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Wes pinches my clit roughly and I come with a strangled scream, wiping thoughts of anyone else completely out of my mind. Waves of sensation slam into me. I hold onto the railing with a white-knuckled grip as my body bucks beneath him. My pussy spasms around him and he roars as he comes, pulsing inside me and groaning my name in my ear.

  He collapses against my back. My knees are trembling with the aftershocks of all that orgasmic bliss. After a moment, he pushes himself up and slips out of my body. He helps me stand and turns me around into his embrace. I like it there.

  “Wow,” he says softly and kisses me lightly. “That was an unexpected pleasure.”

  I smile. “Yeah, it sure wasn’t what I had planned for tonight.” And even though I’m certain I’m going to step away from him, I sink deeper into his embrace instead. “And I’m really glad.”

  “Me too.”

  A car horn honks somewhere below and we both jump, startled. Laughing, we step apart.

  We walk back into my apartment, closing the door against the world, leaving our neighbors to their boring evening. I point out the bathroom and then realize his is probably at the end of the hall too. He leaves to take care of the condom, and I grab my dress off the floor and yank it back on before he comes back in the room.

  I’ve never had sex with a complete stranger before. Does he think I’m a total slut, used to having sex with any guy who comes to the door? Will he walk away now, content with a one night stand? Will he want to see me again? Yeah, he said so in the height of passion, but what about now?

  How do I know if I want more than a one night stand with him anyway?

  “Wow, this is some closet!”

  He must have looked through the doorway on his way back from the bathroom. What will he think of my custom-made closet? When he doesn’t reappear in the living room, I join him in there, more nervous than when I opened the door to him in the first place.

  “You like it?” I ask lightly. “It’s my favorite room.”

  “Does someone else live here?” he asks as he looks back and forth between the two sides of the room. He walks over to my work clothes and grabs the hem of a pair of khaki trousers. “Do you have a roommate?”

  I laugh, but it sounds a little strangled. “No. Just me.”

  He cocks his head and frowns just a little bit. “So, there are two Lydias?”

  I sigh. Here is where he finds out I’m a fraud. Here’s where I’ll lose the first person I’ve cared about in forever. I didn’t even know him a couple hours ago but now I’ll miss him desperately when he’s gone. “No.” I point to the side that holds my work clothes. “No. That’s the real me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I cross the room and grab a purple dress off the hanger. “This…this is just make-believe.”

  Wes looks at me from across the room. “That’s not true. It can’t be true. The woman I met tonight is very real. The most real person I’ve met in a long time.”

  “You don’t know me. You see a sexy red dress and fancy high heels and think that’s who I am. But it’s not.”

  He’s still naked, but doesn’t seem at all self-conscious when he strolls easily across the room to stop in front of me. He takes the purple dress from me and tosses it aside. “I see more than the outside,” he says as he brushes my wild hair back over my shoulder. “I see a beautiful woman full of life and passion. A woman with a great sense of humor and some wicked dance steps. And that’s when you’re naked.” He grasps my shoulders and fixes me with his gaze. “I see you, Lydia.”

  Tears spring to my eyes and I crush my lips to his, giving him a kiss of thanks because I don’t know what else to say.

  “I don’t know why you feel you need to hide in these boring clothes, but I’d like the chance to find out.”

  “I have been hiding, haven’t I?” Hiding behind the boring clothes, the closed-off cubicle. A rush of panic sweeps through me. Do I really want someone to look past all that? Do I want anyone, especially Wes, to see the real me?

  What if the real me isn’t…lovable?

  The fear must have shown in my eyes because Wes drops his hands from my shoulders. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll go now.” Just like that, he turns and leaves the room.

  I hurry after him. “Wait.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve never been in a situation like this before,” he says. “You don’t really know me. Just because we had sex doesn’t mean you want to tell me your life story. I didn’t mean to push.” He’s still naked, standing in the middle of my living room, hiding nothing, while he waits for me to say something.

