Excerpt from Bound by Sunlight

“You’ve never been bound?” he asked, picking up the straps of her tank top.

“No.” It was more of a breath than a whisper, but he seemed satisfied with her answer. She felt a soft spark against her shoulders and looked down. He’d severed the straps of her top, which were left to dangle above her breasts. Magic. He’d used magic. A tiny niggle of fear tried to work its way through her. He seemed to know and brought his warm hands back to her face, tilting her head up enough that she knew she was supposed to meet his eyes. Why did she find that so difficult? She forced herself to follow his unspoken demand.

“I will not harm you tonight. Not with magic. Not with anything else. I will bring you pain, but only as much as will pleasure you. Do you understand?”

She saw patience and assurance in his eyes, wondered what he saw in hers. Shame washed through her now—that she had come to him so unprepared, unworthy. He shouldn’t have to deal with a novice when he was used to those at the club. His fingers on her chin tightened.

“Do you understand?” he asked again.

“Yes.”

He knew there was more, she could see it in his face, see him trying to figure it out. As long as he didn’t ask, she wouldn’t have to admit to her insecurities. He cocked his head as he studied her.

“What distressed you now?”

She wanted to look away. The feeling of easy surrender had vanished. But she had to answer him. Had to keep meeting his eyes. Not just because of the compulsion, but because she had asked for this. Asked him to help her. He deserved to have as much of her courage as she could muster.

“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this. I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to know what to do. That’s what I’m here for. You’ll do what I tell you, when I tell you. Won’t you?” His voice was hard, uncompromising.

“Yes.”

“Then there’s nothing for you to fail at. It’s my responsibility to make sure this goes right, not yours. Your only responsibility is to tell me if I go too far.” He stepped closer, allowing his heat to envelope her. She felt moisture gather in her pussy and it got a little bit harder to draw breath.

“Let’s start over.” He pulled her chin up higher now that he was closer to her. Her neck ached a little at the strain. It felt…good.

“Do you believe that I won’t harm you, even though I have every intention of bringing you pain?”

“Yes.” She didn’t know why, and it might be foolish, but she believed him. It was the reason she was here.

He rewarded her with a small kiss to her lips. She opened for him but he drew away. She sighed.

“Do you believe that I will bring you pleasure?”

“Yesss.”

This time he smiled as he kissed her. She tried to chase his lips, but his hands kept her in position.

“Do you understand what you’re supposed to do?”

Uh oh. What was she supposed to do? Hadn’t he just told her—oh.

“Yes.” Another kiss, she wanted another kiss. A real one this time, damn it.

“Tell me.”

“Whatever you tell me to do.” She parted her lips in preparation. She would have to be fast this time.

“And?”

No kiss? What was he doing to her?

“And…umm. Oh, and use my safe word if you go too far.”

“Good girl.” He met her lips with his, but it wasn’t gentle this time. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, taking what she had tried to take, giving what she needed. She whimpered when he pulled back.

“Tell me your safe word again.”

She didn’t want to, didn’t want to ever say that word again. He seemed to understand.

“Choose another word. It doesn’t need to be that one. Shouldn’t be something you don’t want to say.”

“No, it’s all right—”

His fingers tightened against her skin again, reminding her who was in charge. He wasn’t asking. He was telling.

“I, maybe…Snowball!” God, all she could come up with was her childhood cat’s name. Was he smirking at her? She narrowed her eyes at him but his face had gone expressionless again. He leaned down and gave her another quick kiss. Then he let her go, stepped back, taking his heat with him.

“If you use your safe word, I’ll stop what I’m doing so we can talk about it. Don’t be afraid to use it, it doesn’t mean I’m going to send you away.”

She managed to nod her understanding.

“You have a lovely body.”

She didn’t. Her size eight curves weren’t quite proportioned the way she’d like and—

He smacked her ass and she jumped as much as the chains would allow, which wasn’t much at all. Why she should be shocked she had no idea, but she looked at him for an explanation.

“You.” He put his hands on top of her head then ran them over her face, rubbing her eyebrows, exploring her cheekbones, tickling her ears and caressing her chin.

“Have.” Her skin tingled as his hands moved down her neck to her now heaving chest.

“A lovely.” His fingers molded to her breasts, giving a sharp, barely painful squeeze before continuing their journey.

“Body.” He reversed his hands so that his fingers led the way over the curve of her stomach to the juncture of her thighs. He folded his hands along the curve, careful not to touch the part of her that needed touching the most.

