Acclaimed author Briana Cole delivers a page-turning look behind-the-scenes of love and marriage in this sexy, suspenseful story of two couples and an intimate adventure gone very wrong… Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Briana Cole’s Couples Wanted, which releases on November 30th 2021.
SYNOPSIS
Adventurous and open-minded, newlyweds Bridget and Roman are determined to keep their relationship exciting. So, when they meet married swingers Corinne and Patrick, they’re instantly drawn to their carefree glamour and warm promise of friendship. And after swapping spouses for one passionate, exhilarating night, Bridget and Roman feel fulfilled and closer together than ever…
Until Corinne and Patrick start turning possessive, wanting more of them than Bridget and Roman can ever give. Soon, the young couple is plunged into a nightmare of suspicion, lies, and secrets in which they can’t trust each other–or what they think they know about themselves. Pushed to the breaking point, they must uncover the truth behind the other couple’s machinations. But when the dust settles, there’s no guarantee Bridget and Roman will have their love–or anything else–left to save…
EXCERPT
The restroom door swung open on its hinges, and Bridget met a woman’s polite smile in the mirror. She nodded a silent greeting of her own before turning back to the task at hand.
Bridget couldn’t help but notice the woman’s body was like a siren’s. A voluptuous frame filled every inch of the maxi dress she wore, the material taut with curves and arcs thick in proportion. They were about the same maple syrup complexion, but the woman towered a good few inches over Bridget, even with the six-inch stilettos she wore. Stunning was a complete understatement.
The woman approached the sink and bowed her head, staring into the porcelain as if it held the answer to her prayers. Her curls shielded her face from view. It wasn’t until Bridget heard the muffled sniffles that she even knew the woman was crying.
“Um, are you okay?” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to ask. Call it the Pisces in her. The woman’s head bobbed in response, but still she kept her face lowered, nor did she utter a single word.
“You sure?” Bridget questioned again, her voice etched in concern. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep bugging you. I just wanted to . . .” She trailed off. She just wanted to what? Roman always managed to remind her of how she could come across as nosy. Not that it was her intention. But here she was again, all up and through this poor woman’s business. Some woman she didn’t even know, at that. “Sorry,” Bridget murmured and, pursing her lips together, turned back to her sink.
“Don’t be sorry.” The woman’s voice was quiet, and she braved lifting her eyes to meet Bridget’s in the streaked glass of the mirror. Tears trailed her ashen cheeks with mascara and glittered on her lashes like black diamonds. “I appreciate you even asking.”
Bridget snatched a few paper towels from the dispenser and held them out to her. “Do you need me to call someone, or . . .”
“No.” The woman bit off the one-word answer with a shake of her head. “It’s nothing like that. My husband and I just had a little fight.”
Bridget nodded. No, she couldn’t relate, but relationship is- sues weren’t a foreign topic to her. Especially with her checkered past entanglements with men. It was just that now with Roman, he was, thankfully, the exception.
“Are you married?” the woman asked.
“Yes. Two years.”
“Six.” Her sigh was heavy, as if weighted under every second of
the past 2,190 days of matrimony.
“It’ll get better,” Bridget offered with a comforting smile.
“Men, you know how they can be sometimes.” “Don’t I know it.”
“And marriage is tough. Just talk it out if you can. My husband and I are getting better with our communication and transparency. Even if the other may not like what needs to be said. And if you can’t talk it out, just show it out.”
The woman frowned. “Show it out?”
“Yeah, girl.” Bridget gestured toward the woman’s body. “Looking as good as you do, just pull out the tricks. It’ll temporarily make him lose his mind, he won’t even remember why he’s mad.”
The woman chuckled, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “I wish it were that simple.” She paused. “What’s your name?”
“Bridget.”
“Corrine. Are you a motivational speaker, Bridget? Or a therapist? You certainly have a way with words, girl.”
Bridget chuckled. “Event planner. So my little gift for gab comes in handy.”
Corrine’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? I’m a caterer. We run in the same circles.”
“Oh, wow. Small world.”
Corrine was already fishing in her clutch, producing a crisp business card embossed in hot pink and teal. “Here, take my card. Never know when you’ll need me for your preferred vendor list.”
Bridget accepted the card with a nod. “Oh, damn, I don’t have any of mine on me. But I tell you what, look me up. My website is Brinique Lux Affair dot com.”
Corrine smiled. Bridget noticed the appreciative gesture didn’t reach her eyes.
“For what it’s worth,” Corrine said, “I really appreciate this lit- tle talk, Bridget. It made me feel better about my situation.”
Bridget’s smile widened at the compliment. “Sometimes, it helps just to get it off your chest,” she said. “Good luck with everything, Corrine.”
Corrine nodded her gratitude once again, her eyes following Bridget’s movements as she swept past and back out of the door into the steady hum of restaurant activity.
Roman was still perched at the bar when Bridget returned. He slid another drink her way. “You took a minute. Everything okay?”
Bridget lifted the glass to her lips on a nod. “I’m just horny,” she teased with a wink. “Let’s finish this up at home.”
“My kinda woman.” Roman lifted his hand, and Alisha eased her way back to their side of the bar. “We’re ready to cash out.”
Alisha pulled her billfold from the pocket of her apron and quickly scanned the ticket. “Oh, it’s already taken care of,” she in- formed them.
Roman frowned and glanced at Bridget, who shrugged. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Alisha placed the receipt in front of him where she had scribbled settled in a sloppy circle. “The couple at the other end took care of this for you.”
Bridget turned in the direction she gestured, craning her neck to pick out the people who were gracious enough to pay for their tab. She didn’t bother getting a look at the man, but the woman, the gorgeous Corrine, was taking her place at the table, already smiling in her direction. Bridget smiled back, shaking off the slightly uneasy feeling.
“Well, that was weird,” she murmured.
“How so?” Roman was peering over her shoulder, trying to get a look for himself. “Who is that? You know them?”
“No, not really. The woman I met in the restroom. She was cry- ing, and I just gave her a little sisterly advice. She’s a caterer.”
“Wait. You met a caterer in the bathroom, and she pays for your drinks?”
“Guess she just wanted to thank me,” she said absently.
Roman glanced in Corrine’s direction and merely shook his head on a laugh. “Only my wife.”
Bridget shrugged. She had to admit, it sounded even stranger out loud. But still, she kept her face neutral. She wondered why she was having to convince herself the innocent gesture really wasn’t that big of a deal.
Excerpted with permission from COUPLES WANTED by Briana Cole. © 2021 by Briana Cole. Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp.
