TornByLove Read online

  She turned those dark beautiful eyes of yours on me. “Me and you? You mean on a date?”

  I was annoyed by her attitude and the tone she asked the question in. I didn't stutter and I didn't think she was hard of hearing. So why did she have to sit there looking like little red riding hood being asked out by the big, bad wolf? Didn’t she have any of the wiles that were so enticing in a woman?

  “To the company picnic,” I said slowly, hoping she understood that was as far as the invitation went. “It’s more fun if you go with someone, don’t you think?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve never gone.”

  “No? It can be fun—if you have a partner. Why don’t we go together?”

  She shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  I stared at her, wondering what the hell had possessed me to ask her in the first place. She didn't want to go out with me? Fine! I hadn't really wanted to go out with her either. I'd done my Boy Scout routine and had it thrown back in my face. No more Mr. Nice Guy for me.

  “Suit yourself.” I finished the soda and looked gratefully at my watch. “I’d better get back to work.” And to sanity, which did not include asking Alisha out ever again. I stormed towards the door.

  Before I reached it, she called out to me. “Craig?”

  I stopped and turned slowly. I gave her a cold look. “What?” I knew I didn't sound very pleasant but at that point, I didn't care. I’d had my efforts to be kind thrown back in my face and it pissed me off.

  “I'm sorry,” she said. “I shouldn't have taken out what they said on you.”

  That must mean she knew I hadn't been involved. Strangely, knowing that dissolved some of my anger. But I was not mellow enough to extend the invitation again.

  I nodded curtly and remained silent.

  She stared at me as if waiting to see what I would say. But I'd said all I intended to say.

  After several moments, she shrugged and gave me a surprisingly pretty smile. “I’d like to go. I mean if you were serious.”

  Damn. Just my luck she decided to accept as I realized taking her anywhere was the last thing I wanted to do. I was already sorry I’d allowed my sympathy to get out of hand. I briefly considered telling her I’d changed my mind. That is until I looked into her eyes. They really were a very pretty brown—almost golden.

  It was too late to back down. She wasn't pretty, or even cute, but she wasn't ugly either. No woman with skin that color and eyes that deep could be considered unattractive.

  Since I couldn't back out, I might as well make the best of it. I pasted a smile on my face and turned back to face her. “We’ll go together then.”

  She gave me a slow, sweet smile that revealed pretty, even white teeth.

  I just might not find spending a few hours with her totally unpleasant. “We can make arrangements later. “ I told her. “Right now I have to get back to work.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Craig.”

  I nodded and went back onto the plant floor.

  Beauty Is Alisha Hoover? is published by Marilyn Lee Unleashed

  The Dare Excerpt

  Marilyn Lee

  ©2008 Marilyn Lee

  I have just about worn out the all-too-brief clip you sent.

  I lie awake at night thinking about all the things I'd love to do to that pretty pussy of yours. I need and want more. I know you do too. Isn’t it time for the real thing? If you're ready to take this to the next level and want to see my cock up close and personal…if you want to feel it slowly sliding between the bald lips of your pussy, let me spend the night lying between your long, beautiful, dark thighs, loving and fucking you until you're limp with pleasure.

  The suggestive words seemed to leap off her computer monitor and sear themselves into Kassidy Green’s brain. Moistening her lips, she read on.

  If the thought of spending the night with me buried balls deep inside your stretched pussy arouses you as much as it does me, meet me. I’ve taken care of all the arrangements. All you need to do is show up. When you do, I promise you'll be safe. When we part, you’ll leave very satisfied.

  Meet me, Siddy. I dare you. Jake.

  The thought of his thick cock thrusting inside her made her feel hot and very wet. Meeting in person the man she'd been having an uninhibited cyber affair with would have been out of the question. If only he hadn't dared her. She'd been foolish to reveal her difficulty in resisting a dare. Did she have the courage to meet Jake and bring their relationship into the real world?

