Scandalous (13 page)

God, she didn’t care. All she wanted was sleep.

So she slept.

Chapter Thirteen

Two Months Later

“Is that the last box? Please tell me that’s the last box.”
Alexa came out of the kitchen as Brandon and Eric brought in a heavy box from
the rental truck outside. The entire living room was filled with boxes and a
jumble of furniture.

Dismay filled her at the prospect of having to unpack
everything. She hated moving with a fiery passion. No wonder she didn’t do it
very often.

But when Brandon had found the house on the market and told
her the price, she couldn’t resist. She also couldn’t resist the fact that
Brandon actually wanted to buy a house with her. Start a life with her.

The glittering diamond ring on her finger also reiterated
that fact. She smiled down at her hand, still amazed he’d found such a gorgeous
ring.

“You should take that off, Lexi,” he gently chastised. “What
with everything going on.”

“I hate taking it off.” She went to him, smiling when he
bent down and pressed a kiss to her pursed lips. “I don’t want to.”

“You could damage it,” he pointed out.

“I doubt that.” She pushed away from him and flashed a smile
in Eric’s direction. “You have been such a help, Eric. Thanks so much.”

He shrugged and slipped his hands into the front pockets of
his jeans, even looked a little bashful. “Anything for you two. It’s never a
problem.”

“But on a Saturday. I’m sure you had other plans.” She was
fishing. She was always fishing for a glimpse into his personal life because
Eric held any and all information close to his chest.

It had never been quite the same between them since that one
last night. Even though she’d wanted to include Eric in their bedroom on
occasion and even Brandon had been up for it, Eric had refused. Said he didn’t
want to find himself in it so deep he could never get out.

They couldn’t hold his feelings against him. Though she was
always filled with a sliver of regret.

Did he hate them for leaving him in the cold? She really
hoped not. Eric meant more to her than almost anyone else in her life with the
exception of Brandon.

“I’m going out later,” he said, purposely vague.

“Have a date?” she asked.

Eric smiled and shook his head, didn’t even bother to
answer. He slowly backed up toward the front door. “Is that all you need from
me then? Anything else?”

“Want to unpack all the boxes for us?” Brandon asked
hopefully, earning an emphatic “hell, no” from Eric.

Alexa laughed and went to him, wrapping him in a quick hug.
“Thank you so much, Eric. We appreciate all your help.”

A shadow darkened his eyes, brief and then gone. “I know you
do.”

With a little wave he was gone, walking across the street
toward his parked car. Alexa watched him go through the giant living room
window, a melancholy filling her at the loss.

The loss of Eric from her life. Oh, he was present, but he
really wasn’t there. He had closed himself off so much she didn’t know what was
going on in his life anymore.

How she hated that. She knew Brandon hated it too.

“Don’t get depressed,” he said, his arms wrapping around her
waist from behind. He settled his chin on her shoulder and stared out the
window too. “He’ll come around someday.”

“We hurt him and now we’re paying the price,” she murmured.

Brandon turned her around in his arms, his expression
fierce. “We fell in love, Lexi. We can’t help our feelings.”

“I know.” She sniffed, refusing to cry. Shot a tremulous
smile up at Brandon instead. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

“No shit,” he said with a soft laugh. “Wanna order pizza and
start unpacking?”

“Sounds good. I’ll call it in and then start on the kitchen.
The most important room in the house you know,” she said. She withdrew from
Brandon and started toward the cordless phone that sat on the granite kitchen
counter.

“I don’t know about that. I’ve always been partial to the
bedroom,” he called from behind her.

Alexa glanced over her shoulder to see Brandon leering at
her, his eyebrows raised. Shaking her head, she laughed. “Pervert.”

“And you love it,” he countered.

“I love you,” she said.

And she did.

About the Author

After leaving the crazy working world to become a stay at
home mom, Karen realized she needed to get crackin’ and pursue her lifelong
dream of being a published writer. A busy mother of three, she fits her
precious writing time in between chasing her children, hanging out with her
wonderful husband and pretending she has a maid. She lives in California.

