Heat of Passion (10 page)

She reached up and pressed her palm to his chest, enjoying the sleek muscles under her fingers. “I want more this time,” she admitted, looking up to meet his eyes. “I acted like an idiot, Carson. I was…scared.”

“Scared,” he echoed uncertainly.

www.samhainpublishing.com 69

Elle Kennedy

“I was starting to feel something for you, and I…I guess I didn’t want to deal with it.

My ex dumped me because I wouldn’t make him my world, and then you wanted me to tell my family to screw off, and it was too much like what Steve wanted, and…” She took a breath. “I overreacted, and I accused you of being selfish when you aren’t, and I…I messed up. And I’m sorry. I want nothing more than to be in a relationship with you.” Carson tilted his head, still looking unsure. “What happened to having too many responsibilities for a relationship?”

“My stress levels have lowered considerably.” She quickly told him about everything that had happened with her family, and the changes in her life. “So far, they’re managing just fine on their own. You were right, they needed to stand on their own two feet instead of relying on me.”

“What about school?” he asked.

“I still have six months left.” She shot him a grin. “But I think I’ll be able to squeeze you in between classes. Don’t worry, I’ll make lots of time for my sexy sailor boyfriend…”

“Lots of time, huh?” His voice grew husky, while a playful glint lit up his eyes.

“How on earth are we going to pass the time?” She brushed her fingers over his pecs, feeling his flat nipples harden beneath her touch. Still smiling, she moved one hand down his magnificent chest and rested it on the growing bulge at his crotch. “I’m sure we can think of something.” He groaned as she rubbed his erection, but intercepted her hand before she could reach for his zipper. “One more thing,” he said softly. “And don’t you dare try to distract me with a blowjob, because I have to say this.” She feigned annoyance. “Fine. What is it?”

“I’ve fallen in love with you.”

The vulnerability she saw in his eyes stole the breath right out of her lungs. As her heart did a little somersault, she swallowed hard and said, “I’m in love with you too.” 70

www.samhainpublishing.com

Heat of Passion

Carson bent down and brushed his lips over hers, the gentle kiss causing her toes to curl. Then he pulled back and offered a devastating grin. “So…now that we’ve settled that, how about that blowjob…
Jessica
?” She laughed, even while she undid his zipper. “I’m sorry to inform you that Jessica is gone. You’ve got Holly Lawson now, and she’s not going anywhere.”

“I have no complaints with that.” He moaned as she slid her hand underneath the waistband of his boxers. “No complaints at all, sweetheart…” www.samhainpublishing.com 71

About the Author

To learn m
ore about Elle, please visit www.ellekennedy.com. Send an em
ail to Elle at
[email protected] or visit her blog at
sizzlingpens.blogspot.com.

Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy

Now Available:

Bad Moon Rising

Dance of Seduction

Heat of the Moment

Midnight Encounters

Going For It

Coming Soon:

Dance of Seduction (PRINT)

Midnight Encounters (PRINT)

Red-Hot Summer (anthology)

Lust was the lure, Candy was the reward.

Tasting Candy

© 2008 Anne Rainey

Walking around with a raging hard-on isn’t Blade Vaughn’s idea of a good time.

He’s hungry for sex and there’s only one woman on his menu: Candice Warner. When Blade witnesses the shy beauty go into a panic over a harmless encounter, he’s more determined than ever to prove that sex with him is just the therapy she needs.

Candice is used to being afraid of her own shadow, but when she goes all nutso in front of Blade, she’s beyond mortified. She wants him to see her as an equal, and as a woman. It’s time she got over her past trauma and started living again.

But trust is hard to come by when her only experience with men has left her heart in pieces.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Tasting Candy: Christ, she was adorable. He would never get used to his reaction to this woman. She stood with her shoulder-length light brown hair piled atop her head, a look of total mortification on her freshly scrubbed face. She didn’t even look sexily mussed—just mussed. That he could get a boner over her even when she wore an ugly brown terrycloth robe was saying something.

She always turned him on. He was going to do something about it, too. Eventually.

