Tangled (19 page)

“I’m scared out of my ever loving mind. Going to New York and taking a chance like this? The

opportunity is one I can’t pass up, but it still scares the shit out of me.” His arms held her even tighter. “It

scares me even more to think about doing it without you.”

Her heart constricted painfully at his confession. “I can’t stand the thought of being without you

either.”

“You won’t ever be without me again if I have any say in it.” He bent his head, brushed the sweetest,

softest kiss to her mouth. “I love you, Scarlett.”

Tears sprang into her eyes at his words, and she felt them slip down her cheeks. “Oh God, Trevor, I

love you, too. More than I can say.”

He chuckled, kissed her again. Harder this time and she couldn’t stop the little groan that escaped.

“Then why are you crying?”

“They’re tears of happiness, you jerk.” She slapped his chest with her palm, gasped when he kissed

her yet again. His tongue sparred with hers, his hands wandered over her and just like that, she wanted him.

Wanted him naked, wanted him inside her.

It was so easy between them. Would it always be this easy?

Yes.

“You just love insulting me, don’t you?” He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. She

smiled up at him.

“You have no reason to want to be with me.”

“I have every reason to want to be with you. You’re everything to me. Everything I want in a woman.

We make a great team.”

“I don’t deserve you.” Really, she didn’t. She’d fought him tooth and nail since the moment they first

started their flirtation. They’d only been together for a few months, tops. It was too soon to be in love. Too

soon to pick up and move clear across the country for a man.

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Tangled

But Brad and Drake were right. When you knew, you knew.

And Scarlett knew.

“Don’t say that sweetheart. We’re good together. You can’t deny that.”

“It’s not all sex. A relationship needs more.” Why the hell was she arguing with him? She was being

ridiculous.

“What do you think we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks, hmm? Let’s see, we’ve been hanging

out together constantly, you spend the night at my place all the time and we go out to dinner and talk for

hours about everything. Sounds like we’re having a relationship, right?” As if he couldn’t resist he kissed

her yet again. “The sex is good, too. Fucking fantastic, just like I predicted. And I’m not protesting. Are

you protesting?”

“But—” He silenced her with a single finger pressed to her lips. A gesture he’d made upon her more

than once.

Goodness, sometimes she just needed to shut up.

“Are you protesting, Scarlett?” He cocked a brow, that familiar, oh so arrogant expression on his

gorgeous face.

She really loved that face. She even loved that cocky as hell expression.

Slowly, she shook her head. “No,” she whispered, her lips moving against his finger.

He traced her lower lip, his lids lowering, a slumberous, sexy expression on his face. “Then shut up

and let me kiss you.”

“Okay,” she croaked, her panties going wet at his commanding tone.

“And when I’m done kissing you, then I’m going to get you naked and make love to you for hours. In

fact, I think we should stay in bed all day.” Both brows rose. “Have a problem with that?”

Again, she shook her head. Her body tingled at the thought. “Not at all.”

Trevor smiled, dropped his finger from her lips. “Perfect.” He dipped his head, his mouth hovering

above hers. “Now be a good girl and kiss me.”

She did. She kissed him with all the longing, all the love that had built up in her heart, her soul, her

everything. He kissed her back with the same intensity, his lips lingering, his velvety tongue hot as it slid

against hers. She melted in his embrace, disbelief filling her that this was actually happening. That she was

getting what she wanted. That she could actually be this happy.

All thanks to Trevor.

“Are you ready to take this wild ride with me?” he asked, his mouth moving against hers.

“It’s already been a pretty wild ride,” she cracked, and he laughed.

“It has. But it’s going to get even wilder in New York.”

She sighed, slipped her arms around his neck. “I’m ready, Trevor.”

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99

About the Author

After leaving the crazy working world to become a stay at home mom, Karen realized she needed to

get crackin’ and pursue her lifelong dream of being a published writer. A busy mother of three, she fits her

precious writing time in between chasing her children, hanging out with her wonderful husband and

pretending she has a maid. She lives in California.

To learn more about Karen Erickson, please vis
it www.karenwritesromance.com.
Send an email to

Karen at
www.karenwritesromance.com/contact
or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other

readers as well as Karen!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karenericksons_newsletter/

Look for these titles by Karen Erickson

Now Available:

Fortune

Fortune’s Deception

Fortune’s Chance

Fortune’s Promise

Midsummer Night’s Steam

Spontaneous

Playing With Fire

Forbidden

Jesse’s Girl

He always wanted what he couldn’t have…

Forbidden

© 2009 Karen Erickson

Playing With Fire, Book 1

Forbidden desires, secret needs…that’s not what girls are made of. At least, that’s what Michaela’s

past boyfriends told her when she revealed her darkest, dirtiest fantasies. She knows she’s better off

without the exes, but she’s lonely—and horny. It doesn’t help that her roommate, Austin, is the most

gorgeous man she’s ever laid eyes on. Too bad he’s bisexual…or so he says.

There’s a reason Austin hasn’t been with a woman in a long time. The only one he wants is Michaela.

He’s fought his attraction for months, waiting for a sign, desperate to show her she’s everything he wants in

a lover. One illicit kiss leads to an explosive night of sex that leaves her wanting more—yet afraid. But

Austin is a patient man, more than willing to tear down her boundaries piece by piece. Exposing her to

pleasures she’s never known.

Trust leads her to whisper her most deeply held fantasy. One that rouses a new emotion Austin didn’t

expect: jealousy. Possessiveness. He’s the only man he wants in her life. And he’ll do whatever it takes to

prove it…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Forbidden:

Shaking her head, she started up the stairs, her legs growing more tired with every step. The last two

weeks had been exhausting, overwhelming. So many things to learn. So many things to do. A nice dinner

would be a joy. Especially since she’d been living on fast food lately. She wondered where Austin was

taking her.

