Long Time Gone (28 page)

To save one good man, she’ll have to let her inner bad girl out to play…

Just Right

© 2010 Erin Nicholas

The Bradfords, Book 1

ER nurse Jessica Bradford is a good girl. Okay, a reformed bad girl, but she’s done her late father proud. Now she’s one step away from landing Dr. Perfect, aka handsome, sexy, heroic Ben Torres—the hot fudge 
and
 cherry on top of her hard work scooping out a respectable life.

Ben learned the art of sacrifice from his missionary parents, but when a drunk driver he saved kills three people, he quits. To be precise, the fist he plants in the man’s face gets him suspended. And the first dish he wants on his newly empty plate is Jessica—preferably naked.

Jessica can’t believe the Ben she’s found drowning his sorrows in a bar is her knight in shining scrubs. And he won’t be pried loose until she bets 48 hours of her time in a game of pool. She loses. And the next morning she stands to lose much more.

The Chief of Staff’s recommendation for the promotion she’s been after rides on her ability to keep Ben out of trouble until things blow over.

Except “trouble” is all Ben wants. And despite herself, Jessica finds that she’s more than willing to go down with him…

Warning: Contains hot love in a store dressing room and in the front seat of a car—at the expense of a very nice strawberry patch, unfortunately—oh, and hooker boots. Can’t forget the hooker boots.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Just Right:

Jessica sat on the plump upholstered chair, then paced across the relatively large dressing room and leaned back against the wall. That put her directly across from the mirror that took up an entire wall, which unnerved her, so she paced back to the chair and sat. In less than two minutes she was up pacing again. What was Ben doing out there?

At that moment, the door to the dressing room banged open. Jessica swung around to find Ben smirking triumphantly in the doorway, holding a shiny red gift bag that said,
Tease
on the front. “Are you ready?”

She had a very distinct feeling that she was, in no way, ready.

“Of course.”

He moved into the dressing room and the space, which she had been feeling was huge, suddenly shrunk dramatically. Not only that, but it got considerably warmer as Ben kicked the door shut behind him, locked it, then advanced on her, a predatory gleam in his eyes and a sexy grin on his face.

He stopped in front of her, looking down, studying her face. His hands stayed at his sides but she felt like he was touching her. Her body strained toward him.

“We’re doing this my way, Jessica.”

It was a blatant dare. She knew it and she knew that he knew she recognized it for what it was. She used to love playing Truth or Dare. And she always took the dares.

Her heart raced as she lifted her chin. This was Ben. If there was one thing she knew for certain it was that he was a good guy. He would not hurt her or endanger her. There was absolutely nothing to worry about, which meant that all she had to do was enjoy.

She could totally do that. In fact, she could hardly wait.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” she answered, moving in closer to him, but keeping her hands carefully by her side as well.

That seemed to further stoke the fire she saw in his eyes.

“Jessica,” Ben said, his voice low and gruff, “you are a dream come true.”

He moved in even closer, one of his feet inserted between hers.

“Take off your shirt.”
The tone in his voice went from husky to commanding just like that.

It probably shouldn’t have excited her, but it did.
Jessica had always been the one in control in any man-woman situation. Whether it was who she let buy her drinks, or how close they danced, or how far she let the interested hands get, she always called the shots.

With Ben, though, she was willing to let go of that control, and that surprised her.

She wet her lips, but said nothing. There was nothing to say. She grabbed the hem of her scrub shirt and pulled it up and over her head. She knew exactly which bra she had on too. She’d put on the leopard print one, thinking of Ben that morning.

“Nice,” he drawled.

She let the shirt drop to the floor.

“Now the pants.”

His tone was firmer now and Jessica had difficulty breathing.

Ben’s eyes were on her face rather than the body parts she had bared and he looked very aroused. Ironically, her nipples puckered in reaction. The way he watched her, she knew that none of her responses, physical or emotional, to him or his actions or words, would go unnoticed. She also knew that was his intention. He wanted to know everything that turned her on. Interestingly,
that
was a major turn-on.

