by Opal Carew
Excerpt
How would Lori possibly get through the weekend with Marie and her new husband, Drake, the man who still starred in her erotic dreams?
After Lori had turned down two invitations to dinner and a couple more for drinks, always claiming work issues, Marie had finally insisted Lori give her a date when she could join them at Drake's family cottage near Lake Simcoe, north of Toronto.
She hadn't wanted to drive up with them, in case she came up with a brilliant plan to cut the weekend short without hurting Marie's feelings.
She tucked the bouquet of fresh cut flowers under her arm and clung to the strap of her small suitcase as she rang the doorbell. The place was huge. It was more like a full-fledged home than what Lori thought of as a cottage.
Marie opened the door and squealed, then pulled Lori inside and threw her arms around her, practically knocking the flowers flying.
Marie pulled back and grinned at Lori, then held out her left hand and wiggled her fingers. A bright, shiny diamond glittered on her ring finger. Lori grasped Marie's hand and stared admiringly.
"It's gorgeous."
And it was. A marquis cut solitaire in a white gold setting. The matching band had a delicate pattern engraved on the surface.
"Here, I brought some flowers." Lori handed Marie the bouquet.
"Lovely. Thanks." She led Lori into a large, gourmet kitchen and grabbed a crystal vase from the cupboard beside the stainless steel, double door refrigerator, then filled the vase with water.
Lori peeled the paper from the flowers and placed them in the vase.
"Perfect." Marie's face glowed.
Well, why not? She was a brand new bride and she seemed very happy. "Come on. Let me show you around."
"Where's… ah… Drake," Lori asked.
"Oh, he won't be arriving until late tonight." Marie grinned. "He thought you and I would like some girl time to catch up without the new husband getting in the way." She waved a dismissive hand. "I told him there'd be no problem but… he seemed almost nervous to meet you. Imagine that."
Nervous? So, did that mean he'd recognized her, too? Did he have feelings of lust in return? The mere possibility sent Lori's hormones dancing, chased away by guilt… and the realization that if it were true, the weekend would be excruciatingly long and awkward.
Sunshine danced along the polished, dark hardwood floors as Lori padded into the kitchen, awakened by the smell of coffee. The house was very quiet. Marie and Drake must still be asleep. The coffee maker had probably been set to automatic.
She slipped into the kitchen, poured herself a cup and carried it to the stools that sat in front of the counter, facing a fabulous view of the lake. As she took a seat, she noticed a note on the black granite counter top.
'Gone to do some grocery shopping. Back about one.'
Lori glanced at the clock. It was only nine now. That meant she had the house to herself for four hours.
She ate a quick breakfast then pulled on her bikini and headed for the patio doors to the backyard. She stepped through to a paradise of plants, stone decking, and a gorgeous free form pool with a waterfall-and even a hot tub.
Wow, her idea of heaven.
She stretched out on one of the lounge chairs and opened her book. After about a half hour, she dropped her book onto the table beside the chair and rolled onto her stomach. She undid the strap of her top to maximize her tan and tucked her hands under her head. The sun beat down on her, lulling her into a quiet nap.
"You're going to burn if you're not careful."
A man's voice-it must be Drake's-startled her. She flushed as she realized from the back, with her thong bottoms and her top strap undone, she might as well be naked.
"You need some protection."
She saw his masculine hands pick up her tube of sun block from the table beside her and felt the warm lotion form a line across her back. His large hand stroked her flesh as he massaged it in: first across her shoulders, then down her back, then the length of each leg. Next, she felt his hand cup one of her ass cheeks as he slowly and thoroughly massaged the lotion into her skin. She longed to flip over and allow him to give the same attention to other parts of her body. Her breasts tingled and her vagina tightened with need.
But he was just being a good host. He didn't want her to sunburn. She couldn't stand the wonderful feel of his hands caressing her a moment longer. It felt too good. She clutched her bathing suit top to her chest and rolled over to a sitting position.
