STORY EXCERPT

Haven Daniels felt like a wild flower in a room filled with elegant roses as soon as she entered the hotel ballroom. She stayed to the side of the huge space filled with glamorous women and handsome men all decked out in their finest. She looked like she belonged here on the outside. She had her straight black haircut and styled in an elegant layered cut that barely touched her shoulders. Her hairdresser assured her it fit perfectly with her heart-shaped face. She outlined her emerald colored eyes in black liner, giving herself a dramatic look. Her full lips were covered in ruby red lipstick. Her deep purple gown was long and fashionable. A slit in the material along her right thigh allowed her to walk comfortably. It was slightly lower than she was used to but it boosted her confidence.

Inside, however, she felt on edge. This party was the last place she wanted to be, but her brother Vincent convinced her to show up. Tonight, Vincent was celebrating the purchase of a new hotel in Los Angeles, a few hours away from their hometown of San Francisco. It would be opened soon, but Vincent wanted to announce it now. The party was held for the investors and the press. Long tables filled with delicious appetizers of all kinds lined one wall. A huge ice sculpture was displayed among the food. A band played cheerful music and couples danced with smiles on their faces. The atmosphere was one of happiness, so why was she having such a hard time feeling happy?

She planned to mingle, maybe say hello to a few people and avoid one man. Hunter York.

Hunter was her brother’s closest friend and business partner. He was also the man Haven had fallen in love with, but he didn’t feel the same. In Hunter’s eyes, she would always be Vincent’s little sister. She was finally learning to live with the pain of knowing her love was unrequited. Her father always told her the Daniels had strong Irish blood running through their veins and could overcome any obstacle. She would not allow heartbreak to make her into a sad cliché.

The Daniels ran a successful chain of hotels in California that was started by their father, Samuel Daniels. Samuel died eight years ago, along with his second wife, Sylvia. Silvia was Haven’s mother. Samuel Daniels’ first wife, Jacklyn, who was Vincent’s mother, lived in London. She had gotten to keep the hotel there in her divorce settlement.

Vincent had taken care of sixteen-year-old Haven. She still remembered following her father around as a child as he talked about all the hard work it took to run any business smoothly. He always let her answer the phones and do miscellaneous jobs for him. It made her feel important. She still missed him and her mother so deeply. Most of all, she missed the sense of having a family. Vincent worked hard and hardly ever made time for her unless it was work related. Haven managed a smaller Daniels Hotel right along the coastline. She loved being by the water. It was soothing. Vincent ran the largest hotel in the downtown area, this one the party was held at. Hunter York ran the second largest about ten miles outside the city.

Servers dressed in black and white uniforms walked the large ballroom with trays filled with glasses of expensive champagne. She grabbed one as a server passed by. She drank it down without sipping it. A few more might relax her enough to genuinely smile.

“I think you’re supposed to sip it delicately.” Haven heard the deep male voice in her ear and she gasped in surprise. A warm hand was at her hip. Her body recognized the deep voice in an instant. Hunter. Suddenly, she was glad she made an effort with her appearance. Not that it would change his mind about her, but it gave her the confidence to face him and still smile. Hunter was a tall, handsome man with his short sable-colored hair that fell in waves across his forehead, making her want to constantly push it out of the way. His brown eyes were always filled with enough heat to make her body react with instant need. He was the type of sophisticated man every woman noticed and desired. But it was more than his looks that drew her. He had a domineering presence that made her excited and nervous at the same time. He was quiet but still emanated power and authority. He didn’t need to raise his voice to get someone’s attention. Just one look out of his dark brown eyes made her body fill with heat.

She had always had high hopes one day he would notice her. Until that night four months ago when he said some very hurtful words to her after they shared an explosive kiss. The memory still humiliated her. Since then, she saw as little as possible of him, and when she was forced to see him in meetings, she avoided lingering like she once did. Her flirty remarks must have made her seem so naive.

“Really? I have never heard that,” she answered back with attitude. She hoped he couldn’t hear how rapidly her heart was beating as soon as he came up behind her. His large hand slid around her slim waist, and he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. If she was bold and brave, she would turn her head and let his friendly kiss land on her lips. That would shock him she mused silently, but she wasn’t that brave.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Hunter’s voice right next to her ear sent shivers down her spine.

She turned her head to look at him. His black suit and silver tie made him look powerful and sexy. She couldn’t read his serious facial expression. “Of course. I did plan it, remember? You and Vince drove me crazy with all the last minute changes.”

