Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

Prue twisted his dark curls around her fingers. “I need you to lick me now,” she said, her breathy words rushed, her face flushed with heat.

  Nicholas dipped his tongue inside her and twirled it around the tight, pulsing nub.

  Prue arched her back. “Yesss!”

  He ran his tongue back and forth inside the delicate folds of pink skin, adding more pressure each time to bring Prue to an explosive climax. The soft folds tightened and he knew it wouldn’t be long before her body erupted in a rush of ecstasy. He moved the tip of his tongue to the firm, fleshy nub and circled faster, teasing her, tasting her.

  Prue’s body stilled, her toes curled as the shockwaves of heated pleasure rose inside her. Any second. Yes. Yes. Yesss! Her breath caught in her throat, her body tightened and she exhaled a long satisfied moan.

  Nicholas sprang across the bed to his nightstand, opened the draw and reached inside. He pulled the foil-wrapped condom from the packet, ripped it open with his teeth and slid the latex sheath over his burgeoning length then returned to the woman he would once again make passionate love to.

  Prue reached for him and he eased his wait onto her, kissing her eager mouth. She moved her hand down to grip his rock hard length but he stopped her. Wrapping his arms around her he rolled onto his back taking her with him. She straddled him, the palms of her hands flat on his six pack abs, and gazed down at him, seduction in her eyes. She moved backwards and slid her body onto him taking his length inside her with a moan of pleasure.

  He reached out, both hands gripping her waist, his eyes filled with heat.

  She moved her hips up and down his pulsing shaft, taking in the full length of him and moaned as his tip reached her hypersensitive core. She moved in rhythm with him, feeling her mounting climax spreading through her like hot lava.

  Nicholas groaned deep in his throat, his face flushed, his breathing more ragged. He couldn’t hold on any longer. He rolled her onto her back and plunged into her.

  Prue wrapped her legs around him and pressed her hands against the cheeks of his ass causing him to thrust deeper. Her breathing quickened and her body tightened as the explosive wave hit her.

  Nicholas pumped and pumped, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He was almost there. Almost. Almost… His body tensed as he shot his release and collapsed on top of her, kissing her shoulder. “I love you.”

  Prue was surprised by his admission. With everything that had happened between them, she never expected to hear him say those words so soon. She ran her fingers through his damp hair and kissed the top of his head. “I love you too.” He was an amazing lover and she was content to be in his bed, in his arms, and realized he was hers after all.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Prue woke up to an empty bed and wondered where Nicholas was. Maybe he’s in the shower. She stretched her body and smiled as she recalled the way he had made love to her the previous evening. He knew exactly how to give her pleasure and she loved him for it. She sat up and glanced around the room, noticing her clothes sitting in the wing-backed armchair by the window.

  She threw back the covers, stepped onto the polished wood floor and padded over to her clothes. She’d take a quick shower before heading to the kitchen, where she assumed Nicholas was, because he wasn’t in the bathroom.

  Dressed, and her hair towel dried, Prue felt refreshed and ready for breakfast. She opened the bedroom door and walked along the hallway, through the living room to the kitchen. Nicholas was at the counter making waffles, bacon and scrambled eggs. She smiled at the sight. He could cook. That was an endearing quality in a man.

  Prue wandered over to him. “Good morning. That smells wonderful,” she said, touching his arm and planting a kiss on his cheek.

  “Morning.” He continued to busy himself with the breakfast preparations and didn’t look at her. “Why don’t you take a seat. This is almost ready.”

  She frowned, walked over to the breakfast table and sat down. Two mugs of coffee were already waiting. She picked up hers and took a sip. Something didn’t feel right.

  Nicholas dished up the meals, brought them over to the table and joined her, setting a plate down in front of her. “Thank you. It looks amazing,” she said, smiling up at him. He gave a thin smile and she knew he had something on his mind.

  “You’re welcome.” He sat a napkin across his lap and picked up his knife and fork.

