by Tonya Brooks
“Oh, you’re still a ruthless bastard,” she corrected with the smile that he claimed brightened the darkest corners of his soul. “But you’re my ruthless bastard, and I adore you just the way you are.”
The End
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DEVIOUS BASTARD EXCERPT
Malachi
“…puss is neglected and desperate for attention.”
The bold declaration was enough to capture the interest of any man with a pulse, but it stopped Malachi Black in his tracks. A surge of raw lust electrified every nerve ending in his body and left his cock harder than the concrete floor beneath his feet. Because the owner of that melodic, Southern drawl was none other than the sex kitten of his erotic dreams.
The woman that he had managed to convince himself was completely off limits.
Until now.
Between one breath and the next, something dark and primal within him made two demands. The first was that he rectify Jacinda Ames problem immediately. The second was to beat the hell out of the man she was propositioning. He stepped through the doorway of the conference room, midnight blue eyes glittering dangerously, fists clenched and ready for battle.
Everything except his cock relaxed when he realized that she was alone. Like a compass drawn to North, his eyes homed in on her delectable heart shaped ass bent over the massive table. Malachi's first impulse was to scatter the neatly stacked file folders, spread her across the smooth mahogany surface and worship her petite yet perfectly proportioned body for hours.
“You have my undivided attention,” he informed her, his voice thick with the desire flowing through his veins.
Her startled gasp sounded a split-second before she stood upright and whirled to face him. Wide eyes the color of finely aged whiskey met his and her bow shaped lips parted to form a surprised O. “I'll have to call you back,” she said before she lowered the mobile phone from her ear and disconnected the call.
The hell she'd call him back. Malachi fully intended to be the lucky bastard showering her pussy with all of the attention it needed for the foreseeable future. If the other man was worth a damn it wouldn't have been neglected at all. Leaving a woman like her unsatisfied was a criminal offense in his book.
“M… Mr. Black,” Jacinda said in the same nervous tone she always used with him. That tone and the wariness in her eyes were part of the reason why he'd kept his distance instead of acting on his base instincts before now. “I wasn't expecting you to come by. A phone call would have sufficed.”
“I don't conduct business over the phone,” he replied while closing the distance between them. In his line of work the probability of wire taps made phone conversations with clients strictly taboo. When he'd received her voicemail, Jacinda had said she needed his advice. That was another reason he had refrained from pursuing her.
Malachi didn't get personally involved with clients. Ever. For any reason. Although technically The Rose Foundation was his client, but since Jacinda was its director they did work together on occasion. At the moment he wasn't really all that concerned about crossing into a gray area he normally avoided.
Not when he was aching to taste her.
“You called, I came,” he stated the obvious, intent on getting business out-of-the-way, so he could move on to more important matters. Like getting her naked. That thought in mind, he stepped right into her personal space and noticed her mesmerizing eyes widen even more as he commanded seductively, “Tell me what you need.”
Even in the sexy as hell four-inch heels that practically screamed fuck me, she still had to tilt her head back to look up at him. Malachi barely bit back a groan because she was positioned perfectly for a kiss. All he had to do was slide one arm around her tiny waist, wrap her sleek ponytail around his fist and claim those perfect lips.
He wasn't surprised when she gave a nervous little laugh and managed to scoot from between him and the table without the slightest brush of flesh. Disappointed and frustrated at her hasty retreat, his eyes tracked her movements like a wild animal stalking prey as she put the width of the table between them.
Yeah. He made her nervous. If Jacinda had any idea of the things he wanted to do to her, the light blush staining her cheeks would be scarlet red. He looked forward to seeing it happen while he told her in explicit detail exactly how he was going to please her. For now, he allowed her the relative safety she sought.
“I'm terribly sorry to bother you over what might amount to nothing,” she said hesitantly as her hands gripped the edge of the table she was hiding behind. “I mean I hope it's nothing, but I’m afraid it might be something and... I'd feel better if an expert confirmed it one way or the other.”
“Confirmed what?” He asked absently as his hungry gaze roved over the elegant dress that hinted at her curves instead of emphasizing them. The demure clothing she wore was part of the appeal. She always looked so prim and perfect that it made him want to strip her bare and reveal the passionate nature he knew was there.
“I should start at the beginning,” Jacinda said with a shake of her head as if to clear her thoughts and gestured to the chair across from her. “Forgive my lack of manners. Please, have a seat, Mr. Black. Would you care for coffee or a bottled water?”
“Just an explanation will do,” he replied and pulled a chair away from the table.
Once they were seated across from each other, she began to explain, “When I arrange an event I create a folder that contains all of the details including quotes from the vendors. After the event I turn it over to the accounts payable clerk to verify that we're charged the agreed upon amount when the invoices arrive.”