“Oh,” she managed to whisper. Her whole body shuddered at his intense look and careful caress. The desire in his words and his eyes did more to relax her than anything else he could have done. She didn’t realize how worried she’d been about the fact that by presenting herself to him, rather than having him choose her, she would have a hard time believing he wanted this, even a little bit.

She looked down at her top. He was running a finger down its center, from neck to hem. As his finger slid past, the fabric parted, splitting down the middle. It was almost like a breath of heat, but maybe she was imagining that. It didn’t take long for the whole top to fall away.

Her naked breasts were damp with sweat, her nipples somewhat swollen. He ignored them and brought his finger to her pants, performing a similar magic to remove them in less than a minute. He took a step back, observing her dressed only in plain cotton panties. It looked as if he was fighting a smile. She tried not to blush and failed. Why hadn’t she dressed up for him? She had the clothes, had been provided with the types of outfits that were supposed to entice him. Black leather, lace garters and more. Much more. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them, but she would have felt like a spy wearing them, like a fraud. So she’d come in the most Kyriana-like clothes she had.

He walked behind her, hooked a finger in the waistband and snapped the elastic against her skin. It didn’t hurt, but it startled her. She hung her head as she tried to fight off the shame and misery working their way through her.

“Just checking to see if your name was embroidered in the back.” His teasing words were spoken against her neck. She choked on her laugh as his lips moved down her neck to the top of her spine, where he bit, hard.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published
books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t
have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to
share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday
site or click on the banner above.

Ok, this is the first excerpt of my next book, Bound by Sunlight. It’s going to be short, sorry. I couldn’t figure out a good break point after this.

A reminder that this is a contracted book that hasn’t been edited, so it’s entirely possible it will change before the release!

A shiver raced down Kyriana’s spine. She wanted to blame it on the cold, rather than nerves, but the study she waited in wasn’t really chilly. Still, she pulled her feet up to rest in front of her on the chair’s wide leather seat, her toes curling over its edge, her arms wrapping around her legs. She studied her bare feet. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. What had she been thinking to wear the simple sleep pants and tank top? She had an assortment of seductive outfits to choose from, all of them including four to five inch fuck me heels. But here she sat, feet bare, toes not even painted, sans makeup.

Despite her self-chastisement, she made no move to get up and go change. There was no question in her mind that if she left the room she wouldn’t be coming back. Breaking into the study had taken all of her meager skills as a mole and every bit of her courage. It was one thing to spy on a superior mage such as Connul Gracyn. It was another thing entirely to break into his private study and wait for him to find her. If he didn’t give her a chance to explain, or worse, didn’t agree to her plan, she was dead. At least, she hoped he’d kill her. Because there were worse things in life than death, and if he didn’t help her, and he didn’t kill her, chances were pretty strong she’d be able to catalog those worse things with intimate detail.

Another shiver raced through her. God, she was such a coward. Which was exactly how she’d gotten herself into this mess in the first place. Dropping her forehead to rest on her knees, she swallowed back the tears that threatened. It was good to remember, actually. Good to remember that her cowardice had gotten her into this mess, so playing it safe wasn’t always the smart option. Tonight was an excellent night to keep that in mind.

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Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and
be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Don’t forget, I’ll be around on the 14th, watching the CAPA awards at The Romance Studio.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site or click on the banner above.

***

This is another excerpt from my work in progress, Keeping Claire. It’s a bit further along than the previous excerpt. Just a reminder, this is a work in progress, so it hasn’t been edited! I worked on this scene in a great online workshop at Liquid Silver’s forum, and I just love it, so I had to share. Feel free to let me know what you think.

“What’s your name?”

“Claire Fiordalisi.”

“You’ve already admitted you lied about your name on your application.”

“It’s my name right now.”

He was pretty sure he managed to keep the growl from escaping his throat. “Fine. What was your name before that?”

“Sara Lancaster.”

“And what was the name you were born with?” He had to unclench his teeth to get the sentence out, but somehow managed to keep his hands from strangling her.

“None of your business.”

“I think it is.”

“I can’t really help what you think.”

“Maybe not, but you can’t leave until I’m satisfied, either.”

Her breath hitched at that and she glanced at the clock, her face paling. Was she supposed to be somewhere? Meet someone?

She took in a deep breath, which he recognized as a concession on her part. She was letting them see that she was tired and frustrated. Was she going to stop hiding? Stop pretending?

“All right, look. I didn’t mean to be contrary, but the truth is, as I said earlier, I lied about who I was but I did my best for this company. Nothing else matters. I’m going to leave. If someone comes looking for me, tell the truth. I was here one day and gone the next.”

