Love in the Dark

by 12 Book Boxed Set (epub)

My legs automatically part for him and then he’s touching me, stroking me. I was already wet in anticipation of this and his fingers find my clit, his thumb circling it at the exact moment his mouth finds mine. The kiss is sloppy, all open mouths and searching tongues and mingled gasps and moans. His long fingers feel so fucking good and I strain toward his touch, another gasp escaping me when he strokes my clit just right.

  “I want to be inside you,” he whispers against my mouth and I moan in agony when his fingers disappear. He grabs hold of my waist and next thing I know I’m on top of him, my legs spread across his hips, his hard cock between my legs. I grab the base of him and guide him into position, sinking on top of his cock slowly, the both of us moaning in pleasure as he enters me.

  “Looks like you got what you wanted,” I tell him, smiling when he arches beneath me, sending his cock even deeper.

  Rhett impatiently grabs at my T-shirt and I take it off, yanking it over my head and tossing it onto the floor. His hands go for my breasts, assured fingers stroking my nipples as I start to ride him. He’s so deep, hitting every single pleasurable nerve ending within me and I toss my head back, my hair trailing behind me as I bob and sway.

  “Jesus, you’re beautiful,” he murmurs, his hands going to my hips, guiding my movements. “I could fuck you like this all night.”

  A thrill moves down my spine at his words. Sweet, respectful Rhett knows just what to say when he’s inside me, I’ll give him that.

  “Go faster, baby,” he urges and I increase my pace, crying out when he nudges one particular spot. It feels so good. So, so good. I move faster, faster, faster…

  “Oh God,” I gasp when the orgasm washes over me, making me shiver. I’m a trembling, moaning mess and he flips me over so I’m on my back and he’s fucking me hard, driving me into the mattress, my entire body still shaking from my orgasm as he pounds into me.

  And then he’s coming too. He moans my name, his mouth on my neck, his hips still working as he spills himself inside me. I swear another, smaller orgasm hits me, and I clutch him close, savoring the feeling of the two of us coming.

  Together.

  “Goddamn,” he whispers against my neck when he seems to find himself again. “That was amazing.”

  I start to laugh. I can’t help it. The utter relief of him still wanting me has left me spent.

  Happy.

  He lifts up on his elbows so he can look at me, an arrogant yet adorable smirk curving his mouth. “You wanna do that again?”

  I shift beneath him, enjoying how we’re still connected. He didn’t wear a condom, but I’m on the pill. Probably stupid and reckless and I hope to hell he doesn’t have a STD, but right now, in this moment, I don’t care.

  “Jens?”

  “Yes,” I say when I realize I haven’t answered him. I drop a kiss on his damp with sweat chest before I say, “Let’s do that again.”

  So we do. We do it again and again. We fuck all night, and Rhett’s right. It’s amazing. I let him use me, and he lets me use him. He takes me from behind, his big hands gripping my hips as he pushes deep inside me, making me come so hard I see stars. I get on my knees while he sits on the edge of the bed and I give him a blow job. He spreads me wide and licks me until I’m pulling on his hair and screaming his name.

  And finally, when it’s around three in the morning and Rhett is fast asleep, I slip out of his bed and stand next to it, watching him for a while. He’s lying on his stomach, the sheet draped across the back of his calves, exposing his perfect butt and smooth, muscular back. His eyes are tightly closed, his dark hair a complete mess and his cheeks are covered with dark stubble.

  He’s gorgeous. And for one more night, he belonged to me.

  I make my way back to the guest bedroom and change into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I sent out a text to Savannah right before I took that shower, letting her know Rhett’s address and begging her to come pick me up when she’s done with work.

  She sent me a text a few minutes ago saying she was waiting outside for me.

  Quietly I make my way out of his house, hoping Rhett will forgive me for not locking the door. I head for Savannah’s car and she gets out, opening the trunk for me so I can put my things inside.

  “You sure you want to do this?” she asks after she carefully shuts the trunk.