“One of our patrons was enamored with the caterer I used for the charity bachelorette auction last weekend and requested a copy of the menu. When I pulled the planning folder there was an invoice inside from a vendor that we didn't use for the event. Since it was stamped paid, I located the correct payable folder to file it and noticed a… discrepancy.”
“What kind of discrepancy?” Malachi queried as he indulged in a fantasy of sliding the dress off of her shoulder and tasting every inch of creamy soft flesh he bared. A fantasy he intended to make reality within a few short minutes.
“There were several invoices inside that had been paid in the last couple of months, but I'm not familiar with the vendor or the service they provided,” she admitted. “Since I can't validate the expenditures, I was hoping you could refer a reputable forensic accountant to audit the books in case there are others like it that I've missed.”
Her tone was as concerned as her expression when she added, “As you know, anything that we turn over to the independent accounting agency becomes public record, so I'd like to verify that the charges are legitimate first.”
A wise decision since any hint of fraud or deceit could ruin a charitable organization's reputation whether it was substantiated or not. He knew that Jacinda worked tirelessly to promote the foundation, raise money, and awareness for the cause. Her concern was not only understandable but commendable.
“How much money are we talking about?”
“I compiled an accounts payable report for the vendor in question and it came to almost two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” she imparted anxiously.
Well, fuck. It sounded as if someone was embezzling. So much for getting her naked any time soon.
If you'd like to take a walk on the wild side with Reece and Jolie, you can read all about them as wolf shifters in my Paranormal romance The Big Bad Wolf's Ex. It's a howling good time!
OTHER BOOKS BY TONYA BROOKS
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Rich Ruthless Bastards
The rich, they're ruthless, and they're bastards in every sense of the word.
Heartless Bastard
&
nbsp; Ruthless Bastard
Devious Bastard - Coming Soon
The Bad Baker Boys Series
Once upon a time in the small town of Lakeside lived a family of handsome men better known as the Bad Baker Boys. Former Navy SEAL Jed Baker raised his sons Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to be badass alpha males. Sparks fly and passions ignite hotter than sultry southern nights when they meet the women who tame them.
Redeemed
Desperate
Clueless
Tempted
Relentless
Shameless
Welcome To Lakeside Series
Lakeside is not the average small southern town. The residents are unpredictable as hell and romance can be downright deadly. Gossip always runs rampant and is notoriously wrong. Expect plenty of high jinks and ribald humor with unexpected twists and turns. And a goat. On a leash.
Desire So Deadly
REGENCY ROMANCE
The Ashbrook Legacy
You are cordially invited to meet the Ashbrooks, one of the oldest and most revered lineages in England. Despite five hundred years of nobility, the men are notorious rakes, and the women are scandalous at best. Take a delightfully wicked romp through Regency London. Historical romance will never be the same.
Seduce Me If You Can
Nothing Less Than Love
MILITARY ROMANCE
Invictus Security Series
When the enemy targeted their women, the men of Invictus Security retaliate as only a group of badass former Navy SEALs can. Their mission is the complete annihilation of a secret cabal intent on world domination. They'll rain hell to accomplish it because failure is not an option.
FUBAR & Fur Rugs
Steel Balls & Stilettos
Romance Novels & RPGs
Raven's Redemption
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
A Howls Romance
A multi-author series featuring classic romance with a furry twist…
The Big Bad Wolf's Ex
Her Wolf In Shining Armor
Three Matings And A Baby
Her Pampered Pussy
Bad Alpha Dads
Bestselling and Award-Winning Paranormal Romance authors bring the baddest of the Bad ALPHA Dads.
Pussy Whipped
Great Balls Of Fire
F.E.R.A.L. Shifters Series
It's all claws on deck when the F.E.R.A.L. Shifters discover a lab growing genetically modified shifter cubs and torturing them in the name of science. Throw in some unpredictable mates, tons of humor, a few unexpected plot twists, and the fur is gonna fly!
Pussy Whipped
Her Pampered Pussy
Unf*ckwithable (Coming Soon)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tonya Brooks is a teller of tales, a dreamer of dreams, and a weaver of words. Her steamy romances contain action, suspense, and humor with unexpected plot twists and turns. You never know what's going to happen next, hence her catchphrase, It's all smoke and mirrors till… The End.
She lives in Myrtle Beach, SC with her very own bad-boy husband. Most weekends you can find them playing tourist in their hometown, at a festival, or shell hunting on the beach. She's a coffee addict, dark chocolate connoisseur, and lover of all things romance. She loves to read, loathes cooking, has extremely eclectic taste in music, and a wicked sense of humor.
For a complete list of Tonya's titles visit her website:
https://www.tonyabrooksromance.com/
While you're there, sign up for her monthly newsletter to get behind the scenes looks, sneak peeks, and exclusive content: https://www.tonyabrooksromance.com/newsletter
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