Girls' Night Out (Bad Boys)

Susan Arden

Bad Boys
Series (Book #4)

SILVER SPROCKET PUBLISHING – Sweet & Spicy Tales

Nashville

Bad Boys
Series

Tempted by Trouble
(Book 1 e-book & Print)

Tempted Twice
(Book 2)

The Cowboy Rode a Harley
(Book 3)

LOOK FOR THESE TITLES BY SUSAN ARDEN

Rocky Mountain
Series

Collared for a Night (Book 1)

Blood Brothers (Book 2)

Her Lycan Lover (Book 3)

Alpha Speed Dating (Book 4)

Ruler Breaker
Series

Rock into Me (Book 1)

Crash & Burn (Book 2)

Releasing in 2014

Bad Boys
Series

Double Trouble (Book 5)

Breaking Bad (Book 6)

Ruler Breaker
Series

It’s a BITCH (Book 3)

Writing as Susan D. Taylor

Miami Mermaids
Series

Sweetest Curse (Book 2) ~ Undine’s Curse

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

Copyright © Susan Arden

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published: January 2014

SWEET-N-SPICY TALES

A Division of SILVER SPROCKET PUBLISHING

WARNING: The right of Susan Arden to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the FBI and is punishable up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s right is appreciated. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

The published and author acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.

F
ind out more about the author and upcoming books online at

Twitter: @romancebysusan

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SusanTaylorAuthor

Blog:
http://susanardenbooks.blogspot.com

DEDICATION

To my husband. You are my hero, friend, and inspiration.

To the many people who find they learn a little differently,

and are by no means the typical student.

Here’s a wish for you to find the strength to prevail and the resources to keep a light

in your heart as I have been so fortunate.

When the road is bumpy and the going gets tough,

listen to the voice that spurs you to go after your goals with all you’ve got.

Dreams do come true!

“The secret to education lies in respecting the student.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

PROLOGUE

Cory McLemore finished typing the color-coded legend for the new filing system. So simple a child could follow. The computer monitor chimed, alerting her of an incoming email.
Finally
. She read the message and promptly did a chair dance, snapping her fingers and stomping her feet. Dr. Helen Peterson’s grant proposal packet was complete. Last item on her to-do list…done!

Exiting from her UCLA student account, she glanced at the clock. “Perfect.”

Dr. Peterson stopped at the doorway.
“Cory, what are you still doing here?”

Cory pushed back from the desk, sliding over the floor in a swivel chair. “We received word. Your grant packet was accepted two seconds ago.”

Her assigned advisor hustled into the cramped university office, glasses askew, and arms overflowing. “We need more room.” Dr. P. wheeled around from her overcrowded desk.

Cory scoffed, “We
need
to get organized. Item number one on my to-do list after fall break.”

Dr. Peterson heaved a stack of binders onto an already overcrowded credenza. “If you hang around here any longer, you might as well stay. This isn’t Texas where you can stretch the rules and arrive a few minutes before your flight. No joke, you’ll be stuck at LAX until Thanksgiving break is over if you don’t get a move on.”

“Just wanted to make certain the review board had your proposal without a hitch. Dr. Carathers sent an email with the tracking number. O
fficially, I’m on break.” Cory straightened the area at the desk she’d borrowed from Dr. Peterson’s TA and stowed her digital planner inside her bag. She removed her keys and glanced across the office. “I thought you’d be on the road to San Francisco by now,
the pot said to the kettle
.”

“Doesn’t look like I’m going after all.” Dr. Peterson smiled, then opened her desk drawer and removed a packet of hot chocolate mix.

Cory didn’t want to pry, but couldn’t leave Dr. Peterson here. Alone. “Why don’t you come home with me?”

Her professor’s smile widened and she shook her silver-haired head. “Don’t worry about me. There’s a group of us from the department and we’re doing the football telethon and eating. You, on the other hand, need to scram.”

“Fine,” Cory huffed. “I’m going. But mark my words, when I return we’re going to get this office cleaned and organized.”

After hugging Dr. Peterson, Cory walked through the dimly lit hall of the Graham Building, down a cold cement stairwell, and then out into the crisp autumn air. Not a cloud in the sky. A little past nine in the morning and she’d be at the airport in less than thirty minutes. She exchanged a greeting with a girl from class, then made a beeline to her car and was en route, singing to the country music on the radio. Her cellphone buzzed. And buzzed.

Parking in the airport garage, she hightailed it to the departure entrance, and laughed at the text from Gillian, her
almost
sister-in-law taken of her brothers roping a calf and covered in mud.
COULD USE SOME HELP! Just saying.

She shot a text back.
ON MY WAY!
A few hours and she’d be home, back to Evermore, and her loud, large family.

CHAPTER 1

Cory stared at the plane taking off in the distance, her leg jiggling a mile a minute. That made fifty…or fifty-one. Along with the airborne jet, there went her holiday cheer—up, up, and away. Folding her arms over her chest, she silently vowed from now on, the only cleared for takeoff that interested her would be her own darn one. Jeez, if someone could get her flight onto the runway, she might have a chance to do more than huff and puff. She wasn’t grumpy by nature, but doggone it, a few too many hours of waiting had her ready to have at it.

“Hello?” An airline employee at the desk tapped on the microphone and Cory jerked upright.

Please. Just say the words.
Cory prayed for pre-boarding instructions, crossing all available body parts.

“Excuse me, passengers of US Trans Flight 117 to Dallas.” The employee’s voice interrupted the holiday music playing overhead. The woman frowned and gripped the microphone. Not good. “The flight is delayed for thirty more minutes. Thank you for your patience.”

Her shoulders drew up as though someone had tied a square knot in her muscles. Her flight was past running late—it was AWOL—but hot damn, the other plane scheduled to board from this gate was running right on time. There it came too—a shiny, white plane rolling up on the tarmac. Just frigging great. She exhaled then reached for cell to alert her family to yet another delay. No need to have her parents, brothers and only God knows whom else waiting at the Clarkesville airport.