Running With the Devil

by Lorelei James

  “You’re not supposed to think, Kenna, you’re supposed to know that after all we’ve been through in the last week I wouldn’t just ‘waltz’ away from you. Jesus. What kind of man do you think I am?”

  She didn’t answer. Couldn’t without giving too much of herself away.

  His eyes narrowed until there was no trace of blue left. “Is that all I’ve been to you? A walk on the wild side? An adventure? A man you’d take to bed but not good enough to be seen in public with without wearing a disguise?”

  Horrified by his shallow opinion of her, she gasped. “No!”

  He grabbed her by the upper arms. “Then tell me goddammit. Tell me what you want from me.”

  Kenna didn’t even hesitate. She just blurted, “Everything, all right? I want everything from you.”

  The tension in his face disappeared. “Thank you.”

  Immediately she shrank back. That was it? Thank you? For dropping my soul at your feet? For letting you see my heart in my eyes?

  Feeling like a fool, she angled her face from view, checking for a hole in her chest where her heart used to be.

  She waited for him to say something, anything, but the silence between them grew.

  “Look at me,” he said softly.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  “You have to.” Very gently he tipped her chin higher. “I want to look in those gorgeous lavender eyes when I tell you I love you.”

  The room spun. “You d-do?”

  “Yep. I was a goner from the moment you told me to fuck off.” He kissed her again, sweetly, delicately, with less certainty than she was used to from him. “You drive me crazy, which is fair because I’m sure I drive you crazy too.”

  Kenna burst into tears.

  He held her. Murmured declarations of absolute devotion. When the storm of her emotions passed, she placed a kiss on his heart and gazed into his eyes. “This happened so fast. I didn’t know if it was real.”

  “I don’t think it gets any more real than this, sweetheart.”

  “Even if I’m just plain, old boring Kaye?”

  Confusion darkened his face. “Why are you talking about?”

  “Kenna isn’t real, Drake. She’s flamboyant, outrageous, argumentative. She does things I’d never do.” She bit her lip and blurted, “Kenna isn’t really me.”

  How did Drake react to her dramatic and heart-wrenching confession?

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Bullshit,” he said. “Maybe in the past you’ve hidden that part of you, for whatever reason, but it’s always been there. And I’m not talking about the sexy clothes and all that junk. Or what name you call yourself or even the name I call you. That isn’t what defines a person.” He tapped her heart, then her temple. “This does.”

  Omigod. He really did love her. She started to cry again.

  “Those had better be happy tears,” he groused.

  “They are.” She settled her cheek against his chest and listened to his heart beating. Strong. Steady.

  About thirty seconds passed before he demanded, “Well? Don’t you have something to say to me?”

  “Impatient much?”

  “Come on. I’m dying here, Kenna.”

  She circled her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

  “Yeah?” His beaming grin was a sight to behold. “Do tell.”

  “The last week has been pure hell. I missed you so much it seemed like part of me was gone. I was so confused because I didn’t know how you felt.”

  “Every time I made love to you I showed you exactly how I felt.” Drake hooked his arms under her butt and lifted her until her legs wrapped around his hips. Kissing her, he walked them backward until her spine hit the door. “In fact, I’d better show you again right now so you don’t forget.”

  The brush of his body against hers turned her blood into liquid fire. Need, desire, love, ran rampant through her system. Drake buried his lips in her throat. He ground his cock into the soft notch between her thighs. His heat swamped her until she surrendered to the passion, arched and cried out.

  He stopped and gave her a guilty look. “Oh man, I didn’t think about you still being hurt. Are you feeling up to this?”

  “Yes.” Kenna licked his lower lip, then yanked his mouth back where it belonged.

  Drake growled and shoved her cotton gym shorts to the side, so he could touch her where she was warm and wet for him. He pulled back and grinned. “No panties. I like that naughty side of you.”

  Bracing her against the door with his upper body, he dropped his pants and boxers to his knees. He paused, keeping the smooth, hot head of his cock poised at her entrance.

