Cyber Illusions: Sensory Ops, Book 6

by Nikki Duncan

  “He’ll be fine with it,” Ava assured her. “And it will keep you from having to take a pain pill right now.”

  It was a sweet and unexpected offer, and somehow she knew H was offering to show her a side of himself that very few people saw, which made it only sweeter. “Thank you.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek, only wincing a little at the move. “But that feels like cheating, and I can’t use you like that.”

  “If you insist.” H placed a hand under her elbow to support her and with his eyes closed, he held her for a second longer than convention dictated. When he released her, her stomach felt less like it had been used as a punching bag.

  “What did you do?” she whispered.

  His eyes were almost glowing blue when he opened them and looked at her. “Nothing. Feel better.”

  Ava was shaking her head as her husband turned and walked over to join some of the men from Tyler’s team. “He likes you. A lot.”

  “I don’t understand.” She claimed a cupcake and peeled the wrapper away. “I know you have some empathic abilities, but what was that?”

  “He’s an absorbing empath. He can pull pain and illness into himself, either easing or healing the other person depending on the extent of the damage.” She chuckled as she finished her cupcake. “I just can’t believe he did that with everyone around.”

  “Were his eyes glowing?” Taryn asked as she bit into the cake.

  “That’s a much longer story that no one officially knows.”

  Even as one mystery around the man unraveled another was revealed. It was normal, she was learning, for Tyler’s friends. The most conventional story was probably Liam’s, no, Aidan’s was more conventional. Actually, Kimber and Daryl’s relationship was pretty normal. And Tyler’s brothers seemed to have a conventional story where they met a woman—thought she was attractive and asked her out.

  His brothers and their wives seemed to be no closer than any of the other couples. It just went to show that no matter how traditional something began, or how many obstacles they had to overcome, when the love was real it would give them the strength to face the odds.

  Each couple was a team. They’d learned to work together and trust each other. They respected each other and knew how to have fun. They balanced each other and gave each other forgiveness when needed.

  It was everything she’d ever hoped to find and she’d found it with Tyler. She’d adopted Ryder and Sidney, making them her family in every legal way. But more, she’d gained a large, loud extended family.

  Maybe it was the hormones, but tears filled her eyes as she crossed the room and kissed her husband. “I love you, Tyler.”

  He smiled down at her. “I love you too.” He kissed her again, lingering a moment. “Now go sit down.”

  “You can’t make me,” she laughed as she moved over to talk to more of their friends.

  When Jenny abandoned her kids and Tyler suspected the worst of her, Taryn had been promised darkness. One selfish act had led to a stubborn one and she’d ended up with a love that could never be counted as an illusion.

  About the Author

  Heart-stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hangings of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author is drawn to the siren song of a fresh storyline.

  Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her character’s motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour.

  The only anxiety and apprehension haunting this author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.

  Nikki loves to hear from her readers. She can be found at all the predictable online places.

  Twitter @NDuncanWriter and @TulleTulips

  Facebook /NDuncanWriter

  Pinterest /TulleTulips

  Website www.nikkiduncan.com and www.tulleandtulipsweddings.com

  Look for these titles by Nikki Duncan

  Now Available:

  Sensory Ops

  Sounds to Die By

  Scent of Persuasion

  Illicit Intuitions

  A Killing Touch

  Taste Me Deadly

  Tulle and Tulips

  Tangled in Tulle

  Twisted in Tulips

  Handcuffed in Housewares

  Whispering Cove

  Wicked

  Burned

  Serenades

  Fiery

  Her Miracle Man

  Coming Soon:

  Tulle and Tulips

  Debauched in Diamonds

  Controlled Burn

  When it comes to programmed assumptions, the heart is definitely not an easy hack.

  Debauched in Diamonds

  © 2014 Nikki Duncan

  Tulle and Tulips, Book 4

  At work, Darci Drummond, aka The Bunny of Bling, shines as bright as her trademark tie-shaped diamond necklace. Her dating life is a bit more tarnished. After getting hurt by a string of boyfriends, she takes solace in helping other women shine on their special day.

  She wouldn’t complain if she found someone to give her a few simple pleasures—and zero strings. Just not that nerdy computer programmer working upstairs.

  Victor Green’s idea of a great Saturday night—any night, really—is a Starbucks and a code-filled computer screen. Yet somehow, at the relentless begging of his baby sister, he finds himself walking the runway at a bridal show where he meets a stunner sporting a tie-shaped necklace. The next thing he knows, he’s thrust into a matchmaking scheme with wedding bells in the background.

  Tricked into a date with Victor, Darci finds herself embroiled in an affair with a man who’s nothing like he seemed. And as her resistance crumbles, she wonders if it’s time to let someone get closer than skin deep…

  Warning: If you’re opposed to a man who forgets to clean and a woman willing to tolerate his quirks… Wait, isn’t that real life?

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Debauched in Diamonds:

  Her lips curled into that way of hers that was becoming a temptation the more he saw it. “You don’t like mysteries do you?”

