One Thing Leads to Another

Praise for the writing of Sheri Gilmore

One Thing Leads to Another

A spunky heroine like Rose is just what Nathan needs as he struggles with his torments and private hell. I laughed and cried with them from the first page until the last. -- Kai Andersen, author of A Question of Royalty (Coming soon from Loose Id)

Combustible chemistry between the hero and heroine right from the start, deadly secrets in the background and lots of hot sex throughout… One Thing Leads to Another is explosive and makes you want more. -- Treva Harte, author of Queen’s Rules 2: King of the Castle (Loose Id)

Rose Daniels has a lot to learn and Nathan Graham is just the man to teach her in One Thing Leads To Another. With only six months to learn the prostitution business, Rose has no choice but to accept the very hands-on teachings of her new partner. Part murder mystery, part red-hot romance, Sheri Gilmore keeps all the plates spinning as this erotic whodunit reaches its exhilarating climax. -- Stephanie Vaughan, author of Cruel to be Kind (Loose Id)

One thing certainly does lead to another. A death, leads to an inheritance, which leads to a murder investigation, and before you know it, there's a complicated tango of suspicion, attraction, danger and sex playing out with passionate, page-turning tension. Sexy and suspenseful, Ms. Gilmore's debut novel has my vote -- and it will most surely lead to another…book. -- Sage Grayson, author of Computer Crimes: Hentai Dreams (Changeling Press)

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

Sheri Gilmore

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

***** This book is rated:

For substantial explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find objectionable (violence, BDSM, threesome).

One Thing Leads to Another Sheri Gilmore This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either 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.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © November 2004 by Sheri Gilmore All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 1-59632-053-2 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Maryam Salim Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

www.loose-id.com

Prologue

“I want you to learn as much as possible about the new accounting software, Rose.” Allen Richard spoke into the phone as he watched his secretary straighten her skirt, liking the shimmy of her hips. He raised his eyebrow at her. The wench did it just to make him

hard. He turned away to look out the picture window, overlooking the Vegas skyline, and tried to focus on what Rose said. In the reflection he watched Doreen get ready to leave. The look on her face told him she was pissed at his lack of attention. He sighed. The woman gave the best head he’d ever had. Too bad he couldn’t enjoy the pleasure much longer. “Uh, what’s that, Rose?” He gripped the receiver tighter and frowned at his distraction. “No, no, Doreen was just saying goodbye.” He put his hand over the receiver and shifted his head sideways. “Make sure to lock the door on your way out.” In the distance he heard the door slam. He flinched. “Tell you what, hon, just go study, and I’ll see you in a couple of days.” He heard the anxiety in her voice. Poor Rose. She’s not used to so much excitement in her life.

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“No, I’m fine, just a little tired.” He paused at her next words, then laughed. “I know, but I’m a dirty old man who likes oral sex. What can I say?” The sound of her laughter made him smile in earnest. Rose was like a breath of fresh air. “Okay, hon, sleep tight.” He turned toward the phone cradle. “And, sweet, don’t worry, okay? Everything that happens leads to a new beginning.” He slowly set the receiver down with a click and studied the reflection of the person standing behind him. Cold hatred exuded from the dead eyes. He knew what was coming, but didn’t flinch. He’d hidden the note earlier in the Bible. His eyebrow rose at the irony of that, and he actually smiled. The smile turned to a gasp with the feel of the bullet burning deep into the middle of his back. He could see his killer’s satisfaction spread across the once calculated expression, as he heard a gurgle from deep within his chest escape his mouth instead of a scream.

The killer bent and watched the blood ooze from the victim’s wound. With careful precision, careful not to splotch the masterpiece left behind, the knife was raised and brought down hard into the pliant flesh. Bone crunched in the deafening stillness of the room. One gloved finger dipped into the red fluid. Red like a rose. With head thrown back, the laugh escaped into the stillness of the room.

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Chapter One

Roses may be red, but blood is too; he stood in our way, now he’s through. Come to me, Rose; or, it will be you.

Las Vegas reporter, Mike Townsend, looked over the lieutenant’s shoulder, trying to get another angle on the body just beyond the taped off area. Gruesome. “What exactly were you doing here, Townsend?” “My job, lieutenant.” He patted his jacket where his notebook lay snuggled inside the pocket. “Never leave home without it.” He inched forward, but the officer planted his feet and stood straighter, his hand easing over to rest on his holstered gun. “Hey, man, wanna let me have another look around?” “Dammit, Mike, you wanna get me fired?” “It’s not like I haven’t already done some snooping in here already, now is it?” “Shit, get your ass outta here. You didn’t touch anything, did you? Because if your fingerprints turn up on anything besides that doorknob, I’m hauling your ass downtown.”

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“Give me some credit. I know the drill,” Townsend said. He pulled his camera closer. He’d gotten some really good shots before the cops had gotten there. Papers lay scattered across the floor, like the killer had been looking for something. An old mahogany desk sat positioned in front of the penthouse windows; he looked out the window and whistled under his breath. He didn’t want to even take a guess at the rent on a place with a view like that. The Vegas skyline glimmered in the distance. Mike shook his head at how the ‘other half’ lived. He eyed the desk and glanced at several documents. One in particular caught his eye, again. Last Will & Testament. “You and your boys did notice that will just sitting there, right?” He nodded toward his other ‘hosts’ and snapped a couple more shots, while Jack spoke to a fellow officer who was busy in the front part of the penthouse. “Ahem.” Mike looked up slowly to see his buddy glaring at him. He grinned and slipped his camera back into position. Jack’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t chastise him. With a muttered ‘damn’ he turned away and stared toward the front of the apartment. “Any definitive clues on who the killer might be?” The lieutenant grunted over his shoulder. “Whoever it was had to be strong and…tall.” “Why’s that?” “From the angle of the bullet.” He pointed his hand in a downward motion. “The shot came from an angle above the victim, then the blade was brought down at close range, probably after death. Hard. Fast.” Jack turned his head to get a look at the blood-stained paper the police had found pinned, literally, to the victim’s body.

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Mike put a fist to his mouth and coughed against the need to gag. The scene of fiftyfour-year-old Allen Richard, lying face down on his office carpet, with a serrated hunting knife sticking out of his back gave a new name to gore. Jack looked at him with a shit-eating grin. “Never got the hang of dead bodies, huh?” Mike narrowed his gaze. “Not in this lifetime.” A murder wasn’t too surprising for the City of Sin, except Richard appeared in the local and statewide news a little too often. He tried to pass as a happy-go-lucky entrepreneur, but everyone knew the man rubbed elbows with organized crime from time to time, dabbled in prostitution, had a string of ex-wives, and now a live-in girlfriend who could have been the next ‘Mrs. Richard.’ Townsend looked at the poem again, and smiled. ‘Rose’ just so happened to be the girlfriend’s name. He raised his camera and snapped off a couple more shots before the lieutenant could stop him. Yep, there was a story here. And he intended to follow it to the end.

***** “Ms. Daniels, can you tell me where you were the night of the murder?” Rose Daniels turned to the man, who had appeared at the grave site after mourners had started to leave. He had to be a reporter from the looks of him. She felt her lips tighten in frustration. First the cops, now the reporters. She rubbed her forehead. The headache, which had started early this morning, throbbed with increased intensity. With a sigh she pushed around the reporter and headed for the limo. “How do you feel being the co-owner of the whorehouse your late boyfriend left you?” “Damn!” A male voice over her right shoulder echoed in her ear. “How about the killer’s poem, Ms. Daniels? Any comment?” The male voice muttered another oath.

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“What?” Rose asked, not sure she’d heard the reporter correctly over the outburst and the noise from the retreating crowd, which had surrounded her at Allen’s graveside. They were moving off, but a few turned to linger when they heard the reporter’s questions, then the other man’s expletives. She glanced over her shoulder at a tall male figure. He stood behind her to the right, glaring at the reporter.

Nathan Graham. She knew he’d been Allen’s right-hand man, but that still didn’t make his being here at the funeral any less reassuring. He’d always made her feel both restless and reckless at the same time. Not a good combination for a calm, composed accountant. “Did you know about the contents of Allen’s will?” she asked, and watched a red tinge spread over Nathan’s tanned complexion. “I thought I did.” He crossed over to the reporter and stopped within an inch of the other man’s face. A ripple of fear and something else raced through her at the raw intimidation oozing from Nathan. His presence tripped some unknown testosterone meter deep within her that she never knew she possessed. She glanced back at the reporter. Rose had to be impressed. Nathan’s six-foot-four frame topped the reporter’s by at least four or five inches, but the man stood his ground and met Nathan’s glare without a flicker of an eyelid. Oh, God, he’s going to be mincemeat in a second if he doesn’t back down. She moved forward and touched Nathan’s arm. “Nathan, please, not now.” She tipped her head toward the retreating crowd. Steely muscles flexed beneath her hand, and she felt the familiar twinge in her clit whenever they came into close physical contact. Rose shook her head to ward off the inappropriate response of her body. She had moved in with Allen only seventy-two hours before he had been found murdered in the office of their penthouse suite. She’d spent the last three days answering police questions and avoiding the press. Nathan turned to her.

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She felt his intense gaze through the black sunglasses. She tried to ignore the tingle of excitement his presence elicited from her. Since meeting him, she’d dreamed of his eyes, his mouth…God, his body…every night for six months. She bit her lip to stifle a groan of pure need. Not once had Allen’s manager indicated any interest in her. And how could she be thinking of him sexually when her best friend had just been buried only minutes earlier? Hell, he’d barely acknowledged her existence whenever she’d been in his presence. He would look at her with his gold-green eyes, nod, then continue with his business. When they were through reviewing contracts and other papers, he would leave with another nod in her direction. Now Allen was dead, and this reporter had mentioned the stalker and indicated

she was co-owner of a… “Did you say whorehouse?” she asked. She didn’t want to discuss the threatening letters and phone calls with this man. She closed her eyes, not quite believing Allen was dead. Apparently the bluff hadn’t worked the way they’d planned. She opened her eyes and saw the reporter quickly hide a smirk from Nathan before he answered. He gave her a curt nod and moved closer. “Yes, Ms. Daniels.” He held out his hand, and Rose shook it. “I’m Mike Townsend. I freelance for several of the major publications in the area.” “Yes, I’ve read some of your articles. You’re good, Mr. Townsend.” Rose noted a gleam of pleasure in the man’s eyes, but he didn’t puff out his chest like Allen would have. Her late friend had thrived on publicity and constant mayhem. “Thank you.” She glanced at Nathan, who stood with tattooed arms folded across a wide chest. Narrow hips tapered down to long, lean legs encased in black jeans. A glint of gold caught her eye, and her gaze moved up to linger on the small, gold hoop earrings in each of his earlobes. In his late twenties, he represented something rugged and wild as sin. She wanted him, but at thirty-eight, she knew he would be one fantasy she couldn’t have. She’d wasted

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enough of her life on domineering, arrogant men. Besides -- she looked at his face -- he was too young. Her mouth went dry when a scene from her favorite daydream flashed through her memories. The discomfort in her lower abdomen increased to the point she needed a quick

fix, but she knew masturbation wouldn’t erase this man’s impression from her mind when he oozed sex like hot, thick molasses. Rose cleared her throat and focused on Mike Townsend. “Please” -- she looked around at the near empty cemetery -- “tell me what you were talking about a minute ago.” “I think you need to hear this from your attorney, Rose.” Nathan’s deep voice sounded husky and dark. “But, I’d like to know about this…poem?”

Like naked skin sliding over black silk. Rose looked around, scared someone could hear her thoughts. Rose felt another heat wave spread over her, but this time the blush settled in the crotch of her pantyhose. She shifted her hips in the confines of her skirt, but the tight material did little to ease her discomfort. She glanced up and stopped her movements. He’d removed his sunglasses, and his gold-green eyes watched her every move. With his blond hair and tawny skin, he looked like a lion or tiger, about to pounce. “I-It’s nothing Nathan.” Mike Townsend cleared his throat, and Rose turned back to him, trying to ignore the sexual pull of the man behind her. “Aren’t you concerned about the killer being a possible stalker?” “No!” She hesitated and glanced at Nathan, hoping he hadn’t heard the question. “I mean, the police already know about the poem, Mr. Townsend. They’re looking into any enemies Allen may have had.” “What about your enemies?” She didn’t like the frown on the reporter’s face and feared he’d continue to pry into something she didn’t have the strength to discuss at the moment. Her back to Nathan she let

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her eyes plead with the man to drop the subject. When he shrugged, she felt some of her tension leave her shoulders. “According to my sources, Mr. Richard’s estate is tied up in an investment he made several years ago.” He flipped his notepad open and studied the contents. “That being the case, if you follow certain stipulations he has made, you will be a very wealthy woman --” A loud ‘thump’ sounded behind her like someone slammed their fist into a wall followed by a threatening voice. “How the hell do you know all this?” Rose flinched, but ignored the distraction. She focused on Mr. Townsend’s words. So far, she didn’t know what Allen’s will contained, but she had no intention of discussing the terms with this man. Nathan might think her naïve, but she did have some sense of business. “I don’t know about Allen’s will, Mr. Townsend, but I don’t intend discussing it with anyone until I’ve spoken to my lawyer.” “Are you worried about having to share your inheritance with others, since your…association…was so short?”

They don’t have to know we didn’t sleep together. “I assume you’re speaking of Allen’s ex-wives?” “Not necessarily, but what type of allowances do you think Mr. Richard would give his first three wives?” “Did they know what kind of business their husband owned?” “You can bet your sweet ass they knew.” The words were an angry snarl in her right ear, and Rose jumped at Nathan’s nearness.

That’s it. I’ve had enough. She turned to him. Even though Allen had insinuated she might be interested in dating the man, she’d declined. Not because she didn’t find Nathan attractive, but, because he made her feel out of control. Something she refused to allow since she’d left her overbearing ex-husband and tyrant father.