Jessica undid the tie at the front of her pants, surprised to have no trouble with it in spite of the adrenaline making her hands shake. She jumped as Ben put a hand on either hip, sliding the pants down and letting them drop to the floor.

“I was going to keep my hands to myself,” he said, before pressing his lips to her shoulder. He flicked his tongue over her skin. “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”

Ben was still completely clothed while she stood there in a satin leopard-print bra and panties. She definitely felt naughty.

And she liked it.

Ben found himself intensely aroused by the fact that his fantasy was playing out just as he’d pictured it. The undressing her in the fitting room part had come to him when they’d stepped into the store and found it empty of anyone but a sales clerk who he correctly guessed would be cooperative for money and lack of hassle. But the rest was right on.

“Now the bra,” he said gruffly.

“The bra?”

“You can’t wear one with the shirt I picked out,” he said unapologetically.

“I’m going without?” she squeaked.

Ben smiled. Jessica had probably never gone braless in public and the idea that she would tonight, for him, made his already present erection pulse with anticipation. Jessica wasn’t tiny on top but neither was she even a C cup. She was probably a B and her breasts were firm. She was going to look great in the top he’d picked out.

“Come on, give it up.”

Surprisingly, she reached behind her, undid the clasp and let the black straps slip off her shoulders without another word.

She stood proudly before him in panties only and Ben knew if he didn’t touch her he’d lose his mind. He stepped in, turned her to face the mirror and moved behind her, his chest against her back. She leaned into him and he wondered briefly if she was even aware of it. Then he had to touch her, it was that simple.

His hands came up and he cupped both breasts at once. Enjoying the soft fullness, the tips begging to be touched, the way she arched to get closer to his hands. But most erotic was the sight in the mirror. Jessica’s eyes were trained on the reflection in the mirror, her hair tumbled around her shoulders and fell over the backs of his hands, her lips were parted as she breathed in quick, short breaths. Her hair slightly obscured the view, though, so he lifted one hand and gathered her hair back, out of the way. He took a moment to run his fingers through the warm, silky mass, loving the idea of messing up the style, giving an outward sign to the world that he’d touched her; that he’d pleasured her.

But her breasts beckoned him, her excited, short breaths quickened his own breathing and he moved his hand again, this time taking her nipple and tugging gently.

She gasped and moaned and Ben smiled.

He teased both breasts similarly, loving how her eyes slid shut and how she pressed back against him and the sounds she made. Then he flattened his hand on her ribs and slid it down over her stomach.

Her head tipped back to rest on his shoulder and the short little pants stopped as she held her breath.

“We’ve got to take these off too,” he said near her ear.

Her head came up fast, but he kept her shoulder blades against his chest by keeping his hand on her breast, her rock-hard nipple peeking between his middle fingers. He squeezed and she breathed in deep.

Feeling smug, he dropped both hands, hooked the waistband of her silky panties with his thumbs and pulled. They slipped easily over her hips and he let them drop to the floor on top of her pants.

As she stepped out of them, Ben paused, eyes glued to the mirror and the sight of Jessica bare-assed naked on display for him under the bright lights designed to show every detail of what the room’s occupants wore—or didn’t.

“Jess,” he said hoarsely. “You’re gorgeous.”

He brushed his hand over the curls between her legs before she could complete even a word. She gasped as his palm cupped her mound and his middle finger slipped into the hot, silky folds that parted in welcome. “Damn, you’re wet for me,” he murmured with approval.

Her hands came back, grabbing the material of his slacks along the outer seams for support as her head fell back onto his shoulder again. He stroked in and out of her, closing his eyes in pleasure, then quickly snapping them open so as not to miss the exquisite sight in the mirror.

Jessica’s back arched, pressing closer to his hand,
her eyes pressed tightly shut
. She moaned softly as he stroked her. But Ben didn’t want soft responses. He wanted loud, hard, unrestrained.

