Grace Parker's new boss is a sadist. Wealthy, gorgeous,
intimidating, and cocky. A man she
should run away from. Virginal Grace
Parker isn’t the kind of woman Dimitri Valentine likes to seduce into his world
of dark passions. But what started out as a game soon turns into the challenge
of his life as Grace refuses to submit to his will.
Determined to have her surrender, seducing the innocent
beauty becomes his obsession. Grace has other ideas. Self-labeled as asexual, Grace has no desire
to become the next pawn in his parade of broken hearts. Tempting her with
deviant pleasures of the flesh, it becomes a battle of wills. The only question
in the end, is who is surrendering to who?
Valentine – Sometimes love hurts so good.
Prologue
The sound of the door
closing makes me tense. He’s here. Where else would he be? It’s his house. This was probably the biggest mistake of my
life. He doesn’t speak, simply walks away, and I have two choices. I can either follow or leave and never look
back. The latter would be smarter. I take the foolish route. He leads me to the center of a breathtaking
room that has me glancing around in wonder and awe.
“Kneel.”
I don’t question why, I listen.
Before I know it, I’m paying homage on the cool marble floor, hands
behind my back with my fingers intertwined.
My stomach clenches as I hear his footsteps moving closer. My eyes close
as I fight for the strength to ignore my fears.
A part of me wants to stand up and run
from the room. I’m fully dressed but
I’ve never felt so vulnerable in my life.
Without warning he covers my eyes with a blindfold, taking away my
option to open them for assurance.
Without my sense of sight, my other senses take prominence. The smell of his cologne, the faintest hint
of his movement, the longing for even the slightest touch. My heart is racing, and I can’t catch my
breath.
“Stand.”
The strength in that single spoken word makes me tremble as I find my
feet. I know the beauty of the man that
gave the directive. Even in my fear, I imagine the pleasure of having his long
fingers trace down my cheek again. It
was the only touch I’d had from him, but tonight that could change.
“Take
off your shirt.” I startle as his deep,
hypnotic voice gives me the order, yet there’s no hesitation in my
movements. Removing that barrier gives
him more power, and I offer it willingly.
The inherent shyness I feel is pushed aside for his pleasure. My fingers
fumble as I pull it over my head,
casting aside my doubts along with the material.
“Your
bra as well.” I can feel the heat of his
breath whispering into my ear, telling me he’s standing right behind me. My
nervousness intensifies. Reaching back,
I undo the clasp and force my fingers to work both the straps off my
shoulders. It falls to the ground.
“Turn.” A part of me wants to refuse out of modesty,
no man has seen me this way before. My
body doesn’t hesitate though. Lowering
my head in embarrassment at revealing myself, I search for inner strength.
“Chin
up.” He’s disappointed in my
weakness. Quickly, I do as he asks,
wetting my dry lips with the tip of my tongue. Refusing to cower from my
nudity, was a lesson I needed to learn.
“Good. Now the skirt.”
His praise spreads warmth through my body,
while his command demands more. I want to beg for a reprieve, a moment to
gather my thoughts. I know it will disappoint him, so I continue. Sliding the
zipper down on my skirt slowly, I allow it to slip down my shaking legs, and
step out carefully. Standing before him
in only three-inch heels and a lacy thong, I’d never felt so bare.
“Pinch your nipples.” The request startles me, and for a moment, I
hesitate. “Now.” He didn’t raise his voice instead he lowered it, yet my
fingers flew to do his bidding. The deep
baritone of his tone speaks to my senses in a way that defies reasoning.
My
breasts feel heavy, and my breathing becomes labored. Warring emotions of fear and excitement
battle inside, and I don’t know which is more prominent. Shifting my weight as
the wetness pooling between my legs grows uncomfortable, I realize my concerns
no longer matter. This turned me on. He
spoke to some hidden part of myself that had been locked away. I couldn’t comprehend why I wanted to belong
to this man who was still a stranger to me.
My body understood.
I
heard his movements as he stepped behind me, then felt the warmth of his breath
in my ear as he spoke again. “Is this
still what you want?” My mouth was so dry I wasn’t sure I could speak.
Physically I wanted this with every fiber of my being, mentally I was afraid
and wondering what I’d gotten myself into.
Those
beautiful fingers grazed my cheek lightly as I hesitated to speak and without
explanation, I whimpered. How was it
possible to ache for a touch so desperately?
The hold he had on me was terrifying.
So why was I putting myself through this? I knew the answer. No man had kindled the fire in my soul the
way he did. “Yes.” There could be no
other reply but that one.
