His Obsession Next Door (In the Line of Duty) Read online

  “No?” he choked out.

  She drained the rest of her brandy before setting her glass beside his. “No,” she said. “In fact, I’m feeling a little…hot.”

  Her robe slipped open another inch and he made the mistake of sliding a look over her bare skin. His imagination kicked into high gear, and his body reacted, unable to ignore her blatant femininity.

  As he ached to lose himself in her, a growl of sexual frustration climbed from his throat and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stifle it.

  Working to marshal his lust, he said, “It’s the fire. It’s blazing hot in here.”

  “Nope. Don’t think that’s it.”

  With one hand still trapped under hers, Jon grabbed his tumbler with the other and took another swig. She began moving his hand, running it along her thigh, creating heat and friction on her leg as well as in his pants. As sexual tension built inside him, he noted the way her honey-flecked eyes glimmered with sensuality, the way her body vibrated with want, the rich scent of her skin flooding the room and making her so damn impossible to resist.

  “Jon.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I was thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “About the holidays.”

  He exhaled slowly and went back on his heels, wondering where she was going with this.

  “What about them, Lila?” he asked his voice sounding deeper, more intimate, even to himself.

  “Well, I was thinking that holidays are about overindulging.”

  Jon finished the brandy in his glass and set his tumbler aside. “Yeah.”

  She nestled against him. “And well, since you’re here alone, and I’m here alone, maybe we could…you know…indulge.”

  “Indulge?”

  “Yeah, in each other.”

  His jaw clenched and as her proposition rattled around inside his brain like a runaway pinball, she rushed out, “You know, just for the holidays.”

  Even though he’d sworn he was going to stay away from her, because he was here for Errol and Errol alone, everything in the sexy way she looked at him had him rethinking his priorities.

  “Lila—” he began, knowing he couldn’t give her what she really wanted.

  “It’s just a simple holiday fling, Jon. Nothing more,” she assured him.

  As she grabbed the belt on her robe and started loosening it, Jon began warming to the idea of tossing her onto his sheets and having his way with her. Just for the holidays. Honestly, it was a perfectly sensible proposition, one he’d be a fool to pass up. But he didn’t want to sleep with her until she knew the truth about him. Knew he was a selfish bastard who chose to stay in Miami and work instead of coming home for the holidays, only to end up losing his parents because of it, the two people in the world who loved him the most. If she chose to look at him with blame instead of desire, chose to walk out of his room, then so be it.

  “Lila, we need to talk.”

  She removed her belt, widening the opening of her robe. “No, Jon. We need to get out of our clothes.”

  The sight of her gorgeous, naked body, save for the silk panties, nearly rendered him senseless. He swallowed. Hard. “I need to tell you something.”

  Her warm seductive chuckle curled around him. “Oh, so now the man of few words wants to talk. Well guess what? I’m not in the mood for talking.”

  “I thought you were always in the mood for talking,” he managed to get out and struggled to remember what it was he needed to tell her.

  She rolled her shoulder and let her robe fall down one arm, shutting down his ability to think with any sort of clarity.

  “Not always,” she assured him. “Sometimes I’m in the mood for moaning,” she said, teasing him in a playful manner that drew him deeper and deeper into her seduction.

  “Lila—” He tried again, and struggled to remember what it was he needed to tell her as equal amounts of lust for this woman and fear for what she made him feel raced through him.

  “Jon,” she said, sliding her fingers through her damp hair. “Whatever it is, it can wait until breakfast tomorrow.”

  When he heard the raw ache of lust in her voice and saw the sexy pink flush on her cheeks, all he could think about was laying her out on his bed, spreading her legs and nibbling on her like she was his personal holiday feast.

  “Tonight, however—”

  Jon pressed his fingers to her lips to hush her. “Lila.”

  “Yeah,” she asked.

  “It’s time to stop talking.”

  “It is?”

  “Yeah.” He positioned his lips over hers, creating an instant intimacy, and murmured into her mouth, “Because it’s time for indulging.”

  What happens on the island, lingers in the heart.

  Hawaiian Holiday

  © 2013 Crystal Jordan

  Destination: Desire, Book 2

  Julie Simms moved back to Half Moon Bay to take over her ailing great aunt’s fiber arts store, and stayed by her side until the end. Now it’s Julie’s first Christmas without the sassy old lady, and grief drives her to take some much-needed time off away from a town full of memories.

  A week in Honolulu—hula dancers, coconut palms, and sunny beaches—is exactly what she needs, plus a bonus: meeting a gorgeous man who makes her forget everything except getting naked. With him. As often as possible.

  Stanford Professor Lukas Klein, who’s just finished up a conference and is ready for a break, hasn’t been this intensely attracted to a woman since his divorce. He’s been leery of getting too deeply involved in a relationship, yet Julie is a breath of fresh air he can’t resist. And doesn’t even want to try.

