Strip Tease (25 page)

“Hi.”

Just that one word spoken, his deep voice
washing over her, had her knees weak, her heart tripping over
itself.

Everything bubbled up inside her at once.
The need to tell him about her promotion, how much of a success the
night’s event had turned out, how everything in her life was
finally coming together.

More than anything, she wanted to confess
her love. How much she needed Nate in her life.

“Hi,” she said instead, nodding toward the
bouquet. “Pretty flowers.”

He thrust them at her. “They’re for you. I
wanted to congratulate you on your success tonight.”

“How did you know I’d be a success?” She
accepted the bouquet, burying her nose in the fragrant blossoms and
breathing deep.

Shrugging, he thrust his hands in his
pockets, watching her with that familiar intense gaze. He was
gorgeous, clad in a dark blue button up shirt and charcoal gray
trousers, the color and fit of his clothes only emphasizing the
sheer size of him. She longed to wrap her arms around him and never
let go.

But she held herself in check, admiring the
flowers instead, fingering the pretty blooms.

“You’re good at what you do. You’re focused
and courageous and full of great ideas. You talked about it all the
time. I knew you would do a great job,” he finally explained.

Janelle pressed her lips together. “I did
bore you with all the details, didn’t I?”

“You never bore me, Janelle. I thought you
knew that by now.”

The serious expression on his face, the
smoldering heat in his dark brown eyes left her breathless. “Why
are you here Nate?”

“I missed you,” he said simply.

“And?” She wanted, needed to hear more.

“I didn’t like the way things ended last
time we were together.” His expression grew solemn. “I acted like
an ass. I’m sorry I came over that night and pushed myself on
you.”

“I’m not,” she murmured and his eyes lit
with renewed fire. “And you didn’t push yourself on me. I wanted
it. I wanted you.”

He took a step closer. “I never used you to
get to Ginger. It may have started out like that, I’ll be honest.
Coming around, trying to talk to you, needing your help in finding
her. But once it shifted into more—intimate territory, it wasn’t
about finding Ginger at all. It was about you and me.
Together.”

Her entire body ached with wanting to touch
him and she took a step forward as well, his warm masculine scent
washing over her, making her dizzy with need. “Really?”

“Yes.” Another step and he was so close, she
could reach out and touch him. “It’s only been about you. It always
has. I’ve fallen in love with you, Janelle.”

She threw herself at him so hard, she
dropped the flowers, but she didn’t care. Slipping her arms around
him, she held him close, reveling in his warmth, his strength. “I
love you, too,” she murmured against his chest, squeezing his
tight.

How she thought those words would be so hard
to say, but they tumbled out of her with ease. He embraced her with
those strong arms, held her gently and she’d never felt so loved,
so protected.

“We can make this work, babe. I know we
can.” He pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss, his
mouth lingering, his hands smoothing up and down her back.

She’d never felt so cherished.

She’d never believed so strongly before.

And when his mouth met hers, she knew there
was no place she’d rather be.

UNDER HIS PROTECTION (Protect and Defend,
Book 1)

Available NOW for your
Kindle

© 2012 by Karen Erickson

He’ll protect her at any cost…

Protecting the vice president’s daughter is Secret
Service agent Mason Russell’s top priority. With the election
looming and the party’s hold shaky, Mason’s been given an important
assignment – rein the controversial party girl Blake Hewitt in.

He’d like to rein Blake in all right. Keep her under
his control and naked beneath him at all times. Blake is the
sexiest thing he’s ever seen but she’s strictly off limits. Though
she tempts him like no other.

Banished from the capital and sent far away to the
family’s vacation home, Blake seizes her chance. She’ll make Mason
hers no matter what it takes. But the noble Mason doesn’t make it
easy, and danger lurks where they least expect it…

UNDER HIS PROTECTION Excerpt:

Mason watched Blake Hewitt exit her father’s
private office, her gorgeous face appearing ready to crumple. But
in the blink of an eye, her mouth firmed, her eyes narrowed and he
knew.

His subject was angry. And most likely her
father was even angrier.

“He wants to see you,” she tossed over her
shoulder as she walked by, leaving behind a delicate cloud of soft,
feminine scent that always,
always
sent his nostrils
twitching.

It sent other parts of his body twitching as
well.

Not that she ever knew. It was his job to
look at her—and look after her too. The ever present sunglasses
helped conceal the hunger in his eyes, so she’d never catch him
staring at her like a dog salivating over a bone.

Like now, his gaze slid up her legs to the
shift of her ass beneath the dark fabric of her jeans. Jeans that
fit her sweet curves and those pretty long legs like a second skin,
showcasing everything she had.

Mason shook his head. Christ, he was staring
at her ass and he’d just been summoned to her father’s office. What
the hell was wrong with him?

Lust for Blake Hewitt was what was wrong
with him.

Sweat beading his brow, he blinked, pushed
the dirty thoughts aside. He took a deep breath and walked inside
James Hewitt’s office. Standing just inside the doorway, he waited
for the vice president to okay Mason’s entrance with a nod of his
gray head.