  Prue watched him for a moment, her stomach doing a nervous flip. “Is something wrong, Nick?”

  He set his cutlery down, stared into her eyes and waited a beat. “I think last night was a mistake. We got caught up in the moment, the wine…”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Prue was speechless.

  “It shouldn’t have happened. Nothing has been resolved between us. I don’t know what we were thinking.”

  Tears stung Prue’s eyes. How could he think their being together was a mistake?

  His gaze moved to his plate and he picked up his cutlery then put it down again. “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you that was the last thing I wanted to do.”

  Prue found her voice. “You’re sorry? I can’t believe you’re saying this to me. You initiated last night. Kissed me, carried me to your bed. Made love to me… told me you loved me. For what? To tell me this morning it was a mistake?” A tear slid down her left cheek and she brushed it away.

  “Look, I said I’m sorry. We’d had a bit to drink last night and…”

  “Are you going to blame it on the alcohol?” She stood up. “Be a man, Nick. Take responsibility for what happened and don’t make excuses.”

  He gazed up at her. “Prue, I’m…”

  She raised a hand. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Just make up your mind what you want.” She headed to the door. “And don’t follow me back to New York until you know.” She marched out of the kitchen, through the living room to the entry hall, plucked her jacket off the rack and pushed her arms into it then threw her scarf around her neck and walked out the front door. Tears stung the backs of her eyes but she was determined not to give in to her emotions, not now.

  Prue stalked down the steps toward her rental checking the pockets of her coat for the keys, realizing Nicholas had them. “Damn it.” She huffed in frustration, turned around and headed back up the stairs to the porch. Nicholas was at the door holding up the car keys.

  She snatched them from his hand without a word and descended the stairs again. She was so angry. How could she have been so stupid to think his making love to her had changed his mind? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why hadn’t she taken her own advice about not drinking too much and not making a fool of herself? She pressed the remote and climbed into the car.

  What made the whole humiliating situation worse was that Nicholas didn’t even bother to follow her.

  ***

  Back at the inn, Prue pulled clothing from hangers and snatched garments from drawers as she hurried to pack. She had wanted to stay and sightsee, but now that was out of the question. Tears spilled down her face. Why had Nicholas been so cruel? Why had he slept with her only to tell her this morning it had been a mistake? A mistake? It wasn’t as though he had written her name incorrectly in a book at one of his author signings. They had shared the most intimate moment together, shared their bodies, their souls. How could he dismiss it so easily?

  A knock on the door caused her body to jump. She gasped and turned around, hoping it wasn’t Nicholas. “Who is it?” She realized she shouldn’t have answered.

  “It’s Peter Moncrieff, Nick’s friend. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Prue hesitated before walking across the room. Why is he here? She swung the latch back and opened the door. “Did Nick send you?”

  He shook his head. “No, he doesn’t know I’m here.”

  “Then why are you here?” She folded her arms.

  He gave a wry smile. “I, uh, came to see if you’re alright. Nick mentioned what happened.”

  She scowled and threw her hands up. “What? He told you about
last night? How could he? That’s so personal.”

  Peter raised his hands in defense. “Hey, I get that. I do. But he’s pretty upset and I wanted to make sure…”

  “He’s upset? How do you think I feel?”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Right. You’re his friend so you’d take his side.”

  “That’s not how friendship works. If he’s wrong I tell him he’s wrong. And I don’t agree with what he did, not at all.” He motioned through the door. “May I come in?”

  Prue shook her head. “I don’t think so. You can go back and tell Nicholas Colton I’m not playing into his guilt game any longer. If he wants to work things out he can come and speak to me, when he figures out what he actually wants. If he ever does.” She gave him a furtive glance. “Thanks for coming by. But I’m fine.”

