Worth the Risk
Table of Contents
~ More Erotic Romance from Etopia Press ~
Worth the Risk
Anne Lange
Copyright Warning
EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (
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).
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published By
Etopia Press
1643 Warwick Ave., #124
Warwick, RI 02889
Worth the Risk
Copyright © 2013 by Anne Lange
ISBN: 978-1-939194-51-0
Edited by Rachel Firasek
Cover by Annie Melton
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Etopia Press electronic publication: January 2013
~ Dedication ~
For my husband, Bruce, who always has complete faith in me, but was probably just as surprised as I was when the email came. And for my good friend Natalie, who’s been with me every step of the way, offering words of wisdom and encouragement. I love you both. Thanks for believing in me and making me believe in myself. And, lastly to Rachel and Etopia Press. Thank you for taking a risk on me, for making my dream come true.
Prologue
Ten Years Earlier
Molly arched her neck, leaning into Tanner. She groaned when his mouth latched on to the sensitive spot just south of her earlobe. He knew her so well. Twenty years ago they’d met when their moms joined a “Mommy and Me” playgroup. At the tender age of three, they’d squared off over a box filled with Tonka trucks. Now he traveled paths along her skin rather than in granules of sand.
“I’m ready for dessert.” His breath whispered across her ear. “Let’s head to bed.”
“Ice cream in bed?”
“No, you in bed.”
Her gaze dropped to the long, hard ridge straining against the fly of his jeans. Curving her lips, she created the semblance of a grin. “Aren’t you ever at rest?”
“Hey, I’m a normal guy who has a very sexy girlfriend. Other than getting through finals and graduation, sex is the usual thing on my mind, especially when I have the pleasure of coming home to you.” He traversed a finger down her arm, scraped a blunt nail across the delicate skin at her wrist, and entwined his hand with hers. “Come on. I want to show you just how much I love you.” He stood, plucking her from the sofa with enough force she stumbled, crashing against his broad chest. She had to tilt her neck back to see his face. His eyes darkened with lust as he brushed his lips against hers. “I want to eat you up, fuck you silly, and then start all over again.”
He spun on his heel, towing her behind him. She curled her toes into the carpet, firming her resolve, searching for purchase every few feet. And then she glanced at him, pictured her future, and caved. Defeated, she followed him down the short hallway to their small bedroom, throat aching from some unnamed emotion. No, she knew—guilt.
Each day the situation became more difficult for her to cope with. Her heart thumped, skipping a beat or maybe two. She raised her left hand to her right breast. Could he hear it?
He reached the side of their bed and turned to face her, raising his hands to cup her face, his large fingers playing with the hair at the base of her neck. She tried to peel her gaze away from the man looking at her with such devotion, swallowing over that lump of self-remorse lodged in between her heart and tonsils.
He frowned down at her. “Hey, you OK?”
“Yeah, sure. Um…just hard to believe we’ll be university graduates in a few short weeks.”
“Forget about that for now.” He released her and reached down to grab the hem of her shirt. One tug and he wrenched it up and over her head. “I love when you don’t wear a bra.” He grinned like the horn dog he was. “Saves time.” He bent down and grasped one nipple in his warm mouth, sucking hard. Would anybody ever be as impatient and enthusiastic to have her as Tanner?
She closed her eyes. One last time—that’s what this was—one last time.
Returning his hands to her waist, Tanner switched his attention to her other breast. His teeth encircled the tender nub, his tongue swiping the end, driving her crazy. In a flick, the button on her pants came undone, and the zipper lowered.
He pushed her jeans and panties down over her hips, shoving until they puddled around her ankles. “Step out.”
She did, gazing straight ahead, looking out the window to the duck pond in the park across the road. From their fifth floor apartment, all she could make out were bodies on the walking path—joggers, couples…and families. She sucked in her breath, closing her eyes to block the image.
A throaty moan jerked her concentration back to the man worshiping her body. He whirled her around, walking her two steps backward until she plopped down on the bed. With one hand on her chest, he tipped her back, and with the other, he nudged her legs apart. Then he fell to his knees, and his mouth latched on to her next favorite spot.