  She pawed at her neck and frowned when her fingers didn’t encounter the small emerald pendant she’d worn for years. When she noted the stone turning a dark green in the presence of coworker Nick Hart, she’d stopped wearing it. Seven months later, she still missed its comforting weight around her neck.

  “Are you going to meet him?”

  At the sound of the warm, deep voice near her right ear, Kassidy quickly closed the e-mail. Her cheeks burning, she turned in her chair to face the man who stood in the opening of her cubicle.

  Tall and well built, Nick Hart had short, auburn hair and a pair of beautiful green eyes. With his physique, he looked equally as sexy in the dark business suits he wore at work as he did in the jeans and pullovers he wore after hours. Sexy? Beautiful? Beguiling? Get a grip, girl.

  She and Nick had become programmers right after college at Semi-Tech within months of each other, seven years earlier. Their friendship had developed over a nine-month period when they'd put in long hours, working late nights and several weekends to help the company land a lucrative government contract.

  Her best friend, Trina, often teased her about being the only one in their circle of friends to befriend what she'd called a semi-gorgeous white guy. Initially, Trina's characterization of Nick as semi-gorgeous had surprised Kassidy. When compared to her lover -- the tall, ebony-skinned hunk, Steven -- Nick and every other male paled in comparison.

  However, after her unwanted break-up with Steven, she had began to notice Nick's stunning smile, his sexy eyes, and his warm, deep voice that sent shivers down her spine, regardless of his topic of conversation. Lately, each time she gazed into his beguiling green eyes, thoughts of his cock powering between her thighs, into her pussy, teased and aroused her. Those thoughts, combined with her pendant turning what her grandmother had termed a true lover’s green in his presence, left her wondering why they weren’t friends with benefits.

  “Kass? Why are you staring?”

  “Staring?" She blinked. "Was I?”

  The corners of his lips twitched. “Yes. You were. Any particular reason why?”

  None she was ready to reveal to him. “My mind wandered.” She glanced at her watch. “It's five thirty. What are you doing still here? I thought once you made senior analyst, your days of working late on Friday nights were over.”

  He shrugged. “I received an e-mail that captivated me.”

  “In a personal way?”

  He nodded slowly, a slight smile curving his lips. “In a very personal way.”

  “Really? Who was it from?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I would love to know.”

  He arched a brow. “I can’t divulge all my secrets.”

  “Why not?”

  He gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. “Never mind my secrets. Why are you still here?”

  She hesitated. Should she press him?

  Almost as if he’d read her mind, he shook his head. “They’re called secrets for a reason.”

  “I know, but --”

  “You can’t expect a man to divulge all his secrets, Kass.”

  “Really? Well, remember that the next time you want to know things I’d rather not discuss with you,” she retorted.

  His smiled widened. “You mean you still have secrets from me?”

  She compressed her lips. “Jake --”

  “Jake? Having difficulty telling us apart now, Kass?”

  Her cheeks burned. “Nic
k. You know that was just a slip of the tongue.”

  “Was it?”

  Her nostrils flared and she took a deep breath. “Nick --”

  He held up a hand, palm out in surrender. “Before you get upset, you know I was just teasing.”

  She gave him a wary smile.

  “So why are you still here? I think you and I are the only two still here. Is your supervisor making you burn the midnight oil again?”

  “No. I was so close to debugging the Marks program, I decided I’d rather finish it tonight so I wouldn’t have to face it on Monday.” Then, of course, she’d made the mistake of checking her private e-mail account before going home. But since Nick wanted to start keeping secrets, that’s all he needed to know.

  “Ahhh. She's pretty, intelligent, and dedicated to her job. What a find.”

  She smiled, her annoyance vanishing at the compliment. “That's me, all right. Pretty, intelligent, and dedicated.” Also horny and manless, but maybe not for long.

  He nodded, slowly. “Yes, Kass. You are all those things and more.”

  The soft, warm tone of his voice warmed her. “Aren’t you full of compliments tonight?”

  “You deserve them all, but you never answered my question.”

  “What question?”

  “Are you going to meet this mysterious Jake of yours?”

