Rough and Dirty

by Mina Carter

  He didn’t break her hold, just pushed gently until she gave in. Lifting his hands, he slid them into her hair, forcing her to look up at him.

  “You’ve always been mine, sweet stuff,” he whispered. “You just didn’t know it. But I knew it…the rest of the squad knew it.”

  The warmth around her heart increased, eating away at her determination to have nothing to do with him. It all sounded plausible. Except… “Hmmm, so how did they know then? You guys developed some kind of player to player ESP?”

  “I told them. Had to warn a fair few that you were my girl, and they didn’t go messin’. Not unless they wanted to deal with me.” He grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “On or off the pitch, they soon got the message. Apart from Callum. He had it for you bad.”

  “Oh my…” She blinked, her surprise melting away as she thought over several encounters with the younger player. He’d always seemed to hang around the treatment rooms, or wander around the changing rooms in just a towel…which “slipped” just as she’d walk by. She’d dismissed it as him being an extrovert at the time.

  “See?” He moved closer, nudging her thighs apart so he could lean between them. To her surprise, she let him. “So when he saw us leaving the bar…the rumours had already started before I arrived this morning.” Anger flashed across his face. “I didn’t have time to stop them before the damage was done.”

  She searched his face, trying to read between the lines, if there was any subtext there, but all her instincts told her that he was telling the truth. Damn. Just when she wanted…really wanted…to stay mad at him. For at least a little longer.

  The slight pause must have clued him in that she was weakening. He closed in, bending his head to brush his lips over hers. “Please, sweetheart. You have to believe me…I would never do anything to jeopardize us. Why would I, when all I’ve been able to think about for months is you?”

  She sighed against his lips, her slight nod the tiniest of movements. He groaned and wrapped her up in his arms to kiss her senseless. His lips molded to hers, tongue sweeping out to seek entrance. She didn’t deny him, her softer moan mixing with his when he slid into her mouth and stroked his tongue along hers.

  He hadn’t gossiped about them. Hadn’t cheapened their night together. She knew that now. She hadn’t wanted to think that he had, but the evidence of her own ears had been stacked against him. But now, with his lips on hers, his body touching hers, she knew, deep down, that he was telling the truth. Relief and something else rolled through her body. Made her limbs weak and ensured she leaned on him for strength. A strength he seemed happy to share, holding her close so that he could deepen the kiss.

  Remembering where they were, she broke away with a gasp. “Stop, we have to stop. I have another patient soon.” His guilty look made her pause. “What? Harry…what did you do?”

  His hands spread out over the back of her hips, and he pulled her closer, a sexy grin playing over his lips. “I may…have persuaded Kev to take on your treatment list today.”

  Her eyes widened, then widened some more as his fingers found the sliver of skin between her top and the waistband of her pants.

  “What…all of them?”

  “Yeah…all of them. We have the room to ourselves,” he breathed against her lips, and her heart rate ratcheted up a couple of notches. “Did I tell you one of my fantasies was to have sex on a therapist's couch?”

  She pulled away to look at him. Trying for sensible and serious was ruined by the quirk at the corner of her lips. “Really now?”

  He nodded, his expression solemn but with a wicked glint in his eyes. “Yeah. I think it’s the towels. Or perhaps the sexy therapist who always puts her hands on my legs. Why do you think I got cramps so often?”

  She blinked, and then laughed. The small sound of amusement rolled around the quiet room. “You mean you faked it to get in here with me?”

  He shrugged, lifting a hand to stroke his thumb over her cheek, down her jaw, and finally over her lips. She parted them instinctively, loving his touch.

  “Maybe. But I’m not faking now. I love you, Ashley. Forgive me?”

  Time froze. Her gaze locked with his as everything else fell away. Her heart leapt, her soul resonating, as she heard the words, the same ones that rang in her own heart. Was it too soon to say them? Was she getting carried away in the moment? Whatever. She didn’t care.

  “I love you too.” Her slow smile was met by one of his, and she slid her arms up around his neck.

