Flanked (25 page)

Studs in Spurs, Book 4

Annie Grant is at the top of her game as an on-air interviewer for the pro bull-riders tour. In all those years standing within microphone range of thousands of sexy cowboys, she’s never been tempted…until now. Now that respected veteran Luke Carpenter is no longer with his longtime girlfriend, he’s back on the market. And Annie is buying.

Luke knows his days are numbered. Every year the rookies get younger, the bulls get ranker and, like it or not, the time is coming when he’ll be hanging up his spurs. After a sizzling hot night with Annie, he realizes that maybe this old dog can learn some new tricks. But quicker than a bull can spin, things get complicated.

A tragedy forces Luke into a no-win decision: hang onto the tail end of his career, or retire early for his family. Either way, he can live with his choice. Question is, can he live without Annie?

Warning: Contains knock-your-boots-off cowboy lovin, some up close and personal interviews of the oral persuasion, and a happy ending
…
cowboy style.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Hooked:

Would he leave now? She really didn’t want him to. “Um, I could make us some coffee, or decaf…” She swung her arm in the general direction of the bathroom where the machine was, as unappetizing as that juxtaposition was.

“Sure. That would be great.” Luke let the door swing shut.

Annie took the keycard he had handed her and dropped it onto the dresser along with her bag. The surface was a little messy but at least housekeeping had made the bed—the big king-sized bed. She yanked her gaze away from that and glanced guiltily at him, and noticed Luke was staring in the same direction she had been, at that big inviting mattress.

He turned to her and she could have sworn he blushed. “Annie…” He took one step closer, until he was directly in front of her, and then he stopped.

“Yes?”
Oh God. Don’t get too excited.

“I don’t really want any coffee.” His eyes focused on her intently.

What was he trying to say? He wanted to leave? Then why was he so close she could feel the warmth of his breath? “Oh. That’s fine. I know it’s late—”

He laughed. “No, that’s not it. I meant I didn’t come inside for coffee. I came inside because I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to you yet.”

She swallowed hard and forced herself to bring forth the sultry, smooth-talking woman that had to be somewhere inside her, buried deep. “Good. I’m not ready to say goodnight to you either.”

It wasn’t incredibly clever, but it was sincere, and she had delivered it in her best sexy television announcer voice. The one she used for auditions but rarely remembered to use on air.

“Good. I’m glad.” Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought his head dipped just a fraction of an inch lower. His gaze broke from hers, and then he shook his head. He let out a short laugh. “I’ve been out of this world too damn long.”

“What world?” Annie had trouble getting that question out since breathing seemed extra hard with Luke so close.

He brought his gaze back to hers. “The dating world.”

“Oh.” Tonight was a date? Her mouth went dry at the revelation. Good thing she hadn’t known that or she would have been even more awkward than she had been.

“You had asked about Lilly. Well, she and I have—
had
been together for a long time. Since right after she graduated high school.”

The last thing Annie had imagined doing in a hotel room with Luke Carpenter was standing by the door talking about his ex-girlfriend, but she had to admit what he’d just revealed was a fascinating tidbit of information.

“Really? Wow. That’s a long time.” A very long time for a man to date a woman and not get married. She didn’t say that last part out loud. There was obviously something that stopped them from getting married. What was that? His career, maybe?

“Yeah, I guess. What I’m saying is, it’s been a really long time since I’ve had to tell a girl—woman—how I feel. Or, you know, let her know I’m interested in her, um, you know…” He glanced at the bed then back to her.

Her eyes opened wide. “Physically.” The word slipped out, soft but definitely audible.

“Yeah. Physically.” He looked relieved she’d supplied the word for him.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, what the hell. She might as well go for it.

“Are you saying you’re…interested?” Annie swallowed hard and waited for the answer.

He let out his breath in a short burst of air. “Oh God, yes.”

Luke took his hat off. He worked the rim in his hands, spinning it round and round. He kind of looked like a little boy waiting for permission to do something. This was so not how she pictured this night going. Talking about sex was…strange. Like they were negotiating contracts.

It must be the gentleman in Luke that had him checking with her before he made a move. The few men she’d dated back home in the off-season hadn’t been like this. Actually, as she thought about them—fumbling to kiss her goodnight, slobbering on her whether she turned her cheek to avoid their lips or not—the negotiations she was currently in with Luke were far preferable. Especially if they led to the outcome she wanted. Him in her bed.

As long as they were talking things out first, she might as well get all her anxieties out on the table. He’d already alleviated one fear—it was pretty obvious he hadn’t been sleeping around since his breakup, or he’d be better at this. That helped her insecurities. At least she wouldn’t be competing against some twenty-year-old he’d been with last night, or last week, or whatever. But there was still one more thing weighing on her mind.

“We need to make a deal.”

His hat stopped slowly rotating in his grasp. “What’s that?”

“Whatever happens between us now, or even afterwards, won’t affect our professional relationship.” Now that she thought about it that was a lot to ask of both of them. Sex changed things. Hell, just this little talk would change things between them, whether they did it or not. She glanced up at him. “Do you think we’ll be able to do that?”

He nodded solemnly. “I do.”

She wasn’t so sure, but she wanted this man too much to worry about it any further. With the knowledge that she would very likely regret this when she was able to think again, she nodded. “Okay, then.”

His brows rose. “So that means…”

“It means you might want to put down that hat and take off those boots.” She smiled at his reaction.

“Yes, ma’am.” His excitement was nearly tangible as he tossed his hat onto the dresser and then turned back to her. “As soon as I do one other thing first.”

“What?” Was there a quaver in her voice as Luke’s head dipped lower toward hers?

“This.” That one word was spoken just shy of her lips, then Luke was kissing her.

She couldn’t say he kissed her breathless because she was having trouble breathing to begin with.

