Captivating Nights (Boston Nights Book 1) Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Captivating Nights (Boston Nights #1)

  © 2016 Anise Storm.

  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 author.

  Cover Art by Kari March

  Interior Design by AB Formatting

  Edited by Emily A. Lawrence

  ISBN-13: 9781539682608

  Printed in the United States of America

  Book One in the Boston Nights series

  With New Year’s Eve and her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, best-selling author Calista Grant has a hard time envisioning actually doing something for herself. At the urging of her closest friends, she books herself a once in lifetime vacation, trading the chaos of Boston for the serene tranquility of the Caribbean. Once in paradise, she makes the decision to drop her guard and finally let loose.

  Enter two bachelors, with demons of their own to vanquish. Zane Rhodes, a successful architect, is on a path of self-destruction after a tragic loss. In denial regarding his own issues, resort owner, Xavier Rivera, invites his best friend to spend the holiday with him in paradise. Once there, they both meet Calista and are immediately captivated.

  Used to sharing everything, including women, they set out to seduce the innocent brunette and fulfill her deepest fantasies. Neither is prepared for what happens next, though, as the two Dominants find themselves not only battling each other, but their own demons as well. Will they be able to save their friendship before the reality of the three ends the fantasy forever?

  To X & Z,

  I've been sitting here for a while trying to find the perfect words to describe exactly how much I adore you both. I must say that for someone as long-winded as I usually am, it's harder than I've ever imagined it would be. I suppose the best way to start is from the heart so here goes...

  I'm dedicating this book to my dearest friends who believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. From the day that I've met you, your support...advice...and above all, friendship... has meant the world to me.

  Both of you have been my side, unwavering through drama and whatever else life has thrown at us. That is not something I've ever taken for granted. I love you and could never have asked for better friends. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This story is for you...for me...for US.

  I hope I've made you both proud.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER37

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MORE BOOKS BY ANISE STORM

  Chapter 1

  STEPPING INSIDE OF HER Newbury Street condo situated in the desirable Boston neighborhood of Back Bay, Calista Grant wiped the flakes of snow from her tweed winter coat. Leave it to me to wait until the day before Christmas to pick up my packages at the post office. She shook her head as the realization that her decision to procrastinate yet again had put her in the time crunch she now found herself in. If she hadn’t ordered the swimsuits from some online retailer, then she wouldn’t have had anything to wear on her upcoming vacation to the tropics.

  Virgin Gorda, a remote island in the British Virgin Islands, was touted to be luxurious, beautiful, and most of all, peaceful. Cali needed the latter because after publishing seven books in less than a year, she was mentally and, some days, physically exhausted. She wouldn’t trade her job for anything in the world, though.

  Ever since she was a young girl, all she had wanted to be was an author. While she wrote these grand romantic tales and even had several on the major bestseller lists, every unique story was purely fiction. Her real life was sorely lacking in any type of excitement or fulfillment. At least she got to entertain others with her fantasy world, which was all that mattered. Right? The answer was a resounding no, especially to her best friend, Emily.

  Her gorgeous, vivacious, and adventurous friend was everything that Cali wasn’t. The sad but true fact had been driven home when she’d finally hit her twenty-ninth birthday and looked back on her life as a huge disappointment. At the time, however, she had a year to decide how to change things, intending to ring in both her thirtieth birthday and the New Year differently than all others.

  Emily never let her forget about that, and months ago had hounded her to book this upcoming trip, more than likely afraid she would change her mind. To appease her friend, Cali had even gone with the riskier option and chosen the all-expense paid, and more importantly, nonrefundable one. No way would she lose the type of money she had to shell out for this adventure. Now that those months, weeks, and days had finally turned to hours, she dreaded making that decision after all.

  Since she only had a small window of time in which to pack her stuff and get to the airport, she moved over to the coffeemaker and inserted one of the premeasured pods into the machine. This was a job for caffeine, and lots of it. As she turned the appliance on, her phone began to ring. Shaking her head as she looked at the caller ID, Cali answered it and was unable to even greet the other woman before she started talking.

  “What were you doing working last night? You leave for vacation in a few hours. You better not have changed your mind.”

  “I didn’t change my mind and I’m still on schedule to leave later this evening,” Cali told her as she retrieved the creamer from her refrigerator. That was certainly the truth. With the last manuscript turned in, she had two full weeks off to rest and relax before getting back to her writing.

  “Please tell me you have at least packed?” the pretty brunette asked suspiciously.

  Cali thought about telling Emily what she wanted to hear if for no other reason than to avoid the inevitable lecture.

