On a Whim

By Nadia Aidan

This book is a sequel to On a Dare

Can friends with benefits ever be anything more? Chad and Maia are about to find out.

Chad Buchanan has been in love with Maia Lee, almost from the day he met her fifteen years ago—and it has taken just that long to realise Maia will never love him back. Chad is finally ready to settle down and have a family, but he knows Maia will never be able to give him what he wants, what he needs. So he calls an end to their on again—off again affair and walks away from the woman he knows he will love forever.

But maybe he was just a little too hasty. Because when he overhears Maia, and discovers her secret longing, he sees a way to finally have everything he's ever wanted.

Maia wants a baby, she'd considered having one with Chad, but she never asked, and now he wonders just what will she do if he comes to her with an offer she just can't refuse.

Can friends with benefits ever be anything more? Chad and Maia are about to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Sep 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9780857152930

Book preview

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

On a Whim

ISBN # 978-0-85715-293-0

©Copyright Nadia Aidan 2010

Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright September 2010

Edited by Stacey Birkel

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing.  Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.  This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

ON A WHIM

Nadia Aidan

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

SunTrust Plaza: SunTrust Banks, Inc.

ESPN:   ESPN, Inc.

Prologue

Maia Lee hated weddings. Absolutely could not stand them. But you cannot tell your best friend how much you hate weddings, not when she is about to marry the love of her life. You certainly can’t admit your utter loathing for the event when she gushes over how wonderful you will look in your maid of honour dress. No, unless you want to wake up one day sans a best friend, you keep it to yourself that you despise weddings and you become a super-duper maid of honour—the best maid of honour this world has ever seen—and do everything you’re asked to do, and even some stuff you aren’t.

But Maia was reaching the end of her rope. The happy couple had said I do, the reception was in full swing, and she’d already given her toast. So was it really necessary for her to be thrust in the front of the crush of vapid groupies all straining to catch the bride’s bouquet?

You ready? Lena called, holding the spray of roses so high and so proudly, she could put the Statue of Liberty out of business by midnight.

Maia groaned. She wanted a drink. Something stronger than the flutes of champagne going around. Maybe she would steal a bottle of Jack when the bartender wasn’t looking. Or maybe she should grab some vodka instead—wouldn’t want to mix her colours. Of course, there was alw…

Maia glared at the blonde Amazon beside her, who was seriously asking for it when she jostled her and nearly planted her size ten stilettos in Maia’s big toe. What was her problem?—Maia glanced up, following the blonde Amazon’s dreamy gaze.

The bouquet had launched.

Good. Now she could get out of there. Hey, she’d done her duty. She’d waited until Lena threw the bouquet. No one said she had to stick around to catch it.

But shit—she was boxed in by Miss Amazon herself and a brunette sprite of a woman who was stronger than she looked. Maia glanced between the two of them, deciding which one she wanted to take. The Amazon was clearly bigger, but the half pint on her left looked obsessed with catching that damned bouquet, if her intense rheumy gaze fixated on a bunch of flowers was any indication. The sprite would probably launch a vicious attack if Maia pushed that psycho out the way.

Later, Maia would tell all the witnesses that she only planned to delicately move the Amazon who was blocking her path with just a teeny, tiny little push, then, through no fault of her own, all hell broke loose! Somehow the woman went teeter tottering, forcing Maia to grab her arm to steady her. But she missed. Thank God the woman on the Amazon’s other side caught her, or Maia would have had a lawsuit on her hands. But speaking of on her hands. That damned bouquet. Yeah, you guessed it.

When she went to grab for the Amazon’s arm, instead of grasping dead air, all those frilly pink roses wrapped in frilly white ribbons fell neatly into her palm just as she was closing her fist.

Damn it. She really hated weddings.

Chad Buchanan grinned down into Maia’s café au lait face, loving how her eyes flashed with annoyance, and her cheeks blushed a pretty shade somewhere between a dusky rose and a deep crimson.

Nice catch, Randy Moss.

He laughed when she violently beat the bouquet against his chest, sending dozens of pink petals flying.

Don’t start with me, Chad. This isn’t funny. You know how much I hate weddings.