“Panties
off. Then kneel.” The demand was given softly, with a sensual drawl that made
me come alive in ways I’d never fathomed.
His hand gently fell to the top of my head and he caressed my hair. I
was instantly enthralled. When he
removed that contact I felt bereft. “I
will own you.”
Chapter One
Seduction
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Lina might be my best friend, but she was blackmailing me in the worst possible
way. Maybe that was being a little
dramatic, but not by much. I called off
one Saturday night and made a promise to do anything if she’d cover for
me. That led me to this insanity we were
about to walk into.
Her laugh was filled with retaliation and I
made a mental promise to get even with her later. “Stop being such a prude. It’s not like I’m
asking you to get naked and let some man spank you. Although.”
Her words trailed off and I slapped her arm playfully.
“Don’t
even think about it. You and your weird
kinky tendencies are lucky I’m even walking through the door of this
place.” I loved her, but I had no idea
how she got off on being someone’s punching bag. The thought of some man spanking me made me
want to throw up. For that matter, even
thinking of a guy touching me without spanking made me nauseated.
“There’s
nothing wrong with a little kink in life.
Just because you’re afraid of sex, don’t go knocking how I get my
kicks.” If we hadn’t been best friends forever
I’d have thought I insulted her, but her grin said otherwise. Lina didn’t give a damn what anyone
thought. One of the many reasons I loved
her.
“I’m
not afraid of sex, I just have no desire to do it.” In my teenage years I’d worried something was
wrong with me, because all my friends were screwing around. I labeled myself as asexual after high school
and the issue didn’t bother me.
Much. Physically I was in perfect
shape and mentally I hadn’t suffered any type of abuse that could make me the
way I was. I simply wasn’t interested in sex.
“Whatever. Someday, a guy, or hell maybe a girl is going
to rock your world and you’ll never be the same again.” Lina believed what she was saying, and who
was I to say she wasn’t right? You’d
think at twenty-two if that was going to happen it already would have, though.
“You
can psychoanalyze me later. If we’re
doing this, I want to get it over with.”
We were both seniors in college, soon to graduate. She was majoring in psychology and I was
studying forensic science. This wasn’t
the first time we’d had this conversation, and I think she considered me her
pet project. The problem was I didn’t
need fixing. I was perfectly happy being
who I am.
“So
eager to dwell in my debauchery, are you?”
She was laughing again as we got out of the car and walked to the large
brownstone before us. I’d never visited
her BDSM club, but I knew it would be like pulling teeth seeing all the
disgusting acts going on in there. She’d
described them in detail every weekend when she returned to the dorm. It didn’t matter that I had no interest in
the subject.
The
outside didn’t look like the porno shop I’d expected. This place could have been a library it was
so ordinary. Lina had tried to get me to
come with her for years, and I’d always turned her down. Leave it to her to use the excuse of her
working for me one night to make this the payback. We both worked full time at our school
bookstore to cover what our scholarships wouldn’t pay on tuition. “Remind me to
never get sick again.”
We
approached the front door, and a huge man with bulging biceps in a black
t-shirt smiled at Lina. “Good to see
you, girl.” His wide smile made him seem
less intimidating than his size and when she smiled back and gave a wink, I
assumed they were on good terms.
“Did
you miss me?” Lina’s hand rested on one of his large arms, and there was no
denying the lust in his eyes. She was a
beautiful woman and had the confidence to prove it. It was so strange to me that she considered
herself submissive, when I’d never seen her back down from anyone.
“You
know it. Who’s your friend?” Opening the
door for us, we walked inside the deserted foyer. The man’s attention turned to
me and my face immediately heated. I
hated being the center of attention, so I looked down to break his gaze. People in general made me nervous, but that
was a problem I was working on. I knew dealing with people would be part of my
job when I graduated and was determined to succeed.
“My
best friend, Grace. She’s here to be my
cheerleader tonight.” Lina wrapped her
arm in mine and I was happy for the security blanket. She could be a good friend, sometimes. “This is Tommy. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, he’ll make
sure you’re okay.”
“Nice
to meet you.” I mumbled the words softly
under my breath.
“You
too. I need to see some ID.” I didn’t hesitate in pulling out my driver’s
license and handing it over. “Had to
make sure you’re legal.” He smiled and handed it back.
I
wasn’t offended. At barely five feet,
I’d been told many time I still looked like a teenager. I was only a hundred pounds, because I
couldn’t gain weight, which didn’t help me look my age either. He pulled out a piece of paper from
underneath the counter. “You have to
sign this to enter.”
