THE WICKED BAD
by Karyn Gerrard
Nick Crocetti is an imposing figure in black leather riding his motorcycle about the town of Rockland. Owner of a bar, The Chief, whispers of criminal dealings and a murky past swirl around him. Dark and brooding, Nick is "the wicked bad" in looks and demeanor.
Veronica Barnes, leaving a husband from a disastrously quick Las Vegas marriage and her high-paying consulting job, returns home after ten years to follow a lifelong dream and open her own bakery.
Despite the mutual physical attraction - and a shared past - Nick and Veronica are wary of each other and have protective fences around their hearts.
Can they break down the barriers of past heartbreak, or is Veronica just a good girl who longs to rub against "the wicked bad"?
Veronica had to admit, she was having a nice time. She enjoyed sitting behind him on his bike as he raced up the highway. Her arms clung to his broad, muscular back and chest. Feeling the powerful bike vibrate under her and feeling Nick vibrate next to her was a total turn on. Touching and holding on to him sent such waves of pure, raw heat through her body. Though at first, she was scared to death. Before they left, Nick instructed her on how to be a passenger. Lean into the turns when he did and don’t clutch him too tightly.
Veronica knew she shamelessly felt him all over as he drove. Nothing prepared her for the rush of excitement, not only being curled against all that male muscle, but the feeling of driving fast on the open road with the wind whipping around her body. She wished she could’ve taken the helmet off and let the wind take her hair skyward. The sensation was incredible, a real rush. She followed him toward the beach. The shoreline wasn’t very big, but private, as you couldn’t see the road or much else from their vantage point.
Wonder how many other women he brought here, she thought cynically.
He spread the blanket and assisted her in sitting down. Again, the touch of his hand made her face flush as well as parts further south. Nick sat next to her with one leg bent and he rested his arm on the top of his knee. They sat quietly and gazed out over the water. The waves caressed the sand with a serene almost hypnotic sound.
“I saw you talking to that wuss, Jake Spooner, as I left the other day. I can imagine what he said about me,” Nick said in a voice so soft, she hardly recognized it as his.
Veronica cleared her throat uncomfortably.
Nick laughed. “I see. Go on, amuse me, what did he say?”
“Um, he said you were in prison—” she began.
“Jail. Not prison,” he retorted.
“There’s a difference?”
“You’ve got the cop for a brother, you tell me,” Nick snapped. He shook his head, more gently he said, “Sorry. It’s a touchy subject. City jail, for assault and destruction of property. Prison usually means a state or federal beef. Mine was local and a long time ago. I did my time and it’s over. I don’t like talking about it.”
“He called you a thug and said you deal drugs among other things.” She shouldn’t be telling him this, but the words tumbled out of her.
“Really? And still you went out with me? Are you some thrill seeker, one of those good girls eager to rub up against some wicked bad? Is that why you’re here? I’ll be as bad as you want, just say the word.”
“I saw you talking to that wuss, Jake Spooner, as I left the other day. I can imagine what he said about me,” Nick said in a voice so soft, she hardly recognized it as his.
Veronica cleared her throat uncomfortably.
Nick laughed. “I see. Go on, amuse me, what did he say?”
“Um, he said you were in prison—” she began.
“Jail. Not prison,” he retorted.
“There’s a difference?”
“You’ve got the cop for a brother, you tell me,” Nick snapped. He shook his head, more gently he said, “Sorry. It’s a touchy subject. City jail, for assault and destruction of property. Prison usually means a state or federal beef. Mine was local and a long time ago. I did my time and it’s over. I don’t like talking about it.”
“He called you a thug and said you deal drugs among other things.” She shouldn’t be telling him this, but the words tumbled out of her.
“Really? And still you went out with me? Are you some thrill seeker, one of those good girls eager to rub up against some wicked bad? Is that why you’re here? I’ll be as bad as you want, just say the word.”
AVAILABLE FROM:
Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She wiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea. Tortured heroes are a must. A multi-published author with a few best-sellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write in different genres and time periods, though historicals are her favorite.
As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.
Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.
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