Hewitt finally gave it, his gaze never
meeting his, the phone tucked between his cheek and shoulder. Mason
strode inside, stopping in front of Hewitt’s impressive cherry wood
desk.

“We need to talk, Russell.” Hewitt hung up
the phone with a quiet click, his gaze lifting to meet Mason’s.
“Were you aware of what my daughter was doing when those photos
were being taken?” He waved at the magazine sitting on top of his
desk. “You did accompany her when she went to this—party,
correct?”

Hell yes, he’d been with her. It had been
one of the most torturous days of his life. Catching glimpses of
Blake having fun, smiling and laughing, it had filled him with
acute longing. For her.

The two of them together would never happen,
no matter how much he wanted it to.

The private gathering had been quiet.
Nothing out of control, nothing unusual, and she’d assured him
before they entered the residence, a close friend was the hostess.
Blake had reassured him nothing was out of the ordinary that
night.

She’d been wrong. And he’d been wrong not to
protect her better.

Seeing her strip by the pool had nearly sent
him reeling. The innocent yet sultry way she tugged off her
T-shirt, how she slipped her shorts off those long, long legs.
She’d pulled her long blonde hair into a sloppy ponytail, delicate
strands framing her face. Seeing her like that, sexily mussed,
casual and free, he’d imagined doing all sorts of wicked things to
her. With her.

Years of study, of rigid discipline all
going to hell because of a constant raging hard-on. He’d worked
hard to get where he was at, but that bikini had nearly been his
undoing.

It had taken tremendous restraint to keep in
firm control. All while she strutted around the pool in little
scraps of fabric that barely covered her ample assets. He’d wanted
to toss her over his shoulder and carry her out of there, find
somewhere more private.

Where he could salute her with his hard cock
and tear that patriotic bikini off, one little scrap of fabric at a
time. Kiss and lick her everywhere until he made her come, his name
falling from her lips…

Purchase UNDER HIS
PROTECTION
now

ON BORROWED SERVICE
(Protect and Defend, Book
2)

COMING SUMMER 2012

© 2012 by Karen Erickson

A controversial town hall meeting has turned police
officer Caitlin Hanson’s hometown into a national hub. The
politicians have taken over, accompanied by the ever present media,
but it’s too much for her local force to handle.

Working security detail alongside the Secret
Service, Caitlin realizes one of them is awfully familiar. A shame
that summer relationship she had with gorgeous Joe Connor had to
end so spectacularly bad or else she’d be tempted to give it
another go.

She doesn’t count on Agent Connor to be so
persistent—or so incredibly sexy. Their passionate bickering soon
leads into something else. But with threats being made against
those he’s supposed to protect, Joe needs to be on top of his game
more than ever…

ON BORROWED SERVICE Excerpt:

“There’s no way I can work with you.”
Caitlin started past him but Joe reached out, his strong fingers
encircling her arm in an attempt to stop her.

“You don’t have a choice.” His touch was
firm yet light enough to give her the false sense that she had the
strength to pull away.

She so didn’t. The son of a bitch had such a
firm grip on her, no way could she escape. “Let me go.”

“No.” His deep voice sent a ripple
of…something down her spine and she fought like hell to ignore it
with everything she had. “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Lifting her
chin, she glared at him.

He glared back. “Are you going to treat me
like shit the entire time we have to work together?” Joe drew her
closer, so close she could see the golden flecks in his dark blue
eyes, could feel the heat from his body radiating toward her. A
shiver whispered down her spine at his nearness. “Are you still
making me pay for something that happened a long ass time ago?”

“Bastard.” She yanked out of his hold,
rubbed her arm where he’d touched her, her skin still tingling from
the press of his fingers. “Why would you bring that up?”

“Because you did first.”

“I never said anything about—” She couldn’t
bring herself to say it. Hadn’t really thought about
it—
him
—in years but one glimpse of Joseph Connor’s fine face
brought all those old memories flooding back.

Both the good ones
and
the bad
ones.

“—about our past,” she finished lamely.

The skepticism in his narrowed eyes was
clear. He didn’t believe her whatsoever. “You didn’t have to say
anything. Your body language spoke volumes.”

“We were kids. I’m not about to let our
teenage-romance-gone-bad effect me.” She shrugged. “I can be
civil.”

“Can you, Red?” His voice lowered to a
dangerous level, as in dangerously sexy.
“Can you really?”

Caitlin clamped her lips together, silently
fuming. No one had called her that in years. No doubt he said it on
purpose to provoke, that was his usual style. She refused to let
him get to her. “I’m not the same stupid girl you dumped all those
years ago.”

“No.” He chuckled. “You are most definitely
not.” He let his gaze do a slow perusal of her, from the top of her
head to the tips of her toes. Her skin warmed, as if he’d
physically touched her and she knew she should be furious.

But that appreciative glow in his eyes
banished the anger clean out of her.

ON BORROWED SERVICE
, Book 2 in
the Protect and Defend series, coming this summer!

INDULGENT PLEASURES

Available
now