  “Ok. If you’re sure?” He admired her tenacity.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She closed the door, folded her arms and huffed out an angry breath. How dare Nick confide their sexual misfortunes to his friend. Prue felt violated.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  Rachelle picked Prue up from the airport and the drive back to her friend’s apartment was quiet for most of the way. Prue had called her but hadn’t gone into detail over the phone as to why she had cut her trip short. Rachelle knew something had gone awry because Prue planned to be gone for several days. She glanced sideways at her friend wondering if she should ask the question.

  Prue could sense Rachelle wanted to know what happened but she wasn’t in the mood to talk about Nicholas Colton, nor his seduction and betrayal. She wanted to go home, hug her daughter and stay in the apartment for the rest of the leave she had left. Because her mind was somewhere else Prue knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate if she went back to work early.

  Rachelle spotted a car leaving, indicated and pulled into the curb. “Well, here we are safe and sound. I’m sure Nikki will be happy to see you.” She smiled.

  “Thanks for picking me up, Rache. I really appreciate it.”

  Rachelle’s curiosity got the better of her. “Honey, what happened?” She gave Prue a concerned frown. “I can see how upset you are. Is there anything I can do?”

  Prue shook her head. “Not at the moment but thanks for the offer. I’d rather not discuss what happened right now. I need to get my head around it first.”

  “Are you seeing Nick again?”

  She shrugged. “Who knows? He changes his mind so often it’s hard to keep up. I have no idea where I stand with him.”

  Rachelle rubbed Prue’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Me too.” She sighed and opened the car door. “Well thanks again for the lift. I’ll grab my suitcase and you can head off.” Prue pulled her bag out of the trunk, then went back to the open passenger window. “See you in a few days.”

  “Keep your chin up, hon. Things will work themselves out. You’ll see.”

  Prue gave Rachelle a thin smile, waved goodbye and headed along the sidewalk to the front steps of her apartment building. It was good to be back on home territory.

  ***

  Later that evening, after Nikki was tucked in bed, Prue sat on the sofa wrapped in her pink throw rug and sulked. Nicholas had treated her like nothing more than a one night stand, something he hadn’t done all those years ago. She’d believed they had made a lasting intimate connection this time, so what went wrong? ‘I think last night was a mistake’ popped into her head and a tear slid down her cheek. Why had he made their night together seem so cheap?

  Her cell phone chimed and her body jolted back to the present. She had been lost in her thoughts. She snatched it off the coffee table and frowned at the screen. Prue didn’t recognize the number. She answered, hoping it wasn’t Nicholas. “Hello?”

  “Hello. Is this Prue Granger?”

  Prue’s stomach flipped over. “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “I’m Nurse Mitchell at Allegheny General Hospital’s Emergency Room…”

  “Oh my God, what’s happened? Are my parents ok?” The roads were slippery at this time of year and Prue hoped they hadn’t been involved in a serious car accident.

  “I’m calling about your brother, Toby. He’s had a bit of a mishap. Fractured his pelvis and broke his left leg in a riding accident. He asked me to contact you. Are you able to come out here at all?”

  “Are my parents with him?”

  “No ma’am. They were here earlier but they’ve gone home for the evening.”

  It couldn’t have come at worse time. Prue wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be going home right now, still she had five days medical leave she could use and Toby was always there for her. “Please tell my brother we’ll leave first thing in the morning and I’ll see him some time tomorrow afternoon?”

  “I’ll do that ma’am. And don’t worry. He’s been given some heavy duty meds and is resting comfortably at the moment.”

  “Ok. Thank you so much for letting me know.”

  “You’re welcome, ma’am. Have a good night.”

  “You too.” Prue rang off. It was a risky business breaking in new horses, although Toby didn’t do it as often anymore because he had trained riders to handle that side of the ranch, but that must have been how the accident happened. She glanced up at the wall clock. 9.00 p.m. She grabbed her laptop from her bedroom and sat down to check bus schedules. She booked two tickets on a Greyhound bus leaving at six o’clock the next morning. Lucky for her she hadn’t unpacked hers or Nikki’s suitcases yet.

