but that is asking too much!”

“I was going to say we’ll have to throw it out the window.”

“What?” she asked, thinking she’d surely heard him wrong.

“It’s quite simple actually. I’ve done it before,” he replied as if it were perfectly normal for a wealthy aristocrat to toss his evening meal out a window. “And as you said, we can’t hurt the poor woman’s feelings.”

“That’s true.” Vee reconsidered his suggestion. “Very well, you toss and I’ll watch the door.”

Grinning at her mischievous tone, he grabbed their soup bowls and made a great pretense of tip-toeing to the window, feigning surprise over the fact that it was already conveniently open and dumping the contents into the shrubs below. Both raced back the table, resuming their seats mere seconds before Mr. and Mrs. Henry returned with the second course.

Vee bit her lip the entire time Mrs. Henry served them in an attempt to stifle the snickers threatening to burst out, especially when she noticed the suspicious look on Mr. Henry’s face when he saw the empty bowls. Then she had to cover laughter with a feigned coughing fit when Ben complimented the unique flavor and texture of the soup. Once the Henrys departed, they broke out into peals of laughter.

Gasping, she said, “Dare we try to eat this?”

“You can,” Ben said, attempting to catch his breath. “As I said before, my sense of taste is still fully functioning.”

“This time you watch the door and I’ll dump.” She picked up what appeared to be some sort of white fish, raw on one side and burnt on the other.

The entire meal passed mirthfully as they took turns tossing each course out into the yard, praising Mrs. Henry for her fine cuisine and choking down laughter as Mr. Henry scanned the room looking for where they were stashing the food. After dessert–a very runny bread pudding–Ben rose from the table, rubbing his stomach as if he couldn’t eat another bite.

No Regrets is available at Liquid Silver, Amazon, ARe, and MBaM.

Why not enjoy some good food with these authors?

Lauren Dane 

McKenna Jeffries

Shelley Munro

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

HelenKay Dimon

TJ Michaels

Jody Wallace

Reviews:

From Night Owl Reviews:

“No Regrets is a very nicely depicted time-travel story with interesting characters, several mysteries within mysteries and nice period descriptions.” – Elf

From Literary Nymphs Reviews:

“Mari Carr has done a wonderful job telling of the changes needed for the June Girls to adjust to being in the past, and living with the dominant males of that time. I found myself laughing at the men’s sometimes shocked responses to the ladies’ language, and behavior of the twenty-first century.” – Goddess Minx

I don’t think there are words in the dictionary to describe Lila Dubois adequately. However, if I had to pick three adjectives that came pretty close, I’d say outlandish, hilarious, and vibrant.

My favorite book by Lila is Bondage Betrayal. No one can delve into the emotions of her characters better than Lila and she doesn’t pull any punches. Her words are powerful and true. This is a fantastic book and I really hope you’ll read it if you haven’t already.

Blurb:

Five years ago a terrible betrayal tore Roman and Savannah apart. Roman’s burgeoning interest in the world of BDSM and his desire to master Savannah lead them deep into the heart of sexual fetish. A weekend away at the house of a high powered Dom was supposed to be the next step in their exploration of their Dominant/submissive relationship, but when their host convinces Roman to turn Savannah over to him for training, their love is stretched beyond the breaking point. Savannah, believing that Roman has given her away forever, flees, but not before suffering at the hands of the sadistic Dom. Roman knows nothing of what she’s suffered, and believes Savannah left him because of his desires.

When they meet again five years later will the lies that separate them keep them apart, or will remembered love be enough to bring them back together?

Contains: Bondage, Domination, Restrains, Spanking, Oral, Anal, Clamps

Excerpt:

observers. The watchers tried to be silent but each sharp crack would elicit a small flurry

Chapter One

The room held its breath. Reactions were as varied and wide-ranging as the

of sound: a sharp gasp from an elegant blonde curled on the floor; a high pitched moan of

pleasure and longing from a brunette strapped to the wall, his torso crisscrossed with

chain; guttural sound of fear from a mousy dishwater blonde who had curled herself

around and between the legs of her Master, who sat stiff and watchful in the chair above

her. For the most part the Dominants in the room were silent, the few sounds that were

made coming from the submissive men and women who were with them.