  The kiss was soft, sweet, and sexy. Emotion made physical and expressed in each gentle brush of their lips and tongues until her heart felt as though it were over-flowing. He loved her. She loved him. Everything was perfect…

  Breaking away, she looked at him. “But…work—”

  “Shhh.” He cut her off with a finger against her lips, his voice low. “I already checked with John. As long as it doesn’t interfere with us working together, then it’s all good. If it does, he’ll just switch me to Kev instead.”

  Relief washed through her, and she nodded. “That won’t be necessary, we got this.”

  Reaching up, she brushed a kiss to his lips. “Now how about you tell me about this towel fetish you have…”

  * * *

  The End

  * * *

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  Also by Mina Carter

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  A hospital manager with a heart of gold. A soldier with a dark secret.

  Lillian's life is... dull. The highlights of her day, other than her skinny hot chocolate, are the hunky guards who work in the military wing. It's classified and way above her pay grade, but she can't help feeling sorry for the hollow-eyed men and women they shuffle past reception. Then a late night emergency is wheeled in, his abdomen shredded and covered in blood. They’re not an emergency room but she can’t turn him away and risk a death on her hands.

  Unable to get the handsome soldier out of her mind, Lillian sneaks into the restricted area and finds herself thrust into a world where nothing makes sense. A world where men aren't always men, the dead walk, and her handsome soldier is way more than he seems...

  Her scent calls to him. She's his. Now he has to keep her alive.

  Jack Harper was a soldier, a good one... then the Project decided to play god. Now he has permanent anger management issues and a monster living inside him. Used as a weapon, he's been waiting for a chance to strike back. But the Project are onto him.

  Ruled unstable, a kill order is passed down on Jack and his squad and they are transferred to St.Margarets. Play-things for the head docs until a bullet to the back of the head deals with them for good. But Jack isn't going down that easily, not when the delicate scent he'd been waiting for all his life wraps around him.

  The delicate human woman is his mate. And he'll fight anything the Project throws at him to save her.

  Monsters do exist…and they’re the good guys.

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  Hunted by the Dragon Duke

  Sexy, royal and one of the ferocious black dragons… he’s way out of her league.

  Orphaned and forced to live under the cruel eye of her stepmother, Saskia spends her days and most of her nights sewing gowns for rich dragonesses to wear to balls she will never see. When a chance encounter brings her into contact with the handsome Callan, Duke and cousin to the Queen, she thinks nothing of it. After all, what royal duke would want a woman with a broken, mad dragon?

  But when the otherworldly intervenes, Saskia gets her chance to go to the ball, and dance with the man of her dreams…

  Tiny, delicate and utterly beautiful… but where has he seen her before?

  A royal duke by birth, and a black, Callan’s life has been dictated since the moment he was born. Ordered by his cousin, the queen, to pick a bride at the ball or she’ll pick for him, he’s between a rock
and a hard place. Until he sees her. The tiny woman in the purple gown runs him a merry chase over the ballroom but one look and he’s determined. She will be his.

  And she is, for the briefest of moments before his duty intervenes and he has to return a wayward youth to his father before he gets himself into a lifetime of trouble. When he returns his delicate princess is gone, leaving behind a single shoe…

  Furious, Callan launches a hunt for his love…one that leads to a woman who is not who she pretends to be, a raid on a brothel and a fight with a troll. Can he persuade his delicate princess she’s not broken, but that she’s the perfect dragoness for him?

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  Blood Vow

  They killed her sister, so now she'll make them pay...

  Her sister slaughtered by rogue vampires, Maria wants blood. Rogue blood. Lots of it. In vampire society though, even halfbreeds like Maria are cosseted and protected . She must fool her family into thinking she's the perfect Kyn lady, fight like the demons her ancestors were, and somehow get rid of the annoying but sexy Kyn warrior who just won't leave her alone.

  He's the king, so why is he always taking orders from others?

  Furious at the Elder Council's demand that he find a wife, Marak takes to the streets to vent his anger on the rogue. He doesn't expect to find a sexy vampire hunter who has no idea who he is. Human, she can't be his, but she won't survive the streets without his help. He'll train her, get her ready to hunt, and do his best to keep his hands to himself.

  But when a rogue attack almost ends her life and Marak is forced to bring her over into his world, he discovers she's been keeping secrets just like he has...

