Embers of Desire [Sequel to Lighting a Flame] (Siren Publishing Allure)
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Sequel to Lighting a Flame
Embers of Desire
Danica’s had her heart broken once and the sting of it still lingers. When she meets sexy Tyler Quinn, she’s left breathless and thrown off by balance by his relentless pursuit of her. So, she tries to keep him at arms’ length despite the fiery attraction to him.
Tyler Quinn is a man used to fighting for what he wants and his heart is set on Danica. He sees her resistance as a challenge and revels in her attraction to him. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get and keep her, including indulge in a ménage. But he has no plans to let her go no matter how fast she runs.
Then a simple lunch turns into a near tragedy and Tyler takes a bullet that would have killed Danica. Seeing the depth of his feelings for her, Danica realizes she has to let go of the past before it costs her the love of her life.
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Interracial
Length: 32,235 words
EMBERS OF DESIRE
Sequel to Lighting a Flame
Serenity Snow
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
EMBERS OF DESIRE
Copyright © 2015 by Serenity Snow
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-411-2
First E-book Publication: May 2015
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
About the Author
EMBERS OF DESIRE
Sequel to Lighting a Flame
SERENITY SNOW
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
Danica glanced across the table to her close friend Vinessa who was sipping on a beer as she patiently waited for her response. The crowd was rowdy despite the lack of a sports game on the big screen tonight. Mask, the sports bar they frequented, was full and conversation roared around them.
“Stop stalling, Dan,” Vinessa Singer drawled with no impatience in her tone. “What did Quinn want?”
Danica shrugged. Tyler Quinn worked for Merchant Jeans and he’d invited her to lunch after stopping by the store she and Vinessa co-owned. She’d been surprised at the reason he’d tracked her down and a little angry.
She took a sip of her own beer and wiped her mouth on a napkin before saying, “Merchant Jeans is having difficulties.” She said it as quietly as she could. “He asked me to design a few pieces for their new signature collection.”
“Pieces or the entire collection?” Vinessa asked nonchalantly.
“A few signature pieces,” she answered with a frown. “He said he liked my style.”
“Course he does,” Vinessa murmured. “He’s a man. What man doesn’t get hard from looking at your designs on a woman?” She gave her friend a grin.
Danica rolled her eyes. “You are such a horndog, Vinessa.”
Vinessa grunted. “So what’d you say? This would be an excellent opportunity for you to further showcase your skills. You could step away from designing lingerie and become a major player in the fashion world.”
“I’m not looking to become a superstar,” she responded. “I told him I had obligations.” She shrugged. She wanted to do it. It wasn’t going to be a permanent thing. She was just going to design a few pieces to give their tired signature line a lift. She even already had some ideas, but she didn’t want a conflict with Vinessa. They were close friends, like sisters really, but Vinessa was a real bitch if she thought someone had crossed her.
Vinessa lifted a brow at her. “Is this about loyalty to me?” she asked carefully. “If it is, thanks, but you don’t owe me your life, Dan. You didn’t agree to design lingerie for our business forever.”
“Vinessa—”
“I knew it was a way for you to break into design,” Vinessa cut in quickly. “Now, if you’ve got a chance at something bigger take it.”
She and Vinessa owned a successful business called Fantasy Brokers which was a big name in the sex industry mostly thanks to Vinessa’s drive and her sex toys. They’d made a great deal of money too.
Money wasn’t her biggest aim though anymore. She lived a comfortable life and wasn’t going to have to worry that much about money being a problem when she retired thanks to smart investment strategies now.
“Do it, Danica,” Vinessa told her firmly. “I know you want to. You’re a noticeable name now, but you’d be so much bigger if you designed outside the sex industry.
You have mad skills.”
Danica gave her a warm smile as she reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Vinessa, I swear. You are so great, and it won’t interfere with the work I do for us.”
Vinessa rolled her eyes. “I’m living my dream, Dan, you should live yours, not be tied to mine.”
“I’m not tied,” she objected. She wouldn’t leave their business. It had given her purpose and a place to start. It was her playground and her roots. And, it was her safety net.
