Praise for
Tart
“Ms. Dane has done it again . . . This book is hot as hell and perfectly written.”
—Under the Covers Book Blog
“As scrumptious as a cherry turnover . . . Sensuous, sumptuous and seductive.”
—RT Book Reviews
“An emotionally driven novel with complicated relationships . . . Dane has a remarkable writing style that really draws you into the story line.”
—Dark Faerie Tales
“Sexy and erotic . . . An emotionally rich story.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Lauren Dane has a talent for writing interpersonal relationships.”
—HeroesandHeartbreakers.com
Praise for
Heart of Darkness
“Fresh, fun, fast-paced paranormal romance, spellbinding magic, a wry-humored, gutsy heroine and a sexy-as-sin hero put the charm on this witchy new series from multitalented, always fabulous Lauren Dane!”
—Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author
“Dane always delivers a steamy, exciting ride . . . she leaves me wanting more!”
—Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author
“Unputdownable . . . Great characters, wonderful world-building and, as always, a delicious romance. If you pick this book up, make sure you’ve cleared the afternoon.”
—Ann Aguirre, national bestselling author
Further praise for Lauren Dane and her novels
“[It] just might fry your circuits.”
—The Best Reviews
“Scintillating . . . A roller coaster of emotion, intrigue and sensual delights . . . I was hooked.”
—Vivi Anna, author of Glimmer
“Erotic . . . Sure to keep you reading late into the night.”
—Anya Bast, New York Times bestselling author
“In a word . . . amazing.”
—RT Book Reviews
Berkley Heat titles by Lauren Dane
LAID BARE
COMING UNDONE
INSIDE OUT
NEVER ENOUGH
UNDERCOVER
RELENTLESS
INSATIABLE
MESMERIZED
CAPTIVATED
TART
LUSH
Berkley Sensation titles by Lauren Dane
HEART OF DARKNESS
CHAOS BURNING
GOING UNDER
Anthologies
THREE TO TANGO
(with Emma Holly, Megan Hart, and Bethany Kane)
CHERISHED
(with Maya Banks)
Specials
LAID OPEN
LUSH
LAUREN DANE
HEAT | NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
USA / Canada / UK / Ireland / Australia / New Zealand / India / South Africa / China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
For more information about the Penguin Group, visit penguin.com.
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
Copyright © 2013 by Lauren Dane.
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. Purchase only authorized editions.
HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62213-1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dane, Lauren.
Lush / Lauren Dane. — Heat trade paperback ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-425-25608-4
1. Erotic fiction. I. Title.
PS3604.A5L87 2013
813'.6—dc23
2012031812
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Heat trade paperback edition / April 2013
Cover art by Tony Mauro.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
This one is for Ray.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thank-you to all the musicians whose art kept me company and on track throughout the writing of Lush: Lykke Li, Kings of Leon, Garbage, Neko Case, Foo Fighters and many more.
Mary, Fatin and Renee—thank you three for being the best beta readers anyone could ask for.
Leis Pederson, my wonderful editor—thank you for all your hard work to make me better at this.
Thanks, as always, go to my agent and friend Laura Bradford.
Friends—Megan Hart, who always appreciates a good beefcake link. To my Secret Author Illuminati Ninjas at the List That Shall Not Be Named—thank you all so much for your support, for the laughs, the indignation and the endless information and education on all things writing, publishing and other important stuff like hot dudes.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
—KHALIL GIBRAN
Contents
Praise
Also by Lauren Dane
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
1
Damien clapped his buddy Adrian on the back. “Thanks for the invite.”
Adrian Brown tipped his chin. “Glad you were in town to come. Least I could do after you’ve been in the studio with me so much.”
Adrian had needed a drummer. Damien was a drummer. End of story. Plus it had been awesome to work with someone he respected as much as he did Adrian and his sister Erin.
He’d been in a band with his brothers since they were nineteen, twenty and twenty-two. They’d made a lot of music together, they knew each other well, worked magic most of the time. But it did something good for his soul to work with other people.
He’d met Adrian several years ago and they’d clicked. Hell, they even shared a manager and a record label.
Plus, he liked Bainbridge with its small-town appeal, though it was just across the water from Seattle.
Tonight was Adrian’s engagement party. He was set to marry the lovely Gillian in one month, something else Damien would be back for.
“Come on through. I’m looking for Gillian and I’ll bet you she’s in the kitchen trying to dislodge Jules or Mary.”
