by Opal Carew
He sat on the edge of his desk facing her, his arms crossed over his chest.
Her heart hammered loudly and the muscles in her chest tightened painfully. Just what did he intend to do to her? She'd heard of officials in these small countries throwing people into prison for years because of some inadvertent transgression. She pictured herself stuck in a grimy jail cell, sharing scraps of food with rats.
"But I cannot bring myself to be so harsh with a woman." He watched her with those coal-black eyes.
She let out a sigh of relief. She'd never wanted to use her gender as an advantage, but right now, she had no such qualms.
"What …?" Her voice came out choked, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "What do you intend to do with me?"
He stared at her for a long moment and his gaze slipped past her chin to her chest. She raised her hand to toy with the top button of the robe, at least the top button that was still fastened.
A drop of perspiration glided slowly down her neck. Like a breath of fire grazing her skin, his gaze seared her as he followed the progress of the drop as it forged a path down her chest, then disappeared between her breasts. He lingered on the swell of flesh peeking from the deep neckline. He might as well have been caressing her breasts physically for the affect he was having on her. Her nipples pebbled, hardening and peaking against the thin fabric.
Awareness shimmered through her, of his overwhelming masculinity, and of just how vulnerable she was.
His gaze shifted to her face.
"To repay the debt of dishonor, you will serve me."
"What do you mean 'serve you'? "
"You will warm my bed. Tonight, and for as many nights as I see fit."
She blinked at him.
"I … beg your pardon?"
"You may well do, but I will not pardon you. You have wronged me and you will pay with the only currency you have as a woman. Your body."
Her stomach clenched painfully and her hands started to shake. Oh, God. This couldn't really be happening.
"You can't mean …"
His hot gaze told her otherwise.
"But that's barbaric." Yet the thought of this man dragging her into his arms, his mouth devouring hers, sent shivers of excitement through her.
"Insults will not better your position."
"How long do you intend to … keep me here?"
"When Dhiya returns, I will have answers. If you merely helped her, then I will consider your debt of dishonor repaid and I will let you go. If it turns out you were involved in kidnapping her, then your situation will change, for the worse."
"And if she doesn't return?"
His expression turned dangerous.
"You had better hope that she does," he growled.
She bolted to her feet, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"You don't seem to understand. I'm the victim here."
"Silence."
Obviously, he wasn't going to listen. Fear sliced through her, colliding with anger at the unfairness of it all. There had to be some way to straighten out this whole mess.
She glared at him.
"This is ridiculous. I have rights. I demand to see the Canadian ambassador at once," she said with as much authority as she could muster.
She stomped across the room toward the exit and flung open the door. Two very large, very scary looking guards turned and stared at her. Their expressions dared her to try and leave. She took one step forward and they tensed. She glanced at the long swords settled in scabbards at their waists. Of course, they wouldn't even need to unsheathe those things. All they'd have to do is pick her up bodily and put her where they wanted her.
"They won't let you leave unless I allow it."
She turned to face the man at the desk.
"And I will not allow you to leave my house, or my country, until you have paid your debt."
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat.
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Dirty Talk
Opal Carew
Opal Carew’s Dirty Talk series is a multiple-award winning poignant erotic romance about a woman struggling with her sexuality because of a devastating trauma from her past, and the strong, sensitive man who helps her find her way. If you love bad-assed alpha heroes with a strong, protective streak then you’ll love Dirty Talk!
Sonny has a debilitating fear of men. Tal is a scary looking tattooed bad-ass. Can Tal get Sonny past her fear and help her become whole?
Sonny longs to feel the intimate touch of a man. But she is haunted by a past trauma that leaves her terrified of being with a man. Even when she dreams of being in a man’s arms, the steamy sexual situation turns into a nightmare.
Sonny has found one way to cope. A stranger’s voice has been her salvation.
Tal wants a woman to love him. To have a real, long-lasting relationship. But most women are intimidated by his bad-ass appearance, with his tattoos, piercings, and broad, muscular frame.
Tal looks the way he does because of a past fraught with pain. The tattoos aren’t going anywhere, so he needs to find a woman who will accept him for who he is… and was.
When Tal sees Sonny, he senses in her a kindred spirit. The haunting pain in her eyes draws him, but he flinches every time fear flickers across her face when she sees him.
Can Tal find a way to break through Sonny’s barriers and start something that might heal them both?
Bonus
When you buy this book, you’ll also receive the companion erotic audio for this story. Be sure to listen to it alone--or with your lover—and be ready for your panties to melt right off!
Excerpt
Sonny sighed, enjoying the heat of the sunshine on her back. Warm and relaxing. Soothing her tension.
Last night had been difficult for her. To others, it seemed like she easily walked away from any man, totally unaffected. But the truth was, her date with Bryan had been hard on her. As much as she would never consider going out with him, it wasn’t really because she didn’t want to. She just… couldn’t.
Deep down inside, though, she longed for a loving relationship with a man. To meet someone, go out on a date. To build a loving connection.
To be touched by a man.
Oh, God, she wanted that so much. But she was too afraid.
