Color flooded into her cheeks, and her eyes flickered away, her gaze focusing on the wall.
Braden touched her cheek, running a finger down her delicate jawline. “Don’t be afraid,” he said quietly. “We just want to make sure you’re okay. I swear to you we won’t hurt you.”
She closed her eyes and slowly nodded.
Ian arranged the towel so that it hung loosely over her waist. He couldn’t cover her breasts and her pelvis and felt she’d probably be the least embarrassed to have them staring at her breasts.
Bruises were scattered along her ribcage, some the size of a fist, others smaller, purple fingerprints against pale skin. When he saw the dark smudges close to her nipples, his jaw tightened in rage.
“Did they rape you?” he demanded bluntly.
Braden yanked his startled gaze to his brother, and his brows drew together in admonishment.
Katie’s eyes flew open, and she too stared at Ian in shock.
“N-no,” she stammered.
“Did he try?” Ian pressed, not sure why it was so important that he know the depths of Ricardo de la Cruz’s depravity.
A dark flush stained her cheeks, and her eyes glittered with anger.
“I doubt he’ll be able to use that part of his anatomy for a long while,” she said darkly.
A grin flirted with the edges of Braden’s mouth. Ian relaxed, unaware of just how tense he’d been until some of the edginess left him.
“Okay, so what exactly did he do?” Ian asked as he tended to a cut just below her left breast.
She let out a sigh. “Does it matter? I have no plans to get caught by him again. I wouldn’t have this time if you two hadn’t slowed me down.”
Braden winced. “We were only trying to help.”
She turned to look at Braden for a long while. “I’d like to believe that. Really, I would. But I still don’t know why you’re here. You say Gabe sent you. Why? You hint that someone else is after me, but I’ve spent all my time running from Ricardo.”
Ian absorbed that latest piece of information. He and Braden exchanged glances, and then Braden cleared his throat.
“Why don’t you get dressed, Katie. Then we can have that conversation we talked about.”
Ian raised one eyebrow in question.
“We worked out a trade,” Braden explained. “While you were…sleeping. She gives us information, and we give her the same.”
Katie wrapped the towel around her body and struggled to sit up. Ian put his hand behind her neck and helped her forward. His fingers lingered at her nape, drawn to the softness of her skin. Tiny little goose bumps prickled and raced across her flesh, and her muscles quivered beneath his palm.
She wasn’t immune to him any more than he was immune to her.
Unsure what to do with that realization, he pulled his hand away and let her get up from the bed. For a brief moment, she hesitated and looked back at him, her eyes wide with equal parts confusion and uncertainty.
Then she clutched the ends of the towel tighter around her and grabbed her bag before heading to the bathroom.
“I get the distinct impression that we’re not going to like what we hear,” Braden murmured. “What could she possibly have done to make a man treat her like he has?”
“Sometimes a woman doesn’t have to do anything,” Ian said with a growl. “Maybe he just couldn’t take no for an answer. Whatever the case, we need to get her the hell out of the country.”
“So we can use her,” Braden said in a low, dissatisfied voice.
“Do you see another way?” Ian kept his voice as low as Braden’s. “Hell, Braden, I don’t like it either. She’s obviously had a shitty time, and God knows why Gabe left her alone, but do you really want to stay like this for the rest of your life? Half man, half wild animal with no control, no choice?”
He cupped his hand to the back of his head and rubbed up and down to the base of his neck in agitation.
“At least we’ll keep her safe. Hell, when was the last time you think she ate? Did you see how slim she is? She had, what, two hundred dollars on her? Yeah, we need her to draw out Esteban, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to throw her under the bus.”
Braden stared back at him, brief uncertainty flashing in his eyes before his lips drew together in a fine line. “No, I don’t want to be this way forever. But maybe…maybe we need to be realistic. There might not be a way to fix this, Ian.”
Gracie Evans wants a Valentine’s she won’t forget. Luke Forsythe plans to give her exactly what she wants.
Overheard
© 2006 Maya Banks
Gracie is tired of the men in her life never satisfying her in bed. None of her boyfriends have come close to fulfilling her vivid fantasies. When Luke overhears her talking about what she really wants, he’s stunned—and very turned on. So Gracie thinks no man alive can satisfy her? Luke aims to prove her wrong.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Overheard:
Gracie woke to the sun shining in the bedroom window. The space beside her was empty, and she smelled bacon cooking. She smiled. Luke must be in the kitchen making breakfast.
