by Dark Angel
I smile and lean back against his strong chest, loving how perfect everything is.
After he found me at the Lusty Lady, he whisked me off to his palace and made me his wife the very same day. He said he wasn’t willing to lose me again. He’d worked too hard to find me and wanted to keep me beside him forever, starting right away.
I don’t know what I would've done if he hadn’t figured out how Melissa manipulated both of us. I could've spent the rest of my life without my prince charming.
Now that psycho is locked away in The Dungeon for life. Well, it’s not literally a dungeon. That’s just what St. Albans calls its prison. Apparently, Melissa was up to more shady shit than just trying to get rid of me and snag Derek. He had her investigated and they discovered she’d been stealing from the royal family for years. Now we don’t ever have to worry about her again.
Derek comes around in front of me and reaches for Sapphire, taking her in his arms and murmuring all kinds of sweet things in her ear. He’s a perfect daddy. Almost as much as he’s a perfect husband.
He makes sure I’m happy and satisfied. In every way.
“I have a surprise for you,” he says when he lays Sapphire back in her bassinet.
I clap excitedly. “What is it?”
Derek calls for the nanny and takes my hand. “Come with me.”
He leads me out of the nursery and down the hall to our royal chamber, which is insanely huge. Take the biggest penthouse you can imagine, then multiply it by five. That’s our personal section of the palace.
I lean into his strong arms as we walk, sighing in contentment. I don’t think life could be any more perfect.
Everything I thought we had between us was absolutely true. Completely real. True love. That connection has grown even stronger, and I think we fall more in love every single day.
“Close your eyes,” he commands.
I giggle. “Sounds naughty,” I tease. Please let it be naughty. I can’t get enough of his body. It’s no wonder I got pregnant almost immediately. Rabbits? They have nothing on me and my prince.
“It’s totally naughty,” he says, his hands running down to cup my ass, and I bite my lip in anticipation. “You know what today is?”
I shake my head, closing my eyes when he reaches up and brushes his fingers over my lids. “Tell me.”
“It’s our anniversary.”
I frown, confused. We still have another week and a half before our anniversary. “No…”
I feel him nod against my neck as he nips at the sensitive skin there. “It is. One year ago today, I walked into a strip club, and nothing has been the same since.”
I laugh. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
“The very best thing. So I have something for you to celebrate.” Derek places his hand on the small of my back and guides me forward. I’m not sure where he’s leading me, but it feels like it’s toward one of the empty rooms we haven’t gotten around to decorating yet. Or even figuring out what to use it for.
“Eyes closed,” he reminds me as he comes around in front of me and pulls me by the hands.
I squeeze them tighter, even though all I want to do is find out what his surprise is.
“Stay here.”
He moves away from me, and I can see lights come on behind my eyelids, but I keep them shut. Then music fills the room, loud and pounding out a sexy beat.
“Okay,” Derek says, back by my side, leaning in for a long, slow, seductive kiss that has my body instantly wet and needy. He breaks the kiss after a minute. “Open your eyes.”
I do, and my hand flies to my mouth. I can’t believe what I see. The entire room has been transformed. Dark walls and plush carpet, a huge-ass bed right in the middle of the room, begging to be christened. But that’s not the best part.
No, the best part is the low stage directly in front of the bed, bright spotlights pointed to the center where a shiny pole extends from floor to ceiling.
I turn to Derek, eyes wide. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I can’t keep the excitement out of my voice. “You did this for me?”
He smiles, wickedly, all kinds of naughty intentions in his eyes. “For us. You like it?”
“Um, yeah!”
He chuckles as I race to the stage and walk up the steps. I can’t believe this. The last time I stripped on a stage was the night he found me. Of course, I’ve stripped plenty for him—I mean, come on, I’m not gonna waste that talent—but I won’t lie. I’ve missed being on stage, even though he’s the only one I’d ever want to perform for now.
Now it looks like we have the perfect place to be as naughty as we want.
He jumps on the bed, settling in, leaning back against the headboard with his hands behind his head, a suggestive arch to his brow. “Wanna try it out?”
Fuck yeah.
So do I. I give him the best fucking show of his life. And the best part of it is that when I’m done, I can crawl right up into the bed with him and let him fuck my brains out for the rest of the day. Good thing for royal nannies…
He reaches down and touches me where I’m already so wet and ready, then lifts his fingers to his nose. “So sweet. I love the way you smell.”
I laugh as I straddle his body, sinking down on his thick, perfect cock. It’s a good thing, or he may not have found me. “I love you.”
Derek clasps his hand behind my neck and draws me to him, capturing my lips in a perfect kiss. “I love you too, princess.”
Then he gets busy showing me just how much he loves me. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of him. And my fairytale has come true, because I don’t have to. He’s mine. Forever.
Dr. Single Dad
The doctor is in.
He's gonna inject me with his love medicine.
And I don't think I'll be able to walk tomorrow.
8 pack abs. A rugged face with deep, soulful eyes. The most defined V I've ever seen.
All leading to a magic stick that you gotta see to believe.
Too bad I can't have him.
He just moved his billion dollar practice next door and bought my building, along with my business.
