A storm is coming…

Plagued by tragedy.  Used to the darkness.

Brendan Murray never dared to dream of a happily ever after.

Not until she came crashing into his life.

Until he kissed an angel in the park.

Pure and sweet and untouched.

Dare he love her?

She was the only light in his dark, twisted world.  His ticket straight to hell.

He took the risk and loved her anyway.

Now the storm is here and hell was coming for him.

He had to keep her safe.  At any cost.

But a storm can’t last forever, can it?

And sometimes it takes darkness to see the light.



**Maelstrom contains subject matter which may be sensitive or triggering to some and is intended for mature audiences. While you don't need to read the previous books in the series, as this is a standalone novel featuring a unique romance, it is highly recommended. Red Door is a series of interconnected standalone novels. All of the main characters reappear and some storylines connect throughout each book.

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“You’re an arsehole, you know that?”

“I know.” Brendan took a sip of his heartless foamy coffee—it wasn’t bad.

Taylor tipped his chin toward the counter where his sweet girl was engaged in what looked to be a heated conversation with Kelly. “Is she the reason you decided you had to get a cup of coffee?”

Brendan shrugged with a smirk.

“What are you doing, Bren? She’s just a kid.”

 He didn’t know why, especially since he’d had the same thought himself, but Taylor saying it out loud made him angry. His jaw ticked. How dare he?

“Are you judging me?”

Taylor remained silent and sipped his tea.

“You, of all people, know me better than to think I’d…”

Taylor grinned. “I do know you better. Besides, Chloe told me and Jess all about your coffee girl.”

“Fucker,” he chuckled. “Your wife don’t know…”

“What?”

Brendan took a long swallow of coffee before he answered. “I fucked up.”

“How’d you do that?”

“I unlocked the door.” Then he confessed everything he’d done to Taylor. “My conscience got to me, so I let her go, and I regret that I did.”

“Tell her.”

“Tell her what, man?”

“First off, that you’re sorry for being an arsehole,” Taylor chided with a smirk. “And that you want her.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Brendan shrugged and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

He found her in the alley. She stood with her back to the brick wall and her head tipped back to feel the sun on her beautiful face. What the fuck was he doing? He should just leave her alone, so why couldn’t he?

“Go away, Brendan.” Her eyes remained closed as she softly spoke, her face illuminated by the sun.

He moved closer until he stood right next to her, inhaling the scent of sweet jasmine. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Okay, you said it.”

They stood in silence for a moment, and when Brendan remained rooted in the space beside her, she angled toward him, opened her stormy blue-green eyes, and whispered, “What do you want?”

“You.”

He pulled her hard against him and gripped the silky hair at her nape between his fingers as he lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her. Even though he was still at war with himself. Even though he shouldn’t. He claimed her mouth, ravaging it with his lips and his teeth, pillaging it with his tongue. Brendan could no longer resist her.

Why do you have to feel so good, sweet girl?

He tugged on her hair, bending her head back, so he could get more of her mouth. With her palms against his chest, Katelyn pushed herself away from him.

She was bent over, gasping for breath with her hands on her knees.

“Katelyn. Baby—”

“You…” She stood, tears dripping down her face. “…don’t get to do that.” She took two steps toward him and poked her index finger into his chest. “You don’t get to do that.”

“I—”

“You don’t get to play with my feelings just because you aren’t sure of your own.”

Then she went through the door, slamming it behind her.

Fuck.

Dyan Layne is a nurse boss by day and the writer of edgy sensual tales by night--and on weekends. Serenity, the first book in the Red Door series, is her debut novel. She's never without her Kindle, and can usually be found tapping away at her keyboard with a hot latte and a cold Dasani Lime--and sometimes champagne. She can't sing a note, but often answers in song because isn't there a song for just about everything? Born and raised a Chicago girl, she currently lives in Tampa, Florida, and is the mother of four handsome sons and a beautiful daughter, who are all grown up now, but can still make her crazy--and she loves it that way! Because normal is just so boring.

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