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Besides, she didn’t believe in casual sex. It didn’t matter what her secret fantasies might be, she would never act on them, especially with a man who had a different girlfriend on his arm every week. Would she? And yet, his sudden protective streak confused her. “Excuse me, but why are you still here? I thought being Allen’s business manager, you would be out taking care of “-- she waved her hand in the air --”business.” “Lady, you just became my business.” Green eyes narrowed on her, and he looked her up and down with a slow and thorough perusal. When his gaze reached her breasts, her nipples hardened, and he smiled a lopsided grin. “Why?” “Let’s just say I’m an…interested party.” Her reaction had been pure instinct; she felt a flush spread up her neck to the roots of her hair. He had mentally stripped her of every piece of clothing she wore in three seconds flat. She wanted to cover her breasts but resisted the urge. Instead, she raised her chin and stared at him. “Interested in what, exactly?” “Meooow.” His eyebrows rose and he laughed. “You were always so polite and demure whenever I saw you with Allen. I always wondered what you’d be like…aroused.” Rose’s hand moved to her blouse, but faltered. She would add fuel to the fire if she fanned herself. She looked away from his body to study his face. Not handsome, but chiseled and lean with grooves etched on either side of his mouth, like he smiled a lot. Women would be all over him. She sniffed at the thought and had to bite back a groan. Up close and personal, his scent assailed her nostrils -- all male with a hint of some kind of spruce cologne. She had never believed in instant attraction. Rose swallowed against the unwanted sexual awareness she felt toward him ever since she’d met him six months ago. He might be a

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lot younger, but she recognized him as a man with years more worldly experience than she had. Her palms were sweaty, but she didn’t dare wipe them on her dress. He’ll know I’m

attracted to him. “Nathan --” The reporter smiled and nodded. “Oh, so you’re Nathan Graham. Allen Richard’s star protégé, and Ms. Daniel’s --” “New partner,” Nathan said. “My what?” Rose jerked her head toward Mike Townsend, then back to Nathan. A large hand with long fingers and a grip of steel took hers. She tried to break his hold, but Nathan wouldn’t let go. Whenever she pulled back, he exerted enough pressure to pull her forward a few steps. The heat of his body radiated through the silk of her blouse, and his unique scent smothered her. A dizzy haze crossed her vision, as a cold sweat peppered her forehead. She grabbed his arm for support and felt corded muscles flex beneath her fingers. Rose looked up to find his hungry gaze narrowed on her. She shook her head. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

That makes two of us, babe. Nathan wanted to hit something. Five years of his life down the drain. Shit! He could have killed Allen if the man wasn’t already dead. The bastard had promised him the business when he died. Nathan looked at the tiny hand on his arm and wondered what this woman could have done to his friend to make him leave her half of his business assets. He’d met her a few months ago when Allen had brought her to the main office. Allen had indicated they were

special friends. Nathan had felt his eyebrow rise and had held back a snort. Right. He should have guessed what that meant. But -- he let his gaze travel over her blonde, curly hair and pert nose -- she didn’t look like a hustler.

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Her skin held a gray color, and she looked like she would pass out any second. Nathan frowned. She wasn’t Allen’s usual type, but for an older woman, she wasn’t bad-looking.

Hell -- who was he kidding -- she’s gorgeous. Even with his eyes closed he could picture her petite figure with its sexy curves. Her blue eyes begged a man to jump in and drown. He’d done a double-take the first time they’d met.

Humph, go figure. Maybe the old coot had fallen in love and, in a span of three days, blown everything Nathan had worked for. At that moment, Rose swayed toward him, as if her knees had given way. He couldn’t say if the move was an accident or not, but on reflex he caught her weight in his arms. With a grunt he lifted her up, one hand under her bottom and one under her back. His hand moved over the swell of her hip.

Hmm, nice ass. He ground his teeth together. Dammit. His plans were in the shitter, and here he was groping the ass of his new…partner. “What are you gonna do with her?” Townsend asked. Nathan gave him a look he hoped said ‘go to hell’. The man was a pain in his ass, coming here and pouncing on Rose with news she…correction, they…should’ve heard from Allen’s lawyer. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe lay her on the ground?” “Right.” The other man moved to take his jacket off and spread it across the smooth grass. Nathan wondered what kind of story Mike Townsend really wanted. He remembered Townsend mentioning a stalker. “What’s this about a poem?” “You don’t know?” “News to me.” Nathan took a few steps and laid Rose down as easily as he could. She weighed less than a feather, but his back hurt like a mother. He’d spent hours trying to

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‘console’ the girls over Allen’s death. He arched his back and heard his spine pop, then he let his gaze travel over her petite form. Wonder what she’s gonna think about Allen’s girls? She moaned and eased onto her side. Her skirt rode up her thighs and exposed pale, creamy skin through the nylon of her pantyhose. Another turn onto her back and the edge of her skirt shifted to tease him with a glimpse of a dark shadowy patch between her thighs.

Waste. With legs and skin like hers, she needed thigh highs attached to a wisp of a black garter belt to leave her open and free for… His dick rose against the zipper of his pants. He turned his back on her, but couldn’t stop wondering what color pussy hair she had. Nathan shook his head. “Well, Townsend, what’s the deal?” He faced the reporter and fought a surge of anger at the other man’s gaze traveling over Rose. “Do you think she’s okay? Shouldn’t we call an ambulance?” Nathan didn’t look back at the blonde goddess stretched out on the grass. “No, she just fainted. Probably the…shock…over Allen’s sudden death and finding out she’s an heiress.”

Right. She’s probably in shock over the fact she’s got to share half of the pie with him. Nathan had no illusions when it came to women. In the world he’d grown up and now lived in, the women were hard and money-hungry. He looked at Rose for a second and focused on the rise and fall of pert breasts through the outline of her silk blouse. He couldn’t classify her in quite the same category as Lila and the other girls who worked for him. He clenched his jaw and fought the pull of attraction for his late boss’s girlfriend He’d sworn off older women years ago when he met Allen and had made enough money not to starve to death. Oh, he still found them attractive, but these days he did the choosing. He chose the time, the place, and the women he wanted to bed. And, more often than not, he chose younger women, who didn’t make him lose control like he’d done when he’d been younger

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and hungry. Hungry for food. He looked at Rose. Hungry for love. Back then, he’d done anything to please them in hopes they’d love him enough to take him home with them. His jaw tightened. He had to remember the major difference between Rose and his girls lay in the fact she convinced poor, rich bastards like Allen to leave her expensive gifts before she put out. What else could it have been? Look at how Allen had left her half the business after he’d promised Nathan everything. He watched Rose shift on the soft grass, and her blouse opened to reveal a hint of the curve of her breast. Nathan felt the familiar twinge in his groin. Shit. This situation had just become complicated. He rubbed a hand over his face. He wanted her. He’d known that six months ago. After Allen had asked him if he might be interested in dating Rose and he’d declined. He had been too afraid that what he felt when he was around her resembled the need he had experienced when he’d been a teenager. He had no intention of going backward in time. Allen had been disappointed, but that hadn’t stopped the old man from taking her to live with him in his penthouse. The unexpected move had hinted Rose was ‘off limits,’ and Nathan had tried hard to rein in his libido whenever he happened to be around her. That had rankled, but Nathan had respected Allen. If the old man had decided he wanted her, then Nathan would have to live with it. So he’d buried his desire and done his job, trying to ignore her whenever she came by the main office. “Did you know about your new partnership?” Townsend asked. Nathan shrugged. “You know, ‘Q&A’ works two ways.” He hesitated long enough for the reporter to catch his meaning. When Townsend nodded, he decided to give the reporter a little information. He didn’t want to, but Nathan needed to know more about this stalker. If he found the person responsible for his mentor’s death, he’d personally kill him. Taking a deep breath he answered Townsend’s question.

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“The lawyer called me this morning and told me to come by this afternoon to discuss the will.” He snorted. “I thought the business was mine until a few minutes ago, but I guess Allen changed his mind.” “How much do you think her share of the business will be?” “Well, that’s hard to say. The type of…um…assets that Allen dealt in are hard to put a price tag on.” “Uh huh, I bet.” Nathan shook out a cigarette and put the butt in his mouth. He patted his jeans pocket for his lighter, but couldn’t find one. With an irritated sound he jerked the cigarette from his lips, and threw the whole pack across the grounds. He forgot he’d made a decision to quit. “Any chance you could hazard me a guess?” Mike Townsend scratched his head. “I mean, you are in the business, so to speak.” Nathan narrowed his gaze against a stab of jealousy. “Just trying to sniff a story, Townsend, or thinking of making a move on the heiress?” The reporter’s face turned beet red. He stabbed a finger in Nathan’s direction. “I happen to be a damned good reporter, Graham, and this lady is going to be big news before all of this is over.” Nathan stiffened. “What’s over?” He stepped closer to the other man. “Give, Townsend.” Townsend hesitated, then shrugged. “Nothin’, just instinct, but there was a note connected to the knife sticking out of Richard’s back.” “And?” “And, the poem contained Rose Daniels’ name.” Nathan suspected the slime knew something, but didn’t look like he wanted to share the information. He’d play ball with him and see how far he’d get.

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He rattled off a few numbers and calculated them out loud. “Well, counting the fact that the business is open every night of the week, I’d say…ten girls at twelve-hundred a night for seven nights…over fifty-two weeks…that’s about --” “Four million three-hundred sixty-eight thousand dollars a year!” Nathan turned at the same time Townsend did toward the sound of a high-pitched feminine voice. He thought he’d come on the spot at the sight of Rose Daniels in a disheveled state.

Sweet Jesus. Nathan gripped the edge of a tombstone in an attempt to ease the throb in his balls. Sweat broke across his upper lip, and he felt a vein in his temple pound in beat with his fierce pulse, which shifted through various parts of his anatomy. No wonder Allen had scooped the woman up. If he couldn’t hurry up and get her into his bed, he might have to resort to more desperate measures, like marriage. The clip she’d used to capture her curls with had broken, and blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders. Two buttons of her silk blouse had pulled apart to reveal a black pushup bra. Any red-blooded man within one hundred feet would be enticed by the ample cleavage exposed. The combined sight of her skirt, still hiked up around her hips, and her black spiked heels, tapping against the grass, resembled that of an angry dominatrix.

Wrong! The throb eased to a dull ache. He might have a roll in the proverbial haystack with her, but he would never go anywhere near an altar to say I do. He may have made a post-mortem promise to Allen that he’d watch out for Rose, but the word ‘commitment’ and Nathan Graham had decided against each other years ago.

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Chapter Two

“Are you telling me I own a real life whorehouse?” Rose stood, then swayed, but placed her hands on her hips. This was too much. She couldn’t believe Allen had never mentioned any of this to her over the six months she’d known him. The newspapers she’d read depicted him as an entrepreneur, always on the look-out for new ventures. Now she knew what in. Sex! That explained why he had so many miscellaneous write-offs at tax time. “Are you okay, Ms. Daniels?” Rose smiled at the reporter, noting a flush along his cheekbones and the nervous flicker of his gaze to and from her face. “It’s just low blood sugar. I’m fine.” “No, you’re not.” Nathan answered Townsend’s question, but his gaze didn’t meet hers. A funny expression crossed his face. “You haven’t eaten all day.” She glanced down in the direction he stared. Oh, my God! With a swift flick of her hand she pulled her skirt in place. No wonder the two men looked at her like they’d never seen a woman. She buttoned her blouse, but breathed a sigh of relief at his answer. “Oh. Good. There for a second --”

“We own a whorehouse.”

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Sonofabitch! She watched him smile at his little joke with semantics, while she tried to come to terms with Allen’s death and this, this… She didn’t know what all this entailed. Rose felt her legs tremble. Her stomach growled, and she knew she better eat something soon, or her blood sugar would bottom out big time. She reached for her purse and noticed the tell-tale tremor had appeared in her hands. There had been too much chaos over the last few days to think about food. The funeral had been a circus with all three of Allen’s ex-wives present and his various business associates. She frowned. Now that she thought about it, there had been a group of women who had looked a little…wild…at the wake. She sighed. The quiet, well-mannered man she’d been friends with had not been the real Allen Richard. “Look I don’t know what kind of sick, twisted mind you have, Nathan, but I can’t handle any more games right now.” She dug to the bottom of the bag and pulled out a squashed breakfast bar. “I just buried a man who I considered a kind-hearted person, but in reality turns out to be a womanizing pimp.” She shook her head and tore open the wrapper. She opened her mouth to take a bite, but a large hand snatched the bar from her fingers, then gripped her upper arm. “I better never hear you say those words again, lady.” Stormy green eyes, not less than an inch from her face, stared into hers. She tried to step back, but she didn’t have anywhere to go. Hard granite bit into her calves, and two muscled arms trapped her within her own personal space. “Allen Richard took me in and gave me a chance to do something with my miserable life.” His mouth set in a straight line and his lips were white. “Townsend, the interview is over,” he said. “My partner and I need to have a few words in private.” Nathan’s gaze never left hers. Rose swallowed as she heard Mike Townsend’s footsteps walking away. A few seconds later a car door slammed before the motor revved. A lump

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formed in her throat the size of Texas, and sweat pooled between her breasts. They were alone. She felt the heat radiating from his body. She couldn’t decide which reaction affected her more, anger, fear, or desire. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his eyes glinted, dangerously. She recognized his anger at the remark about Allen, but didn’t know if he might be upset at her telling him he had a sick and twisted mind. Probably both. Allen had only spoken of Nathan in glowing terms, almost like a proud father. “I-I’m sorry, Nathan. I shouldn’t have said what I did. He was my friend too. Without him I wouldn’t have been able to start with a clean slate here in Nevada.” Seconds ticked away with the two of them staring at each other. She could see gold flecks woven through the green of his irises and marveled at the blackness of his eyelashes and eyebrows in contrast to his tawny hair. Maybe he had highlights. The thought evaporated as soon as it formed. Hot, demanding lips covered hers. She stood there, unable to move, about half a second before her body registered the flames of desire, licking from her mouth to the folds between her legs where her clit had lain dormant for more years than she wanted to admit. She slid her hands over his arms, and her arms twined around his neck to draw him closer into the kiss. His tongue urged her mouth open further for his exploration, and she willingly went for the ride. With a deep moan -- she wasn’t sure which one of them made the sound, but it sounded so erotic, she didn’t care -- the world around her slipped away to be replaced by questing hands and lips. She felt him step back and without hesitation, she followed. A few strides later she heard a ‘click’ before he pushed her onto a leather seat.

They were in a car? She frowned and pulled away enough to register the back of Allen’s limousine. “W-where’s the driver?”

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“Who gives a shit?” His lips and hands were everywhere. Her ear, her neck, between her breasts, over her breasts…God, he felt so good. Ripples flowed across the skin of her abdomen, and she sucked in a breath with a hiss.

Yes, yes, go lower, please. When he cursed and grabbed the waist of her hose, she lifted her hips to allow him to pull them down to her knees. She looked at his flushed face and the vein that throbbed in his temple. Desire overwhelmed her; she spread her legs as wide as she could. She giggled. It’s a good thing she had bought the panty-lined hose instead of wearing -“Yes!” She arched her back off the seat into the warmth of his mouth. At the touch of his tongue against her clit and the feel of long fingers deep within her vagina, she forgot all about pantyhose. She moved her hips with the rhythm Nathan’s lips and tongue set between her legs. Her heart beat fast, and her breathing sounded labored. Her nerves and muscles tightened. Rose clenched his hair with both her fists and rocked her pelvis hard against his mouth and hand. “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, ohhhh…” The orgasm hit so hard she bucked her hips and felt Nathan’s tongue lose contact with her clit. “N-no.” She rolled her head from side to side. “I’ve got you.” He pulled her hips to him and held her down while he buried his head deep into her crotch and continued the sucking, licking motion, which felt so damn good.

God bless America. He had never eaten a pussy so sweet. But, what sent him to the edge were the sounds she made before she came, when she came, and after she came. A mixture of whimpers, moans, and groans, so erotic he had to find out what kind of sound she would make when his cock buried to the hilt in her hot, little body.