Did he ever. He quirked a brow. Maia was like some kind of new feminist he’d never met before. One day he planned to ask her, when had weddings become public enemy number one?

He lifted his finger with a smirk as he twirled the strip of lace around it. Relax. It’s just a bit of fun. Just be a good sport, like I was.

Her eyes rounded. A good sport? She scoffed. "Like you? You almost put Dylan’s nineteen year old nephew in the hospital the way you tackled him."

He frowned. "I did not tackle Nick. Wasn’t my fault he tripped."

She snorted. Whatever.

She nailed him with her brown eyes then. You did this on purpose—I know it.

Did what?

She jabbed the index finger of her free hand into his chest. "You caught the garter, and somehow you made a deal with Satan which is the only rational explanation for why I managed to catch this stupid bouquet. Her eyes narrowed. We’re not getting back together, Chad, no bouquet is going to change that."

His eyes rounded, as a dark emotion furled in his belly. If it had been any other woman but Maia, he would have chalked it up to her monthly hormonal meltdown. But this wasn’t any other woman. This was Maia, and she had a way of pushing every single button he had.

The teasing glint left his eyes, and Maia must have noticed because she took a step back, her gaze suddenly wary.

But he refused to let her retreat. Seizing her by the arm, he backed her into the private bathroom just beyond the ballroom where the reception was still going on, and locked the door, the bouquet and garter long forgotten, as they fell from their hands as soon as the door closed behind them.

You’re a piece of work, you know that. I don’t want you back, Maia. And I don’t get why it’s so hard for you to comprehend that every man doesn’t want you.

She winced at the insult, but he steeled himself against the emotions that flooded him when he glimpsed the wounded look in her almond shaped eyes. Maia could be a great manipulator when she wanted to—they both could. Manipulation and passion seemed to be their strong points, but nothing else. And he knew this for a fact because they’d been doing this for years.

This same tired pseudo-relationship—this same on again and off again affair—that had no end, and no resolution. Maia had always lived on a whim, too free to be pinned down, too independent to commit. Well, he was done with this dead end affair—and the woman before him, who was incapable of true intimacy, of any deep emotions that weren’t self serving.   I don’t want you, Maia—not anymore.

And you couldn’t tell me that out in the hallway? She said quietly. "At least be honest with yourself—with the both of us. You didn’t drag me in here to tell me how much you don’t want me."

Her softly spoken words were said without guile or seduction, it was just a factual statement of what was, what had always been, between them—instantaneous, uncontrollable and undeniable lust. She was right. He didn’t have to drag her into the bathroom alone to tell

Reviews for On a Whim

[arecafe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On a Whim by Nadia Aidan is easy to read, effortless to follow and the characters are very likeable. I found it ironic how Maia clearly loves Robert despite her protests to the contrary. Robert is a class act for his patience and understanding but at the same time I applaud him for realizing when it is time back off and walk away because while love is great, there comes a time when self-preservation has to be given consideration as well. The sexual chemistry between them is sinfully good and as a contemporary erotic novel there are many steamy scenes best described in the author’s own words as “instantaneous, uncontrollable, and undeniable lust”. However as the story progresses lust may describe the sizzling sexual chemistry between Robert and Maia, but love is truly the sustaining emotion that keeps Robert going back and prevents Maia from really letting go. Great supporting characters also contribute a comedic element and an amusing factor of the novel.

Maia Lee and Robert Buchanan have been in an “on again, off again” relationship for years but it satisfies their sexual needs without the burden of a deeper commitment neither of them want. Then Robert decides he wants more but while Maia is willing to co-parent with him, she is unwilling to become his wife. Robert wants all or nothing but deep down he knows Maia loves him although something in her past prevents her from letting go and allowing her feelings for him to show. As they venture on the journey to becoming parents, they spend time discovering each other again and Maia’s conflicts grow because while she doesn’t want to marry Robert she is deathly afraid of losing him. Yes, love can be painful but Maia must realize that Robert is not her painful past but her wonderful future; if she will only open up and allow herself to love Robert the way she really wants to.

~ Susan for ARe Cafe