He smiled with amusement and tugged on a strand of her black hair playfully. “Sorry about that, darling. We had some important investors we wanted to impress. You did great. Have you seen Vincent yet?”

“He was flirting with some blonde so I waved and kept on walking. I’ll talk to him later, I’m sure.” Haven forced her eyes to survey the dance floor where couples danced body to body. If she looked at him too long she was afraid he would see the desire in her eyes she couldn’t hide.

“Would you like to dance with me?” he asked in a casual voice that held no real clue to what he was thinking. He was always polite and friendly. She hated that façade. She wanted to see passion in his eyes. She wanted him out of control.

ADULT EXCERPT

Hunter let his eyes wander every square inch of her body. Her skin was ivory white and smooth. She had a tiny waist but curvy hips and a nice round ass that stuck out just right. Her breasts weren’t too big or too small. A perfect fill for his hands. He saw her tattoo and piercing. “We’re going to talk about this habit of putting needles in your body. I don’t like the idea of strange men touching your bare skin. First a tattoo, now a piercing. Tsk tsk.”

“James got the piercing for me to celebrate our weekend away,” she mentioned casually. Hunter didn’t like hearing another man’s name on her lips. He swatted her ass, and she yelped, giving him a good glare of outrage. He pulled a chain down from the ceiling she had not noticed.

“Say my name,” he demanded in a hard voice.

“Hunter,” she answered firmly without any fear. He attached a leather cuff to each wrist, knowing it wouldn’t mark her skin. His eyes held hers but all he saw was fascination and not fear. Her arms were straight over her head. Her breasts stood straight as if begging for his attention.

“What is your safe word?” He wanted to skip the foreplay and just fuck her really hard, but he couldn’t do that to Haven. He’d make her wild with want and need first.

“Red,” she whimpered. Her eyes were wide with anticipation. He could feel her breathing heavily, but a quick search of her face assured him it was from arousal and not fear. Her voice was throaty and turned him on even more.

He sucked the flesh of her neck and her shoulder. He could smell her floral shampoo and light perfume. He stood behind her and cupped her breasts, tugging on her nipples. He pulled hard, glad she was so open and responsive. He knew she liked what he was doing.

She leaned her body against his. “Oh, yes,” she moaned, tilting her head up.

He moved to her front, and she opened her eyes to watch as he slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt and let it fall to the carpeted floor. His dress pants and boxers went next. His hard cock sprung out, ready for some action. She licked her lips, and her eyes widened as she eyed his erection. Finally, he had her where he always wanted her.

Her eyes remained fixed to his cock as he rubbed it back and forth. The damn thing twitched with excitement, too. Hunter had never felt as aroused as he did right now. He played with plenty of women in his life, but this felt like more than casual sex. He felt emotionally overwhelmed, but he couldn’t step back. He would analyze everything later. Right now, he wanted to enjoy this moment. He had dreamt it but never knew if it would be a reality, yet here she was, his to do whatever he wanted. And he had thought up plenty of ideas all those lonely nights.

“I have fantasized about this,” he admitted, placing a soft, quick kiss on her pink lips. He could taste the wine she had drank. She pressed her front close to his chest. Her nipples rubbed against his skin.

“Me too.” She looked uncertain, and he couldn’t help but hug her.

“We will talk, I promise. For now, just feel.”

She nodded. Her forehead was shiny with sweat. She jumped slightly when he spread her legs open. He touched her pussy with his fingers and found her soaked. She was so soft and so wet. She was shaved bare, and her skin was silky smooth. She was like a firecracker ready to go off, but he didn’t want this to end quickly. “My pretty little sub is all wet. Is it for me?”

“Yes,” she moaned.

He parted her folds, running a finger over her sensitive skin. His thumb flicked over her clit, and she jumped. He inserted two fingers in her pussy. “Soon, this will be my cock in here. Would you like that?”

Her eyes were glazed over, but she nodded. She whimpered and moaned, but he continued to explore her wet pussy, stretching her with his fingers and watching her every expression. She didn’t try to hide how turned on she was, and that added fuel to his fire as her juices flowed freely down her thighs. She was close to the edge and so responsive to his touch. Why had he fought this for so long?

 She wiggled her body around as if impatient. “Don’t move,” he warned, swatting her ass hard. “I imagined you like this so many times and here you are. My fantasy come true. I am going to do every wicked thing I’ve always dreamt about.”