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Rising on his knees, he unhooked his belt and loosened his pants. With a mind of its own, his hard-on jumped from the restraint of the material. A drop of liquid heat from her warm cunt would be all it’d take to make him come. Nathan looked at her spread out beneath him like some sacrificial virgin on an altar, her skin creamy white against the dark leather. He frowned. Where was her blouse? He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten the thing off her but did know she’d helped him. Her skirt twisted around her waist; her pubic hair glistened from the combination of her juices and his saliva. He traced the lips of her cunt with his finger and watched the sensitive, pink flesh quiver. His cock jumped at the sight, and he wanted more than anything to bury himself deep inside her body. Maybe she’d help him again when the time came to roll the condom the length of his cock. His eyes met hers for a second. He gasped for breath at the intense look of desire on her face. He lifted his chin at the same time he pushed his dick down to motion her to come to him. He witnessed a moment of hesitation, but she understood what he wanted. He held his breath and watched her scoot from beneath him enough to support her weight on her hands. The look she gave him before she took his cock into her mouth would melt steel. He felt the singe all the way to his toes. He’d fought the desire for six months. He couldn’t fight any longer. Her hot lips slid around his flesh. Nathan closed his eyes, and leaned his head back.

Damn, she felt good. He rocked his hips up and back, while his hand wrapped around the base of his shaft to keep control. He wanted to come within the folds of her cunt, not her mouth, at least, not this time. He tried to pull back, but couldn’t.

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Her head moved forward, and with the strong suction of her mouth, she took him deeper into her throat. On the way back to the tip of his dick, she circled her tongue around the shaft, then licked the head before she opened wide and swallowed him again. Nathan didn’t have the time, or the strength, to struggle against what she did to him. The urge to come grew unbearable. The shimmery sensation spread from his toes and thighs into his balls. The muscles in his back tightened, but he didn’t notice the kinks from the night before. The only sensations were the heat and suction of her pouty mouth as she brought him closer to orgasm. A knocking sound penetrated his thoughts, but he tried to ignore the intrusion. Go

away. I’m almost there. The knocking grew louder, and Rose’s sweet mouth slowed to a stop. He opened his eyes and looked down. His dick throbbed between her lips, and she blinked her eyes, as if focusing. He frowned and pushed his hips forward to bring her back to him, but she looked up with an expression of horror on her face and hastened away to the far end of the seat with a hand across her wet mouth. The sudden loss of her suction made him ache. “Mr. Graham, Ms. Daniels, are you okay?” The muffled question echoed through the limousine with the sound of fists pounding on the window. “Goddammit!” Nathan pushed away from Rose with the sudden realization of his actions. He grabbed his cock and shoved the traitor into his pants. His back to Rose, he took a deep breath and eased his body to the door. Once there, he slicked a hand through his hair, then laid a palm against the window to steady himself. His entire body shook in an effort to gain control. “It’s okay, Rodney, we’re just…” -- he turned and watched Rose adjust her skirt -- “…finishing a discussion.” Her cheeks were red, and she wouldn’t look at him. Nathan didn’t know if her attitude was a clever act, or if she was truly upset over what had happened between them. He knew he was. No one, since he had climbed out of the gutters,

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had ever made him lose control like she had just done. If she’d given Allen a blow-job like that, Nathan knew why the old man had hauled her off to his private domain. Oral sex had been his friend’s biggest sexual weakness. He frowned, not sure he liked the idea of Rose’s lips wrapped around another guy’s dick. “Oh.” There was a pause on the other side of the vehicle’s plated glass. “I-I thought I heard someone crying.” Nathan puffed up his cheeks and blew the air out slow. “That was Ro -- Ms. Daniels.” He faced the door, but hung his head to stare at the carpet pattern. “She’s still upset over Mr. Richard’s…um…death.” “Of course, I understand.” Another pause. “If there’s anything --” “She appreciates that, Rodney. Just give us a few more minutes, and we can be on our way to meet the lawyer.” “Yeah, sure, Mr. Nathan, take all the time you need. No hurry at all.” Nathan closed his eyes in relief when the sound of the chauffeur’s voice drifted away. If the guy suspected anything, he would keep it to himself. Allen had paid the ex-con a good deal of money to be discreet when it came to matters of business and… He turned to face Rose and ignored the angry look in her eyes. …pleasure. Her hair mussed and her lipstick smeared over her swollen lips, she looked like she’d just been fucked. He sighed and glanced through the tinted sunroof. Sorry, Allen, but I’m the

bastard, who is about to do just that the first chance I get.

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Chapter Three

“So you see, my dear, everything will be handled with a document drawn up to reflect a joint venture between yourself and Mr. Graham. If at any time either one of you wants to terminate the arrangement, the other party has first dibs on buying that party’s share.” “We’ll be…partners?” Rose had to force the word out before she choked on it. Beside her Nathan took a couple of gulps of water and coughed like he’d swallowed poison. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way. She couldn’t believe she’d acted like she had with him, a veritable stranger…a younger man. A man she’d been lusting over for the past six months. The things he’d done… She’d never even considered letting her first husband, being the pious bastard he was, do that to her, and they’d been married six years. Rose bit her lip and tried to concentrate on what Mr. Courtney said, but the sensations Nathan had created within her earlier kept returning to tempt her into believing sex could be natural and beautiful, like she’d always imagined. “Yes, joint owners of The G-Spot, part of Richard Entertainment, Inc.” An adult entertainment service. Her gaze narrowed on Nathan. He’d corrected her a few minutes earlier when she’d called Allen’s company a brothel even though they both knew it boiled down to the same thing. General Manager, my ass.

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After the orgasm he’d given her at the cemetery, she’d like to know what exactly being a manager to a bunch of whores meant. She tamped down the urge to cover her ears against the memories of her father’s words, which her ex-husband had echoed every time she tried to initiate an intimate encounter.

Sex was only intended for pro-creating, Rose. You’re a harlot, like your mother, if you let a man touch you without the sacraments of marriage! And then you should only indulge in the filthy deed for the benefit of a child. Jealousy gnawed within at the thought Nathan hand-picked the women who worked for him. She looked at his hands. A blush spread across her cheeks at the memory of how the talented fingers had stroked and pinched her breasts and nipples. She could still feel his index finger, pushed deep into her vagina, while she pumped her hips against his hand and mouth, harder and harder. Her ex-husband had rarely touched her other than to insert his penis into her body. He couldn’t care less whether or not she climaxed. When she hadn’t gotten pregnant after the first two years of their marriage, sex had been a rare event. Rose sat up straighter. She didn’t know why her actions surprised her. Sex had been on her mind from the first time she’d seen Nathan Graham. His reaction to her had been the real shock. She didn’t have much sexual history to compare with, considering her first husband had only been in her bed a handful of times, and Allen never. But -- she reached for her glass -- she could tell when a man got aroused. And -- her hand shook hard -- Nathan Graham had been excited…by her. Water sloshed onto the tablecloth. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She dabbed the wet spot with her napkin. “I’m not usually so…” she looked up to catch Nathan’s gaze on her. His gaze intense, he slid the fingers of his right hand under his nose and breathed in deep “…clumsy.” Her cheeks grew warm and her lip quivered. Rose bit down on the soft flesh to control her arousal. They both knew who had more experience in these types of matters. She didn’t

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want to appear naïve. The thought he would try to sexually intimidate her into selling her share by his sexual advances and gestures nudged into her mind. She frowned. Allen had left half of his business to her. She had every intention of going through with her late friend’s challenge come hell or high water, whether Nathan Graham wanted her or not. She didn’t have any other choice with an empty savings account and a persistent stalker on her heels. She’d left everything behind in Dallas, not that she’d had much. An accounting degree from years ago, but no experience. A bitter taste coated her mouth at the remembered scorn her father and ex-husband had held for women who worked. A woman’s place is in the

home, taking care of her family’s needs. With Allen dead and no money of her own, she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Rose picked up her wineglass and raised the delicate crystal in a toast. “To new ventures. May they bring us our ultimate…satisfaction.” She smiled sweetly, when she saw a dull, red color tinge Nathan’s cheeks. “Here, here,” Mr. Courtney said and clinked his glass to hers. Rose felt her smile widen, and she turned toward Nathan, who sat in silence, his glass untouched. Their eyes met and her moment of triumph dulled at the strange glitter she saw in his gaze. She looked down and stared at the tablecloth. He must resent her co-ownership, and her innuendoes. Allen had indicated the business would be Nathan’s, and Rose didn’t know what had changed his mind in the end. She only knew he’d given her a chance to make it on her own. She looked at Nathan’s hands and remembered the passion they’d shared a few hours before. Theirs would be a love-hate partnership with a clash of minds and wills. She thought of Allen and everything he’d done for her. So be it. “To new ventures and the fulfillment of all our…desires.”

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Rose raised her chin at the sound of the enticing, taunting words. He raised his glass in salute, but the glitter of…desire, shown in his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the raw passion she saw reflected, and she knew Nathan had made her a promise with his toast. She might get what she wanted, but he planned on getting something too. For once she didn’t feel guilty about the sexual need that drummed beneath her skin.

What kind of game was she playing? She sat there all sweet and innocent after sucking his cock in the back seat of a limousine at her boyfriend’s funeral, then makes a toast like that? Her mixed aura of naivety and vixen confused and enticed him at the same time. The thought that Rose Daniels might be more sophisticated than anyone realized made him hard. Well, he had a few tricks up his sleeve, which she probably knew nothing about. She might be older and know how to snare a man with her soft moans and pouty mouth, but Nathan could tell she didn’t have the expertise the girls had. But, he did. If she wanted to be co-partner in The G-Spot, he’d teach her the trade inside and out, just like he’d learned -- from experience. His nostrils flared at the smell of her, which lingered on his fingers and upper lip. She might want Allen’s company, too, but he wanted more. He’d wanted her since he’d first seen her with her creamy skin and blue eyes. He’d take what she offered, but this time it would be him, who did the leaving. ‘Defeat’ was another word he didn’t allow in his vocabulary. He raised his glass in another salute. “Let the good times roll.” “Here, here,” Mr. Courtney said, half-drunk already. The sudden look of fear on her face made Nathan’s dick tighten in anticipation of what he had in store for the lovely Ms. Daniels, but she gave him a weak smile and raised her hand to clink her glass with his. His eyebrow rose. Spunk. Something a worthy opponent needed in and out of bed.

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He didn’t have the capital to buy her half, but he didn’t mind sharing the business with her, as long as she knew what The G-Spot was all about. The throb in his pants eased. Business was business. He’d gone hungry and cold for too many years to let anyone destroy what had taken him years to build into a successful life. Allen had given him that opportunity, and he’d give Rose the same, but she’d have to learn everything. The first step would be to get her into his domain and win her trust. Nathan brought few women outside The G-Spot home -- in fact, none. He always met his women at a hotel, and then never stayed the entire night. He frowned. He’d never thought about that, but acknowledged the truth. He didn’t trust a ‘normal’ woman enough to share his private life. His rooms at the house were his sanctuary. Funny he’d consider letting Rose enter where no other had been allowed.

Rose. An old-fashioned name. “So what’s your whole name?” She looked startled by the switch in subject. Her eyelashes blinked several times. “Rose Leigh Daniels.”

“Gypsy Rose Lee.” He nodded. An omen, for sure. He smiled at the memory of sitting in front of an old, black and white television, watching movies featuring the famous stripper. “I like that.” Nathan watched Mr. Courtney excuse himself from the table before he leaned toward her. His gaze traveled over her breasts and back to her flushed face. The sight made him stare. He hadn’t seen a woman blush from embarrassment in a long time. Rose Daniels fascinated him. He shook his head and concentrated on the need to keep her off balance. If she could calculate numbers in her head like she’d done earlier, she had way too tight a grip on her control. It might be worth his while to make her lose that restraint. His arousal returned. “Can you perform a private striptease for me later, Gypsy?”

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“Believe me, I’ve heard the jokes before.” She picked up her fork and stabbed a slice of melon on her plate. He noticed the tremor in her hand and moved his chair closer. When his knee rubbed against hers, she stiffened and would have moved away, but he draped an arm across the back of her chair and locked his fingers around her shoulder. To anyone looking, the action appeared casual, but he could feel the tension in her body. “Come on. You know you want to play with me.” He blew into her ear, so tiny and graceful with the delicate pearl and diamond studs she wore. A shock of jealousy passed through him at the thought Allen might have bought them for her. For a second the urge to remove the expensive jewelry from her ears surged through his mind, and his fingers tightened on her shoulder. This is nonsense, man. They’re just earrings for Christ’s sake! A sudden stab of pain in his hand made him jump and brought his thoughts into focus. Nathan jerked his hand from the table and stared at her fork poised to prick his skin again. The movement loosened his hold on Rose, and he noticed she didn’t waste the opportunity to put several feet between them. His gaze met hers, and he smiled with a sense of admiration. “Well done. You’ll need that quick wit in this business.” “I wasn’t playing when I said I wanted to learn how to run The G-Spot.” Her voice shook.

One step forward. “I believe you, but you don’t know anything about being a prostitute, do you?” “Why would I need to know what it’s like to be a prostitute? I’m an accountant. I know all about the financial responsibilities required by a prospering company,” she said. Nathan smiled at her confidence. “That is an asset. But, it’s about the product we sell too. Not just the numbers.” He leaned forward. “I can teach you everything you need to know about being a prostitute.”

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“We’re partners in a business, and we’re going to act professionally.” She shook out her napkin and placed the cloth on her lap. Her eyes looked everywhere on the table but at him. Nathan’s awareness sharpened. “Whatever you say, Rose.” He’d witnessed how she’d responded to him earlier. She had wanted him. Still did, if he were any judge of women. He felt a trace of cynicism. If there was one thing he did know, it was what a female needed for her sensual gratification. He’d ignored Rose for the past six months, but he wouldn’t let business stand in the way of their attraction. He’d find a way to have both her and The G-Spot. Mr. Courtney weaved his way around several nearby tables before reaching his chair, his round face flushed with exertion and too much liquor. “Oh dear, I just remembered something very important.”

Good. He has to leave, and we can be alone. “What’s that, Courtney?” Nathan asked, trying to hide his impatience. He couldn’t abide any type of chemical addiction, whether it be to alcohol or drugs. The occasional drink didn’t bother him, but out and out inebriation screamed of a dependence he refused to tolerate. “Mr. Richard had a stipulation in his will.” The older man fumbled in his jacket pocket. “It is rather strange, but it was his wish.” “What was his wish?” Rose asked. Nathan couldn’t help but hear the note of sadness in her voice. He gritted his teeth at the possibility she had actually loved Allen. Then he remembered how she’d responded to him earlier, and his determination to get her alone grew. One second she appeared the sad distraught girlfriend, but the next, she’d been all over him. He took a swig of his beer and wondered if she were acting. His gut twisted. The old habit to punch something to relieve his anger and frustration surfaced. The beer bottle stood suspended in the air, and he took a few deep breaths, not sure he liked what he’d just concluded. His jaw tightened and sweat beaded his upper lip. He

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wanted…no…needed her desire for him to be genuine. Nathan lowered the bottle and placed it, carefully, on the table in front of him. He’d never given a damn whether any other women in his past had really wanted him, why should this one matter? Their orgasm and his payment had been all that had ever concerned him before he’d met Allen. Now, he only had sex to relieve the natural urges of his body. His gaze narrowed on her, as he watched her hands twist together in her lap. Why did he care if she was upset? “Ah, here it is.” Mr. Courtney pulled a folded piece of stationery. “Let’s see…um hmm…I hereby declare that the will be dispersed as I have indicated as long as Rose and

Nathan reside in The G-Spot for the length of six months to further their bond as partners, and allow Rose to become familiar with the business.” Nathan heard Rose’s quick intake of breath and watched her flushed cheeks pale. “No, there has to be a mistake,” she whispered. Their eyes met, and he couldn’t stop the grin, spreading across his face. He winked. “Here’s looking at you, Gypsy.”