To learn more about Karen Erickson, please visit
www.karenwritesromance.com
. You
can also send an email to Karen at
http://karenwritesromance.com/contact
.

Look for these titles by Karen Erickson

Now Available:

Spontaneous

Fortune’s Deception

Fortune’s Chance

Fortune’s Promise

Jessie’s Girl

Forbidden

Tangled

Under My Umbrella

Coming Soon:

My Favorite Mistake

It’ll take more than a fire hose to cool down this
attraction…

Under My Umbrella

© 2010 Karen Erickson

Fated, Book 1

Rain, rain, go away. That’s Jenna’s mantra as she suffers
through yet another rain-soaked walk home from work. At least the tight butt of
the guy walking in front of her offers some distraction. When he turns around
and asks to share her umbrella, she realizes his front view is as smokin’ as
the back. What better way to get up close and personal with the object of her
ogling?

Brett noticed his hot little neighbor weeks ago, but until
now hadn’t worked up the nerve—or found the opportunity—to approach her. Too
many hours at the fire station has left him longing for something more out of
life. Like the company of a sweet, sexy woman. Maybe, if he’s lucky, kindling a
relationship.

Jenna surprises herself again when she offers to let him dry
off in her apartment. One minute he’s toweling off his hair, the next their
chemistry explodes in the hottest sex either of them have ever experienced. And
suddenly they’re both wondering if he’s the match to her tinder, or if it’s too
much, too fast…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Under My Umbrella:

Brett stood the moment he saw Jenna enter the restaurant,
taking a few short steps to reach her since he waited in the lobby. He took her
hands, unable to stop from planting a soft kiss to her upturned lips, and she
smiled when they parted.

“Glad to see you too, stranger,” she murmured.

The area was packed with people waiting for a table since
the restaurant had been open only a few short months and seemed popular. One of
his buddies at the station had told him about the place, raved on how good the
food was. A steakhouse that also specialized in seafood, he figured it covered
a broad range to satisfy both himself and Jenna.

“You look…” His voice trailed off as he eyed her up and
down. Her hair was loose, silky brown waves tumbled just past her shoulders,
and she wore some sort of clingy black dress that did amazing things to her
already bangin’ body.

“I look what?” she teased, her hazel eyes sparkling. She
curled her arm around his, and he led her over to lean against the wall
together while they waited.

“Beautiful.” Hot, sexy and completely fuckable.

But Brett didn’t want this to be just about sex. He liked this
woman. Wanted to see if they could take this further.

“Thank you.” Pleasure lit her eyes, and he had the sudden
urge to take her out of here. Take her back to his place or hers, strip that
sexy dress from her body and touch her. Lick her. Bury himself inside her.

“Have you eaten here before?” Maybe if they talked about
food it would distract him. Distract him from her delicious scent, the brownish
pink color of her lipstick—the sultry glow in her eyes.

“No, but I’ve heard it’s good.” Her gaze dropped to his
mouth, lingered there and he wanted to growl.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he admonished, his entire
body tense. His cock throbbed beneath the fly of his jeans.

It was going to be a long night.

“Look at you like what?” Her expression was pure innocence
though he spotted the mischief in her eyes.

“Like you want to kiss me,” he whispered close to her ear. A
big mistake considering he could inhale her delicious scent, felt the silky
soft brush of her hair against his cheek.

“I do want to kiss you,” she whispered back, her hand
touching him, resting lightly against his chest. “I want to do a lot of things
to you.”

Ah, God. He wasn’t hungry anymore, at least not for food. He
wanted to get out of here. Couldn’t stand the thought of making small talk and
pretending to have an appetite during what would end up being a two hour
dinner.

More like two hours of torture. A torture he didn’t want to
put himself through.

“You’re going to drive me crazy,” he admitted.

Her smile grew. “Then my plan is working.”

“You came here tonight with a plan?”

“Well, not really but just looking at you makes me wanna
do…naughty things. To you,” she confessed.

