Sinful Rapture (The Rapture Series) (10 page)
Read Sinful Rapture (The Rapture Series) Online
Authors: Alexandra Ivy
“He should have told me,” she said.
“Absolutely,” Sasha readily agreed.
“Instead he—”
“Gave you a night of mad, crazy passion and told you he loved you?” her companion interrupted with an overly innocent smile.
Holly threw her hands up in exasperation. “Sasha.”
“Sorry.”
Holly frowned. Her friend didn’t sound very damned sorry.
In fact, Holly was beginning to suspect that Sasha was feeling unexpected sympathy toward Liam.
“You don’t think I have a right to be angry?” she demanded.
“Hell, a woman always has a right to be angry,” she assured Holly. “And I totally intend to kick Liam’s ass when I see him. He should have told me what Junior was up to. I wouldn’t have hesitated to share the jackass’s secret life.”
Holly grimaced. She didn’t doubt for a minute that Sasha would have relished the opportunity to expose Ted as a faithless, spineless, pathetic worm.
“That I believe.”
Sasha took another bite of brownie. “Did you tell him that you loved him?”
Holly stiffened at the unexpected question. “What?”
“You said that Liam confessed his love,” Sasha pressed. “Did you say it back?”
What the hell? Holly shifted from foot to foot, feeling ridiculously exposed.
“What makes you think I love him?”
Sasha lifted her brows. “Don’t you?”
Damn. This wasn’t going at all like it was supposed to.
Well, the brownies were predictable. And no doubt Sasha had a bottle of vodka chilling in the small fridge next to the bar.
But instead of jumping onto the we-hate-Liam bandwagon, her friend was bringing up all sorts of stuff she didn’t want to think about.
“He makes me crazy,” she at last confessed.
“Good crazy or bad crazy?”
Holly wrinkled her nose. “Both.”
“And that scares you?”
Scared her? It terrified her on a bone-deep level.
“Yes.”
Sasha swallowed the last of her brownie before licking the chocolate from her lips.
“Why?”
It was a question that Holly had never been able to answer.
Oh, she had a dozen excuses.
Beyond the fact he’d taken her father’s business, he was too arrogant. Too bossy. Too vibrantly male.
But over the past few hours she’d been forced to acknowledge the real reason she’d found him so frightening.
“Because he matters.”
Sasha frowned at the unmistakable edge in Holly’s voice.
“Why would that scare you?”
She hunched her shoulders, suddenly wishing she hadn’t eaten so many brownies.
She had a queasy sensation in the pit of her stomach.
“I always knew that my father never truly loved me, so when he walked away it hurt, but it didn’t destroy me,” she admitted, slowly returning to her pacing. “And the same was true with Ted. I was embarrassed at being jilted, but it didn’t touch my heart. But Liam—”
Her words were cut off as there was a sudden buzz through the intercom. They both turned to glance at the monitor on the wall that revealed the iron gates in front of the club.
Holly’s heart skipped a beat, her breath ragged as she caught sight of the impossibly beautiful man with russet hair and a lean face that was tight with obvious strain.
“Speak of the devil,” Sasha smirked. She pressed a button on her desk. “We’re closed.”
Liam tilted back his head, searching for the hidden camera. “I know that Holly’s here.”
Holly frowned, wondering how the hell he’d managed to follow her.
Then she gave an exclamation of disgust.
The uniformed doorman had been helping her into the taxi when she’d given the address to the Playhouse. Clearly he’d passed along the information to his employer.
A mysterious smile played around Sasha’s lips as she glanced toward Holly’s pale face.
“She doesn’t want to talk with you.”
Liam grabbed the bars of the gate, his voice harsh. “I just need to make sure that she’s okay.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you shoved a knife in her back,” Sasha drawled.
“Damn it.” Liam forced himself to leash his anger, his knuckles white as he gripped the bars he clearly wanted to bust through. “Just tell me that she’s okay and I’ll go away.”
“Well?” Sasha demanded of Holly.
Holly bit her bottom lip.
She’d been furious when she’d fled Liam’s penthouse.
More than that, she’d been ashamed.
Not just because he’d kept the truth about Ted from her. But because he’d known her so well he’d realized that she’d eagerly blame him for revealing her ex-fiancé’s treachery rather than face the truth of her feelings for him.
She’d been a coward, too afraid of being hurt to expose her heart.
“I’ll talk to him.” She grudgingly gave in to the inevitable.
Sasha pushed the button that would allow the gates to open.
“Come to the office,” she commanded Liam, before moving to place a hand on Holly’s arm. “If you need me just give a shout. I haven’t had the chance to kick anyone’s ass all week.”
Holly watched her friend sashay from the room with a wry smile.
She could only wish she had Sasha’s confidence.
Maybe then she wouldn’t have made such a freaking mess of her life.
Certainly she wouldn’t have wasted so many years trying to earn the love of a man who didn’t know the meaning of the word.
With a shake of her head she moved to the center of the office, prepared when Liam burst into the room.
She wasn’t prepared, however, for him to charge forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
“Please, let me hold you,” he muttered as she stiffened in shock. “I need to feel you in my arms.”
Tentatively her hands lifted to his shoulders, her body instinctively arching toward him.
“I’m still pissed,” she warned, ignoring the fact that she’d already ruined her image of feminine outrage by clinging to him like a barnacle.
“I know.” He buried his face in her hair, his hands running a compulsive path up and down her spine. “I completely screwed up.”
“You did.”
“And I intend to make it up to you,” he swore.
