Trouble: Complete Series

By Alexis Blake

Maddison Rosewood lives a simple life, living by a simple set of rules - do her job, avoid relationships, and everything would be fine. Orphaned when she was a child, she was no stranger to being alone. Her past relationships were a joke. But the day Maddy meets Dillon McCoy everything changes. He’s handsome, suave, and frustratingly confident, yet there’s something about him she finds equally irresistible. Now, for the first time in a long time, she’s beginning to question her own set of rules, and her choice of being alone. Maddy can’t stop thinking about Dillon, but with a dark secret he has lurking beneath, her attraction can only lead to one thing – disaster.

This ebook contains very hot and explicit descriptions of romantic activity. Only mature readers should download this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wild Hearts Romance
• Release date: Feb 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310882579

Book preview

Trouble

Published by Alexis Blake

at Smashwords

Copyright © 2015 Alexis Blake

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All characters depicted are 18 years or older.

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

Trouble Book 1

Trouble Book 2

Trouble Book 3

Trouble Book 4

Trouble Book 1

The salty tang of the sea reached out and surrounded her in a warm hug, greeting her like an old friend. Maddy smiled as the warm tropical breeze lifted and played with strands of her hair. She’d yet to pin it up because she liked the way it felt as it tossed in the wind. It was early May, and the early morning Floridian sun was beating down on her, warming her skin. The crystalline water shimmered and lapped at the massive hull of the ship. She closed her eyes and tilted her face into the sun’s warm rays. She gave a sigh of contentment.

She smiled, looking down at her watch. In less than two hours, the decks of the Princess Royale would be teeming with excited faces. It was early in the season, but this was already her sixth cruise of the year. There would be dozens more before the liner moved on to another part of the world when winter settled over the United States. She loved her job—who wouldn’t? She traveled all over the world, seeing amazing sights and meeting all kinds of new people.

At the age of thirty-three, she’d already been working for the world’s largest cruise line for ten years. Over that time, she’d witnessed hundreds of proposals and stood in at as many impromptu weddings. Every new season brought her new faces and new experiences. Some of those years brought back some of her favorite travelers—most of whom were enjoying their golden years lounging on the deck, reading books and drinking fruity cocktails.

Right beautiful day, aye lass? came the warm lilting Irish voice of Captain O’Maury.

That it is captain. That it is, Maddy said.

The man chuckled. I never did see a lass take to the ocean like you do.

She laughed. I love the water. Always have. I feel more at home on a ship than I do on land. Probably because it’s the first home I’ve had that wanted me.

And we’d be lost without ye, lass. The aging captain patted her hand and ambled off to finish preparations for the voyage.

Deciding she had better do the same, she made her way back to her cabin. Once inside she dressed in her navy blue pencil skirt, white shirt, and blue blazer. As far as uniforms go, it wasn’t the most flattering against her full figure, but hey, she only had to wear it the first day. Gathering her hair, she wound it into a sleek knot on top of her head, leaving just enough strands to frame her face.

Before applying her makeup, she massaged sunscreen into her face. She didn’t wear foundation because her complexion was nearly flawless. However, she did opt to lightly line her green eyes with black liner and brush on a touch of mascara, making her already-long, sooty lashes stand out even more.

After checking her reflection once more, she gathered her clipboard and stack of papers. Looking at her watch once more, she saw she had exactly an hour to gather the crew, discuss menus, and make it back to the loading dock to greet excited passengers.

***

Maddy watched as excited passengers made their way aboard. She greeted each new face with a wide smile, and she greeted familiar faces with a warm hug. By the time the last passenger was on board, excitement was racing through her. It was time to sail.

The engines roared to life as she put the walkie-talkie to her lips and gave the good Captain the go-ahead. With a loud blast of the horn, they were finally on their way to the first port of call, Cancun, Mexico.

Her job required her to mingle with the guests. So mingle she did. She answered questions about when were drinks served and when was dinner, among many others. She said hello to just about everyone. At one point, as she was walking around the deck chatting with people, she suddenly felt eyes on her. She turned to find the source. When she did, she couldn’t help but gasp. Standing beside the pool, leaning against the railing, was the sexiest man she’d ever seen in her life. His hair appeared was dark, nearly black. A thin and neatly trimmed beard lined his strong jaw and met a thin goatee. Unlike most of the other tourists on board, he was not dressed in cheesy floral shirts, shorts, and socks with sandals. His hands were thrust deeply into the pockets of an expensive-looking pair of gray slacks. A deep maroon button-down shirt hugged across his broad chest and shoulders. Its sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows. The top three buttons of his shirt were unfastened, revealing a tanned chest. He looked like he’d just come from a board meeting.

Maddy swallowed hard. Even from across the deck she could see his dark eyes and their intensity as they watched her. A slow smirk tilted his beautiful lips. She frowned. Was he laughing at her?

Feeling a little more than self-conscious, she smoothed her hand over the front of her skirt and tugged on her blazer. When his smile didn’t fade, she lifted her chin proudly and turned away, feeling the burn of his gaze at her back. Who in the hell was that man? she asked herself as she made her way back to her room, her heart thundering in her chest with each step she took.

***

Already at sea for two hours, Maddy decided that she was ready to change out of her uniform into something a little more comfortable. While the guests were eating lunch, she slipped into her room to change clothes. It wasn’t the largest room on the ship, but it was close. Since she lived there most of the year, management had made sure she was well taken care of. The cabin had a small living room with a couch, a coffee table, and an entertainment center. The bedroom was small. The king size bed rested beside a large window that overlooked the sea. Drawers were built into the base of the bed to maximize space. A tiny closet was tucked into the corner. The bathroom was nothing fancy. The one thing she did wish the bathroom contained, but that it didn't, was a bathtub instead of a tiny shower. It would be nice to have a long soak every once in a while—but, in any case, the hot tub, after hours, was good enough for that.

Maddy removed a white pair of capri pants and a dark blue halter from the closet. The pants hugged her hips and backside beautifully, displaying her nice hourglass figure. The blue halter revealed a modest amount of cleavage while still maintaining a professional look. Once changed, she went into the bathroom to make sure she still looked okay in the mirror. Satisfied, she unwound her hair and put it into a single curling pony tail.

One her way out the door, she slipped on her silver name tag and her golden gladiator sandals. She’d been in and out of her room in less than ten minutes. She was nothing if not efficient. As she walked down the hall she flipped through the pages in her clipboard. She was going over the entertainment schedule for the evening as she rounded the corner and smashed into something very solid. She flew backward and landed hard on her backside, her teeth clacking together roughly. Her papers scattered everywhere.

I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying . . . she said, trailing off—the words died on her lips as she looked up into a pair of rather shocked chocolate colored eyes looking down on her. It was him.

No, you clearly weren’t, he said, in a tone that sounded remarkably bored. She didn’t miss the hint of an English accent either. As if contemplating helping her up for a moment, he finally reached down and offered her his hand. Annoyance overcame her, and she batted his hand away before climbing to her feet.

He stood there for a long moment, as if waiting for her to say something. More than anything she wanted to wipe the smug look off his face. Instead, she plastered on her best fake smile. I am terribly sorry about the collision. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, please feel free to contact me, she said, her voice as smooth as honey.

He arched a dark brow at her, and a slow smile tugged at his beautiful lips. She realized that he was much more handsome up close than he had been when she’d first seen him at a distance. His eyes were so dark they almost appeared black. His black hair was sprinkled with a touch of silver at his temples, making him all the more attractive. And he smelled good, she noted.

"I’ll be sure to