by Lee, Taylor
Lexie’s heart leapt. Work with him? The thought was exciting—and scary. As if he’d heard her thoughts, Jake nodded.
“Yeah, baby. Work together. On the same team. Not always on the same case. But take Young-soo. He’s still out there, running his evil empire. With both of us after him—not to mention Peter and Brady and Dan—working together, not at cross purposes, the fucker doesn’t stand a chance.”
Lexie allowed herself to consider the possibility of being part of the team, something she’d always resisted. She’d told Jake repeatedly that she worked alone. Unlike him, she wasn’t a team player. She wanted to run her own show. But thinking about the horrific events of last night, she had to admit that her own show wasn’t good enough. Not with the kind of adversaries they were fighting. Seeing Jake quietly letting her consider the possibility, she thought for one heady moment how much they could do if they were fighting the bad guys, not each other.
He stroked her cheek.
“Damn, look at you, Lexie. You have the whole city eating out of your hand. You’re their hero! They love your beauty and your spirit almost as much as I do. You’re the Blonde Barracuda. A wildly independent, smart crusader willing to take on the world. And as challenging as that is sometimes for an arrogant, over-protective asshole like me, it makes for a hell of a ride.”
His voice was somber.
“But Lexie, you have to learn to trust me. Trust that I’m not going cramp your style, steal your independence. Yeah, I’m a controlling son of a bitch. I’m used to giving orders. But I’ve learned that doesn’t work with you.
“I gotta let you fly. To do all the outrageous things you want and need to do.” The lines around his eyes crinkled as he added with mock seriousness, “With one condition. I get to approve your outfits.”
She felt her cheeks flush, embarrassed at the memory of the risqué outfit she’d worn last night. Remembering how he’d ripped it off of her sent a wave of tingling sensations tripping over her. The twinkle in his eyes confirmed he knew why she was blushing and agreed.
His voice dropped to a husky drawl. “Except, of course, when I’m making love to you. Then, I’m in charge. But you love that as much as I do, don’t you, baby?”
Jake’s eyes narrowed and his expression grew serious. “Lexie, we’ve both chosen to live dangerous lives. Last night we could have been killed. But that’s the choice we made. We’re determined to take down some very dangerous men and women. And they’re just as determined to stop us. It takes courage to do what we do. And maybe some recklessness.”
Jake pulled her closer to him. “As hard as it is, Lexie, we have to be willing to love each other, all the time knowing that something horrible might happen to one of us. That takes courage. But damn, Lexie, when it comes to putting yourself in danger, you’re the most courageous person I know. Now you have to be courageous enough to put your heart in danger.”
Lexie closed her eyes and allowed what he said to sink in. It was true. He was right. Every day she put herself in danger, determined to help women who weren’t as strong as she was. But Jake was asking her to be even stronger. No, he was challenging her. When she opened her eyes, Jake was smiling at her.
“What do you say, Lexie? Are you up to it? Gutsy enough to hook up with a guy who’s got the hots for you and won’t let you push him around like you do everyone else?”
She shook her head, a rush of emotion flooding her. As if she would ever give up this glorious man, no matter how challenging he was. But she couldn’t concede the point that easily. She tossed her head as if she hadn’t made up her mind.
“I don’t know, Jake. You promise you’ll marry me, even if I misbehave?”
He grinned, “Yeah, Lexie, I promise. Especially now that I have your permission to paddle your perky ass whenever you misbehave.”
Lexie flushed, remembering her fierce climax when he turned her over his knee and spanked her. She glared at him. “Just because it was… interesting, doesn’t mean I give you permission to whale on me whenever you feel like it!”
He gave her a salacious wink. “Oh no, baby, we’ll keep that for very special occasions.”
Lexie groaned. God, she was so over-her-head with him. Just that sexy glint in his eyes, and her insides streaked to attention. She nestled against his shoulder inhaling his intoxicating odor. He smelled spicy, like the tall Ponderosa Pines along the cliff, but even better. He smelled like a strong sexy man.
“Jake?”
“Yeah, Darlin’?”
“You know all those women you screwed?”
He groaned. “Oh damn, I should have known that was gonna come up.”
She laughed then bit down on her lip. “No, I have a different question.”
“Damn, honey. Do you have to do that?”
“What?”
“Bite on your lip like that? Just seeing that tongue of yours licking those sexy lips brings back some very erotic memories.” He quirked a brow and placed her hand over his willful cock. “See what I mean?”
She ran her finger along the length of his iron-hard arousal, delighting when it leapt at her touch. She hesitated and then persisted. “Those other women? Did you ever… ever… take them… on your bike?”