“How?”
He slowly lifted his head, his expression somber. “Tell me what you need,” he urged. “I’ll do whatever you demand to earn your forgiveness.”
“Will you walk away?” she asked in soft tones.
“No.” The denial came without hesitation. “That I can’t do.” His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing her lower lip. “I’m sorry, princess, but I’ll never leave you. Not so long as there’s even a chance I can win your heart.”
It was exactly what she needed to hear.
Something inside her melted as Liam held her gaze, his expression stark with determination.
This man was nothing like her father.
Or Ted.
He wasn’t with her because he could use her for some hidden agenda. All he wanted from her was her heart.
Her hands shifted to tangle in his hair, the last of the wariness seared away by the soul-deep emotion that openly blazed in his eyes.
“Then love me,” she pleaded.
He blinked. Then blinked again. “Holly?”
“That’s all I need from you.”
“Christ.” Swooping down, he seared her lips in a kiss of blatant possession. “I’ve waited so long.”
Holly shivered, a joy she never even knew existed exploding through her body.
“Do you still have the key to our room upstairs?” she whispered against his lips. “I have a sudden desire for handcuffs and blindfolds.”
The words had barely left her lips when she was being scooped off her feet and carried out of the office.
“I’ll kick down the damned door if I have to,” he growled.
Holly chuckled. “Very manly.”
He held her gaze as they moved through the empty club.
“Nothing is going to stop me from being with you, princess,” he swore. “Not ever again.”
Alexandra Ivy
is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series, as well as the Sentinels. After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She lives in Missouri with her family. Visit her website at
alexandraivy.com
.
BORN IN BLOOD:
ISBN-10:
1420125141
ISBN-13:
978-1420125146
In a stunning new series, Alexandra Ivy lures readers into the dark, seductive world of the Sentinels—humans outcast by their hidden abilities, treading the line between life and death, good and evil, pleasure and pain…
In The Heart Of Darkness
Sergeant Duncan O'Conner has seen it all before. Beautiful erotic dancer, murdered at home, no suspect, no motive. But there's one clue: she's missing her heart. It's enough to make the hard-bitten Kansas City cop enlist the help of a necro—one of the dead-channelling freaks who live in the domed city of nearby Valhalla. It's a long shot, but desperate crimes call for desparate measures.
Lies The Kiss Of Death
Unlike the other “high-bloods” in Valhalla, Callie Brown considers her abilities a gift, not a curse. But when she reads the dancer's final thoughts, she senses a powerful presence blocking her vision. This is no ordinary homicide. This is the work of a legendary necromancer who controls souls. A ravenous force that will put Callie's skills to the test, O'Conner's career at risk, and both their hearts on the line…literally.
HUNT THE DARKNESS
ISBN-10:
142012515X
ISBN-13:
978-1420125153
The vampire Roke is raw, sensual, always in control. Yet somehow he's allowed the unthinkable to happen: a nymph-like witch named Sally has used her magic to trick Roke into mating with her. The pair will remain bound for eternity unless Sally breaks the spell. The trouble is, she has no idea how…
Mating with Roke was an accident;at least that's what Sally keeps telling herself. She's on the hunt for her demon father, whose identity holds the key to releasing the spell. The search won't be easy with Roke shadowing Sally's every move. As they mate with a ferocity that leaves them both aching for more, Sally isn't sure if her world is more dangerous without Roke—or with him…
“In book after book, Ivy builds a fascinatingly complex, ever-evolving mythology where dynamic and sometimes stubborn characters collide—with epic results.”
—RT Book Reviews on Darkness Avenged
“Captivating, sexy, and with a sinful bite like rich dark chocolate.”
—Larissa Ione on Beyond the Darkness
SOME LIKE IT WICKED:
EBOOK ONLY
ISBN
: 978-1-60183-234-4
A canny, successful businesswoman, Miss Jane Middleton goes to London in search of a husband - only to find herself virtually ignored by the ton. When she overhears the notorious rake “Hellion” Caulfield admit he is in dire straits, Jane concocts a daring business proposition: she'll pay Hellion to strike up a flirtation with her, thus bringing her to Society's notice, and attracting eligible gentlemen. The last thing she expects to find is that a deliciously skilful seduction is part of the package...Handsome and charming, the undisputed toast of the ton, Hellion has easily eluded the marriage trap for years. All the while warming the beds of countless attractive and willing women. But when Jane burst into his life with her outrageous scheme, her provocative figure, and a pair of captivating blue eyes, Hellion is stunned to realise that his jaded interest is piqued - and his desire ignited. In fact, his pursuit of her feels all too real. Is it possible that the ultimate bachelor has finally found his match between the sheets - and beyond?
SOME LIKE IT SINFUL
EBOOK ONLY
ISBN
: 978-1-60183-223-8
A penniless rake with a penchant for gambling, Rutherford Hawksley has friends in places both high and low - essential to his search for his brother's murder. Ruthless in his quest, Rutherford discovers a nobleman who he suspects is trying to kill a woman travelling to London. A woman with information Hawksley would very much like to know. But his simple plan of abduction goes awry when he plucks the not-so-simple Miss Clara Dawson from her coach. Hawksley is used to his startling blue eyes charming ladies into submission, yet Clara's spirit and intelligence prove quite the match for him. And soon he can think of nothing more pleasurable than keeping this rare bird in his not-so-gilded cage, where he can pick her intriguing mind, enjoy her exquisite body-and teach her more about desire than she ever dreamed possible.