My Rival Valentine

by Jessica Crafts

Genres: Contemporary Romance; Holiday Romance

Synopsis

Let the games begin.

 

Alexa and Sean are best friends, former step-sibs, and remorseless heartbreakers. After yet another kiss-and-tell session about their latest conquests, they both realize they're bored and that they've nailed every desirable single in the city. So Alexa proposes a bet.

 

The first one to get someone to say "I love you" to them before Valentine's Day wins.

 

They choose the targets for each other and with only two weeks to seduce their prey, the game is on. Alexa has done her best to set Sean up to fail by choosing the one woman least likely to fall in love with him. She has her eye on the prize-Sean's house in the Hamptons-because Sean has it all...

All, that is, except Alexa. And he's decided the term of the bet is if he wins, he wins her.

Release date: February 6, 2024

Publisher: Bacchanal Press

Print pages: 112

Sample

Chapter 1

 

“I’m tired of seeing the same faces every night wherever we go. There’s no fresh meat here. Ever. Eight point four million people and I think we’ve nailed almost all of them.” I sipped my martini and glanced around the bar. “Honestly, Sean, why do we even bother?”

“First of all, you wouldn’t have time to nail even half as many people. Second, there’s still plenty of good sport, I’m sure, Alexa. You just haven’t found it yet.” Sean gave a nonchalant shrug. He seemed preoccupied, and I realized his eye was on a brunette across the room. A shapely brunette, of course, in a skintight silver dress. Her head was tilted up, and she was laughing at something a man in a suit had said, her eyes sparkling in the light.

“Passing fancy,” I muttered, my lips to the edge of the martini glass again. “You’ll be done with her in less than two hours.”

“Yes, but what a two hours it will be. You might be tired of the selection, but I manage to find someone new every night.”

I tossed my blonde hair and set my glass on the bar. “Perhaps, but what about my night? I think we need a new fishing hole, my dear friend, and more interesting stories to tell.”

Friend and ex-stepbrother. Our parents had been married briefly when we were each fifteen. They had divorced by the time we were eighteen, but Sean and I had remained friends these past six years. It wasn’t just because we’d had a sexual infatuation with each other as teenagers, although that might have had something to do with it. And it wasn’t because we were siblings during those few brief years. So why had we stayed friends even through our parents’ divorce and going our separate ways in college?

Because we were both irredeemable players, serial heartbreakers with no interest in anything but enjoying ourselves. Why settle down with the same person day after day, when sexual conquests gave us new and exciting experiences? And who better to understand the ups and downs of such a spoiled existence as someone who understood your mindset—that mindset of “I want it all, I want it now, and I want it my way.”

I know what you’re thinking—we sound like awful people. But we didn’t always drop our sex partners immediately after doing the deed. Sometimes we would keep a good one around for a whole week or an important event to use as arm candy until the shine wore off.

“Still,” Sean said, pulling me from my thoughts. “You’re right. She’s the same as all of them—tall, slender, probably addicted to her Pilates or spin class, and vapid as fuck. That doesn’t mean she won’t be fun to take to bed, though.”

“Don’t fool yourself.” I circled my fingers around the rim of my martini glass as I leaned back in my chair. “The thrill is gone. We’re only twenty-four and we’ve had every available person worth having in this city. We’ve done the A-listers and even more B-listers than deserved our attention.”

Sean tilted his head a bit, narrowed his eyes, and then nodded. “You’re right, but what do you propose we do about it? I hope you’re not suggesting we get some of that bridge and tunnel action. That’s where I draw the line.” Leave it to Sean to be concerned about ensuring he got the best quality pussy.

Not that I could blame him. We were both spoiled in many ways. Sure, our parents were both rich and gave us everything we wanted when we were children. After college, we both went on to work in media. As a magazine executive, Sean had his pick of any number of fresh, young writers, editors, stylists, models, and others. I worked at the same magazine as an editor, but I hardly encountered straight men in that capacity. Instead, I got to flirt with ad executives—a rather arrogant bunch, but good in bed—and businessmen who were impressed with my title.

It helped that we’re both pretty damn good-looking. Well, Sean was model-perfect, in my opinion. He could strut a runway and the ladies would line up to watch. With dark blond, wavy hair, perpetual growth on his jaw, and piercing green eyes, there was no mistaking his sex appeal. It didn’t hurt that he exuded a strong alpha presence. Sean liked to take charge; I knew as much from our brief time as 

step-siblings, when I’d just turned sixteen and he came into my room and told me without hesitation that he wanted to do things to me.

With my honey blonde, chin-length waved bob, I didn’t consider myself beautiful, but I knew I was sexy and stylish. It wasn’t difficult to tell men what they wanted to hear and get into their bed, get off, and get out.

I trailed my fingers up my plunging neckline and curled them over my necklace, giving it a tug as I thought about our dilemma. Same fucks everywhere. What was a player to do? I wanted something more exciting than that. Something wild and new. Maybe even something a little cruel. The naughtier the better.

“I’ve got an idea,” I said slowly as the notion formed in my mind. “A proposal for you, really.”

“A proposal?” Sean lifted an eyebrow. I loved when he did that. It made him look especially sexy. “I hope it’s an indecent one.”

“Oh, it is, dear former brother. It’s Valentine’s Day in just a couple of weeks, right?”

“I think so. I never keep track of those Hallmark days, you know.”

I chuckled. Of course he didn’t. He was a man, after all. “Well, I propose that we each find someone we can stand being with for two weeks and see if we can get them to fall in love with us.”

“What? Are you kidding?”

“Not at all. And then after that, we get to dump them without explanation. But let’s see if we can get someone to say ‘I love you’ to either of us.”

Sean’s lips quirked up at one corner and I could see him pondering the suggestion. It was, of course, vicious in the extreme. This wasn’t just about loving them and leaving them. This was playing with their hearts in the worst way possible, toying with their emotions and then leaving them to pick up the pieces after we broke their hearts.

It sounded like the most fun we’d had in years.

“That’s just cruel and unusual,” he said in a low tone as he shook his head. “I love it. But who can I stand to fuck that many times in a row?”

I lifted my gaze and looked around the establishment. “First of all, I think not fucking would be part of the whole love ploy. Love isn’t just about getting your cock into someone, or so I’m told. There has to be some romance involved, so… not the brunette,” I said immediately.

He would wear her out and be bored the moment he dumped his load into her perfectly groomed pussy. But who? I looked from person to person until I spotted the right woman. “Her.”

“Who?” Sean turned and his gaze followed where I was pointing. “Why her?” he asked, his eyes narrowing once more.

“Because she’s not your type.” I was pointing at a woman not far from us, a woman wearing glasses and a sleek red suit. She was platinum blonde, but her demeanor didn’t scream “ditzy blonde in come-fuck-me heels.” No. She was slim and petite, but her attitude was that of a ball-buster.

“What if she doesn’t go for me?” Sean asked, still looking uncertain.

“Then I’ll find you another one, but she’s my first choice and if you can’t make it with her, I’ll give you a mulligan.” I picked up my martini glass and raised it to him. “Good luck, ...