  Since Trina had relocated with her job to the East Coast a year earlier, Nick had become her confidant. She’d told him of her cyber affair a month earlier. He had surprised her by encouraging her to continue it.

  Was she going to meet Jake? She moistened her lips. Engaging in cyber sex was exciting and allowed her to be totally uninhibited without any real risks. Although she longed to be even more adventurous, should she? Did she dare? I dare you.

  She shrugged. “It’s not polite to read other people’s private e-mails over their shoulders.”

  “No, it’s not. Now you’ve avoided answering the question long enough. Are you going to meet him?”

  Accepting a challenge tossed down by a trusted friend was one thing. Meeting a stranger whose only interest in her was sexual would be beyond foolish. What if he wanted to tie her up or spank her? What if he were into anal sex?

  The pictures her imagination conjured up sent a tingle of anticipation through her, which threatened to consume her in a sensual haze -- if she allowed it. She shook her head. “Cyber sex is a great way to relieve sexual tension without any risks, but I don’t know if I’m ready to meet him.”

  “Why not?”

  “The only place succumbing to a dare ever got me was in trouble. Besides, what if he’s into anal sex? He might want to tie me up or spank me.”

  He entered her cubicle and leaned against the edge of her desk. “What if he does? Wouldn’t you like to be spanked?”

  She swallowed slowly and quickly dismissed the impulsive “yes” trembling on her lips. There were few things more sensual than a playful spanking delivered by an attentive lover. Steven had often suggested she had an ass made for spanking. Of course, he’d also thought it was made for fucking. Had her reluctance to allow him that delight contributed to his desire to return to his wife?

  “Kass?”

  She blinked at him. “What?”

  “I thought we agreed it was time you tried something different to help you get over Steven.”

  “What makes you think I'm not over him?"

  He shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you haven't dated anyone since the breakup. How long has it been?”

  She stared at him, certain he already knew the answer. “Nine months.”

  “That’s a long time to go without a man in your bed and arms."

  And didn’t she know it? “That doesn’t mean I’m still stuck on him. I’m not. I just haven’t met anyone I wanted to date yet.” Well, at least no one who’d asked her out -- like Nick.

  “Prove you’re over him by meeting Jake.”

  She sat back in her chair, her eyes on his face. He seemed restless and edgy lately. She suspected he needed some female companionship himself. He hadn't mentioned dating in weeks. Or was that months? She couldn't understand why he didn't have a steady woman in his life. He was on the fast track to becoming head analyst with another big boost in salary, he was true-blue in a relationship, he was kind and considerate, and he was sexy as hell.

  She’d begun to suspect a passionate lover lurked under his boy-next-door exterior he’d presented the first few years she’d known him. He would probably be a great lover who would sexually devour some lucky woman. Why shouldn’t she be that woman? Since they’d become close enough to discuss their personal lives, why shouldn’t they share each other’s beds -- at least until they both met and fell in love with someone else? Until then they could become friends with benefits and spend their weekends in each other’s arms having hot, delicious sex.

  Their gazes met and locked.

  Her nostrils flared. His cologne left her longing to unbutton his shirt so she could suck his nipples, while trailing her hand down his abs to his zipper. She'd either slip her hand into the waistband or unzip his pants and close her fingers around his cock. Then she’d quickly impale herself on his cock and fuck him so long and good he’d forget his name. After they’d both come, she take him between her lips, lick her cum off his shaft, get him rock hard again, and then she’d lie on her stomach with her legs spread wide while he thrust into her again and again --

  Ok, Kass, that's enough. This is Nick. Not Jake.

  Had Nick suggested they meet for a night of unbridled lust, she would happily accept. He hadn't asked or ever even hinted he had any romantic interest in her. With her favorite toy buzzing her clit, while watching the short video of Jake, she had come more than once. For all the passion she suspected or hoped lurked behind Nick’s cool, green gaze, she wasn’t certain she’d be able to rouse Nick’s passion. She knew she had Jake hot and bothered.