Her move to stand this time was slower, but when she gained her feet without any apparent dizziness she looked at him, then Jacob. “I’m very sorry if my actions bring any trouble down on you, but it’s best for all of us if I leave immediately.”

She stepped around him and walked to the door, slinging her purse up on her shoulder.

He was beginning to wonder how much of the meek and compliant thing was an act. Sure, she’d come quietly when they’d gone to get her. She’d let him search her and been polite even when telling them to shove it. But her instinct when waking up had been to come up swinging and she’d managed to tell them essentially nothing so far, despite that acquiescent attitude.

When she reached the door, he held his breath, strangely eager for her reaction. She didn’t disappoint.

…

No matter how much she pulled, the office door refused to budge. It wasn’t locked, the knob turned freely and there was no deadbolt, but the door remained closed.

“Fuck! What part of I have to leave to keep you two asshats and your fucking company safe are you not understanding?”

Was that a snicker she heard? Whirling around she found both men right where she’d left them, faces solemn. She narrowed her eyes, too furious to keep her expression guarded any longer. For fuck’s sake, how was she supposed to keep them safe if they wouldn’t let her go? Ryan, it had to be Ryan who’d laughed. He was trying too hard to look innocent.

She advanced on him, finger raised.

“I am trying.” She poked her finger into his chest. He raised his eyebrows at her.

“To help you.” Another poke.

“To keep you from becoming the target.” Poke. Poke. “Of some seriously deranged motherfuckers.”

Tiny little crinkles appeared next to his perfect lips. He’d been pissed before, but now he was laughing at her? He’d better keep it inside or she was going to test out her knee-to-testicle coordination.

Ryan’s warm hand gently enfolded hers and brought her still pointed finger to those damnable lips. Her eyes bugged out in shock as he laid a gentle kiss on the tip before bringing it back down and urging her whole hand to lay flat against his chest. His rock hard chest. Wait, that wasn’t the point. He—

“Careful. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he said, allowing a tiny smile to form.

Oh no, he didn’t! “Arrrrggghhh.”

Not exactly articulate, granted, but the phrase perfectly expressed her feelings at the moment. She tried to pull her hand free but he held firm.

Fine. On to plan B after all.

Careful not to telegraph her move, she brought her right knee up sharply. Only, she didn’t connect with his gonads as she’d expected. Instead his other hand caught her neatly below the knee which he moved to the side as he stepped in close.

The sound of a throat clearing reminded her that Jacob was also in the room. Ryan didn’t move however, and she was unable to.

“As entertaining as this is,” Jacob drawled with a hint of an accent she hadn’t really noticed before. “Perhaps we could get back to the matter at hand?”

Claire swallowed hard as Ryan let her leg drop, his hand running along her thigh, pressing it into his own leg as she lowered it. She found herself practically straddling his leg, his hand on her ass.

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

So, I’ve enjoyed doing Excerpt Monday, but so far have only posted excerpts from published books. As in, books that I’m certain at least one person that I trust (my editor) likes. There’s also the fact that she’s, you know, edited it. However, I’m all about pushing my comfort level as a writer (or something like that), so here goes. Please, be gentle.

This is the first scene of one of my works in progress, Keeping Claire.

Movement in the doorway to her office had Claire lifting her head. Her stomach clenched tight with the effort of not reacting to the sight of Ryan and Jacob standing in her doorway. Clearly, the shit had hit the fan. There was no good reason for the two owners of the company to have come looking for her, a hard working but mid-level paper pusher.

Ryan Diel, took a tiny step forward, his hard body stiff with anger. Shit, shit, shit. She’d kept to herself and worked hard for the company, her small way of making up for any trouble she might inadvertently cause them. Their complete collapse, for example. Which meant the only reason for his rigid stance was that they’d found out something about her. And there was nothing good about that possibility.

She rose, slowly pushing her chair back with her legs. Ryan took another step forward when she opened the desk drawer, so she angled her body, allowing him to clearly see the purse she pulled free. He held out his hand and she gave up the bag without question. Oh yeah, this was bad.  Lips that she’d fantasized about tightened as he studied her face. She made certain he saw only the blank expression that she’d honed with years of practice. Which unfortunately seemed to piss him off. He narrowed his bright green eyes for a minute before turning and walking out of the room.