That was it. He couldn’t take it anymore. Hooking his arm
tighter around hers he started for the door, taking her with him. “Let’s go.”

“Wait a minute. You don’t want to have dinner?” She sounded
truly shocked.

“Not with you looking at me like that and saying those
things. Hell no. My apartment isn’t too far from here. Wanna come over?”

“Brett!” She stopped just in front of the doorway, and he
stopped as well, wondering at her behavior. “We should at least have dinner
first.”

He shrugged. “We’ll order a pizza after.”

She cocked a brow. “After what?”

“You know what.” He waggled his brows in return.

“You’re bad.” She gave a light slap to his shirtfront.

“And you like it.”

“You know it.” Jenna grinned.

“So is that a yes?” He was eager, ready for her to come to
his place. His original plan to wine and dine her, get to know her fell by the
wayside.

All he could think about was Jenna. Naked and in his arms,
lips pliant, her body open and ready for him.

He shuddered in anticipation.

“Yes.” She leaned into him, pressed her soft, curvy body
against his and he slid an arm around her shoulders, hauling her close. “I
should say no. I should play hard to get.”

“Thank God you’re not,” he muttered as he steered her toward
where he parked his freshly fixed pickup.

Jenna glanced up at him, a worried look on her pretty face.
“Am I too easy?”

“Hell, no,” he growled. He didn’t want her thinking he found
her easy, a quick lay—a woman he could care less about.

Damn it, he liked her. He was going about this all wrong
showing it since well, he was treating her like a sex object but he couldn’t
help himself. The attraction, the sexual heat between them was too strong to
deny.

“I don’t like playing games,” he said after a pause as he
led them into a city parking lot. “I’d rather we be honest with each other than
you playing coy and me chasing after you. If you want me, you tell me.”

“I want you,” she admitted, her voice low.

Scrumptious as a cherry peach parfait…or a sinfully kinky
foursome.

Truly Scrumptious

© 2010 R.G. Alexander

The popular cooking show, Brunch with Laura, is T.S.
Larkin’s brainchild. Rather, it was. Because her boss couldn’t keep it in his
pants, Truly’s unemployed and not sure what to do with herself. When a juicy
tip leads her to the best-kept secret in Denver—three mouthwatering chefs whose
restaurant image needs a makeover—her PR instincts start tingling. And her
imagination simmers with private fantasies.

Ever since the last woman he, Clay and Louis shared nearly
ruined everything, Nate has worked hard to get things back in order. Truly’s
ideas could rescue their business, but her non-stop curves, luscious lips and
cherry-on-top hair are a sure-fire recipe for another disaster.

But when the ingredients are right, the reaction is
inevitable. A kiss in the walk-in explodes into a wild night of indulging
Truly’s every sweet and spicy whim. She is the missing ingredient for the
perfect foursome. Except Nate is suddenly not so sure he’s willing to let the
others lick the spoon, much less share.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Truly Scrumptious:

She popped one of Louis’s appetizers in her mouth, the crisp
skin of the shrimp, the tender center and the sweet and spicy lime and passion
fruit sauce reminding her instantly of her carnal shower fantasies. Food was
powerful. Sensual. Louis had been right. She picked up another, her lids
lowering as she let all her taste buds savor the flavor.

Her lashes fluttered up when she noticed the heavy silence
in the room. She looked up, feeling the warm sauce coating her lower lip and
licking at it with her tongue.

They were staring at her. All of them. She rubbed her chin.
Was she covered in sauce? Did she have something in her teeth? “What?”

Clay was the first to speak. “We’re just glad you like it.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Louis began to chew again,
his cheeks darkening as though he were blushing, and Nate…Well, Nate looked the
same as he always did. Intense.

“Try a bite of this.” Nate held up a forkful of the main
course, the fish perfectly cooked, the aroma heavenly.

Still, she hesitated. Maybe it was just to watch his jaw
clench. Some masochistic part of her enjoyed challenging him. Sparring.

