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She quietly walked up to the glass doors, quelling the urge to check inside and
see what other changes Sharon had precipitated. Firmly grasping her naughty
package between her fingers, she leaned down to lay it on the rug.
The door slid open.
Cassie froze. Expecting Gavin or Sharon, she glanced up, words of greeting
on her lips. She'd explain and get out of here before they invited her inside.
Instead of either familiar face, she met a pair of eyes belonging to a man she'd
never seen before. A man with a very annoyed expression.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His words made his displeasure
clear.
The hair on the back of Cassie's neck rose. Clad in jeans and a T-shirt, the
stranger stood well over six feet tall. Never mind that he was the most
gorgeous piece of hunk she'd seen in a while.
"I—uh—was expecting Gavin to be at work." She peered past him, hoping
Gavin or Sharon would appear to explain who she was. Possibly she'd made a
mistake and Gavin was home.
"He's not here." He glanced pointedly at the package now lying at their feet. "Is
there something I can do for you?" His eyes assessed her as they roved her
body.
Oh, yeah, she knew exactly what he wanted to do for her. Or rather to her.
"Is the package for him? I can give this to him when I see him." The stranger
reached down to pick it up, the muscles in his arms flexing and causing Cassie
to stare at the strength in them. She bet he could lift her five-foot nine-inch
frame easily. She caught a whiff of aftershave. Citrusy and masculine. The
beginnings of a five o'clock shadow laced his strong jaw. Her breasts tingled
at the vision of his jaw scraping her skin as he suckled her nipples. A trickle of
moisture bloomed between her thighs.
She blinked, realizing she'd gotten lost in lust for the man. She could only
imagine what he would think of her if he found what was in the package. She
snatched the gaily-wrapped bag out of his hands. "I can wait and give this to
him another time. It's not a big deal."
Straightening up, he cocked an eyebrow at her, obviously curious. His hair
was brown with light streaks through the strands, as if he spent a great deal of
time outdoors. His eyes were hazel colored, with specks of something that
Cassie hadn't quite figured out.
"You're one of Gavin's admirers. Too bad he let you get away." His wicked
smile made it clear he'd take up any offer from her as a replacement.
If she'd met him in any other situation, she'd have returned his flirty grin. But
not now. Not with a cock ring in her hand meant for another man.
"No. We—ah—used to be friends. I haven't seen him in a while and was
passing through this area." Her eyes met his for a moment, mesmerized by the
provocative glint there. She nervously tossed her hair over her left shoulder.
Most men would trip over their feet and be pleasant to her. Not this stranger.
He gave her the impression of a rogue pirate ready to pitch her over his
shoulder and carry her off to ravish her. And if the way her body tingled in
reaction to him was any indication, she had a feeling she'd let him.
"Used to be friends?" His gaze bore into hers. "What does that mean? Should I
be concerned that you're up to no good? A bomb, perhaps?"
"Huh? What?" She shook her head and hugged the package closer to her. "No.
I just sort of lost contact with him. I knew he'd be at work and I wanted to
drop off this . . . um . . . present for him."
His eyes dropped to the package clutched to her chest. His gaze lingered there
for a moment, before dropping lower as he continued to peruse her body. She
wore a black mini skirt with a peach silk top. She'd eschewed nylons, her long
legs bare except for the high-heeled black sandals on her feet. Even at her
height he towered over her by a good five inches.
"Look, I'll catch him another day."
His gaze flitted back to her face. "Can I give him a message? Tell him you
were here? You are—?"
"No!" She winced at the sharpness in her voice. "I'll call him and um . . .
catch up with him then."
She turned away, intending to slip the package into her purse unobtrusively as
possible and make a quick getaway. He made her nervous with the way he
perused her from head to toe and left her body aching in reaction.
"I'll head out now and—" She started to step off the short flight of steps, but
her sandal heel got caught in the carpeted welcome mat. "What the—" She
tried to pry her heel away, but began to lose her balance.
"Watch it!" Cassie heard as her body pitched forward. She heard a shriek and
realized it was her own. Her arms flayed wildly, but before she fell to the
deck, hands slid around her waist. The force of the motion left them both
unbalanced and out of control. She closed her eyes, bracing for the hard
surface as they tumbled down onto the deck.
Momentary silence followed. She quickly assessed the situation. She hadn't
broken any bones. To her surprise, she'd landed on something soft. Yet hard.
She pried an eyelid open.
She lay on top of the strange man. He'd taken the brunt of the fall, protecting
her from serious harm. His eyes were closed, and she wondered for a moment
if she'd knocked him out cold. She wiggled to check for any damage and to
move off him. His body was strong and hard in all the right places. Especially
below the waist, she realized as the hardness against her stomach made itself
known.
Then she heard a grunt.
"Don't freaking move, lady, unless you want to pay for the consequences."
His eyes remained closed as he spoke. Well, at least he didn't seem to be
unconscious.
"Are you alright?" She went to shift the weight of her body off him, but he
gripped her arms, forcing her to stay in place. Obviously he wasn't too far out
of it.
Slowly his eyes opened, and Cassie stared wide-eyed into his hazel ones. She
couldn't look away. He stared back at her for a long minute before dropping
his gaze to her mouth. His lips were a mere inch or two from hers.
She closed her eyes, welcoming what was coming next. She wanted him to
kiss her. One taste, that's all. She inhaled the scent of his aftershave.
She sensed him leaning closer. Yes.
Just one kiss from . . .