  “We work on sensitive stuff up here. It’s important to know the material is secure.”

  “It’s secure. And for the record, you’re not the only one on this floor tonight.”

  Trevor. He’d let her up and was staying in the apartment off his office. So the matchmaking didn’t stop at the Tulle and Tulips ladies. “Pass the chicken parm.”

  They settled into an easy pattern of conversation, much like they’d experienced during their lunch, as they passed the containers back and forth, eating more than half the food. Amazed at how little they had left over, at how healthy of an appetite she had given how thin she was, he helped her pack up the leftovers.

  “Do you have a fridge in here?” she asked. “I suspect you’ll need the leftovers sometime soon.”

  “Yeah, and thanks again for the delivery.”

  “I hate to see a hot guy starve himself into nothing.”

  Victor leaned forward, easing closer to her. “You think I’m hot?”

  “At least when you put on a tux.”

  “No.” He leaned closer still, wanting to test the limits of the spark he’d found with her. “You called me hot.”

  “You gonna let it go to your head?”

  “Maybe.” He traced a fingertip along her neck, brushing back the hair that had fallen over her shoulder. “Or maybe I’ll just kiss you.”

  Darci leaned back against the cushions and met his gaze. “If you must.”

  Smiling, he traced the necklace with one hand. He rested the other along the edge of her jaw. His fingers and palm tingled. His heart raced. The craving to feel her lips against his was almost tangible, but he couldn’t close the remaining distance.

  He could only stare into her eyes. She rested a
hand on his chest, flexing her fingertips against him. The pressure, ever so light, filled him with warmth.

  “I thought you were going to kiss me.”

  “Yeah,” he whispered as he closed the remaining distance. The moment he placed his lips against hers, she curled her fingers into his shirt.

  Soft and pliant, she tasted of calamari, garlic and marinara. She tasted of the kindness she’d shown by delivering him dinner. She tasted of the passion she’d shown by indulging her healthy appetite.

  She placed a second hand on his neck and pulled him in. He accepted the invitation and deepened the kiss. When she opened for him, he eased his tongue into her mouth and explored the depths.

  Lips and teeth and tongues moved, brushing and gliding. Satin slipped beneath his fingers as he lowered a hand along the collar of her blouse. She dropped her shoulders, rolling them back. The move pressed her breasts out, shifting the opening of her blouse the smallest bit.

  Dipping a finger in, he traced the edge of her bra. She gripped his shirt tighter and released the tiniest of moans into his mouth. A caveman roared inside, demanding that he haul her to the floor and strip her bare. He’d never exchanged more than a handshake with a woman in the workplace. That they didn’t work together made no difference. Making out at work was unprofessional, but damn if he didn’t want to keep going.

  Darci slid her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. Shifting closer, she pulled him deeper. He’d discarded his jacket and tie and loosened his shirt collar hours ago. He still felt constricted by his slacks and shirt.

  He eased back and feathered kisses along her cheekbone. “You’re a distracting woman, Darci.”

  Her voice was a mumble as she arched her neck, angling closer. “I’m taking that as a compliment.”

  “I meant it as one.” He shifted deeper into the corner of the couch without stopping the movement of stroking the line of skin just beneath her blouse.

  “This goes against all my rules. You’re a client.” Her grip on his shirt released and she pulled back before standing and facing him.

  “Lindy has her jewelry; our business is concluded.” Irrational fear filled the emptiness she left. Victor wasn’t ready for her to go. He wanted to get to know her better, to understand why she intrigued him so fully.

  “Lori said basically the same.”

  “You’ve been talking about me.”

  “Lori’s been talking about you.” She smiled as she placed a knee on the cushion and lowered so she was sitting facing him. With a hand braced on the couch arm she leaned across him. “I’m not in the habit of showing up at a man’s door late at night with dinner and dessert.”

  He glanced around her, looking pointedly at the table and then back at her. “Dessert?”

  “I failed to buy anything. We may have to improvise.”

  Her breasts brushed his chest with each breath, she was so close. His mind fogged with desire. He brushed his thumb along her bottom lip. “I could be open to negotiations.”

  “I didn’t realize that fell under the description of a programmer’s job.”

  He placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I work with the toughest negotiator of them all. Trevor.”

  “Do you ever win?”

  He kissed the other corner of her mouth. “All the time.”

  “So what are we negotiating?”

  “The terms of a relationship feels like a crass answer.”

  “We’re busy business people.” She turned into his mouth’s caress, pressing her lips gently against his. “Knowing the expectations before we start anything seems logical.”

  “You’re good company, so I’d like shared meals.” Victor trailed kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck. “And better desserts.”

  “I can do meals.” Darci slipped the first button of his shirt free. “And dessert. I don’t have time for jealousy and I have no tolerance for violence.”

  Her fingers brushed his skin, sending volts of electricity down his core and straight to his groin.

  “Ditto on both.” He moved to the other side of her neck, reveling in her openness. “And I’ll add clingy. I don’t like clingy women.”

  “Are we setting a time frame? I’m on the pill. And clean.”

