Fighting for Love Read online

  Fighting for Love is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A Loveswept Ebook Original

  Copyright © 2017 by K. Elliott Enterprises, Inc.

  Excerpt from His to Seduce by Stacey Lynn copyright © 2017 by Stacey LaCock

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Loveswept, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  LOVESWEPT is a registered trademark and the LOVESWEPT colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

  This book contains an excerpt from the forthcoming book His to Seduce by Stacey Lynn. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming edition.

  Ebook ISBN 9780425284223

  Cover design: Carrie Devine/Seductive Designs

  Cover photograph: StockLite/Shutterstock

  randomhousebooks.com

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  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1: Finn

  Chapter 2: Rory

  Chapter 3: Finn

  Chapter 4: Rory

  Chapter 5: Finn

  Chapter 6: Rory

  Chapter 7: Finn

  Chapter 8: Rory

  Chapter 9: Rory

  Chapter 10: Finn

  Chapter 11: Finn

  Chapter 12: Rory

  Chapter 13: Finn

  Chapter 14: Rory

  Chapter 15: Rory

  Chapter 16: Finn

  Chapter 17: Rory

  Chapter 18: Rory

  Chapter 19: Finn

  Chapter 20: Rory

  Chapter 21: Rory

  Chapter 22: Finn

  Chapter 23: Finn

  Chapter 24: Rory

  Chapter 25: Finn

  Chapter 26: Rory

  Chapter 27: Rory

  Chapter 28: Finn

  Chapter 29: Rory

  Chapter 30: Finn

  Chapter 31: Rory

  Chapter 32: Rory

  Chapter 33: Finn

  Chapter 34: Rory

  Chapter 35: Finn

  Chapter 36: Rory

  Chapter 37: Rory

  Chapter 38: Finn

  Chapter 39: Rory

  Chapter 40: Rory

  Chapter 41: Finn

  Chapter 42: Finn

  Chapter 43: Rory

  Chapter 44: Rory

  Chapter 45: Finn

  Chapter 46: Finn

  Chapter 47: Rory

  Chapter 48: Finn

  Chapter 49: Rory

  Chapter 50: Finn

  Chapter 51: Rory

  Chapter 52: Rory

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  By Kelly Elliott

  About the Author

  Excerpt from His to Seduce

  Chapter 1

  Finn

  Same story, different day

  “It’s time to settle down. You’re almost twenty-seven.”

  My mother’s voice was on repeat while my feet pounded the pavement beneath me. I dragged in a deep breath, the early fall air filling my lungs while I pushed myself harder as I ran through the Fens. I loved running in this park. It was close to my job and my condo. And not that I would ever admit it to anyone, but I loved the gardens.

  Picking up my speed, I headed down Boylston Street. Normally during my runs, I would stop at least once or twice to talk to a pretty girl looking my way, but today I wasn’t in the mood. Not after having dinner with my folks last night. Their constant nagging to settle down had me in a foul mood today.

  “Morning, Finn!” Mr. Thomas called out.

  Lifting my hand, I called back, “Morning, sir!”

  “I’ve got fresh berries!”

  Laughing, I spun around and ran backward. “I’ll be by when my shift is up!”

  Turning back around, I picked up the pace.

  My T-shirt was soaked with sweat as I made my way toward the firehouse. Stopping outside the open door, I rested my hands on my knees and took in a few deep breaths.

  “Your birthday is coming up and you’re already feeling it, huh? Old age.”

  I glanced up to see my best friend standing there with a smirk on his face. I shot Colton a dirty look. “Go to hell,” I mumbled as I straightened and walked into the building.

  Slapping me on the back, he laughed. “Someone is grumpy. What’s wrong? Didn’t get laid last night?”

  I grabbed a water and downed it. Tossing it in the trash, I replied, “No, I didn’t. I haven’t in the last week, and therein lies the problem. Well, that and the fact that my mother will not stop talking about me finding a girl and settling down.”

  A look of horror moved over Colton’s face, and I chuckled. “What? Doesn’t she know you’re in your prime time of life right now? Endless pussy is bountiful.”

  With a lighthearted laugh, as I headed upstairs to shower I responded, “Apparently not. My poor little sister Angela is taking the brunt of it, though. For some reason my mother is hell-bent on her finding a guy.”

  “Have I ever told you your sister is hot?”

  I stopped and turned to face him. “I don’t care how long we’ve been friends, don’t call my sister hot. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  Rob Mason, another firefighter, walked down the stairs past me and added, “Dude, your sister is hot.”

  “Oh come on, Rob! Not you, too.”

  Colton pushed me up the steps. “Come on, our shift starts soon and you stink.”

  TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER

  Walking into the conference room, I took a quick glance around. My eyes were immediately drawn to the curvy woman in the pencil skirt. That ass alone was enough to make my dick jump. I was drawn to her, and couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  Shit, I need to get laid.

