Mastered: Ten Tales of Sensual Surrender (28 page)

Sensing something amiss, he stopped. Jacob stood just past him on the left side of the hall, watching him with an amused look. The servant had obviously moved out of his way rather than be plowed over. “Good thing it wasn’t my Mistress again,” he said. “She’d have strapped you down and used you as a carpet runner for a week to reinforce the lesson.”

“I’m sure you would have gone out and stepped in dog shit just for the pleasure of tracking it across my body.”

“My lord, I hadn’t thought of it. But thank you for planting the suggestion.” Jacob grinned, but then a more serious look came to his eye. “My lady has a friendship with Butch Dorn. He called and gave a detailed account of your visit last week.”

“Yes, it was productive. I think the data will be useful.”

“I expect it will.”

From the spark in Jacob’s blue eyes, Brian wondered what Butch had shared during that phone conversation. God knew he’d made some pretty bold assumptions that night which might or might not be supported by Lady Lyssa. As Graham had guessed, he’d bluffed. With great determination.

Brian braced himself, but Jacob merely nodded and resumed his course. After a thoughtful moment, Brian did the same. He’d almost reached the opposite end of the corridor before he heard the servant call to him again.

“My lord?”

Brian glanced back at him. Jacob cocked his head. “Going toe-to-toe with a vampire four times your age, you won’t be called a nerd anymore. Except by Gideon.”

“One day I will put
his
head through a wall," Brian retorted. “Right next to yours.”

“My lady is far more likely to do that first.” Jacob flashed a grin. "Give my regards to Debra. I saw her yesterday and she looked happier than I’ve ever seen her. No doubt because she’s back here, where I can bring her cookies.”

“Keep your cookies to yourself,” Brian advised, and Jacob’s grin grew wider. The servant turned, headed up the hallway once more.

“She likes sugar cookies best,” he called over his shoulder. “The cook just made a fresh batch. Maybe you could swing by there on the way to the lab.”

Brian shook his head, but he only took two steps toward his original destination before he changed direction toward the kitchen. He was already anticipating Debra taking pieces of that cookie from his fingers, kissing lips frosted with sugar…

His servant had brought sweetness to his life in ways he hadn’t anticipated. He fully intended to return the favor.

Like Joey W. Hill’s vampire world? Here’s a taste of the first book of the
Vampire Queen series
,
The Vampire Queen’s Servant
(Jacob and Lyssa’s story):

Lyssa wanted a meal. Preferably something muscular, a man whose long, powerful body would serve her well as she took his blood. She would hold him down, drink her fill and ride him hard. Take him deep, making him give up his rich blood and hot seed to her body at the same time. She’d push him to exhaustion, beyond rational thought. All those wonderful muscles would be taut and slick as he pounded into her with single-minded urgency, his most primitive instincts making him into a fierce, beautiful rutting animal.

Just imagining it made heat shimmer over her skin. As she gazed out the window from the shadows of the backseat of her limo, her lips parted, her tongue caressing the backside of her fangs as if she could already taste him.

For months she’d made herself take blood functionally, letting it nourish her the way freeze-dried packets would keep a lost camper alive. But like most vampires, her desire for blood was intertwined with her need to dominate her victim sexually. Without that, the blood had no taste. No vitality.

She missed taking alpha males. She enjoyed the fight, their resistance, the sweet taste of heated blood. The perception, if only for a moment, that the hunt would be a challenge. A vampire didn’t survive by being ruled by her compulsions, any more than a woman survived by being consumed by her most private desires. But tonight she needed release, and she was feeling reckless enough not to care about the consequences to her fragile heart.

Her nails were just the beginning. A manicure, then a man.

It irritated her that the car in the deserted parking lot of the salon was not Max’s. Maybe her manicurist had experienced car trouble and borrowed someone else’s vehicle. Still, it set off alarm bells in Lyssa’s head. But since her limo was an evening’s rental while she stayed in Atlanta, she couldn’t very well ask the driver to scope out the area for signs of rival vampires. Of course, if she’d had a marked human servant, he could have performed the task for her.

She studied her nails by the light thrown into the car from the parking lot lamps. Hellhound that he was, her Irish wolfhound Bran had torn one when she was indulging his incessant need for attention. It had grown back to the half-inch length she preferred in no time, but the glossy burgundy polish could not be regenerated. Perfection was essential, particularly these days when showing any vulnerability could create dangerous situations. Though she easily could afford to pay a manicurist to come to her home, her enemies needed to know she wouldn’t hesitate to go out to seek simple indulgences.

The hell with it. So it wasn’t Max’s car. If it was a trap or trick, she was ready to prove to any enemy or potential suitor foolish enough to challenge her she was not to be trifled with – particularly not when she teetered on the edge of full blown blood lust.

Read another taste of Jacob and Lyssa’s story on
The Vampire Queen’s Servant
page on Joey’s website,
http://www.storywitch.com/book-vqs-vqs
.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Winner of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award, Joey W. Hill has published over thirty contemporary and paranormal BDSM erotic romances. Her emotionally-intense love stories offer everything from vampires, mermaids, witches and angels, to boardroom executives, cops and simple housemaids.