Right now, he wanted some answers. Lucky for him, he was very good at getting them.

He would coerce and railroad until he was satisfied. It was the way he operated. Candice would just have to get used to it.

“So, you going to let me in, or use that can on me?” He shrugged. One way or the other, Blade would gain entrance. “It’s your choice.” Candice yanked her robe together tighter, which was a crying shame since it had started to drift open and he had been this close to a sneak peek. “Of course, please, come in.” Then she moved out of the doorway and allowed him inside. He smiled, triumphant.

It was a small concession, but she was so closed-up around him, entering her private domain felt like a big fucking deal.

Her living room was…dainty. Figured. Damn near everything about Candice was dainty. It enhanced the fact he felt like a bull around her. It was cozy, though, something in the way she’d decorated. He’d expected pinks and peaches and fluffy ruffles, but it was all earth-tones, woodsy and serene. Actually, there was something sort of peaceful about her home. He wondered if she did that on purpose because of the panic attacks.

Speaking of which…

“I want to know why you went ballistic today at the gym.” Oh yeah, subtlety was his middle name. Jesus.

Her eyes widened. “Ballistic?” Candice asked. Suddenly, a smile slipped across her face, then a laugh bubbled up. Soon, she was practically crying from laughing so hard.

“Hell, it wasn’t that funny,” Blade grumbled, feeling disgruntled and not sure why.

But he did like to see her smiling instead of near tears. Much better, to his way of thinking.

Candice calmed enough to say, “You just aren’t the sweet-talker your brother is, are you?”

Now what the hell was that supposed to mean? “Has Merrick hit on you?” he asked, unaccountably possessive and jealous.

Blade would kill him. It didn’t matter that Merrick was married to Candice’s boss, Chloe, and madly, deeply in love. He’d still kill him.

“No, not at all. It’s just that he’s got a real way with words. He can sell anyone darn near anything with barely more than a smile. You, on the other hand, you’re just the opposite. You bully and push until you get your way.” She tilted her head to the side as if studying him. “Amazing that you’re related.”

“We are talking about Merrick, right?”

“Of course, unless you have another brother that I don’t know about.” She smiled as she moved away from him. He noticed she did that a lot, kept a physical distance.

“Nope, just Merrick.” And to set his mind straight he asked, “Has Merrick ever flirted with you?”

“No. He’s totally devoted to Chloe. I don’t think he even knows other women exist.” Satisfied with that answer, he pointed to the couch. “Mind if I sit?” She blushed, which, as he’d already discovered, turned him on. Every fucking thing she did turned him on. “Of course, have a seat.” Looking down at her robe, she frowned.

“I’ll, uh, just go get dressed.”

“I don’t see why,” Blade growled. His gaze traveled over her once more. Christ, his lust grew by leaps and bounds whenever he was within a mile of the woman.

“Yes, well, I’ll be right back,” she stammered, then flitted from the room, leaving him to his own devices.

He went over to the couch, which was the size of a love seat to him, and sat. It was forest-green with beige stripes and surprisingly comfortable. As he waited, he studied the living room and noted something strange. While the room seemed plenty lived-in and had a real homey feel, it was devoid of anything personal. Then he spotted a single photograph nestled between a bunch of paperbacks on a bookshelf in the corner. His curiosity got the better of him. Blade left the couch and went to it, drawn by the wild need to know more about the woman who had been haunting both his days and nights.

It was a snapshot of a couple standing with their arms around a tiny dark-haired girl in pigtails. The woman was obviously Candice’s mother—she looked exactly like her—

and the man had a bright smile on his face, as if he couldn’t possibly be happier. The picture was old, though. Candice couldn’t have been more than eight or nine at the time.

Where were her parents now? And why just the one picture?

He left it and went back to sit on the couch, shocked at the protective instincts that kicked in at the thought of Candice being all alone in the world. He’d always had his parents, his brother and sister. They were his whole life. He couldn’t imagine not having them. And he was already anticipating Merrick and Chloe having kids someday. It’d be fun to have a few curtain-climbers in the family to liven things up a bit. He’d enjoy being an uncle.

