Easy For Keeps: A Boudreaux Novella (The Boudreaux Series) Read online

  Easy For Keeps

  A Boudreaux Novella

  By Kristen Proby

  1001 Dark Nights

  Easy For Keeps

  A Boudreaux Novella

  By Kristen Proby

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2016 Kristen Proby

  ISBN: 978-1-942299-12-7

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Easy For Keeps

  Adam Spencer loves women. All women. Every shape and size, regardless of hair or eye color, religion or race, he simply enjoys them all. Meeting more than his fair share as the manager and head bartender of The Odyssey, a hot spot in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Adam’s comfortable with his lifestyle, and sees no reason to change it. A wife and kids, plus the white picket fence are not in the cards for this confirmed bachelor. Until a beautiful woman, and her sweet princess, literally knock him on his ass.

  Sarah Cox has just moved to New Orleans, having accepted a position as a social worker specializing in at-risk women and children. It’s a demanding, sometimes dangerous job, but Sarah is no shy wallflower. She can handle just about anything that comes at her, even the attentions of one sexy Adam Spencer. Just because he’s charmed her daughter, making her think of magical kingdoms with happily ever after, doesn’t mean that Sarah believes in fairy tales. But the more time she spends with the enchanting man, the more he begins to sway her into believing in forever.

  Even so, when Sarah’s job becomes more dangerous than any of them bargained for, will she be ripped from Adam’s life forever?

  About Kristen Proby

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby is the author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in Montana. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.

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  Author Goodreads

  Novel Goodreads

  Also by Kristen Proby

  The Boudreaux Series:

  Easy Love

  Easy Charm

  Easy Melody

  Easy For Keeps

  The With Me In Seattle Series:

  Come Away With Me

  Under the Mistletoe With Me

  Fight With Me

  Play With Me

  Rock With Me

  Safe With Me

  Tied With Me

  Breathe With Me

  Forever With Me

  Easy With You

  Fusion Series:

  Listen to Me

  The Love Under the Big Sky Series (published by Pocket Books):

  Loving Cara

  Seducing Lauren

  Falling for Jillian

  Baby, It’s Cold Outside: An Anthology with Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Kristen Proby, Melody Anne and Kate Meader

  Acknowledgments

  This book is dedicated to Elizabeth Berry and MJ Rose. Thank you for including me in this wonderful family. I’m forever grateful.

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Click here to explore

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Click here to explore

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair

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  As a bonus, all subscribers will receive a free

  1001 Dark Nights story

  The First Night

  by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

  Turn the page for a full list of the

  1001 Dark Nights fabulous novellas...

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهریار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one th
ousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  Table Of Contents

  Book Description

  About Kristen Proby

  Also by Kristen Proby

  Author Acknowledgments

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover Kristen Proby

  Special Thanks

  Chapter One

  ~Adam~

  “Hey handsome, why don’t you come over here and fuck me?”

  I cock a brow and send a half-smile to the brunette with the huge tits at the end of the bar, who’s officially had one too many. She’s been paying more attention to me than to her group of friends all evening, and while the attention is nice, she’s about to be sorely disappointed.

  “Because this is a public place, sweetheart, and the cops tend to frown on that.”

  She smirks, looks down to make sure her impressive cleavage is showing through her barely-there top, which it is, and then tosses her hair over one shoulder.

  “We could go somewhere a little more private.”

  “I’m working.” I wink, softening the refusal. Unfortunately, I’ve found that drunk women don’t recognize a refusal.

  “I’ll wait.”

  And there it is. She examines her white-tipped nails as I finish pouring one last beer before flashing the lights, letting everyone know that it’s closing time. Many bars in the Quarter stay open 24/7, but Callie, my co-owner, and I decided that 4:00 a.m. is sufficient for us. Most of the crowds die down by then, and it seems the majority of people out past then are looking to cause a little trouble.

  Trouble isn’t something we invite into The Odyssey.

  Customers are shuffling out, taking their drinks with them, thanks to no open container laws, waving and laughing as they go. I turn to dump some glasses in the sink, and there she is. Miss Brunette.

  “You’re still here.” It’s not a question.

  “I told you I’d wait,” she replies with a grin, showing off her perfect white teeth. She’s a pretty girl, and in the past I would have scooped her up and fucked her brains out in my office until she couldn’t walk for a week.

  But lately, I’ve just been tired.

  “Honestly, honey, I’m tired this morning. Do you need me to call you a cab?”

  She frowns, as if she doesn’t understand.

  “But last time I waited and you fucked me on the bar. Can’t we do that again?”

  I blink rapidly and take a closer look at her. I’ve fucked her before?

  Jesus, I don’t even remember her.

  Which doesn’t surprise me in the least.