She allowed a tiny hiss of breath to escape before squaring her shoulders and leaving the office. Focusing her attention on the taut ass in front of her helped tune out the sights and sounds of her coworkers as they watched her being led to the large office Ryan and Jacob shared. She needed to get out of the building fast, but it was suddenly occurring to her that the brilliant idea to work for a security company had been about the stupidest move she’d made in five years.

At her previous jobs, if human resources or management had called her into the office for an unexplained reason, she would have just left and been in a new city with a new name in a matter of hours. Only now did she realize that cardboard box manufacturers and small bookstore owners were going to react differently than security specialists. Damn it! What had she been thinking? Clearly she hadn’t been thinking enough. Maybe five years had worn her down and she was more tired than she’d realized. She remembered hitting town and walking past this building three or four times before thinking that maybe if she were at a company whose records couldn’t be hacked she would be safer. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Realizing where she’d gone wrong was not going to help her now and she was an idiot to be wasting time thinking about it rather than how she was going to get out of this building. Regret caused acid to churn in her stomach. Though she’d been careful not to make friends, Teck Security was a good company with friendly, helpful employees and caring owners. She should have left three weeks ago when she’d found herself joking with the receptionist as they walked out to the parking lot. She rarely interacted with her coworkers, leaving them with the impression that she was a bitch. She probably was a bitch, but not the way they thought. It just made it easier for everyone when she had to leave without notice.

Ryan entered their office and she followed, Jacob close on her heels. That the blinds had already been pulled was about all she had time to notice before she was pressed up hard against the now closed door. Her whole body went stiff but she concentrated and relaxed her instinct to fight. Ryan’s hands searched her expertly but she was shocked to feel a tingle in her breasts as he passed over them. There was nothing inappropriate about the way his hand brushed between her legs, but her stomach clenched, and it wasn’t in fear.

The heat of his body left her in a rush as he stepped back. She had to lock her knees to keep from trembling, though from adrenaline or fear, she wasn’t sure. Jacob gestured to the couch and she forced herself to walk to it slowly and sit as if she’d been invited to a meeting, not thrown against the door and searched like a criminal. If there was one thing she knew how to do, and do well, it was pretend that a crazy situation was perfectly normal.
Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

This is an excerpt from my contemporary erotic romance (m/m/f), Perfect Formation, which was released in March 2009.

The blurb:
Friends for much longer than they’ve been lovers, Taryn and Richard enjoy each other’s company while looking for “Mr. Right”. When the darkly handsome Caleb walks into their lives, the sexual attraction is instant and mutual—for all three. Caleb wines and dines them then shows them how good it can be if they trust him to lead the way. One night is all it takes to prove that the three of them are a perfect match, at least in the bedroom.

 Taryn has to decide if explosive sex and the feelings quickly overtaking her are worth the risk of losing it all—again. Richard sees Caleb and Taryn as the perfect couple but isn’t so sure there will always be room for him in their ménage a trois. Sexual dominant Caleb has to suppress his urge to tie them to the bed until they understand that they both belong with him—forever. But if they don’t come around soon, he’ll be pulling those ropes out after all.

Enjoy!

Taryn had been planning on raiding the fridge for Mama’s leftovers but decided that drastic cooking measures were called for to get Richard’s mind off deranged fathers. She hopped up off the couch.

“Come on, let’s make dinner.”

“I think Caleb wanted us to eat up the leftovers.”

“Too bad. Let’s make him something extra yummy for having to work late.” She grabbed his hand and pulled with all her weight so that he was forced not only to stand, but catch her when the action nearly sent her to the ground. He didn’t smile but he did follow her instructions to go change clothes. Taryn went into the kitchen and made her own special preparation.

The look on Richard’s face when he walked in made being a bit uncomfortable totally worth it. She had taken off her jeans and t-shirt and was wearing only her bra, panties and an oversized apron that hung very low on her chest.

He came to her and squeezed her tight. “I’m so glad you’re a part of my life.”

“Yeah, whatever. What are you going to make me for dinner? I think it should involve dessert. Preferably, something with chocolate.”

He swatted her on the butt. “Let’s see what we have.”

They opted to make chicken picatta for dinner and strawberry shortcake with chocolate sauce for dessert, since Caleb actually had fresh strawberries in the fridge.

“Do you ever wonder if Caleb appreciates the fact that he now has a well-stocked kitchen?” Richard mused, pulling out the cutting board.

“Well, if he’s anything like me, mostly he appreciates that he has a well-stuffed chef.” Taryn started doing what she always did when cooking with Richard. Put together the salad then sat on the counter to entertain him. She had turned the radio on, deciding it was a rock kind of night and stopped on a station known for its eclectic mix. Aerosmith was playing and she turned it up.

