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    Misaligned: Prequel: Counterplay
    Misaligned: Prequel: Counterplay
    Misaligned: Prequel: Counterplay
    Ebook93 pages1 hourCounterplay

    Misaligned: Prequel: Counterplay

    By Elizabeth Burgess

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    About this ebook

    Revenge is a dish best served cold.

    Millicent Douglas can't resist two things in life: good revenge and hot sex. She discovers her ticket to both in Missouri. Her heart may be closed to love, but that doesn't mean she can't have some fun along the way. Stephen Mullins, creator of a black market organ scheme known as "The Operation," can't afford additional risk in his life, personal or professional. But when cardiothoracic surgeon, Millie Douglas, walks into his office, he realizes some chances are worth taking. As the son of Millie's ex-husband, Nash Douglas knows the odds are stacked against him to win her heart. Regardless, nothing will keep him from being the most trustworthy friend she's ever had. His strategy is simple: remain a constant part of her life, and eventually she'll see his devotion. All of Nash's plans get turned upside down when Millie comes home from a business trip, enamored with Mullins. Nash fears he's lost the only woman he's ever loved. The stakes are high as Millie involves herself and Nash in a plan to get even, but once they walk down that road, there will be no coming back. Power. Money. Revenge. Sex. Murder. Begin the saga that's hailed as Game of Thrones meets General Hospital. Your move.

    mis·a·ligned /ˌmisəˈlīnd/ adjective 1. having an incorrect position or alignment. 2. improperly aligned


    The Counterplay Series follows the Douglases, Adames, O'Malleys, and Caissys—four intertwined South Louisiana families, and their struggle for power, love, and revenge. *This series is intended for 18+ audiences due to language and adult content.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElizabeth Burgess
    Release dateOct 17, 2016
    ISBN9781533724212
    Misaligned: Prequel: Counterplay
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      Book preview

      Misaligned - Elizabeth Burgess

      Chapter 1

      March 15, 2013

      In anticipation of hearing his name called, Nash Douglas strained over the heads of people in the audience to see her. She was there, in the back as always, with a smile that lit up the entire cathedral. By accident, their eyes locked, and Nash’s blush spread from his face… to his heart… and farther down. All it took was one glance. An innocent gaze. A visceral shudder radiated in his body as he thought about how it would be if she touched him. He would try but doubted he’d last ten seconds beneath her expert hands. Soft, slender hands… pristine, fair skin… hair so blond it resembled white gold in the sun. Nash could get lost forever in her eyes. Yes, the gray-green hue was mesmerizing, but it was their depth that fascinated him. As if the quickening pulse wasn’t enough to tell him to stop daydreaming, the swell inside his dress slacks was. All he needed was to walk across the stage with a raging hard-on. She had that power over him—over all men really—to captivate and control them. He’d seen her make them believe they were special. Except with Nash… he was special to her, and he knew it.

      Andrew Nash Douglas, III, Doctor of Medicine, the dean said as one of Nash’s medical school buddies offered a fist pump.

      As he stepped into the aisle, he spotted his parents near the front row. His father, Andrew, showed a smug expression on his face. Nash’s mother, Arianne, maintained a sober exterior as did the rest of the family. Honestly, their presence was a farce. A joke. Had his latest girlfriend not begged Nash to invite the Douglases, none of them would have shown; Nash was certain of that.

      Her family was a different story entirely. They sat around her, appearing as though they wanted to jump up and applaud, but the sacred location of St. Dominic’s kept their jubilation to a respectable level. The night before, all the doctors in her family had kidnapped Nash in fun, taking him out to an old barn. There’d been drinking and dancing and poker playing. He had loved every minute, especially when she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. His hands burned as he remembered the sway of her hips against his palms. Nearly stumbling, Nash caught hold of the staircase railing. He regained his footing and composure, and finally made his way up to receive the diploma.

      Extending a hand, he accepted the firm handshake and congratulations of the dean, then glanced to his left. She stood and wiped away tears. She was crying—really crying— for him and his accomplishments. Could she ever see beyond the bratty, teenage kid who sat at her kitchen table all those years ago or the sex-crazed player who had a new woman every week? Could she see Nash? Her Nash? Nash found the answer on his father’s face as he glanced over his shoulder to see his unusually emotional ex-wife. Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head no as if reading his son’s mind. Other men might have found that disheartening or depressing. Maybe they would even have walked away because the odds were stacked against them. But not Nash. No. He’d waited far too long to let his father, or any other man, stand in the way of him loving her. So he smiled at her, then brought his hand to his lips, blowing her a kiss. It was a bold gesture in a crowd of such upstanding people—doctors, nurses, clergy—all likely affiliated with the hospital where Andrew was Chief of Surgery, but Nash didn’t give a flying fuck. He was a doctor because of her. She was his motivator, his encourager, his muse, and he was simply… hers. This time, she blushed, and Nash’s resolve to be the man in Millicent Douglas’ heart flourished and bounded anew.

      Everyone else, be damned.

      Forty-five minutes later, Nash’s family had gone, but Millie’s remained, snapping pictures of him in his cap and gown. Everyone had taken their turn next to the new graduate… everyone except for Millie. Nash was glad; he always saved the best for last. After snapping a final picture of him with her twenty-one-year-old son, she stepped forward.

      Hope you don’t mind taking a few more.

      Her voice and presence intoxicated him, and for a moment, Nash forgot how to speak, hypnotized yet another time with her beauty. Red heels made her three inches taller than her five foot five frame and complemented a perfectly tight cream colored suit that accented her curves. A scarlet camisole peeked out from underneath her jacket, inviting Nash’s eyes to plunge downward. He couldn’t be certain but thought he glimpsed red lace next to her breasts, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to his groin. Red was his favorite color. Su-sure Mills, he stuttered.

      After passing her phone to her son, she took Nash’s hand. On impulse, he tugged at her arm and pulled her close. Thank you, he whispered, so no one else could hear. I wouldn’t be who I am without you."

      You are so precious to me, Nash. Never forget that. She leaned in, her lips barely brushing his cheek. I’m proud of the man you’ve become. While still standing close to his chest, Millie blinked to contain her tears. Rarely had Nash seen her cry, and she never cried in public, regardless the circumstances. Today, emotion had overwhelmed her hard heart.

      Nash had been a confused, but arrogant, thirteen-year-old boy when they’d officially met. Sure, she’d seen him when her ex-husband brought their daughter back from his weekend visitations. As a young boy, he might have even gone swimming in her pool once or twice while she and Andrew were inside, discussing personal matters. Regardless, both she and Nash considered the night he hitchhiked from New Orleans to Slidell to see her, as day one of their friendship. And what an unlikely friendship they’d shared. Nash was her ex-husband’s son, and he was the very reason for their divorce. The only reason. If Andrew’s raven-headed whore hadn’t trapped him by getting pregnant, they might still be together. So when Arianne’s very own child came to Millie years later with damning information about her, a balm spread over the wound left by Andrew’s betrayal, and Millie’s heart softened toward his son. Nash proved to be quite the accomplice too, gathering incriminating details about the Douglases, and wowing her

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