“Every Friday.” Professor Trevor and I have developed quite the habit. She baits me, offering me the same prize every week. Answer the question correctly, leave early. “I think she loves me.”
“I love you,” he growls, raising my hand to his lips, nipping the inside of my wrist. “Nobody else gets that pleasure.”
That’s when Simon dives onto my lap from the backseat. “Think you have some real competition.” I laugh, hugging him close.
“Well,” Joshua says, eyeing our baby. “I guess I can make a special exception.”
We hit South Padre Island Drive, just beating the rush-hour traffic. We cross the Kennedy Causeway and enter Padre Island. It’s nearly 100 degrees today, but there’s a steady breeze blowing off the Gulf of Mexico. I remember tanning on the Mediterranean, snorkeling in the Caribbean, and swimming in the Pacific, but nothing compares to our little piece of paradise. Ever since Joshua and I moved into our house together and got married, I’ve learned to appreciate the familiar, valuing my home more and more every day. Don’t get me wrong—we have plans to travel. But there’s nothing better than home. Nothing.
And now that I’m his wife, I have a family. Everything I ever dreamed of but always thought impossible to get. My reward for loving Joshua.
“What are you thinking?”
“How truly blessed I am.”
That makes him smile. “Still on Cloud Nine?”
“Oh. My. God.” That’s an understatement.
“Me too.”
I reposition Simon on my lap, freeing a hand. I squeeze Joshua’s thigh. “Want to pull over?”
“Really?”
I nod, watching our choice in hotels grow slimmer as he speeds down the street. Without questioning me further, he puts on the directional and exits right, hitting the closest motel. “Think they rent by the hour?” I joke.
“Maybe in quarter-hour increments,” he suggests. “Don’t think I’m going to be able to control it, darlin’.”
He climbs out of the car and heads inside to register. Simon sits up, enjoying the rush of cold air coming out of the closest vent. “We’re so lucky, little boy.” I scratch his ears. “Pinkie promise to make this moment last forever?” I’m rewarded with a lick. “Good enough for me.” I laugh.
A few minutes later, Joshua reappears and drives around the wood structure. “Room 228.” We find it and park.
I grab my purse and climb out, still holding Simon. Before I can take a step, I’m swept off my feet. “Crazy man,” I scold playfully. “You’ve carried me over half a dozen thresholds already.”
“Then our good luck will never run out.” He walks a few feet to the door and unlocks it.
I slide to my feet once we’re inside, putting Simon down, and check out the room. It’s clean enough, but small. However, the queen-sized bed is perfect. Joshua closes and locks the door while I crank up the window AC unit.
“Ready, Mrs. Camden?”
“Need to ask?”
“On your knees,” he commands.
I immediately kneel on all fours at the end of the bed, sticking my ass in the air. He reaches around my front, unbuttoning my shorts, sliding them down to my ankles. I suck in a deep breath; just the idea of him mounting me from behind turns me on. We’ve made it a habit anytime we’re out and about and get horny, never denying ourselves spontaneous pleasure. Call us crazy, I think we’ve fucked in just about every hotel between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. An exercise I highly recommend to all my friends. Of course they accuse us of being oversexed teenagers.
We’re not. Just in love. And I have no doubt that will last forever. He leans over me, his hands running freely up my spine, his soft lips kissing the back of my neck. He groans, his shaft pressed against my core. Oh God. I’m so wet. So ready.
“I love you, Macey,” he whispers near my ear, his tip penetrating me.
“I love you.”
He moans again, thrusting inside me, his fingers working my clit, his tongue flicking down my neck. I fist my hands in the comforter, trying to stay focused and on my knees. Every time we do this, I lose myself in the pleasure. A puff of air could make me fall over.
He slams deeper, pumping his hips. “God, you’re tight, Camden.”
I squeeze my inner muscles, teasing him. “Complaining, Ivy League?”
“Think I’m crazy?”
“Sure do.”
He immediately pulls out, flips me over, and rams inside me again. “How crazy?”
“Enough to fuck me into a coma.”
That invigorates him. He pins my wrists above my head, my back arching, my breasts jutting forward. “Mine.” He nips my right nipple, suckling so hard my legs shake. Then he switches his attention to the other. “Mine,” he reminds me.
“Yours,” I say.
Now and forever.
To my beloved sister Holly—thank you for being so wonderful.
Acknowledgments
I’m blessed with the best agent, Jill Marsal, and an editor who believes in me—thank you so much, Sue Grimshaw.
Thanks to all my readers—none of this is possible without you.
Big hugs to Jessica Jefferson, Kelly Graham, B. J. Scott, J.J., Dan Skrzynski, Kathryn Le Veque, my beloved husband Jeff, and Milisa.
Listening is the greatest gift you can give an author.
BY VIOLETTA RAND
Devil’s Den
Surrender
Seduction
Sin
Lies & Leather
Loving Lucas (coming soon)
PHOTO: DAVID JENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
VIOLETTA RAND holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and a master’s degree in environmental management. Having served as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see.