  She was standing with her back to me talking to our new fire chief, Rick Adams. He was a hard-ass and had already formed his opinion of me and Colton as the station’s resident playboys. We were two of the younger guys in our house, even though we had both been in service for almost nine years.

  “See something you like?” Colton asked with a slap on the back.

  Grinning, I nodded my head. “Who is she?”

  We took seats near the back. I had a clear view of the front podium where the speakers sat, and I hoped like hell she’d sit at the end of the table so I could see her. Everyone else quickly found seats.

  “Lawyer with Adams, Burks, and Monroe.”

  I lifted my brow and nodded. Zeb Clark sat next to me as he reached out for my hand. “What’s up, guys?”

  Colton and I both gave him a head nod and replied at once, “Not much.”

  “All right, let’s sit and listen to the same bullshit we always listen to,” Zeb whispered as I let out a halfhearted chuckle.

  I appreciated our union, but damn these meetings were the same old shit time and time again.

  The meeting hadn’t even started and I soon found myself nodding off to sleep. I forced myself to keep my eyes open as long as I could before my head dropped and I dozed off. I jerked awake when Colton hit my arm, then he leaned over and whispered, “The lawyer is watching you, and if you’re not careful, Adams is going see you back here sleeping.”

  I lifted my eyes and caught hers. Holy shit. I could see the blue in her eyes from where I was sitting. The left corner of her mouth rose into a smirk while she shook her head. With a shrug, I gave her a wink, which made her blush.

  Damn. If winking at her made her blush, what
else could I do to make those cheeks turn such a beautiful rose color?

  “I think I’m in love,” I whispered as Colton chuckled.

  “I’m not gonna lie, she’s good-looking, but I don’t think she’s your type, dude.”

  My head snapped over to him. “What makes you say that?” I asked in a hushed voice.

  “Dude, look at her. The innocence is dripping off her. What are you going to do? Ask her to join you in a threesome?”

  The idea of sharing her with anyone else made my stomach turn, and I didn’t even know this girl’s name. But with the way she kept glancing my way, I knew one thing for sure—she was as captivated by me as I was by her.

  Colton was right, though. She looked to be about our age, which meant she was fresh out of law school and most likely a workaholic. But damn, what I wouldn’t do to put my hands on that body.

  When she looked back my way, I smiled bigger. The moment her teeth sunk into her lower lip, she grinned wider. I was fucked. Then, for some unknown reason, the room felt like it was spinning, and I lost my breath.

  What. In. The. Hell. Just. Happened?

  I glanced down as I dragged in air. My heart felt like it was sitting on the bottom of my stomach.

  “Is it hot in here to you guys?” I asked while rubbing the back of my neck.

  “No,” Colton and Zeb replied. My gaze moved back to her. I had to find out her name. Ask her out. Ask her to marry me…

  No. Shit. Ask her out. Jesus, what is wrong with me?

  All right, Ward, it’s time to get your game on. Play it cool.

  When I glanced back at her, she was leaning over talking to the dick next to her. He was dressed in a suit, and I could tell from first look he was also a lawyer. The way he stared at her pissed me off.

  “Ward, you look like you’re about to rip someone’s head off. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Pulling my stare off them, I tried to get a hold on these crazy-ass feelings I had.

  “Um, it’s been a rough few days. Plus, I have a damn surprise birthday party my mother is throwing.”

  Zeb hit my arm. “She still trying to fix you up?”

  With a slight moan, I nodded my head.

  It was strange how I felt her eyes on me. Glimpsing back over, I couldn’t help but smile at her again. When her tongue darted out and quickly licked her lips, my dick jumped. She pressed her mouth together, and I swear those blue eyes of hers shined even brighter.

  Over the course of the rest of the meeting, we exchanged a few flirtatious exchanges. When the meeting adjourned, I excused myself from Colton and Zeb and made a beeline toward her.

  “Oh hell, Ward. Come on and leave some for the rest of us!” Colton called out.

  Ignoring him, I kept my onward push. When I finally reached her, she was talking to the stiff suit. She turned and looked directly into my eyes.

  I opened my mouth to swoon her. “Hey.”

  Oh for fuck’s sake. That was the best I could come up with?

  She pursed her lips, and her cheeks blushed. Oh hell. Colton was right: This girl was probably still a virgin. Then her eyes turned dark and that tongue ran along the top edge of her teeth. I stumbled back a step and had to adjust my balance, because my entire world rocked.

  She finally spoke, and that one word sounded like it was straight from heaven. “Hi.”

  Ask her for her name. Her number. Anything. Don’t stand here like a fool.

  Before I had a chance to ask her anything, the dick next to her took her by the elbow and whispered something into her ear. She nodded and glanced back at me. “I’m sorry—if you’ll excuse me.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Sure. No problem.”

  Standing there like an idiot, I watched her walk across the room with the asshole. She stopped in front of Clint, one of our dispatchers, and our fire chief, Rick Adams. They quickly got lost in conversation.