  Prue contacted Rachelle to let her know what had happened and told her she’d be away for the rest of the week, maybe longer. She’d have to cross that bridge when she came to it. She’d call once Toby was settled at home and something could be worked out to assist him while he was incapacitated. Rachelle asked Prue to give him her regards and hoped he made a speedy recovery.

  ***

  Lying in bed in the early hours of the morning, Prue couldn’t sleep once again. Her mind was full and her heart ached. She was worried about her brother, despite the nurse’s assurance that he was fine, and she was worried about the whole Nicholas situation. Would they ever get the timing right? Did he even want to?

  Prue glanced at the bedside clock radio. The green display read 3:02. If she didn’t get at least an hour or two of rest she’d be a wreck by the time she arrived in Pittsburgh. And she didn’t want to worry her brother or her parents. They had enough to deal with. She sighed and rolled onto her right side so she couldn’t see the time. Prue tried counting sheep, but Nick’s handsome face kept popping into her head. She gave another heavy sigh and flopped onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

  It would be good going back home again. She’d enjoyed spending the holidays with her family. While she had been there she hadn’t given Nicholas Colton any thought, until she ran into him. Perhaps helping her brother out for a few days would take her mind off her problems. She could only hope.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Nicholas was once again at his computer unable to put anything on the blank page in front of him. All he could think about was Prue and the way he’d acted toward her the morning after. Yes, they’d drank some wine, but neither of them had been intoxicated to the point that they didn’t know what they were doing. And, yes, he had initiated them sleeping together. Why couldn’t he get past the whole not knowing about his daughter before now situation and attempt to make a life with the woman he was in love with? Be a father to his child? What was wrong with him?

  He gazed out the window at the darkening sky and sighed. He couldn’t think about that now, he had to finish his next book by the fast-approaching deadline. But how was he supposed to do that when he couldn’t get Prue out of his head? Nicholas knew he’d made another mistake where she was concerned. He’d walked away from her once and knew it had been the wrong decision. Now he was doing the same thing all over again.

  The ringing doorbell pulled him from his thoughts. He gazed up from the computer screen and wondered
who it was. He pushed himself out of his desk chair, strode through the living room and opened the door.

  “Got a minute or are you in the middle of something?” Peter asked.

  “No, come on in. I could use the distraction. Want some coffee?” He turned and headed to the kitchen.

  “Yeah, thanks.” Peter closed the front door and followed him through the living room. “I wanted to talk to you about Prue.”

  Nicholas took two mugs out of an overhead cupboard and sat them on the counter then glanced over his shoulder at his friend. “Oh? Why?”

  Peter sighed, folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I went to see her before she left.”

  Nicholas frowned. “You did? How come?”

  “I wanted to make sure she was ok. It was pretty clear you weren’t, and I thought someone should check on her.”

  “That was good of you. Thanks. I know it should’ve been me but after what I said I didn’t think she’d want to talk to me.”

  “No problem. She, uh, gave me a message for you.”

  He gave Peter a curious frown. “She did?”

  “Yeah. She said she wasn’t playing into your guilt games anymore and if you wanted to work things out to go talk to her when you made up your mind what you were doing. Oh, yeah, and she added if you ever do.”

  Nicholas swallowed hard. “Prue said that?”

  “Yeah.” Peter sat down at the breakfast table.

  Nicholas brought over the coffee and joined him. “I know I treated her like a…well, I treated her badly. It’s hard, you know? I want to get over the whole not knowing about Nikki thing, but something inside won’t let me. Every time I come to the decision to let it go, a brick wall with Prue’s name on it hits me in the face.”

  Peter leaned back in the chair and folded his arms. “Come on, Nick, that’s a cop out and you know it. If you want to be with her you’ll find a way to move forward. You have a beautiful woman out there who loves you and a lovely little girl. Go fight for them.”

  “I can’t right now I have a deadline looming. The book has to be finished in four months. I can’t keep dropping everything to fly across the country.”