  Half Moon Bay and Stanford aren’t that far apart, but the magic of paradise could be too far removed from reality to let an attraction this mind-blowing last forever.

  Warning: Crochet bikinis and sex on the beach (the drink and the real thing). Hawaiian breezes ignite an affair hot enough to reanimate a dormant volcano.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Hawaiian Holiday:

  “Would you care to share my taxi?” a deep voice called from behind her. “We’re going to the same place, it seems.”

  Turning, she saw a tall man holding open the door to a cab. He was…sexy. Dark hair, serious blue eyes, angular features that contrasted with a sensual mouth. She took a few steps forward, her feet moving without any direction from her brain. Seriously, anyone that good to look at deserved a closer inspection. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze by the time she stopped. And he looked even better from this angle. Something about him made her heart skip a beat.

  He leaned toward her, closing some of the distance between them. She didn’t back away. Somehow, it felt just right to have him in her personal space. His eyes crinkled at the corners, though he didn’t smile. “Should I take your coming over as a yes?”

  “Yes.” The word came out throatier and more inviting than she meant it to.

  His gaze dropped for just a moment to where her damp T-shirt clung to her breasts, and her breath caught, a shiver of utterly sexual awareness passing through her. Her nipples tightened. She wanted to tell herself it was from the breeze on her wet clothes, but it would have been a lie. Her reaction to this man was hot, instantaneous—a lightning strike of sheer need.

  Mmm-hmm. She could only hope she wasn’t drooling. A flush burned her cheeks. Wow, she hadn’t realized she was this hard up. Okay, so it had been a while since she’d let herself enjoy the company of a man. Not since before Auntie’s first stroke. She lifted her chin. It was time to get on with living her life, even if it would always be a little bit emptier without Eloise.

  Tilting her head, Julie looked the dark-haired man over one more time. Maybe not the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen, but definitely the sexiest she’d been around in a long time. Hello, animal magnetism. She knew her attraction showed in her expression, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. The tingle of warmth spreading through her felt pretty good.


  She cleared her throat, recognizing that she’d been staring a little too long. “Thanks for sharing your ride.”

  “No problem.” His gaze did a slow slide down her body, the perusal deliberate and as obvious as her inspection of him had been.

  Her shoulder brushed over his chest as she bent to climb into the car. Just that simple touch made her shudder, and a wave of sweet heat sluiced through her. Holy Jesus, this was crazy. She had no idea who he was, but she hoped he was single. It would be a damn shame to be this drawn to a guy who was taken. She dragged in a deep breath, and realized that her heart had leaped into a pounding rush.

  Sliding across the seat, she set her shopping bag on the floor at her feet. He climbed in after her, dropping a leather messenger bag on the seat between them. He leaned his head back against the seat, closed his eyes, and sighed. The cab pulled away from the curb and merged into the chaotic mess of people trying to get out of the rain and into some form of transportation.

  Julie twisted in her seat to get a better look at her companion. Yes, definitely gorgeous. And definitely exhausted. “Long day?”

  Rolling his head toward her, he opened his eyes. He offered her a slight grin. “Oh, yeah. I just finished a week-long conference, but now I’m free to relax, unwind, and…enjoy myself.”

  The faintest hint of an accent flavored his words, but she couldn’t pinpoint where he might be from. A mystery. She liked that. But then what he’d said sank in.

  “You finished? So you’re on your way home?” A pang of disappointment went through her. She shouldn’t care, but she did. The possibility shimmering between them was too good to miss out on so easily.

  Two dimples popped into his cheeks. “Not at all. I’m staying for another week on vacation.”

  Now that sounded more promising. “At the Hilton?”

  “Yes, and you?” His gaze sharpened with interest, and another shiver of awareness went through her. She hadn’t been this intensely attracted to a man in forever, and it was even headier than she remembered.

  She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m staying there too, until after Christmas. I flew in this morning.”

  “Oh, yeah? Where are you from?” He shifted his shoulders against the seat, turning a little to face her. His scent drifted to her—musky male and a light, spicy cologne. He swallowed, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob. A totally inappropriate desire to lean over and slide her tongue along the strong column of his throat hit her.

  He stared at her, one eyebrow arched. Ah, yes. He’d asked her a question. Get it together, Julie.

  “California. Just outside of San Francisco.” She held out her hand to shake, because she had to know what it was like to feel his skin against hers. “I’m Julie, by the way.”

  His gaze drifted from her hand to her face, and the look in his eyes told her the attraction was definitely not one-sided. He didn’t ogle her, but his interest was clear. “Lukas Klein. I’m a physics professor, and you?”

  “I run a fiber arts store.” When he took her hand, she felt the restrained power in his grip. His palm had slight calluses that rasped against her flesh, and a flash of need sparked within her. Nice. Now that was what she called chemistry.

  He’s ready for his close up, but she’s the one calling the shots.