  Maybe this is why I never let anyone get too close. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know what to say.”

  He gives me one of those grins I’m already getting used to. I know I’d miss them if I never saw him again.

  “Hey, if you’re brave enough to bare your body in front of strangers, I know you’re brave enough to bare your soul to a friend.”

  I catch my breath, take a step closer. “Is that what you are, Wes? A friend?”

  “I’d like to be.” He takes a step closer to me, too. “Maybe we should take the more traditional route after tonight. Aside from the amazing sex, I’d like to get to know you better. Would you like to go out for drinks? Tomorrow night? You don’t have to tell me your whole life story. A day or two at a time will be fine.”

  Yeah, I want more than one night with this man. I laugh and shake my head. Unbelievable. Who knew my bad day would end up like this?

  “What?” he asks.

  I shrug and kick off the heels that are starting to pinch my toes. “Tonight a group at work made plans to go out for a drink and I wasn’t invited.” Damn, that sounds like self-pity. It probably is. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  “And do you put yourself out there at work?” he asks lightly. “Or do you keep to yourself? Keep your curtains closed, like our neighbors do? Hide behind those boring clothes, maybe?”

  “Maybe.” Why do I do that anyway? What am I afraid of? He’s right. After tonight, how can I be afraid of anything? How hard can it be to smile and join in the conversations at work and maybe make some friends? “You’re saying I should expose myself to my co-workers?”

  He grins again and pulls me back into his arms. “Not quite like this, of course, but why don’t you take a chance?”

  I smile back at him. “Why don’t I?” I press my lips to his and feel the heat rising between us once more.

  But he pulls gently away before the heat builds too far. “So, drinks tomorrow night?”

  I don’t want him to go, me who has always preferred to be alone. “How about a drink right now?”

  “Thanks, but let’s wait ’til tomorrow night. I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”

  “It’s not even slightly worn,” I tell him, but I can already tell it’s a lost cause. Still I give it one more try. “Coffee? Left over Chinese?”

  He laughs and kisses me lightly and I know he’s going to say no. “I want you to be able to sleep on it. Decide in the naked light of day if you really want to continue this.”

  I groan. “If I didn’t want to continue this right now, I’d appreciate your concern.”

  He laughed again. “Don’t let anyone ever call you boring.”

  I brush my lips lightly over his and then hand him his jeans. “I’d love to go out for drinks with you tomorrow night.”

  “Good. How about a drink and then dinner? And during the evening we’ll learn a little more about each other before I take to you bed.”

  The smile remains on my face even after the door closes behind him. I pick up the work clothes strewn throughout the apartment that he never even commented on. I take them to the closet and toss them in the hamper. Before I leave the room, I stop in front of the colorful side of the closet and run my hand over all the soft fabrics. I choose a dress for work tomorrow and lift the hanger from the rod.

  I think I’ll wear red.

  About the Author


  Natasha Moore fell in love with the written word as soon as she could read. As she grew up, she discovered romance and now enjoys the chance to add some extra sizzle to her stories. She lives in New York state with her real life hero who is happy to tell everyone that he’s her inspiration. They travel in their RV whenever possible. The great thing about writing is she can take it anywhere.

  To learn more about Natasha Moore, please visit www.natashamoore.com. Send an email to Natasha Moore at [email protected] or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Natasha Moore http://groups.yahoo.com/group/natashamoore Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter too. And stop by Natasha Moore’s group blog, Fierce Romance. http://fierceromance.blogspot.com

  Look for these titles by Natasha Moore

  Now Available:

  The Ride of Her Life

  The Passion-Minded Professor

  Bound by Design

  Binding Ties

  They can’t deny the heat—it’s the only thing keeping them alive.