I
looked at the form, then at Lina in confusion. “It says you will never talk
about anything that goes on behind these walls.” I took the pen Tommy held out and scribbled
my name on it. I was thinking there was
no way in hell I’d tell anyone I visited this place, much less discuss who did
what here.
Lina
pulled me down the long, carpeted hallway and waved to Tommy. My eyes were
riveted on the décor around us. For a
club, this seemed very high scale and not what I’d been expecting. Crystal sconces lined the walls, and dark,
ruby-red carpeting ended at a set of huge, wooden doors.
“Get
ready to have your world turned upside down.”
Lina’s cheerful tone made me worry, and when she opened the door, I knew
I was right to feel that way.
The
room we entered was the size of half a football field and there were half-naked
people attached to all kinds of weird furniture. My soft gasp made Lina laugh as she pulled me
deeper into the chaos. Moans of pleasure
and pain echoed off the walls, and my widening eyes took in all the scenery.
I’m
not sure what I thought I’d see, but people being whipped, paddled, and even
tortured with a cane was so far out of my comfort zone, I was stunned. That was only on one side of the room. On the other, people were playing with fire
and medical equipment in ways that no hospital would ever allow. I was curious and disgusted at the same
time. There was one thing obviously
clear. I didn’t belong in this place!
“You
let people do this stuff to you?” Seeing
it and hearing about were two different things.
I couldn’t believe Lina would let herself be involved in scenes like
this.
“Certain
people, and don’t judge so quickly.
There’s great pleasure in submitting to pain this way.” My mouth fell open as she led us over to a
couple placing needles underneath a bound man’s skin. Granted the sticks weren’t that deep but it
didn’t look pleasurable to me.
“This
is too much.” I turned away from that
scene and watched a man bring a whip across a woman’s back while she was hooked
to something that resembled a cross. Her
moans of pleasure were at odds with the object falling on her flesh and I
wondered how it made her feel good when it looked rather painful.
“It’s
called a flogger. It feels like a heavy
pressure against your back when it lands.”
So, the whips had different names.
That was knowledge I’d never need, but it wasn’t as sickening as the
needles, so I watched curiously.
“Do
you want to try it out?” Lina had lost her mind asking me a question like that
and I turned to her in wide-eyed shock.
“Uh.
No, I’ll pass.” The woman had her shirt
off and her breasts were seen by everyone in the room. While I might be curious about the pain
pleasure aspect of what they were doing, I had no desire to be the one
receiving it.
“I
can’t believe he’s here.” Lina’s voice
was laced with excitement and I followed her eyes to the back of the room where
a large stage was placed. Sitting in a
high-backed chair, was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
“Who’s
that?” Trying to keep the interest out of my voice, my eyes locked onto him and
I wasn’t blind. He was the persona of masculine beauty. Long legs, encased in black slacks, moved up
to a white shirt with rolled up sleeves showing off arms of a man that worked
out but not sickeningly muscled. His
long fingers tapped on one side of the chairs arm, almost methodically, as a
woman began undressing before him.
“Dmitri
Valentine.” Lina’s voice was filled with
breathless anticipation, and why wouldn’t it be. The man’s face was startlingly handsome, with
a strong jaw and full lips that were currently lifted slightly in a smirk. “That’s one man I’d kneel before any day of
the week, but so would any other woman here.”
The despondence in her voice shocked me.
If there was one thing I knew about my best friend, it was that men
didn’t turn her down.
When his eyes lifted to mine, I quickly
turned my head away in embarrassment.
The last thing I wanted to do was be caught ogling the handsome pervert. “You mean you haven’t worked your charms on
him yet?” I felt my stomach clench
nervously at the strange feelings he brought out in me. It made me confused.
“He’s
out of my league.” Lina being humble was
a new one for me. Sure, the man was
devastatingly gorgeous, but she was beautiful and a catch any man would love to
have. He was an idiot if he didn’t think
so.
I
wanted to look at him again, but I refused.
“I call bullshit? I thought you
wrote the book on seducing men.” I suddenly felt the need to babble, and
usually I was a quiet person. “Maybe we
should leave?” The desire to catch his
eyes again was almost overwhelming, and I’d never felt that way about anyone.
“What’s
wrong?” Lina’s concern was immediate,
and I didn’t want her to know that I found him attractive. Balling my hands into fists, I turned away
from the temptation, ignoring her question.