Which means I see him everyday. I feel his eyes on my @$$ as I walk by. I get wet thinking of his hands on my body. Ripping my clothes off. Bending me over. Spreading my legs and...taking my temperature.
That's it. Eric may be the doctor.
But it's time I make the house call. In his bed.
*** Come join Dark Angel in the first foray into the dark world of single dad romances. Filled with brooding billionaires and the women who love them. No cheating or cliffhangers, but there are scorching scenes with pleasure probes. HEA guaranteed***
Elia
I groan as my phone rings. It’s too early for people to be calling, but I roll over and slap my hand on my nightstand to reach for my phone to stop the noise. I squint an eye open so I can swipe the screen to accept the call, then roll over to lie on my side and press the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
There’s a short silence. I hear Dana on the other line. “If you’re still asleep, you better get out of bed right now, Elia.”
My eyes snap open and I sit upright. I move too fast and fall off my single bed.
“I’m up! What time is it?”
“It’s half past eight.”
I stumble off the floor with my phone still in my hand. No wonder she woke me up.
“I told you to make sure that you’re on time because I have a dentist appointment to go to today. Now I’ve missed it.”
My heart thumps and I try to stop my racing thoughts and make words happen. “I’m awake now, let me get ready. Promise I’ll be there soon.”
Dana pauses for a second and I wonder if the warning shot is coming or if I’ll get fired right on the spot. “Just come as soon as you can.”
I try to feel relieved…but I’m still stressed out. I mumble out my gratitude and try to get my bearings. “Thanks. Sorry!”
I hang up and rush to the bathroo
m for a quick shower. I hop out as quick as I hopped in and grab some clothes, a dress with heels, and a jacket and scarf on my way out. Just as I’m about to leave, I remember my phone. I nearly forgot to take it.
The stupid phone’s old and barely works, so my alarm didn’t ring. It’s not the first time this has happened, which is probably why Dana called me. It’s a good thing she did, otherwise I wouldn’t be going to work at all because I’m exhausted, which seems to be a bad habit of mine lately.
I run to the elevator. Luckily, it arrives fast and I run outside to start looking for a taxi. I could probably run all the way to work, if I wasn’t wearing heels. What the heck was I thinking? That’s the problem, I’m not thinking straight. My leg is bouncing up and down nervously and I’m chewing my lip like it’s my breakfast.
I’m just about to give up when I see a cab coming. I breathe a sigh of relief and raise my hand to hail it. It stops on the curb. I climb in and give the driver the address.
As I buckle up, I say, “I’m actually in a bit of a hurry. Do you mind stepping on it?”
He waves his chubby fingers in the air and says, “Sure thing sweetheart.”
As promised, he steps on the gas. The journey’s a few minutes and the only thing on my mind is sleeping. I rub my eyes and force myself to lean back in my seat and open my purse.
I have my old phone and a Kindle. I bought the Kindle recently, and it’s the one luxury I’ve allowed myself in a while. Mainly because I’m crazy about reading. Besides, it’s in better shape than my phone.
“Sorry, love. There’s a bit of traffic.”
I peer out the window and see that he’s right. There’s traffic. And not a little, a lot.
“Seems as if there was an accident or something?”
Great. Just my luck.
I can’t afford to be in a taxi, and the meter’s running while we’re stuck in traffic. I pull my Kindle out of my purse and select one of the three books I’m reading at the moment.
“We’re here, love,” says the driver suddenly.
Holy crap! Forty dollars for a taxi ride? When did that happen? I quickly go through my purse and pull the bills, and I hesitate handing them over. It feels as though I’m giving him my life savings.
As I hand over the cash and thank the driver, I have a different sense of panic, thinking about the money I just spent. I could have bought a new phone. I can’t believe that it’s nearly ten and I’m even later than I thought I’d be from the time I woke up this morning. My body’s trembling as I stall outside the door. I know I’m wasting even more time.
I glimpse inside the store, and suddenly my legs are moving fast to get me inside.
I see Dana talking to someone in a suit. Normally, there’s no one interesting in the store. Certainly not a guy in a dark gray suit, with dark hair and attractive green eyes.
I walk in, interrupting the conversation he’s having with Dana. “Good morning.”
Dana stares at me. I’m not looking directly at her, but at the tall, dark-haired stranger in front of her. I’m drawn to him and flirting is second nature. When I realize that I’m blowing my boss off and my nerves went from shot to jumpy, I know at this point that I have to roll with it. So I stretch out my hand and say, “I’m Elia.”
Instead of shaking my hand, the stranger raises my hand to his mouth. He kisses my knuckles. It sends a jolt through my body.
“A pleasure to meet you, Elia,” he says, lips brushing my hand before he raises his eyes and smirks, probably at my blushing face.
Dana seems kind of mesmerized by the strangeness of this moment, and it seems to keep her from firing me now. She looks at her phone and distractedly introduces the stranger. “Elia, this is the potential new owner. He’s buying the bookstore. Seeing as you’ve decided to show up for work, I’ll be heading off. You can work for a change. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
I don’t hear her. The only thing that’s on my mind is that this guy’s going to be my boss, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s flirting with me.
