by Alexis Anne
Stripped
Travis Brantley, Adam’s best friend, simply wants to make a living doing what he knows best: making music. When he’s sucked into opening for yet another “pop princess” he can’t help but wonder if she’s all makeup and costumes or if there is actually a singer underneath the electronic sound. Kristen Holt is tired of being used by the label. All she wants is to make real music and prove she has what it takes to succeed beyond her looks. When a challenge on stage is caught on camera, their fame skyrockets, and so does their undeniable chemistry. Read it now!
Burn
Theo’s brother Michael ran away from the Sutherland family legacy and never looked back. Ava Hanson has spent her life building a secure career so that she never has to relive the chaos of her childhood, but when one night of passion turns into two weeks with Michael in Calhoun Beach, he forces her to realize there is more to life: like love, passion, and family. Read it now!
5 Dirty Sins
When Michael and Adam’s old friend Logan moved to Calhoun Beach all he wanted was to live a quiet life as a pastry chef, surf some waves, and find himself, but when his sexy new neighbor avoids him at every turn he begins to suspect Nora is hiding from someone dangerous. The more he learns the deeper he falls for the quiet woman with a complicated past…and the more he’s willing to risk to keep her safe. Read it now!
6 Dirty Secrets
The untold love story of Nicole Sutherland and Darcy Higgins. Find out what really happened between Theo’s little sister and his best friend in this epic story about fighting for the happily ever after. Read it now!
7 Dirty Lies
Lily Lawrence (Elizabeth’s little sister) finds out that what happens in paradise doesn’t always stay in paradise. And that’s a very tall, dark, and handsome lesson to learn. Learn more!
*Adam Callaway is Jake Spencer’s cousin. If you love the world of Tease, be sure to check out The Storm Inside for free!
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EXCERPT FROM TEASE
I was getting close to my building. All I had to do was walk past the restaurant and up to my apartment—grilled cheese for dinner was as good as anything. But my legs weren’t listening to my head and, before I knew it, I was stepping inside Seychelles instead of the door to my apartment.
My heart was thudding in my chest like a drum, making my cheeks flush and skin burn like I was out for a run. I wanted this. It scared the crap out of me, but my attraction was so strong that it wasn’t worth fighting.
I stopped at the window and checked my reflection, smoothing down my dark hair and unbuttoning an extra button on my blouse to expose some cleavage. But then I turned toward the bar and realized it was empty and I was an idiot. Adam wasn’t there.
Of course he wasn’t there. What was I thinking? It wasn’t a sure thing and yet…I was positive Adam would be there, waiting for me with a wicked grin.
“Elizabeth?” It was Hannah, the hostess, approaching me from her podium.
“Hey, sorry. I thought I was going to grab dinner real quick, but I’m not feeling great. I think I’ll just make a sandwich and go to bed.”
She cocked her head and the corner of her lips turned up a little. “Actually, I was coming over here because someone wants to see you.”
I froze somewhere between mortification and anticipation. “Who?”
“Adam Callaway. He asked me to show you to his table when you arrived. Unless—”
I held up my hand. “No, it’s fine.” Now I really was an idiot. Hannah had probably seen all my primping.
Her smile turned into a full-blown grin. “Right this way.”
I followed her through the restaurant, weaving through a smattering of tables filled with quiet couples grabbing a quick dinner after work, and into the darkest corner. Adam was looking down at his phone and I got a chance to study him for a moment. His dark hair was brushed back, but loose and a little messy. He wore a light blue button-up and grey slacks. He looked like he’d just come from a meeting and not at all like he was enjoying a vacation.
The moment he saw us approaching he pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, a dazzling smile playing on his lips—not quite the wicked one I was imagining, but close. He was just as sexy as I remembered him.
Actually, that was a lie. He was even sexier. His broad shoulders pulled at the seams of his perfectly tailored shirt and suddenly I was wondering what they’d look like straining as he moved inside me.
“I’m glad you came.”
“I’m glad I came, too,” I replied with a smile. The kind that usually gave guys the idea I wasn’t using that word lightly.
Adam chuckled, catching my hint. He kissed me lightly on the cheek before we each sat. Hannah was gone by the time I looked up, but I could hear her giggle from across the restaurant.
Subtle was not the word of the night.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought a table would make conversation easier.”
“Who said I wanted to talk?” I was going for the obvious. It would be better for both of us if I made my intentions clear from the beginning.
Adam coughed a little. Perhaps my forwardness was a bit much. I tried to dial it back a little.
“Well I guess I don’t have to ask if this is a friendly dinner or not.”
I grinned. “I’m glad you brought that up. Can we lay all our cards on the table?”
“Can I drink first?” he asked, picking up the glass of red wine in front of him.
“Absolutely. Mind if I share?”
“Not at all, that’s why I got the bottle.” He picked up the Wente Cabernet Sauvignon I’d been drinking the night before, and filled my glass half way. “Now, what did you have in mind?”
It was make or break time. I needed my terms to be clear or I’d have to walk away. I was ridiculously attracted to Adam, but I couldn’t risk this being anything other than sex. “If I understood our conversation last night, you are only in town for a short visit?”
