Overheard

Book 2 in the Unbroken Trilogy

Gracie Evans is a woman tired of the men in her life not satisfying her in bed. She’s had a string of boyfriends, but none of them have come close to satisfying the vivid fantasies she has. Two weeks before Valentine’s Day, she breaks up with her latest boyfriend after a night of lackluster sex. ReissueWhen her best friend, Luke Forsythe, overhears her talking to their friend Michelle about what she really wants, he’s stunned. And very turned on. Gracie thinks there isn’t a man alive who can satisfy her in bed. Luke aims to prove her wrong.

Overheard is Book 2 in a connected trilogy of novellas including Understood and Undenied and which can be purchased individually as an ebook novella or purchased in the anthology of all three titles, Unbroken, bundled at a discounted price.

Overheard

“So you going to tell me what the hell went on out there earlier?” Wes asked as he popped open another beer.

Luke flopped onto his couch and took a long swig of his own beer. He and Wes had left Jeremy’s earlier and had ended up at Luke’s place. Luke knew Wes was curious over his interference, not that Wes would have done things any differently if he’d been outside when Keith made his move at Gracie.

He took another fortifying gulp before he eased the bottle from his lips. “Let’s just say it’s been an interesting and informative day.

Wes leaned back in the arm chair and propped his feet up on Luke’s coffee table. “How so?”

Luke shook his head. Where to start? With the easy part he guessed. “Keith was being an asshole. He was ripping on Gracie, and she told him to take a hike. He went after her and Gracie kneed him in the balls.”

“Good for her,” Wes said, performing a mock salute with his beer bottle.

“I broke his nose for good measure.”

Wes looked at him and shook his head. “Shit, tell me I’m not going to have to arrest your ass when he presses charges.”

Luke laughed. “He’s a pussy. Besides, I told him you and Jeremy were watching and would swear you didn’t see anything.”

“Gee, thanks,” Wes said dryly. “Just what I need, to be arrested with you.”

Luke fiddled with his beer, tapping his finger in restless staccato against the cool glass. He hesitated to tell Wes what he’d overheard. Why, he couldn’t say. They’d never exactly been discreet with each other, and he knew Wes would find it as surprising as he had. But something held him back.

“What’s eating you?” Wes spoke up, intruding on Luke’s thoughts. “You’ve been acting weird all afternoon. You said the day had been informative. So what’s the news?”

Luke sighed and leaned forward to set his beer on the coffee table. “It’s about Gracie.”

Wes cocked an eyebrow. “What about her? You weren’t really surprised she dumped her pussy boyfriend, were you?”

Luke shook his head. “I’m not talking about the wimp, and no, I’m not all together surprised she dumped him. Even less so after what I heard her talking to Michelle about.”

“Ah hell, man, what were you doing eavesdropping on the girls? Gracie will kick your ass if she finds out.”

Luke grinned. Yeah, she wouldn’t hesitate to lay him out. He got the oddest tingle just thinking about her getting in his face. He shook his head. It was the nipple rings, it had to be. He couldn’t get his mind off what her nipples must look like. Hell.

He cleared his throat. “She, uh, well, she said some interesting things.”

Wes leaned forward, dropping his feet to the floor with a thud. “Now you’ve got me curious. What the hell did she say?”

“Apparently she dumped the pussy because he sucked in bed.”

“Yeah, well, again, that’s no surprise. She probably ate him alive,” Wes said.

Luke cocked his head sideways and stared at his friend. “Tell me something, Wes. Have you ever thought about having sex with Gracie?”

Wes choked on his beer and coughed several times in succession. “Sex? With Gracie? Shit man, no, not really. I mean she’s hot, don’t get me wrong. Seriously hot. But…”

“Seriously hot, huh. So you have thought about it, you lying sack of shit,” Luke said on a laugh.

“You have eyes, man. The girl is a walking goddess. What guy wouldn’t get a hard-on looking at her?”

“Well, get this,” Luke said, leaning toward Wes. “I overheard her telling Michelle that she was tired of men not satisfying her in bed. That she has fantasies she wants to live out.”

Wes sat up straighter, his attention focused on Luke. “What kind of fantasies?”

Luke shrugged casually, but his blood was racing just thinking about all she’d said. “Bondage, a little spanking…and she wants to take on two guys at the same time.”

“Whoa,” Wes said as he flopped back in his chair. “She said all that?”

“There’s more,” Luke continued on. “Apparently she wanted pussy boy to do a little experimenting in bed and he freaked. He called her a whore.”

“That little son of a bitch,” Wes growled. “I knew I should have gone outside with you.”