  I frown at her. “What do you mean?” I’m tired. I’m sore. And I’m really not in the mood for conversation right now.

  “You really want to sneak out and leave whoever it is inside there?” She waves a hand toward Rhett’s house and I glance over my shoulder, hating the longing that seems to spread through me.

  “It’s the right thing to do,” I tell her once I’m facing her. “In the end, I’ll just bring him down, and he’ll hate me.”

  That’s the absolute truth.

  She sends me a pointed look but says nothing. Neither do I. We get in her car and she drives me away from Rhett.

  I cry silent tears all the way to her place.

  20

  “You’re going to be okay to work tonight, right?” Savannah asks as we walk into the club.

  Nodding, I head straight for the time clock and punch in, Savannah right behind me. “Yeah. I need everything to get back to normal, you know?”

  I can’t sit around and feel sorry for myself any longer. I need to forget what happened with Greg the creep, and I definitely need to forget about Rhett and my plans to ruin him and his family.

  Yeah, I was selfish taking that one last night with him, but I thought it might get Rhett out of my system.

  Instead, I think it made everything worse. He’s all I can think about. I’m fucking obsessed.

  It sucks.

  I also couldn’t stand the thought of going back to my house in the crappy neighborhood and staying there alone. Rhett could find me there, too, and that’s the last thing I want. Savannah’s letting me stay at her place, thank goodness. She said I could stay as long as I wanted, which was a huge mistake. At the rate I’m going, I’ll never leave, but I’m grateful for her friendship.

  I went back to school, trying my best to catch up on my assignments, and begging my professors to let me retake a couple of tests I missed. I thought I would give up on the college dream, but what else am I going to do? I need to see this semester through. What I’ll do after it’s over, though, I’m not sure.

  I’ll worry about that later.

  Don is glad to see me back at work, I can tell just by the look on his face, and I let him embrace me for a brief moment before I extract myself from his beefy arms.

  “You’re looking good, doll,” he murmurs, his expression sincere. “I was worried you wouldn’t come back.”

  “She shouldn’t come back,” Savannah says, coming to stand right beside me. “Not after what happened.”

  Of course, I told Savannah what happened with Greg and she was horrified. Infuriated. I didn’t bother telling her that I still made seven grand. I trust her, but not that much.

  At least Don looks contrite. “Never again. I promise we won’t let something like that happen,” he says firmly. “We’re planning on establishing more strict rules at the club. There will be a meeting about it soon.”

  The moment he walks away, Savannah rolls her eyes. “Right. He’s too greedy to not take money from customers for ‘extra’ services. He’s just saying that because he feels guilty.”

  I don’t respond. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about what happened to me. I’d rather forget it ever happened in the first place. Scrub it from my brain forever.

  “Seriously, Jen, what are you going to do if that guy shows back up here?” Savannah asks as we walk over to our lockers. “He could, you know.” She’s referring to Greg.

  “He won’t,” I say firmly, just as I swing my locker door open. Maybe if I believe what I’m saying, it won’t happen.

  Yet I can’t help but have those thoughts. He could totally show up here whenever he wants, and what would I do? Scream and run? Kick him in
the nuts and call him an asshole? Call the cops?

  I can’t do any of that. So I have to keep believing Greg is never going to come back to City Lights again.

  “He might,” Savannah says, ever the positive thinker. “I swear I’ve seen that guy around here before.”

  Curiosity gets the best of me and I have to ask, despite my wish to never talk about him again. “Do you think he’s a regular?”

  “Maybe? I’m not sure.” Savannah takes off her T-shirt and tosses it into the locker. “After a while, they all start to look the same, I swear.”

  “I didn’t recognize him.” Though there was something about him that was oddly familiar. So maybe Greg is a regular? A semi-regular? “I didn’t realize you saw him that night.”

  “Yeah. I did.” Savannah shuts her locker door, her gaze locking on mine. “I saw you taking care of his table. He was originally at one of my tables, but when I came to take their drink orders, he asked for you specifically.”

