Stark Naked

by Desiree Holt

  Something that had been coiled so tightly inside her sprang free. Surely he wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if he meant to screw her over. Memories of Asshole Aaron were still biting at her but she drew in a breath and took a leap of faith. Laughing, she threw herself at him.

  “Yes.” She kissed his cheeks, his jaw, his forehead. “I say, yes, yes, yes. To everything. And I love you too.”

  He tumbled her to the bed with him and tugged her blouse free of her slacks. “I think one of us has on too many clothes for a proper celebration.”

  “Just one thing,” she warned.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I better be the only one who sees you stark naked from now on.”

  He was still laughing as he stripped off the rest if her clothing.

  About the Author

  Desiree Holt’s writing is flavored with the rich experiences of her life, including a long stretch in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy-metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her, many of whom might recognize themselves in the pages of her stories. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award for best BDSM book of the year, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by five different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

  You can find her at www.desireeholt.com and www.desireeholttellsall.com

  Falling for a hot guy is not in her plans. He’s got a different agenda.

  Bound and Determined

  © 2011 Anara Bella

  Nothing much ever happens in Forsythia Falls—except the only robbery anyone can remember, which leaves Asia Smith tied up in her grandmother’s antique shop. Just her luck, her rescuer turns out to be Marcus Thorne, the single most tempting morsel of male flesh she’s ever encountered. As he unties her knots, his touch sorely tests her resolve to avoid any involvement with the male species.

  A bestselling author, Marcus is used to women throwing themselves at him. Asia’s resistance to his charm is a whole new challenge, a temptation he has no intention of resisting. All he has to do is break down her defenses and get at the soft, willing woman he suspects is hiding inside.

  As chance—and her meddling grandmother—throw them together, Asia tries to remember why she shouldn’t just follow her friends’ advice to jump on Marcus and ride him until she can’t see straight. In one storm-swept night, she throws caution to the wild wind and savors pleasures she’d almost forgotten.

  Except some old hurts just won’t stay in the past. Marcus peels away her inhibitions with sizzling ease. But now comes the biggest challenge of all—winning her trust.

  Warning: This book contains a resistant damsel in distress, a sexy-as-hell hero who can cook, adventures with rope, great food, and oodles of red-hot sex.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Bound and Determined:

  The next time she was tied up, it would only be because it was her idea.

  Asia Llewellyn Smith squirmed around trying to find a more comfortable position, but no matter what she did it just wasn’t happening. She moved this way and that, contorted herself into every conceivable position until she felt like a pretzel, but nothing worked. With a frustrated groan, she gave up on the comfort thing and flopped back against the wall.

  What the hell should she do?

  Her gaze scanned the immediate vicinity but there wasn’t much to see. Trussed up like a pig ready for roasting on a spit, all she could do was take in what was directly in front of her—the backside of the cash register counter in her grandmother’s antique shop.

  Since she’d already checked it out thoroughly, she knew there wasn’t anything of use back here. Of course, that didn’t stop her from scouring the cubbyholes again, as if by sheer force of will something helpful would miraculously appear. But no, the slots still only held the usual paraphernalia needed for cashing out customers. It didn’t take a genius to know that neither blank receipts, paper, pens, nor ribbon were going to help her out of her current predicament. Not unless she could set fire to the paper with her nonexistent laser-beam vision and burn the ropes off her wrists. All without burning her hands to a crisp or setting the store on fire.

  Yeah, right.

  And to make matters worse, dust balls, lint and flakes of paper taunted her with their unwanted presence. Who knew it was this dirty in the back corners of these stupid cubbyholes?

  She made a mental note to give them a good cleaning first chance she got and refocused on looking for something that might help her escape these damned ropes. But nope. Nada. No way. Wasn’t happening.

  The only thing that might have helped was the pair of scissors lying just out of reach on the countertop. But since she couldn’t stand, they may as well have been in Timbuktu for all the good they did her up there.

  “Damn it.”

  In a sudden burst of complete exasperation, she wriggled and twisted her wrists and ankles with frenzied frustration until the pain from the ropes digging in was almost intolerable. With a final freaked-out flourish she gave up and threw herself back against the wall. If she ever got her hands on the creep who’d robbed the store and tied her up, he’d be sorry he’d ever stepped foot in the door.

  And damn it all to hell, the stupid ropes were still digging in, as tight now as they’d been the last time she’d tried to loosen them a couple of minutes ago. She ignored the tiny voice that said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different outcome. After all, it wasn’t crazy to try to get oneself free. It’d be crazy not to.

  She slumped as much as she was able to in her current awkward position and tried to use her brain instead of her nonexistent brawn. Think, girl. Think. Maybe if she screamed her head off, someone walking past the store would hear her this time. It was certainly worth a try.

