STORY EXCERPT

Dressed all in black, Rick slipped out the back door, keeping to the shadows as he made his way around the house, listening to the other men bragging about their conquests.

Every house around him, except the one he’d been watching, had been dark for more than an hour.

Pushing thoughts of the sexy blonde out of his mind, he crossed the yard to the tree in the middle of the yard, noting the two agency cars parked down the street on either side.

Although the bright streetlights made it harder to stay in the shadows, he stayed low and moved silently across the street to the back of the gunrunners’ van.

Scanning the area, he drew a tracking device from his pocket and reached under the van to put it into place.

Once he finished, he started back across the street, making it to the tree just as the four men he had under surveillance poured out the front door.

Stiffening, he watched them stagger toward the blonde’s house next door, his chest tightening as several scenarios played out in his head.

Irritated at the thought that she might be involved with them in some way, he watched in disbelief as they stood in front of her flowerbed and unzipped their pants.

He didn’t find it hard to believe that Chenkoff’s men could be that stupid, but glancing up at the window, he stiffened again when he saw something that made no sense at first.

When he realized what it was, he stiffened again with the urge to turn her over his knee.

The low illumination reflecting onto her face told him that while they pissed on her flowers, she stood there videotaping them.

The gunrunners Chenkoff hired had already proven themselves to be stupid, but Chenkoff didn’t hire people for their brains.

He hired them because they were violent and were willing to kill or torture on his orders.

Rick couldn’t bear to think about what the four men would do if they caught the blonde videotaping them and held his breath as they finished and rezipped their pants, his hopes that they would continue on dashed when one of them looked up at the window.

“Hey! That fucking bitch is taping us!”

Rick barely bit back a groan when the sexy vixen threw open the front door and stormed out, her bare legs visible beneath the short robe.

“Yeah! I recorded you pissing on my flowers! Again! Don’t you have a bathroom over there?”

Rick had already tucked his earpiece away, covered the gun at his waistband with his sweater, and crossed to the sidewalk in front of her house by the time she’d finished, using the distraction to get closer to her.

“Give me that phone, you fucking bitch!”

One of the men leapt forward, but Rick was faster, pressing his leg against the back of the other man’s knees as he reached for the long-legged blonde standing on the top step.

Rick ignored the drunken man he’d knocked down, hiding a smile at the other man’s groan when he hit his face against the top step. “I warned you what would happen the next time I saw you with another man.”

The blonde blinked, her jaw dropping. “What?”

Before she could say something to put herself in even more danger, he covered her mouth with his, immediately deepening his kiss while remaining alert to the four gunrunners staring up at them.

Alert for a threat from Chenkoff’s men, Rick hadn’t anticipated the danger wrapped in his arms.

She met his kiss with resistance and then a passion he didn’t expect, her soft body pliable and warm against his.

The scent of her filled his senses, momentarily distracting him when he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

To punish her for making him lose his head, however briefly, and giving him the control he needed, he slid the hand hidden from view higher, using his thumb to caress her beaded nipple.

Her soft moan went straight to his cock, and irritated that the four men heard her soft moan of pleasure, he lifted his head, keeping her body between hers and theirs.

He turned her and slapped her ass. “Get inside. You and I have some things to discuss.”

She gasped but went inside, slamming the door behind her. “I’m calling the cops.”

Turning, he faced Chenkoff’s men, unsurprised when the one who appeared to be the leader pulled out a gun.

Pushing his straggling and dirty hair out of his face, the gunrunner pointed the gun at Rick’s chest. “Get out of my way. I want that phone.”

Rick smiled faintly at the thought of dealing with the other man in the near future, ready to pull his own gun. “Put that away before I shoot you with it. Don’t try my patience. I have a woman to deal with, and if you were smart, you’d go back to whatever rock you crawled out from. I want to deal with her before she has a chance to call the cops because then I’ll have to wait.”

He narrowed his gaze. “Waiting to discipline my woman pisses me off.”

The gunrunner blinked his surprise at Rick’s claim, and seemed to understand and respect Rick’s need to deal with his woman. The other man grinned, nodding in agreement. “I can understand that. Good luck, man. Smackin’ ’em around is the only way to deal with some of these broads. The only reason we pissed on her flowers is because she gave us shit the other day for throwing our trash out with hers.”

His smile fell, and tucking his gun away, he inclined his head toward the house. “Tell her if she calls the cops, we’ll rip her flowers out and give her a beatin’ she won’t forget.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Cupping her jaw, he lifted her face to his. “They’re armed and mean. Stay away from them. Don’t talk to them. Don’t look at them.” His grip firmed, his eyes shooting sparks. “And for God’s sake, don’t provoke them again.”