There were varying degrees of understanding among the Dominants in the room as to

what exactly was happening on the central raised platform. For the beginners, it seemed

to be a harsh game, more severe than most, but consenting Dominance and submission

play, a passion for which united all those in the large room. Those with more experienced

eyes knew it was consensual but far from safe.

The sub was a laughing, gentle man in his life outside the chains, with a mature,

open face, and a body still thick with muscle, but beginning to show some middle-aged

padding. The extra flesh probably saved him from further true harm. A likeable guy with

deep-seated submissive sexual tendencies, he was familiar to most in the small

community.

The woman however … she was an unknown.

His body was spread in the classic X, chains to the ceiling and floor holding the

leather cuffs so that every inch of his body was accessible to her.

There had been silence for several minutes, no stroke falling over his defenseless

flesh. The pause in activity may have caused some to think that it was over, but most

knew better. Expectation was thick in the air, flavored copper like blood, seeping into

those who watched, mingling with their fear, their desire.

She had been motionless, standing to one side and behind. Now she turned and

began to move. She was a predator, her movements sharp but controlled. Most dominants

moved slowly, surely, as if showing the world with the measured movements how in

control they were, but not her. She stalked around him, her body wrapped in the classic

black body suit, but instead of shiny cheap vinyl hers was muted, clearly leather and most

likely custom made. There was elaborate stitching, black on black; a vaguely Celtic

pattern started on each shoulder, moved down over her breasts, and then parted to

continue down her hips and the outsides of her thighs.

A leather and lace mask covered the upper part of her face. Starting from her

hairline, it covered her brow, nose, and upper cheeks, the leather then giving way to lace

that lay close against her cheeks in line with her lips. Unlike the catsuit that molded her

curves, the mask sparkled, jet and crystal beads worked into the lace where it was darted

into the leather. It drew the eye, causing the viewer to crave the answers the mask hid.

Some, those who had had the privilege to see her up close, would know that there

was a teardrop crafted in crystal beads under one eye. The contradiction, the

complication, was compelling, and frightening.

“Slave.” Her voice was low, smooth, but thrumming with power, tension, her

concentration, her being, clearly centered on the sub before her.

“Yes, Mistress.”

The blow she landed with the cane was sudden, unexpected. The rattan cane, stained

dark brown, was a blur as it arched up from below, striking the inside of the sub’s left

thigh. His cry was sharp, desperate, his back arching before he hunched back in on

himself.

“Do you want to know why I did that slave? Do you wish to know what you did to

deserve such harsh treatment?”

“Yes Mistress … please … tell me so that I might not do it…”

His plea was cut short when she gave him a matching welt on the inside of the right

thigh.

“I will not tell you.”

The tip of the cane traced his chest, following the pattern of the stripes she had

already laid.

She took a step closer to him, taking his left nipple between her finger and thumb.

“Offer me something slave, try to please me.”

“Mistress, whatever you want is yours to take.”

She twisted the nipple, his breath hissing through his teeth.

“But I want you to offer something to me. What do you think will please me?

Those who had a view of the front could see the poor man blinking furiously, his

breathing fast and uneven.

“Mistress, if it pleases you, you have not touched my cock.”

She twisted the nipple harder, wringing another cry. “Are you, slave, asking me to

suck your cock? You think so highly of yourself and so little of me?”

“No! No! No! I offer it for your pleasure, whatever it may be.”

Without another word she stepped back, moving to a small rolling case which rested

on the floor near the platform. There were gasps as those closest saw what she brought

out. The rest of the room waited, breathless.

Standing once again before the naked man, the Dom lifted the cane.

“Open your mouth, slave.” Instantly his lips and teeth parted. She placed the cane

between his teeth, whispering, “Bite.”

The watchers were left to wonder at the sub’s thoughts. What did it do to him to hold

his instrument of torture in his mouth? Could he taste his own flesh upon it?

Gloved fingers took the man’s genitals in hand, gathering his semi-erect cock and

balls together, squeezing and manipulating the flesh until she was able to wrap her

fingers around the base, pulling both cock and balls away from his body. His small

sounds were muffled against the cane. With her other hand she carefully wrapped a cock

strap, studded with inward facing spikes, around his genitals.

Ten spikes, tips sharp, but not enough to draw blood, each over an inch long, were

forced against his soft skin as she fastened the strap. When she stepped back, everyone

could clearly see the silver held in place by the leather circle. A terrible cry echoed

through the room as she released her hold on his cock and balls, allowing them to take the

full impact of the device.