There had to be a mistake. She couldn’t live in the same house with Nathan, especially a whorehouse. From afar she could run the financial end without being exposed to the sexual atmosphere she imagined existed at The G-Spot. Day in and day out of Nathan’s overpowering presence would be more than her willpower could tolerate. All the sexual acts she’d been denied, but desired, as the wife of the town’s preacher came to mind. She closed her eyes against the image of herself and Nathan tangled in a lover’s embrace. Her cell phone chose that moment to ring. Rose jumped, then fumbled through her purse until she found the metallic instrument. With Nathan’s gaze watching her, her fingers fumbled over the ‘send’ button. “H-hello?”

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“Hello, Rose. I’ve missed you.” Rose gripped the phone harder. “H-how did you get this number?” The husky voice laughed. “I told you before, little girl, I know everything. There’s no place you can hide from me. Did you think living with Allen would save you? I told you I wouldn’t share you. His death is your fault.” Rose closed her eyes and tried to swallow against the fear threatening to suffocate her, but the terror wouldn’t dissipate. Allen’s killer and her stalker were one in the same. “Rose, what’s wrong? Who’s on the phone?” Nathan asked, but she didn’t hear him. The raspy, menacing voice, which had terrorized her for the past three months echoed through her mind. At least the two men, who stared at her with concern in their eyes, weren’t her stalker. She frowned. Nathan asked her something, but…she looked at his lips …what had he said?

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Chapter Four

What the hell? She looked like she’d seen, or heard, a ghost. Nathan reached across the small space separating them, and removed the cell phone from her hand. She let him take it, while she stared off into space. Her pale features and blue eyes radiated fear. He put the phone to his ear. Nothing, but a dial-tone. He took her hand in his. Her fingers were cold and lifeless within his grasp. Quickly, he chafed her hands between his, hoping to stem her shock. “Waiter, bring me some brandy,” he said. He turned her face to him, but she stared at his mouth like she couldn’t understand what he said. A frown creased her forehead, and she blinked her eyes several times. “I-It was him.” Her voice sounded weak, and he had to lean close to make out the words. “Who was on the phone?” “H-He said he killed Allen,” she whispered. Her huge eyes grew larger, and Nathan could feel her body tremble. The waiter served the brandy, and Nathan scooted closer to her. His arm circled her shoulders as he placed the snifter to her lips.

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“Here drink this. You’re in shock.” Her teeth chattered against the rim, but she managed to take a sip, which turned into a gulp. She coughed, but grabbed the glass with both hands. Liquid sloshed over his fingers. “Okay, now, not so fast.” Nathan pulled the liquor from her shaky grasp. “Tell me what you’re talking about. Who said they killed Allen?” “The man who’s been stalking me for the last three months,” she said.

“What?” Nathan felt a slow rage build in his gut, as Rose bit her lip. “All that bullshit Townsend said earlier was true?” He couldn’t understand the anger he felt toward some unseen guy, threatening Rose. He barely knew her, but he felt his nostrils flare when he breathed in deep to calm his anger and stem the wave of protectiveness he experienced. “Did you tell the police?” “Yes, Allen made me call them when I received the first letter months ago, but they said he hadn’t done anything to me, so there were no legal avenues they could pursue.” Rose moved closer within his embrace, and Nathan fought a strong urge to wrap her in his arms. “When they found Allen with that note pinned to him, I told the officers I thought it could be my stalker. They wrote down some information, and I gave them the letters I had received.” She sighed. “I spoke to the detective in charge of the investigation, and he said they would check for fingerprints…anything…that might give them a definitive clue to lead them to the guy.” “What about this, Mr. Courtney?” Nathan asked. “Well, I think if no traceable evidence was found at the scene, they’re just running in circles. Unless this person does something to Ms. Daniels, then there is nothing they can go on to track him down.” The lawyer rubbed a hand across his bloodshot eyes. “I’ll check the forensics report and make some inquiries as to what they’ve examined to see whether they’ve found any

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incriminating evidence that might point to a particular individual.” He stood and Nathan watched him grab the chair to keep from falling. Nathan felt his lips compress. If the drunken bastard didn’t perform his job so well, he’d can him the first opportunity he got. “I’ll just be on my way,” Mr. Courtney said. “You do that,” Nathan said under his breath with a curt nod. He watched the attorney leave as he considered Rose’s problem. She had a man stalking her three months before she’d moved in with Allen, now, her new lover turned up dead. Gut instinct told him coincidence didn’t come into play. He believed her theory that Allen had been murdered by this guy. The wacko had proven he played for keeps, and he obviously wanted Rose. “Got any idea who this guy might be?” he asked. She shook her head. “No.” “When did all this start? Before or after you met Allen?” She frowned. “After. About three months ago. That’s why we decided --” Her words broke off, and her cheeks turned red. “So the calls started before Allen asked you to move in with him?” She nodded, and an idea formed in his mind. Allen had brought her to the executive offices several times and introduced her to everyone as his accountant. Nathan always met with him, either alone or with a group of people. Lately, he’d been meeting with Lila and a construction team to discuss a possible expansion to the house. Maybe one of the men had become obsessed with Rose. “Can you guess how old the guy is?” “No, the voice sounds --” she shook her head “-- mechanical, or something. Kind of like, he’s talking through a filter.” “He’s disguising his voice?” Nathan leaned forward and without thought placed his hand over one of hers. Her skin had warmed, and when he touched her, a tingling sensation

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spread up his arm. He quickly removed his hand. “I don’t want to alarm you, but this might be someone you know.” The waiter placed the check on the table. “I know. That’s what Allen thought too.” She picked up her purse and fumbled around the contents. The next second she pulled out several bills. “But, I don’t know many people here in Nevada.” “What are you doing?” he asked. “This is for my share of the lunch.” She held the money up. Nathan pulled out a wad of cash from his back pocket. “Keep it. This is on me.” She pushed his hand. “N-no, I can’t do -- “ “It’s not your choice.” He hadn’t meant to come across so forceful, but the look on her face told him he’d reacted too strong. Besides Allen, he rarely spoke to people at all, except in regards to business. “We’re business partners. We’re going to have to trust each other.” He said the words as gently as he could, not wanting to scare her. “I won’t make you do anything that will hurt you.” The longer he stayed around her, the need to take care of Rose grew stronger. Nathan picked up the cash and placed the money in her hand, folding her fingers around it. After a second she nodded. He shrugged and tried to explain his out of character actions. “My mother was a bitch, but she did try to instill a few manners into my thick skull, like holding a lady’s chair, or covering the bill for lunch.” She smiled, but tension stretched between them. Nathan felt the tightness in his jaw work into his neck. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said and winced at the gruff tone of his voice.

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***** Home? Just what home was he referring to, she wondered. She had her apartment locked tight with the majority of her belongings boxed up. Luckily, Allen had advanced her a couple months’ rent, so she wouldn’t have to move her things into storage. The lawyer had explained that as stipulated by the will Allen’s ex-wives had claim to his house and condominiums around the state. He’d tried to be generous to all of them. She didn’t have anywhere to go, except The G-Spot, a whorehouse. She knew what her preacher father would say about that.

Always knew you were a whore, just like your mother. This is not happening. She’d worked too hard to build a stable and respectable reputation. A reputation above reproach from her self-righteous father and her ex-husband, a man her father had insisted she marry. She’d been too naive and insecure to argue with him. The marriage had lasted sixteen long, miserable years. Now, she had her freedom.

Didn’t she? “If Allen weren’t already dead…” He’d set Nathan and her up. She’d been so distracted the last few months with her stalker, she hadn’t paid attention to everything Allen had been saying to her. She remembered several times, before he’d suggested they live together, how he’d brought up Nathan, and how well ‘the boy’ fit into the company. Rose stared out the car window at the passing landscape without seeing it.

“Now, Rose, Nathan’s a man you’d like. Has his head on straight when it comes to business. I hear he’s quite the ladies’ man too.” He chuckled. “Reminds me of me when I was younger. What do you say I arrange for the two of you to get better acquainted? You need a little spice in your life.” “Allen, I’m not interested in spice. I had enough of macho men when I was growing up and again when I got married. I’m trying to get my accounting career up and running, but I

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have to admit I’d be happy to have the occasional ‘normal’ boyfriend to go to the movies or out to eat, but your manager doesn’t look quite my type.” “Nonsense! You’re a good-looking woman, still in your prime. Don’t sell yourself short just because your first husband didn’t know how to please you in the sack, and some psycho wants to get into your pants.” “You’re so eloquent.” She patted his arm and smiled. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but, really, I’m just not interested in dating a younger man, or any other man at the moment.” “Rose, you’ve become a good friend, almost like the daughter I wish I’d had. I want you to be happy.” He paused and gazed through the windshield of his car, as they drove to her favorite restaurant. When he spoke, his words were quiet, as if he were thinking out loud. “A younger man might be just the thing --”

“Penny for your thoughts.” The deep, masculine voice washed over her skin, and Rose felt a flood of warmth pool between her legs at the sound. She shifted in her seat and turned to face Nathan. She had to fight this sexual pull she experienced with him. They were co-owners of a business, and he could be her younger brother. She bit her lip at the sight of his long, muscular legs within inches of her thigh. Okay,

that might be stretching it. Her feelings were definitely less than sisterly. Nathan’s raw masculinity didn’t help. Good girls had weaknesses for bad, sexy boys like him. “I was thinking about Allen.” She tried to laugh. “I don’t know how to say this, but I think he set us up.” “What do you mean?” A frown creased his forehead, and she watched his knuckles tighten around the steering wheel.

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“Well, I just remembered how adamant he was to set me up with you several months ago, but I told him I wasn’t interested.” A strange look passed over Nathan’s features. His eyes left the road to give her a swift perusal, and his eyebrow arched. “You think I’m lying?” she asked. A sudden flash of anger had her finger pointed at his nose. “You’ve got an ego on you, bubba, as big as Texas.” Nathan didn’t flinch, but the expression on his face persisted. “Are you saying he really did ask you if you were interested in me?” “Yes, I am.” She sat back with her arms crossed over her breasts. Her lip quivered in response to her anger. She never let her emotions get the better of her. This was not good. Nathan Graham could make her lose control with a blink of an eye. “Then why did he move you into his penthouse?” “Because he thought he could protect me better from this weirdo, who’s been after me.” Rose snapped her mouth shut. She hadn’t wanted to disclose her relationship with Allen to anyone, especially Nathan, in fear they would challenge the will. She hated to appear like a money-grubbing bitch, but she didn’t have any other choice at this moment. “You said something at the cemetery about a ‘clean slate’. What did you mean?” Rose sighed and leaned her head on her hand. “My father was a preacher in a small town outside of Dallas. Very devout, very pious.” The desert scrub rushed past the window, but she didn’t notice. “When I turned fifteen, my mother ran off with one of the deacons in our church.” She looked at Nathan’s profile. “My life was hell after that.” After several minutes talking about her past, she told him about meeting Allen. “I ran to Las Vegas; spent every dime I had on the trip here. I had just bought a cup of coffee with my last fifty cents when Allen walked up to my booth and asked if he could sit down.” She smiled. “Don’t know why he did, but it was the best thing to have happened to me.” Nathan nodded like he understood.

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“We started talking, and he ended up offering me a job on the condition I take courses to update my skills.” “So you didn’t love him.” She heard what she thought sounded like a note of satisfaction hidden beneath the wealth of sarcasm over the word ‘love.’ “I loved him in a way I don’t think you’d understand,” she said. Allen had been her friend. The father she wished she’d had. Someone, who would have allowed her to experience life and all the wonderful secrets it offered without condemning her passions -- she glanced at Nathan’s legs again -- or desires. “Yeah?” He looked at her. A dangerous spark lit his eyes, and she shivered. She couldn’t figure out what he might be thinking or feeling, but a thrill of excitement at the possibility of Nathan being jealous made her stomach muscles clench. Her father would call Nathan the ‘epitome of evil and sin.’ So, why didn’t she run screaming for the hills? Her gaze followed the line of his chiseled jaw. Her father’s voice mocked her. Just the type of man you’d end up with. “Even though I don’t believe in the expression in love, I have experienced about every other depraved form of the word there is.” “I bet you have,” she said. Nathan laughed, and she bit her lip against the wave of desire that had her spouting words she would never have said to any man, including her ex-husband. A man so like her father she still had trouble accepting she’d married him with such a blind eye. “Texas, huh?” She shrugged. His questions had her responding before she thought better about revealing anything from her past. He was a lot like Allen. Nathan made her want to confide, and that scared her to death. She sighed at the confusion he caused in her. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked to keep them from falling. She missed Allen.

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“Well like I said, I grew up there.” She shrugged and cleared her throat. “I got so tired of hearing how every male Texan was ‘bigger and better.’ If you ask me, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” A boom of laughter filled the car, and Rose jumped at the unexpected sound coming from the man beside her. The smile made him look more relaxed, more approachable. She liked that. He winked. “Who knows what would have happened, sweet Rose, if I had ignored my usual reserve in regards to older women and jumped on the opportunity to get you in the sack.” “What reserves are those?” He didn’t answer for several seconds, and she wondered if she’d stepped too far out of bounds. “I thought I had fallen in love once. She was fifteen years older than me.” He shrugged. “We had a month of heaven, then she told me she was leaving to go back to her husband and two kids.” “I’m sorry. I can understand why you’re reluctant to get involved.” “Do you?” His gaze followed the curve of her breast before returning to the road. “You feel bitter and betrayed.” “Not really. She would have disappointed me more if she’d abandoned her kids.” Rose shook her head. “I don’t understand. If you weren’t hurt, why do you resent older women?” “I didn’t say I wasn’t hurt. I’m just not bitter. Life’s a bitch, and people have to do what they have to do to survive.” He smiled. “I’m wary, but make no doubt, I wanted you the first time I saw you.” “You did not.” Rose couldn’t stop the disbelief in her voice at his confession. “You’ve barely acknowledged me the past six months.”

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“That doesn’t mean I didn’t notice you.” Nathan shrugged. “Allen asked me, too, if I might like to go out with you, but I hesitated and said no.” “Even though I’m at least ten years older than you?” She had trusted him enough to tell him moving in with Allen had been for show to scare off her unknown admirer. But as fascinating as the concept of a man like Nathan, who could have any woman he wanted in his bed, desiring her was, she couldn’t accept it. Nathan gave a snort. “Age has nothing to do with the chemistry between us, babe.” For a second his gaze settled on her legs stretched out in front of her before returning to the road. “I look at you and automatically get a hard-on.” Rose tried not to blush, but she felt the heat rise into her cheeks. No man had ever said that about her, much less straight to her face. That aspect of his personality attracted her almost as much as his looks. He said what he thought and went through life with a singleminded determination, whether others approved or not. Her pulse kicked hard and the flesh between her legs grew moist. She shrugged her shoulder and tried to respond, like a more sophisticated woman might. “I’d say that was normal for your age-group.” “What?” His nostrils were flared, and his cheeks were highlighted with a dull, red tinge. “Do you know how stereotypical your comment sounds?” “Well, it’s the truth. You’d probably never notice me in a bar full of younger, more attractive women. But, since we’re alone and thrown together in strange circumstances, and you’re the age you are, you feel a sexual attraction toward me.” “So you’re not attracted to me at all?” “No.” “What was all that in the limo, then?” “Um…repressed anxiety and grief.”

