Rough

by Sybil Bartel

  “I understand that, as long as you tell me what’s going on.”

  “Deal.”

  “What did Dan want?” she quietly asked.

  Fuck, I hated her saying his name. “He was making a last-ditch attempt to get you to not sign away the team.”

  She frowned. “I was always going to give away the team.”

  I knew that, she knew that, Ahlstrom was a fucking tool. “I’m done discussing him.” I kissed her once then forced myself to pull back and address the other elephant in the room. “I don’t like labels, Red.”

  A small smile touched her lips. “I’m getting that.”

  “I’ll think about what you said, but that’s all I’m promising.”

  She hesitated. “Okay.”

  Damn it. “What?”

  She inhaled then blurted the words out. “I got you something. I really want to give it to you, but I don’t know if I should.”

  Jesus fuck. “If you got me a book or any other kind of self-help bullshit, you can fucking forget it.”

  “It’s none of those things.” Her shy smile appeared and my dick took notice.

  “Christ. What is it?”

  “Hold on.” She gracefully rose. Her silk shirt fluttered around her braless tits as her leggings hugged her ass.

  I didn’t want whatever she had. I wanted to fuck her and I wanted to claim that sweet ass she’d been holding back from me.

  Thirty seconds later, she was back with a long, thin, white box. She set it on my lap then sat down next me and tucked a leg under her. “Open it.”

  I didn’t need to open it to see what it was. “You got me a smart watch?” A fucking pussy, computer geek, goddamn smart watch?

  She rolled her eyes. “Stop being judgmental. It’s manly, I promise. Open it.”

  I opened the box. Stainless steel, link band, it wasn’t fucking hideous.

  She cheerfully plucked it out of the box and turned it on. “I already set it up for you.” The display lit up and it looked almost like a military watch with multiple dials.

  My eyes fucking crossed. I hated watches.

  Oblivious, she fitted it on my wrist. “All you have to do is press a button and it can tell you the time. It has GPS and you can even tell it to dial your phone and call me.”

  “I can already tell my cell to dial you.” And text her. Voice command was a fucking ingenious invention.

  “Yes, but this will be easier.” She fastened the clasp. “There.” She smiled like she was fucking happy, and I couldn’t hate the goddamn watch.

  I grasped her chin and kissed her. “Thank you.” I meant it. As uncomfortable as the whole thing made me feel, she was fucking sweet and I loved her for it. No one had gotten me a gift since I was a kid.

  “Each day, I’ll show you a few things you can use it for.”

  “That’s fucking great. Get naked.” I had a promise to keep.

  THANK YOU for reading ROUGH!

  Want to find out what Jared did next?

  Leave a review for ROUGH on an e-book retail site (Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo) and e-mail the link to sybilbartelbooks@gmail.com and Sybil Bartel will personally email you the bonus scene for ROUGH!

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  THRUST – Alex’s story is available now at all e-book retailers!

  GRIND – Dane’s story is coming in June 2017!

  And if you want to read about NEIL or TALON, their books are available now! And ANDRÉ is coming soon!

  Turn the page for a preview of GRIND, Dane’s story!

  GRIND

  Dane

  I’m silent. I’m trained. I’m lethal.

  My hand skimming down your thigh, my gaze a weapon—I know more ways to kill you than please you.

  But you’re not paying for my aim. You’re paying for my control. Bringing you a breath away from ecstasy, watching you beg as I hold back your release, I’ll show you exactly what you’ve been missing. Your hunger is my currency and five thousand is my price. I only have one rule—no repeats, because I’m not for keeps. I’m for sale.

  One slow grind and I’ll give you exactly what you paid for.

  Order GRIND now! Coming June 2017!

  There are so many people I wish I could hug for helping me make this book what it is! I have this patient, kind, amazing beta reader who took on Jared (and Alex!) and read him last-minute and oh my God, I don’t know what I would’ve done without her insight! Kristen, you rock! Thank you so much and I hope you are ready for Dane!

  I have this amazing reader group, Book Boyfriend Heroes, and not only do I get to laugh every day with my BBHers, but they also help me out whenever I am in a jam. Jared didn’t have a last name until Missy came to my rescue. Thank you for such an awesome suggestion, Missy! Brandt totally suits Jared!

  So truth moment? I am absolutely terrible at grammar. But? I have the best editors ever and Virginia and Olivia at Hot Tree Editing take my words and polish them and make them pretty and there is no way I could do this without them! Thank you so very much, Virginia and Olivia! (Olivia even edited this part you are reading now, LOL!)

  I doubt she will ever see this, but I want to thank my mom. If there is one person in my world who is always good-natured and always willing to help, it’s my mom. She taught me your best asset is your smile, and she told me a long time ago, never explain and never complain. Even though she will never read my alpha heroes (oh God, I hope she doesn’t!) I know I would not have had the courage to write about these sexy men if she hadn’t taught me to not only go for my dreams, but make them happen. Love you tons, Mom!

  And to my readers, it’s as simple and as complex as this: I would not be here without you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you, so very much! XOXO –Sybil

  Sybil grew up in northern California with her head in a book and her feet in the sand. She used to dream of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books drew her into the world of storytelling.

  Sybil now resides in southern Florida, and while she doesn’t get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she’s not writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer.

  But seriously?

  Here are ten things you really want to know about Sybil.

  She grew up a faculty brat. She can swear like a sailor. She loves men in uniform. She hates being told what to do. She can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird Market in Hong Kong freaked her out. Her favorite word is desperate, or dirty, or both, she can’t choose. She has a thing for muscle cars. But never rely on her for driving directions, ever. And she has a new book boyfriend every week—don’t tell her husband.

  To find out more about Sybil or her books, please visit her website, www.sybilbartel.com, or like her Facebook page. You can also join her Facebook Reader Group, Book Boyfriend Heroes for advance information on her books, exclusive excerpts and fun giveaways.

  And if you really want to know what she’s thinking, you can follow her on Twitter, @SybilBartel.