“Has someone finally caught your eye?” Her gasp was warranted, but I
didn’t like that she’d read my interest.
“Dmitri?” Her soft laugh wasn’t helping my confused mind and I bristled.
“I
really want to leave.” I’d walked
through the door, and our deal was done.
For my peace of mind, I needed to escape. It had to be the deviance of this place
making me feel these things. I’d seen
hundreds of gorgeous men and not one of them had turned my head.
“Fine. As soon as you tell me why you’re running
away.” Lina’s face was filled with
delight, and I wanted to scream at her to back off but knew she wouldn’t let it
go.
“Okay. Fine.
I find him attractive. Now, can
we go?” It was just this environment.
Once we left I’d never think about the handsome stranger again.
“Of
all the people.” Lina was shaking her
head. “Before I take you out of here,
you might want to turn around.” Her
voice had lowered to a whisper and a sense of foreboding overcame me. The last thing I wanted to do was look back
at the man, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
Before
I could talk myself out of it, I turned and saw the man that proved I wasn’t as
asexual as I thought, moving toward us.
My heart raced in my chest, and I couldn’t lower my eyes, no matter how
badly I wanted to. His dark blue gaze
held me in place and seemed to reach inside my soul, uncovering all my secret
thoughts.
“Evening.” The sultry tone of his voice made my knees
shake and I couldn’t utter a single word.
My mouth opened but nothing came out. Biting my lip hard, I felt frozen
in place and the world as I knew it ceased to exist.
“She’s
a little shy.” Lina’s voice trembled in
awe, and I had the bizarre thought that he was some kind of sorcerer. I knew that was fantasy, but he had a
magnetic pull that couldn’t be denied.
“Lina,
correct?” He only spoke a few words, but
his eyes held a depth that spoke of intelligence and strength. He spoke to my friend while never looking
away from me.
“Yes,
sir.” The title of respect seemed to fit
him, and I was staring like some lovesick teenager. “This is Grace.”
“Yes,
she is.” I wanted to break the spell he
had over me, but he lifted my hand so quickly that I gasped and when his lips
landed on the top, I felt a surge of electricity move through me that made me
whimper. Never in my life had I felt so
out of control.
“Where’s
the restroom?” I forced myself to break
eye contact and pulled my hand from his in self-preservation. I was terrified
of this spell he’d woven, and my fight or flight instinct took over.
An
amused smirk found his lips, and I was so embarrassed my face flushed
hotly. “Running away already, little
beauty?” Mortified at being read so
easily, I nodded.
“Yes.
No. I’m sorry. I can’t talk to you.” Turning away, I walked hastily back toward
the exit, leaving Lina behind in my need to escape. Walking out the huge wooden door, I collided
into the big bouncer’s chest.
“Everything
okay there, sweetheart.” Tommy looked at
me with concern, and any other time I would have been nervous about talking to
a strange man but for some reason I was craving comfort. My eyes filled with
tears.
The
confusion was so profound that my emotions couldn’t handle the odd
meeting. Shaking my head, no, I moved
toward the exit, struggling to open the door.
I didn’t consider myself an emotional person before that moment and all
these feelings flooding through me all at once, were too much.
“If
someone is bothering you, tell me who it is, and I’ll straighten this
out.” The sympathy left his eyes and
strength took its place. He looked ready
to handle anything.
“It’s nothing.
I was a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”
I didn’t want this man defending me when there was nothing to defend. Taking several deep breaths, I pulled myself
together and realized how crazy I was acting.
“Would you mind getting my friend though, I’m ready to leave.”
Where
was Lina? She had plenty of time to make
her way out here and I was pissed that she hadn’t already come. She was the strong one, and as much as I
didn’t like admitting it, fought my battles for me. Her deserting me now was almost treason to
our friendship. Crossing my arms over my chest, I hugged myself tightly trying
to stop myself from shivering.
“Sure. Will you be okay here by yourself?” The concern was back in his eyes, and I felt
bad for causing him worry.
“Seriously,
I’m fine. Like I said, just a little
overwhelmed. My first time in a place
like this.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, the
club was shocking, but that wasn’t why I needed to leave so fast.
Recognition
filled his face and he grinned. “That’s okay.
The first time I saw some of this shit I was freaked out too.” I couldn’t imagine the big biker looking man
being afraid of anything, but it was nice of him to say that. He smiled before
walking into the chaos I’d just come from.