“What?” Anger laced the question he bit out between teeth she observed to be clenched tight. The skin around his lips appeared pale and drawn.

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Guilt rose to engulf her. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she remembered their business arrangement. “It’s just the situation we’re in, Nathan.” That’s all she’d allow it to be. No way could he become serious about her, like she knew she could about him. She’d never met anyone like him. Already her obsession with him interfered with her daily thoughts. Nights were even worse. He dominated her dreams. After today, the fantasies would be more intense and harder to control. If she allowed him to get closer, she’d be heartbroken when he decided to end the relationship. “That’s psychoanalytical bullshit, and you know it.” His words were quiet, but she could hear the anger he kept leashed and controlled. A muscle ticked along his jaw line, and his knuckles had blanched with the tightness of his grip. His fist hit the steering wheel. “One day I’m going to lose what restraint I have towards you, and we’ll see which one of us screams first.” He turned to her. His eyes flashed a warning. “From desire, not pent-up grief.” Rose folded her hands in her lap and decided not to provoke him further. Gut instinct told her Nathan wasn’t a pleasant man to be around if he completely lost his temper.

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Chapter Five

A pulse, like a drum, throbbed in his temple. Nathan eased the death grip he had on the steering wheel before he broke the entire column. He took a couple deep breaths and reined in the need to remind Miss High and Mighty what kind of physical reaction she experienced when they touched. He knew he shouldn’t be upset. Rose couldn’t be held at fault. He’d always had a weakness for older women. Hell, the anger he felt should be directed at himself. He had no fantasies about love -- it didn’t exist. Sex and women were commodities in his business. He kept his employees protected with security and medical expenses, and they performed their job. Although the girls were nice, and clean of drugs, they still worked voluntarily in the trade of their bodies for money. They drove in silence for several minutes before her voice with its soft, southern accent washed over his skin. Umm, milk and honey. “Tell me about yourself.” Her hips shifted in the seat beside him. “Who are you?” Nathan frowned. “There’s not much to tell.” He heard her soft laugh, and the hair on his arms stood up. If she didn’t quit squirming in that seat, he would have to pull the car over

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and straddle her hips. The combined effects of her innocence and sexuality were driving him crazy. “Come on. I’ve known you for six months, but we’ve never -- talked.” She shrugged. “A man your age in control of a multi-million dollar business has to have some interesting facts in their background.” Nathan looked in the rearview mirror to check for any cars wanting to pass in the adjacent lane, and his gaze riveted on his reflection for a second, but what felt like a lifetime. “Yeah, you could say that.” Silence stretched for endless seconds. In his mind he heard his mother’s voice, pleading. He tried to block the memories of his past, but the ghosts had been chained for too long.

“Come on, Nat, baby, do this one more time for Mama.” “No!” He pulled free from her arms. She only hugged him when she wanted him to do something for her. Usually, something he knew, even at a young age, was wrong. “I don’t like those women touching me.” He looked at his mother’s dress, torn at the hem, and her disheveled hair from fucking whatever man ventured into their apartment. Nathan wanted to vomit at the thought of what they did to her. She didn’t know he watched night after night to make sure they didn’t hurt her. Now, since he’d turned fifteen, she wanted him to service the wealthy women in the neighborhood. “You little bastard, those women pay our rent. How do you think we’d eat, or have a roof over our heads if it weren’t for them and the men I… entertain?” Her face was red and her eyes bloodshot. Nathan watched her pupils dilate, and knew she was stoned, again --

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“Watch out!” Rose’s scream brought his thoughts back into focus, and he jerked the steering wheel hard to the right to avoid the freight truck bearing down on their front bumper.

Hoonk! Hoonk! The driver flipped him off as he sped by. Nathan pulled to the side of the highway. When the car came to a complete stop he leaned his head against his arms, which were crossed over the wheel. His heart raced and sweat soaked his T-shirt. The bitter taste of bile rose in his throat. A cool hand touched his arm, and he looked into Rose’s concerned face. He jerked his arm away and opened the door. A warm breeze caressed his face, but he didn’t care. The rush of air helped force the memories back into the darkness where they belonged. The crunch of his boots against the gravel echoed like words through his mind as he walked around the car. You’re a fool. You’re a fool. He stopped, leaned against a metal post, and looked up into the blue desert sky. His heart rate slowed with the peace and tranquility of the nature around him. Lighter steps sounded behind him, and Nathan released the speed limit sign he clutched. “I thought you might be thirsty.” He turned and reached to accept the cool liquid. “Thanks.” He hoped she didn’t notice how his fingers shook. He wanted to say more, but didn’t trust his voice. He couldn’t look her in the eye at the moment, so he walked back to the car, leaving her standing on the side of the road. When she eased into the seat beside him a few minutes later, he had gained control of his memories and his reactions. “Where did you go?” she asked. He gave a snort. “Somewhere dark and painful.” “Wanna talk about it?”

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His stomach clenched in a knot at the thought of revealing his past to a woman like Rose. She didn’t have a clue what kind of world he’d grown up in, and he’d never shared that part of his life with anyone, except Allen. “No. It was long ago and far away.” “Looked like it was right here in the car with us a second ago.” Her wry sense of humor made his shaky grip on his control slip. Nathan reached for the ignition key, but stopped. He turned his body in the seat to face Rose and touched her face. Her eyes dilated in surprise with a touch of fear in their depths. His jaw tightened. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. He wanted to see the same intense stare she’d given him earlier when she’d lain beneath him. If he could make her understand the needs and desires that plagued him, maybe she’d give in to the attraction between them. But if she did, her peaches and cream world would never be the same. He couldn’t do that to her. She didn’t belong where he lived. “I never knew my father.” He traced the line of her jaw with his forefinger and his gaze. “He left before I was born, so my mother raised me by herself.” The feel of her skin, smooth and cool, beneath his fingertips made him want to taste her. His thumb grazed her bottom lip, and his cock hardened when she opened her mouth on a soft sigh, but he kept talking. “She had long blonde hair and green eyes. I used to sit and stare at her for hours.” Without thought, he leaned forward and kissed Rose gently, but a flash of an old memory surfaced to remind him of other lips and hands that had clutched and suffocated, demanding he perform whatever twisted act they desired. Acts he had, and still, craved. Nathan pulled away when Rose would have pulled him closer, and shook his head. “She was so beautiful.” “You must have loved her very much.”

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Nathan felt a lump formed in his throat at the memory of what he felt for his mother. He looked into Rose’s blue eyes, but saw green. “I loved her more than life.” “W-what happened to her?” “When I turned fifteen one of her lovers strangled her in a drunken rage.” Rose’s eyes rounded in horror, but a gentle hand touched his face, and he closed his eyes to block out the sight of his mother’s lifeless green eyes, staring at the ceiling as he shouted for her to wake up. “What did you do?” “I learned how to survive the only way my mother had taught me.” He moved away from her touch and saw the hurt in her eyes at his sudden withdrawal. Nathan gritted his teeth and started the car.

Damn! He didn’t want to lose control over his memories and emotions. What he experienced with Rose had to stay just sex. He refused to get involved with another ‘normal’ woman, who’d only end up leaving him when the real world called. “Look, I’ve been thinking about keeping this as businesslike as possible between us, and I think you’re right.” Since he had been the one who had pushed the issue, she probably thought he was crazy the way he turned hot, then cold. “Really?” The distant note to her comment didn’t escape him. When he pulled into the driveway of the playhouse, tension radiated through the car. “Well, we’re here. Home sweet home.” Nathan tried to be casual, but his words came out flippant. He didn’t want to hurt Rose but knew he would if they slept together. He didn’t believe in ‘happily ever after.’ He watched her pick at the strap of her purse with delicate hands and polished nails. She belonged in a house with a big kitchen and half a dozen kids running around. Something he didn’t know anything about -- family. He sighed. A professional relationship, like she’d suggested, would be the best thing for them.

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“Let’s get your bags inside so you can get settled.” He grabbed the handle of the door, but her hand on his arm forced him to stop. Her eyes were large in her face, and Nathan recognized the need in their blue depths.

Damn, she had changed her mind about their relationship. His throat tightened when he swallowed, and the full force of their mutual desire washed through him. He closed his eyes and heard a ragged groan escape the constriction around his windpipe. “Tell me how you survived.” Her voice sounded soft and pleading, and he couldn’t refuse her request. If she heard the naked, ugly truth she’d understand why they couldn’t pursue this attraction. He opened his eyes to stare into the dark void of his past, and he shook his head, trying to numb himself against the pain of his youthful memories. “Please, I need to know.” He had never experienced someone like Rose. The differences between her and other women he knew, or had known, made him feel…inadequate. She needed protection, not only from some psycho, but from his world. She didn’t belong here. “My mother was a whore, and so am I.” He registered the shocked expression on her face but didn’t wait to hear what she had to say. He moved to the back of the vehicle to retrieve her bags and felt her close behind him. “I sold myself to women for sex.” He slammed the trunk of the car and faced her. Her eyes were full of tears, but he didn’t want her sympathy. “Dammit, Rose, I fucked those women for money. Do you understand what I’m saying?” “Y-you did what you had to do in order to survive.” His words to her earlier came back to haunt him. He turned and headed for the house, trying to block her acceptance of him and what he was.

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Rose stood by the car, not sure Nathan wanted her to follow him. After his abrupt confession, she didn’t know what to think. At least she thought she understood what motivated him to manage this place, but his sudden decision not to pursue their attraction for each other confused her. His background would indicate a logical reason for him to desire a short-term relationship with any woman who didn’t want a long-term commitment. Rose frowned and looked at the house. For some reason Nathan had decided she posed a threat at the moment she had decided she wanted to pursue her desires. But, why? One thing was for certain, they weren’t going to be able to work together if there were secrets between them. She sighed. Her past wasn’t all a bed of roses either. A warm breeze lifted the hair from her neck, and Rose turned her face up to the sun. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. They were only about thirty miles out, but the air smelled fresh compared to the pollution in the city limits of Vegas. In the distance, mountains edged the horizon; closer up she spotted sagebrush scattered across the desert landscape with the occasional green of cacti blended with the brown of rocks. Rose liked the quiet the desolate location offered after six months in the noise and glitz of Vegas. Laughter caught her attention; the appearance of two children, a boy and a girl, riding bicycles on the sidewalk across the street where a row of small houses stood, surprised her. The little girl waved when she noticed Rose. Rose smiled and waved back. She examined the other houses. They reminded her of the military housing at the air force base where she’d grown up. All were similar in style and were probably built thirty or so years ago with their small, fenced yards. She’d never considered the prostitutes might have kids and families.

Why not? She shrugged. Her initial shock at owning a whorehouse evaporated. Nevada had legalized prostitution years ago. People here didn’t have the same views about the oldest

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profession in the world as other, more conservative states. They were just people like her, trying to survive in a world full of deceit and ugliness. “Hmm.” Rose turned to the main house, Victorian in design, and listened to birds chirping in the large pine trees, which edged the drive. She could see where the original structure had been renovated and remodeled to add extra space. Painted white, the house looked like any other normal abode, but she wondered what she would find on the inside. As she neared the front door, a big yellow cat blinked sleepy eyes up at her, but didn’t seem too concerned with her arrival. Rose bent and scratched his ears. She smiled at the loud purr he rewarded her with. “Hello there, big boy. What’s your name?” “Tom,” Nathan answered. “He can be a mean, old cuss, but scratch his ears and rub him the right way, he’s a real sweetheart. Aren’t you, boy?” When she looked up she found Nathan barefooted, leaning against the door jamb with a little boy grin on his face as he talked to the cat. Like owner, like cat? Her heart skipped a beat as she stood and walked toward him. The grin quickly faded. He studied her progress with a hooded expression. Black eyebrows were pulled low over his eyes in a slight frown, and she couldn’t detect a hint of a smile anywhere on his rugged face. She drew level with him, but he didn’t move from her path. Rose tilted her head back; her gaze traveled over the intricate patterns of his tattoos. There had always been something erotic about a man with a tattoo that appealed to her, and here stood a male with an entire sleeve she itched to explore with her fingers and her tongue. She angled her head in order to see the design better; her breath caught in her throat. Couples entwined in a myriad of positions: mouth to mouth, mouth to genitals, genitals to genitals. His entire arm depicted the art of sex.

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Rose swallowed, as her gaze met his. Naked desire mingled with anger to shine from his eyes. She wanted to believe he directed the anger at her, because she made him experience some emotion he’d never felt before. Her excitement faded when she admitted he was probably angrier with himself for losing control. She raised her chin and took a deep breath. Only one way to find out. She’d broach the subject and see what kind of response she got. “That was some bomb you dropped back there.” “Yeah.” He turned and walked inside the house with Rose close on his heels. He headed down the hallway to the back. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”

Short and to the point. With one syllable, she learned all she needed to know. He didn’t want to discuss something he probably hadn’t meant to reveal. She hadn’t known him long, but understood he wouldn’t be the type to discuss personal information with others, especially women. Rose squared her shoulders and walked faster to keep up with his long stride. This is

going to be a fun-filled six months. He stopped at an opened doorway at the end of the hall and nodded. “You can use this room. It has access to the bathroom on the other side of the closet, so you won’t have to come out into the hallway.” Rose smiled her thanks but didn’t receive a response. His tall frame took up most of the space in the doorway, and he didn’t look like he planned to move any time soon.

Oookay. She puffed her cheeks, blew the air out, slowly, and ducked her head to step around him. Her arm brushed against his, and a sharp frisson radiated down into her fingers, but he didn’t move. “Nathan --” “After you unpack come to the office down the hall.” He nodded in the direction, which they had just come. “I’ll get one of the girls to show you around if they’re awake.”

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Rose glanced at her wrist. Her watch revealed the time to be three in the afternoon. She frowned. “We can work out a schedule that won’t interfere with the girls’ rest for the time you’re going to be here.” The rebuke for cutting her off hovered on the tip of her tongue. Her mouth fell open. Her confusion at Nathan’s attitude and what she had gotten involved with magnified. “I’m going to be here for a long time.” He turned away, and she watched him walk down the hall and disappear around a corner. Her confusion turned to frustration. With a touch of childish pettiness, she stepped inside her room and slammed the door, hoping she woke every whore within three blocks. The thought he could ignore the chemistry just floored her. Hands on her hips, she paced her room. One way, or the other, she would make him react again to the sexual attraction between them. He had made her realize her needs, and he would be the one to scratch her itch.

