by Koko Brown
Alison, who’d been hiding behind her hand, laughed. Her face glistened with tears, but she had never been more beautiful.
“Marry me?” I asked.
All of us, the crowds of fans and the camera guys and the reporters and my co-stars and even little Brianna, we all held our breaths together.
Finally, finally, this amazing woman nodded her head and cried, “Yes! Of course!”
I leaped up, scooped her into my arms, and spun her around until we were dizzy and laughing. The kiss that followed? The most explosive, sensual, intense kiss of my life. The first kiss from the future Mrs. Jack Steele. The last kiss from Alison Coleman Who Dates Jack Steele. The start of our future.
Forget all the lights and cameras. We were the brightest things in the room.
ABOUT CAITLIN DARE
Caitlin Daire writes about sexy men and the smart, curvy women who love them. She has found her own happily-ever-after ending with her husband and two kids!
Author contact:
[email protected]
OTHER TITLES BY CAITLIN DARE
Titles on Amazon
Wrong (Hollywood Bad Boys)
Tease (A Stepbrother Romance)
Playboy (A Stepbrother Romance)
Touchdown Baby (A Secret Baby Sports Romance)
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
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DANGEROUSLY THEIRS
A.M. GRIFFIN
Loving Dangerously, Book 3.5
She thinks she can outsmart the law, but can she outrun the bounty hunters who want to claim more than the reward for her capture?
Tina Blake has two priorities; escape from a sadistic mate and find her twin brother JB. She does escape Luxo, but she while having so much fun with her new found freedom she forgot to look for her brother until it’s too late. Luxo wants her back and he has put two of the best bounty hunters on her trail.
Dallas and Grekon have one objective, take the high paying jobs that will help them earn the much needed credits for Grekon’s surgery. They normally don’t take the human jobs, but there’s no way they could pass up on the credits being offered for Tina Blake’s re-capture. Soon they’ll remember why they had avoided the human jobs. They both have a hard time resisting the woman who they’re tasked to turn over to a sadistic mate.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to all of my loyal readers who love this world just as much as I do.
DEDICATION
To my biggest supporters, my mother, my husband Ryan and children; Jori B., Myles and Mia Loren, I love you all. And a big thank you to my ace and road dog, my little sister, Thella.
ONE
TAKEN: YEAR 2.5
A familiar tickle spread on the back of her neck.
I’m being watched.
She’d been on the run for far too long to ignore that feeling. Like a beacon she scanned over the crowd, ignoring the dancers who paid no attention to her, until finally she homed in on her admirer. A humanoid alien standing by the exit.
The only exit.
Tina knew what the alien’s profession was immediately after laying eyes on him.
Bounty hunter.
While almost everyone else in the club, including herself, danced in time to the rhythmic beat that thumped through the mega speakers, her admirer stood soldier straight and had eyes just for her. There were a few reasons why she would stand out in a crowd; she was human, not a species Tolanis was known for, and the outfit she’d chosen for the evening almost demanded that everyone give her a second glance. But this admirer hadn’t come to one of the hottest clubs on this planet for dancing and companionship. He had come for her. She felt it.
She casually looked away, seemingly unaware of his presence or his interest and focused on her dance partner. Tall with a thick build, Lars was reptilian but his species appeared part humanoid. Instead of skin he had luminescent green and purple scales lining his muscular body. He wrapped his arm around her bare waist and pulled her close. With the air in the club hot and thick with humidity, she welcomed the coolness emitting from him.
Lars scraped his talons lightly across her back and despite being on edge, sensual tingles ran down her spine.
“You know what that does to me,” she purred.
“Are you coming back to my place?” He had a flat and wide tongue that, even with the universal translator implanted in her head, made his speech sound different and foreign on her ears. But his speech didn’t concern her much, when she was alone with Lars there usually wasn’t a lot of talking involved.
“I would love to, but I have to take a rain check.”
Normally she would’ve grabbed Lars by his talons and led him out the front door and back to his apartment for a night of wild and kinky sex. But the bounty hunter would snatch her up as soon as she got within his reach.
Lars looked down at her with his diamond shaped eyes. “We can easily check to see if it’s raining outside.”
He lifted his wrist to tap his communication link, but she stopped him. “No need. It’s an old Earth saying. It means I can’t go with you tonight.”
He frowned and used a finger to lift the flimsy material tied around his waist and peered down. Tina followed his line of sight and her eyes locked on his hard on.
She moaned.
When she’d first met Lars she’d almost passed on hooking up with him. Reptilians had not been good to her. Those scaly motherfuckers had taken her from Earth and she was on the run from one who thought she was his wife. She’d vowed not to deal with reptilians ever again. But luckily for her, Lars had been one of the good guys. Plus, he didn’t have scales where it mattered the most, the hard dick she currently stared at.
That fucking bounty hunter was costing her a good lay. She clucked her tongue. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else here to take care of that for you.”