Violetta has been in love with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, at five she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the worlds she loves bringing to life in the pages of her stories.
www.violettarandromance.com
Facebook.com/ViolettaRandRomance
@ViolettaRand
The Editor’s Corner
May flowers are abloom and so are our fabulous Loveswept romances—beautiful covers and stories to fill your eReaders to the brim!
New this month is New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff’s next Ethan Frost installment, Exposed—the more time I can spend with Chloe and Ethan the more “happy-happy-happy” I am. Next up is a new storyteller we’ve added to our list, Gina Gordon, and her risqué love affair, Rush, where a bad boy shows a straitlaced law student how to slow down and savor the good things. And what happens when you start falling for your worst enemy? New York Times bestselling author Missy Johnson and debut author Ashley Suzanne tell you all about it in Breaking Noah. The final installment of the Devil’s Den dancers by Violetta Rand also comes out this month, so look for Sin. The third book in Cecy Robson’s Shattered Past series, Once Pure, will be on sale as well, where true love lands a knockout punch.
Western contemporary fans will be thrilled to know USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s Last of the Red-Hot Riders will be available, featuring the toughest rodeo rider in Hell, Texas.
And, PNR fans, never fear—Witches Be Burned, a Magic & Mayhem novel releases from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy, in which a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.
New Adult audiences will enjoy Amber Hart’s Captured by You, the sequel to Until You Find Me, in which Raven and Jospin must fight for each other in a world where love is never safe—and power is deadly.
Meet new friends this month with Loveswept books—stories that invite you on fabulous journeys with some pretty amazing characters. Who knows, you may find a new book boyfriend, too!
Until next month ~Happy Romance!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
Read on for a sneak peek at
Loving Lucas
A Lies & Leather Novel
by Violetta Rand
Available from Loveswept
Chapter 1
I’m a prisoner. And although my cage is a luxurious thirty-two-foot Thor Motor Coach, Connor is stretched out on the leather couch by the only exit. If I try to sneak out, he’ll wake up. And I don’t want to suffer the humiliation of another one of his explosive tantrums. I’m standing between the bedroom door and living area, arms crossed over my chest, music and laughter filtering through the open windows. It’s ten o’clock, the races are officially over, but the party just started.
I peek out the closest window, catching sight of the bonfire. It lights up the nighttime sky like fireworks. My friends are out there, drinking and having fun. And I’m stuck inside with my homicidal boyfriend who loses it when I smile at another guy. I carefully weigh my options, considering the consequences. With Connor, everything comes with a price.
I sniff the air, smelling cigar smoke and barbecue. A tradition I hate missing. Michael Samos travels to Cuba every year and smuggles the finest cigars over the border, saving a box for the last weekend of the races. I can taste the citrusy tang already. However, what I crave most is the camaraderie, feeling like I belong somewhere. Sitting in utter silence while Connor sleeps off his postrace buzz sucks. And I’ve already exhausted the DVD collection in the bedroom. If I watch The Fast and the Furious one more time I’ll puke.
I edge closer to the door. Connor flips onto his right side. There’s a nightlight on in the kitchen. I gaze at his angelic face. That’s what initially attracted me. And his sense of humor. But after thirteen months, I know what lurks beneath his tranquil features.
I don’t like him.
I take another silent step, then stop. So far so good. Another. I touch the latch, turn it, and the lock pops.
“Karlie?”
I cringe, not facing him. “Yes?” My voice wavers.
“Where the fuck are you going?”
I hear him sit up. “Outside.”
“Get over here.”
The fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And my fight-or-flight instincts insist I obey. But I don’t want to. Instead, I push the door open.
Everything happens so fast. He clamps onto my hips, snapping me backward. I let out a little cry as he lifts me off my feet, then slams me onto the couch. My back hits the padding so hard it knocks the breath out of me. But I still try to roll onto the floor—maybe I can crawl between his legs, making it outside.
“Settle down,” he hisses, gripping my right ankle. “Now.” His nails dig into my flesh.
Tears sting my eyes, more out of fear than pain. “Please,” I beg. “Let me go.”
He laughs, wrapping his fingers around my throat. He applies just enough pressure to let me know he’s in control. “Where, Karlie?”
I raise my chin, my last attempt at defiance. “Wherever I want.”
He squeezes harder now, depriving me of enough oxygen that I get light-headed. I kick my feet so hard my sandals fly off. I dig my fingernails into the sides of his face.
“Bitch…” He lets go accidently and I take full advantage, launching off the couch.
I land on my knees near the steps and fall forward, hanging onto the edge of the first one, ready to scramble out the half-open door. He grips both of my ankles and flips me over, and the back of my head smacks the tiled floor with a sickening thud. It hurts more than brain freeze. I grit my teeth, praying the pain away, only to have it replaced by something far worse. He bends my big toe forward, and fire shoots up my foot. Oh. My. God. I bite my bottom lip so hard I taste blood.
I kick frantically. He twists my toe. “Stop or I’ll break it.”
He means it. I’ve been to the hospital twice in the last year with a broken wrist and a concussion. When the doctors asked what happened, Connor turned on the local-boy charm and told them I crashed at practice. He’s a local celebrity, so no one challenges him. No one suspects him of abuse. Except Marie. But she’s outside with her boyfriend…
“What-what do you want?” I ask.