He smiled that electric smile of his and winked. "Whatever you say."
He stood up and she nearly gasped. He wore the briefest, sexiest bathing suit she'd ever seen on a man. It left little to the imagination. She could see the length of his cock straining against the thin fabric, the head nearly pushing out the top. Clearly, applying the sun block had affected him just as much as it had affected her.
If Marie were to step out on the deck right now, it would be very embarrassing.
"Where… uh… where is Marie?"
"She went out shopping. Didn't you see her note?"
Alone. They were alone? Panic shot through her. He was practically naked in front of her, and obviously turned on. A little voice inside her suggested she drop her hands to her sides and let her top fall to the ground. That would certainly heat things up between them.
But she couldn't. This was her best friend's husband.
"By the way, I'm not Drake." He sat on the lounge chair facing her.
"What?" She stared at him, perplexed.
"I'm Drake's brother, Craig." At her narrowing eyes, he continued, "I'm not kidding."
"You're identical-"
"That's right. Marie said she was having a friend visit this weekend and thought I'd like to meet you. I'm glad I took her up on the invitation." His gaze shifted up and down her body, coming to rest on her breasts, and her hands clinging to the loose bikini top.
"Nice to meet you, Craig. I'm Lori. I'd shake your hand, but…"
He smiled and a devilish glint lit his eyes. "I sure wouldn't complain if you did."
His To Command
by Opal Carew
Her heart, her body, her soul—are his to command.
Kate is a modern businesswoman who knows exactly how to run her well-organized world. But underneath her professional exterior lurks a secret that she's been running from for years—a fierce desire to be dominated that both exhilarates and terrifies her. And there's only one man who's ever tempted her to lose control.
Powerful executive Matt Pearce gave Kate her first taste of what it means to surrender completely at the hands of a dominant man, and she's never been able to forget. Though she's spent years trying to outrun her feelings for him, a chance encounter changes everything.... and this time she might not be able to escape. Deciding to give in to her deepest desires, Kate agrees to spend a week at Matt's mansion exploring her submissive side under his masterful instruction. Just when she starts to fall deeper and harder for him than ever before, a terrible secret from his past threatens to tear them apart, and Kate must decide whether to finally trust Matt with her heart... or leave him behind forever.
Excerpt
As she lay stretched out on the lounge chair, she imagined Matt sitting beside her, wearing only a bathing suit, his muscular chest and well-sculpted abs on display. She'd love to convince him to go skinny-dipping with her. The thought of him stripping off his swimming trunks and walking to the pool with the hot afternoon sun blazing on his naked body as his large cock swung back and forth set her insides quivering. He'd dive into the water and surface, his body glazed in glistening water. Then he'd walk toward her and... things would progress nicely from there.
She sighed, an image of his big, hard cock in her mind. She licked her lips, wishing she could wrap her hands around it right now. Wishing she could take it in her mouth.
Then she realized there was nothing stopping her. He was only a few yards away, with only a brick wall between them. She could march in the patio
door and down the hall in ten seconds flat. The fact that he was working and she'd have to coax him away made her realize this was a great way to turn the tables. Give her a chance to be in control.
She put her book on the teak table beside the lounge chair and stood up. Then a grin curled her lips. It would be much easier to distract him from his work if she was naked. She reached behind her and unfastened her bikini top, then wiggled her bottoms down her legs and off. As she walked toward the patio door, she cupped her right breast, and grazed her thumb tip over the nipple, sending sparks of awareness dancing through her. She flicked back and forth until it hardened.
She slid open the patio door and stepped inside, shivering a little as she stepped from the eighty-degree weather outside to the cool air-conditioned house. Both nipples tightened to hard nubs, but when she reached Matt's office door, she toyed with them to ensure both were hard and thrusting straight out. Then she knocked.
"Come in," he said.
She turned the doorknob and stepped into the room.