“Mmm…I can’t decide. Vanilla? Chocolate?” His hands held her thighs wide, his tongue lapped along her moist slit and then circled her clit twice before flicking the little bud a few times. “Or maybe cherry? Oh, yes, definitely cherry.”
He made a feast of her, ramping her up, easing off, and starting again. She twisted her body and writhed under his hands. She elevated her hips, pushing her pussy against his face. He reached up and tugged on her nipples, tweaking them into hard, excited points. He caressed her legs and inner thighs until she squirmed on the bed, so close to begging for release.
It seemed an eternity passed. Then he stroked two fingers along the slippery smooth skin before teasing her with a shallow dip and finally plunging deep inside. He pumped in and out. Those thick digits filled her, but still, she wanted more. She needed more. She worked her hips, keeping time with each thrust. Almost there. His fingers moved, tunneling faster, harder. He sucked on her clit, but it wasn’t enough.
“Make me come.”
Her gasped plea brought forth a deep chuckle. “Your wish is my command, baby.”
“What?” She paused, her brain choosing that moment to zero in on his innocent choice of words.
“Come for me, baby.”
She froze. That quick, the climax that had been spiraling out of control fizzled and sputtered out. She collapsed against the bed and swallowed back an anguished cry. “Stop.” She pushed him away and sat up, struggling to back up against the headboard.
“What’s wrong, babe?” He remained on his knees at the side of the bed, confusion marring his handsome face.
She squeezed her eyes tight and sighed. When she opened them, his face shimmered out of focus. “Tanner—” She licked her dry lips to try again. He waited. Her heart cracked wide open. God help her, how could she do this? The words fell from her mouth, stumbling over each other in her haste to spit them out. “I can’t do this anymore. I think we should split up.”
His head lurched back, and an odd sound exploded from his throat. “Is this a joke?”
“No. It’s no joke. I’m sorry.” She grabbed the comforter, wrapping it tight around her body, right up to just under her chin.
“What do you mean you can’t do this anymore? For Christ’s sake, we’ve been together forever.”
“I—”
“What the hell is going on?” He jumped to his feet and marched a few steps away. He stopped, spinning to stare at her, his mouth hanging open as he swept his arm back and forth between them. His words, when they came, filled her with anguish. “What the hell was this? A good-bye fuck?”
She flinched at the harshness in his voice. “I’ve never been on my own. I need to be on my own.” Cold seeped into her fingers and toes. Tiny shivers racked her body. Molly held tighter to the blanket, willing her teeth not to chatter, not to stutter over the words she struggled to say. “Our lives are just beginning. I—” She gulped over the lie lodged in her throat. “I believe we owe it to ourselves to explore our options.” Inwardly she winced. What a grown-up piece of crap.
“Explore our options? What kind of options do you want to explore? Wait. Is there another guy?”
“No! I—”
“I thought you loved me. We made plans for a future—together.” He shifted toward her, reaching out, but she shook her head. His hand dropped. He sucked in two shuddering breaths and spun away from her. He made it as far as the door and then stopped. With one hand on the knob, he turned back. “I can’t change your mind?” The pain in his eyes almost made her say yes.
Almost
. “This is really what you want?”
“Yes.” She dipped her chin to the comforter, muffling her response.
“But—”
She raised her head. “Yes.” She bit into her lower lip, unable to hold back the dam spilling over and rolling down her cheeks.
He swiveled on his heel and opened the door.
“Tanner—”
He paused, his back rigid.
“I’m sorry. I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me.”
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, his face etched with hurt, his eyes blazing with fury now. Then he left their bedroom, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
She flinched when the door to the spare room slammed closed.
Molly grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest, her knees tucked up tight under her. She couldn’t see through the tears. She fell to her side and curled into a tighter ball, her hands fisting the blankets, and cried harder.
When the morning sun filtering through the blinds on the window woke her, Molly rubbed at her dry, puffy eyes. She couldn’t recall succumbing to exhaustion. Scrambling off the bed, she tiptoed to the bedroom door and laid her ear against it, holding her breath, the ticking of the kitchen clock the only sound she detected. How in heavens would she face him this morning?