The gorgeous old farmhouse the party was being held at was the backdrop to the yard
, which was dotted with tables and conversation areas. There were little tented areas in case of rain, which thankfully had missed them that day. Pretty lights in the trees and candles flickering all over the place.
It was pretty. Simple. Full of friends and laughter. It reminded him an awful lot of the ranch his family lived on.
“I go to parties like this one very rarely. I wish it was more often.”
Adrian gave him a lopsided grin as they moved through the front room toward the kitchen. Damien heard feminine voices and laughter and quickened his step.
“The road has its charms. Nice hotels—well, a lot nicer than in the old days anyway. Travel to lots of places. Swanky parties. But this life?” Adrian waved as they came around the corner into a kitchen filled with activity. “With my friends and my family. No paparazzi. No drama. Just great food and drink. That keeps me grounded and sane. Makes me happy.”
Damien tended to agree. Though he did like fast cars, parties and fast women, he appreciated the slower pace on the ranch his entire family lived on. There would be no games here tonight. No label people to impress or to try to impress you. It was real people, and god knew he needed that.
A pretty blonde scooted out the back door and he was disappointed, as he loved a pretty blonde. But then he saw her. Dark hair held back from her face though acres of curls strained at their confinement.
She was bent over a counter, slicing a tomato. Her hands glistened against the red flesh. He’d seen women cut up tomatoes hundreds of times over his life and had never actually gotten wood. Until that moment.
And when she looked up, it was on a full-throated laugh as Gillian put her head on Curly’s shoulder, also laughing. Gillian was friendly and sweet, but this woman was clearly comfortable with her friend, totally open.
“English, there you are.” Adrian stepped to his fiancée to give her a kiss.
Gillian smiled up at him. “I was trying to shoo Mary out of here. I already got Jules gone. Thank goodness for Cal, who was more than willing to help with that. But Mary is being difficult.”
Mary. Ah, a name then.
Mary gave Gillian a somber look. “I have problems with authority.”
Damien laughed.
Curly glanced up to catch his eye. “Hey there. Damien Hurley is standing in Gideon’s kitchen.”
And then . . . he blushed. Damien couldn’t recall the last time he’d blushed, but it had been a while.
“Mary Whaley, this is Damien Hurley. Damien, this is Mary; she’s responsible for the food you will gorge yourself on. Trust me on this. Once you start, you can’t stop. She’s also our very dear friend.”
Gillian wrapped an arm around Mary’s shoulder, beaming. Clearly so very proud. Damien couldn’t help but respond in kind.
“I’d shake your hand, but mine are covered in tomato.” She held them up. “Hang on, let me wash up.”
He watched as she moved to the sink. As she washed her hands with precision she spoke over her shoulder to one of the servers. She dried off and then removed the apron.
Wow.
Underneath the apron she wore a dress that hugged her curves. And she had them.
“I’m so glad you went with that color.” Gillian beamed and Damien agreed.
“Raspberry sorbet.” Damien hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Mary looked to him, holding her hand out. He took it in both of his, bending to kiss her knuckles instead.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“Please tell your mother I said she raised you right.”
“You smell like vanilla and cinnamon.” Why he kept blurting stupid shit, he had no idea. He was normally far more finessed at this. “That’s a compliment, by the way.”
She laughed. “I made some coffee for my brother, Cal. He likes vanilla and cinnamon in it.”
He liked the sound of her laugh.
“Mary, out of the kitchen now. I know you’ve pestered your staff more than enough. Everything is wonderful. I want you to enjoy this party and I forbid you to do any more work.” Gillian snatched something off a tray and popped it in Adrian’s mouth.
“Okay, okay. I just want everything to be perfect.”
Damien bent his arm and held it in her direction. “Shall we go outside then?”
“All right.”
* * *
So, yeah, she knew Gillian would only tolerate her fussing with the food for so long before she nagged her to stop and come enjoy the party. But to up her game with this?
Damien Hurley sat across the table from her, drinking champagne and laughing with Miles, Adrian and Gillian’s son, before Miles grabbed his plate and ambled off with his friends.
He was a thousand times more arresting in person than he was on the television screen. Long and tall—and she had a weakness for long and lanky—he seemed to take up the air in the room when she’d looked up to find him standing in the kitchen with Adrian.
He had dark hair, a bit too long, so it flopped down over his eye every once in a while so he’d have to push it back. A casual gesture that worked wonders with the muscles in his biceps. Drumming muscles.
