STORY EXCERPT

I'd known since the moment I was born that I was ordinary. I wasn't fat. I wasn't skinny. I wasn't tall. I wasn't short. I wasn't manly. I wasn't effeminate. I wasn't even overly muscled or frail.

I had basic brown hair. Not light honey brown hair or deep chestnut brown. Just brown. Mouse brown. I had brown eyes, too. They weren't deep chocolate brown or light caramel brown. They were just brown. Mouse brown. All of me was brown except my skin and it was just bland.

There was nothing spectacular about me.

Which made me totally confused as I watched two men pummel each other over me. Me. At least, I think they were fighting over me. That part was still a little sketchy.

I had been standing there drinking a beer when the dark haired guy—who was about to get punched in the face—had walked up to me, leaned in and sniffed, then growled. Blondie had flown out of nowhere and taken the dark haired dude down to the ground and the fight had commenced.

I stood there with my beer in my hand and my jaw hanging down to my chest as the two rather muscular men rolled around on the floor, biting and clawing at each other in between punches.

It really was very weird.

I knew neither of these men. I'd never even seen them before. Maybe they weren't fighting over me. Maybe I had just gotten caught in the cross fire so to speak.

Yeah, that was probably it.

I just couldn't imagine someone fighting over me.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't consider myself ugly by any means, and I'd had my share of dates, and one spectacular relationship that had totally gone up in flames after three months. But I wasn't sitting at home crying into my Cheerios over my lack of love life.

Besides, I was out of Cheerios.

Fight or no fight, the two men were putting on quite the show. It was obvious even to the stupidest man—and I never claimed to be stupid. Boring, yes. Stupid, no—that both men were in very good shape. Muscles were overflowing all over the place.

When they started to roll in my direction, I grabbed my drink and hopped up onto the bar top. I knew I should just leave, but there was no way I was taking off before the fight ended. It wasn't so much that I wanted to know why they were fighting, but more that I was having a hard time tearing my eyes away from all that beautiful tanned skin.

They were really spectacular.

I groaned when my phone buzzed. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew that would be a very bad idea. I pulled it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. Damn, I knew it. Today was supposed to be my day off, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

I stared at my drink for a moment before setting it on the counter. I'd like nothing more than to guzzle down the last of it, but if I was headed to work I had to be sober. I wasn't sure why I was needed back to work, but the nature of my job demanded a clear mind.

I glanced at the two men fighting one last time, wishing I could stay and congratulate the winner and maybe console the loser, then hopped off the bar and started for the door.

I was grabbed before I took two steps. I glanced down at the hand on my forearm then up to the man who that hand belonged to. It was one of the guys who'd been fighting. The blond stood behind him.

The man shot me a grin. "You're not leaving so soon, are you, sweetness? The party's just getting started."

I jerked my arm out of his strong grasp. "Sorry, I have to go to work."

I frowned at the tone of the man's amused chuckle. I reared back when he raised a hand toward my face. I didn't know this guy. He had no right to touch me.

"And what's a pretty little boy like you do?'

Seriously?

"I bet you have some rich sugar daddy somewhere, don't you."

I took a step away only to back into another body. I knew without looking it was his buddy. Why the two of them had been fighting, I had no idea, and this point, I no longer cared. They were both quickly losing their appeal.

I stepped to one side and tried to walk around the man in front of me. I frowned when he stepped in front of me. "Excuse me."

"Don't leave, sweetness," the brown haired guy said. "Things were just getting interesting."

"Like I said, I have to get to work."

There was something about this situation that I wasn't getting. I wasn't the sort of man that two guys fought over. Like I said, I didn't think I was ugly, but I wasn't all that either.

This didn't make sense.

"Please, excuse me."

"Hmm, I like the way you say please."

Seriously?

"I'm not interested." I raised my voice so everyone would hear me. I wanted it made clear that these guys had nothing I wanted. Well, they did. It was just too bad their attitude went along with the gorgeous bodies. "Please, move so I can leave."

"Naw." The brown haired guy chuckled. "The party is just getting started."

As soon as he started to pick me up, I lashed out. One kick to the balls and one sharp jab to the throat, and I was released, only to be grabbed by the blond behind me. I jabbed my elbow back into his gut. I heard his breath come out in a quick gust of air. I lifted my leg as I spun in a round house quick and nailed him on the side of the head.

He went down.

The brown haired guy roared with outrage as he reached for me. I shot out with my hand, two quick jabs. He gasped as he grabbed his throat and dropped to his knees.

"No means no, asshole." I stepped around the two men and walked out the front door. I hurried down the street to the bus stop.

After checking to make sure I hadn't been followed, I used my phone to check in and make sure I wasn't being called into work for something life threatening. That would require a cab and not a bus ride.

Nothing seemed blaringly apparent, but looks could be deceiving, and often were, as the two men back at the bar had just discovered. I was small, but I was scrappy. My father had been teaching me self defense since I was in diapers. I knew how to take care of myself.

