Chin
resting on folded arms against the balcony's railing, she stared down at the
streets below, erratic energy zapping from her bent body encased in violet
while the breeze tossed her long tresses against bare shoulders.
She
was too beautiful, too known, too wild, too…much. He knew that she was the kind
of woman who could devour him, who would know his soul, who would wield her
power over him with advanced skill. Yet he couldn’t leave. Maybe that’s why he had come, armed with
chili-cheese fries, to dare destiny.
"My
great-grandmother was a painter," she said after he'd joined her.
"Being an artist is all I've ever wanted to do."
"And
you did it. You had a successful showing and—"
"Someone
destroyed them all."
"Yes,
they did." He couldn't imagine having one of his resorts go up in flames.
Maybe it wasn't the same exactly, but he poured so much of himself into each
design, into every part of the decision making process, that it would feel
like...a death. He didn't know what to do or what to say to ease her pain.
She
blew out a long breath before standing straight and looking at him through the
shadows. "It's at least one in the morning by now. Time for bed. Are you
joining me?"
He
inhaled sharply at the idea of resuming where they'd left off.
"Don't
you want to...talk or something?" he asked.
"About
my feelings?" Her lips twisted. "It sucks. It hurts like hell. It
pisses me off. There. I talked about my feelings. We good now?"
He'd
never met anyone like her. Vanessa Warren was definitely one-of-a kind. She
sauntered to him, almost like a predator about to go in for the kill, stood on
her tiptoes until her breath caressed his chin, and whispered, "Make me
believe in something good, something better than a lie."
He
grabbed her ass and lifted her up until they were eye-to-eye. Hair licked with
fire slipped across his face when she leaned over him, all color and warmth. He
wanted this, wanted her. This is why he had come, to feel this again, this
agony of desire that he had suppressed for years.
Fingers
twisted in the strands of hair that slipped against his face. He crushed her to
him, ravaging her mouth like a dying man grasping at life. Tongues teased.
Teeth nipped. And he fell past a point
he had never thought to cross, not that he cared, not that it mattered. In his
mind, he could see the lights of the city, blurring with speed and spinning
beneath them.
God,
she felt good. Intoxicating. Her lips
nibbled across his neck.
“I
shouldn’t want you so much, but I do. I can’t stop myself,” she whispered.
“Why
do you want me?” He held her firm with his fists wrapped in her hair. “Tell
me.”
“You
wanted me when you didn’t know who I was. We were just two people, strangers,
without a past or a future. I knew you wanted to fuck me against that mural,
beneath that tarp, I saw it in your eyes, thought about it all damn day. Then
tonight there you were. You walked up those stairs like a predator, seeking me
out, sweeping me away.”
“You
want to be swept away?”
“Desperately.”
"I'll
do my best." He scooped her off her feet and carried her from the balcony
to the bedroom. He fell onto his back against the mattress with her
silk-encased body draped across him.
“Damn
dress.” She propped herself above him and grimaced. “Help me out of it?”
“With
pleasure,” he whispered against her neck.
His
fingers moved to the discreet zipper at her side and — with his gaze never
leaving hers — he slid it down. She
shrugged it off her left shoulder. As if unwrapping a Christmas gift, he wasted
no time in sliding the rest from her lean, toned body. Velvet hissed down her
torso and slipped from her legs. Clad only in strapless bra and panties with
her hair falling in wild layers past her shoulders, she kicked the tangled
material off her feet and flashed him a devilish smile.
“You’re
deadly.” But what a way to
die.
Off
came the bra. She grinned like the seductress she was and tossed it aside. “I’ll be gentle.”
“Don’t
lie to me anymore.” His hands covered her breasts, claiming them. “Game’s over.”
“Wrong,
Nic. It’s just getting started.” She pushed his shirt from his shoulders and
kissed his neck.
From the back cover...
Power...it's a heady drug.
Vanessa Warren is
America's favorite rebel. Daughter and granddaughter of US Presidents and
sister to a future one, her family connections and notoriety are seen as leverage
for manipulating the White House—if she's captured.
One little lie leads to a whole lot of trouble.
Reclusive international
resort developer, Dominic Varga, needs a date to ward off his matchmaking
parents. When he persuades the notorious Vanessa Warren to play his girlfriend
for the night, he has no idea he's stepped into the crosshairs of kidnappers
who will do anything—destroy everything—to get to her.
One true thing...
Trapped in a rapidly
escalating international terror plot, Dominic and Vanessa's lie becomes the
only real thing in the midst of betrayals, conspiracies, and murder. As their
world falls apart, they suddenly only have each other to rely on against ruthless
people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Who can they trust? Who
is behind the plot—her own family, a political rival of her family's, or a
terrorist organization? How far will the kidnappers go—what will they be
willing to sacrifice—to control the power of the White House? Is there anywhere
in the world where they can find safety?
What the reviews say...
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great
read!! Ms. Easton delivers a wonderful read yet again!! Her characters are so intriguing!!
I couldn't put it down!! I don't know about the rest of you, but when I read, I
want to be able to picture the scenery, setting, and characters... I just love
this author because she has the ability to take you to far away places and make
you feel like you have been there and seen it!! This book will keep you at the
edge of your seat with the suspenseful plot twists and the internal struggles
each of the main characters are facing!! And of course, there is the perfect
amount of romance to keep us romance readers coming back for more!! Definitely
give it a read! You won't be disappointed!!