“You got between us.”

“I’m meaner.”

Amazed at his arrogance, Carly snapped. “Listen, you—”

He bent, taking her mouth with his and ruthlessly cutting her off.

With the only light coming from above the stove in the other room, she felt as if she were living a fantasy.

He kissed her with a hunger that intensified her own, his arms around her and flattened on her back holding her body pressed against his.

Sliding a hand down her body to her ass, he lifted her from her feet and laid her on the sofa, covering her body with his.

Breaking off his kiss, he ran his lips over her jaw, the hand now at the back of her neck holding her in place while his other made quick work of her belt, loosening it and parting the sides. “You feel incredible. You smell incredible.”

Wrapping her arms and legs around him, Carly cried out at the slide of his hand over her breast, lifting into him in an effort to ease the ache in her slit. “I shouldn’t want this.”

She ached for him, her pussy clenching and releasing her juices, the hunger so intense that she clawed at him.

He eased her robe from her before reaching for the hem of her nightgown. “Neither should I, but that doesn’t seem to matter.”

Lifting his head, he groaned. “I’m clean. I have a condom, and I can stop at any time.”

Carly reached for the hem of his thin sweater, pulling it up. “Don’t you dare!”

Lifting up, he pulled his sweater off and tossed it onto the floor before taking her mouth with his again.

His deep kisses made her dizzy, and before she knew it, he’d stripped her of her nightgown and panties, parting her thighs and settling himself between them.

Using his knees to press hers wide, he lifted slightly and slid his hands down her body on either side while lowering his head, his lips closing on her nipple.

Fire shot from her nipple to her slit, the back of his hand brushing against her as he unfastened his trousers driving her insane.

Digging her fingertips into his shoulders, she arched against him, sliding her hands in his hair and staring into his eyes as he ripped the condom open with his teeth. “Hurry.”

With a groan, Rick sank into her and stilled. “Easy. You’re tight.”

Carly moaned and dropped her legs to press against his outer thighs, her toes curling as she adjusted to the fullness. “It’s been a long time.”

Apparently responding to her breathless claim, Rick lifted his head, sliding one hand to her breast and the other to her hair. “You’re even softer than I expected. You’re a dangerous woman. I should have stayed the hell away from you, but I couldn’t.”

The slide of his thumb over her nipple, the fullness of his cock inside her, and the soft brush of his lips over hers heightened the pleasure and had her rocking her hips in an effort to get him to move. “And I shouldn’t want you.”

With a groan, Rick began to move, the friction against her inner walls and feeling of fullness dizzying. “You’re a distraction.”

“And you’re an arrogant asshole.” Carly wrapped her legs around him again and pressed her heels into his firm buttocks. “Faster.”

“No.” Gathering her wrists in one hand, he held them over her head and stared down at her. “You’re passionate as hell. I’d be willing to bet that passion has never been satisfied.”

Carly had heard enough bragging from men in her life to be disappointed that her sexy-as-hell lover felt the need to do the same. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Good.” Keeping her wrists held over her head, Rick covered her mouth with his while rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, his strokes into her deep and steady.

Pushing her disappointment aside, she tried to pull her hands free, but Rick held firm.

Lifting his head, he slid the hand from her breast under her, lifting her into his thrusts. “Stop struggling. I want your hands out of the way and your breasts lifted.”

The authority and command in his low, deep tone sent a shiver through her, the warm tingling accompanying it disconcerting.

Shaken by how easily he excited her all over again, Carly fought to focus while his deep thrusts and friction against her nipple made her hotter and closer to coming by the second. “Why?”

Sipping at her lips, Rick slowed his strokes and slid his hand under her bottom again. “Why what?”

“Why do you want—hmm—my hands out of the way?”

Rick bent, scraping his teeth lightly over her nipple before lifting his head and thrusting faster. “Because I like seeing you spread and helpless to do anything except take the pleasure I give you.”

Carly cried out, arching against him as the pleasure mounted, the warm tingling sensation warning her that she was about to go over.

Brushing his lips over hers again, his warm breath mingling with hers, he released her wrists to entangle his fingers with hers above her head. “Give it to me.”

Pride compelled her to resist her impending orgasm. “No. You come.”

He chuckled coldly and slowed his deep strokes. “Your pussy’s clenching already. I want to feel your velvety tight pussy ripple all around my cock. And you’re going to give me exactly what I want.”