Take Me Home Tonight Page 12

  Well, he had her there. Moving in with Owen, marrying him—it was all she’d ever wanted.

  “I’m not going to argue.” She cocked her head. “But I do want you to get on your knees.”

  He raised one dark brow. “Oh really?”

  “Really,” she confirmed. “Because I may be a tomboy, but I’m still a woman, you stupid jerk. And if you’re going to propose, you’d better do it right.”

  Proving that he wasn’t a total jerk, Owen obediently sank to his knees, gripped her hand, and raised it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles, then looked up at her with sexy, heavy-lidded eyes. “Madeline Wilson, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “You bet your ass I will.”

  Laughing, she got down on her own knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their mouths met in a lingering kiss, sending a streak of joy through her body.

  Suddenly she pulled back, stricken. “Oh no. You proposed while I was wearing my ratty old jersey and ancient shorts,” she realized. “Should I put on one of my sexy outfits and we can do it again?”

  A laugh rumbled out of his chest. Yanking her into his arms, he reached for the hem of her Broncos jersey and whipped the material over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Owen’s gaze instantly zeroed in on her bare breasts, his eyes smoldering with desire.

  “You don’t need clothes to make you sexy, baby.” He grinned. “Besides, I prefer you naked anyway.”

  About the Author

  A RITA-award-nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

  Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her web site www.ellekennedy.com or send her a note at elle@ellekennedy.com. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter!

  Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy

  Now Available:

  Bad Moon Rising

  Dance of Seduction

  Midnight Encounters

  Going for It

  Red Hot Summer

  Hot Summer Nights

  Hidden Desires

  Out of Uniform

  Heat of the Moment

  Heat of Passion

  Heat of the Storm

  Heat It Up

  Heat of the Night

  The Heat Is On

  Welcome to Paradise

  Welcome to Paradise

  Coming Soon:

  Hot and Bothered

  Revenge can be sweet. Forgiveness is sweeter.

  Welcome to Paradise

  © 2011 Elle Kennedy

  Welcome to Paradise, Book 1

  Singing sensation Charlotte Hill can’t wait for her high school reunion. She’s out to give Nate Bishop—the man who walked away with her virginity—the sexiest ride of his life. Then give him a heaping dose of the same medicine he gave her fifteen years ago.

  Stomp all over his heart as she walks out the door.

  Nate has never forgotten the green-eyed redhead who set his body on fire, the one girl who saw past his bad reputation. The heat of those memories still warms his thoughts, even after all these years. After he did the right thing and let her go, rather than let his love chain her to a town she despised.

  Now she’s back in Paradise looking sexier than ever, and Nate finds himself powerless to keep his distance. And Charlotte, in spite of her resolve, can’t believe she’s so easily falling under his spell. Yet mind-blowing sex doesn’t bury the past. It unearths painful emotions too long buried. Emotions that could stamp out rekindled love before it catches flame…

  Warning: Contains a reformed bad boy and a newly minted bad girl with revenge on her mind, feuding families, dirty little secrets, and a lot of dirty sex.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Welcome to Paradise:

  There was something different about her. Nate couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but something about Charlotte and the way she was looking at him brought on a spark of unease. She hadn’t said much since they’d gotten into his beat-up black pickup truck, and as they neared the B&B, Nate was rethinking his decision to be alone with Charlotte.

  He wanted her so badly he could taste her. Her perfume, an intriguing combination of roses and honey, sent his senses into overdrive. He breathed her in each time he inhaled, his cock growing harder by the second.

  Yet this didn’t feel entirely right. She’d claimed that she was over everything, that their past didn’t matter, but her sudden aloofness didn’t sit well with him.

  “You okay?” he asked, pulling up to the curb and killing the engine.

  Charlotte blinked, as if coming out of trance. “I’m fine,” she said lightly, already reaching for the door handle. “Let’s go inside. I’m a little cold.”

  Nate got out of the truck and followed her toward the porch, unable to stop himself from admiring her perfect ass. She was all grown up, all right.

  His apprehension continued to climb as they headed upstairs. Though it was only nine-thirty, the house was bathed in darkness. The Andersons lived in a small suite on the main floor, and they must have turned in already. Nate’s pulse sped up when Charlotte opened the door to her room and gestured for him to come inside.

  He hesitated in the doorway. “What are we doing, Charlie?”

  Her mouth quirked. “Catching up.”

  A little alarm went off in his head. “Why don’t you want to talk about what happened between us?”

  “Because it’s in the past. I told you, Nate, I got over it a long time ago.” Her green eyes twinkled. “Are you just going to lurk there in the doorway?”

  He took a step forward then halted again. “Are you trying to seduce me?” Both anticipation and dread accompanied the question.

  “Would it bother you if I was?”

  The teasing look on her beautiful face made his cock twitch. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?” The tease became a taunt. “Come on, Nate, you were never one to mince words. Tell me, do you want to be seduced?”

  His entire mouth went as dry as sawdust. Who was this woman and where had his Charlotte gone? As a teenager, she’d never been this forward. He’d made every move in their relationship, including that final one that resulted in the two of them lying naked on a blanket by the lake.