Lars glanced around the room. She knew what he saw, bodies pressed together, everyone welcoming the mainly skin to skin contact of their dance partners. Most of the partygoers preferred the brightly colored ribbons tied around either their midsections or their breasts, few wore full outfits. Many wouldn’t go home alone. Lars wouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to take care of his growing issue. As soon as she left his side another female—or male, would take her place.
“But I prefer you,” Lars whined.
Tina glanced sideways at the door again. The hunter kept a watchful eye on her.
Shit. She’d wanted to believe that she’d been wrong about this and the guy wasn’t who she thought he was. But there was no point in indulging that theory any longer.
Her stomach clenched into a knot. Bile rose to the back of her throat. The air became heavier, hotter.
Pull it together.
She plastered a fake smile on her face and tried not to let panic consume her. “How about we dance for a little while longer, hm?”
That seemed to appease Lars. He dipped to grind against her. No matter what, she didn’t want to tip the hunter off that she knew he was watching.
Everything about the hunter screamed off-worlder. While everyone else dressed in their finest “fuck me” outfit, he wore a black skinsuit that covered him from neck to ankles, topped off with boots. To put it mildly, he stood out. Hell, even the bouncers seemed more relaxed than him.
She’d never seen his species before and that was saying a lot considering Tolanis was a melting pot; all species were welcomed and many traveled through at some point or another. The hunter was tall, probably six-feet-seven or so. His skin was dark gold and under the multi-colored lights that pulsated in time with the music, it seemed to shimmer. His hair was white and in thick dreaded braids that hung down to his waist. He wasn’t thin, but he wasn’t a big guy either. He looked like the type of man who got the job—any job—done. The blasters hanging from the belt on his waist warned eve
ryone around him that he was all about business.
A waitress maneuvered by, making her way through the crowd, holding a tray of brightly colored drinks. When she passed by the door, she paused and offered the hunter his pick. Without taking his eyes away from Tina he declined.
She wanted to throw up all over Lars. Yup. He’s definitely here to get me.
And after she’d finally found a planet where she felt safe. Tolanis wasn’t Earth, but at least no one was trying to enslave her, make her a brothel whore, or force her into matrimony. She had recaptured some semblance of a normal life since being taking from Earth. During the day she dressed in fine clothes and jewelry and sat around, pretending to be interested in one of the old fogies who liked to flaunt pretty women. She was eye candy and he paid her well to act the part. And right after dinner, her employer was usually tucked securely into bed and snoring, leaving her evenings free to do with as she pleased and she’d chosen to live it to the fullest, dancing the night away.
Until now.
She had to shake this hunter, leave Tolanis, and start over. Again.
Damn. She hated freakin’ bounty hunters. The lot of them.
Tina took a deep breath, trying to steady her erratic breathing and concentrate on getting herself out of her current predicament. The bounty hunter got a make on her that was pretty obvious. But why hadn’t he claimed her yet? If he had credentials, no one would stop him from snatching her up—a criminal—and dragging her out of the club. Was the hunter legit? If he wasn’t, that would be the only reason for him not capturing her where she stood. If he didn’t have proper credentials, the bouncers wouldn’t let him take her anywhere.
She glanced quickly at him again.
Everything about him screamed that he was on the level.
He most likely hadn’t wanted to create a scene and was waiting for her to exit to catch her.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
I can still get away.
I just have to get past him without him noticing me.
She inwardly groaned. How the hell was she going to do that when he wouldn’t take his eyes off of her?
I’ll figure it out. She nodded to herself.
She always found a way to slip away from the hunters that Luxo sent for her. The one at the door was hunter number four.
Stay cool.
Tina snapped her fingers and twirled her hips. Another alien came at her back and ground his cock on her butt. Too bad she couldn’t take him or Lars up on their offers. While seemingly enthralled with the dance she kept the hunter in her peripheral vision.
She touched Lars’s torso and let her fingers play in the beads of sweat that traveled from his scaly neck. Lars smiled down at her with a promise of sex, hoping that she’d changed her mind. With large pointy teeth and hard features, he looked like a badass, but he was really a lover, not a fighter.
The hunter took a step away from the door and her heart practically leapt from her chest.
He’s about to make his move.
“I’m gonna have to cut this night short, guys.”
“But I have plans for you,” Lars cooed.
The other at her back leaned in to whisper, “We have plans for you.”
Tina moaned. She would’ve loved to go a few rounds with them both, but she doubted the hunter would let her have her fun and escape too.
She dipped under Lars’s arm at his protest. “Next time.” Sadly, she wouldn’t see either of them again. Her escape plan included being on the next galactic transporter off Tolanis.
She danced her way through the crowd, seeming not to have a care in the world. If she panicked, the hunter would be on her. Her mind raced with her options. Normally she would’ve escaped out the back, but this particular club didn’t have two exits. Why the hell not? She hadn’t a clue. Why of all nights did she have to get caught here? She mentally kicked herself. She hadn’t seen a hunter in months and she’d let her guard down.
She definitely couldn’t fight her way out. He had blasters and she had zero. What she needed was someone to help her get out.
