LOVE ME TWICE - Excerpt

Here's a little sample from LOVE ME TWICE, the third book in the Lothario Series. Five years ago, Celeste left Sean and Drew behind rather than choose between them. Now that they've found her, she isn't getting away again.

“You and your associate can relax and enjoy your vacation, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Drew and I will take care of this.”

At the sound of Sean’s voice, she turned to face him. She knew as soon as he said he was in charge that he meant it literally.

“What exactly do you mean by that? If you think I’m going to buy into the theme of this ship while you do your spook thing, you have another think coming.” She wasn’t ready to relinquish her duties to a couple of former spooks, even if they were more than that to her.

Sean’s eyes darted to Drew again, and then came to rest on her. Premonition tingled along her nape and shivered down her spine. They were up to something, and she’d bet her best vibrator, the lifelike one that reminded her of Sean, that she wasn’t going to like it.

She was right.

“You owe us a decision.”

Just like that, the conversation shifted from business to personal.

“You just heard my decision.” She made one last attempt to grab the wheel and regain control before the mutiny was successful.

“Don’t act as if you don’t understand, Celeste. The business decision has been made. Drew is in charge of security. The decision we want is a personal one.”

Querido Dios. Her heart lurched and sank to her toes like an anchor. Five years ago, he’d asked for a decision, the same one she was sure he was going to demand now. She made the only decision possible then, she’d run away. Apparently, all she’d done was postpone the inevitable.

“You can’t be serious.” The words were barely a whisper.

“He is.” Drew’s soft voice came from a spot not a foot behind her. He’d moved without her noticing. Both of them were capable of moving like ghosts, hardly disturbing the air around them. For a spy it was a good trait, but in a civilian, it was unnerving.

“Don’t get in a snit. You don’t have to decide today.” Sean said it as if it was perfectly logical, when they all knew there was nothing logical about this.

“Well, that’s good.” Stall. Her mind whirled with possible escape scenarios. Short of jumping ship though, she couldn’t come up with a single one.

“You ran away five years ago so you wouldn’t have to decide between us. The way we figure it, you have a whole week, well six days if you don’t count the day we dock. We’re reasonable men. We know you need current information in order to make a decision, so this is what we’re going to do.”

Celeste folded her arms across her chest and locked her knees. As long as the ship didn’t make any sudden moves, she might remain upright. Sean’s face gave away none of the emotion she knew lurked beneath the surface. She’d hurt him when she left without explanation. He didn’t have to tell her that.

“You get to spend two days with each of us, alternating. We’ll toss a coin to see who goes first. That’s only fair, don’t you think?”

She couldn’t think. Too much information. Too many feelings. Too many memories. Too many needs. She hovered on the edge of something. Something dangerous…and seductive.

“Uh.”

“Good, you agree.”

“Wait!” She found her voice, and a small portion of her brain began to function. “That’s only four days. What about the other two days?” She couldn’t believe she asked that when she should have been raging at the two of them for their macho, high-handed, lunatic plan.

“The fifth day is shore day. We’ll spend it together, the three of us.”

Her mind and body flashed to another time they’d spent together. They’d believed it was the end, but it had turned out only to be the beginning, of the end. The end had been a long time coming, but she could see it clearly now, six days away.

“On the sixth day, we expect you to choose. Neither one of us is willing to let you walk out of our lives again.”

Her knees shook, and her hands were clammy. “What if I don’t want either one of you? It’s been five years. Maybe my feelings have changed.” Like hell, they have.

“They haven’t.” Drew’s breath fanned across her nape. When had he gotten that close? Damn. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.

“You want one of us, or both, right now.” Sean had always been observant, and blunt. “I can see it in your eyes.” He inhaled deeply. “Your body betrays you.”

Merde.

“Let’s flip a coin and see who gets her first.” Drew stepped between her and Sean. He pulled a coin from his pocket and turned it so she could see it had two distinct sides. Neither one of them were cheaters. Small consolation.

“Heads, I get her. Tails, you do.”

Sean nodded his agreement. Drew flipped the coin in the air and caught it as it spun downward on its invisible axis.

Celeste watched in fascinated horror as the two men she loved flipped a coin for her as if she was a carnival prize. Drew’s hand closed over the coin, and she jumped as he slapped it on the back of his outstretched arm. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. One by one, Drew peeled his fingers away. Then he lifted his hand to reveal the coin, gleaming silver against his sun-bronzed skin. Sean sat forward, and Drew leaned toward him.

Drew scowled.

Sean grinned.

It took less than a few seconds, but it seemed her life passed before her eyes. God help her. They were right. She did want this.

Find out more about Roz Lee and the Lothario Series here.

LOVE ME TWICE - Available Here.