No Reservations: A Fusion Novella Read online

  No Reservations

  A Fusion Novella

  By Kristen Proby

  1001 Dark Nights

  No Reservations

  A Fusion Novella

  By Kristen Proby

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2017 Kristen Proby

  ISBN: 978-1-9459-2050-9

  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

  No Reservations

  A Fusion Novella

  By Kristen Proby

  New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Proby takes us back to her highly acclaimed Fusion series.

  Chase MacKenzie is not the man for Maura Jenkins. A self-proclaimed life-long bachelor, and unapologetic about his distaste for monogamy, a woman would have to be a masochist to want to fall into Chase’s bed.

  And Maura is no masochist.

  Chase has one strict rule: no strings attached. Which is fine with Maura because she doesn’t even really like Chase. He’s arrogant, cocky, and let’s not forget bossy. But when he aims that crooked grin at her, she goes weak in the knees. Not that she has any intentions of falling for his charms.

  Definitely not.

  Well, maybe just once…

  About Kristen Proby

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby is the author of the popular Boudreaux, Fusion, and 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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  The Boudreaux Series:

  Easy Love

  Easy Charm

  Easy Melody

  Easy For Keeps

  Easy Magic

  Easy Fortune

  Easy Nights

  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

  Close To You

  Blush For Me

  The Beauty of Us

  Savor You

  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

  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

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Click here to explore

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

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  1001 Dark Nights story

  The First Night

  by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Kristen Proby

  Also From Kristen Proby

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover More Kristen Proby

  Blush For Me by Kristen Proby

  Savor You by Kristen Proby

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nigh
ts

  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: شهريار, “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 thousand

  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.

  Chapter One

  ~Maura~

  “I don’t love blind dates,” I remind my friend Kat for the fourth time since she picked me up at my place twenty minutes ago. “You really didn’t have to set me up with anyone.”

  “I think you’ll like him,” she says with a shrug.

  “Why are we meeting them there?”

  “Because Mac just finished up with work, and having him come home to get me and then go back downtown seemed unproductive.”

  I nod and take a deep breath. It’s not that men as a species make me nervous. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a man that gave me butterflies, which I guess is a sad commentary on the state of my love life.

  “You do like men, don’t you?” she asks with a raised brow and glances over at me. Kat is one of the most colorful women I know. She has deep red hair, a full sleeve of beautiful tattoos, and the outfits she wears should land her on the cover of a pin-up girl calendar. She’s super pretty.

  “Yes,” I reply with a laugh. “I’m into men.”

  “Perfect.” Kat smiles and pulls into a parking space at a trendy sushi restaurant near the waterfront. “And there’s no pressure. If you don’t like him, no harm done.”

  “True.” I nod and exit the car, meeting her on the sidewalk. “If nothing else, I get to spend some fun time out with you and Mac.”

  “Atta girl,” she says with a wink and opens the door for me, following me into the restaurant. I immediately see Kat’s husband, Mac, sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant. His friend’s back is to me, but it looks familiar.

  When Mac stands with a smile to kiss his wife like he hasn’t seen her in a month, his companion stands and turns around with a smile, and all I can think is, fuck.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  “Maura, this is—”

  “Chase,” I say, interrupting Mac’s introduction. “We’ve met.”

  Chase grins, showing off his perfect teeth and the perfect dimple in his right cheek. He holds my chair out for me, and I take it. Mostly because I’m not an asshole.

  If I was an asshole, I’d turn around and leave.

  “How do you know each other?” Kat asks, watching me closely.

  “I took one of his classes once,” I reply with a tight grin. “Not to mention, the wine enthusiast community isn’t that big.”

  “True,” she says with a smile.

  Mac and his brother, Chase, own a successful wine touring company in Portland, Oregon. They take groups of people from restaurant to restaurant, showing their clients how to pair certain wines with different foods. Chase occasionally gives classes on wine as well.

  And if I’d known in advance that Chase would be here, I probably wouldn’t be. This just proves that I need to ask more questions when I’m being set up on a blind date.

