For the Asking

by Caitlin Ricci

  “Uh…” Clearly this was some new form of semi naked dining I’d never heard of. Whatever. If Sullivan thought he’d scare me away by having me walk around without a shirt on, he’d have to try harder than that. In fact, his trying at all annoyed me enough that I shucked off my jeans too, leaving me in some tight fitting blue shorts that hid nothing about how excited I was to be seeing Sullivan again. “That better?” I asked the guy behind the desk as I handed him the last of my clothes.

  He gave me a thorough once-over. “Very. Sullivan is a lucky man. Follow me please.” I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin as I followed him around the side of the glass wall. I was mostly naked, and my nerve was starting to slip. I nearly stumbled too, when I saw that the restaurant was more of a place for kink than somewhere to actually eat. No, there were plenty of people eating dinner too, but the vast majority of people around me wore leather and half of them sat quietly on pillows by the feet of other men. I looked ahead and tried not to appear completely out of my element—and a bit freaked out—by everything I was seeing.

  When the man led me to Sullivan, I was relieved. Then I knew I’d made the right choice by stripping down as he stared at me. Grinning, I took this thing one step farther and knelt down on the pillow beside his chair that had seemed set out just for me. There was a place opposite him, that even had a water glass, but I didn’t feel like sitting across from him. Not when his inviting me here felt like a challenge and I wasn’t about to shy away from anything he wanted to show me.

  “You’re on time,” he said, bringing his hand to brush it through my hair. When I’d knelt next to him by the desk we’d both been facing the same direction. Now I was able to look up at him when he pushed my hair back.

  “Yes. So… kinky restaurant huh?” I grinned up at him. “Anything I’m not allowed to do here?” I didn’t have an explanation for the sudden burst of adrenaline I was feeling, but being on display for everyone to see, knowing the only person I cared about in that whole room was him, left me feeling so light and practically invincible.

  He didn’t let go of my hair. “We’ll discuss that after you get something to eat.”

  “You can eat. Order something for me too. As long as it’s not a salad I don’t care.” I licked my lips. “But right now I’d rather have something else first.”

  Sullivan laughed and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe my nerve. I was having a hard time understanding where my sudden need to show off was coming from too. “Go on, then. If you think you’re brave enough to put on a show.”

  Glancing around at the other people on their knees, I saw I wasn’t the only one who had a blowjob on the brain. “You brought me here to scare me away,” I realized.

  “I wanted you to see what going out to eat with me would be like most of the time,” he corrected me. “You should know what you’re getting into.”

  I brought the pillow with me and shuffled on my knees so that I was between his thighs. “Right. I’m fine with you doing porn, and with the kinky stuff too. Next time we come here, bring some handcuffs. It could be fun.”

  He sighed and moved his hand to my cheek. Then he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “You think you’re fine with it. Now. In six months, though? There’s no way to know.”

  “You’re right. Neither of us know. But I like you. And I want you. Kinky stuff and all. If you want me to come to watch you work next Saturday I will. I’ll hand you water and tell you how fucking hot you are. But you’re not going to scare me away. Not this easily. Kind of wish you’d stop trying.”

  “Milo….”

  Rolling my eyes, I realized that the only way to prove to him just how good this was going to be between us was to show him. Since my words weren’t doing anything to convince him. He was stubborn, but I was just as bad. And I generally got what I wanted. Including him.

  More from Caitlin Ricci

  Available from

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  With only three months left on a lease-to-own agreement on a quarter horse Wyatt’s worked hard to own, a thunderstorm spooks General and he throws Wyatt, changing both their lives forever. Luckily, Kellen, a friend of the stable owner, calls for emergency medical attention, and Wyatt comes out of the hospital with a broken wrist and a concussion.

  When Wyatt returns to the stable, he finds the owner has sold General to Kellen for retraining. But Wyatt’s woes have just begun, and now he must drive an hour to see his horse. The perks help balance the hardships, however, and Wyatt finds himself falling for Kellen. His fortitude is soon tested again by the ultimate betrayal when he learns Kellen doesn’t intend to return General after he’s trained.

  Charlie thinks his Friday will be the same as any other working as an animator, until Quinn Fitzgerald and his rescued Asiatic Lion, Aseem, walk into the studio. While the lion is impressive, his handler is the real reason Charlie’s heart skips a beat.

  Quinn has devoted years of his life to rescuing big cats, so he can’t turn down the donation the animation company is offering in exchange for using one of his cats as a model.

  Charlie isn’t quite as confident as the handsome, charming man his sister teasingly calls Sex God Quinn Fitzgerald. He’s so nervous he can hardly talk to the other man, so he’s shocked when Quinn not only notices him but invites him to spend the weekend at his big cat sanctuary.

  Six months after Kit lost his big brother to a drunk driver, he’s alone and feeling like everyone has left him behind. He struggles to get out of bed, to feed himself, to talk to his parents. Worst of all, the man he loves, his brother’s best friend, hasn’t spoken to him since the funeral.

