Pleasure Point-nook (14 page)

“This is where I need to be, Roan. Thank you for giving me this.”

“I think we have the island to thank. But does it matter as long as we’re here? Together?”

He was right—it didn’t matter how they’d gotten there. Whether it was some island
magic or simply the two of them, as Roan had said at the very beginning. What mattered
was how they felt, their willingness to let the pain of their pasts go, to let that
simply be a common thread rather than an obstacle. What mattered was their commitment.
The way they loved each other, no matter how different it might be from anyone else.
What mattered in the end—the only thing that mattered—was love. Because life, as they
both knew, was too damn short. Who knew how much time they’d have together?  Didn’t
matter. Because they’d both come to the same conclusion. They both knew the same truth—that
love was the whole point.

Make sure to check out the rest of Invitation to Eden series.

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March

Master of the Island
by Lauren Hawkeye

April

Random Acts of Fantasy
by Julia Kent

Yours Truly, Taddy
by Avery Aster

Escape From Reality
by Adriana Hunter

May

Hydrotherapy
by Suzanne Rock

Fight For Me
by Sharon Page

His Fair Lady
by Marian Tee

June

Breaking Free
by Cathryn Fox

Hold Me Close
by Eliza Gayle

Queen’s Knight
by Sara Fawkes

July

How To Tempt A Tycoon
by Daire St. Denis

Dare to Surrender
by Carly Phillips

The Capture
by Erika Wilde

August

Rough Draft
by Mari Carr

Blurring The Lines
by Roni Loren

Return to Sender
by Steena Holmes

September

Pleasure Point
by Eden Bradley

Wild Ride
by Opal Carew

Master of Pleasure
by Lauren Hawkeye

October

Her Desert Heart
by Delilah Devlin

Ivy in Bloom
by Vivi Anna writing as Tawny Stokes

Thorne of a Rose
by Kimberly Kaye Terry

November

Falling or Flying
by R.G. Alexander

Elusive Hero
by Joey W. Hill

Captive of Desire
by Sarah Castille

December

Delicious and Deadly
by C.C. MacKenzie

Pleasure Games
by Jessica Clare

The Last Seduction
by Jennifer Probst

Have you read Invitations to Eden’s other September release?

WILD RIDE by Opal Carew

Her friend told her dreams come true at Eden, but this is more like a nightmare.

Marissa is shaken when her bad-assed biker ex-boyfriend begins to stalk her.  After
receiving an invitation to an exclusive resort called Eden, she jumps at the chance
to get away. But even in paradise, she can’t escape the man from her past. As he’s
closing in on her, a passing stranger on a motorcycle pulls up and orders her onto
his bike. Frightened and willing to take any chance to flee her dangerous ex, she
does as he says. Her knight in supple leather manages to lose her ex and take her
to a secret hideaway, but now she finds herself overwhelmed by his potent masculinity
and submitting completely to his authoritative commands.Killer didn’t want to be her
saviour.  He had problems of his own.  But once Marissa’s under his protection, he
will do whatever he can to keep her safe.  Even force her to face her deepest fears.

Wild Ride
by Opal Carew

FIGHT FOR ME by Sharon Page

I had to drop out of college to raise my son after his dad, bad boy MMA fighter Ryder
King, and I broke up. Ryder is so haunted by demons he won’t let me into his heart.
Fame, fortune, and fighting didn’t bring him any peace, and I knew, for the sake of
our child, I had to leave him.

That’s when I started seeing Ryder’s best friend, Xavier Malone, a former fighter
who built a billion dollar empire. Xavier is powerful and gorgeous, but also caring
and wonderful with my son. We were friends at first and now I’m falling for him—but
I’m scared to commit.

Then I receive an invitation to the island of Eden, a luxurious resort where I can
live my every sensual fantasy. I’m certain Xavier sent it. But after I leave my son
with my mom and fly to Eden, I discover I’m in the middle of a grudge match between
Xavier and Ryder. They are going to fight for me: inside the ring in a charity match,
and outside it—where they both plan to seduce the pants off me. But I have a surprise
for them too.

Excerpt

Both the men in my life are coming
here
.

Stunned, I hear a thud and realize I dropped my carryon bag. Xavier had to know Ryder
would be here when he invited me. They’re in a fight together.

So why bring me here now? What does he want?

“Ms. King?”

“It’s Tate,” I say automatically. Then I look up into the handsome face of a young
man in a grey suit with a name tag on his lapel. His name is Rodney and he has a bright
smile.

“Good evening, Ms. Tate,” he says. “May I check you in?”

He must think I’m crazy, staring at a poster and dropping my luggage. But he waves
his hand and suddenly another employee comes forward, picks up both my carryon and
my suitcase.

This building has its own front desk, charmingly worked into a Regency-style parlor.
But I keep staring at the poster. Rodney has to tell me my room number three times
before it sinks in.

The porter takes me up to my room via an ornate elevator. My room is at the end of
the hall and I know it’s going to overlook the ocean.

He opens the door with an old-fashioned key. My key is a futuristic patch that I can
stick anywhere on my body and that automatically opens my door. The geek in me—the
one turned on by rocks and geology—is highly impressed.

“Your room, Ms. Tate. We hope it is satisfactory. If I can do anything to improve
your stay at Eden, do not hesitate to call.”

I am about to tell the porter I am delighted—the bedroom looks like one Lizzie Bennett
would have—when I sense movement in the corner of my eye. Someone is stepping forward,
someone tall and masculine who moves like a graceful panther. I spin around—

It’s not Xavier.

It’s
Ryder
.