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Chapter Six

Nathan bent and rubbed his fingers across Tom’s ears. The old cat purred and rolled onto his back where he stretched his neck for more. Across the street little Missy Turner squealed at her brother to stop squirting her with his water pistol. “Hey, Mister Nathan!” Nathan stood and waved at the kids. “Hey!” He watched them resume their chase, then turned toward his door. Nice kids. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and looked at the houses around him. All the yards were neat, and the occupants were quiet during the day, except for the occasional sounds of the few children playing. He watched old Dora Benson, The G-Spot’s housekeeper, snip a couple of roses from her bushes in her front yard, and felt a sense of satisfaction with his little community. “Yoo-hoo, Nathan!” Mrs. Benson said, pushing up on her cane to stand. Nathan hurried over so she wouldn’t have to walk too far. He stuffed his hands into the deep pockets of his jeans and smiled at the old woman. He always thought if he’d had a grandmother, she’d be like this lady. Shorter than Rose, the woman had white hair, dark skin and the blackest eyes that looked straight through to your soul. He hadn’t been surprised to learn she’d been a school

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teacher in her earlier years. The kids around the house came to the old woman whenever they needed help with their schoolwork, because their working mothers couldn’t spare the time, or didn’t know the answers to their questions. Nathan had been surprised to find a lady like her at The G-Spot, but -- he sighed -- hard times made people do whatever it took to make ends meet, even clean house and cook for a bunch of whores. “Hey, Mrs. Benson, how are you?” “I am fine, young man. Would you be a dear and take these to Miss Rose?” Nathan frowned. “Rose?” “She admired my bushes so much the other day I told her when they bloomed I would send her a few to decorate the house.”

Roses for a Rose, huh? Nathan accepted the flowers with numb fingers. “She’s an angel, isn’t she?” Mrs. Benson asked. “Uh, yes ma’am.” Rose had only been living at The G-Spot for a week, and all his employees knew her. Most of them liked her, too, from what he could see. Thank goodness Mrs. Benson couldn’t read minds, because if Rose Daniels was an angel, then he’d be heading straight to hell. Thoughts of how he could fuck her any way he could get her had his willpower in the resistance department about gone. Since their little episode in the limousine, her image popped into his mind in the middle of phone conversations with vendors and meetings with the girls. It got worse when he tried to sleep. Images of creamy skin encased in black leather haunted him, making him restless and horny as hell. The last three nights he’d awakened covered in sweat from the sexual acts they’d committed in his dreams. “I’ll…uh…make sure the angel gets these, Mrs. Benson,” he said with a forced smile and a nod before he hurried into the house. Closing the door behind him, Nathan paused at the aroma that greeted him. He breathed in deep and closed his eyes. “Umm, that smells good.”

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He frowned. Mrs. Benson did most of her cooking at night when everyone else was awake. She must have something special planned for later to start so early in the day. He looked at the clock on the wall. So far, Rose was the only one, who kept a daytime schedule, like him, due to the banks and vendors, who worked normal hours. His stomach growled, and he headed for the dining room, grateful Mrs. Benson had chosen to come work for them. His culinary skills were limited and consisted of instant food from a box, or a frozen dinner. He’d been embarrassed Rose’s first day when he’d attempted to prepare them lunch, since the housekeeper had been asleep. But, he had to give Rose credit. Not once did she turn up her nose at the food he’d placed in front of her. She’d smiled her appreciation and dug right in. She was quite a woman. Nathan nodded. There weren’t too many women in his acquaintance who would do that. “Yeah, she’s a real…” -- he walked into the dining room, and halted at the sight that greeted him -- “…trooper.” Rose curved over the dining table with her ass exposed to his gaze. She wore a miniscule black and white maid’s uniform with black, fishnet stockings hooked to a black garter. Bent at the hips, he could see a black thong snuggled between her plump cheeks. If that weren’t enough to make his cock hard as a brick, the black spiked heels she wore made her legs look like they came to her armpits. She turned and smiled an impish grin that suggested all sorts of kinky ideas. His balls tightened when she bit her bottom lip and lowered her head in a shy gesture to look at him through her eyelashes. He felt his eyebrow rise at the motion. Angel my ass. “I hope you enjoy lunch, because I have something special in mind for…dessert.”

Shit. The roses fell from his hand to land scattered across the floor. He’d been had, or was about to be. No way in hell could he refuse what she offered. He thought about the

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tangled sheets on his bed where night after night for the past week he’d dreamed of fucking her every way imaginable. Rose pulled the chair back, and Nathan crossed the room, threw his leg over, and picked up his fork in one fist and his knife in the other. His jaw clenched in an effort not to throw her on top of the table and get on with what they both wanted -- sex, sex, and more sex. His nostrils flared, but not from the smell of food. The musky dampness of her cunt taunted him at about eye level. His gaze narrowed on the tiny fanned skirt of the dress she wore. Stiff, white petticoats made the black linen stand straight out from her body. All he had to do was reach out and he could touch the wet folds between her legs. He closed his eyes and thought of the list of vendors he needed to call. “When did Mrs. Benson cook all this?” he asked, looking at the pot roast. “She looked like she’d been in her flower garden all morning.” Green beans, topped with new potatoes, steamed in a bowl beside another bowl of baby carrots. The scent of fresh baked bread wafted across the tip of his nose, and his stomach growled again. “She didn’t. I did.” His mouth fell open, and he stared at the woman beside him. No woman he’d ever known, not even his mother, had ever cooked especially for him. He swallowed hard against the lump of emotion in his throat. At that second she turned, and he caught sight of the smooth skin of her ass cheeks. He bit back a groan. She’d gone to a lot of trouble to prepare a meal for him, and, by God, he could wait a few more minutes to get inside her pants. Nathan looked at her and swallowed.

Sweet Rose. Her hands clasped together in front of her, so prim and proper. He’d been with demure flowers before, and they had shown him all the exotic and erotic ingredients needed to make their petals burst into bloom. He let his gaze trail the

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length of her legs and felt a deep throb between his. He clenched his teeth, trying to hold onto his control, but knew the tight grip he’d managed all week slipped away with each deliberate swish of her starched skirt.

Damn. He dragged his gaze back to his plate. “Let’s eat,” he said and hoped she hadn’t heard the squeak in his voice.

***** “Would you like some more?” Rose asked. She should be happy Nathan enjoyed the meal she’d cooked, but the only emotion she felt was impatience. She’d gone to more trouble with her outfit than the food, and, dammit, she wanted him to pay attention to her. “Yeah. How about some coffee?” The urge to stomp her foot intensified. Instead, she smiled at Nathan and poured him a cup of coffee from the buffet. “Have you had a good day?” “Pretty good. I thought we’d go over those accounts receivable reports this afternoon, so you can get an idea of the type of supplies we have to order every month.” His tone sounded normal, and he barely looked at her when she handed him the cup of coffee. In fact, he hadn’t said much of anything since he’d walked into the room. Her lip quivered, and Rose resisted a stronger urge to dump the steaming liquid into his lap. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, but had to turn away to prevent him from seeing the tears she felt well up in her eyes. A band of warm fingers caught her wrist and stopped her retreat. “But, if you can think of something more…stimulating…I’d be tempted to leave work early.” Her clit tingled, and her muscles contracted in her abdomen, but Rose didn’t want him to think she was desperate. She shrugged and tried to free her wrist from his hold. “No, not really. Just let me clean this up some, and we can go over those reports.”

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His fingers tightened for a second, and his eyes narrowed a fraction, then he let her go. “Sure. If that’s what you want to do.” He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “Uh, lunch was great, by the way. I can’t remember anyone ever…um…going to so much trouble.”

Well, that’s something, I guess. Rose took his plate toward the kitchen. She sniffed and looked down at her costume. She felt like a fool. He didn’t want to have sex with her. He hadn’t touched her, or flirted with her, all week. She’d been right when she said what he’d felt after the funeral had been due to the unusual situation they found themselves. Nathan didn’t want an older woman when he had all those gorgeous, model-type women who knew how to please a man. She threw the scrub brush into the sink, and water splattered across her cheek. He’d gone over the stock portfolio of Richard Entertainment, Inc. two days ago, and she’d been surprised at the vastness of Allen’s operation. The company appeared to be a legitimate entertainment service, offering high-class, beautiful women to serve as dates for visiting businessmen, government officials, and anyone else who didn’t have a companion for whatever social function they’d been invited. If they happened to make a few bucks on the side working at The G-Spot, no one would be the wiser. A china plate clattered in the aluminum sink. Rose sighed and squirted more dish soap into the water. Bubbles rose to cover the dirty dishes. So much for a seductive evening at home. Tonight would be like every other night she’d spent here -- boring. A couple of the girls had helped her pick out her outfit, and Rose had been flattered when they took so much time with her. She looked at the skirt and wanted to cry. Deciding to give up on her plan of a grand seduction, Rose went in search of the wineglasses to wash. Then she could curl up with a good book. Maybe that hot e-book she’d

just bought and printed from Loose Id… She pushed the swinging doors between the kitchen and dining room open and stopped. The table stood bare, the blinds had been closed and the drapes drawn. Two candles,

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situated on the buffet, cast a flickering hue over the polished wood, and Nathan sat exactly where she’d left him. “Nathan, are you okay?” She moved further into the room. He looked over his shoulder at her. “No.” Rose rushed forward and touched his forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Steely fingers wrapped around her wrist, and with a tug he pulled her onto his lap. His eyes glittered in the candlelight, making Rose gasp. “Yeah, you could say that.” One arm pinned her to his body, while the other worked through the thickness of her hair, pulling the curls loose from the pins she’d used to hold the mass in a French twist. Rose wriggled to get free, but his grip tightened to hold her head still, and his mouth lowered to hers. She closed her eyes, but he didn’t kiss her. “I’m sick of trying to fight what’s going on between us.” His tongue sneaked out to trace the edges of her lips, and she let out a moan. “You’re on my mind” -- he nibbled along her jaw -- “under my skin,” -- he bit into the soft skin of her neck -- “and you’re driving me crazy.” “W-what are you going to do about it?” she asked, trying to lie still in his arms, but the touch of his skin on hers made her squirm against the bulge in his pants. He sighed. “I tried to keep things professional and offer you somewhere safe to hide from that maniac harassing you, but seeing you in” -- he flicked a finger against the skirt -- “this little number…umm.” The vise around her body tightened, and his eyebrow rose. “Want me to tell you, or show you?” he asked with a wicked tilt to his mouth. “Damn you, Nathan, just do it,” she said. He wasn’t the only one going crazy. Her hormones were rampant. She wanted him.

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“What do you want me to do?” His voice sounded quiet and calm in contrast to the beating of their hearts. “I don’t want to play games.” Rose twisted in his arms, and he laughed. With a quick lift of his arms he plopped her butt onto the table in front of him. She moved to get off the table, but he held her wrists down at her sides against her thighs and shook his head. “No.” The smile disappeared, and the dark glitter had returned to his eyes. She knew his past and knew a thin line of willpower held Nathan’s control intact. He could be brutal if he wanted. She’d seen him lose complete control in the limousine when he lay between her legs; a shiver of anticipation and fear raced over her skin. Her heart ached for the boy, whose childhood had been stripped away by a mother who should have protected him. She wanted to show him there were people who wanted to

give instead of take. “Whatever you want to do, Nathan,” she whispered. She spread her legs. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” Her tongue circled over her top lip. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do. Tonight.”

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Chapter Seven

Nathan’s heart thudded to a stop. The sight of that pink tongue had his balls drawing tight. A wariness crept over him at her offer to have carte blanche in what they did. Most women would tell him exactly what they wanted him to do -- how hard, how fast, and for how long. He didn’t know what she was playing at, but he wasn’t going to give her a chance to change her mind. The need to feel her long legs wrapped around his waist and taste the sweetness of her body made his head swim. With his hand beneath her knees, he jerked once to position her on the edge of the table and spread her legs wider. “If I remember right, you were going to offer me a special dessert.” He lowered his head between her thighs and inhaled the scent of her pussy. His nose flared in appreciation of the musky smell of female blended with a soft perfume, and his mouth filled with saliva like Pavlov’s dog. “Crème a la pussy sounds fine to me.” He reached behind him and pulled his chair closer so he could sit. Once situated, he eased his head closer to her panties. He thanked God for the genius who invented thongs.

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The thin strip could be maneuvered to the side of her cunt to allow his mouth and fingers full access. When he flicked his tongue across her clit, she jumped in reaction. Nathan scooted closer and trapped her knees under his elbows. He had no intention of letting her go anywhere. They were going to finish what they’d started over a week ago. His balls still hurt from not coming, and even after several showers with ‘Rosy Palmer,’ the ache pushed against the zipper of his pants with a painful throb. “Lie back, and let me play with you.” Her eyes widened, and he heard her sharp intake of air. The muscles in her throat constricted and contracted with her swallow, and her lips parted in a slight pant. Nathan traced the folds around her clit with his forefinger and watched her eyes glaze. With a moan she lay against the cool wood, while her hands twisted in the material of her skirt.

Oh yeah, she wanted him. He knew the signs. Accelerated pulse, clammy skin, panting breaths…he shook his head in wonder. He could do whatever he wanted, and she’d let him. In and out, his finger moved with a slow rhythm. Her juices ran down his hand to pool on the table. He inserted another finger. He almost came when her back arched up against his hand, but he clenched his teeth tighter and forced the urge back. Two more strokes, and Nathan pushed in a third finger. Rose grabbed his wrist and her head rolled from side to side. “N-no, I don’t think I can take another.” Nathan frowned and stopped the stroke, but left his fingers in place. “That’s only three of my fingers. My dick is bigger than this.” Sweat covered her top lip as she stared down her body at him. “I-It’s been a long time, and I’m tight.” A sudden suspicion crept into Nathan’s mind. He pushed deeper and felt her muscles clench around his fingers. “How long?”

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She shook her head, and her grip on his hand tightened. “I’ll find out one way, or the other, Rose.” He leaned forward and swiped his tongue across her clit at the same time his fingers curled and pushed further into her vagina. Nathan felt the spasm of her orgasm and pumped harder. “Oh God, yesssss!” Her grip had tightened on his wrist, but instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer. He laughed silently. If she didn’t stop, his entire arm would be engulfed in her body. Nathan lifted his head. The play of emotions across her face made him throb, and he wanted to sink his cock into her until she screamed. “That’s right, sweetheart, let it go.” He tried to pull his hand free, but she held on. He smiled. “Gotta hungry little cunt, don’t you?” “Yes, damn you.” Her eyes opened with the same intense look she’d given him a week ago, and his heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want to hurt you. How long?” he asked, again, and licked her clit, wanting the taste of her on his tongue. “Too long.” Her breath caught through a pant. Nathan had to know if she’d slept with Allen. Whenever he thought of them together, he wanted to kill his mentor, a man who had treated him like a son. He bit her clit and pulled. Rose screamed, and a surge of need made his cock lengthen another inch. Through his teeth, he asked, “How long?” “S-six years,” she said, her answer carried on a moan. “When I was married to my first husband.” “You and Allen --” “We…never…slept…together.”

