Priceless: Urban Fairytales, Book 3

by Lena Matthews

  When he was in position, he glanced over at his friend, who was watching them with a predatory look in his yellow eyes. It was a feeling Daniel could attest to. The hunger he felt for Yvonne was like none he’d ever experienced before, and he couldn’t wait a second more to have her in his arms.

  Gripping the bottom of her shirt in his hands, Daniel slowly began to edge it up her supple thighs. Even though he needed her more than he needed his next breath, he wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to call a halt to things if she so desired. “Raise both hands.”

  She turned her head to stare wild-eyed at him. “What?”

  “You heard me,” he said, this time in a firmer voice. “Raise your hands.”

  Still watching him, she did as he requested. “Good girl.” Acting swiftly, Daniel pulled her shirt up and off with one sure move.

  “Daniel,” she gasped as she quickly covered her bare breasts.

  “What?” he asked calmly, amused by her outrage. “What did you think I was going to do, ask you to do the hokey-pokey?”

  “No, but you could have given me some warning.”

  “Like what, raise your hands?”

  “You…” Yvonne paused in mid-rant to shake her head and smile, “…are such a brat.”

  “And you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” Daniel ran his gaze over her back, smiling at the dragon tattoo on her right shoulder blade, then groaned when his gaze landed on the sight of her full, mouthwatering bottom, framed ever so nicely by a pair of pale yellow bikini panties. “Speaking of sexy.” He reached out and lightly ran his hand over her firm cheek, giving it a little squeeze for extra measure. “Nice ass.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her voice filled with humor.

  “No, no. Thank you.” Reluctantly, Daniel removed his hand and walked around Yvonne until he was standing at Ezekiel’s side, facing her. “Take your hands down.”

  Watching them, Yvonne slowly lowered her hands to her side, bringing her large, full breasts into view. Her dark brown nipples beaded under their stare, making his mouth water and cock ache to delve deep within her. He watched her hungrily as she stood proudly before them, dressed only in bikini-cut panties. The golden color of the underwear made her dark skin appear even more decadent.

  “Damn.” The word slipped out before he could stop it, spilling into the silent room like a dirty secret. It wasn’t what he meant to say. Daniel prided himself on his silver tongue, but right now he couldn’t come up with a better compliment if he tried. She was truly breathtaking.

  “Flatterer.” Yvonne let out a soft, husky laugh that had his cock shooting past semi-straight to sledgehammer hard. God, he loved her laugh. There was something about the sexy, throaty sound that made him want to drop to his knees before her and delve his tongue deep within her pussy. Daniel knew if the mere resonance of her laughter had this sort of effect on him, then the sound of her coming undone was going to be the death of him. “Are you two still here with me?”

  “Oh yeah.” Daniel glanced over his shoulder at his silent friend, who was staring hypnotically at Yvonne. “Ezekiel? Still here?”

  “Yes,” he answered without taking his gaze off Yvonne. “I can smell your sweet heat from here.”

  “You can?” she asked.

  “I can always smell when you’re aroused.”

  Interesting. Daniel turned his attention back to Yvonne, who now had her hands covering her cheeks.

  “How embarrassing.”

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Daniel said, trying to reassure her. In fact he found himself jealous for the first time of his friend’s supernatural abilities. The idea of being able to tell whenever his woman was aroused appealed to him on so many levels. “Nothing at all.”

  “That’s what you think. If you only knew how often—”

  “I know,” Ezekiel interrupted her huskily. “I’ve always known.”

  “You mean…” Her eyes widened to comic proportions. “Oh my God.”

  “Known what?” Daniel was beginning to feel out of the loop here.

  “That Yvonne gets turned on when the two of us sit close to her on the couch, especially when we’re watching horror movies, and she gets to jump and grab hold of us.”

  “Kill me now.”

  “Is this true, baby? Do you enjoy being sandwiched between us?”

  Yvonne sighed and dropped her hands back to her side. “What do you think?”