He slipped another finger into her and his thumb found her clitoris, rubbing over it with enough pressure to cause her hips to buck. He held her steady with his other hand on her hip and watched his hand move on her, incredibly turned on by being able to watch in the mirror and wondering why the hell he’d never thought of this before.

“I want to touch you, too,” Jessica said in between gasps.

“But this isn’t about what you want,” he said. “I want you to see this. Open your eyes.”

He could tell that having someone else take command—of anything—was new to Jessica, and that she liked it. He loved that it was him she felt safe enough with to be adventurous. It shouldn’t matter, probably. In a casual affair it didn’t matter how the other person was feeling as long as everyone had a good time. But it did matter. She met his eyes in the mirror and wet her lips. He reached up and tugged on her nipple while he caressed her deeply, keeping his eyes connected with her.

“I can’t walk out of here without taking you,” he said gruffly against her ear.

“Good,” she said emphatically. She pushed his lower hand away, pivoted and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him forward, and kissed him deep and hard with lots of tongue.

He gripped her hips in his hands, pulling her up against him, settling her mound right against his painfully hard erection and then rubbing.

“Yes,” she breathed as she pulled her mouth free. “Yes, right there.”

He obliged, grinding into her, even as he smiled. “What about right here, right now?” he asked, fully intending it to be right here, right now.

“
Yes
.”

Sometimes the only way to leave the past behind is to ignore the voice of reason—and leap.

Past Promises

© 2009 N.J. Walters

Jamesville, Book 7

For Linda Fletcher, the sign in front of her new business says it all. Past Promises Antiques is her declaration of independence from her powerful and manipulative family—and a vow to herself that her future will be different.

She never considered herself the no-strings-affair type, but the chemistry between her and her newly hired handyman is too intense to ignore. Moving to Jamesville was a bold step, so what’s the harm in taking one more—into his arms?

Levi Mann’s shadowed past keeps his bags packed light and his feet on the move. But one look at Linda, and he finds himself willing to hang around—just long enough to figure out what it is that triggers their explosive passion.

Warning, this title contains very explicit language, a dysfunctional family, a very large inheritance and lots of wild, hot sex.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Past Promises:

“Are you okay?” A low, male voice startled her out of her daydreams of the past. Linda whirled around, hand on her chest, heart pounding.

He stood just behind her. Watching. Waiting.

She had no idea how long he’d been there. It should have been impossible for a man his size to sneak up on her. At six-and-a-half feet tall, Levi Mann took up a lot of space. His body was massive, but it was all solid muscle. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man.

He was wearing his usual uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. The faded denim clung to his thick thighs like a second skin. The soft cotton of the shirt molded to his biceps and chest, leaving little to the imagination.

And she had imagined him. A lot.

Lying in bed late at night, Linda had wondered more than once what it would feel like to touch all that sculpted muscle. She knew what it looked like. Levi had helped her with much of the renovation work on the building, as well as the painting, often removing his shirt while he worked. She’d lost count of the number of times she’d stopped painting just to stare at him while he was working. Levi gave new meaning to the phrase abs of steel. His tanned flesh looked as though it was pulled tight over slabs of muscle.

And the man was just as potent from behind. He had wide shoulders that tapered down to his thick waist, the muscles making a perfect V. His butt was first class all the way.

“Linda?” The way he said her name gave her shivers. “Are you okay?”

Oh, God. She was standing here like a ninny, staring at him again. “I’m fine.” She shook herself and dropped the letter in the garbage. “Just thinking about things.” That was vague enough for him to drop it. In her experience, most men were just as happy to avoid lengthy, in-depth discussions with females.

Levi stared at her, his golden-brown eyes sending a shiver down her spine. He had a way of watching a person that made you think he could see all the way to your soul. Then he blinked and the moment passed. “Excited about this morning?”

She ignored the fact that his shoulder-length hair was down this morning, making him look even sexier. Usually, he kept it tied back while he worked. And there was no doubt about it. Levi was a man of action. If not for him, she’d still be working on the building instead of opening the doors on her new business.

