by Opal Carew
Deep down inside, though, she longed for a loving relationship with a man. To meet someone, go out on a date. To build a loving connection.
To be touched by a man.
Oh, God, she wanted that so much. But she was too afraid.
Anytime her natural urges bubbled to the surface, like they had last night with Bryan, it wasn’t long before she started having dreams. Those dreams started off sweet and loving, then turned hot and steamy, searing her senses. Inevitably, however, they turned dark and terrifying and she’d wake up shaking, her whole body sweating.
If only she could just have nice, steamy sex dreams that helped her relieve her ache.
Her skin prickled and a heated awareness washed through her body, but it wasn’t from thoughts of having a nice sexual fantasy.
Someone was watching her.
She suddenly became very conscious of her situation. Wearing just a bikini. Her top undone.
Alone on the roof of the building.
She drew in a deep breath.
It was the middle of a sunny summer afternoon on a Thursday. Usually no one came up to the pool this time of day. Anyone who wanted to enjoy the warm afternoon and go in the water normally went to the beach a few blocks away.
But someone was definitely watching her and it must be from inside, because she would have heard the sliding glass doors open.
She sucked in a breath of air, calming herself. It had taken her a long time to build up her courage to make these outings to the pool and she wasn’t going to let herself slide back to the blinding fear. There were security cameras on the deck and she was in view of one right now. She always let Leandra know when she was going to sun herself on the deck, just with a casual message, as part of letting her know how her day was going.
If anything happened, it would be on the security film. Not that she’d let it get that far if she could help it. She wasn’t powerless. She had pepper spray in her bag, her cell phone handy so she could quickly dial 911, and she’d taken self-defense classes.
She reached around and fastened her bikini top, then slowly sat up. Casually, she reached for her silky, black floral cover up and pulled it on, carefully not looking toward the windows. She wanted to be covered and feeling a little more settled when she faced the intruder.
Before she had a chance, though, the sliding doors opened. She glanced up to see a man step onto the deck.
She sighed in relief when she saw it was Steve from the tenth floor. They had mutual friends in the building and had gotten to know each other and become friends of sorts.
He was a really nice guy. And good looking, with his broad shoulders, well-defined torso, and dark blond hair swept back from his handsome face.
Steve glanced over his shoulder at the open door. It seemed he was waiting for someone to join him.
When his gaze swept outside again, he saw her for the first time.
His face beamed with his warm, friendly smile. “Hi, Sonny. Nice afternoon.”
“Yes, it is.”
She wouldn’t mind chatting with him. She’d found she was always pretty comfortable around Steve which was nice for a change, but she didn’t know how to give out an inviting vibe.
She pulled her bag closer, and routed through it, just for something to distract herself.
Then another man stepped outside.
She glanced up and her heart thumped to life.
The man was…breathtaking.
His body was big and powerful. His arms and chest bulged with muscles and he had tattoos covering his body. She couldn’t tell what they all were since they were so dense, but she did make out a thorny rose vine coiling along one arm and around his torso, tendrils even coiling up his neck.
His hair was dark brown, shaved close to his head, and his ear glinted with piercings.
He glanced at her and smiled. Immediately, she dropped her gaze to her bag and she started sorting through it again, as if looking for something.
They started to walk and she was afraid they’d come over, but instead they headed toward some chairs closer to the edge of the deck.
Oh, God, the man was so heart-stoppingly masculine. Her body tingled as her hormones sparked to life.
Which she didn’t understand. She should be afraid, but the sensation pulsing through her was pure, unadulterated lust.
Unnerved, she grabbed her book and suntan lotion and shoved them into her bag, then pushed her towel in, too. She slipped on her sandals and surged to her feet, then hurried to the door. As she slid it open, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that the big man was watching her, a frown on his face.
Did he think she was running away from him?
She didn’t want any man to think she was afraid of him—showing strength was important—but right now, the threat she faced was her own unbridled libido. She didn’t understand her reaction to him and that unsettled her so much she had to escape.
She closed the door behind her and hurried away.
Tal watched the woman practically run off, his stomach clenching. All he’d done was smile at her. He hadn’t said a word. Hadn’t made a move toward her. Yet she’d up and fled.
He would have liked to have talked to her. Gotten to know her a little. There was something about her.
She was a beautiful woman, with her long, blonde hair cascading in waves over her shoulders. A pretty face with kissable heart-shaped lips. And he’d caught more than a glimpse of her curvy body through the glass when she’d sat up to pull on her cover up.
But what attracted him was more than that.
There was an aura of vulnerability around her. And a sadness in her eyes.