  “I think I can’t wait until I give you what you really want. A true sandwich with me and Ezekiel.” Daniel grabbed her and pulled her close to him. Moving swiftly, he tangled his hand in her hair and tightened his grip on her twisted braids. “With one of us in your pussy and the other in your ass.”

  “God yes.”

  It was all he needed to hear. Bending forward, Daniel covered his mouth with hers, pressing his tongue between the soft swell of her parted lips. If there was a single moment he longed for more than any other, it was this. His first taste of Yvonne.

  Sweet. It was the only word he could use to describe her perfect taste. Their tongues slipped and slid against one another, intertwining as he drank in every drop. Then before he forgot himself and took her against the wall like the horny, rutting fool he was fast turning into, Daniel broke away from her too-tempting mouth and released her. After taking in a much-needed deep breath, he looked to his friend. “Ezekiel. Want to do the honors?”

  “Hell yeah,” his friend said. The other man stared hungrily at her mouth for a split second before dropping to his knees before her. Looking up at her, he grabbed hold of the sides of her panties and slowly pulled them down her supple thighs to the floor.

  “Ohhh.”

  Like before, words escaped Daniel at the sight of her newly exposed flesh. With the exception of a neatly trimmed rectangular strip of hair, her pussy was bare.

  Ezekiel, on the other hand, had no problem expressing himself. “Fuck, baby, your pussy is so pretty.”

  “Thank you.” She laughed hesitantly. “I think.”

  “No thanks needed.” Ezekiel moved in closer to her cunt and breathed in her sweet aroma. “Do you know how hard it’s been sitting next to you all these months, knowing you wanted us but being unable to do anything about it?”

  “Probably about as hard as it was for me to sit between the two of you and not take what I wanted.”

  “Take it now, Yvonne,” Daniel encouraged. “Whatever you want is yours for the asking.”

  Yvonne raised her gaze to meet his and smiled in her slow, seductive way. “What I need most is for you two to touch me. Please don’t make me beg.”

  One spark could burn her world down.

  Keeping Pace

  © 2011 Dee Carney

  Six years after her husband’s death, Regina Pace is still just going through the motions, her only pleasure a nightly glass (or three) of wine to dull the ache. Tonight is no exception—until a sensual outdoor encounter with her neighbor’s son, freshly home from college. He’s older, wiser, more devastatingly handsome than she remembered. He’s also fifteen years her junior.

  Despite her misgivings, it isn’t long before her nightly ritual includes a long, deep drink of Josh Smith. Ogling leads to touching, then the sparks flare into an erotic encounter that feels wickedly right—and deliciously forbidden.

  Yet the intense heat can’t burn away the doubt pestering the back of her mind. That the gap between their ages is too large, even for the most determined leap of faith…

  Warning: Features a boy-next-door who won’t take no for an answer, more than one sexual fantasy (including some outdoor self-loving!), and a burning romance that proves age is just a number.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Keeping Pace:

  Josh took the corkscrew from me gently. “There is definitely an art in handling this task.” Fascinated, I watched him slice the foil around the cork and then dig the metal screw into the spongy plug. After a few quick twists, he pulled upward with ease, dislodging the cork.
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br />   The amazement must have shown on my face. Wine sommeliers and connoisseurs tended to be the only people I knew of who moved with such deft confidence. “I waited tables as an undergrad,” he said with a wink. “If a table ordered wine, they tended to tip bigger. I learned how to pour a bottle properly in a hurry.”

  “I take it you’re no longer in school?” His confirmation would help me feel a little better. Despite the casual atmosphere we’d generated between us, his youth still taunted me.

  “Grad school. Almost done.”

  “That’s amazing.” And I meant it. My education didn’t go further than undergraduate schooling, despite my constantly telling myself I should return for a higher degree.

  “Oh. I’m sorry… I should have asked…”

  His sudden change of topic and subsequent confusion baffled me until I followed his line of sight. In my excitement, I’d forgotten the glass of wine sitting next to the telephone. Not far beyond it, the open bottle of wine I’d set there earlier told a story of its own. Now there were two bottles open. “Don’t worry. Good wine never goes to waste.”

