Insta Bride: Second Chance at Love, #1

By M. L. Tompsett

Missy wants passion and no strings. Adrian is looking for love. Can love work, or will their past pull them apart?

Secrets, lies, love, and revenge.

 

Slide between the pages and submerge yourself in this sexy, contemporary romance.

The CEO and owner of Jamés Advertising, Missy Jamés, has worked hard to become the best and successfully wealthy. Avoiding men since her last failed relationship with a money-hungry cheating ex, she's determined to keep men at arm's length.

Celebrating the completion of a lucrative business deal, she contemplates letting her hair down in Vegas. After all, what happens in Vegas stays there, right?

Introducing herself as Oliviér, Missy meets the sexy Tanner Steel. Fingers crossed, he'll live up to her expectations and fulfill all her fantasies. But, can she trust him with her body and enjoy a no-strings night of passion?

 

Adrian Steele, known as Tanner to his friends, despises his "New York's most eligible billionaire playboy" title and travels to Vegas to celebrate his friend's buck's party and meets the beautiful Oliviér.

Is she the one he can trust with his heart? Or will Oliviér be like all the other social climbing females who grace his bed?

Tanner's secret lifestyle is revealed thanks to his friends, causing Oliviér to turn her back on the one man she thought she could trust. The question is…can Tanner reach Oliviér in time, or will he be too late and lose her forever?

 

A Billionaire - Secret baby - Action Packed - Second chance - Novella.

 

Second Chance at Love, series - all standalone books.

Insta Bride

The Bodyguard's Convenient Marriage

Ghost of a Chance in Love

Secret Heiress

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tompsett Publishing
• Release date: Sep 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9780987614742

M. L. Tompsett

M. L. Tompsett has been creating worlds to escape to since she was a little girl. Years later she is still enjoying her writing in her imaginative make-believe worlds with interesting characters and steamy scenes. Finally moving forward to the big wide scary world of publishing in print and the new world of digital eBook publishing.Married to her childhood sweetheart. They live in Victoria, Australia and have two fully grown, handsome and extremely talented sons.With her new books out on the digital shelves and in print (softcover) M. L. Tompsett is excited to see something she has been working on for far too long become a reality.In the Sex, Lies and Family Secret, series- The Guy Next Door- Dark Surprises- You Never Know- It's You- What You Know- Boxset - 1-2-3Shifter series- Kept in the Dark of Love and Lust- Kept in the Dark of Lies and DeceitContemporarySecond Chance at Love, series.- Insta Bride- The Bodyguard's Convenient Marriage- Ghost of a Chance in Love.

Book preview

Chapter One

MISSY

"You need to get laid," my best friend says just as I take a mouthful of scotch.

Alcohol spurts out of my mouth across the polished timber bar surface and not so ladylike out of my nose at his embarrassing comment.

Not the way I’d envisioned savoring the smooth scotch, covering my mouth and stinging nostrils with my hand.

Holy apple jacks—the burning pain!

My not-so-cheeky friend I’ve known since we were teenagers, bursts out laughing at my predicament.

Not funny, Neil. It bloody hurts!

I swallow the remaining liquid in my mouth to take a needed breath, only to discover the all-holy alcohol gods have not finished with me yet as I begin choking on the smoky caramel with pear and citrus-flavored spirits as it traveled down the wrong hole.

Holy crunch, apples. My eyes bulge as I gasp for air. Burning fire travels through my windpipe. Oh, apple jacks. I panic with another failed attempt to breathe as my lungs fail to function. I’ll be amazed if I don’t die!

Neil hits my back as I fight to breathe.

Gray spots linger as I manage to suck in a spluttered breath. Oh, crunch apples. My nose, throat, and lungs hurt.

Ah, shit, I hear my so-called friend murmur. Sorry, Missy. Are you okay? Is he kidding me right now?

I continue to gasp around each painful cough while my friend repeatedly thumps against my back, and I dodge the next bone-jarring whack.

Cheeze burga. I’ll give him, ‘Are you okay!’

My sinus cavities and chest burn from the spirits—I now know how to clean my sinuses, and I don’t recommend it.

I reach for a napkin off the bar and wipe my face and watering eyes. Thank God for waterproof makeup.

As soon as I have my coughing under control and air back in my lungs, my graying vision improves, and I notice the glass of water before me. After several sips of water, my throat improves. A sigh escapes when I breathe without coughing out a lung. I glance up and notice the annoyed, sexy bartender staring straight at me.

Sorry, I mouthed as I reached for another napkin and began mopping up the small puddles of scotch.

What a waste of good liquor!

Geez, Neil, say it louder, why don’t you! I rasp on a shaky breath. Just for that, you are no longer my friend.

Mind you. We have been inseparable since we met at a school camp at seventeen. All those years ago, we became one another’s support and family.