“Excited and scared.” She laughed and motioned to the coffee pot, which had just finished perking. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

Turning her back to him, she struggled to regain her composure. He was one hot guy, no doubt about it, but she wasn’t looking for that kind of complication in her life right now.

Not that he’d come on to her in any way since she’d hired him. The arrangement they’d worked out helped them both. When she’d bought the building that housed Past Promises, it had needed a lot of sweat and elbow grease to make it livable. Which wasn’t a problem. Linda wasn’t afraid of hard labor.

The building was almost a hundred years old, three stories high and built of brick. The main floor was the retail space, but some time in the nineteen-seventies someone had converted the two upper floors into apartments. Linda had revamped the top floor for her own use. She hadn’t planned on renting out the second floor apartment until Jonah Sutter had approached her about Levi.

Jonah was married to Amanda Barrington, Amanda Sutter now, a friend of Linda’s from Vermont who had also relocated to Jamesville. Jonah had introduced her to Levi, who was looking for a place to stay and was willing to work in exchange for rent. It had saved her a bundle on the renovations. Levi could do the work of three men and there wasn’t much, if anything, he couldn’t do.

Cyndi and Shamus O’Rourke, more friends who lived in Jamesville, had pitched in to help her as well. Shamus was a partner in B & O Construction, a local contracting company, so he’d given her great advice and a good price on work when she’d needed it done.

Jonah had done his part as well, using his skill as an electrician to upgrade all the electrical work in the building. Not for the first time, she was thankful for her new friends and glad she’d made the move. The contrast between her friends and her family made her stomach ache.

It was no good to question why her parents and brother couldn’t just be happy for her. They were what they were, but she was through trying to please them.

She finished pouring the coffee into a paper cup and handed it to Levi. From past experience, she knew he took his black. Over the past few months of working together she’d gotten to know him fairly well. Or as well as anyone knew him. Levi was incredibly self-contained, keeping to himself when he wasn’t working. But she’d like to think they’d become friends, of a sort.

“Thanks.” Their fingers grazed as he took the coffee from her. Heat shot down her arm and her breasts tingled.

She dropped her hand and rubbed it up and down the fine wool of her dress pants. It was distressing how quickly her body reacted to Levi. It had been that way from the first moment she’d met him. All the man had to do was walk in the room and she felt her body temperature rise. She had to control herself. Levi was a friend, nothing more.

She didn’t know his entire story, but she knew he’d been in the army with Jonah—Special Forces. He’d left the military and had come to Jamesville to help Jonah about six months ago and had stayed. She figured he was entitled to take some time to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Besides which, he was the perfect tenant. He was quiet and he’d done more than enough work to pay for at least six more months’ rent. She had no idea how long he was staying and hadn’t worked up the courage to ask. The last thing she wanted to do was make him think she wanted him gone.

“I think you’ve got your first customers waiting outside.” Levi’s quiet voice broke the silence between them. She looked at him and he canted his head toward the door. Sure enough, through the huge display window beside the front door, she could see Cyndi, Shamus, Amanda and Jonah waiting to get inside. All her friends had come to her opening.

Smiling, she let all thoughts of her family and her sexual feelings for Levi slip away. Plenty of time to deal with them later. Or not. Taking a deep breath, she strode across the store and unlocked the door. “Welcome to Past Promises.”

Levi set his coffee on the counter the minute Linda’s back was turned. Whatever was in that letter had upset her. He’d stood in the shadows watching her for several minutes before he’d spoken. He’d seen the way she unconsciously placed her hand over her stomach, the way her shoulders had hunched forward.

He didn’t like it.

Reaching down, he plucked the letter out of the garbage and stuffed it in his back pocket. He’d read it later and decide if there was anything he could do to help her.

Some might consider it an invasion of privacy, but not Levi. He had skills that most people didn’t and if he could use them to help someone he cared for then that’s what he should do. Besides which, she’d thrown it in the trash without even tearing it up or shredding it. That made it fair game in his mind.