  Trey

  © 2010 Cat Johnson

  Red Hot & Blue, Book 1

  A distracted soldier is a dead solder. That’s special operative Trey Williams’ motto. The last thing he needs in his life is a girlfriend. Problem is, the woman who’s been recruited to pose as his wife on a special assignment is proving to be exactly the kind of distraction he can’t afford.

  Years ago, Carly McAfee turned her back not only on her military career, but the men who come with it. So why did she say yes to a mission that puts her in intimate contact with Trey, under 24/7 surveillance by both bad guys and good? One slip, and they’re both dead. It’s not long, though, before her body betrays her, followed closely by her heart.

  With a terrorist arms deal going down and missing teammate’s life on the line, Carly and Trey must throw caution to the wind in the scorching-hot performance of their lives—and try not to lose their hearts and minds in the process.

  Warning: Contains bad men with big guns and video cameras, and an unmarried couple who need to get naked and get busy acting very married to save both their country and their lives.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Trey:

  Her eyes dropped to the erection evident in the too-damn-thin silk pajama bottoms. Instead of it freaking her out, she reacted in the totally opposite way. She lifted her chin a bit, closed her eyes and started to really dance for him.

  Turning in time to the rhythm of the music, she spun to face the mirror. Her eyes opened and their gazes met as she watched his reaction in the reflection.

  Running her hands over her body, she danced. He alternated between focusing on her reflection in the mirror and the swaying of her hips right in front of him. All the while his erection was an ever-present sign of his enjoyment of the show. He was happy simply watching her, until she pulled down the top of the nightgown to reveal one breast to him, then wet her finger and circled her own nipple with it.

  At that point, he was no longer simply an observer. He couldn’t control himself. This was no longer just a show for the target. Hell, it hadn’t been for some time. He pushed down his waistband and began to rub his swollen cock. Not that he had many brain cells functioning at this point, but his thinking was Smith would definitely be the kind of guy who would jerk off as his wife stripped for him. Second, perhaps if he came while watching her, he could get away with only making Carly strip for the terrorists and not have to go further.

  Only making her strip. Ha! There was nothing insignificant about what was happening between them now. Especially not when her eyes caught the reflection of what was happening behind her. Knowing she was watching him, as well as the target’s guards and Matt in the control center, didn’t diminish his arousal at all as pre-come seeped from the tip.

  His fist moved faster over the rock-hard flesh and, just when he was starting to get really friendly with his own hand, Carly turned to him. Her gaze dropped, observing every motion he made. His heart pounded faster as she moved closer. Leaning down, she braced herself on each arm of the chair, putting him eye-level with her glorious tits. When she reached out and ran the tip of her finger down the slit of his cock, Trey hissed in a breath.

  Her eyes met his and he saw the need in them. If she was into this, he sure as hell was too. Stopping what he had previously been doing, he released the grip on his cock and reached for her. With one finger he pulled aside the neckline of the already revealing nightie, just enough to expose her other nipple. Leaning forward, he drew the peak into his mouth and scraped his teeth against it. She drew in a sharp breath and then grabbed his head and pulled it closer to her breast.

  There was no doubt in his mind now. John Smith was definitely going to make love to his wife tonight. Since it was too late to step back from the precipice on which they both teetered, he drew her another step forward. Wrapping his hands around her hips, he pulled her closer until she was in his lap, straddling him. Then she began to grind her pelvis against his erection.

  She lowered her lips to his, devouring his mouth as he kissed her with equal need. His tongue drove against hers in a rhythm that mimicked what he hoped his very prominent arousal would soon do to her. She rubbed herself against the bulge of his cock. He heard her breath coming in staggered pants. In another second, she’d probably come just from the contact. If he didn’t watch out, he’d come from it too.

  Trey broke away. If this was to be the one and only time they’d be together, he wanted it to last a very long time and he intended on enjoying every moment. Besides, some part of his brain remembered the team wouldn’t benefit from his rushing to finish this. They needed as much time as he could give them.

  “Turn around. Face the mirror.”

