once tore them apart, and determined to protect Steve from the truth, she fights their rekindled
relationship every step of the way.
Now the fragile bond they’ve developed hangs in the balance, threatened by a reality that love may not be
strong enough to overcome…
Warning: This book might just make you cry, but it’ll make you smile as well. The story will probably get
you all hot and bothered too. It contains naughty activities in the car, sex on the kitchen counter (and up against the wall), a quickie in the garden, a little experimenting with scarves—oh, and some hot loving in
the bedroom.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Steve’s Story:
With the door securely locked behind her, she collapsed against the wall, panting.
Oh God. Her heart hammered against her chest and her hands shook, her body desperately craving a fix.
Steve infuriated her. He drove her nuts. He was the most stubborn, obnoxious, presumptuous man ever,
and yet she still hungered for his body and his touch. Like an addict. She clenched her fists and howled in
frustration—then nearly jumped out of her skin as the securely locked door opened beside her.
She stared in horror as Steve stepped inside. “How…?”
“Key,” he offered helpfully and held it up to show her. “The receptionist gave me an extra one when you
checked in. You didn’t notice?”
“What…?” Shit, what was he doing here?
“Weren’t you listening?” He set the key on the table and stepped closer, trapping her against the wall. “I
told you in the car. When we get back to your apartment, I’m going to kiss you.”
“You can’t.” Could he?
“Oh, but I can.” He pressed his hands against the wall on either side of her head and dipped his face
towards hers. “And I will.”
And he did. His lips claimed hers. In seconds, he was devouring her. Enticing her. Exciting her.
Penelope reacted on instinct, in the same way any fuming woman in her situation would. She lifted her
rage-filled arms and threw them around his neck, kissing him right back. Ravenously. It didn’t matter
how hard she’d rallied against him in the car or how much she’d refused to take his verbal seduction
seriously. The instant he touched her, any idea of resistance melted away.
When he did as he’d promised and ripped off her shirt, Pen didn’t flinch. On the contrary, she yanked off
her bra and pushed his head down to her aching, swollen breasts. As his lips touched her burning skin she
couldn’t suppress the moan that burst from her throat. He suckled her tight nipples, his predatory mouth
lighting fires all over her body.
The five o’clock shadow on his chin grazed her sensitive flesh, the light burn triggering a sweet, urgent
ache. “Steve,” she gasped, “please…”
He raised his head from her breast, stared at her through midnight blue eyes. Eyes darkened by desire.
“Please what?”
“Please.” She couldn’t talk. Couldn’t think.
“Tell me, Pen.” He nibbled her lower lip. “Are you wearing panties?” His hands covered her breasts,
kneading them.
“Oh.” Her head fell back.
“Are you?” Fingers pinched lightly at the taut nipples, the erotic pain shooting through her in tiny bullets
of pleasure.
“Yes,” she managed to whisper.
He sucked gently on her lip, running his tongue along the inside. “Do you want to be wearing panties?”
“No.” That wasn’t a whisper. It was a heartfelt plea. She didn’t want to be wearing anything. She wanted
to be naked. With Steve.
She’d barely drawn breath when she found herself in his arms as he carried her to the bed. Her mouth was
on his neck, feeding on the salty skin of his jaw line. Her hands were in his hair and her breasts were
pressed against the steely muscle of his chest.
Pen was a fool and she knew it. She was weak and in need of a hit and could not resist what Steve
offered. While in theory she’d told herself repeatedly she would not make love to him again, in practice it
was a whole other story. A whole other story of sleek, rugged sinew, of hard male muscle and of sensual,
sexy man.
He set her down on the mattress and tugged his T-shirt off. As his washboard abs came into view, Pen
wanted more. She wanted to see all of him. When, still standing, he leaned over to kiss her, her hands
went to his waist and fought with the buttons on his jeans. The task was tough—his tongue did crazy
things to her, scattering her concentration, but the end result was worth it. She freed his erection from the
tight confines of his pants and held it in her hands as he groaned.