Anytime her natural urges bubbled to the surface, like they had last night with Bryan, it wasn’t long before she started having dreams. Those dreams started off sweet and loving, then turned hot and steamy, searing her senses. Inevitably, however, they turned dark and terrifying and she’d wake up shaking, her whole body sweating.
If only she could just have nice, steamy sex dreams that helped her relieve her ache.
Her skin prickled and a heated awareness washed through her body, but it wasn’t from thoughts of having a nice sexual fantasy.
Someone was watching her.
She suddenly became very conscious of her situation. Wearing just a bikini. Her top undone.
Alone on the roof of the building.
She drew in a deep breath.
It was the middle of a sunny summer afternoon on a Thursday. Usually no one came up to the pool this time of day. Anyone who wanted to enjoy the warm afternoon and go in the water normally went to the beach a few blocks away.
But someone was definitely watching her and it must be from inside, because she would have heard the sliding glass doors open.
She sucked in a breath of air, calming herself. It had taken her a long time to build up her courage to make these outings to the pool and she wasn’t going to let herself slide back to the blinding fear. There were security cameras on the deck and she was in view of one right now. She always let Leandra know when she was going to sun herself on the deck, just with a casual message, as part of letting her know how her day was going.
If anything happened, it would be on the security film. Not that she’d let it get that far if she could help it. She wasn’t powerless. She had pepper spray in her bag,
her cell phone handy so she could quickly dial 911, and she’d taken self-defense classes.
She reached around and fastened her bikini top, then slowly sat up. Casually, she reached for her silky, black floral cover up and pulled it on, carefully not looking toward the windows. She wanted to be covered and feeling a little more settled when she faced the intruder.
Before she had a chance, though, the sliding doors opened. She glanced up to see a man step onto the deck.
She sighed in relief when she saw it was Steve from the tenth floor. They had mutual friends in the building and had gotten to know each other and become friends of sorts.
He was a really nice guy. And good looking, with his broad shoulders, well-defined torso, and dark blond hair swept back from his handsome face.
Steve glanced over his shoulder at the open door. It seemed he was waiting for someone to join him.
When his gaze swept outside again, he saw her for the first time.
His face beamed with his warm, friendly smile. “Hi, Sonny. Nice afternoon.”
“Yes, it is.”
She wouldn’t mind chatting with him. She’d found she was always pretty comfortable around Steve which was nice for a change, but she didn’t know how to give out an inviting vibe.
She pulled her bag closer, and routed through it, just for something to distract herself.
Then another man stepped outside.
She glanced up and her heart thumped to life.
The man was…breathtaking.
His body was big and powerful. His arms and chest bulged with muscles and he had tattoos covering his body. She couldn’t tell what they all were since they were so dense, but she did make out a thorny rose vine coiling along one arm and around his torso, tendrils even coiling up his neck.
His hair was dark brown, shaved close to his head, and his ear glinted with piercings.
He glanced at her and smiled. Immediately, she dropped her gaze to her bag and she started sorting through it again, as if looking for something.
They started to walk and she was afraid they’d come over, but instead they headed toward some chairs closer to the edge of the deck.
Oh, God, the man was so heart-stoppingly masculine. Her body tingled as her hormones sparked to life.
Which she didn’t understand. She should be afraid, but the sensation pulsing through her was pure, unadulterated lust.
Unnerved, she grabbed her book and suntan lotion and shoved them into her bag, then pushed her towel in, too. She slipped on her sandals and surged to her feet, then hurried to the door. As she slid it open, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that the big man was watching her, a frown on his face.
Did he think she was running away from him?
She didn’t want any man to think she was afraid of him—showing strength was important—but right now, the threat she faced was her own unbridled libido. She didn’t understand her reaction to him and that unsettled her so much she had to escape.
She closed the door behind her and hurried away.
* * *
Tal watched the woman practically run off, his stomach clenching. All he’d done was smile at her. He hadn’t said a word. Hadn’t made a move toward her. Yet she’d up and fled.
He would have liked to have talked to her. Gotten to know her a little. There was something about her.
She was a beautiful woman, with her long, blonde hair cascading in waves over her shoulders. A pretty face with kissable heart-shaped lips. And he’d caught more than a glimpse of her curvy body through the glass when she’d sat up to pull on her cover up.
But what attracted him was more than that.
There was an aura of vulnerability around her. And a sadness in her eyes.
He sensed a need in her to have someone or something more in her life.
Or maybe he was just reflecting his own feelings onto her.
It caused him real pain that she would take one look at him and run away, as if he were some kind of threat.
“She’s pretty, right?” Steve said.
“Yes, she is.” He glanced at his friend. “Are you interested in her?”
“Well, yeah, what man wouldn’t be? But I don’t think we’d work out. We’ve talked a few times—she’s friends with my friend Meghan—but we seem to be developing more of a casual rapport rather than a romantic relationship. If you want to pursue her, don’t worry about me.”
“I might if she didn’t seem so terrified of me.”
“Hey, if you’re interested, don’t give up on her too fast. I think she’s been through something. She has these haunted eyes, you know? But I’m sure she’s trying to work through it. She’d need someone who’s willing to be patient and slow.” He shrugged. “But I think she’d be worth it.”
Tal glanced at the door she’d escaped through.
“Yeah, I think maybe you’re right.”
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