  Did the pulse in her throat pound faster just from his suggestion? How hot was that?

  “This is supposed to be a dance for you, remember?” Her voice sounded breathy.

  “No reason why we can’t both enjoy it.” His own voice came out sounding raspy. This was no simple hook up. They affected each other physically. Chemically. He couldn’t let himself think like that. This was a one-shot deal.

  Swallowing hard from his words, Carly nodded. As her pulse continued to throb wildly, she rose and let him turn her toward the mirror.

  “Spread your legs for me, baby. I want to see you.” He sat her in his lap, his hands spreading her thighs wide. Easing aside the scrap of lace that comprised the bottom of Candi Smith’s nightwear, he exposed her before both of their eyes. “Look at yourself, baby. You’re so beautiful.”

  One sub to please the Master…in any way he wishes.

  Hurt Me So Good

  © 2010 Joely Sue Burkhart

  Victor Connagher is no stranger to the Dallas BDSM scene. As CEO of a risqué cable channel that caters to adventurous adults, he ensures the lifestyle is portrayed in a positive light. He even supports a local bondage club. Yet behind the cool, confident mask, Victor lives in fear.

  Once, and only once, he lost control of his inner Dom—and it cost him his fiancée. Now, no one knows how hard he works to keep his darker appetite for pain buried. No matter how much his saucy, confident associate producer makes his fingers itch to once again take up his riding crop.

  Shiloh Holmes is a sub, but she’s no doormat. She’s always suspected Victor has the skills to feed her insatiable need for pain, and now she’s found the perfect way to crack his formidable control. Develop a new reality show, America’s Next Top sub…and dare him to compete.

  Week after week, as Shiloh fearlessly challenges the real Victor to come out of hiding, he realizes his past mistake was only a blow to his pride. If he loses Shiloh, he could lose his heart.

  Warning: Explicit sex, BDSM, reality television, a very reluctant Dom, an audacious sub willing to do anything to win for him, and one very wicked riding crop.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Hurt Me So Good:

  “It’s a BDSM show.” Shiloh let a sultry smile curve her lips, but she didn’t loo
k directly at him. She didn’t trust herself not to plop down into his lap. “If we set up the correct challenges, everyone will go home extremely happy regardless of who wins.”

  He checked his watch, warning that his patience was almost gone. “Either this is a reality show or it’s not. There has to be a winner, and I won’t stand for cheating among my own employees.”

  “It’s a dual competition.” Shiloh fought not to blurt out her response in a desperation plea. “We’ll have submissives competing to win the Dominants’ favor, but also a single Dominant could win the title of Master, if he selects the correct submissive to win it all.”

  Ms. Kannes laughed. “By God, Victor, it’s brilliant. I could compete as one of the Dominants, with my submissive as one of the contestants. Patrick could compete too, and that would give us another two or three submissives, depending on who’s in his stable right now. If we can get another couple from Silken, then we’d have an interesting mix of newbies and experienced players. The experienced ones would be teaching the rest, as well as having a little friendly competition among us all.”

  Frowning, Mr. Connagher shook his head. “There’s not going to be much drama between you and Patrick. You’re too evenly matched and know each other too well.”

  Shiloh let out her breath and took a step closer to him, waiting until his gaze swung to her. “That’s why you should compete, sir.”

  His eyes narrowed to slits, his mouth flattened into a hard slant, and his shoulders squared, chest broad and muscular in a universal signal of male dominance that his suit couldn’t conceal.

  Her heart froze a moment and then exploded into a rapid, thunderous pace that made her ears roar. He didn’t refuse outright, though, which gave her the courage to continue. “The show needs a Master with a capital M. Someone who’ll really bring the competition to a peak. Based on our demographics, it should be a male, and preferably, his submissive should be female. It will be even more exciting if he’s unattached, so the unowned submissives all feel like they have a chance of winning his attention. The ultimate prize, then, will be the Master’s collar, not money like the typical reality show.”