MyAlphaBillionaire New Adult Erotic RomanceARe

by Tawny Taylor

  It was breathtaking, like a picture out of a book.

  “Is this the same backyard?” I asked. “It can’t be.”

  “It is.”

  “I’m blown away.” The grass looked so green and plush, like a carpet. “Is it okay to walk on it?”

  “Of course.”

  I had to feel that lawn under bare feet. I steadied myself against the deck railing as I pulled off my shoes. Shane placed a hand on my waist to help me. It was a sweet gesture, so like him when he was at his best.

  The minute I had my shoes off, I padded down the stairs and stepped onto the grass.

  It was so soft it didn’t feel real. It felt like satin. Cool, smooth satin. “Ohhh. I’ve never felt grass like this.” Bending down, I ran my hand over the blades.

  Shane gently pushed me down until I was lying flat on my back. His hands were palm down, arms holding his upper body off mine. My head was trapped between his arms. My heart was trapped in my throat.

  His cool eyes looked bright in the brilliant daylight, but still I could see shadows darkening them. Secrets. Things he couldn’t tell anyone, not even me. “The day I make you mine will be the happiest day of my life.”

  I believed him. My heart soared, and I knew that we could work through whatever problems came up. He loved me. More than life. More than anything.

  And I loved him.

  I loved him. I loved his many good qualities. His loyalty. His passion. His commitment.

  And I loved him, despite his faults.

  “Shane,” I said, tears gathering in my eyes. “I…love you.”

  His smile was more brilliant than the sun blazing overhead. “I promise you, I will show you each and every day how grateful I am to have you in my life.” He bent down and ravaged my mouth, kissing me fiercely. His tongue plunged inside, stroked, claimed, possessed. His hands skimmed down my arms, curled around my wrists and held them like shackles. “My Bristol. Mine. Forever.”

  I writhed beneath him. My body was burning up. I craved his touch, his possession. Here. Now. “Yes, yours, Shane. Yours forever.”

  He sat upright, gazed down at me as I struggled to catch my breath. “This isn’t how I imagined it would be. But I couldn’t help myself. I never can when I’m with you.” Shifting to one knee, he helped me sit up. “That’s a little better.” He slid a hand into his pocket. He pulled it out.

  There was a box in it. A small black velvet box.

  “Oh God,” I whispered.

  “Bristol, I need you. More than my next breath. More than life itself. I never wanted to need someone. Needing is terrifying. It’s strange to me, foreign. I tried to walk away. Hell, I tried to run away. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live without you.” He pulled up the top, revealing a ring with a huge sparkling diamond. “You’ve turned my world upside down. Everything is different now. I can’t do anything without thinking about you.”

  Never had I heard such beautiful words. He meant them. Every single one. There could be no doubt.

  “There isn’t a single person or thing I’ve loved that I haven’t lost. I’m terrified. But I have to take this chance with you. I love you. I need you. Please tell me I won’t have to live another day without you.”

  I don’t know how long I sat there staring into his eyes. It might have been a few seconds. It might have been a few hours. I was speechless, lost in the shadows in his eyes. But eventually I found the words I needed to say to him.

  “Shane, I have always been yours, and I will always be yours. There’s no reason to be afraid. My heart, my soul, they belong to you. I’ve been scared too. I tried to run. But I couldn’t stay away any more than you could. You see? We belong together. We both know it, even if we didn’t always want to admit it.”

  His eyes teared up. His lips curved into a sweet smile. “Thank you.” He plucked the ring from the box and slid it on my finger.

  It fit perfectly.

  My doubts evaporated.

  Shane was not perfect. He was flawed. He was scared. He was human. But the flaws and fear and humanity were what made him perfect for me.

  Soon I would be this man’s partner. His wife. His lover. His friend. And his submissive.

  “We’ll start our life together here. In this house. Where it all began,” he said as he pulled me into his arms. “We’ll start a family of our own.”

  I sank into his embrace and closed my eyes. The image of a beautiful little girl flashed in my head. With long dark bouncy curls and wide, dark expressive eyes.

  His child.

  Our child.

  The perfect expression of our flawed, imperfect love.

  The End

  An Excerpt From: DARKEST DESIRE

  Copyright © TAWNY TAYLOR, 2012

  All Rights Reserved, Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Beautiful.

  Exquisite.

  Thoroughly, utterly, intoxicatingly sexy.

  And as deadly as a cottonmouth.

  That was Malek Alexandre, summed up in twelve concise words.

  A spectator at the private bondage club, standing in the shadows at the back of an open dungeon, Lei Mitchell moved aside to let a slave wearing a black thong and dog collar pass. Her gaze never left Malek. Not for a second.

  This was an opportunity she couldn’t deny herself.

  For once she was free to just . . . enjoy. Without fearing she’d be caught by Malek, one of his brothers, or her sister, Rin.