  Nick slipped a hand under her chin and lifted her head so he could gaze down into her eyes. “Stay with me, Kass.”

  She tingled at the touch of his fingers, but sat back in her chair until his hand fell away. “You’re a fine one to talk. You’ve been restless and edgy and haven’t had a date in months.”

  He shrugged. “You want me to admit I’m horny? Fine. I’m horny as hell, but we were discussing you. Not me. I say you should meet him.”

  Primal Lusts Excerpt

  Long ago on the Desert Plains of Denhari—The Planet Aeolia

  The warm night was lit by the brilliance of a full Denhari silver moon, but the woman fleeing naked across the blue desert did not have time to admire the beauty of the evening. An equally naked, and fully aroused, vampire with glowing eyes and bared incisors pursued her.

  “Willoni! Come back to me! I command it!”

  Although she longed to turn and rush back into his arms and once again lose herself in his fiery passion, she dared not. The Singer who had won her devotion would return with the dawn and would expect to spend the remaining days and nights of the Immaculate Feast of Bliss and Conception with her. The Feast was the one time of the year when the Willoni, who served the Goddess Caldara, were allowed to indulge their passions. During the celebratory month, all but the most devout Willoni freely explored a wide range of sexual delights.

  Each Willoni, no matter how devoted to her duties at the temple or in the various towns of Denhari, looked forward to the month-long feast. It was a time of great passion, lust, and carnal pleasures when a Willoni, who had otherwise forsaken physical pleasure, took on as many lovers as she could satisfy.

  Before she met the Singer, three years earlier, The Feast had been a sad time. Mindful of the fact that she had incurred the wrath of the Goddess Caldara, she had spent most of the feast in prayerful mediation. Overcome by her sensual nature, she had only ventured out once a week to spend a night or two with multiple lovers. None of the males she’d taken had managed to make a lasting impression.

  Aside from her templ
e obligations, her life had been dull and unfulfilling. Her trouble began when the Eternal God of Passion, Heoptin, had fallen for her while she posed for the statue he called The Ebony Venus of Love. His attentions had been as unexpected as it had been unwelcome.

  As a minor priestess-in-waiting at the temple of Amisha, Goddess of Bliss, she served at the temple of Caldara to repay a favor her Goddess owned Caldara. Heoptin’s failure to conceal his interest had made her the target of Caldara’s fury. The Goddess received Amisha’s permission to have her assignment to the temple at Denhari made permanent. Then Caldara confined her to the temple grounds, forbidding her to see Heoptin.

  Longing for the freedom to indulge her passions as freely as her temple duties permitted that Amisha allowed her priestesses, she had been miserable. She had been on the point of fleeing home to appeal to Amisha to intervene when she met the Singer.

  He came as close as any man ever had to mastering her soul song during the last night of the feast with his forceful yet tender love–making. Returning to her duties had required her to summon her deepest devotion. She had then spent the next eleven months longing for the return of The Immaculate Feast of Bliss and Conception which would allow her to spend an entire month exploring the feelings and needs he’d aroused in her.

  She had happily spent the first week of the current Feast with the Singer, drowning in his tender passion that tore at her heart and nearly branded it as his alone. When his duties as Elder Singer had called him away, she had spent the second week with a succession of lovers. More than one night had found her lying on the blue sands with two or more lovers who satisfied her physical needs, but left her emotionally longing for her Singer.

  That had changed at the beginning of the third week when boredom drove her from the temple to wander across the sands naked. As she stood looking up at the full moon, praying that her Singer would return before the feast ended, she felt a sensual fire flare in her belly.

  Turning, she had seen him, naked and aroused, crossing the sands toward her. She immediately recognized him as the priest who had fashioned her image for Heoptin’s pleasure. While she had stood naked in the desert, night after night, he had shown no interest in her, but now his desire for her was so potent and powerful, it had reached out to her, setting her entire body aflame. Abandoning thoughts of the Singer, she rushed toward the approaching male whose lust drew her to him.