Take Me: A Stark E-Novella
Read Take Me: A Stark E-Novella Online
Authors: J. Kenner
Copyright © 2013 J. Kenner
Excerpt from
Wanted
© 2013 by J. Kenner
The right of J. Kenner to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in this Ebook edition in 2013
by HEADLINE ETERNAL
An imprint of HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by arrangement with Bantam Books,
an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,
a division of Random House LLC.
A Penguin Random House Company.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library.
eISBN: 978 1 4722 1767 7
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
Cover photo ©Johnny Ring
Table of Contents
Find out more about Headline Eternal
J. Kenner loves wine, dark chocolate, and books. She lives in Texas with her husband and daughters. Visit her online at
www.jkenner.com
to learn more about her and her other pen names, to get a peek at what she’s working on, and to connect through social media.
The Stark Trilogy
Release Me
Claim Me
Complete Me
Most Wanted Series
Wanted
Just some of the rave reviews for J. Kenner’s powerfully sensual and erotic Stark Trilogy:
‘J. Kenner’s evocative writing thrillingly captures the power of physical attraction, the pull of longing, the universe-altering effect one person can have on another. She masterfully draws out the eroticism between Nikki and Damien . . .
Claim Me
has the emotional depth to back up the sex . . . Every scene is infused with both erotic tension, and the tension of wondering what lies beneath Damien’s veneer – and how and when it will be revealed’
Heroes and Heartbreakers
‘
Claim Me
by J. Kenner is an erotic, sexy and exciting ride. The story between Damien and Nikki is amazing and written beautifully. The intimate and detailed sex scenes will leave you fanning yourself to cool down. With the writing style of Ms Kenner you almost feel like you are there in the story riding along the emotional rollercoaster with Damien and Nikki’
Fresh Fiction
‘PERFECT for fans of
Fifty Shades of Grey
and
Bared to You
.
Release Me
is a powerful and erotic romance novel that is sure to make adult romance readers sweat, sigh and swoon’
Reading, Eating & Dreaming Blog
‘
Release Me
sucked me in from the very beginning. I started cheering for the heroine, Nikki Fairchild, on the first page . . . An emotional roller coaster, full of tenderness, love, mystery and . . . hot sex –
Release Me
is definitely one you’ll want to add to your TBR list’
Scandalicious Book Reviews Blog
‘
Release Me . . .
just made the top of my list with Damien and Nikki . . . the way in which J. Kenner tells the story, how vulnerable and real Damien and Nikki feel, makes this story so good, and re-readable many times over’
In Love With Romance Blog
‘This is deeply sensual and the story packs an emotional punch that I really hadn’t expected . . . If you enjoyed
Fifty Shades
[and] the Crossfire books, you’re definitely going to enjoy this one. It’s compelling, engaging and I was thoroughly engrossed’
Sinfully Sexy Blog
‘I will admit, I am in the “I loved
Fifty Shades
” camp, but after reading
Release Me
, Mr Grey only scratches the surface compared to Damien Stark’
Cocktails and Books Blog
‘I couldn’t put this book down. I HAD to know what happened next . . . If you liked
Fifty
and the Crossfire series, you will love
Release Me
’
Bungalow Books Blog
‘Damien Stark . . . belongs with some of the greatest fictional characters . . . what makes
Release Me
stand out from the crowd is the fact it has such memorable characters . . . it was good, very good’
Book Passion For Life Blog
‘It is not often when a book is so amazingly well-written that I find it hard to even begin to accurately describe it . . . I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in a passionate love story’
Romancebookworm’s Reviews
‘I really wasn’t expecting it to be as mind-blowing as this was.
Release Me
was SO MUCH MORE EMOTIONAL and DEEP and COMPLEX than I was expecting, I loved it . . . simply amazing’
Romance Books Forum
‘The story is one that will rank up with the
Fifty Shades
and Crossfire series. I am impatiently awaiting book two! A definite read for those who enjoyed
Fifty Shades
and
Bared to You
’
Incubus Publishing Blog
‘
Release Me
by J. Kenner will undress you and leave you breathless! Kenner’s erotic story brings two souls together, where a love that has been elusive is suddenly craved. The attraction between Damien and Nikki is palpable, they are two strong personalities with past demons to contend with.
Release Me
gives readers tantalizing pages of sensual delight, leaving us reeling as we journey with this couple and their passions are released.
Release
Me
is a must read . . . !’
Readaholics Anonymous
‘J. Kenner has written a sensually seductive storyline that catches your imagination and pulls you in’
The Reading Café
I’ve long dreamed of my fairy tale wedding, but it wasn’t until I met Damien Stark – who captured me with his kisses and undid me with his touch – that I began to believe it was my destiny. Though we both carry secrets and scars, our shared passion heals us, binding us together. We have surrendered to each other completely, and our mutual ecstasy is the brightest light in my life.
But darkness still snakes through the cracks in our armour. Ghosts from our past have moved in, bringing fresh pain that cuts deep and threatens to destroy everything we hold dear.
Damien is my anchor to this world, and I am his. But if we are going to keep each other, we have to fight the shadows of our pasts to move forward into our future.
White.
It is all around me. Soft and billowing. Gentle and soothing.
I am standing in a room, though I can see neither walls nor windows. There is only the endless flow of material. The sensual caress of silk against my body as I move through the drapes that fill the space before me. Hundreds, maybe thousands. They are beautiful. They are perfect. And I am not afraid.
On the contrary, I am perfectly calm. And as I move forward, my bare feet padding softly on the cool floor, I realize that I am heading toward a light. It shines through the diaphanous panels that flutter as I pass, as if struck by an ocean breeze.
I know that I am traveling toward something—
someone
—and I can feel the wellspring of joy rising up inside me.
He
is there. Somewhere beyond this forest of sensuality. Somewhere in the light.
Damien.
I quicken my step, my pulse increasing as I move faster and faster.
I am desperate to see him. To feel his fingertips upon my skin, as gentle as the brush of these curtains against my body. But though I hurry forward, I don’t seem to be getting anywhere, and now the soft flutter of the drapes has taken on a menacing quality. As if they are reaching out, clutching me, holding me back.
Panic bubbles inside me; I have to get to him. I have to see him, touch him, and yet no matter how hard I try, I do not seem to be moving forward at all. I’m stuck, and what had only a moment ago seemed like the welcoming beauty of a curtain into heaven now seems like a trap, a trick, a horrible nightmare.
A nightmare.
My pulse quickens as the truth settles over me. I am not in a room; I am in a bed.