Their love never died, but her secrets could break his trust beyond repair.

Texas Two Step

© 2012 Cynthia D’Alba

Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1

After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landry is ready to admit he was wrong. He’d loved Olivia Montgomery but commitment wasn’t high on his list back then. That was his first mistake. He’s just divorced his second, and he’s set to do whatever it takes to convince Olivia to give him another try.

Through hard work, determination and more than a few tears, Olivia survived the break-up with Mitch. She’s rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves more than life itself. She’s not proud of the mistakes she’s made—particularly the secrets she’s kept—but when life hands you manure, you use it to make something better of yourself…lest you get stuck in it.

At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect. Olivia’s first instinct is to play it cool, but after one devastating kiss things flare real out of control, real fast. Maybe a quick roll in the hay will get him out of her system once and for all. Funny thing about hay though, once it’s tangled in your hair, getting it out risks revealing things that were never meant to see the light of day. 

Warning: Contains hot sex, a vindictive ex-wife and hot chocolate-chip cookies.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Texas Two Step:

He kissed her and the world stopped revolving. She swayed into him. Ran her fingers into his thick, wavy hair. Stroked his tongue with hers. Tasted the champagne inside of his mouth. Sucked gently on his tongue. Soaked him up like an arid desert in an unexpected rainstorm.

Olivia could have blamed the dim lights, or the romantic setting, or even Mitch’s raw animal magnetism for her response to his kiss. Instead, she admitted she wanted this night, this man, his touch, his kiss. All of her fantasies started this way.

Could reality be as good as her imagination?

What would it be like to be with him again? Make love with him again?

There was curiosity, but that wasn’t what was driving her response to his kiss. Desire ran rampant through her veins. A soul-deep lust consumed her.

Their love story was history, so she’d waste no time planning a future that would never come. She’d take what he offered, take what she wanted. Here and now, not a future. Tonight was all there was. She’d not walk away from his arms until she’d gotten what she needed.

Mitch’s mouth scorched her lips as he took her mouth with a rough passion that left no doubt of his intentions. He pulled the pins holding her chignon and threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.

Returning his kiss with a fervor matching his, she allowed the all-consuming yearning to fill her. The desire to touch him, be close to him, make love with him overwhelmed her.

She flattened her hands against his chest. His heat seared through the shirt’s material and burned into her flesh. She stroked hard muscles sculpted from years of physical labor. His nipples stiffened to her caress. The soft cotton of his shirt teased the nerve endings in her palms.

He leaned his huge body over her and cupped her breast in his work-roughened hand. He squeezed and flicked her now distended nipple.

Ripples of sexual longing echoed through her. She moaned into his mouth and, arching her back, pressed her breast firmly into his palm, wordlessly begging for more.

Mitch gave her what she wanted, fondling and stroking her breasts until she wanted to rip her clothes off. She groaned, burning with a frantic desperation to feel skin against skin.

Olivia slipped the buttons on his shirt through the holes with ease. She separated the shirt’s edges until she could feel the crinkle of his chest hair and the direct hot flesh of his chest beneath her hands.

The tantalizing scent of Mitch filled her nose. She’d probably smelled the same cologne on other men, but the cologne’s interaction with Mitch’s body chemistry produced a bouquet unlike any other on Earth. She lowered her head to his chest, first kissing then flicking her tongue on his turgid nipple before wrapping her lips around it. His skin was a dichotomy. Sweet and salty. Dangerous and comforting. Past and present.

There’d be no turning back for her now. She’d had a sample of her addiction, and she had to have more.

When she sucked his nipple between her lips, he groaned and slid his hand under the hem of her dress. Her abdominal muscles danced and jerked when his thick fingers touched her inner thigh.

He stroked fingers along the inside of her thigh, the silk of her stockings tickling and enflaming her flesh at the same time. “Your silk stockings drive me wild,” he said, nibbling along her chin. “Your skin was always silky and smooth. I love to touch you. I’ve always loved to touch you. I loved the way you moaned and twisted at my touch. The way your eyes would glaze over when I stroked you.” His hand moved higher, stopping at the top of the stocking. “But tonight, I want—no, need—to see you in these stockings. These stockings, my necklace and nothing else.” His voice was coarse and guttural and harsh.

Olivia quivered at his words. Emotional fires she’d suppressed since finding out she was pregnant with Adam flared. She’d believed them stomped out and dead. She’d been wrong. She was dry tinder to his lit match.

He stood, took her hand, pulled her to standing.

Her legs were weak and rubbery, threatening to collapse under his relentless assault.

Gazing intensely into her eyes, he said, “I want you. I want to be deep inside you. If you want to stop, say it now, because in a minute I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

He waited. Gave her time to say no. Gave her time for rationality to return.

But she didn’t want rational thoughts. Didn’t want to think about tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. Didn’t want to let go of all the sensations surging through her.

She’d made up her mind when she’d unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. For her, there was no going back.

She shook her head. “Don’t stop. Please.”

Flanked

Cat Johnson

It’s the perfect plan…until the ties that bind reach into their hearts.

Studs in Spurs, Book 5

Garret James doesn’t need a woman tying him down. Not when the number of buckle bunny notches on his belt—and his position in the pro bull rider standing—are both on the rise. Just when he learns he’s this close to blowing out his bad shoulder, Silver Jordan roars into his life, long, leather-clad legs straddling her Harley. Hell, he might not mind being tied to one woman, if that one woman was her. There's one problem—she’s his friend’s sister. But once their eyes lock, resistance is futile.

Then Silver offers him a smoking-hot deal. He gets the hottest sex of his life and access to her health insurance for his career-saving surgery—all wrapped up in a marriage of convenience. In exchange, she gets her parents off her back about her reluctance to follow their marriage-and-kids roadmap.