Mine to Hold
Authors: Shayla Black
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF SHAYLA BLACK
Belong to Me
“Shayla Black is known for her hot writing, and this doesn’t disappoint . . . Not to be missed.”
—
Night Owl Reviews
“Blisteringly hot and equally emotional,
Belong to Me
is outstanding! . . . Packed with intrigue and scorching sex; Shayla Black should be on every erotica fan’s must-have list!”
—
Reader to Reader
“Sultry, sensuous, and solidly the single most favorite book I have read the entire summer!”
—
Romance Junkies
“Ms. Black totally hit this one out of the park . . .Word of warning—the scenes are so intense you just may have to sit inside a walk-in freezer while reading them. Holy Hotness! This one is a winner.”
—
The Romance Reviews
Surrender to Me
“Full of steam, erotic love, and nonstop, page-turning action, this was one of those books you read in one sitting.”
—
Night Owl Reviews
“Delicious and entertaining, the scenes are unforgettable, and the characters are to die for. Fabulous read!”
—
Fresh Fiction
Delicious
“Shayla Black creates emotional, searingly sexy stories that always leave me wanting more.”
—Maya Banks,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Too
Delicious
to put down . . . a book to be savored over and over.”
—
Romance Junkies
“Make sure you have something to cool yourself down with, for this one is a scorcher.”
—
The Romance Readers Connection
“The characters, the drama, the suspense, the eroticism, and most importantly the heart-stopping romance all combine to make
Delicious
a perfect read . . . sizzling hot and one for the keeper shelf.”
—
The Romance Studio
“Another winner from Black . . . will thrill erotica and mystery fans alike.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Erotic, emotional . . . suspenseful.”
—
Joyfully Reviewed
“An absolute winner.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
Decadent
“Wickedly seductive from start to finish.”
—Jaci Burton,
New York Times
bestselling author
“A lusty page-turner from the get-go,
Decadent
lives up to its title, grabbing readers from the very first chapter and not letting go until the very end with a shuddering climax worthy of any keeper shelf.”
—
TwoLips Reviews
Wicked Ties
“A wicked, sensual thrill from first page to last. I loved it!”
—Lora Leigh, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“Not a book to be missed . . . Just be sure that you have something cold to drink while reading it and hopefully someone there afterwards to ease away the ache.”
—
A Romance Review
“Absolutely took my breath away . . .
Wicked Ties
wound itself around me and refused to let go. Full of passion and erotic love scenes.”
—
Romance Junkies
Strip Search
(writing as Shelley Bradley)
“Packs a hell of a wallop . . . an exciting, steamy, and magnificent story . . . If I had to rate this book out of ten, it would certainly get a fifteen! Twists, turns, titillating and explosive sexual chemistry, and memorable characters—readers can’t ask for more.
Strip Search
is highly recommended!”
—
The Road to Romance
“An exciting contemporary romance with suspenseful undertones . . . the love scenes are particularly steamy. This book would be perfect for readers who enjoy their romance with a hint of suspense.”
—
Curled Up with a Good Book
“Blew me away . . . a great read.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
“The twists and turns in
Strip Search
make for an intriguing climax . . . Bradley is a master of tying love and mystery together. I highly recommend this book.”
—MyShelf.com
Bound and Determined
(writing as Shelley Bradley)
“This story explores one of my favorite fantasies . . . a desperate heroine takes a handsome alpha male hostage. Much sexy fun is had by all. Especially when the yummy captive turns the tables!”
—Angela Knight,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Steamier than a Florida night, with characters who will keep you laughing and have you panting for more!”
—Susan Johnson,
New York Times
bestselling author
“A searing, frolicking adventure of suspense, love, and passion!”
—Lora Leigh, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“A flawless story that grips readers from page one and doesn’t let up.”
—
The Road to Romance
Titles by Shayla Black
WICKED TIES
DECADENT
DELICIOUS
SURRENDER TO ME
BELONG TO ME
MINE TO HOLD
FOUR PLAY
(with Maya Banks)
Titles by Shayla Black writing as Shelley Bradley
BOUND AND DETERMINED
STRIP SEARCH
Mine to Hold
SHAYLA BLACK
HEAT
NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2012 by Shelley Bradley LLC.
Cover photograph © Astra Production / Photolibrary.
Cover design by Marc J. Cohen.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Heat trade paperback edition / June 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Shayla.
Mine to hold / Shayla Black. — Heat trade paperback ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-101-56587-2
1. Life-change events—Fiction. 2. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)—Fiction. 3. Stalking—Fiction. 4. Family secrets—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.L325245M56 2012
813 .6—dc23
2011051845
Acknowledgments
For fans of the Wicked Lovers series. Your dedication has been an inspiration to me. I can’t thank you enough for your kind words and support. Thanks to Chloe Vale for helping me keep my head screwed on straight during this process, and to Angel Payne for her unending enthusiasm for these characters and this story. Special appreciation goes out to Christie Von Ditter for her help and honesty, for doing so much to organize and manage my administrative life so I can focus on writing books I love. Also a big shout-out to Rhyannon Byrd. You never fail to make me smile. And lastly, to the Wicked Lovers role-players on Facebook. It’s like a whole new playground, and I love the way you’ve adopted the characters near and dear to my heart and taken them into your own.
Contents