Matt sat at his desk, staring at the computer. He didn't even glance up when she entered.
"Hi," she said, leaning against the doorjamb.
"Hi," he said without looking up, totally engrossed in whatever was on his screen, his fingers flickering across the keyboard with a tapping sound.
She pursed her lips, but strolled across the room undaunted, her hips swaying. Not that he noticed.
"I thought you might want a little break." She stood beside him now.
"Not really. I'd like to work for another hour, then I'll be yours for the rest of the weekend."
She had no idea if he really meant an hour or if one would turn to four. He'd never brought work to do when he was with her before.
"But I'd like you to be mine right now." She crouched beside him and stroked her hand up his thigh.
His eyes widened when he realized she was naked. But to her shock, he returned to typing on his keyboard. "I'm afraid I have to keep working."
But the slight smile turning up Matt's lips tipped Kate off that he was toying with her. Not to be put off, she glided her hand over his crotch. The feel of the growing bulge under the fabric encouraged her. She stroked several times, then glided her fingers firmly along the sides of his shaft. The already large bulge grew even more. It was rock-hard under her fingertips.
She grabbed the tab of his zipper and pulled it down slowly. The soft denim opened as she pressed her hand inside, then slipped it under the thin cotton boxers beneath until she found his hot, hard staff. Like molten marble.
She drew it out and gazed at it. Long and hard. Thin veins pulsing on the sides. She stroked it, from base to tip, then back again. She glanced at his face. His lips were tightly compressed as he continued to concentrate on the screen.
She shifted in front of him, shimmying under the desk since he continued to type. She leaned forward and pressed his big cockhead to her lips, then licked him. She thought she heard a groan, but when she glanced up, he was still staring intently at the computer screen. Her lips wrapped around his huge tip until it filled her mouth. She sucked and this time she definitely heard him groan. As she watched, he determinedly continued to type, but his fingers faltered as she glided down his hard shaft, taking him deeper. She squeezed as she glided away again, then sucked and licked the crown.
She loved having his cockhead filling her mouth. Loved squeezing it inside her. The tip of her tongue glided over it, then toyed with the small hole, tasting a salty drop of pre-come. It was definite evidence that he was interested. Not that the huge cock in her mouth wasn't a dead giveaway.
She drew it from her lips and stroked, his shaft warm and damp from her saliva. "I think you're ready for a break." Her lips curled up in a smile.
He gazed at her, but shook his head. "No, I really have to keep working."
If it weren't for the twinkle in his eyes, she would have been uncertain, but he was definitely toying with her. She drew her shoulders back in determination, then swallowed his cock into her mouth and began sucking in earnest. He swelled even bigger. She dove down as deep as she could, taking him down her throat, then she drew back. Down again, then back. Her fingertips found his balls and she stroked, then glided underneath and cupped them in her hand, all the while sliding his hard cock in and out of her mouth.
His balls tightened and she knew he was getting close. She could just continue and suck down the fountain that was sure to blow at any second, but she didn't. Not with him still typing away, though quite erratically now.
She grabbed the armrests of his chair and rolled it backward as she pushed herself out from under the desk. Then, holding his cock firmly in her hand, she turned her back to him and lowered herself until he pressed against her slick slit. Then she lowered herself the rest of the way onto his lap.
Oh, God, that marble-hard shaft felt like heaven gliding into her. It stretched her like no other had before. It was so long and so freaking thick. She groaned when she finally rested on his muscular thighs, then tightened her passage around him.
His typing had stopped, but then he had the nerve to start again. She glanced at the screen in front of them and smiled as she noticed everything he'd typed over the past few minutes was all gobbledygook. She took one of his hands and placed it on her naked breast, then pressed it hard against her. Her rigid nipple pressed deep into his palm. She took his other hand and pressed it to her mound, encouraging his finger to find her clit. His fingers moved frustratingly away and gripped her hips.
"You've displeased me by interrupting my concentration. Now I need to punish you."