  “How are you?” Chase asks. He’s ridiculously good looking. He’s tall, at least six feet, with dark blond hair and blue eyes that should come with a warning label.

  Warning: may cause your panties to melt.

  “I’m well, thank you.” I immediately take a sip of the wine Mac just poured me. It’s red, fruity, and dry. Just the way I like it. “And you?”

  “Same.”

  He winks and turns his attention back to Mac, and I finally take a deep breath.

  “So, blind dates are awkward,” Kat says, wrinkling her nose. “But I thought you might like each other. Maura, I know wine is a hobby for you, and Chase certainly knows plenty about wine.”

  “That’s a nice way of calling me a wino,” he says with a laugh.

  “It’s not out of control or anything,” Kat adds with a wink. “I didn’t know that you already knew each other.”

  “Not well,” I clarify. Chase is known amongst his family and friends for being a player. He’s as commitment phobic as I am, but the difference between him and me is I don’t fuck everything that shows an interest in me.

  “I’m sorry to say this, but, she’s not really my type,” Chase says with a shrug and I can’t help but snort.

  “Seriously?”

  He shrugs again.

  “So, I’m not your type, but you’ve asked me out at least sixteen times in the past two years.” I roll my eyes as Mac spits his water out in laughter and Kat sits back to watch us with a grin on her face. “I’d hate to see how you are around women who are your type.”

  I tuck my blonde hair behind my ear and turn to face him. He’s not embarrassed in the least. Rather, he’s smiling down at me like I’m the cutest puppy he’s ever seen.

  He irritates the fuck out of me.

  “You know, it’s okay to just admit that a girl said no and move on with your life.” I cock my head to the side and wait for him to reply, but he just shrugs again.

  “I really like her,” Mac says, laughing behind his green cloth napkin. “We need to keep her around.”

  “I mean, I know your ego is probably fragile, and that’s why you kept asking me out after the third time when I told you to choke on a cork, but seriously, Chase. Saying now, in front of your brother and his wife, that I’m not your type?”

  “You’re not,” he says again when the sushi is delivered. The guys must have just ordered an assortment, and it all looks delicious. “Doesn’t mean I won’t ask you out.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” I reply, rolling my eyes.

  “Just honest, sweetheart,” he says and takes a bite.

  “I hope you choke on that California roll.”

  “You’re quite taken with choking,” he says, watching me for a moment. “Are you
into that sort of thing?”

  I want to throw my raw fish at his face, but instead I just smile sweetly and reply with, “You’ll never find out.”

  “This is entertaining,” Kat says to Mac, who nods. “We should have them over for dinner every day. We’d never have another need for a television.”

  I can’t help but giggle at my friend. “Sorry, guys. I guess you could say that Chase and I butt heads a bit.”

  “No need to apologize,” Kat says. “So this isn’t a love match.”

  I immediately shake my head no, and Chase just simply laughs and takes a sip of his wine.

  “That’s okay. Plan B is in full force.” Kat raises her glass. “Good food and wine and excellent conversation.”

  “I can get behind that.” I clink my glass to hers. “How are things over at Seduction?”

  “Fantastic,” she says with a grin. Kat co-owns one of Portland’s hottest restaurants with her best friends. She runs the wine bar and knows more about wine than just about anyone else I know. “We’ve been very busy and are about to start filming a new TV show for BestBites TV.”

  “I watch that channel all the time.”

  “Well, Mia’s getting her own show. It’s pretty exciting.”

  “That’s wonderful.” I put my fist out for her to bump. “I’m excited for y’all.”

  “What do you do, Maura?” Mac asks, and Chase’s gaze whips down to mine.

  “What?”

  “It just occurred to me that I don’t know what you do either,” he says with a frown.

  “You know nothing, Chase MacKenzie.” I sniff and turn back to Mac, secretly enjoying the way Chase is laughing beside me. “I’m a teacher.”

  “What grade are you teaching this year?” Kat asks.