  Can they see past the lies and betrayal to what really matters, or is their happily ever after, and the fate of the Royal line, doomed with their love?

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  Also by Mina Carter

  Perfect Mate

  A hospital manager with a heart of gold. A soldier with a dark secret.

  Lillian's life is... dull. The highlights of her day, other than her skinny hot chocolate, are the hunky guards who work in the military wing. It's classified and way above her pay grade, but she can't help feeling sorry for the hollow-eyed men and women they shuffle past reception. Then a late night emergency is wheeled in, his abdomen shredded and covered in blood. They’re not an emergency room but she can’t turn him away and risk a death on her hands.

  Unable to get the handsome soldier out of her mind, Lillian sneaks into the restricted area and finds herself thrust into a world where nothing makes sense. A world where men aren't always men, the dead walk, and her handsome soldier is way more than he seems...

  Her scent calls to him. She's his. Now he has to keep her alive.

  Jack Harper was a soldier, a good one... then the Project decided to play god. Now he has permanent anger management issues and a monster living inside him. Used as a weapon, he's been waiting for a chance to strike back. But the Project are onto him.

  Ruled unstable, a kill order is passed down on Jack and his squad and they are transferred to St.Margarets. Play-things for the head docs until a bullet to the back of the head deals with them for good. But Jack isn't going down that easily, not when the delicate scent he'd been waiting for all his life wraps around him.

  The delicate human woman is his mate. And he'll fight anything the Project throws at him to save her.

  Monsters do exist…and they’re the good guys.

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  http://mina-carter.com/books/perfect-mate/

  Hunted by the Dragon Duke

  Sexy, royal and one of the ferocious black dragons… he’s way out of her league.

  Orphaned and forced to live under the cruel eye of her stepmother, Saskia spends her days and most of her nights sewing gowns for rich dragonesses to wear to balls she will never see. When a chance encounter brings her into contact with the handsome Callan, Duke and cousin to the Queen, she thinks nothing of it. After all, what royal duke would want a woman with a broken, mad dragon?

  But when the otherworldly intervenes, Saskia gets her chance to go to the ball, and dance with the man of her dreams…

  Tiny, delicate and utterly beautiful… but where has he seen her before?

  A royal duke by birth, and a black, Callan’s life has been dictated since the moment he was born. Ordered by his cousin, the queen, to pick a bride at the ball or she’ll pick for him, he’s between a rock and a hard place. Until he sees her. The tiny woman in the purple gown runs him a merry chase over the ballroom but one look and he’s determined. She will be his.

  And she is, for the briefest of moments before his duty intervenes and he has to return a wayward youth to his father before he gets himself into a lifetime of trouble. When he returns his delicate princess is gone, leaving behind a single shoe…

  Furious, Callan launches a hunt for his love…one that leads to a woman who is not who she pretends to be, a raid on a brothel and a fight with a troll. Can he persuade his delicate princess she’s not broken, but that she’s the perfect dragoness for him?

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  http://mina-carter.com/books/hunted-by-the-dragon-duke/

  Blood Vow

  They killed her sister, so now she'll make them pay...

  Her sister slaughtered by rogue vampires, Maria wants blood. Rogue blood. Lots of it. In vampire society though, even halfbreeds like Maria are cosseted and protected . She must fool her family into thinking she's the perfect Kyn lady, fight like the demons her ancestors were, and somehow get rid of the annoying but sexy Kyn warrior who just won't leave her alone.

  He's the king, so why is he always taking orders from others?

  Furious at the Elder Council's demand that he find a wife, Marak takes to the streets to vent his anger on the rogue. He doesn't expect to find a sexy vampire hunter who has no idea who he is. Human, she can't be his, but she won't survive the streets without his help. He'll train her, get her ready to hunt, and do his best to keep his hands to himself.

  But when a rogue attack almost ends her life and Marak is forced to bring her over into his world, he discovers she's been keeping secrets just like he has...

  Can they see past the lies and betrayal to what really matters, or is their happily ever after, and the fate of the Royal line, doomed with their love?

  GET YOUR COPY NOW

  http://mina-carter.com/books/blood-vow/

  About the Author

  Mina Carter is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of romance in many genres. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and a bossy cat.

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