He nodded slowly, his eyes locked on to mine. I couldn’t tell if he liked what I was saying or not.
“Good. I’m not looking for a relationship, just some fun.”
He swirled the red liquid in his glass studying me, then it, before he took another sip and set it down carefully on the white table cloth. “Does that mean I can’t enjoy dinner with you?”
My nerves fluttered. Something in the cadence of his words told me Adam was pushing me again. In a weird way it was like he already had my personality—and my desire to stay out of relationships—pegged. But that couldn’t possibly be true, this was only our second conversation. “I’m sure we could have a meal or two, but I want to be clear: I’m not looking for anything.”
“We can’t be friends and fuck buddies?”
“No,” I snorted. I could only imagine the fifteen different ways that would implode on me.
But instead of throwing Adam off, he took it as a challenge. “Really? Now, that seems wrong. If I can fuck you, I can certainly enjoy hearing about your day over a glass of wine.”
My breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t expecting that response and I found it far too attractive. “You see,” I leaned forward on the table and clasped my hands under my chin, “that kind of thinking tends to lead to caring and feelings. I don’t have time for either of those.”
“But you do have time for sex.”
“Priorities,” I replied with a smile, just as I felt something brush against my leg.
“Sounds to me like you might need to revisit those. I think I can make you scream my name and bring you coffee without ruining your life.” His foot moved up my leg and pushed my knees apart.
I swallowed. The contact of his body against mine was electric. Even with distance and clothing separating us, it turned me on. “I wouldn’t want to take that risk.” My words were softer, breathier, than they had been a moment earlier.
“I don’t see where the risk is. I’m only here
for two weeks. How can you lose? If you don’t like me, I’m gone. If you do like me, I’m still gone.”
Adam leaned back lazily in his seat which gave him a better angle to move his foot up my thigh. That was when I realized he wasn’t wearing a shoe. Just a sock. It was soft and supple against the sensitive skin that led from my thigh to the hot, throbbing taking place between my legs.
If he just pushed, the pressure would feel so good.
But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled back, tracing a trail down my thigh and calf, and then left me alone.
The loss of his touch was shockingly overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as having his foot so close to my core. Adam had a gift, and he knew how to play me.
I should run.
“Two weeks, Elizabeth. Think of how much fun we can have.”
“Two weeks?” I asked. It was like I was under his spell. He’d given me a taste of what having him in bed would feel like, but only a taste. It left me unsatisfied and ready to combust. How could I possibly think straight when all I wanted was to drag him upstairs and rip off his pants?
“Two weeks. I won’t butt into your life unless you ask me to. I just can’t stand the idea of fucking you without getting to know you. We had a good conversation last night.” He huffed under his breath and sat back up. “It isn’t very often I meet someone I actually enjoy talking to.”
And that was what did it. I’d said the same thing to Mitch. I hadn’t wanted to go looking for new friends because it was so hard to find any I liked. I liked Adam. He was smart and funny. He listened as much as he spoke.
I wanted to keep talking to him.
And just like that, I let go of my first line of defense. “Let’s see what dinner holds and go from there.”
Adam held my gaze. He looked confused and intrigued. I’d done this before—caught the passing interest of a good guy with my cold distance. The one comfort I still had was knowing that all I had to do was show Adam my real life and he’d be gone in a heartbeat. The curiosity was only there because of the mystery. Once my secrets were out, there was nothing left to hold them.
So this would be ok.
“We should order,” I offered, opening my menu.
“I figured you had that thing memorized by now.”
I glanced over the familiar curving fonts and snapped the heavy binder shut. He was right, again. I didn’t need to look, I was using it as a distraction. I wanted to escape from the reality that I was making a massive mistake.
The waiter took our order and the next thing I knew, Adam was leaning back in his chair, smiling and drinking. “So, Elizabeth. How was your day?”
The bastard. The sex had better be earth-shattering. “Surprisingly boring compared to last night.”
“Same here. It’s amazing how ‘relaxing’ seems boring when you’d rather be doing someone else.”
It was my turn to cough. I took a swig of wine to tamp down the urge to skip dinner and move straight to sex. “Well, at least we’re clear on how you feel.”
And this is just the beginning! Tease is h-o-t, but also oh, so sweetly romantic! You know you need to read Tease now!
Or grab the first four books in the series in the The Tease Series Box Set (Books 1-4) and start binge reading now!
EXCERPT FROM TEMPT
FROM THE TEASE SERIES
“I’m so freaking late!” I said under my breath as I pushed into the iON Innovations Building at exactly 7:08 in the morning. Or, to be more precise, eight minutes after my morning meeting was supposed to start. Something had gone wrong with the alarm on my stupid state-of-the-art, latest and greatest iPhone, and I’d woken up twenty minutes ago in a panic.
Margaret was not a fan of late. She did not excuse oversleeping, not even on a Monday, not even when she called meetings at ungodly hours of the morning. Not to mention I’d only gotten the meeting invite last night at dinner.