  “I’m taking your silence to mean that you haven’t. Calista Lynn Grant! I can’t believe you would procrastinate over something so important.”

  Cali knew Em was about to launch into a tirade and decided to cut her off at the pass.

  “Well, I planned to pack everything last night, but I needed to finish the second round of edits,” she said hurriedly. “Despite where you think my priorities should be, making sure my books are as perfect as they can be is much more important to me than worrying about what bikini to wear, any day of the week.” She was beginning to sound defensive, even to her own ears.

  “Quit being so melodramatic. Do you need me to come over and help you?”

  “That won’t be necessary.” She smiled. “I’m sure I can piece together a few matching outfit
s for the trip.”

  “Of course you can,” Emily told her. “I just want you to enjoy yourself for once. You aren’t getting any younger, you know. Your horizons could stand to be broadened.”

  And there it was. From the day she had decided upon this trip, Emily had made sure to remind her that she needed to do something wild and crazy for once in her life. Evidently throwing three months’ worth of rent down on a two-week vacation wasn’t impressive enough. Cali rarely did anything in her life on impulse, so this was a huge step for her.

  “I know they need to be expanded, which is why I agreed to go on this little vacation in the first place. That’s more than I would have done in the past. Can’t I take baby steps?”

  While her friend continued to chatter on, she rolled her eyes, grabbing the mug of steaming energy from beneath the small pot on her Keurig machine. Blah, blah, blah. You work too hard, Cali…Take time off, Cali…You’re getting old, Cali…Push your boundaries, Cali…Inhaling the rich aroma, she took a sip, the hot liquid sliding down her throat. The fact remained that because she had a flight later that evening and still had not packed a single item, she would now be rushed to get everything done.

  “I know I don’t say it enough, Cal, but I’m so proud of you,” Emily praised. “This is more than a baby step and I just want everything to be perfect for you.”

  Cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder, she finished the English roast coffee, swapping out the K-cup before turning the machine back on. While the machine did its thing, Cali would go pack. Hopefully, she would also find time for a nice, long soak in her tub, but if not, she’d just make do with a scalding hot shower.

  “Hold on for just a minute,” she said as she entered her bedroom, placing the phone on the bed and immediately peeling her sweats off. After depositing the solid black pants and neon-striped shirt into the clothes hamper, she grabbed an oversized T-shirt out of one of the drawers. Picking the phone back up, she resumed the conversation.

  “I had to change clothes. Since you insist on distracting me further, my friend, what do you suggest I bring along with me?”

  Cali heard Emily squeal with glee. She didn’t actually plan to bring everything the other woman told her to, but she would humor her in the meantime.

  Moving to her closet, she dug out the two suitcases she would need for the trip. She’d purchased the plaid Burberry luggage set several years earlier, but outside of a few book signings in New York City, they’d never been used for anything else. It was rather exciting to think where the bags would go now.

  “Obviously,” Emily said, “you’ll need bathing suits, cover-ups, a few dresses, and a negligee or two…”

  “Lingerie?” Cali laughed, amused at the very idea. “Who am I supposed to wear lingerie for, the resort housekeeper?”

  “Of course not, unless he’s cute…but I digress. You never know who you’re going to meet in paradise. Wouldn’t you rather be prepared just in case?”

  Cali sighed. Both Emily and their friend, Natalie, had spent the better part of two weeks trying to fill her head with ideas. Lingerie, indeed. Deciding that maybe it would be better to finish packing without interruption, she replied, “Fine, I’ll pack one or two negligees even though I don’t really see the point. If that’s all, I really need to finish getting everything done.” It was hard to fold while balancing a phone on her shoulder and now she really was ready to get the packing over and done with. She’d pushed it off long enough.

  “Okay, okay. I can take a hint, but please promise me you’ll try your best to have fun.” The note in her voice was pleading, making Cali frown a bit.

  Am I that much of a stick in the mud that my friends have to beg me to have fun?

  “I can’t promise that I’m going to do everything you would while in the Caribbean,” she teased, trying to keep her tone light, “but I’ll keep an open mind. I love you, Em.”

  “I love you too, Calista, and I want to hear every last sordid detail when you return to Beantown.”

  Cali laughed once more before hanging up the phone. Sordid details. She had a feeling this trip would be anything but sordid. She’d just have to figure out the best way to make reading a book on her balcony sound exciting. Placing the first suitcase on top of her queen-sized bed, she crossed the room to her dresser, scooping up an armload of bras and panties to take with her. To humor Emily, she also chose two negligees, knowing they’d never leave her suitcase. Now came the arduous task of trying on the dozen or so swimsuits she had purchased, praying at least one or two actually fit her.