Alone
in the hall, I was able to get my confusing emotions in check. Without the gorgeous stranger here making me
feel like I was losing my mind, I realized how badly I’d overreacted. Thankfully, I’d never have to see him
again. A million excuses for my actions
flittered through my mind: the almost
sex going on in the other room, the fact that I’d just finished some brutal
final exams, and that I’d been living off four hours sleep a night for the last
semester. All valid excuses, that would
make anyone a little on edge.
Tommy
returned with Lina on his arm, and I glared at her with the anger I felt. She held her hands up in self-defense. “Valentine wanted to talk, and you don’t just
ignore that man.” She didn’t look
apologetic at all. In fact, she looked
happy. Maybe he’d finally realized what
a beauty she was. For the first time in
our friendship I was jealous.
“Whatever. Can we leave now.” I needed to get back to the dorms and forget
I’d ever visited here. If my best friend
and the sexy stranger planned a hookup later, then so be it. Even thinking that thought was like a punch
in the gut and I wanted to put as much space between me and this place as
possible.
“See
you tomorrow night, Tommy.” She reached
up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek and his answering smile was wide.
“Looking
forward to it. Nice to meet you,
Grace.” He winked at me and I forced a
smile back not wanting to be rude.
Finally, we were walking back to the safety of my car.
I
slid in behind the steering wheel, and Lina buckled her seatbelt before
speaking. “He wants to meet you.” Her words made my fingers stop mid-air from
placing the key in the ignition. My
heart raced in my chest and my hands begin to tremble.
“Because
the first time went so well?” I didn’t even attempt to deny I knew who she
meant and reverted to the sarcasm that was a crutch when I felt uncomfortable.
“Maybe
he has a thing for awkward turtles?”
Lina’s voice was laced with humor, and normally I would have laughed at the
title. It was what I always called
myself. Tonight, it wasn’t funny.
I
wouldn’t consider meeting with the enigmatic man again, and that was the end of
it. “Whatever he has a thing for, it
won’t be me. Let’s drop it.” I slipped the key inside and turned the car
over. All I wanted was to put some
distance between me and the biggest humiliation of my life.
“It’s
your call. He gave me his card if you
want the number, though.” She pressed
the button for the glove compartment and waggled it temptingly before putting
it in. It would’ve been childish to ask
her to toss it out the window, so I didn’t say a word. We drove back to the dorms in companionable
silence and I was determined to forget I’d ever met Dmitri Valentine.
“Have
you decided if you’re going to stay on for your Masters?” I needed a change of subject and since we’d
be graduating in a few weeks it seemed like a safer topic. She’d been bouncing
back and forth about finding a job in the field and taking up her education
further later, but still hadn’t made plans.
“I
am. But I have no intention of remaining
in the dorms, so if you’re still interested in looking at apartments this
summer, I’m game.” I felt relieved because I was worrying about making ends
meet without us working together. New York was expensive as hell.
“Definitely!
I plan on putting in applications everywhere now that classes are over.” We still had to wait for our grades from the
finals, but I didn’t have any concerns there.
My grade point average had never slipped below a 3.5.
“I’ll
be able to keep my job here if I continue taking classes. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is almost
useless on its own.” We’d talked about
that many times, but Lina felt it was her calling and didn’t want to change
major.
“I
hope I can find something quick.” I had
some money put back, but with the insane cost of living it wouldn’t last
long.
“Any
company would be crazy not to hire you.
You know more than the professors teaching the classes.” I could have denied that, but it was
true. Math and science came as natural
to me as breathing. My mother was still
disappointed that I wasn’t becoming a doctor.
“I
have no experience in the field though.
I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
The truth was I had no idea what I’d do if I didn’t get a job in my
field. The idea of returning to mother’s
apartment if I failed wasn’t an option.
I loved her, but her string of affairs since my father divorced her? It
would drive me nuts if I had to see her with random men.
We
pulled into the parking lot and made our way into the dorm building. It was still early for a Friday night, so
thankfully, most of the partiers were still out enjoying their fun. Lina and I shared our apartment with two
other girls that were pretty good as far as roommates go. Darcy and Jennie were lovers, and pretty much
kept to themselves. Well, as much as you
can in the small space we occupied.
I
opened the refrigerator when we entered and pulled out a bottle of cheap peach
wine and held it up. “Are you drinking
with me?”
“I’ll
have a glass. When we’re raking in the
big bucks we’ll have the good stuff.” I
was happy drinking the cheap knockoff wine, but I nodded. Pulling two glasses down out of the cabinet I
poured us a healthy dose and handed her one.