Ryder slips a folded bill into the hand of my porter, who bows and withdraws. I’m
standing in the center of my charming room, my jaw almost on the floor. “What are
you doing here?”

“I invited you here, Tessa.”

Then it all makes sense. “My mother knew.” Of course, she had to. “But she didn’t
tell me. I thought Xavier did this and she let me go right on thinking that.”

“I asked her to keep it secret. Your mom was willing to help me because she wants
us to reconcile.”

“Yeah, but I’m her
daughter
.” I realize he means Mom wants us to get back together so much, she’s willing to
lie to me. She never understood why I said we couldn’t make up. She would get so frustrated.
Keeping secrets from you isn’t such a big deal, she would say. He’s never hit you
or Jakey. He’s never done a thing to hurt either of you. Ryder is a good husband.

“You did all this. The plane tickets. The gift certificate. Arranging for staff to
help Mom while I’m away.” That’s obvious, but my brain seems to be working slowly.
“Why all the secrecy, Ryder?”

“I never dreamed you’d figure it was anyone but me who sent the invitation.” He pouts
and looks so sexy it makes me physically ache.

I frown, trying not to be affected by how gorgeous he is. “Why didn’t you just put
your name on the invitation?”

“I wanted it to be an adventure.”

Since I had such a crush on him I used to watch him every chance I could get. Sometimes,
as a fourteen-year-old, I’d spy on him when he was in his backyard. Honestly, I feel
embarrassed by the memory, but with all those hours I spent drooling over his expressions,
I know them well. So I know when he’s hiding something. He’s doing that right now.
“No, that’s not the reason.” Then I get it. “You didn’t think I’d come if I knew the
truth.”

He shakes his head. “I thought you would know it was me, Tessa. But your first guess
was Malone.”

“I’m dating Xavier now.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Ryder, I can’t stay.”

“I can’t believe my best friend tried to steal you.”

“It’s not stealing when we’re separated,” I point out.

He sits on the edge of the bed—it’s a feminine bed, and the ruffles and bed columns
contrast with Ryder’s hard body and intense masculinity. His strength and power always
seem to be sizzling inside him. Even when he sleeps, he never looks totally relaxed.

Sitting on my bed, he looks even sexier than usual. His T-shirt reveals his strong
biceps and big shoulders and his jeans cling to his muscular legs.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“For a vacation.” He grins. “That’s not entirely true. I brought you to Eden to give
you pure sexual pleasure. Your every fantasy fulfilled. All you have to do is say
yes.”

His husky voice makes me shiver. And get hot. “You’re trying to bribe me into staying.”

He gives a sheepish grin. “Fuck, yes.”

Around Jakey, Ryder is careful with his language. He usually is around me. Sometimes,
when he knew it would arouse me—the bad boy thing—he would slip back into the gritty
way of talking he had when I first met him. When he acted like a tough kid.

“I’m going to fight for you,” he says.

“It’s not a matter of fighting for me,” I say. “I loved you. Completely. I still do—that’s
what is making my life so damn hard, Ryder. But we can’t be together.”

“At least have dinner with me tonight.”

“I can’t stay, Ryder.”

“Tessa, angel, you can’t leave the island tonight.” His turquoise eyes hold mine.
Filled with hope. Have dinner with me and then decide tomorrow if you want to go home.”

“I can’t, Ryder. Having dinner with you would be a bad idea.”

Fight For Me
by Sharon Page

BLURRING THE LINES by Roni Loren

A year has passed since Gretchen lost her fiancé, but she still can’t sleep. Or paint.
And her new home in New Orleans is either haunted or she’s finally going crazy.

Her bet is on the latter.

So when her best friend, Burke, offers to sweep her away to a private luxury island
for a break, she can’t say no. Maybe if she can be someone else for a few days, the
ghosts of the past will quiet. At least for a little while.

Burke knows what she’s going through. She lost her fiancé, but he lost family. He
gets her in a way no else can. But lately she’s noticing things she shouldn’t about
her former fiancé’s younger brother—his sexy smirk, that spicy Cajun accent, and the
way he looks at her when he thinks she’s not paying attention. A week alone with him?
Dangerous. If she blurs the lines between them, she could ruin the only friendship
that means anything to her. She could ruin it all.

But the island of Eden has its own agenda. The island knows what you need. That’s
what the invitation says. She just never imagines it will grant her the one wish that
could destroy them both.

~Gretchen~

Sometimes I could still feel the weight of him depressing the mattress—that warm,
solid body sleeping soundly next to me, the steady whooshing of breath. In and out.
In and out. I used to lie in bed and listen to him like others listen to recordings
of ocean waves, letting the sound lull me to sleep, soothe my mind after the chaos
of the day. It was the sound of life.

Our lives.

Until the morning I woke up and only the weight was there. Not the warmth. Not the
sound. Just the heaviness. And the utter, chilled silence.

Like waking up lost in deep space with no tether. Floating, floating, floating as
all that darkness swallowed me up.

And at times like these, lying in bed at four in the morning, unable to sleep yet
again, that darkness clung to me still, like some oily residue that would never wash
off. Like I’d be weighed down for life, always trying to breathe through the sludge.

I rolled over, pulling my quilt more tightly around me, the numbers on the clock mocking
me, and I knew there’d be no more rest tonight. I’d woken up with that breathing sound
in my head again and the unshakeable feeling that I wasn’t alone. That Harris was
somehow here, a tangible presence hiding in one of the many shadows of my darkened
bedroom. I probably should’ve been scared. That’d be a normal reaction. Instead, I
wished it were the truth. Then at least I could demand some answers.