  “Hey, Finn.”

  Shit. I closed my eyes and took in a couple of breaths before turning and seeing Jessica Round standing before me.

  “Hey, Jess. How’s it going?”

  She worked in the administrative building downtown. We had hooked up once and ever since then she’d been trying to make it something more.

  “Any plans tonight?”

  Taking a quick glance back over to the hot lawyer, I nodded my head. “Spending the evening with family.”

  There. That should give her the hint.

  “Oh, I see. Well, if you ever feel like hanging out, give me a call.”

  Focusing back on her, I smiled. “Will do, Jess. Have a good evening.”

  I could see the disappointment in her eyes. It made me feel like shit, but she knew from the get-go it was simply a fuck and go. That’s what I did. What I’ve always done. Sometimes with more than one girl at a time.

  She forced a smile. “See ya around, Finn.”

  “See ya.”

  Colton walked up with a shit-eating grin. “Damn, dude, once you poke and stoke ’em they’re hooked and hard to get rid of.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “You’re an asshole.”

  “Just call it like I see it.”

  I’d had enough of this day. It was time to find out more about the lawyer and get the hell out of here. I turned back to where she had been standing, and my stomach dropped.

  She was gone.

  “Where did she go?” I asked while frantically looking around the room.

  “The chick you were making eyes with?” Colton asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “She left.”

  My jaw clenched. Son-of-a-bitch. Zeb walked up to me and stopped short, his expression concerned. “You have that look on your face again.”

  “What look?” I bit out.

  “The one where you want to rip someone’s head off.”

  “Fuck. The lawyer left before I even got her damn name.”

  Colton and Zeb both laughed. Some friends they were. “Damn, dude, I’ve never seen you this interested in a woman before. Maybe all your mom’s nagging is starting to sink in,” Colton said with a chuckle.

  Shaking my head, I looked him in the eyes. “Fuck that. Did you see her ass?”

  With a nod, he replied, “Yeah, I saw it all right. She shouldn’t be hard to track down. She works for the Cap’s wife at her law firm. I think I heard someone call her Lori maybe?”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw my mother’s name.

  Mom: When will you be here?

  Sighing, I typed back my response.

  Me: Leaving the union meeting now and heading that way.

  The gloomy expression on my face should have been a sign to my friends that I was not looking forward to this evening. “I’m heading to Preston’s pub. Mom is throwing me a surprise birthday party. You guys want to come?”

  Zeb frowned. “If it’s a surprise party, how do you know about it?”

  Lifting my brow, I asked, “Have you never met my mother, Zeb?”

  He chuckled and said, “Right. Count me in. Colton?”

  All of sudden, my best friend looked nervous as hell. “Ah, I can’t.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “I’ve got plans.”

  Widening my stare, I stated, “You’ve got plans. Who the hell with? We’re your only friends.”

  He looked away while replying, “I have a date.”

  I thought Zeb was going to drop to the floor. “A date date? Like take them out to dinner and all that shit?”

  Colton seemed instantly annoyed. “Yeah a date date. What other kind of date is there?”

  “Do you really need me to answer that?” Zeb replied sarcastically. “I mean you’re worse than this one over here when it comes to the poke and go.”

  Zeb was newly engaged, and I knew his fiancé, Sissy, hated that his two best friends were both single and having fun.

  Colton gave Zeb a small push. “Fuck off, Zeb. You’re not the only one who can meet someone and explore more.”
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  I moaned while scrubbing my hands down my face. “First Zeb and now you? You’re both leaving me out to dry.”

  The way Colton looked at me, I knew it was coming. First my mother, now my best friend. “I’m just tired of the games, Finn. Waking up in someone else’s bed all the time. Shit, half the time I don’t even remember their names. After seeing Preston with Harmony and how happy they are, I don’t know. Something changed. I’m not saying I’m ready to settle down like dipshit here and pop out a kid or two. But meeting someone to spend my time with might be kind of nice.”

  “Hey!” Zeb said as he punched Colton in the arm. “You’re just jealous.”

  The two of them went back and forth a bit before I held up my hands and stated, “I’m out of here. We still on for basketball in the morning, Colton?”

  “Hell yeah,” Colton answered with a light smack on my back.

  Walking out of the meeting hall, I felt like I was in a daze. It didn’t get any better on the cab ride over to Flanagan’s, Preston’s pub.

  Pulling out my phone, I hit my brother Preston’s number.

  “Hey, dude.”

  Preston covered the phone and mumbled something to someone.

  “Sorry. Harmony tried to reach for something.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. I was glad Preston had met Harmony. Things were a little rough for them at first, but now they were expecting their first child and the Irish pub my brother bought from our uncle was thriving. I knew he missed being a firefighter, but he loved what he was doing now even more.

  “Hope you got it for her.”

  He made a grunting sound. “Of course I did. Anyway, you’re still coming, right?”