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see what other changes Sharon had precipitated. Firmly grasping her naughty
package between her fingers, she leaned down to lay it on the rug.
The door slid open.
Cassie froze. Expecting Gavin or Sharon, she glanced up, words of greeting
on her lips. She'd explain and get out of here before they invited her inside.
Instead of either familiar face, she met a pair of eyes belonging to a man she'd
never seen before. A man with a very annoyed expression.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His words made his displeasure
clear.
The hair on the back of Cassie's neck rose. Clad in jeans and a T-shirt, the
stranger stood well over six feet tall. Never mind that he was the most
gorgeous piece of hunk she'd seen in a while.
"I—uh—was expecting Gavin to be at work." She peered past him, hoping
Gavin or Sharon would appear to explain who she was. Possibly she'd made a
mistake and Gavin was home.
"He's not here." He glanced pointedly at the package now lying at their feet. "Is
there something I can do for you?" His eyes assessed her as they roved her
body.
Oh, yeah, she knew exactly what he wanted to do for her. Or rather to her.
"Is the package for him? I can give this to him when I see him." The stranger
reached down to pick it up, the muscles in his arms flexing and causing Cassie
to stare at the strength in them. She bet he could lift her five-foot nine-inch
frame easily. She caught a whiff of aftershave. Citrusy and masculine. The
beginnings of a five o'clock shadow laced his strong jaw. Her breasts tingled
at the vision of his jaw scraping her skin as he suckled her nipples. A trickle of
moisture bloomed between her thighs.
She blinked, realizing she'd gotten lost in lust for the man. She could only
imagine what he would think of her if he found what was in the package. She
snatched the gaily-wrapped bag out of his hands. "I can wait and give this to
him another time. It's not a big deal."
Straightening up, he cocked an eyebrow at her, obviously curious. His hair
was brown with light streaks through the strands, as if he spent a great deal of
time outdoors. His eyes were hazel colored, with specks of something that
Cassie hadn't quite figured out.
"You're one of Gavin's admirers. Too bad he let you get away." His wicked
smile made it clear he'd take up any offer from her as a replacement.
If she'd met him in any other situation, she'd have returned his flirty grin. But
not now. Not with a cock ring in her hand meant for another man.
"No. We—ah—used to be friends. I haven't seen him in a while and was
passing through this area." Her eyes met his for a moment, mesmerized by the
provocative glint there. She nervously tossed her hair over her left shoulder.
Most men would trip over their feet and be pleasant to her. Not this stranger.
He gave her the impression of a rogue pirate ready to pitch her over his
shoulder and carry her off to ravish her. And if the way her body tingled in
reaction to him was any indication, she had a feeling she'd let him.
"Used to be friends?" His gaze bore into hers. "What does that mean? Should I
be concerned that you're up to no good? A bomb, perhaps?"
"Huh? What?" She shook her head and hugged the package closer to her. "No.
I just sort of lost contact with him. I knew he'd be at work and I wanted to
drop off this . . . um . . . present for him."
His eyes dropped to the package clutched to her chest. His gaze lingered there
for a moment, before dropping lower as he continued to peruse her body. She
wore a black mini skirt with a peach silk top. She'd eschewed nylons, her long
legs bare except for the high-heeled black sandals on her feet. Even at her
height he towered over her by a good five inches.
"Look, I'll catch him another day."
His gaze flitted back to her face. "Can I give him a message? Tell him you
were here? You are—?"
"No!" She winced at the sharpness in her voice. "I'll call him and um . . .
catch up with him then."
She turned away, intending to slip the package into her purse unobtrusively as
possible and make a quick getaway. He made her nervous with the way he
perused her from head to toe and left her body aching in reaction.
"I'll head out now and—" She started to step off the short flight of steps, but
her sandal heel got caught in the carpeted welcome mat. "What the—" She
tried to pry her heel away, but began to lose her balance.
"Watch it!" Cassie heard as her body pitched forward. She heard a shriek and
realized it was her own. Her arms flayed wildly, but before she fell to the
deck, hands slid around her waist. The force of the motion left them both
unbalanced and out of control. She closed her eyes, bracing for the hard
surface as they tumbled down onto the deck.
Momentary silence followed. She quickly assessed the situation. She hadn't
broken any bones. To her surprise, she'd landed on something soft. Yet hard.
She pried an eyelid open.
She lay on top of the strange man. He'd taken the brunt of the fall, protecting
her from serious harm. His eyes were closed, and she wondered for a moment
if she'd knocked him out cold. She wiggled to check for any damage and to
move off him. His body was strong and hard in all the right places. Especially
below the waist, she realized as the hardness against her stomach made itself
known.
Then she heard a grunt.
"Don't freaking move, lady, unless you want to pay for the consequences."
His eyes remained closed as he spoke. Well, at least he didn't seem to be
unconscious.
"Are you alright?" She went to shift the weight of her body off him, but he
gripped her arms, forcing her to stay in place. Obviously he wasn't too far out
of it.
Slowly his eyes opened, and Cassie stared wide-eyed into his hazel ones. She
couldn't look away. He stared back at her for a long minute before dropping
his gaze to her mouth. His lips were a mere inch or two from hers.
She closed her eyes, welcoming what was coming next. She wanted him to
kiss her. One taste, that's all. She inhaled the scent of his aftershave.
She sensed him leaning closer. Yes.
Just one kiss from . . .
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Excerpt from ARRESTED PLEASURE
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