by Ashley Jade
Damien should have been out already.
I’m about to march back in there and raise hell…but that’s when the doors open.
Butterflies swarm in my belly as he makes his way over to me, his confident strides eating up the concrete between us like a man on a mission.
It’s a struggle to breathe as I look my fill, taking in everything from his gray suit that makes those piercing eyes of his pop even more to the dark stubble lining his strong line.
I watch as he pulls a cigarette out of his pocket and slowly brings it to his lips, his fingers curling around the filter as he lights it and inhales, causing the flames on his throat to flicker a little.
Only Damien King can make such a disgusting habit look so sexy.
As if sensing my reaction, the corner of his lip tugs up in a smug smirk.
I’m grateful I’m leaning against Geoffrey’s car because my mouth goes dry. My palms become sweaty. And my heart…well, the poor thing doesn’t stand a chance. It never did.
Focus. Damien’s not the only one on a mission.
If Damien wants me…he’s going to have to prove it. I’m through accepting less than I deserve.
We have tons of shit to work out, but what we have underneath all that is worth the pain.
I just hope he finally realizes it.
I square my shoulders and straighten my spine. But if he doesn’t…it’s his loss.
Those icy blue orbs cut right through me like glass as he comes closer.
I don’t wait. I can’t. I have neither the time nor the patience. My life is out there waiting for me to live it.
“I came here to warn you that you’re about to make the biggest mistake of your life,” I tell him, raising my chin. “Because in the next hour, I’ll be on a plane heading somewhere warm. And you will have lost the best damn thing that has ever happened to you.” My heart races as I continue. “You have a choice to make, Damien and I suggest you make it quickly. You can either stop being a co—”
His jaw tightens. “Shut up.”
Rage blurs my vision. He doesn’t get to talk to me like that. Not unless he wants to lose a testicle. “Excuse me—”
“Shut up…so I can tell you I love you.” He closes the distance between us, framing my face with his hands. “I don’t need to hear the rest of your little speech, Eden. Because the only choice that will ever matter to me is the one that gives me you.”
My heart beats so hard it pounds in my ears. “Oh—”
I don’t get to finish that sentence either because Damien crushes his mouth against mine. Tingles zip up and down my spine, settling between my legs as he presses me against the car and explores every inch of my mouth.
“Damien—”
His teeth nip my bottom lip as his hand wraps around my throat, lightly squeezing. My temperature skyrockets as he inclines his head, his stubble scraping my skin.
“If you break my heart.” There’s a dangerous edge to his voice. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
Damien knows damn well his heart is safe with me.
“Same goes for you.” Smirking, I pull him closer. “Just think about what happened to the last man who broke mine.”
Epilogue
My heart pounds like a drum as I watch her out on the balcony of her house.
Sun-kissed skin. Long blonde hair. Little white string bikini covering her perfect curvy body. A pair of headphones in her ears.
She thought she could get away from me. She should know better.
I always get what I want. And what I want...will always be her.
A smile pulls at my lips. Eden doesn’t know I’m behind her.
She has no idea just how long I’ve been watching her. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
My cock thickens. She’s even more beautiful than she was the last time I saw her.
My blood stirs as I open the patio door. She stills for a moment as if she senses danger right behind her before she turns her volume back up.
She’s going to regret that decision in a moment.
Quick as lightning, I pin her wrists against the railing. She screams, her phone plummeting over the balcony as I clamp my hand over her pretty little mouth.
“Miss me?”
Her chest heaves as I slide my hand down her toned torso. “It’s okay, baby. You don’t have to answer.” I lick the side of her face. Savor her sweet skin. “I’d prefer to find out for myself.”
My dick is hard as steel as I remove the hand covering her mouth and dip my fingers inside her bikini bottoms. I grind against her pert ass as her wetness soaks my fingers. I need her to know what she does to me.
I need to touch her. Taste her. Have her at my mercy, fulfilling every urge and desire of mine.
She struggles against me as I circle her clit. So sensitive.
Five years didn’t dilute my craving for her. It only made it fester. Because my need for Eden is far too strong to be ignored or contained.
“I suggest you remove your hand from my pussy.”
I chuckle darkly. She’s so adorable. “Or what?”
“Or my husband’s gonna kick your ass.”
I plunge another finger inside her. “Is that so?”
She moans. “He’ll be home any minute.”
I pull on her bikini strings. “Is your husband scary?”
She shivers. “Petrifying.”
Groaning, I spread her open and tease her with the head of my cock. “Does he make you come?”
“Several times a day.”
I nip her earlobe as I slowly glide my dick inside her. “How much do you love him?”
She smiles. “So much it hurts.”
My chest tightens. The woman tears me wide open and steals my fucking heart and soul each and every time.
I slap her ass as I sink my teeth into her neck. “He sounds like a very lucky man, Mrs. King.”
Want to be notified about my upcoming releases?https://goo.gl/n5Azwv
Cards of Love Collection
The Devil is just one of the many stories in the Cards of Love Collection. Which card will you choose next?
www.cardsofloveromance.com
Acknowledgments
There's honestly no way I can possibly thank each and every one of you. You’re all amazing and I can’t do any of this without you. I’m also praying I didn’t leave anyone vital out, because man, that would suck.