“I can’t believe you just said that. You want to pound the chicken breasts?”

Abandoning the tomato she was chopping, Taryn bopped her way over to where Richard had put a chicken breast into a large Ziploc bag for her. She took the offered mallet and enjoyed pounding the breast until Richard made her stop and switch to the next piece.

“I’m sorry that as your best friend I never realized that you had a problem with the whole family thing. I hope I never made you feel too uncomfortable with mine.”

She paused mid-swing to look at him. “It wasn’t like that, I swear. They’re great, I didn’t mind being near them. I just didn’t want to be…well, part of them, I guess. I don’t know, it’s not like I was thinking, ‘hey, I really like Richard but I don’t want to be part of a family’. It was more unconscious, you know?”

“I still should have noticed.”

Resuming her strikes, Taryn shook her head. “Hell, Rick, I barely noticed. I should be apologizing to you, not the other way around.”

“Mmm-hmm, because it’s all about you.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

They worked in silence for a few minutes. Richard was shuffling around, doing things with flour that she didn’t pay much attention to. She switched to the last chicken breast then moved back to the tomatoes, humming along with Weezer on the radio.

The sizzling sounds of meat hitting the pan brought her to him. He angled so that she could lean in and smell the delicious scents, knowing that was one of her favorite parts of “helping” him cook. She moved back a bit so he had room to do his thing, but rested against his side.

“A lot has changed in four weeks. For both of us. For all of us, actually,” he said, using the tongs to peek at the underside of the chicken.

“I wonder what he was like, as a single guy.”

Richard cocked his head in thought. “That’s a good question. I don’t get the feeling he went out a lot, partying at least. Probably he spent a little more time at his brother’s house. It’s kind of weird that we never met him at the bar. I mean, we didn’t go all the time, but we must have been three or four times this year.”

“Maybe we weren’t ready for him.”

“Maybe not. I’m not sure we were ready for him four weeks ago.” Richard turned the meat.

“Good point,” she answered as he casually put his free arm around her before letting that hand roam her mostly naked backside. She let him play for a moment before spinning away, dancing to the Rolling Stones.

“Can’t let dinner burn,” she teased him.

She returned to the salad, putting the avocado pieces she had been cutting into the large bowl, then tossing everything together. When she turned back he had put the chicken on a plate and was once again working with the pan. She went to set the table and called Caleb to make sure he would be home soon. He assured her that he was on his way.

Taryn hopped up on the counter to watch Richard finish the meal. He was so sexy in the kitchen, masterful but relaxed, always enjoying himself. She had seen him in doctor mode a couple of times, and while that had a high hotness factor as well, it was different. In that situation he was supremely focused on the patient, his whole being centered on what he was seeing, hearing, learning. When he cooked, it was more instinctual, and much more relaxed.

“Caleb said he would be here soon, you can go ahead and plate his up, too,” she told him as he turned the flame off.

“I’m glad. I hate the idea of him working late to deal with this.”

“I think he enjoys it. Just like you enjoy cooking for us.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

They worked together to get everything on the table. When it was ready, Richard reached over and switched the stereo from FM to CD. Ella Fitzgerald came on and he pulled Taryn into his arms.

Neither of them were really dancers but they could sway with the best of them. Besides, it was hard to focus on what moves to make when his arms were full of nearly naked woman. His woman. When he had walked into the kitchen and seen her like that, his heart had skipped a beat. Not only at the sexy package she presented, but knowing that she was doing it to distract him and to lift his spirits. It had certainly worked.

He let one hand drift to her ass and the other played with the hair at the nape of her neck. She leaned into him, so trusting, and he vowed not to let his insecurities damage what he had. Because they were right, he had both of them, damn it, and he wasn’t going to let either one of them go.

He heard the front door open and waited until he was sure Caleb could see them before spinning around so that he was facing the hallway and Taryn’s backside was presented to the other man. Taryn burrowed her face into his shoulder but he could feel her smile.

“Well. That’s a lovely sight. Delicious dinner waiting on the table for a man when he gets home from a hard day at work.”

They all laughed and Taryn turned in his arms. Caleb came to them and kissed first Richard, then Taryn. They stayed that way, not moving, for a whole minute before Caleb cleared his throat.

“Let’s eat. Fast.”

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt of Perfect Formation. For more information you can see the book page here, read some reviews, or the publisher’s page (including purchase and a different excerpt ) here. Take a look at the rest of the offerings for Excerpt Monday!