  Take Two

  © 2014 Laurelin Paige

  On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.

  Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.

  Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.

  But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?

  Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Take Two:

  Excited voices near the pool caught her attention when she’d nearly made it to the sanctuary. She peered over, seeking the cause of the excitement. A drunken woman, clothed only in a shirt and panties, stepped out from the center of the spectators and onto the diving board, twirling her discarded skirt in the air.

  Maddie stopped short as she made out the face of the woman. Her stomach tightened. She knew that stripper. It was Bree.

  Bree sang some current popular hit at the top of her lungs, basking in the attention her display earned. Soon she began inching her shirt up, teasing her audience, until the clothing was abandoned in the pool below and Bree stood simply in a black demi-cup bra and matching panties. The crowd cheered as she bent over provocatively, shimmying her petite behind.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Maddie softly asked herself, willing the question to penetrate the distance between them and stop the antics of her wild friend.

  “I’d say she’s having a good time,” a male voice said behind her. “Giving one as well.”

  Maddie jolted and put her hand over her heart. She turned to find her sitting area wasn’t deserted as she’d hoped. In the shadows on the stone bench behind her sat a male figure. She couldn’t make out his face, but moonlight fell on his lower body and taut, lean muscles pressed against his tight jeans.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He leaned forward, appearing out of the shadows.

  She took a quick breath as her gaze met his. His dark hair, thick and tousled, framed his smooth chiseled face. Deep-set eyes peered under intense eyebrows. She couldn’t be sure in the darkness, but she guessed his eyes were blue. Whatever color, they were piercing and her knees weakened under his stare.

  “No problem,” she managed. “I didn’t realize there was anyone out here.”

  “Clearly.” He grinned. “I mean, the whole allure of this area is the seclusion, right?” His smooth words combined with the slightest hint of a drawl sent an unexpected ripple of desire south of her belly.

  “Right.” Maddie turned back to Bree, hoping to hide the heat that was rising in her cheeks. What was wrong with her? She never reacted this way to guys, let alone ones she’d just met. Perhaps the couple she’d witnessed making out had aroused her more than she’d realized.

  “She’ll be fine.” The man mistook Maddie’s withdrawal as concern about her stripping friend. “She has plenty of people looking out for her.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” But this stranger had the right idea. It was no good worrying about Bree when she got herself in these situations. Maddie knew from experience the best course of action was to just wait it out. Bree would summon when she could no longer handle herself.

  Maddie took a swig of her Corona and turned back to the piercing eyes. Despite the nearby striptease, his gaze was fixed directly on her. “She doesn’t seem to have captured your attention.”

  The man shrugged. “I prefer private shows.”

  An image of the kind of show Maddie could give him flashed through her mind. She quickly took another swallow of her beer, clearing her head of the inappropriate thoughts. Seriously, what had come over her?

  The stranger tilted his head, as if trying to interpret her silence. “You’re welcome to sit.”

  Her insides twisted at the thought of being close to him, wanting an accidental brush against his strong body. She dismissed her usual tendency to over-think and walked toward the stone seating. “You were looking to be alone—I wouldn’t want to
intrude.”

  “I was looking for seclusion, not necessarily to be alone.”

  His words possessed a teasing tone that made her shiver. She tensed as he looked her over, fully aware that he was checking her out. She’d been gifted with pretty brown eyes and nice features, and she took care of her figure, but she didn’t pay attention to whether or not she was attractive to men. This man seemed pleased, though, giving her a look that would usually turn her on her heels. She didn’t flirt with strangers—didn’t flirt much period—which was one of the reasons she avoided social gatherings such as this one.

  But this man compelled her, his body drawing her like a magnet. He was so incredibly attractive, and hell, didn’t she deserve a little fun on her graduation night?

  “I’ll take you up on the offer. To sit, I mean.”

  “Ah, I hadn’t offered anything else.” He let out a slow breath. “Yet.”

  Her heart raced at the implications as she sat beside him on the bench, closer than she imagined she’d ever dare. Her skirt rose as she crossed one long leg over the other and she fought the impulse to adjust it, feeling the intensity of his eyes on her thigh.

  She flushed again under his gaze and she needed to calm the fire kindling between her legs. Seeing he held a Coors Light, she lifted her bottle in a toast. “To privacy.”

  He smiled, his face lighting up as he did, causing another stir in Maddie’s nether parts. “To privacy.” He clinked her bottle then took a sip of his own. She watched as his mouth parted around the tip of the bottle and found herself imagining the feel of his full, firm lips, wondering what he’d taste like. Her tongue darted across her teeth at the thought.

  “Tell me,” he said, setting his bottle down on the ground next to him. “What’s a hot, I mean, attractive woman like you doing at a party like this if you’re looking to be alone?”

  Her heart raced at his shameless remark. “One could ask the same of you.”

  “Yes, they could. It’s the question on everyone’s mind. But I asked first.”