by Lara Adrian
My breath catches, and while part of me fears the kind of control he’s about to demand, there’s another part of me that can think of nothing I want more. “What are your terms, Mr. Baine?”
“For the next one hundred nights, I want you open to me—anywhere I want, whatever I ask of you. No limits, no barriers, no hiding any part of yourself from me. And, Avery, I will demand more from you than I ever have.”
“That’s it?” I shake my head, hope and elation streaking through me like licks of fire. “That’s all you’ll require of me?”
He leans forward and cups my face in his strong hands. “That’s a good beginning.”
“Yes,” I agree, as he pulls me into a sensual kiss. “That is a good beginning.”
~ ~ ~
Nick arranges to have my rental car picked up from the prison lot and we decide to stay overnight in Pennsylvania rather than make the long drive back to the city. Besides, I’ve just entered into an agreement with a formidable negotiator, and both of us are eager to get started hammering out the fine points as quickly as possible.
The nearest hotel is a cheap chain a few miles away, and Nick runs to check us in while I wait in the car. I can’t take my eyes off him as he strolls into the hotel and walks up to the desk. Will I ever tire of looking at him? Will he always make my pulse quicken and my body melt with desire?
I suspect so, and I intend to spend the next three and a half months testing the theory.
I’m enjoying watching the young reception clerk flirt with my man when my cell phone rings with a local call.
Thinking it’s Stadler or the prison calling with an update on my mom, I swipe the screen and answer. “Hello?”
“Hello, Avery.”
The male voice is thin, but sharp as the edge of a blade. I can’t place it immediately, yet my body’s reaction is visceral, as if I’ve just taken a face full of frigid water.
“Shame about your mother, huh? ‘Course, all things considered, that fall coulda been worse. A helluva lot worse.”
“Who is this?”
An airless chuckle grates across my ear. “Oh, come on, now. I think you know. But I’m guessing your rich boyfriend in there doesn’t.”
Dread forms a cold knot in my gut at the mention of Nick. And, yes, I do recognize this voice now. The fact that I do makes the dread I felt a moment ago corrode into something vile. Something poisonous and deadly.
How did he find me after all this time? The question no sooner burns through my thoughts than I recall the photo that was snapped of Nick and me at the mayor’s gala. The photo that went viral online. Dammit.
Anxious, I chance a look back at Nick now. He’s still at the reception desk, having just signed for our room. The young clerk smiles at him as he takes the key from her, then starts to turn in my direction.
“We need to talk,” says the voice on the other end of the line. “I’ll be in touch.”
The connection is cut, and I’m left holding my phone in trembling hands. I drop it into my purse before Nick returns to the car.
He’s grinning as he climbs in and hands me the room keys in their little paper sleeve. “Honeymoon suite was all they had left. Hope you don’t mind.”
“No.” I force a smile that feels tight on my lips. “I don’t mind.”
He cocks his head at me, frowning. “Something wrong?”
“No.” I try for another smile, a stronger one that draws on years of practice in pretending nothing is wrong when, in reality, my life is coming apart at the seams. “Everything’s fine.”
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Thank you for reading For 100 Days. I hope you enjoyed it!
If you liked this book—or any of my other titles—please consider posting your thoughts at your favorite retailer or on Goodreads, even if it’s just a line or two.
Your ratings and reviews help other readers discover my books and find new favorites, and of course there is no better nor more appreciated support for an author than word of mouth recommendations from happy readers!
* * * * *
Coming soon in the 100 Series
Nick and Avery’s story continues in the suspenseful, scorchingly sensual second novel of the series
FOR 100 NIGHTS
(Releasing Winter 2016)
followed by the powerful conclusion
FOR 100 REASONS
(Releasing early 2017)
* * * * *
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Acknowledgments
Avery and Nick have been living in my head for a few years now, waiting (not so patiently) for their turn on the page.
I have to thank my husband, first and foremost, for listening when I first told him about these characters and their story over lunch in a Paris café while we were on book tour there in 2014. What we’d planned to be a day of museum-hopping instead turned into a full-on plotting session that was even more fun. This book, and the rest of the trilogy, would not be what they are now without John’s input and ideas all along the way.
My deep appreciation, also, to my copyeditor, Judi Fennel, and my dear friends who read the manuscript in draft form and offered thoughtful critique and encouragement. Thank you, Patricia Rasey and Liz Berry! I’m so grateful for your support and insight.
No list of acknowledgments would be completed without a note of thanks to my readers. Thank you for embracing my characters and story worlds—from medieval knights to modern-day vampires to alpha billionaires. Because of your amazing support, I have the privilege of following my muse wherever she leads. I hope you continue to enjoy the journey along with me!
Other books by Lara Adrian
(click book titles for purchase info/links)
100 Series
For 100 Days
For 100 Nights (Releasing Winter 2016)
For 100 Reasons (Releasing Early 2017)
Paranormal Romances
Midnight Breed Series
A Touch of Midnight
Kiss of Midnight
Kiss of Crimson
Midnight Awakening
Midnight Rising
Veil of Midnight
Ashes of Midnight
Shades of Midnight
Taken by Midnight
Deeper than Midnight
A Taste of Midnight (novella)
Darker after Midnight
Midnight Breed Series 10-book Bundle
The Midnight Breed Series Companion
Edge of Dawn
Marked by Midnight (novella)
Crave the Night
Tempted by Midnight (novella)
Bound to Darkness
Stroke of Midnight (novella)
Defy the Dawn ~ Releasing Summer 2016
Midnight Untamed ~ Releasing October 2016
…and more to come!
Masters of Seduction Series
Merciless: House of Gravori
Priceless: House of Ebarron
Phoenix Code Series (with Tina Folsom)
Cut and Run
Hide and Seek
Historical Romances
Dragon Chalice Series
Heart of the Hunter
Heart of the Flame
Heart of the Dove
Dragon Chalice Boxed Set
Warrior Trilogy
White Lion’s Lady
Black Lion’s Bride
Lady of Valor
Warrior Trilogy Boxed Set
Standalone Titles
Lord of Vengeance
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About the Author
LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author, with nearly 4 million books in print worldwide and translations licensed to more than 20 countries. Her books regularly appear in the top spots of all the major bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Indiebound, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble,
etc. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), and “one of the best on the market” (Romantic Times).
Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter). More recently, the German translation of Heart of the Hunter debuted on Der Spiegel bestseller list.
With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in New England.
Visit the author’s website and sign up for new release announcements at http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews
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COPYRIGHT
For 100 Days
© 2016 by Lara Adrian, LLC
Cover design © 2016 by CrocoDesigns
eBook ISBN: 978-1-939193-12-4
Print ISBN: 978-1-939193-11-7
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Author.
www.LaraAdrian.com
Available in ebook and trade paperback. unabridged audiobook edition forthcoming.