  She took a deep breath, preparing to belt out the mother of all cries for help when the friendly tinkling of the bell over the front door of Astrid’s Antiques rang out.

  Thank God. The cavalry had arrived. “Hello! Is somebody there? I need some help over here!”

  There was a slight pause and then, “Hello? Where are you?”

  Oh no. Why’d it have to be him? Would nothing go her way today? She gritted her teeth as the deep, ultra-sexy voice tripped down her spine, zapping awake feelings she thought she’d conquered long ago. The fact that she wasn’t the least bit interested in feeling these kinds of feelings didn’t matter because there they were doing the fandango in her chest anyway.

  She clamped down on the unwanted sexual awareness with a firm determination only two years of relentless stomping could accomplish. One thing she knew for sure, men were definitely overrated. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.

  For a moment, she was tempted not to say anything back to her would-be savior just so she didn’t have to face him in her current predicament. Fleeting hope rose. Hell, he might even go away without looking for her.

  She pondered which was worse. Being hog-tied by a petty criminal or having this guy find her all trussed up? She closed her eyes and for a moment wished the earth would swallow her whole.

  And then she relented.

  Like it or not, being freed was more important than the humiliation of being caught in this totally stupid, embarrassing situation.

  It still took her two tries to get the words out. “Over here. Behind the cash register.”

  The sound of solid footsteps got closer until a handsome face, complete with square-cut jaw and electric-blue eyes peered over the top of the counter. “My God, what happened?”

  Oh, hell. Even in her current jam, the man’s sex appeal zapped her right between the eyes. Just li
ke it always did. The passage of time didn’t seem to lessen the impact either. No matter how many times she saw him. He was gorgeous beyond belief. In a rough-hewn, too-yummy-for-words sort of way that looked just as good in a suit as it did in well-worn jeans.

  If you liked that kind of look, that is. Which she most assuredly did not. At all. Nuh-uh, not her.

  She stomped on the lone dissident voice manifesting itself as a flicker of lust in her belly. Who needed men anyway?

  Annoyed she’d had to snuff lustful thoughts out of her head in the first place, she snapped back to attention and stiffened her spine. Metaphorically speaking that is, since she couldn’t move much so her literal spine was going to have to stay all wonky for the time being. “What do you think happened? I was robbed.”

  Whoa, that came out snarky. Marcus Thorne sure did have a tendency to bring out her bitchy side. Actually, all gorgeous men had that effect on her at the best of times and this wasn’t even close to the best of times for her. But Marcus got under her skin more than any other guy ever had. He put her on red alert with a vengeance every time she saw him. Yep, Mr. Hunkorama was the last person she wanted to see. Ever. And her current vulnerable state only served to make her bad mood worse.

  This was turning out to be one hell of a day. Starting with the coffee she’d spilled all over her morning paper right up to being robbed at gunpoint and trussed up like a calf ready for branding.

  And as if all of that weren’t enough, her nose itched.

  Not just a little bit mind you, but enough to make her eyes water. And no way in hell was she asking him to scratch it. She’d let her nose fall off first.

  She sighed. Yep, one hell of a day. She was uncomfortable, embarrassed and just plain mad as a stepped-on hornet. Way beyond trying to be nice to anyone. Even someone who was going to save her ass.

  Not when the would-be hero turned out to be the one man who was a chink in her armor. The single most tempting morsel of male flesh she’d ever encountered in her entire life. Bar none. To say she resented the effect he had on her with all her being was putting it mildly.

  Hunky Boy hurried around the counter and knelt beside her. He either didn’t notice her caustic tone or chose to ignore it.

  Everything is just right…until she turns his life upside down.

  Jared

  © 2011 Cat Johnson

  Red, Hot & Blue, Book 4

  It doesn’t take anything fancy to make Jared Gordon a happy man. A slice of his mama’s pie, a pretty girl, a well-bred horse. Life on the farm is just how he likes it. Simple. Until a big-city girl blows into town like a tornado hitting a trailer park.

  Quintessentially small-town Pigeon Hollow has everything L.A. producer Mandy Morris needs for her new reality show. A smoldering deputy sheriff, a quirky diner owner and a horse farm complete with a hunky horseman. If her own instant attraction is any indication, Jared will have the female demographic glued to their sets.

  Except the red-hot cowboy is cool to the idea of cameras in his face. And the harder she negotiates, the deeper he digs in…until their head-butting strikes sparks that fan a prairie fire of unexpected passion. She doesn’t usually mix business with pleasure, but as Pigeon Hollow’s charm works its magic, the youngest Gordon brother has Mandy rethinking many things.

  Like happiness doesn’t have to end with the word “cut”.

  Warning: Contains one hot shirtless cowboy taking a city girl for a roll in the hay…and a few other places.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Jared:

  The babe in front of him was looking mighty warm in that jacket. He started to sweat in sympathy. She blew out a breath and ran a hand along the back of her neck and under her shoulder-length hair. Then she took the jacket off.