He shook his head. “I can out-stubborn you, Truly, and you
know it. Now, be a good girl and open your mouth. Or I may have to spank you.”

She opened her mouth, chewing automatically, tasting
nothing. She knew her eyes were wide, knew her cheeks were heating. Spank her.
He may have to spank her. She couldn’t get the words, or the images they
immediately created out of her head.

And he knew it.

The fork clattered to his plate. “We heard your old boss
harassed you. That when you wouldn’t do what he wanted, he had you fired.”

She choked on the last bit of fish and watched Clay groan,
burying his face in his hands. She could have sworn she heard him mumble, “Way
to break the mood, buddy.” But maybe that was just wishful thinking on her
part.

“I may really fire Robert now.” The three men looked at her,
indignant on her behalf, and she sighed. “It wasn’t me. He didn’t harass me.
Not that way. There was an intern and, well, I just helped her escape the
situation intact. Clive Garret would never, in a
million years
, hit on
someone like me.”

Louis turned in his chair. “Someone like you?”

She rolled her eyes and stood up, gesturing to her body,
currently encased in a baggy T-shirt and long brown broom skirt. “I don’t think
I have to spell it out, guys. His tastes aren’t all that unusual. He likes a
little less cushion. A little more sex appeal. But that’s ancient history. I’m
working for myself, and I have three fantastic clients. So everything turned
out all right in the end.”

“Clay, Lou, go and wait in the other room. Truly and I will
clean up these dishes.”

Nate’s deep voice was commanding. Clay looked like he wanted
to argue, but Louis wrapped an arm around his shoulder and guided him out the
door. Truly watched them disappear into the living room, and turned back to
Nate, her brow furrowed.

He shook his head, gathering up the plates and dumping them
into the sink loudly. She picked up her plate, gazing with longing at Clay’s
dessert, and joined him at the counter.

She turned to gather up the dirty pots and pans, but Nate was
too fast for her. He stepped closer, his body flush against hers and his
thickly muscled arms blocking her in on both sides. He turned on the water
behind her, adding dishwashing liquid before catching her eye.

His voice was rough, almost a growl. “We’ll get to the
someone like you comment in a minute. First, I want you to know that I’m glad
that jackass didn’t touch you. I’m not a violent man by nature, but when I
thought he’d tried to force himself on you…” He closed his eyes for a moment,
and Truly found herself fascinated by the sooty shadow of his long lashes. No
man should have lashes like that.

She was so lost in her study that she didn’t think of
holding back her question. “Why do you care, Nate? Why did you want to know?”

His lids lifted and from this close she could see that his
chocolate-colored irises were flecked with bits of amber. God, she wished he
would kiss her.

“I wanted to know because I needed to be sure. Sure that you
didn’t need time to heal. That I didn’t have to punch his face in. Or wait.”

Her breath was ripped out of her lungs. “Wait for what?”

He narrowed his gaze, and Truly found herself whipped around
until she was facing the sink, the warm stream of water filling the room with
the fragrant aroma of the lavender dish soap foaming over the plates. He turned
off the water before it could overflow.

“Nate, what are we—?”

He shushed her. “Now who’s impatient?” Nate pressed his hips
against her back, and she gasped, the heat from his erection burning her
through her cotton skirt. He slid his hands down her bare arms, and she
shivered, watching as his fingers intertwined with hers and disappeared beneath
the bubbles.

As he caressed her palms and wrists, he pressed his lips
against her temple. “We’re supposed to be doing the dishes, aren’t we? But all
I can think about is how soft your lips were this morning, and how much I want
to taste your bare nipples under my tongue.”

His hands lifted from hers and cupped her breasts, soaking
her T-shirt. “Damn. I’ve gotten you all wet. Now we have to take your top off.”

Truly was in a daze, allowing him to raise her arms above
her head and remove her shirt. He
had
gotten her wet, and it was more
than just her white lace bra, now transparent and clinging to her skin. She
looked down at her breasts, never willing to stay confined for long, and
noticed they were swelling above the cups. Begging for attention. The dirty
little harlots.