“To
making all our dreams come true.” I
lifted my glass with a smile for a toast and she touched her rim to mine. I
didn’t want to think about the man I’d met tonight, but as I sipped the sweet
concoction, I wondered what kind of wine he liked. The second I had that thought I pushed it
away.
“So,
what did you think about the club, really?”
We’d walked into the common area and sat on our lumpy sofa.
I
turned the television on to the nightly news and wished we could steer the
conversation away from anything that reminded me of him. “It wasn’t my thing. But you knew it wouldn’t be.” I was hoping she’d let it drop. I was
disappointed.
“I know the thing with Valentine freaked you
out, but what if it was a sign?” She wasn’t letting it go and I sighed
deeply. We’d always been honest with
each other and as much as I didn’t want to encourage her to speak about
tonight, I wasn’t changing that.
“I’ve
never seen anything like that before, and I’m sure that’s the only reason he
caught my attention. I mean, sure, he’s
good looking, but come on. Can you
really see me letting some man tie me up and fuck me senseless?” I shook my head and smiled, but maybe she was
right?
“You
probably won’t believe me but it’s not all about sex. It feels good to let go and let some guy
worry about everything. Sometimes when
I’m getting flogged, I feel like I step outside myself and all the stress I was
feeling before slips away. It’s kind of
relaxing.”
“So,
you don’t screw them?” Maybe I’d read
that lifestyle choice wrong, because I always assumed it was about kinky sex.
“Not
all of them, no. I’m not a whore,
Grace.” She chuckled softly. “I’ve played around with plenty of men at the
club and never had sex with them. The
only ones I’ve had sex with were ones that I tried to have a relationship with.”
“I
would never call you a whore. What you
do with your body is your right as a woman.” I believed that. “As long as you’re both being safe it
doesn’t matter.” I sipped on my wine and
thought about what she was saying. “You
get off that way. I mean with a guy
hitting you?”
“You
make it sound like they abuse me.” Her smile is wide as she continues. “We talk about what we’re going to do in a
scene, and if I don’t like where it’s leading, I safe word out.” I remembered
her talking about safe words before but had never put them into context until
tonight.
“What
if they don’t stop? I mean, if the guy
has you tied up, he could decide to keep going no matter what you say.” To me, it was incredibly dangerous to play
around like that and I constantly worried about her well-being.
“That’s
why I play at the club. With men like
Valentine around, no one is going to deny a safe word.” Just hearing his name made me shiver. For a person who considered herself asexual,
he certainly made me want things I’d never contemplated before. “I’ve seen people thrown out for annoying a
person at the club.”
“I
guess when you put it that way, it does seem safer to be around other
people.” Resting my head back on the
couch, I closed my eyes and his face came to mind. I wondered what it would
feel like to have him controlling me that way.
It sent a warm surge of pleasure down to my abdomen and I gasped,
opening my eyes again.
“You
should call him.” She knew me better
than anyone, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that my thoughts were
transparent.
“I
can’t.” Shaking my head, I downed the
rest of my wine and went back into the kitchen for a refill. “The last thing I need to worry about right
now is my sexuality. I’ve got less than
two months to find a job and we need a new place to live.” It was an excuse but
one that was true at the same time.
Security was more important than some feelings for a guy who would
probably not be interested once he got to know me.
“Don’t
remind me. The thought of packing again
makes me want to stay here forever.” I
was glad her mind was back on our dilemma.
“I’ll shut up about this if you promise you’ll come back to the club
with me after we’re settled in our new place.”
Did
I really want to put myself through that again?
Shockingly, I decided I did.
Maybe there was some truth in what she was saying. Not with the sexy Valentine, but this BDSM
thing might be something that tempted me if I gave myself a chance to explore. I didn’t consider myself a coward.
“Okay.”
I wasn’t sure who I shocked more as her eyes widened at my agreement.
“I’m impressed.” She
finished off her wine and said she was calling it a night. I waved her off as I returned to my wine and
finished watching the news. Back in my
bed half an hour later, a gorgeous Valentine wouldn’t leave my thoughts.
Michelle Hughes is an American author who writes sensual romance and paranormal fiction. Hughes was formerly a country singer/songwriter and toured with a national satellite talent showcase. Recently, she was awarded a Kindle Press contract for her western romance, Cowboy Sanctuary. Other books in her library are: Fantasy’s Bar & Grill series, Tears of Crimson series, Sin, Rude, and the You Don’t Know Jack series. Hughes lives in Alabama with her husband and five children.
Find out more by visiting www.tearsofcrimson.com
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