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

This is an excerpt from my latest release, Alpha Turned. You can see the books page on my site here, or at the publisher’s site. I hope you enjoy!

“Larry?” he answered, instead of saying hello.

She laughed. “Caller ID?”

“Yes. I’ve been afraid to be more than one ring away from this damn cell phone all day. I was worried about you. I know it’s difficult, having to deal with the separation anxiety while trying to come to terms with all of this. I wish I could make it better for you.” He sounded genuinely distressed and Hillary relaxed, knowing that she could love this man despite the fact that he was a werewolf, despite the fact that he was a strong, controlling Alpha. In this case, the wolf’s nature would aid her because he would find it very difficult to do anything but help and support her any way that she needed him. And she would do the same for him.

She didn’t try to explain her thinking to him, merely said, “I want to see you. I need to see you, but…I don’t think I’m ready for the whole pack, especially while I’m feeling so…torn. Like a part of me is missing and only you can put me all back together again.”

His strangled moan was muffled. “Baby, I’ll come to you, that’s not a problem, but I need you to be real clear on what you want from me when you see me, so that I don’t screw this up. Do you want me to bring Aaron and Tracy so you can ask us more questions? Get to know us better?”

“Hell no!” she blurted. “I can’t wait any longer, Zach, I need you. I’ll meet you back by that restaurant. There was a little B&B there, right? It’s off-season, so they should have a room for the weekend, right? Will you stay with me?”

The breathing on the other end of the line was harsh. “Honey, I think, it might be better not to be surrounded by humans. My cousin, Peter, has a cabin about fifteen miles east of there. It’s not super fancy or anything, but it’s fairly isolated. Because, Hillary, I just don’t think I’m going to be able to stay very quiet when I’m with you, at least not the first dozen times or so.”

Hillary’s breathing had sped up at the torment in Zach’s voice. She managed a whisper. “Okay, email me the directions. I’m going to pack. I’ll leave in an hour.” She hung up the phone before he could say anything else and went to shower.

Less than two hours later, Hillary pulled up to the cabin. The directions had been very specific, and she recognized the SUV in front of it. The door opened as she parked, and Zachary stood there waiting.

He seemed very tense as Hillary approached. She knew that he was being cautious, not wanting to make assumptions, not wanting to rush her. She walked up to him and kept going until she was fully against him, her face going naturally to the curve of his neck, his cock pressing gently into her stomach. She wrapped her hands around him and held on tight. His hands tried to pull her even closer, one arm around her shoulders, one settling possessively in the small of her back.

She took a deep breath, determined to be as honest with him as he had been with her. “Zach, I want this so badly, but I don’t know…I’m guess I’m afraid I’ll freeze up or hurt you…”

He squeezed her tight before moving one hand up to cradle her cheek. “Honey, the worst that could happen is that I have to run out and jump in the cold spring. Not a big deal. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not dying for you, but I’m already a hundred times better than I was an hour ago. As long as we’re together, and as long as we talk to each other, we’ll be fine, I swear.” His fingers sifted through her hair and he pulled her head back gently so that he could kiss her.

Hillary sank into the kiss, pushing away any thoughts, letting the incredible feelings be everything. His lips were soft against hers, teasing her with their fullness. She waited for him to give her his tongue, but he played with her, using only his lips and the occasional nip. Finally she remembered that she was an alpha bitch, she didn’t have to wait for him. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and was immediately rewarded by his groan of pleasure, by the tightening of his fingers in her hair and the grinding of his cock into her stomach. She smiled, interrupting the rhythm he had taken up, then pulled back.

His eyes were glassy and she knew a moment of deep satisfaction that this was her man, that she could do this to him just by being herself. She promised herself in that moment to try as hard as she could to remember who she was and what she had to offer, rather than remembering the victim she had been so long ago.

“Zach,” she said, as he continued to stare at her unblinkingly.

“Huh?” he asked, reaching his hand out to brush her lower lip with his thumb.

She darted her tongue out to lick her lips and taste his thumb, then stepped back. He jerked forward, nearly grabbing her before he caught himself.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going?” His eyes were a little bit wild now, no longer glassy.

She smiled gently at him, her breathing still coming hard and fast from just one kiss.

“I thought I would get my bag and that you might let me in,” she said, picking the bag up from the porch where she’d dropped it while they spoke.

He blinked then grimaced. “I’m sorry, baby, let me take that.” He took the bag and ushered her into the cabin.

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