Rebel Heir (Rush Series Duet #1)(72)

Rush went to fetch me a glass of water. He returned with one and a flute of champagne for himself.

The beautiful blonde woman I remembered from The Heights walked toward us with a big smile on her face. “Rush! I’m so glad you could make it.”

She was wearing a long, black gown that seemed way too formal for a birthday party, even one as ritzy as this.

“Good to see you, Lauren,” he said.

She turned to me. “Gia, right ? Nice to see you again.” She flashed her pearly whites before giving me a quick once over. I wondered if she figured out that I was wearing Rush’s shirt.

Lauren looked like she’d just gotten a fresh spray tan. It looked sparkly, like she had specks of glitter over her flawless skin. Her golden locks were done up in a twist.

“Nice to see you again, too.” I smiled.

“Please partake in some appetizers and drinks. We have Elliot’s favorite restaurant La Grenouille catering dinner later, so save some room.”

Someone came by and swept her away into another conversation.

Turning to Rush, I asked, “Where’s your brother?”

He downed the last of his champagne and surveyed the room. “I don’t see him yet.”

“Do you think he’ s going to be an asshole to you?”

“No. He’ll be fake and nice around other people. He’ll be nice around you, too, because he flirts with any woman who’s not his wife. He’s mainly a dick to me when no one’s watching.” Rush kissed my forehead. “You want me to grab you some pigs in a blanket or whatever the fuck they’re passing around?”

“Nah. I’m good. Feeling a little queasy, actually. Not that hungry.”

Rush grabbed a scallop wrapped in bacon off of one of the trays and popped it into his mouth.

I glanced around. “God, you can just smell the money, can’t you?”

“And the bullshit, too.” Rush looked toward the corner of the room. “Speaking of bullshit, there’s Richie Rich over there—my brother.”

When my eyes landed on the corner Rush was pointing to, my heart felt like it stopped for a moment. There were three men engaged in a conversation. The longer my eyes lingered on one of the guys, the more certain it became that I knew him.

He was wearing a bowtie.

With each passing second that I stared at his face, I became more and more nauseated.

I squinted, trying my best to see clearly—to be sure.

Oh God.

My throat felt like it was closing.

I was pretty sure it was—Harlan.

Harlan who I was never supposed to see again.

Harlan who gave me the wrong number after our one-night stand.

Harlan who had gotten me pregnant.

Memories of that night flashed through my brain like a movie on rewind. I kept staring at his face. The same eyes. The same square jaw. The same way he parted his hair to the side. The same perfect white teeth. The same charming smile. That laugh.

It was him.

Oh my God! It’s him!

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and it felt like the room was spinning.

I managed to get the words out. “Which…which one of those guys is your brother?”

Rush sucked on his toothpick, then pointed it over at him. “The one with the bowtie.”



The End…

For now…



Rush and Gia’s story continues in Rebel Heart, coming May 22, 2018



Pre-order is available now on all retailers: http://www.booksneakpeek.com/therushduet.html





Dear Readers,

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading Rebel Heir. While you wait for our next book, please enjoy these fun shorts!

Dry Spell is a short story—a fun, twenty-minute beach, bath or bed time read.

Jaded and Tyed is a novelette—meant to be read in an hour or two. It’s perfect for anytime!

Both are exclusively yours for signing up for our mailing list today!

Click to sign up now, and you’ll receive back these exclusive stories.





We are eternally grateful to all of the bloggers who enthusiastically spread the news about our books. Thank you for all of your hard work and for helping to introduce us to readers who may otherwise never have heard of us.

To Julie – Thank you for always being there. We are so lucky to have your friendship, daily support, and encouragement.

To Elaine – An amazing proofer, editor, formatter, and friend. Thank you for your attention to detail and for helping to make Rush and Gia the best that they could be.

To Luna – Our right-hand woman. You are incredibly talented, but more than that an incredible friend.

To Erika – Thank you for your friendship, love, and support. Your eagle eye is pretty awesome, too.

To Sommer – Your design for this cover was better than we could have conjured up in our imaginations. Thank you for capturing that rich look we love so much.

To Dani – Thank you for organizing this release and for always being just a click away when we need you.

To our agent, Kimberly Brower – We’re so excited for the year ahead and are grateful that you will be there with us every step of the way. We are so lucky to call you a friend, as well as an agent.

Last but not least, to our readers – We keep writing because of your hunger for our stories. We love surprising you and hope you enjoyed this book as much as we did writing it. Thank you as always for your enthusiasm, love, and loyalty. We cherish you!