Yep, no doubt about it, without his unruly siblings, life would be as dull as a brick.

Did Candice have any friends other than Lacey? Then there was the house. Blade was surprised she could afford it. No doubt, Candice made good money working at Vaughn Business Solutions, but the house was bigger than what he would have thought she could handle alone.

It was a one-storey ranch with a two-car garage and, judging by the size, three bedrooms. More than what a woman living alone needed. Being a construction contractor, Blade didn’t need to see the interior to know the approximate dimensions of the rooms. Besides, a woman living by herself generally preferred an apartment. Hell, he lived in an apartment. Nevertheless, having other people around tended to make a woman feel safe. No landscaping upkeep, either. So why choose to live alone in a house that was too big for a slip of a woman like Candice?

She was certainly a puzzle. It was a good thing he loved puzzles.

When she returned, Blade’s body reacted. She affected him in a way no other women ever had—and he’d definitely had his share. Women who were sexier and no doubt more eager to be in his presence. But here he was, getting all hot and bothered over a woman who wanted nothing to do with him. Which, needless to say, made him want her even more. It was crazy, but Blade couldn’t deny the temptation to get to know her on an intimate level. He’d tried that already, and he’d gotten nowhere.

It was high time he did something about his secret lust. Enough of wondering how her skin would feel against his, what her lips would taste like, how she would sound during a climax. How fucking good she would feel wrapped around his cock. It kept him up at night, and running a construction company on little to no sleep was not a good idea.

Hell, if he didn’t get the imp out of his system, he’d end up killing himself. The way he saw it, having sex with Candice Warner was a matter of life and death.

Once he got her to bed and had his fill of her warm, welcoming body, he would be able to get back to normal and feel in control again.

Love…or friendship? Does she really have to choose?

Only Tyler

© 2009 Jess Dee

Circle of Friends, Book 1

Katelyn Rosewood is facing a moral dilemma, one that’s six-foot-two, sexy as sin—

and her fiancé’s best friend. Katie spent a lot of time getting over Tyler Bonnard, but now that he’s back in Sydney, he’s turning her carefully reconstructed world upside down.

Her relationship with Steve Sommers may be short on heat and desire, but after Tyler left her two years before, she’ll take security and solid friendship over wild passion any day. Except Tyler seems to have a good—if outrageous—explanation for why he’s returned.

After a tragic family secret tore him out of Katie’s life, Tyler is glad to be back with his two best friends. But one thing is out of place: Katie’s in the wrong man’s arms. And if her reaction to his return is any indication, she’s not quite over him. Which could mean hope for Tyler, heartbreak for Steve…

And another devastating loss for Katie, who must choose between the man to whom she’s committed her future, and the man who still holds her heart.

Warning: Keep a tissue or two handy while reading this book. While it does contain
a few steamy love scenes, the rest of the story might just make you cry.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Only Tyler: She had no clear recollection of leaving the theater. No knowledge of how she got in the elevator leading up to the hotel rooms. All she knew was that when she and Tyler were safely ensconced in the first car free of other people, she was finally, finally, back in his arms.

His kiss almost stopped her heart. And when it finally began to beat again, when she finally realized she’d pass out if she didn’t force air into her lungs and blood into her arteries, it was to an unsteady, uneven rhythm.

He didn’t just kiss with his mouth, he kissed with his whole body, melding her against him, into him, making them one. As his tongue stole between her lips, scorching her mouth, she swore she saw stars.

She was wrapped in his arms, exactly where she wanted to be. Exactly where she belonged.

For the second time that evening, he placed his hand on her lower back. This time though, there was nothing subtle about his touch. He curved her hips into his, and her world stood still. He was hard. His erection pressed against her lower belly, burning through her dress.

The impact was electric. Her breasts tightened and sparks ignited between her legs.

She moaned into his mouth.

He pulled his face away to stare at her. His eyes, though flecked with gold, were so dark they were bottomless pools of desire. He tried to speak, tried to say something, but couldn’t. Instead he took her mouth again in a kiss so carnal, so spicy, her knees threatened to give in.