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Nathan let her rest for the amount of time it took him to unzip his jeans and free his dick. His flesh throbbed with an eagerness he hadn’t felt in a long time. He leaned between her legs and licked her pussy once more before he kissed the inside of her thigh. Hands on both of her knees, he waited for her to look at him. “Tell me you have a condom somewhere in that little number you’re wearing.” She blinked the dazed away and reached into the bra of her uniform. She had to tear twice before she got the foil off, and he bit back a groan. She was killing him. After one failed attempt to roll the lubricated rubber over his shaft, she succeeded. When she did, he pulled her hips down to him. The need to impale her body with his cock bypassed the need to be gentle, but he held on and resisted. Sweat rolled down his forehead. His jaw ached from the tight clenching of his teeth. Wet heat enveloped his flesh and he thought he’d pass out from the dizzy sensation surrounding him. Her tightness held his head locked at the opening of her body. He rocked his hips and moved another inch inside her heat. Their moans sounded in unison. “God, babe, you’re tight.” He didn’t know what she felt, but he craved the pain of her fingernails as they bit into his skin. Sweat dripped off his forehead, and he reached to capture her chin in his fingers. Their gazes met and locked. “You don’t have to wait any longer.” With one powerful thrust he entered her body to the hilt, her scream a mixture of pleasure and pain as he pumped harder. Nathan wanted her to acknowledge whose dick fucked her. Whenever she let her eyelids drift closed, he tightened his grip on her chin to bring her focus back to him. The first tingle of orgasm spread through his toes, and he gritted his teeth to slow the progress. Rose felt so damned good; he didn’t want to come yet. He could drown in her slick heat; it consumed him. Sweat ran down into the collar of his shirt, but he pumped harder. The sound of their thighs, slapping together spurred him on. “Tell me who’s fucking you.”

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Her pupils dilated, and she said, “You are.” Nathan felt his nostrils flare with elation, but he wanted to hear her say his name. With a push of his right leg, he had them both on top of the table. His chest pressed into the softness of her breasts, and he pinned her arms between their bodies. His mouth covered hers, and he forced her lips open to accept him at the same time his body pushed deeper into hers. He broke the kiss, and laid his cheek against hers. “Say my name. I need to hear you say it.” He raised his head to look at her, as his orgasm shook him from head to toe, and caught her whispered groan against his ear before the spasm took him over the edge. “Nathan.” His lips covered hers, and he swallowed his name, which sounded so erotic coming from her mouth. Their bodies glistened with sweat, and she quivered beneath him when the air conditioner kicked on. “Ahem.” Nathan froze and felt Rose stiffen beneath him. “Mr. Nathan, you have a phone call.”

Shit. Mrs. Benson. He looked over his shoulder at the black woman, who stared at his bared ass with a raised eyebrow. “I’m a little…occupied at the moment. Any way you could take a message, Mrs. B?” “I don’t think so, young man, and I’d appreciate if you would keep your playing limited to the upstairs bedrooms. Just because I work here doesn’t mean I want to see naked bodies in the throes of passion. I’ve got cable for that.” He smiled and shrugged a shoulder. She mumbled something about “…doubt I can eat on that thing, now.”

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Nathan turned his attention back to Rose, who hadn’t said a word through the entire exchange. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were pinched together. His smile faded, and he felt a frown gather around his eyebrows. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He pulled several strands of her blonde hair away from her face. “Mrs. Benson has seen just about everything.” “Well, she hasn’t ever seen me!” Rose pushed against his chest, but he didn’t move. She still didn’t understand they were in a whorehouse. Modesty didn’t exist. “Rose, how are you going to run this business if you can’t get past this prudish attitude of yours?” “Prudish? Just because I own a…a…whorehouse, doesn’t mean I want the whole world to see my-my…pussy.” Nathan lifted his heavy frame away from her and felt a stab of loss he couldn’t define. “Well, it sure as hell helps to know what the business is all about, darlin’.” He pulled his pants up. “Okay, tell me what services we offer our patrons.” The snap of his jeans echoed through the dining room, and he studied her face. A frown creased her forehead, and she shook her head. “Sex.”

She doesn’t have a clue. Nathan shook his head and took her chin in his hand. He tilted her pretty face to his. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her eyes were confused. “Not just sex.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. Her warm breath fanned across his cheeks, and he inhaled the scent of her skin. Sweet. She didn’t belong here, and he had to make her understand that, whether he wanted her body or not. He would protect her for as long as it took to catch Allen’s murderer, but, ultimately, she’d have to leave. “Do you really want to run this business?” “Yes, I have to,” she said, but lowered her gaze to the floor. “I left everything to make a new start here in Nevada.”

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“What? PTA meetings and bake sales?” He saw the hurt in her eyes and could have kicked himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I know your life wasn’t like that.” She sniffed. “It’s okay. I know you won’t understand this, but I was married to a domineering man, who told me what to think, what to say, how to dress…I can’t go back to that.” She wrapped her arms around her waist and the look she gave him made his cynical heart ache. “He was just like my father. They both wanted to control me.” He nodded. “Then you’re going to have to learn what it’s like to be a prostitute.” He held his hand up when she would have interrupted. “That’s the only way I’ll let you have any control over The G-Spot.” “Is that what the will says?” Her hands went to her hips. “From what Mr. Courtney said, we’re joint partners.” “Well, he didn’t tell you the rest. I read the fine print, so to speak.” Nathan watched as her chin rose higher and her eyes narrowed. He resisted the urge to smile at her bravado. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” He couldn’t resist the smile, then. He had her. “You have six months to live here and learn the business. If, at the end of that time, you aren’t capable of running The G-

Spot by yourself without my assistance, then management reverts back to me with you receiving a percentage each month.” He had her. There was no way she would agree to -“What do I have to do?”

Rose watched Nathan’s mouth open, then close without a sound, except a strangled gasp. She’d surprised him; that made her smile. From the little she knew of him she’d say that wasn’t a small feat. He’d seen and done just about everything imaginable.

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She watched his throat work up and down as he swallowed, and his eyes narrowed. Uh

oh, he’s scheming. She stood straighter and waited for his response. “There are three primary packages we offer -- our best sellers.”

Sounds like a sale pitch for a car! Her eyebrow rose. He turned away from her and went to the buffet where he’d placed the wine. She watched his hands close around the wine bottle and a glass. His long fingers stroked the glass like a lover’s caress, and she shivered when she remembered how he’d touched her a few minutes before. She looked up. His gaze seared her, like the intense stare of a hawk, waiting for any sign of weakness in its prey. She had the impression he expected her to back down, but if she did, she would lose her authority in the management of The G-Spot. That wouldn’t do. She would never let another man control her life. She was an equal partner, and she would do what she had to do to keep control of her share. She straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. “W-what are the packages?” He lifted the glass to his lips, and she saw one side quirk before he sipped. He didn’t believe she would go through with this, but she would prove him wrong. She had to. She had nowhere she could run with that maniac out there, waiting and watching. The psycho knew her every move. A shiver caused goose bumps to appear on her arms, but she resisted the urge to rub her skin and forced the unknown threat from her mind. “Most of our patrons are men, but we do have a few women.” He walked to a chair and sat down. Her abdominal muscles tightened. She adored the way he moved with an animal grace. Nathan might look relaxed, but she knew he would react with lightning reflexes if he felt threatened. It was in the way he made love, down and dirty, and she loved it. “They like to see the girls strip and dance on the pole.” “Pole?” Her heart gave a leap of dread. “What’s that?”

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“You know, pole dancing.” “Oh.” She swallowed. “What else?” Her voice sounded weak, and she could have kicked herself. He wanted her to back down, but she couldn’t. “Well, both the men and women patrons like oral sex. The men, especially, like to watch two of our girls go down on each other, while the women patrons like the girls to go down on them.” Silence. Rose realized her mouth hung open, and she stared at Nathan. She snapped her mouth closed so fast her teeth hurt. A part of her wanted him to be kidding, but one look at his face told her otherwise. The smirk had disappeared, and in its place he wore a somber mask, which revealed nothing of his emotions. This side of him, the systematic, efficient side of Nathan Graham, she hadn’t seen before. He meant what he said about her learning the business from the bottom up. Literally. “A-And, the third package?” She closed her eyes for a second, too scared to even imagine what he would tell her. She had to be brave. She had to do this. “Bondage.” Her eyes opened. “Excuse me?” Nathan leaned forward, and Rose couldn’t break the hold of his gaze on hers. The green eyes sparkled with what looked like anticipation. “Bondage, Rose, with a little sadism and masochism thrown in for added fun…and, pleasure…of course.” “What, no pain?” She had wanted to sound sarcastic, but her words came out breathless and a little terrified. He shrugged. “That’s part of the pleasure.” He sat back. The two times she’d ventured into what she considered to be kinky sex-play had been with this man. Could she really let a stranger do to her the things Nathan described? A

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shudder of revulsion passed through her, but she tamped down the reaction. She didn’t have a choice if these tests were the only way to prove to Nathan she could run The G-Spot.

Would he let a stranger touch her? She looked at the set features and cringed, unsure what the hard gleam in his eye would allow. Even though she had seen vulnerability in him a short time ago, they had only been having…sex. Hadn’t they? The gleam disappeared and his expression became closed. “Look, I need to get this call. You think about it and let me know what you decide.” He moved toward the door, then stopped. One hand raked through his golden hair and he turned toward her, but didn’t face her. Rose couldn’t see his eyes in the dim light of the room, but the body language told her he had something on his mind. He turned back to the door, then back to her. “You wanna go to a movie…or…somethin’?” Rose didn’t know what to say. After a second she stammered out a few coherent words. “You mean, like a date?” She watched his body tense, and his voice grew low and strangled, like gravel in a cement truck without water. “Yeah, a…date.”

Boy, he sounds enthused. She shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

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Chapter Eight

Rose wiped her hands on the thighs of her jeans, and glanced at the clock for the thousandth time. She’d arranged to meet Nathan at seven. She looked at the clock again. Ten more minutes. Trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, she turned and looked at her reflection in the antique mirror behind her. She didn’t know where they were going, so she’d chosen jeans and a nice sweater in a baby blue color to match her eyes. She smoothed the soft material and hoped Nathan liked her choice. Steps sounded on the stairs. Rose felt her heart thud to a stop, then quicken. She looked over her shoulder and watched Nathan take the steps two at a time on his way to the foyer. When he came to a stop at the bottom her breath caught at the sight of him dressed in black jeans and a black turtleneck, which molded to the lean, muscled lines of his body. His tawny hair and gold-green eyes glinted under the overhead chandelier. “Hello.” With a slight frown he walked forward to stand beside her. “Hi,” she said. The expression on his face would be more in line with a trip to the dentist, so she wasn’t sure if she should say too much.

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He cleared his throat. “These are for you.” He thrust a bouquet of wildflowers at her from behind his back. “They…um…reminded me of your eyes and hair.” Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing at his stilted behavior. It was like he’d never been on a date be --. Oh, my God. She looked at Nathan and remembered what he’d told her about his childhood. He’s never had a real ‘date.’ Tears threatened to surface, but she blinked her eyes, quickly. “Thank you.” She accepted the bouquet with care, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “They’re beautiful.” His cheeks flushed, but he looked pleased and relieved. Rose smiled and looked down at her clothes. “I hope I’m dressed okay. I wasn’t sure where we were going.” “Um, I didn’t know what you’d like to do, so I thought you could help me decide.” Her heart ached for him, and she had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling. She pictured the lonely, teenaged-boy, living the life his mother had left him to, never enjoying the experience of young love and his first date with a girl, even something as simple as a movie. She put her hand through the curve of his arm. “You know what I would really love to do?” “No…what?” His voice held a wary note. “Let’s go to the carnival I saw in that little town between here and Las Vegas.” His frown deepened. “You’d rather go to a carnival instead of a nice restaurant?” “Well, sure, wouldn’t you?” She wanted him to know he could be with a woman without having to prove himself, either sexually or by buying her an expensive meal. “Okay.” Confusion showed on his face and echoed in his voice. Rose smiled up at him. “Okay.”

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***** Grind organs moaned all around, while clowns juggled balls of orange, red, and blue. The smell of pretzels, cotton candy, and Polish sausage mingled with the more earthy odors of animal dung and diesel fuel from the rides. Rose watched Nathan’s facial expressions over each new experience he encountered. His eyes widened in delight at the hilarious antics of a troop of clowns and narrowed when a carnival worker swallowed a flaming sword. “That has to be rigged.” “Hmm, I don’t know,” she said. “I watched a documentary on television about carnival people. There are people who can really do that.” A noisy crowd of teenagers walked past. Rose stepped to the side to let them pass and stumbled over an extension cord. She cried out when the ground loomed close, but a strong hand gripped her arm and saved her from contact with the hard asphalt. The pressure of his fingers bit into her upper arm. He stepped closer to pull her up, and the warm, male scent of him assailed her nostrils. Their eyes met, and she saw his pupils dilate, then narrow to focus solely on her. “T-thank you.” She straightened. The air between them grew thick with awareness. His eyes stared at her without blinking, and the urge to kiss him intensified. Her lashes fluttered closed, and she felt the heat of his breath on her cheeks before his lips touched hers. Just that quick, it ended. Rose frowned and opened her eyes to find Nathan looking down at her with a sheepish grin. At that moment he looked like a sixteen-year-old, stealing his first kiss. She grinned back. “Come on. Let’s go see the animals.” He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her beside him to a smaller, striped tent behind the main tent. Inside, rows of cages contained animals of various types. Earthy

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aromas abounded in the air, but Nathan insisted they roam down each row to examine the occupants. “Which one do you like the best?” she asked. Nathan stopped and glanced around the tent. “The tigers.” His choice didn’t surprise her. She’d compared him to a tiger the first time she’d seen him. Big and dangerous, but with a playful nature. She nodded. “Me, too.” “Did you and Allen come to the carnival a lot?” Rose blinked at his question. “We never went to a carnival. He always took me to some fancy restaurant or club.” “Oh.” Nathan turned to look into one of the cages that housed a sleeping leopard. She walked up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t look at her. She felt the muscles beneath his skin bunched with tension. The obvious hurt at her answer made her reconsider her suggestion, but she had to show him she didn’t want the things Allen had offered. “I always felt uncomfortable in those places, you know?” He looked at her with narrowed eyes, as if he didn’t trust her words, and Rose’s comparison of Nathan and the tiger increased. She wanted him to trust her, but like many of the beautiful, wild animals, he’d never known true freedom outside his cage. His captors had been his customers, people he’d serviced, but didn’t trust with anything beyond his body. “I really had fun tonight.” She offered him a tentative smile, not sure he’d accept her small offer of friendship. “Me, too.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder, and they walked toward the car. A tiny figure, clad in jeans and a red shirt darted in front of them, and Rose stumbled. Nathan caught her and the boy at the same time. Rose held her breath and watched, as Nathan bent to the boy, who had tear stains down his face. Nathan wrapped a protective arm around him. He wiped the child’s tears with his thumbs.

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“What’s wrong, little guy?” he asked. “I-I lost my mommy,” the boy said. His lip trembled, and Rose could imagine the fear he must feel at being alone in such a strange environment. She looked at Nathan and her breath caught. His face held the same lost, blank look the child had. In that moment she knew what he had experienced when his own mother had died and her heart ached for both of them. Nathan swallowed hard, and his face cleared. “We’ll find your mom for you.” He stood and held his hand out to the boy. “You’re gonna be okay, kid.” The firm decisiveness of his voice warmed Rose, and when he took her hand, too, she knew at that moment she could trust him with anything, and she’d follow him anywhere he led her.