I just wish every other person on the face of the planet taller than five foot seven inches tall would figure that out as well. My mother had been five foot four inches tall. My father stood at five foot ten inches tall. I didn't have a chance in hell.

Being short sucked.

ADULT EXCERPT

"When someone locks a door, that usually means they don't want you to enter." I tried to push past Storm, by he grabbed me and slammed me into the wall. I realized instantly that he could have done it with a lot more force, but at the last second, he slowed, placing me gently against the wall.

The hard, muscular body that pinned me there wasn't so gentle.

Storm's chest rumbled against me as he growled. His upper lip flickered and he rubbed his nose from the base of my neck where my pulse point was to the underside of my chin. I was being scented and I knew it.

I also knew there were razor sharp fangs perilously close to my throat. I swallowed tightly and arched away from them. I had no desire to be eaten, even by Storm.

I clutched at Storm's arms. I'd lost my towel when he grabbed me and was woefully aware of the fact that my totally naked body was trapped between Storm and the wall. Storm reached out and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, curling his fingers in soft curls. I frowned, opened my mouth to protest, and Storm kissed me.

Within seconds, Storm devoured me.

We were pressed chest to chest, my hips cradling Storm's thick erection. I clung to Storm's shoulders, leaning up into the kiss. Arousal spiraled through me like a bullet ricocheting through a rubber room as Storm explored my ass with his hands.

His teeth grazed my lower lip. I bit back, sharp, almost painful, but the sensation only enticed Storm more. I had to give the man credit. One moment the kiss was all soft and gentle. The next, it was pure raw sex. Mouth hot and wet, hands hard and roving.

Storm made Storm forget…everything.

His palm caressed my skin beneath as he grasped my hips and drew me closer. His mouth left mine before moving along the line of my jaw, the vein on my neck. His teeth scraped along my collarbone before moving lower.

I ached, wanting more, wanting everything. I had been empty inside for so very long. All I wanted now was to be devoured by Storm and have that hollow ache in deep inside of me filled.

With nothing beneath but skin, it was easy for Storm to cup my cock, stroke me, and make me want.

I pulled at Storm's shirt until he lifted his arms and allowed me to slide it over his head, tossing it aside. I slid my hands down Storm's sides until they reached the snap on his jeans. Storm held his breath as I slowly began to work his jeans free.

My heart quickened when Storm gave me a sensual smile as I trailed my fingertips down his naked chest. The exotic scent of the man—sweet honey and a whiskey—drew me in, curling around my senses.

I leaned forward, inhaling more of Storm's heady scent from collarbone to ear, taking in the raw aroma of man. The scent rushed into me in a wave of intoxication. I loved the smell of the man, was addicted to the flavor.

It was a scent that made me instantly hard.

Storm cupped the back of my head and drew me in for a soft kiss. He ran his hand over my hair, making me feel more than just a lustful need. I could barely breathe as Storm held me in his arms, pressing me into the wall. The turbulent storm I'd seen in his eyes numerous times over the night had turning into a blazing inferno.

"You have no idea how much I want you, Joe."

"Ion," I whispered. I didn't like being called Joe. "My name is Ion."

"I don't want to want you, Ion, but I can't seem to stop myself."

My skin flushed with heat as Storm leaned forward to nip at my jaw line. I could feel small pants of Storm's breath tickling my cheek. His breath was coming out raggedly, roughly, almost as if he was fighting himself. Then Storm groaned and pure raw need slammed into me at the rough sound, like fur running over my naked flesh.

Storm tugged at my cheek until our mouths were only an inch apart, and then moved in to capture my lips. He shuddered and then nipped my bottom lip. My body tightened involuntarily, every bone and muscle reaching for Storm's mouth, the hot draw of his lips, and the moist wash of his tongue.

He tasted so damn good.

Eagerly, my tongue mated with Storm's, the spicy taste of man making me grow harder. Like a drug addict in the first seconds of his fix, I tried to devour him. Storm licked at my lips, nibbled at them, drew my tongue into his mouth, and sucked at it.

I arched even closer, the bare flesh of my cock jerking against the long, hot thickness of Storm's. I gripped Storm's hair, holding him as our teeth and tongues clashed. The kiss was hard, hungry, and I urged Storm closer, deepening the kiss.

Storm's arms wrapped around me, his blunt nails scraping along my back. I arched into Storm, my body twisting closer, desperate to mate every cell in our bodies together.

I opened my eyes, seeing Storm's grimace of pleasure, the raw lust that transformed his handsome face. I hadn't thought Storm could get any better looking, but staring at the big bearded man, I knew I'd been wrong.

"You are so fucking beautiful, Ion." Storm ran the palms of his hands up my chest and pinched both nipples. "You take my breath away every time I look at you."

Storm slid his hands over my skin, smoothing his fingers up over his back and then down my chest, his thumbs playing with my nipples.

I shivered at the contact.