  Unease slips down my spine, leaving me cold. “What do you mean? Did he request me by name?”

  “Yeah.” Savannah tilts her head to the side, frowning. “Or maybe not. Now I can’t remember.”

  “Try your best to remember.” How would he know who I was? And why would he request me? It makes no sense.

  Unless he’s some sort of crazed stalker.

  “I’m not sure.” Savannah offers a helpless shrug. “Maybe he didn’t ask for you by name. Maybe he just thought you were cute. Did Don say anything?”

  “No, not really.” I shake my head. Though I do remember being confused when Don told me I needed to serve that table, since that section wasn’t one I usually worked.

  “So weird.” Savannah smiles weakly. “Guess that Greg guy knew he wanted you from the start.”

  Her words fill me with dread. “I suppose so.”

  “Girls, quit your chatting and head on out. It’s gonna be extra busy tonight. We’ve got a big group of guys celebrating a bachelor party coming in,” Don says, clapping his hands at us like we’re a pack of dogs he’s trying to get rid of. “Hurry up! Get out there!”

  We head out without protest, Savannah and I going our separate ways the moment we hit the floor. I paste on my best fake smile as I push through the crowd, moving toward the bar. I grab one of the empty trays from the counter, ignoring Chuck’s sympathetic gaze. I don’t need anyone to feel bad for me tonight, even if they have good intentions.

  I’ve got this.

  But the thought of Greg specifically requesting me to work his table that night hangs heavy like a dark, thunderous cloud over my head as I go through the motions with my customers. I’m jumpy, nervous. Constantly glancing over my shoulder. I tell myself everything’s going to be okay, but it’s hard to focus.

  Thankfully, Don was right. The club is extra busy, and the guests are incredibly loud, especially the bachelor party, which is made up of at least thirty men, maybe more. Catcalling their appreciation for every dancer on the stage, shouting their approval when they purchase the groom-to-be a lap dance. The guys aren’t very old—they actually look close to my age—and as I watch the future groom laugh while the stripper grinds on his crotch, I wonder what it’s like to know you’ve found the love of your life by the time you’re in your mid-twenties.

  I can’t even wrap my head around that concept.

  Thinking of love leads me to think of Rhett, which is the biggest waste of my time. I never did unblock his number so he could contact me, and I bet he’s so mad at me. Though really, why would he care? I’m just a bump in the road of his life, a girl he messed around with for a brief moment in time. He’ll never know what I intended, or how I wanted to ruin him and his family.

  And that’s okay. Giving up on my revenge plot was the right thing to do. I don’t have the energy to go after my mother any longer. I feel defeated. Alone.

  Adrift.

  The bachelor party grows even bigger, and Don asks me to help the servers who’ve been working it the entire night, including Savannah. I find her at the bar filling another order, her hair falling out of her ponytail and her cheeks pink. She’s totally frazzled.

  “Tell me how you want me to help,” I say.

  She blows the wayward strands of hair out of her face, a grateful smile curling her lips. “A new group of dudes just showed up and they ordered a round of tequila shots. They’re at table nine. If you could take the shots to them while I handle the bachelor and all his buddies at their table, I’d really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” I turn to Chuck to let him know that I’m the one taking over the shots order. He loads up my tray with eight shot glasses of the most expensive tequila we’ve got, plus a small bowl of limes and a shaker of salt.

  I lift the tray above my head as I wind my way between the crowded tables. The music is extra loud since there’s a girl up on the stage performing, and the lights are flashing in time to the beat. I can feel men’s eyes lingering on my bare chest as I walk past them, and my arms suddenly feel wobbly, like I might drop the entire tray at any moment. My heart starts to race and my breathing gets short.

  Relax, I remind myself as I take a deep breath. You’ve done this five nights a week for months. Don’t let the bullshit get in your head and cause you to mess up.

  Thankfully, the panic attack leaves me as swiftly as it arrived, and I end up at table nine, my fake smile extra big as I greet the guys waiting enthusiastically for their drinks. I can barely make out their features thanks to the flashing lights, and I mentally pray they aren’t a bunch of rude assholes.