  Lei’s hungry gaze wandered up and down his body at leisure now, taking in the full glory of his heavily muscled form. He was wearing a simple outfit—black, snug-fitting knitted shirt and tailored trousers, no leather for this man—but still Lei could make out the rippling bulges and clean lines defining each muscle as he lifted his arm and flicked his wrist. The leather tails of his flogger sailed through the air toward their target, and Lei’s breath caught in her throat.

  Malek was not just any dom. He was the dom. The one who made her blood pound hard and hot through her veins. If only submitting to him wouldn’t mean her destruction.

  Warm and tingly all over, even though her insides ached a little at knowing she would never—could never—know the pleasure of submitting to her master, Lei stood in that dark corner, just out of his sight, and watched as Malek trained a submissive. The sub, a male, clearly enjoyed every stroke of the lash, as evidenced by the look of utter rapture on his face . . . and the large bulge pressing against the only garment he was wearing, the snug black G-string. Like Malek, the sub was lean, firmly muscled, bronzed, attractive. He was also delightfully responsive. She wouldn’t mind taking him back to her private suite sometime.

  Since being rescued from a nightmarish life as a sex slave, Lei had come to this private bondage club to exorcise her demons. One of her previous owners had trained her to dominate him. As it turned out, his kink had become her salvation. Now she was the one in control. She was the one holding the whip, tying the knots, instead of receiving the blows or being bound and forced to fuck.

  Free now from that horrendous life, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from seeking out opportunities to dominate men. She wasn’t sure why. She received no sexual fulfillment from it. She received no emotional fulfillment either. She was still the empty shell of a girl she’d been the day her sister had bought her out of hell.

  But now she was an empty shell with a compulsion.

  And a fascination with a certain dom.

  As Malek released his submissive from his restraints, in preparation for a change in position, Lei tried to walk away.

  But she couldn’t. Her feet simply wouldn’t move.

  Her body was tight. Hot. Her heart was pounding. It was as if she were lowering to her knees before Malek, waiting breathlessly for his next command.

  Malek ran his fingertip down the sub’s spine.

  A tiny shudder of pleasure quaked through Lei’s body. Her pussy clamped tight against an aching emptiness. She licked her dry lips and curled her fingers into fists.

 
What would he do next?

  The submissive settled on his knees on the floor, butt lifted high, rather than resting on his heels. He tipped his head down. Waiting. Patiently.

  Lei had been forced into that position too many times to count. She’d never voluntarily kneeled before a man. She couldn’t now. But that didn’t stop her from imagining herself in the submissive’s place at this moment. If she closed her eyes, she could feel Malek’s gaze sweeping up and down her body. Her skin burning. Her nerves prickling.

  It was anxiety and anticipation both. A touch of fear coupled with the expectation of good things, wonderful things. Of unimaginable pleasure. And glorious pain.

  If only . . . if only . . .

  “Is that a smile I see?” Malek’s voice was unexpectedly light, playful. His tone both put her at ease and made her that much tighter.

  “No,” the submissive answered.

  “No, Master,” Lei whispered to herself as she opened her eyes. Such a show of defiance surely deserved a punishment. She didn’t want to miss this.

  What would Malek do?

  A chill skittered up her spine.

  Malek’s brow lifted, but he said nothing.

  Ah, he was going to let his submissive wait, wonder.

  She unclenched her hands and dragged her sweaty palms down the sides of her legs. A huge lump congealed in her throat. She swallowed hard and squeezed her thighs together. The burning in her pussy was becoming intolerable.

  Malek used the tip of his whip to lift his submissive’s chin. “I asked you a question, and I expect a proper answer. So I’ll ask again, is that a smile I see?”

  The submissive’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”

  This was a submissive who liked to push his luck. Lei had scened with more than enough to know the type. They craved the punishment and weren’t by nature submissive. They merely took on the role so they would be in a position to get what they wanted. Depending upon the submissive, and the dom, that could be a few lashes, being humiliated in public, or perhaps being paddled to within an inch of their limits.

  But what he probably wasn’t expecting was what Malek did, even if they had discussed the possibility ahead of time.

  Malek walked away.

  The submissive’s eyes widened. His mouth formed an “O” of shock; then his lips clamped shut.

  Damn. Lei couldn’t help but smile at the submissive’s reaction. She’d put money on him thinking twice about playing Malek like that again. Or maybe he’d make a different choice in a dom, if that was his game. Either way, it was something to watch.

  While Lei continued to study Malek’s behavior as he prowled around the open dungeon, he turned. His gaze swept the crowd of onlookers gathered around the perimeter of the room. It snapped to her.

  Their eyes met.

  The air seeped from her lungs.

  Her face burned.

  He smiled, and she swore her heart skipped a beat. Maybe two.

  Dangerous. That’s what that man was.

  Her body had never reacted this way to any man before, especially since . . . being rescued. She met his smile with a tiny nod, then forced herself to walk through the throng toward the back hall, toward her private suite, her haven. Her sanctuary.

  * * * * *

  Please turn the page for a special sneak preview of YES MASTER, available now!