He sensed a need in her to have someone or something more in her life.
Or maybe he was just reflecting his own feelings onto her.
It caused him real pain that she would take one look at him and run away, as if he were some kind of threat.
“She’s pretty, right?” Steve said.
“Yes, she is.” He glanced at his friend. “Are you interested in her?”
“Well, yeah, what man wouldn’t be? But I don’t think we’d work out. We’ve talked a few times—she’s friends with my friend Meghan—but we seem to be developing more of a casual rapport rather than a romantic relationship. If you want to pursue her, don’t worry about me.”
“I might if she didn’t seem so terrified of me.”
“Hey, if you’re interested, don’t give up on her too fast. I think she’s been through something. She has these haunted eyes, you know? But I’m sure she’s trying to work through it. She’d need someone who’s willing to be patient and slow.” He shrugged. “But I think she’d be worth it.”
Tal glanced at the door she’d escaped through.
“Yeah, I think maybe you’re right.”
Buy this heart-rending erotic romance today!
ALSO BY OPAL CAREW
Contemporary erotic short stories and novellas
Taken by Storm (prequel to His to Possess)
Debt of Honor
Dirty Talk series (link)
Dirty Talk, Secret Pleasure
Dirty Talk, Whispers in the Dark
Dirty Talk, Sweet Release
Dirty Talk, Blissful Surrender
Mastered By series (link)
Played by the Master
Mastered by the Boss
Mastered by my Guardian
Mastered by the CEO
Mastered by her Captor
Mastered by the Sheikh
The Office Slave series (link)
#1: The Office Slave (this is also Red Hot Fantasies #3)
#2: The Boss
#3: On Her Knees
#4: Her New Master
#5: Please, Master
#6: Yes, Sir
#7: On His Knees
The Office Slave Series, Book 1 & 2 (collection)
The Office Slave Series, Book 3 & 4 (collection)
The Office Slave Series, Book 5 & 6 (collection)
The Offic
e Slave Series, Book 7 & Bonus (collection)
Red Hot Fantasies series (link)
#1: The Male Stripper
#2: The Stranger
#3: The Office Slave
#4: The Captive (prequel to Mastered by her Captor)
#5: The Bridal Affair
Red Hot Fantasies, Volume 1 (Book 1-3)
Red Hot Fantasies, Volume 2 (Book 4-5)
Ready To Ride biker series (link)
Hot Ride
Wild Ride
Riding Steele (novel)
Hard Ride (novel)
Three series (link)
#1: Three
#2: Three Men and a Bride
#3: Three Secrets
Three Happy Endings (Collection, Book 1-3)
Futuristic erotic romance novellas
Slaves of Love
Celestial Soul-Mates series (link)
Book 1: The King and I
Book 2: The Commander's Woman
Book 3: Passion Play
Book 4: Love Unexpected (tbd)
Book 5: Fantasy Bound (tbd)
Fantasy erotic romance
Crystal Genie
Contemporary erotic romance novels
A Fare To Remember
Nailed
My Best Friend's Stepfather
Stepbrother, Mine
Hard Ride
Riding Steele
His To Claim
His To Possess
His To Command
Illicit
Insatiable
Secret Weapon
Total Abandon
Pleasure Bound
Bliss
Forbidden Heat
Secret Ties
Six
Blush
Swing
Twin Fantasies
Contemporary erotic romance (ebook only)
Meat
Big Package
Drilled
Collections and Anthologies
The Office Slave Series, Book 1 & 2 (collection)
The Office Slave Series, Book 3 & 4 (collection)
The Office Slave Series, Book 5 & 6 (collection)
The Office Slave Series, Book 7 & Bonus (collection)
Red Hot Fantasies, Volume 1 (Book 1-3)
Red Hot Fantasies, Volume 2 (Book 4-5)
Three Happy Endings (collection)
Turn Up The Heat (anthology) – contains Slaves of Love
Northern Heat (anthology) – contains Three
ALSO BY AMBER CAREW
Contemporary romance
In Too Deep
The Cinderella Obsession
Virgin Wanted
Contemporary fantasy romance
Christmas Angel
Magical Dawn
Spellbound
Contemporary futuristic romance
Captive Lover
ALSO BY JAYNE RYLON
MEN IN BLUE
Hot Cops Save Women In Danger
Night is Darkest
Razor’s Edge
Mistress’s Master
Spread Your Wings
Wounded Hearts
Bound For You
DIVEMASTERS
Sexy SCUBA Instructors By Day, Doms On A Mega-Yacht By Night
Going Down
Going Deep
Going Hard
POWERTOOLS
Five Guys Who Get It On With Each Other & One Girl. Enough Said?