  That was enough to make a man stand up and take notice. Now she looked downright hot, enough to make Jared sweat for real and not from the air temperature.

  Under that jacket, she was wearing nothing but a tight, low-cut, sleeveless top. Much better than the jacket, he decided, forcing his eyes up from her breasts and back to her face.

  “We’ve got satellite television with all the channels, but I can tell you that a pretty stranger is much more entertaining.” He treated her to his most charming smile but it didn’t seem to work like it usually did on most women.

  “I need to speak with the owner. Do you think you could stop whatever you are doing—” she looked around pointedly as if to let him know she didn’t think he was doing much of anything before she continued, “—and go and get her for me?”

  What she’d said captured Jared’s attention even more than her sexy tank top had. He raised a brow. “Her? What makes you think the owner is a she?”

  She let out an annoyed sounding sigh. “I do my research. I know this farm is registered with the small business bureau as being a woman-owned business.”

  The question of why she was researching them remained unanswered. He was about to interrogate her further when the woman owner in question, his mama, stuck her head out of the kitchen door.

  “Jared, honey. The computer crashed again. When you come in for lunch maybe you can figure out why that keeps happening.”

  The pretty stranger glanced from his mother standing in the door of the house and then back to Jared. The look she shot him was full of suggestion. “Is that the owner?”

  “Yup.” He started walking toward the kitchen, resigned to the fact that this nosy but hot female was bound to follow.

  As anticipated, she practically jogged to keep up with him. “Are you and she…ah, you know? A couple?”

  He stopped dead and turned in horror. “No.”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay if you are, I’m just wondering.”

  Jared shot her another unhappy glance and then scowled all the way to the back door at her lewd suggestion.

  Okay, maybe if he took a moment to re-evaluate his mother the way a stranger might see her he wasn’t so shocked. Mama had been really, really young when she got married and started having babies. She’d just turned fifty, but she took good care of herself.

  Dressed in cut-off jeans and flip-flops the way she was today, she looked easily in her early forties. Jared was in his late twenties. He knew there were some actresses in Hollywood who dated guys as much as twenty years younger, but still, this was his mother.

  Jared shook his head. This woman came from a totally different world than he did. A world he could barely comprehend. Given that, he’d have to try not to judge her too harshly, particularly since he had kept his real identity from her. He also resolved to find out her damn name so he could stop thinking of her as this woman because he had a feeling he’d be thinking a lot about her.

  Holding the screen door open for her, Jared waited for her to walk through first. Hell, he had been raised right. He knew how to act around a lady, even if she was likely some sort of salesman, uh, salesperson. He would have introduced her to his mama too, but again he didn’t know the woman’s name. Luckily, she was one of those assertive business-like types and stepped right up without waiting for him. “Ms. Lois Gordon?”

  His mama nodded.

  “I’m Mandy Morris.” She smiled and stuck out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine. Jared never brings his girls home to meet me.” His mama smiled wide and shook her hand.

  Mandy—cute name—glanced at him briefly and then turned back to his mother. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gordon. I think you’ve gotten the wrong impression. I’m not one of Jared’s girls. I’m actually here to see you. I have a business proposition for you. If you have some time now, I’d love to discuss it with you privately.”

  Jared noticed she said the last word very pointedly, as if to let him know he was not welcome to participate in the discussion about whatever this business proposal was. He looked her over again, all decked in her city clothes. No way was she here to make an offer to buy the farm, or even a horse. She was probably trying to sell them ad space in the local yel
low pages or something.

  “Ms. Morris, I may be the owner on record for Gordon Equine, but my son runs the farm. All I do nowadays is handle the paperwork and the accounting and crash the computer.” Mama smiled and indicated the computer, phone and stack of papers on a desk set up in the corner of the kitchen.

  She insisted on working in the kitchen rather than making one of the many other rooms into an office. Mama said it was because she usually was cooking or baking something at the same time she was working on the books. Multi-tasking, isn’t that what women called it?

  Personally Jared preferred doing one thing at a time. Though glancing at Mandy again, he decided he could definitely get into doing some multi-tasking when it came to her.

  “Your son?” Mandy looked understandably surprised at what Mama had just revealed. She also didn’t appear happy. She shot him quite a nasty look.

  Now he was in for it.

  Stark Naked

  Desiree Holt

  Naked is nice. But Stark naked is definitely more fun…

  Reenie Davenport learned the hard way that men are cheating, promotion-thieving poison. A month after making a fresh start in Texas, she looks forward to taking a breather at her old college friend Amy’s family ranch. Instead, she’s left breathless when Amy’s very drunk, very sexy, very naked brother lands at her feet. Even as she hardens her heart, a small part of her wishes that quickly tossed towel would shift…just a little.