  “I love you,” he said, and slowly slipped inside her.

  They moaned at the same time.

  Fast and furious, no time for whispered endearments, just an intense show of need. Kenna felt the familiar tightening in her lower belly as Drake let loose a deep groan. The door rattled as he hammered into her. When she reached the point of no return, he tipped them both over the edge and swallowed her cries of pleasure.

  Breathing hard and still seated inside her, his damp forehead sagged to her shoulder. “Shit.”

  “What?”

  “No condom.”

  “Umm. I think I’m safe.” Probably. Maybe.

  “We’ll be married anyway if you get pregnant, so it won’t matter.”

  Kenna grabbed his hair in her fists, and forced him to look her in the eye. “Married? Kids? Aren’t you jumping the gun? We haven’t even talked about the fact your job is in Florida—”

  “As of yesterday, I don’t work in Florida.” When she gave him a blank stare, he playfully nipped her chin. “Ask me why I went to Miami right away and let Geo wrap up my case.”

  “Why did you go to Miami?”

  “I handed in my request for a transfer.”

  She blinked. Was he serious? Her heart sped up again.

  “I figured with you almost being done with school, it’d be easier for me to move here. Plus, I was getting burned out working with the dregs of society day in and day out. The local office is happy to have me, even if I won’t be in the field full-time. I’ll be another nine-to-five suit and tie guy.”

  “I thought you loved being secret agent spy man.”

  “I do. But I love you more.”

  Tears prickled her eyes.

  “Ah shit. Don’t cry.”

  “I can’t help it. That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Real romantic,” he snorted. “I just banged you against the door, my pants are still around my ankles—”

  “Do I seem upset?”

  Drake’s face softened with the look she was beginning to recognize as love. “No. It humbles me that you accept my harsher edges. Hell, you seem to prefer them. You know I’m bossy. I’m used to being in charge and I like it that way. But I swear I’ll do everything I can to make you happy. I’m not the most sophisticated man, but I do have a college degree and I’ll try like hell not to embarrass you in front of your colleagues, Doc.”

  Kenna slapped his naked flank. “Don’t be an ass. I don’t give a crap what anyone thinks about you or about us. Besides, I’ll have to sit this semester out anyway.”

  Drake shifted his hips and slipped from her body. He gently set her feet on the floor and stepped back to yank up his clothes.

  “No, you won’t.”

  Her gaze sharpened as she adjusted her own clothing. And was it her imagination or was Drake taking an incredibly long time to fasten his pants? “What are you talking about?”

  He scooted back. Way back. “Don’t get mad. I talked to the registrar this afternoon and I, umm…I paid your tuition.”

  “What!”

  “You can think of it as a wedding gift. Trust me, I’m getting the better end of the deal. Before too long you’ll be supporting me. Federal agents are notoriously underpaid.” He grinned.

  The indignation she expected to feel never came. It appeared this gor
geous, sweet, gruff man would go to any lengths to ensure her happiness. How had she gotten so lucky? “Thank you.”

  Drake seemed surprised she hadn’t argued. “You are going to marry me, aren’t you?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t recall you asking.”

  That uncertain expression flitted across his handsome face again. “See? I suck at this stuff.” He sighed. “I wanted this moment to be romantic. I brought you flowers, I wanted to ask you to marry me on bended knee, but the truth is my damn knees are pretty scabbed over from crawling across the concrete.”

  “When did you do that?”

  “After Marissa went down. I didn’t notice until later because I couldn’t think beyond anything but getting to you.”

  Kenna knew they’d both have nightmares of that awful afternoon. Time would dim the horrors and love would carry them through whatever else lay ahead. “So, where’s the ring?”

  “I haven’t bought you a ring.”

  “You really do suck at this.”

  “Yet ,” he added. “But I did bring the motorcycle. Wanna go for a spin?”

  She grinned. “Absolutely. I’ll grab some condoms.”