She stretched and climbed lazily out of bed. Luke’s flannel shirt lay in a heap on the floor, and she reached for it. She slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned down the front. His scent surrounded her, and she wrapped the shirt tighter around her.
She padded barefoot out of the bedroom toward the kitchen, a wicked smile on her face. She’d tease him with a few glimpses of those nipple rings he loved so much. By the time breakfast was done, he’d be a walking hard-on.
She rounded the corner, letting her shirt gape a bit wider and let out a squeak of surprise. She yanked her shirt closed and stared at Wes who was standing in the kitchen leaning against the countertop.
She started to back up but Wes closed the distance between them.
“I-I didn’t know you were here,” she sputtered.
She gripped her shirt even tighter, sure her face was as red as a stoplight. To her surprise, Luke stood by the stove, his expression one of interest as he watched her.
Wes stopped in front of her and reached down for her hand. He tugged her forward into the kitchen.
“Come on now, Gracie,” he drawled. “You’ve seen me naked. Time for you to return the favor.”
She shivered under his intense stare. “Is this a practical joke or something?”
Wes ran his hand up the lapel of her shirt, nudging it aside until her breasts peeked around the edge.
“No joke. We’ve been friends a long time, Gracie. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I don’t think you are. I think you’re as turned on as I am right now.”
She cocked her head in confusion and shot Luke a panicked look.
“Quit dicking with her,” Luke said.
“You want a threesome,” Wes said. “Luke and I want to give you one.”
Her mouth rounded to an O and her eyes widened. Wes’s fingers brushed across her nipples, flicking lightly at the rings.
She glanced back over at Luke again to see him staring intently at her.
“If you don’t want this, just say so,” Luke said quietly. “We don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“Wow,” she whispered. “I mean, I don’t know what else to say. You’re okay with this?” she asked Luke.
He smiled. “Who do you think invited Wes?”
“Holy shit.” She shook her head, unsure of whether or not she was dreaming. A threesome. Not with strangers. With two men she trusted implicitly. Two men who cared for her and would make it good. Not much to think about there.
“What do you say, Gracie?” Wes murmured.
She nodded. “Okay.”
Wes nudged her chin up with his knuckle.
“I don’t want things to be awkward for us. We’ve been friends too long for that.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. His goatee rubbed softly on her chin. Bubbles of excitement took flight in her ch
est. She relaxed against him, and he deepened the kiss.
Her shirt parted as his hands slid underneath the material and cupped her breasts. His thumbs worked over her nipples.
Shedding her inhibitions, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, letting her tongue roam playfully over his.
It was a different experience kissing Wes. He was more gentle than Luke but every bit as sensual. If she gave herself time to analyze the situation, she’d likely retreat in mortification, but it felt right.
Wes wrapped his hands around her waist and hoisted her upward until she sat on the countertop.
“Much better,” he murmured.
Her breasts were now level with his mouth, and he took advantage. His tongue rubbed lightly over one nipple. It puckered and her muscles tightened in response.
He cupped her breasts with both hands and held them up for his mouth to devour.
“I never knew you had such a wild side, Gracie. I like it. The rings are hot.”
She moaned as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, his tongue toying with the ring.
“She needs to eat,” Luke interjected.
Wes slowly drew away, and it was all Gracie could do not to insist she wasn’t hungry so they’d take her to bed. Her stomach contradicted her by rumbling.
Wes lifted her down as Luke set a plate on the table for her. She walked unsteadily to her chair and sank down into it. She tugged her shirt tight around her, suddenly giving up the idea of making Luke crazy. He’d completely turned the tables on her.
The two men sat down on either side of her and proceeded to polish off their plates of food. She managed to nibble down a small amount, but her stomach was in full somersault mode, and she didn’t do justice to her food.
“If you’re done picking at that, I know something we could be doing that’s a whole lot more fun,” Wes said.
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.
When the lift opened to empty them on Tyler’s floor, he refused to break contact. He lifted her in his arms, carrying her effortlessly down the corridor.
Though her hands shook, she fiddled with the buttons of his shirt, starting at the top and making her way slowly down. With each button that popped open, she nuzzled into his chest, kissing the exposed flesh. The flesh she’d loved so well. So thoroughly.
The third button revealed a nipple, small, and masculine, and hard. She placed her lips around it and sucked gently.
“Katie,” he rasped.
He’d stopped walking and now stood beside a door.
