His to Keep

He’s always wanted her. Now’s his chance to claim what’s his.

School teacher Marceline Bellini gave up everything—men, sex, anything resembling a social life—to raise her young daughter. To be the perfect parent. But when she attends an engagement party in her standard stick-in-the-mud mode, her friends begin plying Marcy with shots. Just enough to convince her that a little fun doesn’t sound like a bad idea... and having some naughty fun is an even better one.

Like finding herself deliciously pressed against a dark alley wall by the very familiar and very hot body of her best friend’s older brother.

After years of waiting in painful silence, police officer Aaron Robinson finally has Marcy’s attention. And man, does he have it. But nothing could have prepared either of them for the rush of fiery lust between them. So he’ll just have to convince Marcy he’s for real. And that a rainy, lust-fuelled romp is the first step to a lifetime of completely imperfect happiness…

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Discover Katee Robert’s NYT Bestselling Come Undone series...

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His Lover to Protect

His to Take

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Mistaken by Fate

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Protecting Fate

Meeting His Match

The High Priestess

Queen of Swords

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

Copyright © 2014 by Katee Robert. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Brazen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit www.brazenbooks.com.

Edited by Heather Howland and Kari Olson

Cover design by Heather Howland

ISBN 978-1-62266-567-9

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition April 2014

To Bailey and Connor. You’re never going to read this (seriously, save us all the therapy bills), but this one’s for you.

Chapter One

Marcy Bellini looked around the bar and wished she were anywhere else but here. Right about now, her daughter would be winding down and getting ready for bed. Marcy’s favorite part of the evening was when Claire crawled into her lap for a little mommy-and-me time. They’d watch Claire’s favorite movie of the moment—inevitably a princess one—and snuggle until she was so sleepy, Marcy had to carry her to bed. If she concentrated, she could almost smell the faint lavender of her daughter’s shampoo instead of the stale beer and conflicting colognes of the men around her.

She snatched her beer off the bar and smiled her thanks to Gena. The woman gave her a grin in return and waggled her eyebrows. Everyone seemed to be doing something like that—nudging each other or grinning at Marcy like they were in on a joke she didn’t understand. It had started the moment she’d walked through the door of Chilly’s, and as people drifted inside and out of the warm spring night, it was only getting more obvious.

Maybe they’re just looking at Bri. It is her wedding party, after all.

While that might make sense, she couldn’t shake the feeling they were all staring at her. Maybe it was just what people did at bars. It wasn’t like she’d spent any time in them in the last four years. She’d hopscotched right over that wild stage most of the girls in her graduating class went through. There had been no one-night stands or drunken adventures or trips at the drop of a hat.

She had no regrets about that, though. Claire was the center of her universe and there was nothing as wonderful as relearning to see the world through her three-year-old’s eyes. Everything was new and exciting, and she towed Marcy along on adventure after adventure.

What was drinking herself stupid and making bad decisions compared to that?

She dropped into the seat next to Bri, needing to get out of her head before she talked herself right out the door. This is…fun.

Bri laughed. It was strange to reconcile this glowing woman with the shy librarian she’d met just two years ago, but falling for the younger Flannery brother had brought Bri right out of her shell. Marcy still remembered Ryan from high school, though, he’d been a few grades ahead of her. He’d blown town so fast after graduation, she’d been sure he’d never come back.

But she’d been wrong about a lot of things back then.

Bri nudged her. I know this isn’t your thing, but you need this.

That’s up for debate. She didn’t need this. She loved her life. It wasn’t traveling or any of the exciting plans she’d had before graduation, but it was comfortable and filled with the little delights she’d never known existed.

When did you last have actual grown-up time?

"I played bridge with Miss Nora and her ladies—and you—last week."

Bri sighed. Playing cards with a group of old ladies hardly counts—something Ryan never hesitates to point out to me. I mean something like this. She motioned at the room around them.

You’re one to talk. You hate the bar scene.

This isn’t a bar scene. This is a party for Ryan and me. She glanced over the top of her black cats eyeglasses at the Flannery in question. He was leaning against the wall and watching his older brother take his turn at the pool table. There were other friends scattered around the room with the rest of the locals, but that didn’t lessen Marcy feeling like she had a spotlight pinned on her face.

After an hour, she could leave without being a terrible friend, couldn’t she? It’s been fun, but it’s getting kind of late—

Don’t you dare. Bri grabbed her hand like Marcy was going to bolt out of the door at any moment. Obviously her friend knew her too well, because she was in the process of inching out of her chair. "You have a sitter. A wonderful sitter who Claire