A rogue’s eyes, her mother would say. Big, fringed with lashes as dark as the hair on his head. Intelligent with the light of humor in them. His lips were framed by a neatly trimmed mustache and beard. She knew too that he had lots of great ink on his body, though most of it was hidden by the clothes he wore.
He had energy. Even as he relaxed he seemed to hum with it. She tended to like that, as she was the same sort. And he kissed her knuckles. Who kissed knuckles?
“Are you thinking dirty things?” Daisy slid into the chair next to Mary. “And if so, fess up.”
Daisy was Mary’s closest, dearest friend. She had few filters, a heart bigger than Texas, was an incredibly talented artist and dancer and was absolutely gorgeous. If it weren’t for all the other stuff, it would be easy not to like her at all.
Damien swiveled to catch her eye. “Dirty, huh? We all need to hear.”
Mary, admittedly, was surprised he didn’t seem to give Daisy a second glance. Daisy was, well, the aforementioned gorgeous.
“Pay no attention to her. She’s trying to start trouble.” Mary waved a hand in Daisy’s direction.
Daisy laughed. “True. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know that look on your face.”
“Don’t you have a handsome man to poke at?” Mary looked around for Levi, Daisy’s boyfriend. Man friend. Lover. Whatever. They’d found something powerful together and Mary liked Levi a great deal. Very few people would be good enough for her friend. He managed to be.
“He’s off with Brody talking tattoos. And who are you then?” Daisy smiled up at Damien.
“This is Damien, he’s a friend of Adrian’s. Damien, this is Daisy.” Gillian made the introductions.
“Nice to meet you.” Daisy grabbed a server as he passed with a tray. “What’s this? I haven’t had this one yet.”
“Figs with cheese and prosciutto. You had these just a few days ago.”
“Oh, yes. Then I need several because they are fabulous.” True to her word, Mary watched as Daisy grabbed three little plates and put them down on the table. “I got one for you, Damien, because you didn’t have any and you should.” She pushed one his way and then dug into hers.
Damien obediently took a bite and Mary got sort of sweaty when he closed his eyes for a moment and sighed happily. Normally she liked it when people enjoyed her food, but this, well, he was delicious.
“This.” He nodded solemnly.
Warmth flooded her. “Thank you. People often miss how good simple food can be. Fresh makes a difference too.”
Mary tried to rein it in because she loved talking about food and ingredients and she could go on and on.
“She’s an artist. You have music, she’s got food.”
Mary blushed. “Thank you, Adrian.”
“She’s doing the food for the wedding too. Next time you’re in town we’ll have to be sure to go to her
supper club. Insanely good food.”
“I’ll be back for the wedding next month.”
Her heart sped for a few moments. It would be fun to flirt with him again.
Adrian looked back and forth between them and leaned to say something to Gillian, who nodded. Mary knew that look on Gillian’s face.
“Damien and his brothers are going on tour with us.”
“Really? Awesome. I saw you guys. Twice, actually. Once at Lollapalooza over at the Gorge. Another time Daisy and I drove down to see you in San Francisco.”
Daisy mock-slapped her forehead. “I knew you looked familiar! Sweet Hollow Ranch, right?”
“That’s us.”
“We sat so freaking far back for both those shows. Up on the grass at the Gorge. Though when you go places with Mary she brings treats. So everyone else will be eating crappy eight-dollar nachos and she’ll whip out fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. Tailgating is swankified with Mary on your side.”
Damien wanted to reach over and kiss that mouth. Every time Mary spoke, her bottom lip was so juicy and shiny it began to make his cock throb in time with his pulse.
She seemed to gleam in the starlight and the glow of the fairy lights in the trees. He liked the way she lit up when she spoke with her friends. He liked the way she talked about food too.
“You’ll have to come see us when we’re touring then. I promise to get you better seats than up in the rafters if you’ll bring me something tasty.” Like that mouth.
One corner of said mouth tipped up and he had to strangle back a moan.
“All right. I’m getting pretty good at traveling with food.”
“She can whip up a freaking gourmet meal from a convenience store on the dashboard of a car. She’s amazing.”
Damien also dug the way her friends spoke about her. Adrian had mentioned to him that Gillian had a very close group of friends there on the island. Clearly their love for one another was genuine and deep. It said a lot about a person—who loved them best.
“Who’s that guy who keeps staring over here?” Damien asked Adrian in an undertone. The way the guy stared, he began to wonder if it was the boyfriend of one of the women at the table. Of Mary, which would totally bum him out.