Website:
www.storywitch.com

Twitter: @JoeyWHill

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/JoeyWHillAuthor

Fan forum:
www.storywitch.com/community

THREE SECRETS

Three Secrets

Opal Carew

Keeping one secret is intriguing.

Two is naughty.

Three...deserves to be punished.

Sharing secrets has never been so exhilarating...

Praise for Three

4 Stars!

"
Grab the ice water ladies, this one is scorching hot
!

THREE is the latest erotic short by Opal Carew, and it is off the charts "is it me or is it hot in here?" hot!...a tale about a woman's fantasy turn reality. ...this little erotic gem ... was an absolutely intense sexual journey that left me panting for more!"
Rho, The Romance Reviews

"I finally read Three....OMG love it......."

Michelle

"It's an excellent read! Definitely going on my suggested reading list beside "Blush". Great work!"

Tracy

"I have read all of Opal Carew's books and love them. This is a little different - a short story with lots of good loving, well-written characters. I love it... "

Colette

Three Secrets

Copyright 2014 Opal Carew

Discover more books by Opal Carew at her website

www.OpalCarew.com

All Rights Are Reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical article and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental

First Edition: January, 2014

www.OpalCarew.com

To Laurie,

thanks for all you do

THREE SECRETS

By

Opal Carew

Nicole’s heart clenched when she saw Abel sitting across the park on the wooden bench, the sunlight shimmering on his wavy, dark brown hair. He looked just like she remembered him when she’d first seen him in Paris.

She’d fallen in love with him ten minutes after she’d met him.

But after spending two months together traveling around Europe, she’d realized with an aching heart that the sweet, gentle-spirited man he was would not really understand her, or accept her… idiosyncrasies.

So, even though it was the most painful thing she'd ever done, she’d walked away. When they’d returned to Canada, she’d gone home to Edmonton to let their relationship die.

At least, that’s what she’d intended. But it had been too difficult to stay away.

He glanced up and she knew the moment he spotted her. His eyes lit up and his smile, so bright and cheerful, set his face aglow. Warmth washed through her at the sight. He stood up and stepped forward—one step, then another—until he was racing toward her. She blinked back tears of joy as he flung his arms around her and spun her in a circle. When she felt the ground beneath her feet again, his lips found hers and his tongue swept into her mouth, singeing her senses.

Oh, God, how had she survived so long without him?

Her arms came around him and she melted into the passion of his kiss.

“Nicole, I can’t believe you’re here.” He gazed at her, his lips turned up in a dazzling smile. “It seems like forever since we’ve seen each other.”

She laughed, joy bubbling through her. “It’s only been three months.”

His face turned serious. “I’d begun to worry I’d never see you again.” He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more—probably ask her why she hadn’t responded to his repeated attempts to contact her—but instead he took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m really looking forward to getting re-acquainted.”

From the glimmer in his eyes, hot images of the two of them entwined on a bed naked, their bodies joined intimately, sent heat washing through her. She wanted that so badly.

It would be so easy to just go with him right now. To lose herself in his loving arms. But she couldn’t do that until she told him her secret.

“Let’s sit down and talk first,” she said.

His eyebrows arched. “Talk. Really?” His hand stroked over her shoulder possessively and he leaned in close, his warmth seeping into her. “I can think of much more interesting things to do than talk,” he murmured against her ear, the warmth of his breath sending a quiver through her.

But she steeled herself, staying strong. “Yes, really. Talk.”

She tugged on his hand as she led him to the bench, then sat down, apprehension building inside her. He settled beside her.

“What is it you want to talk about?” he asked.

She pursed her lips and he frowned.

“Why am I getting the feeling you didn’t meet me to continue our relationship after all?” He took both her hands and held them tight. “You know I’m crazy about you. I thought we had a real chance at making things work between us. Don’t you want that?”

Her breath caught. “Of course I do,” she said, her voice a mere whisper. It was what she wanted more than anything in the world. She drew her hand free and stroked his cheek, loving the raspy, masculine feel of his light stubble.

His smile returned and her throat closed up.

“But the question is will you still want me after I tell you what I came here to say?”

* * *

Abel stared at Nicole, the woman he hadn’t stopped thinking about since he’d left Europe. It had been ironic, since his trip had been partly to escape the help of his brothers and their new wives who had been driving him crazy trying to play matchmaker, wanting him to find the same happiness they had found. Who knew he would stumble across the woman of his dreams in a park in Paris?

They had spent two wonderful months together, and as it came close to time to return home, he’d known he should tell Nicole his secret, but he was afraid it would scare her away for good. After all, how did he tell a sweet, girl-next-door type like Nicole that
hey, my brothers and I are into sharing women.

He had already indulged in sexual adventures with both his brothers’ wives and he’d had many a dream about sharing Nicole with them, with or without their wives, though images of Nicole going down on Marie sent almost painful need slicing through him.

He was sure it would never happen, though. It might be some women’s fantasy, but he was sure Nicole would disapprove. She seemed so… straight-laced.