She frowned. Really? For taking control this time? But the thought sent quivers through her. How would he punish her?
He grasped her waist and lifted her from his lap. His hard cock dragged along her sensitive passage, nearly sending her over the edge. Then it dropped from her and bounced upward as he set her on her feet. He stood up and grasped her shoulders, then guided her around the other side of his big desk. He swiped his arm across the surface, knocking everything to the floor. Papers, pens, desk accessories. Even his empty coffee mug.
Then he leaned her over the desk until her naked nipples pressed against the cold oak surface. A flattened hand on her back pressed her down harder, her breasts crushed against the hard wood.
"You are a very bad girl, disobeying my wishes like that."
He pressed his knees between her thighs and pushed her legs wider apart. His hand stroked over her behind, then slid between her legs. He stroked her wet slit several times, then she felt something hard and hot press against her. His cock pushed forward, and slid inside her.
"Do you like that?"
Oh, God, of course she did, but she wasn't sure if she should say yes or no. After all, this was to be a punishment.
When she didn't answer, he coiled his hand in her long, auburn hair and drew her head back until her neck curved against his shoulder.
"I asked if you like it?"
"Yes," she responded.
Debt of Honor
by Opal Carew
Held captive by a domineering sheikh…
…and made to pay for a crime she did not commit
Angelica couldn't believe that hopping off a plane during a refueling stop to search for one-of-a-kind souvenirs could lead to so much trouble. Now she is detained in an exotic country by a devastatingly handsome sheikh... and ends up in his harem.
Caution: Includes a little f/f, lots of hot m/f and a heart thumping, romantic, sexual adventure you won't soon forget!
Chapter One
Angelica couldn't believe that hopping off a plane during a refueling stop to search for one-of-a-kind souvenirs could lead to so much trouble.
She sat staring at the glossy mahogany desktop in front of her, wishing she still wore the light, cotton sundress she'd donned this morning. The unaccustomed heat pressed down on her like a heavy blanket, smothering her last few ounces of energy. She scooped up her long hair so the breeze from
the overhead fan would cool her neck. The small relief it gave seemed an intense pleasure compared to the rest of this dreadful day, and she closed her eyes to savor it. This long, robe thing she'd been forced to wear covered too much of her, as far as she was concerned. She'd undone the top few buttons, but perspiration glazed her back and dripped down between her breasts.
Why hadn't she stayed on that darned plane?
She heard the door behind her open, and then close with a firm thump. Despite her curiosity, she sat still in the stiff, wooden chair, determined not to glance around.
Who was it this time? Hopefully, not those two goons who had dragged her here. She had explained to them that she'd done nothing wrong, that in fact, she'd been the victim of a robbery, but they'd barely understood a word she'd said or they'd chosen not to. She couldn't be sure.
They'd kept her sitting here for at least two hours, with no regard to her comfort. Right now, she should be safely aboard her homeward bound flight to Toronto. Asleep.
The newcomer's presence seeped through the room, filling her with tension. As the seconds drifted by, curiosity overwhelmed her.
She twisted around to look.
The man who stared back at her was the most sinfully gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Raw masculinity emanated from his tall, muscular body. His dark hair flowed to his broad shoulder in waves, accentuating his square jaw, softened by full, yet masculine lips.
He had the most stunning eyes. Intense. Dark. Penetrating.
And intimidating.
His gaze swept over her, making a few stops along the way. On the open buttons down the front, making her intensely conscious of the fact that, at the angle he saw her, the swell of her right breast was visible. On the sash she'd added to cinch this loose, frumpy robe at the waist. On her crossed legs. She had pulled the robe up to her knees in an attempt to cool off, knowing she revealed less leg than she had in her sundress, yet suddenly she felt shamelessly brazen.
Finally, his gaze pivoted to her face. The intensity of it disturbed her.
He strode across the room and settled behind the desk, laying a manila folder in front of him.