  She retrieved the box from the living room and returned to her bedroom. For the next few minutes, she tried each one on, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror. She owned a few one-piece suits, but she never wore them either. A bikini was pushing the envelope even more. Cali was short with small-sized breasts. She knew she didn’t have the figure to pull off bikinis like most of her friends did. She considered her best feature to be her ass, which had been confirmed by her friends over the years. Undecided about the swimsuit choices, she finally threw them all into the open suitcase and moved over to the closet.

  Grabbing a few pairs of denim shorts in varying shades of blue and black, she set them on top of the bed, choosing a handful of shirts to wear with them. She was a simple girl at heart and nothing made her more comfortable than jeans, T-shirts, and flip-flops. She finally finished off her packing with a few dresses she’d purchased but never worn. If this vacation didn’t warrant a dress or two, then nothing else would.

  This trip was supposed to be all about her and what made her happy. Even though Emily had teased her about having a fling while she was gone, Cali had not booked this trip so she could hook up with some guy. She had no time for men and was perfectly fine alone. Well, maybe not perfectly fine. She accepted her life and could change it at any time if she wanted to. As she stuffed the pants, shirts, and other articles of clothing into the second suitcase, the scent of fresh brewed coffee wafted into her room.

  A second cup was exactly what she needed. It was after three and her plane left at eight-forty. Because her flight to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands would take approximately four hours, she’d get there around one-thirty in the morning. Cali would need to stay overnight at a local hotel before catching a ferry to her destination. Once there at the Paradise Resort, fourteen whole days of fun would await her. Or at least she hoped it would.

  A giggle escaped as she silently admitted her idea of fun would be lying on a deserted beach. Cali liked solitude and chose this island and resort because it boasted seclusion. It also claimed to cater to one’s every whim, fulfilling their wildest fantasies. She didn’t harbor any of those herself, instead choosing to give any that crossed her mind to the fictional characters in one of her many novels. Gathering her stack of travel documents and stuffing them into a plastic bag for safekeeping, Cali took a last look around her condo and sighed. She’d miss being home, but she hoped this would be the trip of a lifetime. Satisfied she had everything she would need, she grabbed the handles on the two large suitcases and rolled them out the door, taking the elevator down to the building lobby where she would meet her cab.

  Chapter 2

  AFTER FINALLY STRETCHING HER legs, she gathered her suitcases and rolled them off the ferry onto the loading dock. There was not just one that she had to endure but two as the first stopped off in Tortola for an hour. It wasn’t a completely wasted trip because she did get to purchase a few things for both Emily and Natalie, but Calista was already tired of traveling. It seemed like she’d been in flux since about seven o’clock the night before. She barely even had time for more than a nap when she’d made it to the hotel after trying to find her missing suitcase.

  Thankfully, it had turned up in the hands of another passenger who’d mistakenly grabbed the wrong one from the baggage carousel. It just so happened to be the one that contained all her swimwear and lingerie. Oftentimes in one of her books, the heroine would go without panties, but she
wasn’t one of those women she wrote about and would be too concerned about what others would say or think if they knew. Phew! At least one crisis was diverted.

  There was a line of taxis waiting at the end of the pier, so she hurried as fast as she could to get to one. The resort she was headed to had everything one could desire on-site, and right now, all she wanted was a hot bath followed by a few more hours’ sleep.

  “Where are you headed, ma’am?” one of the cab drivers asked as she stopped in front of his car.

  “The Paradise Resort,” she answered, glad that despite his heavy West Indian accent, he spoke English. She was too mentally drained to try to figure out any foreign languages at this point.

  “I’ll take you there. Let me get those bags in the trunk.” As he did, she kept her small carry-on bag with her. Once in the backseat, she opened it and pulled out the printed copy of the hotel reservations she had stuck in a large Ziploc bag before leaving Boston. She also grabbed her wallet, which would contain her identification and anything else she would need to check in.

  The driver closed the trunk and took his place behind the wheel of the car, so her time could be better spent looking out at the beautifully decorated island. It seemed as festive as Christmas in Boston did outside of the blanket of white that Mother Nature usually added to Boston’s.

  Cali was not going to miss the frigid cold and snow. Often joking that she needed to move somewhere tropical, this was her chance to see if it was merely lip service or something she would enjoy. A smile tipped her lips as she thought about having a house on an island with nothing but the waves and sounds of sea birds to distract her. It would definitely be an improvement over the sounds of sirens and complete and utter chaos that city living provided her in Boston.

  “We’re here,” the driver stated, cutting through her daydreams. “I think you’re really going to enjoy the island.”