Jake frowned, then his eyes flared with understanding. His low sexy chuckle made her clench her legs together, which made him hoot with laughter.
He chucked her under her chin. “I’d be lying Darlin’ if I said I didn’t consider it. Hell, how hot is that? A racy woman and the sexiest goddamn bike….”
He shook his head. “But ultimately I decided I liked my bike better than I liked them.”
A flash of amusement flickered in his eyes. “Until now, that is.”
Grabbing the blanket, he folded it and laid it on the Ultra Glide handlebars. He scooped her up in his arms. “Here, Darlin’, this is a pillow for your head. The padded seat will work just fine for your ass.”
He stretched her out across the bike, then reached inside one of the saddle bags and pulled out their handcuffs. His voice was low, husky.
“Baby, I know those assholes tied you up, and I’ll understand if this is too much.”
Lexie squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the electricity zinging across her sensitized nerves, but couldn’t stop the soft moan that escaped her lips.
His chuckle was closer to a growl. “Hmm. Then again, maybe not?”
Twirling the handcuffs on one finger, he chortled, “Well then, Darlin’, we better put these on. This promises to be a wild ride. Wouldn’t want you to fall off.”
Her heart raced with excitement as he cuffed one wrist then the other, stretching her hands above her head and around the handlebars.
Jake gazed down at her, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Only problem is, I have no bedposts to tie your legs to.”
He grinned at her, the sexy grin that made her stomach clench.
“Guess I’ll just have to put them up over my shoulders. Will that work for you, Darlin’?”
Somehow Lexie sucked in enough air to answer him.
“Yes, Jake, that will work.”
“Then Darlin’, it’s high time we put this bike through its paces. I think we’ve just discovered its highest and best use.”
Afterword
Thank you for reading In the Still of the Night. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. Jake and Lexie are powerful, challenging characters. They love as hard as they fight the evil in the world. I’m crazy about them both!
While this is a book of fiction, the horrendous world-wide sex trade is all too real. I chose to place this story in San Francisco because that is where Lexie’s “Strong Women Survive Center” is. San Francisco is doing yeoman’s work combatting the hideous implications of the international sex trade. But it will take all of us to end this travesty. Be aware!!
Be sure to read Big Girls Don’t Cry AND Every Breath You Take(Third book in the Lexie/Jake Trilogy!!Coming, January, 2013).They’re HOT!!
If you enjoyed In the Still of the Night, do me a huge favor. Go back to www.Amazon.com, and please leave an honest review. Authors live and die by their reviews. The few extra seconds it takes really helps us authors out. Thank you!
Other Works by Taylor Lee
Big Girls Don’t Cry
If you enjoyed In the Still of the Night, be sure to check out Taylor Lee’s Best Selling #1 Hot New Release in Romantic Suspense:
Praise for Big Girls Don’t Cry…
“Sizzling Romantic Suspense at its best! As the danger rages, their passions flare!”
~KDR
“Taking down an international drug ring? Solving a vicious murder? All in a day’s work for the sexy special agent. Taming an irresistible woman as tough as she is beautiful? Now that’s another story!”
~L. Takamia
“She’s an accomplished martial artist as fierce as she is beautiful. He sees the wounded woman beneath her tough exterior and is determined to protect her no matter how hard she resists.”
~J. John
To purchase Big Girls Don’t Cry, simply click here.
~~~
Nights In White Satin
The short story prequel to Big Girls Don’t Cry
Praise for “Nights in White Satin”
“A Great 8,000 word short story prequel to the Bestselling Sizzling Romantic Suspense “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. Meet the men of the series: Jake, Brady, Clint and Anthony joined by an unforgettable undercover agent U.S. Army Captain Tiffany Anderson who kicks butt with the best of them!”
~SMT Reviews
“FIVE Sexy undercover CID agents root out a vicious U.S. Army Lt. Col. who uses his honored position to operate an international sex slave auction.”
~J. John
“A chilling romantic suspense with great characters, snappy dialogue, sexy alpha males and a gorgeous undercover agent bring down a vicious villain who is a disgrace to his uniform and his country.”
~RomanceRules
To purchase Nights in White Satin, simply click here.
~~~
Every Breath You Take
To be published January 2013
Third book in the Lexie/Jake Trilogy
The Action is HOT, the Romance is HOTTER!
~~~
Playing With Fire
The #1 Hot New Release in Romantic Suspense AND Hard Boiled Mysteries
Praise for Playing with Fire…
“A bad-assed cop who flaunts every regulation falls for the beautiful rookie firefighter only to discover she is his #1 suspect in a double murder.