I give my best friend I love with all my heart the evil eye and slowly force air back into my lungs.

Come on, Princess. I’m serious. I am more than your best friend, and you know it. When was the last time you got busy between the sheets? He attempts to whack my back again, and I dodge his outstretched hand. Or any surface?

I cringe at his words regarding my lack of a sex life. Why do eligible men seem to—place me in the friend zone, use me, or run the other way?

I carefully wipe my face, paying more attention to my burning nostrils, and eye my best friend up and down. All sexy six-foot-three hunk of muscle, with his short dark hair, chiseled jaw with a dimple, and Kingsman suit… and he bats for the other team. He would have been a fantastic husband if only he had considered me more than a sister.

The carefree, fun-loving, annoying man has probably had more action in the last week than I have in the past year or more.

With my eyesight back to normal, I continue admiring his body. If only I could persuade Neil to turn Bi.

With my raspy breathing under control and payback in mind, I wait for him to take another mouthful of scotch. Then, with a cheeky smile and a fluttering of my eyelashes, I innocently mumble, Can’t you close your eyes and do me from behind?

Chapter Two

MISSY

Neil bursts out laughing between half swallowing and half spitting his drink out—just missing me.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and shakes his head. Oh, Princess, you might have a fine ass, but girl, no offense, I would never tap you.

I frowned at his hurtful words.

Ah, shit, he quietly mumbles and places his empty glass on the bar’s surface. He knows, even as a gay guy, he shouldn’t have said that, especially knowing how much trouble I have with men.

He reaches for my hand and sighs. Look, Princess, if I tried tapping your ass with my granite long cock, it would melt quicker than soft-serve ice cream on a thirty-eight-degree Summer’s day in Sydney.

There’s nothing like hearing you can turn a guy flaccid quicker than melting ice cream.

Thanks a bunch, I grumble, yanking my hand free and turning my back to him, unsure whether to feel relieved or insulted. You know, I could have had Laini meet me here, I innocently mutter, knowing that trouble follows whenever Laini, my old college friend, and I get together.

No, he barks. Here we go. Mr. High and Mighty. I put my foot down, Missy. My eyes roll, and I smirk. I will not spring you from lock-up again. You and Laini together are nothing but trouble. Yeah. Well, I will not dispute that. It’s not our fault men act stupid around us.

Laini’s due to arrive in Vegas tomorrow night for an author’s conference and a book signing. I was hoping to catch up with her for a few hours. It will be great to see her happy, smiling face again.

Has she told her family that she’s a published author yet?

My female bestie is a successful fiction author. At least she writes under a pseudonym. Her family will have a stroke when they discover little Laini is a famous published romance author.

I throw my head back and laugh, visualizing her parent’s faces if they knew. Nope. This is one secret we’ve kept to ourselves.

The woman is a well-known editor and journalist for one of the most famous women’s magazines in the States. I take another sip of my drink. Oh, I gave her some of my merchandise to hand out.

Neil gives me the ‘what are you talking about’ look. What merchandise?

We’ve been so busy I haven’t said I had gone ahead with my new venture. Remember, I’m dipping my toes into a small printing service. You know. Items like business cards, bookmarks, buttons, banners, and posters. Laini commented ages ago that she and other authors struggle to find a good printing service that does not rip off their clients.

Neil nods and sips his drink before replying, I didn’t think you were serious when you mentioned it months ago. Great to know my friend has so much faith in me! Ye of little faith. Thanks, Neil—Not! So… how is it going so far? Busy with my legal cases, I have missed seeing your smiling face stuffed with pizza and wine.

We enrolled and began our legal classes here in the US at university. Neil completed his studies with his shiny diploma and continued to work with one of New York’s best law firms. As for I…well, I changed directions just over halfway through my studies and went into advertising and haven’t regretted my decision since.

Rolling my eyes at his comment, I say, Actually, it’s good. At first, the large quantities of orders surprised me. Business is picking up. But, remember, it is a sideline, away from my advertising business. Something to branch out on in the future.

Laini had sounded desperate when she required bookmarks to add to her signed books. With the know-how and ability, I knew I had to do something. So, I created a couple of mockups. She loved them and ordered a couple thousand there and then.

Neil, I better head to the powder room and tidy up. Be back in a minute.

Okey-dokey. Don’t fall in, he says with a laugh.

I slide off the barstool and shake my head. Ha. Neil’s funny-Not! Behave, Neil! I mutter as I head for the women’s bathroom. I still remember the day Neil informed his family I was not his girlfriend and that he was gay. Let’s just say Neil moved in with me—as his family disowned him, refusing to speak to him since.

Touching up my makeup and freshening up before leaving the restroom did not take long as I approached my barstool; movement to my right snags my gaze.

