Desire Me Now (21 page)

She could do this all day and night and rather wished she could. But they only had
an hour before he’d have to sneak back into his room and pretend they hadn’t spent
the night in delicious sin.

As she grew more daring, her hand lowered to his navel, her fingers circling his toned
stomach. Should she play this safe? Wake him up and get started on the one hundred
and one duties that awaited them, or . . .

Or trail her fingers lower.

Curiosity decided her next course.

With a quick flick of her hand, she tossed the blanket off his chest and stared in
awe at the perfection of his body.

That he was naked shouldn’t catch her off guard; there hadn’t been a night they’d
been together that he hadn’t slept
au naturel
. That he crawled into bed next to her last night without a stitch of clothing had
wetness slicking between her thighs. She moved her legs, wishing his hand was buried
there to ease the need building fast.

She brushed her fingers against his long, firm manhood. She could make out the dark
vein running down the center of his shaft. The skin around the head was pulled back
and the plum-colored head of his cock pointed right at her. Almost begging her to
take it in her mouth.

His cock moved, growing impossibly thicker as a bead of semen formed at the slit.
The sight fascinated her. Drew her closer. She had a sudden desire to touch that creamy
drop of fluid . . . feel him like he often felt her. Taste him. She’d had the head
of his penis in her mouth before, but she hadn’t really known how to pleasure him.

Could she do so now?

Perhaps she could just lick him, as he’d licked through the folds of her sex. Would
that draw more fluid out of the tip? Would that give him the same pleasure it had
given her?

Glancing up at Nick, she saw that his eyes were closed, his breathing even. She turned
her focus back to his penis, lowering her hand enough to touch the wetness that had
gathered at the tip. Her breath caught in her throat when it jerked and throbbed.
She brushed her fingers against it again. Feeling more daring, she curled her hand
around the soft head and squeezed it in her hold. Doing this excited her so much that
she thought her heartbeat might be loud enough to wake him.

Nick wrapped his hand around hers before she even processed that he was awake. Her
face burned with shame at being caught touching him while he was unaware. But under
that shame, there was only desire.

Give in to your impulses . . .

Read on for a sneak peek at four brand-new

e-book original tales of romance from HarperCollins.

Available now wherever e-books are sold.

BAD FOR ME

A R
OCK
C
ANYON,
I
D
AHO
N
OVEL

By Codi Gary

WILD WITH YOU

I
NDEPEND
ENCE
F
ALLS
B
OOK
F
OUR

By Sara Jane Stone

THE DEVILISH MR. DANVERS

T
HE
R
AKES OF
F
ALL
OW
H
ALL
S
ERIES

By Vivienne Lorret

NEED ME

A
B
ROKE AND
B
EAUTIFUL
N
OVEL

By Tessa Bailey

An Excerpt from

A Rock Canyon, Idaho Novel

by Codi Gary

Not so very long ago, trusting someone changed Callie Jacobsen’s life forever—and
not in a fun way. So when former Marine Everett Silverton takes an interest in her,
Callie’s more than a little wary. No matter how charming he is, men are a bad idea.
In fact, she’s got the scars to prove it. Everett will do whatever it takes to show
her she’s safe with him—all she has to do is take a chance, take a step . . . and
take his hand.

C
allie was bundled up in jeans and a puffy jacket, but her blonde curls had flown behind
her in a mix of gold and crystal, flashing like streaks of lightning in the moonlight.
Everett’s hands had itched to get tangled up in that mass of curls as he imagined
pulling her against him, kissing those sweet lips until she relaxed, breathing in
her sweet scent and holding her. Forgetting all about why she was bad for him and
why things could never work between them.

But before he could think better of it, he’d opened his mouth and told her she was
beautiful.

Only instead of jumping into his arms at his compliment, she was now staring at him
like he was a Peeping Tom.

Callie hopped off the swing like it was on fire. “Sorry. I just needed a minute alone.”

“You do that a lot,” he said, taking a step toward her.

“What?”

“Want to be alone.”

“So?” she said irritably. “What’s wrong with wanting a little privacy?”

“Nothing. It’s just . . . when you spend so much time on your own, you start to get
lonely.”

“Why do you care if I get lonely? You want nothing to do with me, right?”

He kept getting closer to her. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did, and I’m sorry to have bothered you—”

“Do you know why I holed up in my house with a book I’ve read at least a dozen times
instead of having fun with my family and the rest of my hometown?” He had her nearly
backed up against the tree and wanted to press himself into her and feel her soft
curves.

“Because hayrides and haunted mazes creep you out?” she asked quietly.

“Hmm, no, I actually like Halloween,” Everett said.

He was a foot away now, close enough to touch her.

“Then what?”

Everett leaned over her, his arm against the tree. He ignored the bark biting into
the flesh of his arm and the warmth of her body calling him closer and said, “Because
I was afraid if I saw you, I’d forget everything I know and everything I’ve been telling
myself about you.”

“Like what?” Her small, pink tongue darted out to lick her lips, and his cock grew
heavy with need.

“That you’re bad for me. That if I get involved with you it will destroy me.”

He saw something flash across her face before her expression shuttered. Hurt? Longing?

“Then leave me alone.”

He should. He should turn around and head back into his house, locking the door on
her and his desire.

“I can’t. I can’t stop. You get to me, and I’m not strong enough to walk away.”

A soft cry escaped her just before his mouth came down, claiming hers.