  “It looks like you were going to order dinner too, though.” Joshua looked chagrined. “I can’t seem to do any of this right.”

  “Any of what?”

  “It’s just me over there, and I was kind of wondering if maybe you’d care for some company.” He dropped his gaze, something on the parquet flooring suddenly needing his immediate scrutiny. “I mean, if you weren’t busy.”

  My pulse began to race. I tried to put him at ease because I was touched by his boyish charm. “I’d love to, and since you brought the wine, dinner is on me. Take your pick from the menu, and we’ll place an order.”

  Conversation flowed easily as we waited, which seemed odd to me. I thought there would be lots of stops and starts, all awkward.

  By the time the food came, the bottle Joshua brought was empty. I can’t say who had most of it, but I couldn’t recall my glass ever being empty. Making my way to the door to pay the deliveryman took a slight bit of concentration on my part. I didn’t want to appear buzzed in front of Joshua, despite the very same being true. His gaze rarely left me, to the point I felt its heated caress as I walked away from him.

  He made himself at home, opening the containers and sorting through my kitchen drawers after I placed the bags on the table. My mouth watered as we were assaulted by the scents of meat swimming in rich sauces and smoky char-grilled vegetables.

  “So wait, you did all the work and they gave your project to someone else? What a slap in the face,” he said, continuing the conversation we’d had before we’d been interrupted by the doorbell.

  “Exactly!” I don’t recall when I’d started telling him about Beth. Maybe sometime around when he’d asked what I did for a living. Tongue loosened with alcohol, I’d easily dished every bit of the office rivalry with him. I don’t know if I would have been so bold under other circumstances, but his attention made talking to him about it too easy.

  “So what are you going to do about it?” He dished out the food onto plates, and settled into his chair.

  I bit into an asparagus spear. “That’s the problem, I don’t really know. The PC thing to do would be congratulate her and take a back seat.”

  We ate in silence for a few minutes, taking sips of wine between bites. Finally he said, “But you’ve worked hard on a project you’re passionate about.”

  “And that’s why I’m tempted to assist.” I gave an exaggerated shudder as I said the last word.

  Joshua laughed, then turned serious. “It wouldn’t make you less of a person to help the project succeed. It’s about the kids. Not about what’s going on between you and Beth.”

  Of course he was right, but to hear him say it made something inside me melt. At once he didn’t seem as young as I’d thought only yesterday, but on par with any of my peers. Sure, some wrinkles around the eyes or a few strands of gray hair would have helped, but my uneasiness seemed to have vanished. “You think and act very much like an old soul. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not at all,” I murmured.

  My lids were heavy from our libation, and I chalked up Joshua’s even more vibrant appeal to having consumed more wine than I should have. I saw from the corner of my eye three empty bottles, which tattled on just how heavily we’d been drinking tonight. All of it caught up to me, and my head swam with luxuriant intensity. Unfortunately, that was also my signal. Once I started feeling this way, my inhabitations would soon fall by the wayside.

  With both our plates cleared of food and the wineglasses truly empty, I pulled the uneaten containers closer. “It’s getting late, Joshua—”

  “Josh. Please.”

  “Josh.” I smiled. It felt lopsided. “I need to put these things away and get ready to face Beth in the morning.”

  “Sure, I understand.” He put his knife and fork on the plate next to him. “But I hope we can do this again. You’re great company.”

  “I’d like that.” And I meant it. It dawned on me that we’d spent most of the night talking about me, and I knew very little about him still.

  I rose on unsteady legs, unprepared for when they refused to support me. Josh jumped to his feet, obviously in a much better state than I, and wrapped his arm around my waist. Without his support, I would have hit the floor hard. “Whoa. Steady there.”