  “Here’s the thing,” the new Charlotte said in the old Charlotte’s familiar throaty voice. “Like I said before, my life is hectic. I don’t have a lot of time for, you know, fun stuff. And chances are that won’t change in the near future since I’m going on tour early next week. So I figured as long as I’m here…”

  “You want to do some fun stuff,” he finished. “With me.”

  “With you,” she confirmed.

  He gulped.

  Charlotte took a few steps toward him. “Come on, Nate, you know you want to say yes. And I can assure you, I’m much more experienced than I was with you.”

  A hot blade of guilt sliced into him, which she must have picked up on because she waved a careless hand.

  “In the past,” she reiterated.

  Before he could respond, she moved even closer. Her hands dropped to his waistband, and he sucked in a breath then released a ragged burst of air when she unsnapped the button of his trousers and tugged on the zipper.

  And Nate did what any healthy red-blooded male would do when a beautiful woman was trying to take off his pants.

  He let her.

  Where seduction is the perfect revenge…

  South Beach

  © 2011 Lacey Alexander

  A Hot in the City Story

  Ten years ago, Holly Pettit spent one romantic, super-sexy summer with Trey Kennedy. The aftermath of their breakup changed her life, and changed her into a no-holds-barred wild child. Now she’s on vacation—and on a mission to rid herself of his m
emory, once and for all.

  She never dreamed she’d return to the Imperial Palms Hotel to find Trey running the place. Nor did she imagine that the very sight of him would reawaken those old, sizzling-hot desires. There’s only one remedy: spend one torrid weekend seducing him with a barrage of naughty sexual skills. Then walk away. That’ll teach him a lesson, and prove to them both she’s not the soft-hearted girl he once knew.

  When the time comes, though, she’s not so sure she can break his heart. Not without shattering her own.

  Warning: Contains sun and sand, umbrella drinks, and ex-lovers reunited—mixed into the perfect, explicit recipe for sex on the beach. No one underage will be served.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for South Beach:

  The truth was, if she’d just met him here on vacation, if she’d had no past with him, she would have…liked him. Maybe even a lot. But life wasn’t that simple. Her life wasn’t that simple, and part of that was his fault. And in reality, she wasn’t trying to do anything too horrible to him here. She wanted to seduce him, for heaven’s sake—she wanted to fuck him. And he would love it. So there was nothing to feel even remotely guilty about, nothing to do but proceed with her plan.

  “Now you, fishie,” he finally said. “Tell me all the personal stuff about you that I just told you about me.” Their glasses were empty now and they’d both opted not to have a second. And she certainly felt the alcohol she’d taken into her system, but fortunately, she’d grown to be as skilled at drinking as she was in bed, so she still had command of the situation.

  “Let’s go for a walk on the beach,” she replied.

  He drew back slightly, slanted her a teasing grin. “You trying to put the moves on me, fishie?”

  Her smile stayed confident, in control. “What if I am?”

  “Then I’m flattered.”

  “Then let’s walk.” And with that, she reached out and took his hand.

  Like before, when he’d helped her up onto her stool, the touch was electric—she hadn’t expected it then and she hadn’t expected it now. But the sensations skittered up her arm and down into her breasts, turning her nipples hard. And the spot between her legs spasmed slightly at the full realization of what she was preparing to do.

  They left their shoes at the edge of the bar’s patio, sinking their feet down into cool evening sand. For the first time—maybe it had taken her eyes this long to adjust, or maybe it was the moonlight beginning to illuminate the beach—she noticed that he’d dressed much more casually than this afternoon, in khaki shorts and a more-stylish-than-silly tropical shirt. And that he looked good. He’d looked good this afternoon, and he looked just as good now, and having sex with him again wasn’t going to be a sacrifice.

  Feeling powerful and more aggressive than she usually did in her everyday life, she pulled him across the wide beach and down toward the water. Compared to the daytime hours when this stretch of sand was packed with sun worshippers of every ilk—from topless girls to happy families—the beach was quiet, though dotted with other late-night walkers, too.

  “Okay, you’re up. Start talking,” he said as they strolled hand in hand along the shore, warm Atlantic waters washing over their toes with every surge of the tide. “I want to know exactly how my little corn-fed farm girl became this bold, sexy, take-charge woman.”

  Holly took a deep breath and considered how best to reply. The truth was, maybe a little liquor plus old memories—added on to Trey’s likable openness—made her want to be open, too. And real. Even if she didn’t come right out and blame it on him, she could tell him the truth about her life—that she’d gotten off the path she’d intended to take. That she’d sought refuge in wild times, wild people.

  But…wait, no. That only made her sound vulnerable, like a woman with regrets. And she couldn’t risk him even wondering if he was the reason why. Stick to the plan.

  “I guess somewhere along the way I just decided to try a different sort of life than I’d always thought I wanted. You only live once, after all.”

  “And…” he prodded her.

  “And…I moved to Vegas and made a lot of new friends. Did a lot of new things. I guess that builds a girl’s confidence.” Yeah, just leave it at that.