“Is this your room?” Forget throaty. Her voice was almost nonexistent. God, she needed him so bad. Needed to fill the emptiness in her loins.
“Yes…” His voice broke as she ran her tongue over the hard nipple a second time.
“Open the door. Now. I need to feel you moving inside me.” Only Ty could give her what she needed. Only Tyler.
How he managed to rummage around in his pocket, remove his key card and get the door open, was beyond her—but then most everything was beyond her at that moment. The only thing she could comprehend was her fierce need to consume Tyler Bonnard, whole.
Her body was made of liquid heat. When Tyler set her on her feet, inched the strap of her dress over her shoulder, exposing her breast, and took her nipple in his mouth, she swore she saw steam smoldering between her flesh and his lips.
The impact of his mouth on her nipple was dizzying. The world spun. The sun dipped and rose. Her head dropped back, and she moaned. Only Tyler. He was the only man who ever made her feel like this.
And then her mobile phone rang. The sound shrill and invasive.
She froze.
“Ignore it,” Tyler growled as he grazed her breast with his teeth.
She couldn’t.
“It’ll stop in a minute.” He slipped the second strap over her shoulder, revealing her other breast. As his hot lips covered her nipple, she listened to the persistent trill of the phone.
Until it stopped.
She relaxed and brought her attention back to Tyler. Her breasts were cupped in his hands. His mouth was an inch away from hers.
“Sweet, sweet Katie. I never forgot you. Never forgot this.” His lids were hooded and his voice low. “I never for one minute stopped loving you.”
It was impossible to tell who kissed whom, but their mouths joined together again, and Katie’s toes curled from the pleasure his lips gave her.
Tyler still loved her.
“I am so sorry I left you, so sorry I caused you pain. It was the last thing I wanted. Ever.”
She ran her hand over his hip. Slid her fingers along the hard length of his cock. He jerked into her touch, filling her palm and moaned.
God, she held him again. Felt his excitement and his arousal. It matched the wet heat between her legs perfectly.
His pants were a restrictive barrier, a concrete wall between them, and she lowered her other hand to grasp the buckle of his belt. She needed to feel his naked flesh. Needed to feel the pulsing heat of his cock. Slowly, she slid the belt through the buckle and pushed it out of the way. She twisted his button through the hole and then eased the zip over his solid bulge.
So close. She shoved the flaps aside and touched the waistband of his undies.
Tyler humme
d low in his throat.
She pushed at the elastic, felt the swollen tip of his penis under her fingertips and groaned into his mouth.
And then his phone rang.
And rang.
And rang.
She broke the kiss, pulling away as reality crashed in on their rapture.
“It’s Steve,” Tyler said unnecessarily. One minute before desire had darkened his eyes. Now guilt shadowed them.
Self-loathing filled her. She looked down at her naked chest.
“It’s Steve,” he said again and took a step away from her.
Her breasts heaved, wet and glistening from Tyler’s mouth. Her dress hung around the belt she’d cinched in at the waist. She swallowed hard as she realized what she’d done. “He’s trying to find us. He…he said if he finished at a reasonable hour he’d join us for a drink.”
What kind of filthy worm was she, seducing her fiancé’s best friend? Demanding he sleep with her. In that instant she despised herself, and she despised Tyler, for what they’d just done to the one man who under threat of death would never harm them. He was her rock, her support, her mate. Steve was the man she was soon to marry.
A wave of nausea nearly bowled her over. How could she? How could they?
She stared at Tyler. He breathed heavily and ran a tense hand over his clenched jaw. His eyes were clouded with desire, doubt and regret. His shirt hung open around his waist, and pearly drops of moisture glistened on the head of his cock. Even amid her rush of self-hatred, the pull to go to him was intense, almost magnetic. The impulse to touch him again, to deny their wrongdoing, was potent.
“I have to go.” She pulled her dress up, awkwardly pushing her arms through the straps. “I…I’m sorry. This shouldn’t have happened.” She searched blindly for her purse and found it by the door. Then she turned and looked at Tyler’s tortured face.
He was as disturbed by Steve’s call as she was. As shaken.
Briefly she considered dropping to her knees and licking the sinful pre-come off his dick. “Steve is your friend,” she said thickly. “He’s my fiancé.”
He didn’t argue. He simply fastened his pants and buckled his belt.
Yanking the door open, she walked as fast as her legs would carry her, down the corridor and to the lifts, hating herself more with every step she took. She’d gotten maybe ten meters down the passageway when she heard the footsteps.
She walked faster.