  My breasts pressed against his chest, our faces only inches apart. I smelled the remnants of the gourmet delivery surrounded by subtle hints of alcohol. Desire swelled within me, and I weakly fought it into submission, though it would not die without a struggle. I saw a hint of lust reflecting in his eyes and prayed I didn’t imagine it.

  Josh’s gaze dropped to my lips before travelling to meet my eyes again.

  No. Not imagined at all.

  “You’re so young,” I said softly.

  “Twenty-six. Not that young.”

  Fifteen years my junior. A full generation between us. The realization didn’t stop me from wanting him to lower his face to mine and devour my mouth in a kiss.

  He brought his mouth to mine, brushing it with the gentlest caress that sent a shiver rippling through me instead. I ached for more and released a soft whimper of protest when he didn’t give in to my wants. Intense green eyes searched mine before he said, “Not like this, Regina.”

  The use of my first name brought the reality of this evening crashing into me. He didn’t understand. This was exactly how I needed it. How I wanted it. With this lonely life, I’d earned the right to throw responsibility out the window and let my id run rampant. I’d promised Patrick I would live. And I wanted to do so now.

  I threaded my fingers into Josh’s short brown hair and brought his lips to mine. I opened my mouth against his, the urgency of connecting to him on a physical level driving me until I knew nothing else. It crossed my mind only seconds after our tongues connected that he might reject me. When he breathed into me, tasted me, that thought shattered.

  Finding his unoccupied hand, I brought it to my breast, offering more than just a kiss to him.

  “You’re tempting,” Josh muttered after breaking away. “So very tempting…but you’ve also been drinking.”

  I licked his bottom lip. “I’m fully aware of what I’m doing.”

  “I need you to be able to say that in the morning.” He kissed me again. “I won’t be satisfied with just one night.”

  Guiding his hand beneath my shirt, I let him touch my bare skin. “But what an amazing one night it could be.”

  Stuck between a rock-solid man and a hard place…

  Rising, Freestyle

  © 2011 Vivian Arend

  Xtreme Adventures, Book 2

  Melanie Dixon’s body may have recovered from a horrific climbing accident, but her nerve is long gone. So is the natural enthusiasm for life she took for granted. Tired of being scared, beyond ready to conquer her fears, she pulls up stakes and moves to her brother�
�s new hometown to start over. Her first step is the most terrifying—to tackle the wall at the local climbing center.

  Derrick James is mesmerized by Melanie’s dark beauty, and equally impressed with her climbing abilities and determination. Watching her retune rusty skills spurs a desire to partner with her—on and off the ropes. Melanie’s a compelling mix of wit, sensuality and vulnerability, and it’s his delicious task to convince her the scars on her body are no match for the heat rising between them.

  Then a man from Melanie’s past shows up, pushing their relationship to the edge. Nathan King wants photographs for a “where are they now” series, but his side agenda is more personal in nature. A proposal that brings her out of her sensual shell and onto a precarious sexual ledge. Where trust is crucial…and too easily shattered.

  Warning: This book may cause heart-pounding, body-shaking adrenaline attacks—and that’s before they leave the climbing gym. Contains blindfolds, ropes and a healthy dose of voyeurism. Go on—you know you like to watch.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Rising, Freestyle:

  If she was going to show off to the world, she needed Derrick’s help. She didn’t want to have a crutch in her life. Not a thing, not a person, but giving up his comforting touch and presence right now was impossible. “I can only do it with you there. Is that possible? I know it’s a huge imposition, but if you’re present it will help. So much.”

  He pulled back to stare into her eyes, his gaze thoughtful as he examined her face. The caring lover she’d grown to appreciate over the past months—he was probably considering what was the best for her. Derrick nodded slowly. “How about this. If you and Nathan can work around the hours the climbing gym is closed, you can use the place to do your shots. There will be no distractions and no audience.”

  Extreme relief shot through her. Oh God, she hadn’t even thought about that part. She hugged him close, burying her face in the vee of his neck, loving the way he created a wall of protection to hide behind.