The savagery of the item was beautiful and terrible. The sub’s eyes were on the

horizon, the cane still in his teeth. His breath whistled around the piece of rattan.

She took the cane from his teeth, “Look down, slave. See what I have done for you.”

The man dropped his head to his chest, a sob coming from between his teeth at the

sight of his tortured cock.

“Where does it hurt, slave? Tell me.”

She stood back, her eyes never leaving the bound man so helplessly in her charge.

“My … my cock, I can feel the spikes, digging in, they’re sharp. And my balls, oh

God—my balls.”

“Is the pain more or less than in your cock?”

“More, more, more, oh God, the weight is pushing my balls onto them. It … it …

hurts.”

“I want it to hurt. I want you to hurt.”

“Yes Mistress.” The words were a plea.

She raised the cane and added a stripe to his chest. His body bowed, adding pressure

to his cock in its painful mooring.

Her own breath was labored now. She began to circle him, the cane adding a stripe to

his body every few steps.

“We are near the end now, slave. So close. You’re deep, so deep. I have brought you

here, someplace you could never go on your own, never be taken with love or kindness or

games.” A welt to the outside of his thigh, right ass cheek, left shoulder.

“Do you think you have pleased me? Do you? Have you considered the possibility

that you haven’t? What if none of this will ever be enough? What if all the lashings, the

debasement, will not bring you low enough for me?” More welts, now to the other ass

cheek, thigh, and the soft flesh covering his left tricep.

“God, please…”

“God cannot help you, I’m afraid he never comes here.” She was at his front again,

her right hand cruelly twisting one nipple.

“But you have a secret don’t you, slave, a deep secret. It is not God who could rescue

you, but someone else. Someone in this room.” His eyes moved over her shoulder to

someone behind her.

“That’s right. She loves you still, and so you are safe, forever safe.” Stepping close,

she whispered into his ear, “And I hate you for that, and I will punish you for it.”

Reaching down she grabbed the leather strap and lifted, the spikes digging into his

balls. He screamed, not merely a cry, but a true scream. Around the room people jumped,

some of the Doms moving as if they would interfere, but no one did.

“Beg me for more!”

The words were ragged, raw, his vocal cords strained. “Please—please—please

Mistress, use me … more … more … more, ah God, it hurts.”

She pinched a fold in the leather drawing the spikes on the sides in. Another scream

followed.

“Beg.”

“Please Mistress more, I beg you, more, more, more. Use me, use me, use me.”

“Offer yourself up.”

“My … my body … is yours.”

“And what of your soul, your mind, your heart? Can you feel me there too, pressing

hurting, squeezing?”

“Yes… I will never, never, never forget… forget.”

“And you will never be the same.”

With a vicious twist she released the leather so that the strap fell away, the spikes

pulling from the groves they had dug in his flesh. The returning blood caused pain so

deep he threw his body back, his mouth open but no sound emerging.

He was brought back as she viciously caned his ass, then spanked his throbbing

genitals. His body was alive, aware, every nerve ending on fire so that the air itself was a

torture.

Ten times more she caned his ass, the blows quickly followed by spanks to his cock

and balls, some straight on, some coming from beneath to bruise and abuse his sac. They

were both in a frenzy, his body arched in a bow, every muscle defined, she a controlled

fury, savage and cruel.

She stopped. Faced him. “Slave, what do you need?”

“The spikes, the spikes, please put them back … oh God please!”

“You cannot have them. What else?”

“Please, please, don’t stop caning me… Just a few more … please, please.”

“Where, where do you need them?

“All the soft places, my ass, yes please … my ass, and my nipples, right across them

please,

“What if I break you, so no other can have you?”

“Oh God, oh God, please, do not stop.”

His words echoed in the cavern. He was gone, lost in sub-space, so far into the world

of darkness there was no light. And she had taken him there, simply, easily.

Her voice was low now, just for him. “I will touch you once more, and only once.

Your body and mind are fractured now, but you will survive. I will let you down and

your mistress, your wife, will take you home and care for you, and you will love her all

the more for having danced on the edge.

“Know what good fortune you have that there is someone to care for you now. When

I release you and walk away I will forget you.”

Her voice was hard, cruel, cutting him in ways and places that a knife could not

reach. His body and mind warred between his insane and desperate need for more of her

dark attention and the haven of the arms of someone who loved him.