Opening the door, she sucked in a shocked breath, drinking in what was laid out before her.

The house seemed staged for seduction. Warm golden light glowed from the dim lamps. The shades

were drawn, helping cast shadows throughout, and lit candles flickered on the coffee table, along the

kitchen counter, atop the small dining room table.

Michaela shut the door behind her, leaning against it to take the scene in. Soft music played in the

background, mellow and sensual. The apartment was actually clean—no thanks to her since she’d worked

so much, the couch plumped and inviting, rich velvet pillows scattered across it.

“You’re late.”

She looked up, caught the broad shadowy figure standing in the kitchen doorway. Austin emerged

from the shadows, breathtaking in a simple black button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and

faded jeans. She couldn’t move, could barely think as he approached her, his lips tilted upward, eyes

crinkling at the corners just before his mouth broke out into that full smile she loved so much.

“I’m sorry,” she said as he stopped just before her. “Work has been hectic and I tried to get out of

there on time, but Tania needed to go over something with me…”

He silenced her with the press of his index finger over her lips. She quieted, her lips parting when he

traced them, his touch sending shooting sparks of electricity spiraling throughout her body.

“You need to relax. You work too much.” His velvety voice smoothed over her, made her limbs weak,

her heart race. He was being kind, thoughtful and she’d been such a bitch.

She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve
him
.

Clearing her throat, she forced the words out. “Did you make dinner?”

He laughed, the sound rich and inviting, and her panties grew damp. All because of his laugh. Lord,

she had it bad. “I burn water. I ordered in. Your favorite.”

“Chan’s?” Their go-to for Chinese takeout. They both loved that place.

Nodding, he took her hand and led her to the table. It was set with her only placemats and her favorite

dishes, cloth napkins that matched the placemats folded atop the plates. A cluster of cream candles burned

in the center of the table, their wicks sputtering and flickering, and she turned to look at him, the surprise

she felt surely written all over face.

“You did this all for me?” Her voice squeaked, and she felt her cheeks heat. Embarrassment flooded

her that he would think of her like this and yet she had treated him shabbily.

“Yes.” He pushed the hair away from her shoulder, his fingers lingering on her bare skin. “We

haven’t spent much time together. I wanted to make tonight special.”

“Thank you.” She went to him, stood on tiptoe and brushed a lingering kiss to his lips. “I’m starved.”

His eyes sparkled with interest. “I’ll bring dinner out.”

He waited on her, bringing out plate after plate of steaming food, all of their favorites and she figured

he must’ve spent a fortune. The food was excellent, she spent the first ten minutes just consuming food, no

time to talk. She couldn’t remember the last time they had ordered from Chan’s.

Austin acted like the perfect gentleman, asking her about work, and she poured her heart out, giving

him all the details of the last two weeks. She couldn’t believe she’d kept all of this from him, had avoided

him for so long. She’d done it out of fear, afraid that things would be forever changed between them and

though they were, they still had this easy comfortableness together.

Yet she was aware of him as a man. A rather sexy man. The way his fingers wrapped around his glass,

long and tapered, smoothing up and down. Reminding her of how they had touched her, glided over her

skin, sunk deep inside her.

So not smart to go there. She squirmed in her chair, her panties growing damper by the minute, and he

caught her staring, his gaze snagging hers, a knowing look on his face.

“I’ve missed you, Michaela.” His voice was soft, husky. “But it sounds like things are crazy at work.”

“They are.” She paused and looked down, drawing her fork across her plate, playing with the leftover

rice. “I’ve been avoiding you, though. It’s not all been work.”

“I know.”

Michaela watched him, the way he slouched in his chair, his forearms resting on the edge of the table.

He looked delectable. He always did, no matter what. “You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”

“I wanted to.” He sat up straighter, his expression going serious. “We need to talk.”

Oh, God, here we go. She should tell him how she really felt. It would be easiest now, with the table

as some sort of barrier between them. She could spit it out and be done with it.

She only hoped he was receptive.

What's a werewolf to do when she finds her soul mate…twice?

Total Eclipse of the Heart

© 2008 Crystal Jordan

An
In the Heat of the Night
Story

In a world where all magical creatures are out of the closet, Rachel and Jerrod’s bar, Eclipse, is still

considered unconventional. Under the uneasy eye of their werewolf pack elders, Eclipse is the culmination

of a dream—neutral territory for weres, vampires, and everything else that goes bump in the night.

That’s not all that’s out of the ordinary. Though Rachel has been faithfully mated to Jerrod for five

years, she suppresses a lingering longing for multiple partners—both male and female. And when Lena

walks into the bar one night, Rachel’s carefully balanced world turns inside out.

Lena senses Rachel is her mate, and nothing will stop her from claiming what’s hers. Not even the

fact that no werewolf has ever had two mates at the same time. Rachel is terrified, not only of her love for

Lena, but also of hurting and losing Jerrod.

His possible reaction is not her only worry. The council could use her transgression to destroy their

dream—by closing down Eclipse for good.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Total Eclipse of the Heart:

My hand shook as I slid a frosty glass and a bottle of Corona onto a small round table. Unease wound

through me, and I didn’t know why. The feeling skittered up my back and made my skin crawl. I knew this

feeling, but I couldn’t place it. Some instinct within me was kicking into high gear and I was drawing a big

fat blank as to what I was supposed to be getting. It was damned annoying, and inconvenient. I woke this

morning to a lead ball in my stomach, and it had only gotten worse all day. I’d done everything I could to