“But you are going to do it?” Vinessa demanded.
“I came up with a few designs, but I don’t know if they’ll play well.” She shrugged. “I might not even be able to hack it.” Tyler Quinn, the rep from Merchant Jeans, kept calling her, flirting with her and inviting her out, certain she was just what the company needed. He probably wouldn’t take no for an answer anyway. And not just about the designs.
“Oh, please, you can deal, now enough of that bullshit,” she muttered and her blue eyes gleamed mischievously. “Plus the guy won’t stop calling until he wears you down. The company must be in trouble, or he’s eager to date you.”
“Vinessa!” Danica cursed her friend’s too perceptive mind. She was bi like Vinessa, but she hadn’t been involved with a man emotionally in a long time. She liked to top and Tyler Quinn wasn’t the kind of man who’d be her bottom. “It’s not really like that,” she answered. She and her girlfriend had broken up three months ago after an argument. She hadn’t seen anyone since and had no intentions of getting into anything serious for a while.
Vinessa laughed. “C’mon. Tell me you don’t want him to fuck you. He’s fine, and the way he moves with all that confidence, I bet he knows how to bone.”
Danica laughed. “My God, woman!” She was willing to bet he was good in bed, too.
“You don’t want to keep him just use him for a living sex toy until you’ve gotten him out of your system. Then, move on.”
“Like you’re doing with Lucas?” she accused. Vinessa was living with a woman, but she shared that woman with a man who worked so hard he barely had time to pop into the bedroom let alone stop by the dinner table.
Vinessa’s smile faded. “It’s not like that, but yeah. I enjoy having my own personal real-life dildo.”
Danica shook her head. “I don’t know about you sometimes.”
Vinessa wiggled her brows at her and took a sip of her beer. “But seriously, Dan, he’s technically a rebound thing. The thing with Kaela was—”
“Don’t go there.” She held up a warning hand. Her ex was twenty-three with the face of an angel, and she had modeling jobs coming out of her ass. Things with Kaela hadn’t ended badly so much as they’d just ended.
“What I was going to say was I know it’s been hard on you,” Vinessa said. “Cut yourself some slack and get a little wild with Tyler Quinn.”
“He’s not the kind of guy I need for a rebound.”
Vinessa gave her a pensive look. “Because he’s strong or because he’s a man?”
“Vinessa don’t, okay. He’s a guy. Enough said.”
“One guy hurt you Danica,” Vinessa said. “Not every guy out there is an ass with a psycho wife who wants to make your life hell.”
“Hello, ladies.”
Danica’s entire body tensed up at the sound of the sexy low male voice. Her stomach clenched and she rested a hand on it and willed herself not to show any reaction even as she turned her gaze to look up.
Danica’s breath caught at the sexy man standing next to her side of the booth. With light brown-sugar skin and black hair cut short, Tyler Quinn stared down at her. His whiskey eyes held a touch of hunger that went straight to her clit making it quiver.
Damn.
She looked quickly away and her gaze collided with Vinessa’s. Her friend’s eyes held a wealth of knowing that made her wince.
“Tyler Quinn,” Vinessa said turning her gaze on him. “How’s it going?”
“Ms. Singer,” he said and gave her a smile. “Hello, Danica.”
“Tyler.” Danica looked at him.
“You ladies mind if I join?”
“No,” Vinessa said. “I was just wondering what Merchant jeans had in mind for Dani.”
He slid into the booth next to her and Danica scooted over grudgingly. She glared at Vinessa’s smirk.
“At the moment, the owners are just looking for some fresh blood, but it’s a real possibility that Danica might be asked to stay on permanently.”
“That’d be one of the smartest things you guys could ever do,” Vinessa said. “Your look is getting tired and your jeans could use a little lift.”
“I know,” Tyler agreed. Our advertising head made that same argument right before she suggested Danica.”
“Oh, really?” Vinessa asked. “Who’s that?”
“Sidney Lovell,” he answered and grinned. “She’s a big fan of your lingerie.” He turned to Danica.