None of it would matter. All Margaret would talk about once I got upstairs was that I hadn’t been on time.
Honestly, it was all Theo Sutherland’s fault. It had been two nights since he appeared and disappeared from my life and since then he’d invaded my dreams and disturbed what little sleep pattern I’d fallen into since moving.
It was like those eyes were haunting me.
The iON Building was a modern, glass-laden acropolis with smooth lines and green technology built into every nook and cranny. My company had designed it so I knew more about it’s hidden features than most. Tiny wind turbines were hidden in corners. Solar panels merged seamlessly with windows. Special materials were chosen for maximum energy savings.
The atrium stretched upward for the first twenty floors. It made for an awe-inspiring entrance most days, but today I ignored all of it, my caffeine-deprived brain taking longer than usual to register that something was wrong. The bank of elevators, my current destination, sat just past the desks and metal detectors. I’d already badged my way in and been wanded, I just needed an elevator. But the area was filled with ten men, all in identical black suits, standing shoulder to shoulder. It was like the freaking Prime Minister was waiting for a lift.
I skidded to a stop behind the row of security (it had to be security) and tapped my fingers impatiently against my hip. That was when I realized none of the elevators were moving. Well, one was. The one they were all standing in front of.
Fuck me. It really was some asshole VIP holding up the whole damn building.
“Hello!” I called. Maybe the meeting was making me ballsy. I’m really not sure, but panic or something made me need to get on that elevator no matter how important the person in front of me might be. “I have a meeting I really, really need to get to, so if the Prime Minister or the Queen or whatever VIP you guys are all hiding up in there could spare a ride for a commoner like me, that’d be great.”
One security guy glanced over his shoulder at me.
“I promise I’m harmless. Just late for a really important meeting. I’m not an assassin.” I don’t know what possessed me to say that. Clearly I’d blown my chance of getting a ride.
I set my bag on the ground beside my feet and crossed my arms, resigning myself to waiting until they unlocked the elevators. Maybe I’d be able to use this as an excuse for being late?
Yeah, not likely.
The elevator finally dinged and the doors slid open. The sea of black suits moved forward, but the last guy—the guy who’d actually glanced at me—held out his hand like he was beckoning me forward.
“Are you actually letting me on?” I grabbed my bag and rushed forward, the security guard standing very close.
That’s when I saw him.
Theo Sutherland.
My knees went weak all over again and I tried not to gasp as his eyes locked onto mine—just as dark and haunted as I remembered. Just as sexy.
I swear the moment our eyes met I could feel him everywhere. My whole body lit up, my skin tingled, the air was lighter. As if one look jump-started a connection that drew us together. A connection that hummed with tension and electricity until it was like he was inside me even though we weren’t even touching. I enjoyed that rush for a moment.
Then I got a little angry. Sexy or not, he was keeping me from my meeting because he was too important to ride an elevator—lift—like a regular person.
“It seems we meet again, Allison,” he said with an amused smirk on his lips.
I arched an eyebrow. “Ten security guys for one elevator ride?” I slid in beside him and turned to face the doors, hoping he couldn’t see how much he was affecting me. “Shouldn’t you have your own private elevator or something?”
He was painfully quiet until the doors closed and we began to move upward. “I do, but I’ve had some security issues lately. What floor?”
“Forty-seven.”
He lifted his chin and someone pressed the appropriate button.
“You’re an architect then?”
“I am. Do you know what is on every floor of your building?” That was
actually a little impressive. There were a hundred and seven floors with multiple businesses on some.
“No. Thirty-two has had trouble keeping tenants for some reason. I’m never quite sure who works on that floor anymore.” His face was deadly serious, but his eyes were light… almost smiling. It looked nice on him.
“Stirling National.” A voice came from behind us.
“Ah, yes.” Theo nodded.
With every floor there was a soft blip, like a timer counting down until Theo and I parted ways again. I couldn’t believe he was here. Like, actually here.
Real.
In our building.
Going to work.
Not a ghost I’d dreamt up at a speakeasy.
We stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the doors, touching but not. I could feel every inch of distance between us, like I was preprogrammed to find, locate, and scan him. I had Theo radar.
And it was completely strange to feel so finely tuned to someone I barely knew. In all my years of dating I’d never had a connection that just appeared like this. Sure, sometimes there was instant attraction, but not an overwhelming lust.
I really regretted not kissing him the other night. At least then I’d know what it was like to have his lips pressed against mine. I’d know whether the connection I felt every time I was near him was real or imaginary.
We were almost at my floor when I stole a glance at him. He was dressed a little differently today. Instead of a blue three-piece suit he was wearing light grey. It was much more modern than the suit he’d worn to the speakeasy. It accentuated the size of his shoulders and the strength I already knew it disguised beneath. His hair was still styled like it had been the other night, but I was surprised by how nice it looked on him now. He reminded me of a hipster who’d lost his way in the streets of London, wound up in an expensive suit, and forgotten to shave. His chin was far from clean-shaven, but it looked manicured, as if he was starting to grow it out.