As the threat of capture and going back to that sadistic bastard made sweat drip from her head down to her eyes she continued to dance, keeping in time to the music, some funky beat that this particular club was known for. She maneuvered around the other dancers, slipping past them, flirting, and even doing a few moves as she did.
When she finally broke free of the crowd, she had only a second to put the next piece of her plan into action. There were three empty seats at the bar; one was next to a Uurosolian female. But that seat had a wall on the opposite side of it. She quickly discarded the idea of sitting next to her. No one willingly wanted to be stuck between a Uurosolian and a wall. Uurosolians were cruel creatures. The males were dangerous. The females were deadly.
The other empty seat was next to a couple locked in an embrace. The couple wouldn’t be of any help. On the other side of them was a male too small for what she needed done.
She looked at the last empty chair. Bingo.
Someone else was making their way to the seat. She walked faster. Just as the oversized alien was about to sit, she trotted the last few steps and slid into the chair. The alien sat on her leg.
“Hey, watch out,” she yelled.
The alien looked down at her. Its too small yellow eyes held an air of confusion.
Tina lifted a shoulder. “I got here first.”
The alien turned and lumbered off with a huff.
“I don’t know if I should thank you for saving me from having to sit next to a Slinorium or angry that you made me spill my drink all over my shirt.”
Tina turned to the speaker, her mark. A human, and from his North American accent she immediately pegged him as African-American. He was nicely built, leather jacket and pants over well-defined muscles, and from the bulge on his side, he most likely carried a blaster. She smiled to herself. He would do nicely for what she had planned.
She tapped the bar and when the bartender turned her way she said, “Refill my friend’s drink. Take it from my account.” The old fogy she worked for gave her an allowance and her very own credit account. As long as she kept him happy, he kept her happy. It was a win-win situation. Well, it had been at least.
The bartender gave her a nod and the guy lifted a brow. “Oh, so bumping into me makes us friends now? I should get assaulted by pretty women more often.” He chuckled and deep dimples displayed in his cheeks. He began dabbing his jacket with a paper towel, cleaning his spilled drink from the leather.
Cute. She scooted closer to him, narrowing the gap between them. Her new friend didn’t seem to mind the contact. “I hope we can be friends. It’s not often that I run into other humans.”
She wasn’t lying about that. Since being taken from Earth five years ago she’d been sold to the highest bidder, a fate that she’d learned many humans had also faced. The Loconuist had scattered billions of humans throughout the Universe. Humans were now in the minority. This guy was the first she’d seen since coming to Tolanis.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
The bartender set a blue, frothy drink in front of him that he thanked her for. “Dallas. Formerly Dallas Eckles. But I just go by Dallas now.”
“Oh, one name. Like Prince.”
He laughed. “Something like that.” He took a drink. “What’s your name?”
“Cindy Smith.”
He extended a hand which she shook. “Nice to meet you, Cindy Smith.”
She’d been a Melissa, a Roberta, and a Missy. The lie rolled off her tongue easily. This guy really didn’t care what her name was. Hell, she could’ve given him her real one if she’d wanted to. He wasn’t a hunter; that wasn’t a profession for humans.
“Um, so what are you doing on Tolanis?”
“Came for work. What about you?”
She blew out a breath. “Needed a change of scenery.”
Speaking about scenery…
She adjusted in her seat so that she could
see the door. Still there.
“Is that right?”
“Yup.” As much as she would’ve enjoyed shooting the breeze with this guy she had other pressing matters to attend to. She loosened the tie that held her hair in the bun, letting it spill in wet waves past her shoulders. “Mm, that feels good.” She closed her eyes briefly and used her hands to fluff up the matted mess. “Sometimes it feels good to let loose and unwind. You know what I’m saying?”
Dallas took another sip of his drink. His eyes roamed up and down her body and she did her best to give him an eyeful. She stretched and arched her back and poked out her breasts, willing her nipples to harden under the flimsy ribbon that bound them. When his gaze traveled from her stomach down to her legs she parted them slightly. If she moved another inch and leaned to the side, one of her butt cheeks would pop from the hot pink booty shorts she wore.
Dallas cleared his throat. “Yeah, I know exactly what you’re saying.”
She turned a little to the side and out went her butt cheek. A male was a male, it didn’t matter the species, and she wanted to make sure that this one really understood the signals she threw at him. “Do you?” she asked in a sultry voice.
“Hell yeah.”
Good.
She pressed her leg against his and leaned against his chest. “Do you have someplace we can go to reminisce about Earth?” She licked his earlobe then brought it between her lips and sucked.
Dallas inhaled sharply.
“You do want to reminisce with me, don’t you?” she pouted.
“I sure do,” he said in a heavy voice.
Tina rubbed her hands along his muscular thighs, massaging them. “I have one teeny-weeny problem before I can leave with you.” She raked her nails down his legs. “Do you see that guy standing by the door? Skinsuit, dreads, looks like he’d rather be anywhere else besides here?”