“Where’s the goddamned phone number that prick from Colorado gave you?”
“In-in the trash.”
“Not in your pocket?”
I threw it away the minute we got back to the RV tonight. “No.”
“I don’t believe you.” He lets go of my foot, kneeling beside me.
His angry face gets closer and closer. Survival instinct takes over, and I fist my hand and punch him in the nose with all the strength I have. He growls, falling back. Somehow I scramble to my feet and fall down the steps, landing on the hard ground outside. Cool air fills my lungs. I shake my head. That pain at the base of my skull quickly reminds me where I am. I get up, then run for the fire. Halfway there I hear Connor’s heavy footsteps somewhere behind me. Oh God. This is it. I’m going to die tonight.
Breathless and exhausted, I fall to my knees. I hear voices, see dozens of feet standing around me. The heat from the flames feels so good against my chilled skin. That’s the effect my boyfriend has on me. It’s 60 degrees outside and I’m as cold as a corpse.
“Karlie,” Connor calls, his boots coming into my peripheral vision. “Don’t make this into something it doesn’t need to be. Get up—we’ll talk this out. In private.”
I don’t move. I can’t speak. I’m too busy worshipping the goddamned ground I’m kneeling on, thrilled to be free. Happy to be in public. We’re a tight-knit group. But certain things are taboo in the racing community, interfering-with-relationship stuff being one of the biggest. And Connor Seville is a hero. Three-time AMA champion. The fact that he graces these unsanctioned races with his presence is reason enough for everyone to overlook his temper.
He slides around me, resting his hand on my shoulder. I look up, meeting his blue gaze. The firelight makes him look ominous. “No,” I say confidently. “We’ll never discuss anything again.”
He chuckles, assessing the small crowd around us. I do the same, wishing Marie were nearby. All I see are Connor’s friends. “Never say never,” he adds, then palms the top of my head. “You’re all alone, Karlie. Without me, you’re shit.”
He forces my face to the ground and I get a mouthful of dirt. I spit it out, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. When he finally lets go, I wobble to my feet, shocked and disappointed that no one intervenes on my behalf. Cowards. All of them. “Don’t touch me again, Connor.”
He raises his hand suddenly and I flinch. Then he runs his fingers through his hair, a smug look on his face—pleased he psyched me. “Scared of your own shadow.” He spits on the ground, inches from my bare feet. “Come on.”
I shake my head, refusing. Going with him would be like shooting myself. “Fuck off.”
He growls, stalking forward, forcing me back another foot. I’m too close to the flames—my butt feels like it’s roasting.
“Karlie?”
I shut my eyes, relieved to hear that familiar voice. Marie. And where she goes, Brandon follows.
“What the hell, Seville? Karlie’s lip is bleeding.” She’s next to me in seconds, her reassuring arms wrapped around me. She pulls me away from the fire.
I snuggle into her, my heart rate starting to return to normal. I’m not really helpless, but Connor has this way of shutting me down. I feel stupid around him, ugly, and worthless. That’s what he tells me I am. After six months of being bombarded with insults, I finally started to believe him.
“Go.” Marie flicks her fingers at him like she’s shooing a fly. “You okay?” she whispers near my ear. She’s blessed with Connor antibodies.
I nod, knowing
I’m not.
“Stay out of it, Marie,” Connor shoots back.
“Maybe we should all take a break,” Brandon adds judiciously. “Let Karlie stay here with us. We’ll bring her home in the morning.”
That offer elicits an evil laugh. “Like I’d trust you with her.” Connor lurches at me, but he’s quickly snapped backward by someone I’ve never seen before. “What the fuck?”
Connor whirls around, eye level with the stranger’s chest. “I think the lady wants to stay here.” That’s all the leather-clad god says, his penetrating eyes fixed on Connor.
Connor retreats a foot, squaring his shoulders, ready to challenge him. Inside, I’m jumping for joy, wishing I were doing actual somersaults.
“Who is that?” I ask Marie.
“Not sure…”
We’re captivated by his bravery, but Connor’s minions are closing in. The odds are heavily in Connor’s favor. Everyone is looking at me now. Perhaps waiting for me to say something. But I can’t.
“I suggest you leave, brother,” Connor warns, unafraid because he’s got a dozen guys to back him up. “This is a private party.”
“Like intimidating women?” My protector closes the distance between him and Connor. “Like smacking them around?”
Silence. I nearly faint. That man is heaven-sent. Suddenly I find my voice, break away from Marie, and rush to Connor’s side. He gazes down at me, a triumphant look on his face.
“Seems my girl disagrees—she’s coming with me.”
“Not a chance,” I say, thrusting my hands onto my hips. “We’re done, Connor.” I can’t believe I just dumped him in front of everyone. I hear whispering behind me. I don’t need anyone’s approval to stand up for myself. I should have done this months ago. “I’m getting my bags.”
I turn to go, but he grabs me by the neck. “The hell you are.”
Sin Page 21