Kate’s Crew
Morgan’s Surprise
Kayla’s Gift
Devon’s Pair
Nailed to the Wall
Hammer it Home
HOT RODS
Powertools Spin Off. Keep up with the Crew plus…
Seven Guys & One Girl. Enough Said?
King Cobra
Mustang Sally
Super Nova
Rebel on the Run
Swinger Style
Barracuda’s Heart
Touch of Amber
Long Time Coming
STANDALONE
Menage
Middleman
4-Ever Theirs
Nice & Naughty
Contemporary
Where There’s Smoke
Report For Booty
COMPASS BROTHERS
Modern Western Family Drama Plus Lots Of Steamy Sex
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Eastern Ambitions
Western Ties
COMPASS GIRLS
Daughters Of The Compass Brothers Drive Their Dads Crazy And Fall In Love
Winter’s Thaw
Hope Springs
Summer Fling
Falling Softly
PLAY DOCTOR
Naughty Sexual Psychology Experiments Anyone?
Dream Machine
Healing Touch
RED LIGHT
A Hooker Who Loves Her Job
Complete Red Light Series Boxset
FREE - Through My Window - FREE
Star
Can’t Buy Love
Free For All
PICK YOUR PLEASURES
Choose Your Own Adventure Romances!
Pick Your Pleasure
Pick Your Pleasure 2
RACING FOR LOVE
MMF Menages With Race-Car Driver Heroes
Complete Series Boxset
Driven
Shifting Gears
PARANORMALS
Vampires, Witches, And A Man Trapped In A Painting
Paranormal Double Pack Boxset
Picture Perfect
Reborn
ALSO BY AVERY ASTER
In the Jagger & Poppy series
Undercover
Unless
Unlucky
In The Manhattanites series
Unscrupulous
Undressed
Unsaid
Unconventional
Unique
A Manhattanite's Christmas
Uncensored
In The Undergrad Years series
Love, Lex
Yours Truly, Taddy
XO, Blake
Always & Forever, Vive
Call Me, Poppy
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Opal Carew
As a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of erotic contemporary romance, Opal Carew writes about passion, love, and taking risks. Her heroines follow their hearts and push past the fear that stops them from realizing their dreams… to the excitement and love of happily-ever-after. Her books have won several awards, including the National Readers’ Choice Award (twice), the Golden Leaf Award (twice), the Golden Quill (3 times), CRA Award of Excellence, and Silken Sands.
Opal loves nail polish, cats, crystals, dragons, feathers, pink hair, the occult, Manga artwork, Zentangle, and all that glitters. She earned a degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, and spent 15 years as a software analyst before turning to her passion as a writer. She grew up in Toronto, and now lives in Ottawa with her husband, huge nail polish collection, and five cats. One of her sons just finished his second Masters degree in Geopolitics (first at Sussex University in the UK and second at Carleton University in Ottawa.) The other son has an undergraduate degree from Carleton University and is now working at Apple. Yes, mom is proud!
To keep in touch with Opal, you can contact her at [email protected] or use the social media links below:
Reader Group: OpalCarew.com/ReaderGroup
Website: OpalCarew.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: OpalCarewRomanceAuthor
Twitter: @OpalCarew
Pinterest: opalcarew
Tumbler: opalcarew.tumblr.com
Blog: bit.ly/OpalsBlog
Goodreads: bit.ly/OC_Goodreads
Jayne Rylon
Jayne Rylon is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She received the 2011 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Indie Erotic Romance. Her stories used to begin as daydreams in seemingly endless business meetin
gs, but now she is a full time author, who employs the skills she learned from her straight-laced corporate existence in the business of writing. She lives in Ohio with two cats and her husband, the infamous Mr. Rylon. When she can escape her purple office, she loves to travel the world, avoid speeding tickets in her beloved Sky, and–of course–read.
Jayne Loves To Hear From Readers
Website: JayneRylon.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: jaynerylon
Twitter: @JayneRylon
Avery Aster
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a contemporary erotic romance series of full-length, stand-alone novels, and the naughty new adult prequel companion series The Undergrad Years. As a resident of New York City and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous.
Keep in touch with Avery:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/CQ665
Website: AveryAster.com
Facebook: AveryAster
Twitter: @AveryAster
Goodreads: AveryAster
Instagram: AveryAster
Pinterest: AveryAster
Tumblr: averyaster.tumblr.com
Tsū: AveryAster