  But he wasn’t buying. “That’s all I get, Holly? Come on, that’s not fair.”

  “That’s all there is,” she insisted.

  That was when he stopped walking, the move drawing her to a halt as well, and turned to face her in the dark. He still held her hand and now gripped it tighter, squeezing. “What are you about? What makes you happy? What do you love, baby?”

  God, such deep questions. Holly thought about the many answers she could give. I love my family. I love my friends—the oldest ones the best. I love cats, old Frank Sinatra records, warm nights, and…possibility. I love the way it feels when possibility stretches before you in some moments, like anything could happen, like your dreams could be only a heartbeat away.

  But why on earth would she ever, ever let herself be that vulnerable with him? What on earth was there to gain? No, she had to stay tough here. Holly-from-Indiana was only a distant memory; newer, bolder, Las Vegas Holly was in charge tonight.

  So it seemed like a good time to move past all the catching up and just cut to the chase. “I love sex, Trey. I love sex like I love nothing else in life. And I’m damn good at it, too. And if we were the only people on this beach right now, I’d drop to my knees and give you the best blowjob you’ve ever had.”

  Who says you can only score on the court?

  Slam Dunk

  © 2011 Mari Carr

  A Black & White Story

  Trey Donovan is mourning the end of summer with fellow teachers when Ellie Hunter walks into Tully’s Bar. Better yet, she’s now a former rival basketball coach and the newest science teacher at his high school. He can’t think of anyone better to fill the vacant assistant coach job. In fact, if he plays his cards right, she might end up his perfect match off the court, too.

  If she stops holding him at arm’s length long enough to give him a chance.

  Coming off a year of bad decisions that not only broke her heart, but cost her a job, Ellie has good reason to swear off workplace romances. Her undeniable—and undeniably mutual—attraction to Trey is a serious threat to her resolve. Especially since Trey’s too-easy capitulation to her boundaries stings just a little too much.

  Funny thing, though. When she sees Trey dancing with someone else, the edges of her vision turn decidedly green. And when another man tries to kiss Ellie, Trey sees red.

  Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to fudge the rules. Just a little. After all, casual sex doesn’t count. Right?

  Warning: Lots of red-hot, half-dressed court presses complete with sex toys, food, bubble baths, strip poker and, oh yeah, balls.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Slam Dunk:

  “Don’t look so grim. I’m not going to put you before the firing squad. Just a simple game of Blackjack.”

  “What’s the wager?”

  “Winner gets to do whatever they want to the other person, but the loser can't join in. When I win, you have to sit there and take whatever it is I do to you.”

  He frowned. “What exactly are we talking about here? Give me an example of something you might do.”

  She rose and Trey’s mouth went dry as she walked around the coffee table to stand in front of him.

  “For example,” she said, bending over until he could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo in her hair. “I might do something like this.” She cupped his cheek, turning his face until her lips met his. She kissed him—the touch soft, gentle, and nowhere near enough. Trey reached up to grasp her hair, to deepen the kiss, but Ellie pulled away.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Still trying to take control. My kiss, my way. All you can do is sit there and take it.”

  She wanted power. Trey tried to wrap his head around that concept. He was used to being in charge—on the court and in the bedroom. “Fine. We’ll play. Just
so long as I get the same reward when I win.”

  “If you win, you can do whatever you want to me.” She smiled and walked back to reclaim her place on the couch. As she sat, she added the two words that told him while they could play, they wouldn’t finish. “Within reason.”

  He wanted to protest the limits, but he didn’t. He wanted Ellie Hunter more than he’d ever wanted another woman. She wasn’t ready for what he was offering. However, this game gave him hope. She was definitely initiating some dirty foreplay and he didn’t intend to turn down the offer. After all, his mother didn’t raise a fool.

  She dealt the first hand and he looked at his cards—a three and an ace. “Hit me.”

  She handed him another card—a five.

  “Dealer’s sticking,” she said.

  He nodded. “Me too.”

  They flipped over their cards. He had nineteen. She had two face cards—twenty.

  “My hand wins.” She rose once more and Trey anticipated another of her too-soft kisses. While there was nothing he enjoyed so much as her lips on his, it was going to be torture not to pull her onto his lap and fully explore the depths of her mouth.

  When she got to his chair, she gestured for him to turn it so that he faced her. He followed her command, his curiosity overriding his pride. She was definitely going to push the control card tonight.

  As she bent at the waist, he leaned forward slightly, expecting her kiss. He was surprised when she ignored his lips altogether and, instead, reached for the hem of his T-shirt. Before he could consider her actions, she pulled the shirt off completely.

  Her eyes devoured his chest and he soaked up her appreciation. She’d never seen his bare chest before. She dropped to her knees, pushing his legs apart so that she could kneel between them. Her gaze never rose above his neck. She ran her hand over his chest to his upper right arm, tracing the barbed wire tattoo there. “I’ve only ever seen glimpses of this tattoo.” She continued to touch him as she spoke. “I wondered what it was.”