  As they drove off into the fading purple sunset, Kenna knew her life with the devilish Drake March would be one wild ride.

  About the Author

  To learn more about Lorelei James, please visit www.loreleijames.com. Send an email to lorelei@loreleijames.com or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Lorelei! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoreleiJamesGang

  Look for these titles by Lorelei James

  Now Available:

  Dirty Deeds

  Beginnings Anthology: Babe in the Woods

  Coming Soon:

  Long Hard Ride

  When the stakes are high, she’s ready to shed more than her inhibitions—but will the man of her dreams rise to the challenge?

  Challenging Carter

  © 2007 Kate Davies

  Dani’s been in love with Carter forever. But she’s nothing like the women he dates—glamorous, exciting, spotlight-ready. Instead, she’s stuck in the “best friend” role and can’t seem to find a way out of it. Until a scheduling mix-up finds her enrolled in a strip aerobics class. Now this buttoned-down wallflower is finding her wicked side—and liking it!

  What in the world happened to Carter’s best bud? She’s gone from sweet to sexy in ten seconds flat—and Carter’s lucky enough to be around for the ride of a lifetime. But he knows from past experience that relationships don’t last. He’s got to get things back on track before the most important friendship in his life is damaged forever.

  Problem is, Dani has no intention of going back to being “just friends”. It’s about time someone challenged Carter’s assumptions about love and friendship—and Dani’s just the woman to do it!

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Challenging Carter:

  Holy shit.

  “Dani?”

  It was her. Of course it was her. He’d left her in this room not an hour earlier, and everyone else had gone home. It had to be Dani.

  He just wasn’t sure when the aliens had abducted her and replaced her with this—this living, breathing embodiment of sex.

  He’d poked his head in the door, meaning to check on how she was doing. But instead of finding her squinting at a TV monitor, half a step behind as she unraveled the secrets of aerobics, he’d walked in on her taking her clothes off to the beat of the music.

  She stood there now, eyes wide with horror. “What are you doing here?”

  He simply stared. It was all he was capable of doing. Where did she get that figure? And how in the hell had he never noticed it before?

  Dani’s cheeks flushed and she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide the fact that she was wearing just a sports bra and he was holding her shirt. “How long have you been standing there?”

  A heartbeat. A lifetime. Dropping her shirt on the ground, he muttered, “Long enough.”

  Then he strode across the room and kissed her.

  It was a crazy, impulsive act, but the minute his lips touched hers he knew it was the right thing to do.

  She tasted like sex and sin and forbidden fruit, and he couldn’t get enough.

  Which was crazy, because this was Dani, his buddy, his pal, someone he’d never even considered kissing before. But from the moment he’d seen her tight little ass thrust up toward him like an offering from the gods, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.

  Threading the fingers of one hand through her hair, he tilted her head a little. Without conscious thought, he stroked his tongue into her mouth, and after a moment’s shocked stillness Dani met the invasion with enthusiasm.

  Oh, thank God.

  Smoothing his hand down her back, he cupped her backside in his palm and urged one leg up and around his waist. Pulling her closer, he angled his hips so his aching cock was pressed right between her thighs. He groaned at the contact. Only a few thin layers of fabric separated them, and by the breathy little gasps she was making, he guessed that Dani hated those layers as much as he did.

  Carter wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it sure as hell hadn’t been this enthusiastic response. Her hands were everywhere, on his shoulders, stroking his biceps, clutching the fabric of his shirt. Her body rubbed up against his as she kissed him back, her lips voracious, her tongue hot and wicked in his mouth.

  Sliding his hands up her sides, he caught the edges of her bra with his thumbs and tugged, breaking off the kiss long enough to strip it off of her and toss it away. Her eyes slid closed and her head tilted back as he cupped her breasts, his thumbs strumming the nipples to tight little buds.

  It was too tempting. He leaned down and sucked one into his mouth.

