Down and Dirty

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Excerpts From: DOWN AND DIRTY

An Excerpt From: SECOND TO NONE

“You…you’re not hard for me,” Remy argued, shaking her head in denial until her long red hair was streaming around her shoulders in a wild, fiery mass. She was ready to grasp onto any kind of straw with a desperate intensity that worried her almost as much as her heart-pounding, undeniable feelings for this man. “It was…was probably that brunette back there in the spiked heels.”

He was still for the span of ten seconds, and then he moved.

Uh-oh, she thought with a sick feeling burning in her tummy as she watched him stalk away from the desk and slowly advance on her. He didn’t stop until he stood directly in front of her, so close that she had to tip back her head to look him in the face. So close that she could see the sexy lines crinkling at the corners of those seductive bedroom eyes, the tips of his lashes and the small, faint scar zigzagging over his left temple.

“Stop reaching for straws, Remy. I’m too old to get a hard-on just because a woman smiles at me, and I wouldn’t touch Alexis with a ten-foot pole—especially with my dick. She fucking eats men for breakfast. And in case it slipped your notice, I’ve been rock-hard and aching since you ran into my arms.”

The terrifying fact that she wanted to believe him caused the panic in her belly to spiral swiftly out of control, and she heard the words spill out of her mouth in a swift, breathless rush. “I want to leave. Now.”

“No.”

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with so much warmth, she knew she must look burned. “Isn’t that my line?” she panted.

He had the audacity to smile at her. “Hey, guys can say no too.”

“Yeah, I’m all too familiar with the theory,” she sneered, desperately searching for a way to hold on to her anger while physical hunger struggled to take over.

(…)

With his hands planted against the wall at either side of her head, he leaned down and nipped at her lower lip, grinding his hard-on into the warm, wet notch of her thighs, dragging a ragged whimper from her throat. Nipping carefully at her chin, her jaw, he whispered roughly, “I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours. Whaddya say, Frosty?”

An Excerpt From: LOVE FOR HIRE

“So what do you do for a living, Nick Love?”

He drummed his long fingers on the creamy white coffee mug. “Is that really what you want to know?”

“Yes.” Her voice came out as a whisper.

He reached across the table and lifted her hand to his lips. Heat coursed through Stephanie and arrowed straight to her clit. Barely able to breathe, she crossed her legs hard. He grinned, and she felt he knew exactly what was happening in the most intimate part of her. He traced the lines of the palm of her hand with his index finger, and she shivered. “Words are overrated.” His voice sounded hoarse, raising vibrations deep in her. “There are so many more effective ways to communicate.”

She pulled her hand out of his and swallowed hard. “Nick Love. Is that your real name?”

He raised a dark eyebrow. “You don’t think it sounds like a real name?”

“That’s not an answer.” Okay. She felt more in control of herself now, and she relaxed.

“Nicholas Benjamin Love. The name on my birth certificate. Though the family pronunciation is Lo-vay, with the stress on the second syllable.”

“And where was that birth certificate issued?”

“Right here in Princeton. I’m a local boy. Now, see how much you know about me? More than I know about you.”

“Stephanie Carrington Wilson. Also born in Princeton. Now we’re even.” Another glance at her watch. “Thanks for the coffee. But I really have to go.” She said the words. She should have stood up and left, but she felt rooted to the spot.

“I know a great place for pasta, and it’s dinner time. We can walk from here. Come with me. I promise you’ll find out lots more about me. I’ll even answer any five of your questions to your complete satisfaction.”

“Five out of how many?”

He laughed, and she was a goner. “Good one.” Then his mouth quirked again. “Come with me.”

She shouldn’t. Damn how much she shouldn’t. But she wanted to…and she couldn’t have given a rational reason why. For once, she knew she was going to ignore the warning bells. Okay. So she’d get to know him a little more, get over whatever was intriguing her about him. But she’d be on guard constantly, making sure he didn’t get past the defenses she’d needed to survive the past year. Whenever she wanted to, she’d leave. “All right.”

He put his hand on her elbow as they exited the coffeehouse. The simple gesture made her feel safe.

“You said we can walk?” Stephanie asked. “Where are we going?”

He grinned. “My place.”

An Excerpt From: TRACKED DOWN

“You like sex, right,” he said.

“Yes.”

“Want it. Need it.”

“Yes.”

Slow, so slow, he traced the tendons at the side of her neck and then circled her ear. Despite the unbelievable tingling, she leaned into the caress. Head lifted, she sought out his eyes. Darkness protected them, but she could imagine, could pretend they held more than animal lust.

As for why she wanted to connect with this stranger…

All around them the night pulsed. It spoke with an ancient rhythm that stripped away the modern world. Despite the cell phone at her waist and the nearby vehicle, she felt connected to a world far more basic than any other she’d ever known. Working in the wilderness had always put her in touch with nature, but the connection had never felt this intense or intimate.

Wanting to thank him for providing the path, she lifted her heavy arms and closed her fingers around his forearm. He paused, then returned to mapping her. Small, hot shivers ran through her when he found the valley between her breasts. She couldn’t say how he’d managed to unbutton the top buttons on her flannel shirt. Perhaps he’d somehow rendered her senseless during the necessary maneuver.

It didn’t matter. She lived where his fingertips touched.

When her hands transmitted acceptance, he pushed past her bra’s barrier to envelop soft, full tissue. She sucked in a breath, increasing the space between fabric and flesh. Perhaps understanding the unspoken message of her arousal, he continued his journey. Even before he touched her nipple, shivers traveled down her belly to house themselves in her core. She made no attempt to pull her awareness off the delicious sensations.

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