God, she tasted like fresh honey. His tongue slipped inside to sweep along hers, delving
into her warmth as his hand came up and tangled in her hair. He wanted closer, wanted
to surround himself with her scent, her body, and push all of the doubt from his mind.

Everett came out of his fog of desire when Callie shoved at his chest, turning her
head away from him. She was breathing hard, panting.

“I am not a plaything. You keep saying that I’m not what you’re looking for, but the
truth is, I wasn’t looking for you either. You popped into my life and sought me out.
Then you learned something you don’t like about me, and suddenly I’m this toxic thing
you have to resist?” She pushed him hard, and he backed off. Every word was true,
and it made him feel like an asshole.

Because he was acting like one.

“I’ve got a newsflash for you. Being self-righteous and judgmental doesn’t make you
a good person. You don’t know me or what I’ve gone through, and yes, I’ve made some
bad choices, but they were
mine
. I’ve taken responsibility for my addiction and changed. And that’s all anyone can
do, but I don’t need you telling me you want me or that you’re better than me.”

In the distance, someone began calling her name, and Callie turned without saying
anything else.

He couldn’t let her go, not with that statement hanging between them. In three strides
he was behind her, his hand on her arm. Callie stopped but didn’t turn. Everett moved
closer until the top of her head sat just under his chin; then he gently pulled her
unruly curls back over her shoulder. She was still as a statue, even when he leaned
down to whisper against her ear.

“You’re right about everything, and I’m sorry. I’m a self-righteous prick, but I don’t
think I’m better than you. You just scare the hell out of me.” Everett was so tempted
to kiss the pulse point below her ear. “I never wanted to make you feel less-than,
Callie, and hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”

Seconds ticked by, and she said nothing. He was still scared shitless, but he couldn’t
ignore this thing between them. Distance and avoidance hadn’t made his desire for
her go away, hadn’t lessened his infatuation, and her passionate speech only made
him want to keep pushing, peeling back her layers until he could see right into her
soul.

And just when he was sure he’d blown it, she shocked the hell out of him.

“What’s the first thing?”

An Excerpt from

Independence Falls Book Four

by Sara Jane Stone

One night with a hero is just what she needs. But more spells trouble . . .

Dr. Katherine “Kat” Arnold left Oregon and never looked back at the town that failed
her as a child. But when a new patient from Independence Falls joins her clinical
trial, she returns determined to show everyone in her hometown how she has thrived—including
her high school crush, Brody Summers.

B
rody parked his willpower in the hall and led the blond doctor through the door marked
Pool. If his brothers saw him now they would laugh their asses off. He’d driven up
to Portland to save two families—the stranded hikers and his own. Instead, he was
taking an emergency room doctor who probably sent the men of New York City racing
to the ER with a long list of fake ailments for a swim. But he couldn’t walk away.

Beyond her beautiful face, he’d witnessed the relief in her eyes when she’d learned
that the kid was safe. One look at her and something inside him had snapped. For the
past few months he’d navigated a boatload of stress through choppy waters. And heck,
he wanted a break.

His grip on her hand tightened, his mind focused on the here and now. The feel of
her soft skin. The sound of her breathing, which quickened as they moved through each
door. Every sound she made suggested her desire matched his, poised to spiral out
of control.

A few paces into the warm and thankfully empty pool room, he turned to face her. Her
breath caught as he stared into her eyes. Hesitation? Heck, maybe she’d read his mind
and knew he wanted to bypass the pool, taking her straight to his bed.

“Brody, if you’re having second thoughts, we can head back into the hall and call
it a night. But if you want to stay and, um, celebrate, I promise I won’t take advantage
of you in your underwear.” She spoke in a low tone that left part of his body hoping
he could convince Little Miss Perfect to break her word.

“And if I can’t make the same promise?” he challenged. The past twenty-four hours—heck,
the past few months—had chipped away at his calm logic and left him emotionally rung
out. He felt as if he was standing on the edge of wild.

“That won’t be a problem.”

The way she said those words—she might as well have wrapped her hand around his dick.

But instead of reaching for the part of his body threatening to wage a war against
what remained of his common sense, she released his hand. “Wait here.”

Brody watched her move toward a metal closet, taking in the pool room’s layout. A
line of lounge chairs filled the space to their left. Along the wall to the right
stood a table stacked with towels. Next to the pile, a shower and a sign that clearly
stated all guests swam at their own risk. Brody glanced at the long narrow pool that
ran the length of the room. The stairs leading to the shallow end stood directly in
front of him. And in the corner opposite the entrance sat a hot tub, steam rising
from the swirling water.

He bit back a low growl as images filled his mind. Kat stripping off her clothes and
joining him in the steaming water . . .

“Where are you going?” he asked, returning his attention to the present as she opened
the door. She rummaged for a moment and turned around, triumphant.

“To find this.” She held up a sign that read
POOL CLOSED.

Her heels clicked against the cement pool deck as she headed to the door. Poking her
head out, she scanned the hall and then slipped the sign into place.

“Just in case someone else wants to celebrate,” she said.

“You know all the tricks,” he murmured. “Have you done this before?”

“When I was a teenager, I occasionally snuck into places I wasn’t supposed to be.
I got caught once and learned my lesson. Most people obey a Closed sign.”

She settled onto a lounge chair. Planting her palms on the cushion, she leaned back
and crossed the long legs he’d admired earlier while lying at her feet. Her skirt
slid up her thighs, stopping short of offering a peekaboo glance underneath.

“You’re just going to sit there and watch?”

“I can close my eyes while you undress if you’re feeling shy. But I can’t promise
I won’t peek.”