I blink twice in shock as I sit down.

Against the far wall, hiding in the shadows, I can make out a woman seated between two guys, which is not unusual for a bar.

My eyes squint and refocus, growing wide. What the…? Surely she’s not doing what I suspect she’s doing?

Chapter Three

MISSY

I focus on her wiggling arms. Again, I blink to make sure I am not seeing things. Sure enough, I can see her arms busy under the table in both men’s lap.

You’ve got to be kidding me…gross.

I turn and tilt my head to avoid the visual. Only instead of witnessing their perverted behavior, their soft, moaning banter reaches my ears.

Oh, yes, baby…

Firmer…

Seriously!

I glance to the left and right of the bar. No one is taking any notice of what that woman is doing.

Faster…

Come on…these strangers might be in the shadows—but in Jack’s Irish Pub. Do these people have any shame?

Eww. I turn my head and shudder.

You cold, Princess? Neil’s smile is all sincere.

I sigh and angle my head towards the shadowed table, and Neil glances at the horny bunch before turning back towards me.

Right. So, action is happening in aisle three. This is Vegas. We sooo gotta get you laid, Princess. Look, we might as well head back to our hotel bar.

Feeling defeated, I nod and lift my drink to take another mouthful.

Why do I sense Neil is feeling sorry for me? He knows of my non-existent luck with men.

After my last failed relationship with Dirty Darren, I might as well turn into a nun or a born-again virgin. Who would blame me for going off men after his money-hungry, cheating ways! At least I have a successful career to keep me busy and focused.

Lost in my lack of sex life, Neil interrupts my thoughts. Missy, before we leave, I need to shake the python. Wait here for me.

I let out a laugh. Geez... If I didn’t love him, his words would offend me.

TMI, Neil. Now, hurry up. And don’t dribble on your shoes. I know for a fact the man has ruined one pair of leather shoes, and he still denies it ever happened.

As if I’d do that, he says over his shoulder, with his trademark, over-the-top eye roll.

Yeah…right, Neil. I smirk. Don’t pick up in the men’s bathroom again. Then you might keep your shoes safe.

I let out a chuckle and watched him disappear from my view, working his ‘look at me’ sexy stride. I turn back to my drink and savor my next sip when orgasmic groans and grunts drift over from the three going at it.

Bugger it…I attempt to block out the horny trio. I focus on the overhead music playing some radio hit and watch the unaware bartender serving drinks down the other end of the bar to tune the annoying trio out.

It’s no use. Aisle three’s voices increase in volume, and don’t even get me started on the female’s laugh—as it grates my nerves like fingernails down a chalkboard.

The owner of the male voice on the left, I learn, is Travis. Simon is his male partner in crime.

Within minutes, I soon learned Travis, Simon, and their female friend, Dolly, have enjoyed the delights of Vegas at the table and in Simon’s hotel bedroom.

Some people have all the fun!

I contemplate what it would be like to spend the night with two men. What were the logistics of who goes where and does what?

While lost in thought, my ears perked up when the nympho group changed the subject and started on a new topic about how they were planning on setting up one of their friends with Dolly.

Seriously…why would they do that? I casually glance towards them to focus on the woman. She has big hair, big boobs, and a high-pitched fake laugh from what little I can see.

Tanner is flying into Vegas, Travis eagerly snips. I face towards the bar, pretending not to be listening, and lift my glass to my lips. I have everything planned. We smuggle Dolly into Tanner’s room just before he arrives and set up a secret camera.

You have to be kidding me—a secret camera!

Before my imagination travels too far, I hear Travis continue, Tanner will find his welcome gift—Dolly reclined back on his bed with a little sign ‘Welcome to Vegas’ across her tits. With the camera recording, we’ll also film Dolly fucking Tanner with a dildo while he’s tied to the bed. The two males laugh, and I shudder at the thought of these idiots.

Geez, a freakin’ Xmas. Who needs enemies when you have friends like these two?

If someone tied me up and did that to me without my consent, I’d call bloody murder.

With my mind racing, I contemplate how Dolly will tie Tanner to the bed.

Smug voices from the shadows grab my attention.

Travis, it’s going to be a great night! Simon gloats. Three more hours and showtime⁠—

Travis cuts in, Payback, Simon. Payback. I hear both men laugh. Then Travis gleefully states, Revenge is sweet, my man.

Huh? What payback?

Come, Princess. Let’s get out of here. Neil smiles down at me with way too much enthusiasm, and I miss when Travis mentions something about a hotel.

I glance over my shoulder towards the shadowed table, and one man moves forward, illuminating his face. He laughs at something and shifts back into the shadows.

His face seems familiar—do I know him? I shake my head to clear the thought. Nah, I must be imagining things.