by S. A. Ravel
Doing more than lusting after her from afar meant almost certain conflict between their families, and Gian hadn’t quite been that stupid. Yet.
What was the Don’s daughter doing in his club? Not only in his club but unguarded by the Don’s men who tended to shadow her from a distance, no matter where she went.
Don Todaro’s idea? Unlikely. There was no reason for the Don to spy on him. A war was unlikely between their families—far too much rode on their cooperation in certain arenas. Neither Don Todaro nor Giancarlo’s father, Don Spadaro liked risking money needlessly. But to say that they were friends wouldn’t be true either. They tolerated one another, while carefully watching across boundary lines in their shared city, each Don hoping the other would show a weakness, so that the other could swoop in and take more for themselves.
The group of women sat at a large table near the dance floor, one that had been reserved, and he could still hear them laughing over the music. A tall order, even with his excellent hearing. Domenica was obviously the leader of the little group. She took care of ordering from the waitress, handing the young woman her credit card. Then she turned back to her group and spoke to them all. Whatever she said caused another round of laughter.
If not under her father’s orders, why was she here? The grapevine had a lot to say about the Don’s only daughter. That she wasn’t a proper Italian young woman. That she was stubborn and difficult to control. That she worried far more about running her own businesses than finding a suitable husband.
Intriguing.
He settled further into the shadows to watch her.
Radiant—no other word fit her quite so well. Beautiful and stylish. Outgoing yet not quite flashy. She would be fun to pursue.
He mentally shook his head. Going after Don Todaro’s only daughter—however fun—would be a pointless jab at his father’s rival. If he could actually fuck her, it might be worth the risk. But that wasn’t an option.
Frustration rolled through him, and unable to help himself, he got up from his table and moved in closer to Domenica and her friends. Obviously out for a night of fun, they drank two shots back to back. Domenica finally joined in the giggles, then she dragged one of her friends onto the dance floor.
The music drummed, and the women, perfectly on beat, thrummed along with it. Other men immediately closed in on the women—their dance so sexually charged and seductive it drew the men like moths to a flame. And Giancarlo couldn’t look away from Domenica.
He frowned. Approaching her made no sense, and yet he found himself unable to resist. Before he realized it, he was on the dance floor. Edging between her and her friend. Dancing with the daughter of his father's rival.
Interest flashed in her eyes, and she shot him a grin. Her dance never slowed, nor did she spare her friend an apologetic look. She seemed as unable to look away from him as he was from her. Then they moved together, a breathtaking, sensual dance. Closer. Closer. Until not even air could have slipped between them.
Her full breasts brushed against his chest, and his hands came down around her waist. They moved together in such a way he imagined it was like sex. Or how he thought real sex would be. Not one drink had passed his lips that night, yet suddenly his mind swam. He was drunk on her. Almost out of control.
Her scent touched his nose. A spicy mix of cinnamon and mint. Of woman and shampoo. He nuzzled her neck, and despite the music and dancers raging around them, they both slowed. Almost not moving at all except against each other.
In his pants, his cock came to life. Hardening suddenly and painfully. Shock reverberated through him, and he pulled her closer. His lips touched hers, seeming to find their own way. And she didn’t pull back. Instead, her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer. His tongue plunged between her lips, and she hungrily met him thrust for thrust.
Domenica practically climbed him, and he was so tempted to push up her skirt and take her right here on the dance floor that he had to physically stop himself from doing so. His fingers dug into her hips, and she moaned beneath him.
Shit. Can’t take her here. He pulled back, breaking their kiss. And she glared at him.
“Come with me to the back.” His words came out like an order, and a flash of anger touched her expression. But she didn’t fight him when he tugged her along with him.
Not once in his life had his dick come to life like that. When most teenage boys had been fighting directions at every turn, he’d felt nothing. He loved women. He’d made giving them orgasms something of art. But he’d yet to find one that could make him hard.
Until now.
Something about this woman was special.
He dragged her into the room that served as an office for him when he had need of it. Or was she dragging him? He couldn’t tell and couldn’t give a shit. They were both touching, groping, breathing in the other. He moved from her lips to kiss her neck down her collarbone. Her hand gripped his ass, and she rubbed herself against his hard cock. As if he was drunk, he felt out of control. Not something he normally would’ve enjoyed. But this—this was different.
Domenica was different.
He didn’t feel weaker for his lack of control. He was certain he could have moved a building to get at her right now.
Over her dress, he cupped her breast. Squeezing the full mound before sliding his hand down between her legs. He touched her there, boldly. Not asking for permission, demanding it. Mouth against his, she moaned and leaned into his touch.
He had to have her. Now.
Will he have to abandon his mate in order to save her?
A bear in a bind ...
Bear shifter Dirk Greenwood is in a bind: his Alpha father, Cyrus, has ordered him to choose a mate or be exiled. He wants his son to marry a woman from another clan to cement their alliance.
When Dirk argues with his prospective bride at the clan’s biggest social event of the year -- the Callisto’s Masquerade masked ball -- his father punishes him by saddling him with a human date for the evening. At first, Dirk resents her presence … until his bear begins to awaken, and he realizes the curvy woman is his fated mate.
A baker in a quandary ...
Rachel Simmons thought the Masquerade catering job would be an easy way to put her new bakery on the map. Instead, the fine print in the contract has her serving pastries in a skimpy outfit, dodging her jerk of an ex, and escorting a handsome but foul-tempered rich man’s son.
Like most humans, Rachel has no idea shifters exist, so she’s baffled by the pull she feels toward Dirk ... an attraction that goes far beyond the physical and can’t be denied. When he leaves the ball, she feels compelled to find him.
An agonizing decision
The more time they spend together, the stronger their bond becomes … but that only makes things worse. A shifter of Dirk’s status is forbidden to mate with a human, and she doesn’t even know what he is.
When a bear from the other clan attacks Rachel, Dirk is forced to defend her, leaving him with an impossible choice. He can keep his mate and be banished as a rogue shifter, leaving himself and Rachel in constant danger … or he can renounce his claim on the woman he’s come to love in order to keep her safe.
Is fate so cruel as to let them find each other, then force them apart forever?
Alpha Unmasked is a standalone paranormal romance with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
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About the Author
S.A. Ravel is an avid reader, writer, nature lover, and all around geek-of-all-trades. She honed her passion for storytelling as a teen. A wanderer at heart, Miss Ravel eventually traded the misty shores and towering redwoods of Humboldt Country for the concrete jungles of Los Angeles. She writes steamy tales about Alpha males and the curvy, strong women who love them.
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