~KDR
“A rookie firefighter escapes an abusive past only to find herself accused of setting the fire that kills her husband and his mistress. A heroine that will tug at your heartstrings and a hero that is as outrageous as he is irresistible.”
~RomanceReads
“Cops AND Firefighters? An alpha – male lovers delight. A SEXY kick-ass hero and a beautiful, vulnerable woman in a life and death face-off can’t resist their voracious appetite for each other. This is one SIZZLING romantic suspense!”
~Erotica Rocs
To purchase Playing With Fire, simply click here.
~~~
The Volkov Affair
What is as hot and riveting as Big Girls Don’t Cry, be sure to check out Taylor Lee’s latest best-selling Sizzling Romantic Suspense, The Volkov Affair
Praise for The Volkov Affair…
“A dangerously elegant man, a beautiful feisty young woman, take on the evils of the international sex trade while exploring a passionately erotic world of their own.”
J. Johnson
“From the Russian Mafia to the Human Trafficking Arena, this book captures the reader with the power and immediacy of today’s riveting headlines. Throw in a dynamite love story and you have Sizzling Romantic Suspense at its best.”
KDR
“A spellbinding suspense filled international adventure coupled with a sizzling SEXY romance. Yum!”
Sneaky Romance Reader
“Her father’s sins; her lover’s crime; their dangerous past comes back to threaten her. Only their cunning and bravery overcome the evil men out to wreak their revenge.”
Action Junkie
To purchase The Volkov Affair, simply click here
~~~
The Grandmaster’s Legacy
Enjoyed Nights in White Satin you’ll LOVE The Grandmaster’s Legacy Books 1-4,
Specially Priced Box Set Historical EROTIC Suspense!
Think Shade of Gray was hot? It has nothing on the Grandmasters! Historical Erotic Suspense at its best!
A bargain at any price – A STEAL at this price!
To purchase The Grandmaster’s Legacy, simply click here.
Works by Other Authors I Think You Will Enjoy
In Deep Shitake
Take one devastatingly handsome movie star. Add one outrageously sexy female private eye with a penchant for food-word obscenities. Mix in a dose of mistaken identity and a handful of Russian mobsters…
And they're all In Deep Shitake.
To sample or purchase In Deep Shitake, simply click here.
~~~
Roll the Dice
By
Mimi Barbour
“Hot, sassy and intriguing! What's not to like?”
Both of the partners want the serial rapist more than anything else—she wants him behind bars, and he wants him dead. Can her love help to change his mind?
To sample or purchase Roll the Dice, simply click here.
About the Author
I write Sizzling Romantic Suspense. My stories are the stories of my heritage. From the residue in my personal blender of mixed races, cultures and world views, my characters emerge. It comforts me to know that while evil slinks in the shadows, the “good guys” of the world sniff it out – and snuff it out.
You already know my stories are not your mama’s soft edged romances with swashbuckling heroes and blushing heroines. Heck no! These guys are arrogant alpha males and the feisty women who bring them to their knees – and vice versa… They fight hard, love hard and don’t mince words. They are dangerous men and women in dangerous times. Love, passion and ridding the world of evil? What’s not to like?
I am as real as the words on the page.
Contact Information
Taylor Lee loves to hear from readers!
Contact at:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @taylorleewrites
Facebook: taylorleewrites
Blog: www.taylorleebooks.com
Sign up for Taylor Lee’s Newsletter to get all the scoop on Taylor Lee’s SIZZLING ROMANTIC SUSPENSE at www.taylorleebooks.com
Copyright Information
In the Still of the Night
Copyright, 2012 by Taylor Lee
idesire publications
All rights reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, incidents, places and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Any inquiries can be made to: www.taylorleebooks.com or [email protected]
Table of Contents
Main Menu
Start Reading
Afterword
Other Works by Taylor Lee
Big Girls Don’t Cry – Contemporary Sizzling Suspense
Nights In White Satin – The Short Story Sequel to Big Girls Don’t Cry
Every Breath You Take – Third Book in the Lexie/Jake Trilogy
Playing With Fire – Contemporary Sizzling Suspense
The Volkov Affair – Contemporary Sizzling Romantic Suspense
The Grandmaster’s Legacy –
4 Volume Specially Priced Box Set
Works by Other Authors I Think You Will Enjoy
In Deep Shitake
Roll The Dice
About the Author
Contact Information
Copyright Information
Chapters:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
To go back to the Main Menu, click here.