  “Until it’s not working.” Or one of us meets someone better. He didn’t say it, but they both knew the truth. They weren’t interested in a long-term relationship or the complications that came with them. “My condoms are at home, but I’m clean.”

  “Then I’m good. So it’s just shared meals and sex for as long as we’re enjoying ourselves.” She unbuttoned the next button and twirled her finger in a circle over the next area of skin she exposed. “No hurt feelings if we want a night away from each other or if we aren’t available for a date.”

  “No expectation of romance in the way you women typically define it.” He bit gently at her neck. She moaned.

  If she agreed, he could give in on any other terms she may have, because without the possibility of a woman’s wrath if he forgot a date and didn’t provide flowers and candlelight, he’d just found himself in the perfect relationship with an amazing woman.

  One affair, thirty days.

  His Taste of Temptation

  © 2014 Cathryn Fox

  In the Line of Duty, Book 3

  Since his last relationship blew up in his face, bomb expert Brad Crosby has lost his appetite for “permanent”. But his kid brother’s best friend? Now there’s a curvy morsel he could wrap his lips around.

  For years Brad has been the star of Madison Graham’s fantasies. If only she were the kind of put-together girl he prefers, not a pastry chef whose makeup consists of a dusting of powdered sugar on her nose. A belief that’s confirmed when her apartment floods and he offers to let her sleep in his bed—alone.

  Wrapped in Brad’s sheets, she dreams of his touches, his kisses, the feel of his body on hers. Except her dreams feel like reality—and come morning, she realizes it wasn’t a dream at all.

  Soon the two are burning up the nights. But as Madison’s sweet love grows on him, Brad can’t help but think of extending their time together.

  Too bad Madison keeps reminding him their affair has an expiration date.

  Warning: May contain heat, explosive sex, and Fourth of July fireworks that pale in comparison to the sparks between a sworn bachelor and a tempting pastry chef.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for His Taste of Temptation:

  Laid out on his side on Madison’s wet, tiled bathroom floor, Brad finished cutting the wall away to give him better access to the pipes, but how he was supposed to concentrate with Madison prancing around in those high heels of hers was beyond him.

  She stopped by the bathroom door for the umpteenth time. “You sure you don’t need anything before I go?”

  Oh, he needed something all right.

  “I’m good.”

  She pointed to her medicine cabinet and he watched the way her blouse tightened on her breasts. “I just have to brush my teeth, then I’ll be out of your way.”

  “Yeah, okay,” he managed around a tongue gone thick. She went up on her toes, and he shifted restlessly at the sight of her curvy ass in that tight pencil skirt, her high heels giving her lush cheeks a sexy lift.

  “Fuck,” he murmured under his breath as he assessed the pipes.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. There’s just some water still leaking so I have to drain the system.”

  “Oh, did you want me to do that for you?”

  “Not dressed like that I don’t.”

  An almost uncomfortable look came over her face as she gave herself a once over. “My meeting—” she started to explain, but he climbed to his feet and cut her off.

  “I’ve got it,” he said, his cock needing a reprieve from the sexy yet professional clothes draping her body before he did permanent damage to himself. Honestly, it didn’t matter what she wore. Even dressed in sweats she rubbed him the wrong way, or the right wa
y…or…fuck…if only she’d rub him.

  He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the basement. He found the water tank and went to work on draining the system. Once complete he hurried back upstairs. He stepped back into the bathroom, and his feet splashed on the water still pooling on the tile. The hurried sound of Madison’s high heels clicking on the stairs behind him had him spinning around.

  Her voice sounded rushed when she rounded the corner and said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you… Whoa!”

  She hurried into the bathroom so fast, her body crashed with his. His feet slipped on the floor, and he tried to grab on to something to right himself, but the impact had him faltering backward.

  “Shit,” he yelled, knowing he was going down for the count and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  His boots went out from underneath him and he fell backward with an undignified oomph, Madison crashing to the floor right along with him.

  His head connected with something unforgiving on the way down, but he couldn’t concentrate on the pain shooting down his arm, not when Madison’s floral hair fell over his face in a tumbled mess, and her soft body landed on top of his in the most erotic ways.

  “Sorry,” she squeaked out. “I didn’t expect you to be standing there.”

  His hands slipped around her waist and settled on the small of her back. He sucked in a breath. “What…uh…what was it you forgot to tell me?” he asked.

  She pushed her hair off her face, her mouth only inches from his. “Oh, I just wanted to let you know I made you a sandwich in case you got hungry. It’s in the pastry fridge.”

  Her lush warm body felt so good on top of his…so fucking good…his cock grew an inch. She squirmed, like she was about to slide off, but he held her tight.

  He pinned her to him and groaned. “Stop squirming.”

  “Why?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless.

  “Because you don’t want to get wet.”

  Her eyes widened and her lips inched open. “Wet?” she asked, her breathing becoming a little harsher, more erratic. “Why…why would I get wet?” Everything in the way she said wet sounded so sinful, and he couldn’t help but wonder how wet he could make her, if given the chance.