  An excerpt from YES, MASTER

  by

  Tawny Taylor, Anne Rainey and Vonna Harper

  Copyright ©2013 TAWNY TAYLOR

  Kensington Publishing, All Rights Reserved

  I felt his gaze on me as I kicked off my shoes. It had been a long time since I’d felt sand under my bare feet. Warm. Heaven. I padded down to the water’s edge. It was colder than I expected. I did a little hop, then spun around as I heard a low chuckle.

  “You move like a dancer.” He said that as though it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

  I took it as a compliment. “Thank you.”

  He offered both hands, and I took them. Then he pulled me close, closer until my body was almost touching his. “I want to kiss you right now. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since we got off the plane.”

  Then what was he waiting for? “Kiss me.”

  Something flashed in his eyes again. Hard male hunger, perhaps. Whatever it was, it made my body tingle all over. “If I kiss you, I won’t stop there.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  His palm slid up my arm, up to my neck. Higher. His fingers curled into a fist, catching my hair. He gently pulled, easing my head closer to his. My insides did somersaults. When his mouth finally found mine, I actually moaned. His lips were soft, moist. His kiss was patient, an exploration. I explored too, slipping my tongue into his mouth, tasting him. A warmth flooded my body, and a pulsing need pounded between my legs.

  I wanted Tristan Stark to be my first. I wanted him so badly, even though I knew he would probably break my heart. At the moment, I didn’t care. All I could think about was how I felt as his tongue glided along mine, caressing me intimately, how thrilled I felt to be held in place, unable to move my head.

  All too soon, he ended the kiss. His lids were heavy. His mouth was still close, temptation like I’d never known.

  “Kiss me again, please,” I whispered.

  “Not yet.” Still holding one of my hands, he turned, leading me back up the path, toward the house. “Let’s go inside.”

  My legs were a little wobbly as I followed his lead. We went up the steps, across the deck—our dirty dishes were gone—back into the house, down a hallway.

  We stopped at a closed door.

  Tristan didn’t open the door right away. He seemed to be hesitating. I wondered why. It couldn’t be that he was embarrassed. What was there to be embarrassed about? Was he having second thoughts? Was he thinking I didn’t want to have sex with him?

  I was assuming the room on the other side of that door was a bedroom. I smiled, making it clear I had some notion what was about to happen, and I was happy about it.

  Holding the doorknob, he leveled a serious look at me. “I need to show you something now. Before I open this door, I want to make it clear you are free to leave whenever you want.”

  “O-okay.” Why the speech?

  He gave me one final lust-filled look, then twisted the knob and pushed. Instead of going in, he moved to the side, allowing me to enter first. Reaching around my shoulder, he flipped a light switch and the room filled with soft light.

  I took two steps in and stopped. My gaze meandered around the room, the walls papered with an elegant damask in shades of gray. Against one wall was a big wooden X, chains ending in cuffs bolted to the top and bottom of each end of the boards. In the center stood a huge wood table. Above the table—which I assumed was not meant for dining—hung the most beautiful crystal chandelier I’d ever seen. The twinkling light flickering off the crystals reflected on the glossy table’s top. Against one side wall was a large armoire. And the other was a thing that looked kind of like the kneeler I remembered from my grandmother’s Catholic church.

  Overall, the room was both exotic and scary at the same time. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what happened in there.

  “Do you know anything about domination and submission?” Tristan asked. He was standing a small distance away, watching me closely.

  “Um, no. Nothing.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know anything about domination and submission. My gaze flicked from one thing to another. Could I imagine myself in this room? Would I enjoy it?

  My stomach knotted. My palms were sweating. I dragged them down the sides of my legs.

  “When we were kissing outside, you wanted more,” he said.

  “I...yes, I did.”

  “This is what comes with ‘more.’” He stepped a little closer. “I don’t have sex, Alice. I don’t make love. I play. I explore my submissive’s limits, find that thin line between pleasure and pain, ecstasy and torture.”

  This explained why
he’d never been “in love.” “I never…would have guessed you…this…”

  He stepped closer still. “Would you like to leave now, Alice? Have you seen enough? Or do you still want more?”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tawny Taylor has been writing erotic romance for women for ten years. Her first published novel, Tempting Fate, was published in 2004 and was an RT Reviewer’s Choice nominee and highly reviewed book. To date, Tawny has over 50 published books by 5 publishers, including Pocket, Kensington, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain and Changeling Press. They include several subgenres of erotica and erotic romance including paranormal, menage, contemporary, and romantic/erotic suspense. Many of her books contain D/s, bondage, and domination and submission. Among her bestselling books are Dark Master (Vampire, BDSM), Decadent Master (Vampire, BDSM), and Wrath’s Embrace (Menage, BDSM).

  Tawny is grateful to her readers for allowing her dream of writing and publishing to come true. Her hope is to continue to write hot, sassy, sexy erotica for women for many years to come.

  Tawny loves hearing from readers! Drop her a note anytime:tawny@tawnytaylor.com.

  website: http://www.tawnytaylor.com

  Twitter: @tawnytauthor

  Blog: http://tawnytaylor.net