  “Who ordered tequila shots?” I ask, smiling when they all start hooting and hollering, shouting me over and over again.

  With a nervous laugh, I start handing out the shot glasses, leaning over a little bit to let them get a good look at my tits. I realize quick they’re young, and they’re respectful, and I can tell this might be the first visit to a strip club for some of these guys, the ones who seem nervous and can barely look at me. There’s no leering, rude older men contemplating how they might touch me sitting at this particular table tonight. I almost feel…

  Comfortable.

  I offer them the bowl of limes and the saltshaker and they thank me profusely, most of their gazes still locked on my chest, but they don’t bother me. For some reason, I can tell these guys are harmless.

  The stripper on stage finally ends her performance to much applause, meaning it’s the end of the constant flashing lights, and I go to grab my empty tray, turning back toward the bar when I spot a familiar face in the crowd.

  My heart drops into my stomach.

  He sees me too. There’s confusion etched all over his handsome face, his big brown eyes going wide when they land on me. I immediately hold the tray in front of my naked torso like some sort of shield, and I swear I see him mouth my name.

  Jensen?

  No.

  It can’t be.

  It’s Rhett Montgomery. Rhett Montgomery is at City Lights.

  And he’s headed in my direction.

  Thank you for reading HER DEFIANT HEART!

  Want more? Read what happens next in His Wasted Heart!

  Jensen is a mystery I can’t figure out. She’s a liar. A thief—though the only thing she stole is my heart. She tried her best to escape me and by pure luck, I found her. In the very last place I expected.

  No matter how hard we try, we can’t resist each other, and as we grow closer, she’s starting to reveal pieces of herself. Sharing her secrets, sharing her truths. Yet she’s still hiding something from me, and I can’t figure it out.

  Soon I have my own secrets to keep. One that has the potential to ruin everything…

  ONE CLICK HIS WASTED HEART >

  The Proposition

  KATIE ASHLEY

  The Proposition

  KATIE ASHLEY

  With her thirtieth birthday looming, Emma Harrison finds her biological clock clanging and the elusive knight in shining armor yet to appear. She’s running
out of options, especially after her gay best friend backs out from being her sperm donor. Of course, there’s always a sperm bank, but Emma fears a donor mix-up might impregnate her with the spawn of Satan.

  * * *

  Resident company womanizer, Aidan Fitzgerald, is used to always getting what he wants, especially in the bedroom. When Emma spurns his advances at the company Christmas party, he's determined to have her no matter what it takes. After Aidan learns of Emma's predicament, he is quick to offer a proposition that will benefit them both. He will father Emma's child, but she must conceive it with him naturally. Not one for hook-ups or casual sex, Emma is reluctant to take him up on his offer, but his charm, coupled with her intense desire for motherhood, wins out.

  * * *

  Soon their baby-making sessions become more than just physical. Aidan can't seem to walk away from her while Emma begins to wonder if Aidan could be the one. But can Aidan leave his past behind to become the man Emma needs him to be?

  1

  When the door closed behind Aidan, Emma released the breath she had been holding in a long, exaggerated whoosh. Deflated, she leaned against the bathroom counter. Drinks with Aidan Fitzgerald—are you insane? Every woman in the building knew his reputation of screw-em-and-leave-em, and unless you wanted your heart broken, you steered clear of him. Thoughts of their encounter at the Christmas party flashed like a lightning storm through her mind.

  Being new at the company, she had her eye out for any potential single men. After catching him staring at her several times, she’d innocently questioned Casey about who he was. She had shaken her head so fast Emma was sure she was going to get whiplash. “He’s sex on a stick, Em, so you need to stay the hell away from him unless you wanna get used!” she had replied.

  The other ladies had chimed in with very detailed descriptions of some of Aidan’s infamous exploits with different women at the company. So when he’d come sauntering over with his bedroom eyes and swagger, she had sent him on his way, tail between his legs with her hard rejection.