  “Not tonight.” She sticks her lower lip out in a pout as I press speed dial for a cab. I vaguely remember biting that lip. She hikes her skirt up, showing me more of her thighs, and there is a birthmark in the shape of Texas, and BAM! I remember.

  She likes to bite. I had marks from her for a week.

  Definitely not doing that again.

  “The cab will be here in two minutes,” I inform her and turn to find her glaring at me.

  Oh, good. An angry, drunk woman.

  “Why don’t you want me?” She starts to sniffle. “I know I’ve gained five pounds since I was here last fall—”

  That’s right! She travels for work.

  “But I’ll suck your dick like nobody else ever has. Well, except me, because I sucked your dick before and you liked it.”

  “I did like it,” I say with a nod, and immediately regret my mistake when she smiles and takes a step toward me. I hold my hands up in surrender. Except the part when you bit my balls. “But I have a girlfriend now,” I lie easily.

  “So?” She looks genuinely confused.

  So she doesn’t have much for morals. Go figure.

  I sigh and scrub my fingers through my hair.

  “So that means that I won’t fuck you, Marcy.”

  “Darcy,” she spits out. “My fucking name is Darcy.”

  “See? You should be with a guy who remembers your name.” Her eyes fill with tears again, but the cab pulls up to the curb and honks twice. “There’s your cab.”

  I hurry her outside and pour her into the back seat. “Anywhere she wants to go, man. Just send me the bill.”

  “I can pay for my own fucking cab ride,” Darcy growls and flips me off as the car pulls away.

  I sigh again and lock the door behind me, then shuffle to the bar. The cleaning crew will arrive in about an hour to sanitize the floors, tables, bar and glassware, but for now it’s nice to be alone. The silence is a welcome change from the noisy, boisterous crowd that usually fills the space. And thank God for them, ’cause they pay the bills.

  I love this place. I’ve worked at The Odyssey most of my life. First, for Callie’s dad, and then for her after he passed last year. And now that we’re planning to expand the space, Callie asked me to be her partner. The paperwork was finalized last week, and the expansion is moving forward.

  It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. I don’t just work here, I’m part owner and not able to leave at a moment’s notice if the notion struck me.

  Not that I ever have, or would, do that. But it was an option.

  Now strings are attached, and I’ve never been a strings kind of guy. In fact, at the first mention of commitment, I’m a run-in-the-other-direction kind of guy.

  And I make no apologies for it. The women I’m with know the score. I keep my life simple.

  This is work, I remind myself. I’ve had a soft spot for The Odyssey for a long time, so attaching myself permanently is a good move.

  It’s not a woman.

  “You didn’t go home with her,” Callie says as she comes out of her office, surprising me.

  “I thought you went home,” I reply instead of answering her question. “Didn’t I see Declan earlier?”

  Declan is a popular New Orleans musician and Callie’s husband.

  “You did,” she replies with a soft smile. “But I had some work to do here, and sometimes I just like to stay until closing.”

  “We’re bar people,” I reply with a smile and walk behind the bar to pull out a bottle of water.

  “So, why didn’t you give that pretty thing a ride on your desk?” Callie asks in the nonjudgmental way that only she can. She’s my best friend for a reason.

  “Wasn’t feeling it,” I reply with a shrug, then grin. “Literally.”

  “Har har,” she replies, but her smile is bright. “I haven’t heard many women stories lately.”

  “You enjoy my conquest stories?” I ask, not believ
ing her. “You always cover your ears and tell me to shut it.”

  “Well, some of them are just gross. Like the time you had sex in the back of a cab. That’s just not sanitary, Adam.”

  “Sex isn’t supposed to be sanitary, Cal. If you’re worried about sanitation, you aren’t doing it right.”

  She shakes her head and chuckles. “Okay. So what’s up?”

  “Nothing’s up,” I reply coolly, drinking from my bottle. “I just didn’t want to tap that twice.”

  “You’re a pig.”

  “See?” I say with a laugh. “You don’t like to hear the way I talk about women.”

  “You may get around the block more than anyone I know, but you don’t disrespect women, Adam. That’s just shock value for me.”

  “Guilty,” I reply with a wink. “I like to shock you.”

  “You’re the only one who can these days,” she says. “But for real, everything’s okay?”

  “I’m good. Just because I don’t fuck every piece of ass that looks my way doesn’t mean that something’s wrong.”

  “Right,” she says, sarcasm dripping through every word. “Let’s not talk about the times I’ve covered for you at the bar while you took a break because a hot little thing crooked her finger at you.”

  “Hey, I don’t discriminate. They don’t have to be little.”

  She snorts. “Touché.”

  It’s true. Larger or smaller, or in between, sexiness is attitude. That’s what I’ve always been attracted to, which is probably why the thought of settling down with one woman, when there are so many out there to enjoy, hasn’t interested me.

  “I just have a lot on my plate,” I say logically. “I don’t always have time to bone every single woman in the Quarter.”