  “Carter,” she breathed, one hand tangled in his hair, holding him closer as he laved the sensitive flesh. He drew a path across her chest with his tongue, tracing around her other nipple before clamping his lips over it as well.

  Her hands tugged blindly at his shirt, trying to pull it up and off him. He stepped back just long enough to oblige her, wanting the sensation of skin on skin as desperately as she did. They both sucked in a breath as his hair-roughened chest brushed against her sensitive breasts.

  “Damn,” he whispered. Her hips arched against him in time with the music, bringing him to the ragged edge of his control.

  It wasn’t enough. He needed more.

  The elastic waist of her shorts was easily breached, and he slid his hand inside. “God, you’re wet,” he groaned, stroking one finger through her damp folds. She was tight, so tight, and he clenched his jaw against the hot pleasure of her inner muscles gripping him.

  Dani squirmed in his arms, planting breathless kisses everywhere she could reach. Her response pushed him even higher, spiraling out of control until it was all he could do not to take her right here, right now.

  “Carter,” she whispered, her lips hot against his ear. “More.”

  More?

  “I need you.” Her hands slid beneath the waistband of his shorts. “Need you.”

  “Dani.” He took her wrists in both his hands, holding her still. “Are you sure?”

  “Mm-hmm.” She tugged ineffectually at his grip, licked the whorl of his ear. “Very.”

  He shivered. “Um, okay, why don’t we throw some clothes back on you, head over to my place…”

  “No.” This time, she bit his earlobe. “Here. Now.”

  Oh, God .

  She tugged one hand free, slid it down inside his shorts, and curled around his…

  He stepped back, gasping for air. She still gripped him, her hand sliding up and down his shaft with just the right amount of pressure. If she didn’t stop now, he was going to come without her.

  That would never do.

  Drawing on the last of his reserves, he lifted her hand away, regretting the loss of her touch on his naked skin more than she’d ever know.

 
Naked skin.

  Holy crap.

  “Wait here,” he ordered, his voice raspy with need. “I’ll be right back.”

  Then, before she could protest, he took off out the door at a dead run.

  She’s getting a second chance with the right man. Again. And again. And again…

  Call Me Cupid

  © 2007 Sydney Somers

  On the day before her wedding, the last thing AJ needs is the ex she never truly got over showing up to complicate things. But when fate throws a curve ball and she wakes to relive the same day over and over, the only person who may know what’s going on is the one man she can never trust her heart to.

  Cooper thought he wanted closure. Seeing AJ again proves he’s anything but ready to let go. With a Greek god in his corner he’s got all the time in the world to convince AJ that she still loves him—if such a bold move doesn’t push her straight out of his arms forever.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Call Me Cupid:

  “You’re so not over her.” Cooper McLain scrubbed a hand over his face, staring bleary eyed at his reflection. He looked like crap.

  A night of drinking yourself into a stupor did that oddly enough. His mouth tasted like he’d downed a few shots of sawdust before he’d damn near crawled back to the hotel and crashed on the chair for the first couple hours. At some point, he’d roused enough to at least kick off his shoes before dropping into bed.

  Cooper glanced at the clock. Shit. He’d slept all day. Not that he was in any hurry. He didn’t even know what the hell he was doing here. The fact that his brother was visiting with his girlfriend wasn’t any reason to check himself into a hotel for the night. But then, it wasn’t about getting away from his brother as much as it was getting closer to AJ.

  Cooper cursed under his breath and turned away from his reflection, annoyed with himself. He turned the shower on, stepping under the purposely cold water to both wake up and get a grip on himself. He planned on going to the wedding only to make himself realize it was really over and to wish AJ the best with the lucky bastard. God knows he’d given her more than enough reasons to be miserable that she deserved this.

  Then what the hell are you doing here the day before?

  He’d asked himself the same question a hundred times since he checked in last night. Then a few more times between every drink he chugged back wanting to forget that he’d pushed the best thing in his life right out of his arms. And two and a half years ago to boot.