I won’t go into how Devil’s Advocate was the hardest book for me to write, or how risky it was because I knew where this story was going back when I wrote The Devil and how I know if I had spilled early readers would have jumped ship. For those who stayed and didn’t give up on my vision—thank you. For those who loved it despite it being what you thought it would be—you have a piece of my heart. For those who loved it AND shared with others how much you did—you have a piece of my soul.
Kristy: I can’t thank you enough. Thank you for letting helping me out of my creative spiral and letting me talk and plot your ear off and untangling my brain when I was going crazy. I’m pretty sure I’d still be sitting at my desk having a panic attack over whether or not I could put my big girl panties on, pull the trigger, and write the damn story if it wasn’t for you. And that was just with the Devil. With Advocate you went above and beyond. There will never be a way to thank you that would do it justice, so just accept my lifetime of gratitude. This book wouldn’t have been finished without you, and I can’t thank you enough for not only being my right hand cheerleader, but bringing a special voice to Kristy. I’m sorry about killing you though.
Ellie: I love your face. I’m keeping you. Thank you for everything. I know it’s not easy working with my schedule and I know I probably drive you crazy. Even though you claim I don’t. I don’t know many editors who will do what you did for me. I love the crap out of you and I’m so thankful. Also, #PiranhaBlowJobsForTheWin
Brandi, Vickie, Jackie, Crystal, Rebecca, Mary, Dee (Chief Trejo), Jodie, and Kris.
You all have been
vital to this process. Thank you so much for trusting me and giving me your input. Thank you for being there at all hours of the morning (or night) and putting everything aside to read my words. Thank you for your continued support and for being my cheerleaders. <3
Stacy Garcia: I love you. Thank you for not only reading Devil’s Advocate as I was writing, but also making gorgeous teasers!! You’re amazing, lady!!!
Candi: I think you deserve two awards. One for being so organized. And one for patience. Holy cannoli. If I had a penny for every time something changed with this release…I could probably by myself a notebook to write down deadlines and stick to them. Thank you so much for sticking with me!!!
Stephanie: Bahaha. I don’t know whether to apologize profusely or just keep saying thank you. I’m sure you didn’t expect all this…um, excitement when you signed on to be my agent. Thank you for sticking with me and being so incredible at what you do.
Lori—Thank you (yet again) for such a gorgeous cover and for making my vision come to life! You are such a beautiful, talented woman.
A VERY special shout out to these amazing authors who not only took a chance on this duet, but were so gracious and shared it with their own readers!
Isabella Starling, Tabatha Vargo, Kate Stewart, Lexi Ryan, Melissa Andrea, Mira lyn Kelly, Hayley Faiman, Abby Gale, Kailee Samuels, CoraLee June, Parker S. Huntington, Jade West, Amara Kent, and Lucy Smoke.
I seriously can’t thank you all enough.
And Readers,
Please—read them, Fall in love with them. And tell everyone you know about them. They are immensely talented, and they work their butts off. These authors don’t just bring you words on a page. They bring you stories that will break your heart in one chapter only to mend it the next. Stories that drive you outside your boxes (and usually your comfort zone). Stories that challenge you. Heal you. Stories that make you laugh. Make you cry. Inspire you. Make you angry. Make you swoon.
Stories that never fail to always make you feel. And THEN they go out of their way to tell you about books and authors THEY love. How amazing is that?
So please—review our books, spread the word, and share your knowledge of them with others just like they have. <3
My reader group—I have the best Angry Girls on the planet. I love you all so much. Thank you for all of your support and giving me someplace where I can be me and connect with all of you. You guys rock.
And Jesus…let me mention this because I forgot him in the last one. Mike. I love you. You’re my strength, my weakness, my everything. <3
Last but not least—to all my fellow underdogs in the world. We’re just Eden’s in the making, babes. Don’t give up. <3
About the Author
Want to be notified about my upcoming releases?https://goo.gl/n5Azwv
Ashley Jade craves tackling different genres and tropes within romance. Her first loves are New Adult Romance and Romantic Suspense, but she also writes everything in between including: contemporary romance, erotica, and dark romance.
Her characters are flawed and complex, and chances are you will hate them before you fall head over heels in love with them.
She's a die-hard lover of oxford commas, em dashes, music, coffee, and anything thought provoking...except for math.
Books make her heart beat faster and writing makes her soul come alive. She's always read books growing up and scribbled stories in her journal, and after having a strange dream one night; she decided to just go for it and publish her first series.
It was the best decision she ever made.
If she's not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel—you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.
Check out her social media pages for future novels.
She recently became hip and joined Twitter, so you can find her there, too.
She loves connecting with her readers—they make her world go round'.
~Happy Reading~
Feel free to email her with any questions / comments: [email protected]
For more news about what I’m working on next: Follow me on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Jade/788137781302982
Other Books Written By Ashley Jade
Blame It on the Pain - Standalone
Blame It on the Shame - Trilogy (Parts 1-3)
Complicated Hearts - Duet (Books 1 & 2)
Complicated Parts - Series (Books 1 & 2 Out Now)
Older Work
Twisted Fate - Series (Books 1-4)
The Best Deception [Standalone]
Thanks for Reading!
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<3 Ashley Jade