“She has nipple rings. Must be recent. Keith evidently didn’t receive the news so well judging by his comments.”

 

“Holy fucking shit. Nipple rings?”

“Yeah. Now tell me you aren’t picturing Gracie in the buff with nipple rings dangling from those perfect breasts.”

“Jesus.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Luke mumbled.

“She wants two guys? She said that?”

“Oh, hell yeah. She said that and a lot more. She wants a guy who isn’t afraid to call the shots. Someone who will tie her up, spank her ass and fuck her brains out.”

“Goddamn.”

Luke laughed. “Is that all you can say?”

“I’m speechless,” Wes said, his mouth still open in shock.

“Glad I’m not the only one all fucked up over it.”

“Does she know you heard all that?”

“Hell no. She wouldn’t speak to me for a year,” Luke said.

Wes fell silent, his eyes thoughtful. Luke knew Wes’s brain was spinning a mile a minute. He also knew Wes was rapidly coming to the same conclusion he had.

“Hell, if that’s what she wants…”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “Tell me you aren’t thinking the same thing I am.”

Wes grunted. “I’d have to be fucking gay not to react to something like that. I mean she’s hot. I’ve always thought so.”

Luke looked over at his friend. “Valentine’s is just two weeks away. Should be enough time for you to make arrangements to be off work.”

Wes’s eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking about?”

Luke took in a deep breath then grinned. “Well, we’ve already established the fact that Gracie is hot. We’re both attracted to her. Neither of us has any problem with nipple rings or bondage, and we have considerable experience in the threesome arena. So it seems to me that maybe we should give Gracie a Valentine’s Day to remember.”

“What if she won’t go for it?” Wes asked. “I don’t want to piss her off and I sure don’t want to mess up my friendship with her. We have too much fun for that shit.”

“She’ll go for it,” Luke said confidently.

He’d seen the longing in her eyes, the need for something she probably couldn’t even explain. He knew it because he’d felt the same thing. He also knew that he was the man who could give it to her.

Wes scrubbed a hand over his closely shaved goatee in a thoughtful motion. “I don’t know, man. It’s not like we’re going to fuck some chick we won’t ever see again. This is Gracie we’re talking about. What happens when it’s over with? I don’t want there to be any awkward shit.”

“You’re over thinking this,” Luke said impatiently. “We give Gracie an experience she won’t ever forget. We show her things she’s been craving. If anything it makes us even closer. I mean there’s no way in hell I’d fuck her and just go on like nothing ever happened. We both like her a hell of a lot. More than any other woman apart from Michelle, that’s for sure. I don’t see the problem here.”

“Just how much do you like her?” Wes asked, a peculiar expression on his face.

Luke shifted uncomfortably. What the hell kind of question was that? “I—I care about her,” he said lamely.

Wes continued to stare at him. “Do you have a thing for her?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Luke growled. “Jesus, this is sex. Gracie’s our friend. Our very gorgeous, hot friend. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t like to get next to her.”

Wes took a sip of his beer. “No, I can’t tell you that. But wanting something or knowing I’d enjoy it is different than actually doing it. Look, I just don’t want to fuck things up between us all.”

“What if she wanted it?” Luke challenged. “I mean what if she wanted what we could give her? Would you be so reluctant then?”

Wes thought for a minute then shook his head. “Hell no. I just don’t want to hurt her. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Well, shit, Wes. Do you think I’d do anything to hurt her? She’s one of my best friends. I want to make it good for her.”

“You’re serious about this.”

“Fuck. No, I’ve just spent the last ten minutes going on about my plan to seduce Gracie for nothing.”

“No need to be sarcastic,” Wes said with a chuckle. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. This is your idea, so you plan it. Tell me when and where to show up. I’ll be there. But if she shows any sign of not wanting this, I’m out.”

Luke scowled at him. “No shit, dumbass. It’s not my plan to rape her for God’s sake. But I’m telling you, she wants something. Something she doesn’t quite understand but knows she wants. You didn’t hear the things she said or the way she said them. And I think I can give her what she wants.”

Wes looked quietly at him, studying him with that cop look he was so famous for. “Yeah, maybe you can.”

End of Excerpt

Overheard

is available in the following formats:

Samhain Publishing

Sep 5, 2014

ASIN: B01N5S1ZO6

Listen to an audio excerpt

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Overheard

is Book 2 in the Unbroken Trilogy

The full series reading order is as follows:

Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of the Breathless trilogy and more than sixty novels across many genres, including erotic, contemporary, historical and paranormal, all with a happily ever after.