“Oh, Sid,” Vinessa said and she and Danica shared a smile.
Sid Lovell’s father was a close friend of their parents.
“Sid has good taste,” Vinessa said and glanced at her watch.
“She does,” Tyler agreed. “Running late?”
“In fact, I am,” Vinessa agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dani. Quinn.”
He gave her a nod. “Later, Vinessa.”
Tyler took Vinessa’s place across from her and Danica held his gaze for a moment and then said, “I have to get going myself.”
“Why? Do I make you nervous, Danica?” He leaned toward her.
“Of course not,” she admonished with a scowl. “I just have—”
“Let me buy you one for the road,” he offered and signaled the waiter.
“No, thanks,” she said with a quick shake of her head. “I’ve had enough.” She had, and being around him was a little more intoxicating than she wanted it to be.
“Why are you always running away from me?” Tyler pressed. “It’s clear we have a mutual attraction.”
Self-preservation came to mind. She’d known guys like him, been in a relationship with one. He’d expect her to give way to his desires, to submerge who she really was. She wasn’t going to do that for anyone, male or female.
“I’m not running, Tyler,” she replied. “I’m just leaving.” She slid from the booth as the waiter arrived and quickly headed out to the parking lot. She wasn’t going to have sex with Tyler Quinn under any circumstances, she told herself firmly as she shoved the key into the lock of her sports car.
She could easily fall into deep lust. That would be a recipe for disaster. She knew how hot men like Tyler Quinn were. They took what they wanted, told every lie of convenience to get a woman into bed. Then, they took a baseball bat to her heart and beat her trust in to dust and shredded her faith in love.
Danica heard footsteps and quickly yanked open the door of her car and climbed in. It took her only a second to start the engine and back out.
She spied him striding across the parking lot and burned rubber getting out into the main street. She sharply took the first street she came to and put her foot heavily on the gas knowing she just might get a speeding ticket on the way home.
Chapter Two
Kaela Germaine jerked awake to the pounding on her townhouse door. With an irritated groan, she glanced at the red numbers on the digital clock on her bedside table and pushed out a harsh sigh. She threw back the covers wondering what jerk would be knocking on her door at nine o’clock on a Friday morning.
This was a work day for crying out loud!
She climbed the stairs to the main level and glanced out the peephole. Jeremy, her agent. She yanked open the door. The son of a bitch had some nerve showing up on her doorstep looking like the boy next door all short blond hair and baby-blue eyes. She was firing his ass, and she meant it for real this time. She didn’t care how much more help he could be to her career. He had her on a collision course for destruction.
“I brought coffee.” Jeremy Carte
r gave her one of his thousand watt smiles and held up two cups.
Kaela eyed the cups speculatively and decided she’d had enough of his tricks. “What do you want, Jeremy?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“You know what I want, Kaela,” he crooned. “ Here drink this.”
She had to restrain herself slapping the cup out of his hand and messing up the pristine chocolate of her carpet. “No, thanks. What do you want? I fired you.”
“What?” he demanded good-naturedly and walked around her.
She closed the door on a sigh and turned to find him taking a sip of coffee.
“Have you gone over the script yet? The director needs your answer ASAP,” he said. “And what about—”
“Yes.” She loved it. It was perfect for her.
And?” he demanded with a grin. “This is a chance of a lifetime. You’ll be an A-Lister by this time next year.”
“There is a chance of that, but I saw my life flash before my eyes a few days ago and I didn’t like it,” she said coldly. “This time next year I’ll be a well managed junkie.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” he said in an irritated tone. “I won’t let you get out of control. Now, let’s talk about the movie deal. They’re going to pay us millions, and the cosmetics contract will net you—”
“Stop it, Jeremy,” she snapped out between gritted teeth. “I know you mean well, but I meant it when I said I can’t work with you anymore.” She couldn’t work with a man who thought drugging her was the answer to her desire to slow down some.
“What is your problem?” he demanded and shoved the coffee cups at her. “Here. I have some coke with me and some—”