Maybe working here isn’t so bad after all. I’m so embarrassed that Dana said all those things…worse that they’re sorta true. I do work hard, but I’ve just been so bummed lately. I don’t want this potential new owner to think, hey, fire this dipshit. If I could summon any energy, I’d worry about that more. But I’m staring into those emerald pools of his and trying to breathe normally and not project a serious case of ogling crazy eyes.
Eric
If this is what owning the bookstore means, then I’m glad that I’ve decided to make this investment. This newcomer, Elia, that just walked in a few minutes ago is gorgeous, and she’s flirting with me like crazy.
I’m still holding her hand after I pressed my lips to it. She snatches it back. I almost laugh when she holds it tenderly against her chest, her face growing redder by the second. Elia can’t seem to decide if she wants to be flirting with me or not, and I like the idea that she’s losing her self-control right now. That’s always a good effect to have on women.
“What time were you supposed to start?” I ask. “I can see that Dana’s pretty frustrated, must have been a while ago.” I can’t help but tease her.
“You’re looking to buy the place, huh?”
I avoid her question, seeing as she avoided mine.
“You must be more than a little late to just be coming into work.” I continue teasing her, making a serious face as best I can, though a smile is tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Or do you guys work in shifts? Because I’ve been here with your friend for more than an hour, and she’s been doing all the work on her own. Where have you been, Elia?” I emphasize her name just see the effect it might have on her.
But she’s no longer flirting, crossing her arms now. She narrows her eyes at me for a second.
“My alarm didn’t go off. My phone’s old and I should probably buy a new one since this isn’t the first time it’s happened. If Dana hadn’t woken me up, then who knows what time I would’ve got in!” Elia sounds exasperated, which is pretty much the worse thing to be when starting your workday. She shakes her head. “To make matters worse, there was traffic on the way.”
“If you’d been here on time, then you wouldn’t have been stuck in traffic.” Yeah. I couldn’t help myself.
She’s lost for words, momentarily.
Elia looks adorable when she’s flustered but I should probably stop teasing her…soon. “I didn’t even know the store was for sale. Ryan never said that she was selling. How do I know that you’re buying it? You could be looking for bookstore secrets.” She waves a book at me.
This girl just works in the bookstore, and she’s being challenging. More than the owner, Ryan, was when I made him an offer! Still, I love that she’s teasing me back at least. The whole refusing to answer questions thing, would is not a thing that would normally what would excite me, but everything about Elia has me intrigued.
She moves around as if she’s going to start working, even though her purse is still strapped safely around her arm. She looks like someone looking to purchase a book, not someone who works here. It’s as if she’s completely lost and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Have I thrown her so off balance? I lick my lips, liking the thought of that.
“The shop wasn’t for sale until I made an offer,” I tell Elia. “Besides, I’ll have to take another look at the profit and loss statements if this bookstore is doing so poorly that the staff can’t even afford phones or even an alarm clock to get to work on time.”
She stops in her tracks, turning to look at me. I can't tell what Elia’s thinking right now, but I want to know.
“I’m looking to expand my investment portfolio into bookstores. I’m hoping to buy up all the indie bookstores in one region, and then expand to another. Most indie stores are suffering when it comes to sales and profits but I’d like to fix that with the money my trading and medical practice afford me.”
I’m not sure what Elia thinks of my words, but she looks like s
he’s considering them. My plan is to give it my best shot, and if it’s entirely impossible, I’ll back off. Oh, and you don’t think I’m just talking about the investments anymore, right? Because even though there’s the conflict of interest coming if and when I buy this bookstore, I know that I plan to pursue Elia beyond teasing her inside the store.
“Are you sure that you spoke to the owner, Ryan?” Elia didn’t sound frustrated but concerned. I’m intrigued. “He wouldn’t want to see his bookstore, the one that’s been in his family for years get turned into a fidget spinner store.”
Oh, well Elia seems to assume that the owner will assume I’m going to slash apart everything that makes a bookstore good when I buy it, which I guess is fair. A lot has to be done in the name of profit, but I’d make a wiser investment than a bookstore if I wanted to do that much of an overhaul.
“No, he was too busy worrying about the fact that you weren’t at work,” I say with a smile. We both know that Ryan’s not involved in the day-to-day operations. That’s one of the reasons I think he’ll sell to me. He isn’t selling to a big box giant, just the friendly neighborhood billionaire doctor. Wouldn’t you?
“Well, I’m here now,” Elia says. Despite me teasing her again, I can tell she’s done with the flirting portion of our conversation.
Well, she thinks she is.
Elia’s moving away from me. Probably too scared of what I’ll say next. She has a fucking answer for everything and I find it sexy as hell. I should stay away from teasing her, but I’m already hooked on getting to know her and hearing more of her sassy comebacks.
“Your accent.” She points at my lips and then flips her dark hair.
Mmm, maybe she isn’t done flirting after all.
“It’s not from here. It’s a Yankee accent.” Elia narrows her eyes at me again, but this time she’s smiling, and she’s teasing me all over again.
I nod my head.