As he shook in his bonds, his mind at war, his body foolishly straining towards her,

she turned, sweeping the room with her gaze.

please, please. And balls, cane them, cane them.”

Let them feel true fear, true pain, and appreciate what they have all the more

thought.

simply using it to express desire.

, sheLet them see what it is to truly need to punish, to need to inflict pain rather than

When all had felt the soulless weight of her gaze she turned back to her broken

partner. In this dark moment her heart died a little—as it always did. Horror began to

seep into her consciousness, easing the fog of rage that motivated her.

It was this damnable weakening, this traitorous softness in her—when she knew the

world had no softness to give her in return—that made this last blow the most horrible,

the darkest. She did not temper the blow. Pulling back the cane she brought it forward

with stunning force, cutting a line just above his cock, catching the root of it where it met

his belly. For a moment a white line blossomed there, straight and sure across his body.

In the next breath, white morphed to red, horrible red, pain red.

And in a room that echoed with the sound of the crack there was silence, until he

threw his head back, his scream at once hopeless and beautiful. Blood began to seep from

the mark of the cane.

Stepping close once more she pressed her fingers against the raw flesh and leaning in

whispered, “Forgive me.”

She strode from the room, scooping up the pack as she went, and was gone.

Well, I must admit the timing on this week’s theme is PERFECT. Today we are trying to lighten the mood created by last week’s dark moments with a little HUMOR. As luck would have it, my romantic comedy, Friday I’m in Love released yesterday at Ellora’s Cave and I thought I’d share an excerpt of it with you.

Excerpt:

“Okay, everybody ready?” Riley yelled, fighting to be heard over the ear-piercing music. Drunken lunatic was probably an apt description of his pixie of a sister. She passed around limes as she spoke and Ewan marveled that she willingly subjected herself to this torture every Saturday night—all in the name of fun.

“One, two, three!” At Riley’s prompt, he licked the salt off his hand, drained the shot of tequila and popped the lime in his mouth. He grinned as Natalie winced.

“Fuck that burns.” She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand and shook her head, looking at him. “Tell me again why we’re here?”

He had to fight back the grin at her monotone question. He wasn’t quite sure why he got such a kick out of her sarcastic wit, but one of the reasons he enjoyed her company so much was simply because she made him laugh.

“We’re here to have fun.” He had to practically shout in her ear to make sure she could hear him.

“Ah. Be sure to let me know when that fun shit starts. Okay?”

He laughed. “Liar. You’re having fun and you know it.”

She shrugged noncommittally but her eyes, as always, told him the truth.

“Another round.” Riley placed yet another lime in front of everyone except Aaron—who, as designated driver, was sipping on a Coke. Ewan wondered where his tiny sister was putting it all. This was their fourth shot each since arriving at this particular club. At the others, they’d merely consumed a couple beers each. “Laying a base,” as Riley called it. Ewan had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well. He never drank this much.

At the last minute he remembered the camera and handed it to Aaron, who took it as Riley waved the waitress over to set them up with another round of tequila.

“Last one, Riley,” Aaron said. Riley rolled her eyes, but Ewan suspected that of everyone at the table, Aaron was the only person she’d actually listen to.

They went through the ritual one more time, each of them slamming their glasses down as Aaron snapped a picture.

Natalie looked at Ewan, blinking rapidly. “Should I be worried that I can’t feel my lips anymore?”

Ewan grinned. “They’re still there. Want me to try to kiss some feeling back into them?”

Natalie started to lean forward and Ewan felt like pumping a fist in the air in victory.

“Oh my God!” Riley shouted. “I love this song. Let’s go dance.” His sister grabbed Natalie before he could make good on his offer and Ewan sighed.

Aaron patted him on the back sympathetically. “Welcome to my weekends.”

“How do you do this week in and week out?” Ewan was suddenly eyeing Riley’s friend with a newfound respect.

Aaron shrugged. “I’ve done this so often with Riley, I’m starting to think it’s normal, and God help me, even a little bit fun.”

Ewan shook his head. “That’s not good. You know that’s not good, right?”

“Come on.” Aaron pointed toward the dance floor. “You better go stake your claim. A woman as pretty as Natalie won’t be alone for three seconds out on that dance floor before the wolves descend.”

Friday I’m in Love is available at Ellora’s Cave.

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