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𝘾𝙖𝙩
𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘥—𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘦𝘵, 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯.
𝙁𝙚𝙣
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.
𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘵.
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦—𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
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I went to refill my hand with water and accidentally tipped the bottle more than was needed, splashing myself with the contents. I yipped and jerked back as if I could escape my own hands, and Fen barked out a laugh.
The sound was beyond incredible. A laugh from him felt like liquid sunshine raining down from the sky, warming every inch of me.
Wanting to keep the playful mood going, I grinned at him. “You thought that was funny, did you?” I raised a brow and pursed my lips together before sloshing the water bottle in his direction and sending a spray of water across his chest.
I was to a point where I was infinitely more comfortable around Fen, but we hadn’t known each other all that long. For a split second, time came to a stop, and I questioned if I had overstepped my bounds. That was until he tucked his chin with a devious grin and sprang in my direction.
I dropped the bottle and bolted with a shriek.
“It was an accident! A hand spasm!” I hollered behind me as I tore back down the path.
“Cat, why do I not believe you?” Right on my tail, Fen grabbed for my hand. My momentum swung around to bring me flush against his chest, his hands binding mine snuggly at my back.
With heavy breaths, our gazes locked, and the world around us melted away.
His heated stare dropped down to my parted lips.
Desire like I’ve never experienced snaked and coiled its way from my center to every tiny nerve ending until my body was alight with sensation. Adjusting to this foreign ache inside me, my back arched, pressing me further against his hard chest.
Fen’s every muscle was rigid with restraint, but when I arched and wriggled, the last thread of his control snapped. His hands clutched me tighter, one finding its way into my curls. He angled my head to give him access to my neck. Only the weakest puffs of air managed to pass through my constricted lungs as his lips lowered to the delicate skin of my throat.
“It has been … so long, Cat. So long since I have touched a woman.” His words ghosted across my skin. “I only have so much restraint within me.”
I licked my now parched lips, straining to think through my lusty haze. “Is there a reason to restrain yourself?”
He pulled back, his eyes tracking mine, almost pleadingly. “There is every reason, yet none seem sufficient.”
I couldn’t help myself.
I didn’t care why he seemed to be begging me to stop him. I needed his lips on mine like I needed my next breath. I wanted Fen to be the very air I breathed.
Tossing aside his wordless plea, I lifted onto my toes and brought our lips together in a tentative kiss. Fenodree held perfectly still, chiseled in stone. I began to question if he’d respond to my advance until I made one last effort and trailed my tongue along his full bottom lip, desperate to taste him.
The contact drew forth a savage groan from deep in his chest before his lips crashed down on mine.
I’d never felt more desired in my entire life. Not just desired. Owned.
As though my body was his to command in a way I’d never known was possible. Invisible strings bound us together, tightly woven and impossible to ignore. Even our hearts pounded with the same punishing rhythm.
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Read the First Chapter HERE!
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Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she’s a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.
With Jill’s books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.
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“Take a shower,” he says.
I’m almost tempted to salute him. But I don’t, because a long, hot shower really does sound good.
I nod and thank him politely and tell him I won’t be long.
“I ordered pizza. It’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”
Oh, god yes.
If I thought a shower sounded tempting, pizza sounds even better.
“Thank you. I’m starving. The cotton candy is the only thing I’ve eaten all day. You must be hungry too, thank you for waiting for –”
“I’ve already eaten,” he says quickly. “You’ll be eating alone. I have some rules we need to discuss before tomorrow morning. I’m tired, so don’t be long. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
Oh.
Why am I so disappointed?
“I won’t.”
Elliot makes a kind of grunting sound and then walks away.
Jesus Christ, this man.
Born and raised by the beach, Karen Crompton is an Australian author who writes YA/NA contemporary Romance novels. She spends most of her time writing, reading and dreaming up new swoon worthy heroes.
Hell Bent (#1 South Shore Beach Series) and Heaven Sent (#2 South Shore Beach Series) and standalone – The Winter Before – are all available now in Kindle Unlimited.
For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, check out Karen’s website.
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