  Tattoo artist Jason always planned to wait until Kit was a bit more experienced and mature before he told Kit how he felt about him. But Bear’s death changes everything, and Jason opts to give Kit space to heal.

  However, the next time they meet, Jason is startled at how far Kit has deteriorated, so he takes him home. Simply taking care of Kit isn’t enough. Marking Kit with the tattoo he demands opens a window, but Jason still isn’t getting through, until he begins ordering Kit around and sees how receptive Kit is to his strong hand.

  A Thornwood Novel

  Wanting to start over after breaking off a relationship with his married boss, Caleb Robinson is happy to move from Los Angeles to Thornwood, Colorado. He can barely find the town on a map, which is just the kind of place Caleb needs. He’s not looking for a relationship, and Thornwood looks to be the perfect place to get lost in his art. But when Thornwood’s local police officer, Trent Williams, knocks on Caleb’s front door, both men have an instant attraction to each other, and Caleb’s plans for solitude might have to change.

  But he soon learns that Trent is a legendary one-night-stand man for a very special reason. His boyfriend has been kept on life support for the past five years after a serious skiing accident. Even though Simon isn’t expected to wake up and Trent says he’s trying to get past him, he won’t entertain anything that comes close to commitment. As compelling as their attraction is, Caleb doesn’t want to be just another hook-up, and he won’t be the other man. But Trent isn’t sure he can risk the pain of losing someone else he cares about, no matter how intense the chemistry between him and Caleb.

  The Intergalactic Star Pilot Academy has accepted Thierry Leroux into the elite class of sky year 2231. But the academy comes with a hefty price tag, and there’s no way he, a poor Sythe orphan, has the credits the academy requires. Thierry’s brother, Corbin, a high-class companion, suggests Thierry sell his virginity for the cost of tuition. It seems like a ridiculous idea, but it may be Thierry’s only shot, so Thierry asks Corbin to arrange a meeting on the pleasure planet of Wish.

  On Wish, Thierry meets Corbin’s boss, Monroe, and they agree to auction off Thierry’s virginity. Thierry is grateful to the masked buyer he knows only as “Dragonfly,” and Dragonfly is gentle, making Thierry’s first time a good memory. When Dragonfly requests to see him again, and pay for the pleasure, Thierry ret
urns to Wish. But in this game, falling in love is dangerous for the heart, and Thierry might not like the man behind the mask.

  A Forever Home: Book One

  Werewolves are real. Marius enjoys the irony that everyone calls him a dog whisperer, not just because he’s a werewolf, but for his work at the local animal shelter. He has a unique talent for pairing families with their perfect pets upon first meeting them. But he’s still looking for acceptance and a forever family of his own. Then Jack comes into the rescue looking for a big, mean dog. To prevent Jack from making the wrong choice, Marius convinces him to adopt a needy spaniel mix instead. But when Marius learns Jack is tormented by horrible memories while at his apartment, he opens his home to the sweet, scared man. As their relationship grows, Jack feels comfortable telling Marius about the horrors he suffered. Marius hopes his steady presence, protection, and love can help Jack reclaim the pieces of himself broken on that terrible night.

  A Forever Home: Book Two

  Seth’s life looks idyllic on the surface. He has a great job at the pet rescue with a fantastic boss, who happens to be a werewolf. He is getting his degree at the local university and has a best friend who understands that the most intimate thing for Seth is a kiss. But when it comes to relationships, Seth’s perfect life is a jumbled mess. No guy stays around because eventually, they always want more than Seth, who is asexual, is able to give. Seth wants love and a relationship, but not the sex that everyone puts so much value on.

  Seth tries for something more with the man he has a crush on, but when that ends Seth feels like he’s back to square one. So when his boss’s brother, Jeremy, pushes his way into Seth’s life, insisting that he won’t press for more than Seth is comfortable sharing, Seth is wary. All of Seth’s experience says it won’t last long. But Jeremy is one werewolf who is used to getting his way, and might just be patient enough to wait for Seth to see he means what he says.

  CAITLIN RICCI was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers who encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn’t writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family, and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiancé and their two dogs. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.

  Website: www.CaitlinRicci.com

  By Caitlin Ricci

  Country Strong

  Cuddling (Dreamspinner Anthology)

  For the Asking

  His Lion Tamer

  Marked by Grief

  One More Time

  To the Highest Bidder

  A FOREVER HOME

  Rescuing Jack

  Of Monsters and Men

  Published by Harmony Ink Press

  First Time for Everything (Harmony Ink Anthology)

  Weathering the Storm

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For the Asking

  © 2015 Caitlin Ricci.

  Cover Art

  © 2015 Caitlin Ricci.

  Cover Design

  © 2015 Paul Richmond

  http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-382-0

  First Edition November 2015

  Printed in the United States of America