***** Pre-dawn slivers of light eased through the blinds. Rose blinked, then opened her eyes slowly. The house lay quiet, except for an occasional groan or creak of an old rafter. She loved early mornings. Everything was fresh and new for the day. A few more seconds of peace, then she moved to get out of bed. The heavy weight across her middle shifted and tightened to hold her in place. “Where ya goin’?” The deep male voice sounded slurred and muffled from sleep. Rose turned her face to look at the tousled head beside her. Her breath caught. Even in the rumpled state of sleep, he was beautiful. “Bathroom.” She kissed his hair and eased out from beneath warm covers to pad naked across the room. She felt his gaze on her, but didn’t turn around. Minutes later she flushed the toilet, washed her hands and brushed her teeth. Putting her toothbrush into its holder she stared into the mirror, remembering how they’d arrived

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late the other night and had been too exhausted to do more than curl up together in her bed and go to sleep. Just being next to him made her feel safer than she ever had. She’d been so proud of Nathan assisting the little boy. He had refused to leave the child with the authorities and insisted on staying to hold the boy’s hand until the young mother had been located. The woman had been frantic, but had hugged Nathan and expressed her gratitude through a sea of tears. Rose knew the emotion had made Nathan uncomfortable, but he’d stood there and let the woman gush her appreciation until finally she had left, carrying her small son close in her arms. There had been a longing in Nathan’s eyes when he’d watched them leave that had broken her heart. She clicked the light switch off and stepped into the room. Her gaze lifted. Her breath caught. Nathan stood beside the bed with a tray and a wide grin on his face. “Breakfast is served.” His exaggerated British accent made her laugh. “After you, madame.” He nodded for her to crawl under the covers. When she had, he adjusted the tray across her legs, then eased in beside her. His long legs brushed hers, and a shaft of desire spiraled down her spine. She wanted him. Now. But… She sighed. Breakfast waited. He’d gone to such trouble for her that she didn’t want to spoil his efforts. Ten minutes later she laid back against the pillows and groaned. “No, I can’t eat another bite.” She pushed the bacon away he offered. “But, you didn’t eat very much at dinner last night. I don’t want your blood sugar to drop again.” “Honest, I’m fine. If you keep it up, I’ll be a whale.” He leaned close. “A very beautiful and desirable whale.”

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She snorted, but the sound was lost when he rose up on an elbow and kissed her lips. His lips and tongue teased hers. He tasted like coffee. She moaned and sucked his tongue in farther. She wanted all of him. Tongue, teeth, lips, hands…cock. His hand eased over her breast to pinch her nipple. The white-hot pain seared from her breast to her clit. She jumped and jarred the tray. Silverware clattered. They separated and laughed. Nathan moved the tray to the nightstand. His erection stood long and hard, slicing through the pale morning light. Rose felt her breathing deepen and her pussy clench. Juices eased between her legs at the sight of her lover.

Lover? That was what he was. She swallowed, the sound loud in the quiet room. When Nathan turned back to her, she smiled and held her hand out to him. He looked at her and a slight frown formed between his eyebrows, but he took her hand as he returned to bed. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head. “Just make love to me, okay?” The frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything. Just nodded. He settled his large frame over her, lying between her legs. The feel of his cock, throbbing between them, made her squirm. His lips were soft against her own. Rose moaned. He’d never kissed her like this. Gently, like she was precious. A tear slipped down her cheek. “Shh, baby.” His thumb wiped the moisture away. “It’s okay.” His tongue traced her lips. “Just relax. I know what you need.” With that he kissed her deep, but not hard, then she felt his lips trail across her jaw, down her throat and between her breasts. Teeth nibbled and teased her nipples, and when she bucked, his hips pressed her into the mattress.

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Her desire grew hotter, and she tossed her head back and forth. His slow pace drove her wild. “Nathan.” “Shh.” His breath feathered across her abdomen, hot, teasing. He lay even with her pussy, and Rose opened her eyes to mere slits to peer at him between her legs. His gaze snagged hers and the need to have him suckle her clit grew stronger. She tried to beg him with her eyes. Will him to do what she needed without asking out loud. He smiled, slow and sure. “I know what you need, don’t worry.” As soon as the words left his lips, he spread her thighs wide, keeping her feet captive in the tangled sheets. His tongue, when it came, speared hot and sharp into her cunt. Rose cried out with the force of his drive. Over and over he licked and nipped and sucked. Her back arched and she clamped her thighs around his head when the orgasm hit. Wave after wave coursed through her body, but she refused to scream her release. Still he continued to spear his tongue into her body. She gasped and tried to escape the sensations he dragged from her, but he held her tighter and continued to suck and lick and feed upon the juices of her cunt. Another wave built low in her abdomen and she knew she’d have to scream when it hit. “N-Nathan, please…” He lifted his mouth for a second, and the wild look in his eyes made her forget what she had been trying to say. “Give me what I need.” His head lowered back to her clit at the same time he inserted two fingers into her vagina. The orgasm sent her over the edge, and she screamed his name and something… She couldn’t remember the words. Hell, she couldn’t remember her name. In seconds he climbed her body. His thighs pushed her legs wide. His nostrils were flared and his pupils were dilated with his desire. His gaze never left hers as he reached into

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the bedside drawer and pulled out a condom. His breathing hard, he ripped the foil package to shreds, then rolled the lubricated latex over the swollen head of his cock with trembling hands. “Again. Scream for me again.” Rose had never seen him so out of control. The thought she’d done this to him made a flood of moisture gush from her pussy. She wiggled her hips. A long high-pitched whine issued from her throat. “Don’t.” His voice rasped and his gaze narrowed. “Don’t you fucking dare change your mind.” She froze at the threat in his voice. She shook her head. He thought she’d deny him? She wouldn’t do tha -“Oh, my God!” The head of his cock crowded her sensitive vagina with one long thrust and pulled the hood of her clit tight. She barely had time to suck oxygen into her lungs when he pumped hard and deep, holding her arms stretched high above her head and her legs spread wide to accommodate him. “Wrap…around…me.” His voice rasped, raw and strained against her cheek. “Now, woman.” Gone was the considerate lover of minutes ago, but Rose had never been more turned on in her life. She did what he demanded, and felt him slide deeper. She moaned at the same time he did. “Good…so, good.” His words were spoken through gritted teeth, and his thrusts grew harder. So hard, he moved them up the bed to the headboard in a matter of seconds. “Hold…on, baby, I’m…going to…come.” Together they shuddered and screamed their climax. Sweat rolled and tickled across their bodies to blend in a pool beneath them on the sheets. Rose didn’t care. She felt his heart beat with hers in perfect unison and knew she was in love with him. “Nathan, I --”

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“You ready for tonight?” Her heart skipped a beat, and their blended harmony ended with a crash.

***** The music throbbed around her, but Rose didn’t notice the sexy beat. All she could hear were the shouts and whistles of the men gathered around the end of the stage. Sweat dampened her arm pits and her upper lip. Bile rose in her throat, and she had to swallow several times to force the nausea down. She hadn’t been able to eat all day. There shouldn’t be anything to throw up, but the sensation wouldn’t ease. Rose pressed a hand to her stomach and peeked out of the tiny opening in the curtains. The red velvet hid her from the crowd out front, but -- she cringed -- not for long. “Want something to ease your nerves, doll?” Rose jumped at the sound of someone behind her. She turned and saw Lila. The redhead stood a few inches away. With a swish of her long hair, the prostitute took a drag from her cigarette and held her hand out to Rose. Rose hadn’t heard the girl walk up, which surprised her given the spiked heels she wore. Whenever any of the girls walked around the house, she noticed the telltale click,

click on the tiled floors. The distinctive sound woke her throughout the night when she tried to sleep. More and more, her schedule changed to accommodate the business hours of The G-

Spot. Rose looked at the red capsules in Lila’s hand. She’d never used pills before, but now seemed a good time to start. Her heart raced, and her legs trembled. If she didn’t calm down, she wouldn’t be able to remember the dance routine the girls had helped her learn. She couldn’t let them down. Her hesitation at approaching them for help with her routine had been unnecessary. They had been excited at the prospect of her dancing and had practiced with her over and over. Rose knew she could do this, but… She reached out.

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A strong, masculine hand closed around her wrist. She gasped at the force she felt in the tight band the fingers exerted. “She doesn’t need drugs, Lila.” She looked up at Nathan. She hadn’t heard him come up beside her. His eyes were narrowed on the attractive prostitute, and his expression looked angry. Now that she thought about it, he’d had that look since she’d agreed to accept his challenge. If she didn’t know better, she would think he didn’t want her to succeed. Well hell, what does he want? He’d seemed eager enough for her to dance the day they had first discussed the bondage and S&M, but he’d left to take his phone call. The subject hadn’t come up again until this morning. This morning. Rose sighed. He had spoken as if everything that had transpired between them since their fun at the carnival didn’t exist. He’d only fucked her and asked her if she wanted to go ahead with the challenge. When she’d said ‘yes’ his response had been a tightening of his jaw and a nod of his head. It still hurt her the way he’d dismissed the closeness they’d shared last night and earlier. She was glad now he’d interrupted her when she’d been on the verge of confessing her love like some naïve fool. “Lila was just trying to get me to relax, Nathan. I don’t think she’d give me anything that would hurt me.” “Do you really want to do this?” Nathan turned to her with an inscrutable expression. “Do you not want me to do this?” She held her breath, hoping he’d say ‘no’. Instead the hand that encircled her wrist tightened its hold. “That’s a decision you have to make. Yes or no?” Rose’s heart sank, but she nodded. She watched his lips straighten into a thin line and his chest expand with a deep breath through dilated nostrils.

Well, if he doesn’t like the idea, he ought to say so! She felt like kicking him. Never had a man made her want to react so violently.

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“Then, you’ll do it sober.” He leaned close. “I’ve seen your routine, and you’re good.” His lips brushed hers, and her pelvic muscles tightened in response to the heat, which pooled in the thin crotch of her outfit. “I’ll be out front. Focus on me, and you’ll do fine.” With that he left the stage room, and several girls pushed her forward through the curtains with a whispered, “Break a leg, hon.” A bright light flashed in her face, and Rose squinted. A loud cheer rose from the audience, and she realized she stood on the stage. With a gasp she turned, but stopped when Nathan’s words flashed through her mind. Focus on me. Rose took a deep breath and moved forward with the beat of the music. With the lights, she didn’t have to see the men who ogled her. One, two, three… She moved her hips to the rhythm and stretched her arms above her head to perform a shimmy followed by a deep dip of her head over her knees to let her loose hair hit the floor. A roar exploded around her. She bit her lip and forced herself to keep rhythm with the music. After a second she felt her body relax. The image of her and Nathan alone in her bedroom replaced the sweaty, eager faces of the men in front of her. The sound and feel of the music drowned their whistles and catcalls. She danced for Nathan. Closer and closer she moved toward the pole at the end of the narrow runway. The light changed color, and for a second, she could see the men around her. One man leaned forward and grabbed her ankle. She stumbled, but the jerk wouldn’t let go. Trying not to panic, she stayed in one spot and worked her hips in time to the music. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a movement. Nathan! In two strides he had a grip on the drunken fan and pulled him away from her. A bouncer hauled the guy away, and Nathan stood next to the stage with arms across his chest, daring anyone else to touch her. He turned his head. His gaze met hers, and Rose saw a redhot fury flaming in the depths of his eyes.

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The music picked up tempo, and with a sigh Rose broke eye contact. She grabbed the pole and swung her legs in an arc to circle high around the stage, then down to the floor. Once there, she laid her head on her knee and lifted her hips against the cold metal of the pole. The steel caught her in the cleft between her butt cheeks, and she worked her hips up and down. Their eyes met, again, mere inches apart. A mental image appeared of her body over Nathan’s. The cold pole that rubbed against her clit became his cock, and she closed her eyes against the spurt of hot juices in the tiny thong she wore. When she lifted her head, he had disappeared. She stared out into the audience. She couldn’t see his face, but she knew he watched her. The tempo arched to signal the approach of the end of the song. She’d done it! Nathan would be so proud. With a flip of her long hair, she turned away from the audience and pranced away several steps…two and three, and…now… Rose turned, stopped, and smiled. She released the snap, which held her bra together, and spread her arms wide. The men went wild, climbing over each other to get next to the stage. In the chaos she thought she heard Nathan growl out a loud Goddammit, but she continued to grind her hips to the beat. With two steps she leapt into the air and grabbed the pole to circle above their heads. Her legs curved around the pole, and her hair flew around her face and shoulders. When she came down to the stage floor, the music had ended, and the men around her shouted for more and offered her bills -- fives, tens, twenties, which she accepted with a laugh. Rose jumped up. “I did it!” With a wave, she turned and ran off the stage into the arms of several girls. They hugged and patted her. “We knew you could do it, Rose!” Other hands turned her. “You’re a natural, honey.” Rose fumbled to snap the catch of her bra and noticed a figure off to the side. Her gaze traveled over the woman’s long legs and flat stomach until she met Lila’s gaze. The tall

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redhead stared at her, released a stream of cigarette smoke, then offered her a smile before she turned and left the dressing room. Rose frowned. She knew Lila hadn’t wanted her at The G-Spot when she’d first come, but thought the beautiful prostitute had begun to accept her. She wasn’t so sure with the thin smile she’d just received. Rose experienced an odd sensation, like a cold fist knotted in the pit of her stomach, but ignored the strange feeling. All around her girls offered their praise and encouragement.

Shadows crisscrossed the backstage recess. Nathan watched Rose hug two of his girls and accept their kisses. He reached for a non-existent cigarette, then grunted when he found none. He picked a fine time to quit smoking. With Rose Daniels around his nerves were wound so tight that any hint of stress would snap them in two. She had a taste of the wild life and she liked it. The sight of Rose with her arms thrown wide and a smile so defiant against her fears seared his mind, and he knew he would have to accelerate his scare tactics. It would only be a matter of time. The bolder she became the more chance she’d spiral out of control into his world of sex and debauchery, or worse. The madman still watched her. The sight of the latest note had forced the bile in his gut to churn. Luckily, he’d intercepted the thing before Rose could find it tacked to the front door of the house. Unlike the others, this one had been without the usual rhyme and crystal clear.

Your boyfriend’s a dead man if you don’t leave him alone! When I’m done, I’m coming for you. You’ve been a bad, bad girl. The note wasn’t the half of his problem. If he hadn’t been there when that asshole had grabbed her tonight, no telling what would have happened. He ran a hand through his hair. The drunken fool could have been her stalker. Then, what? He’d screened and hired extra

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security since she’d come here, but there was no guarantee he’d be able to protect her from some nameless, faceless lunatic with all the people who came and went on the premises. He might want her in his bed, but not at the expense of contaminating what innocence she had left, or worse, her life. He couldn’t offer her happily ever after, and he sure as hell wasn’t any Prince Charming. His past had seen to that. So far, their sexual encounters were tame compared to the kinkier type of sexual acts he usually craved with his partners -- what he craved from her. He’d been so close to showing her this morning, too. Luckily, he’d gotten control of the situation before he’d gotten carried away. Hell, instead of being jealous of the lust other men had shown her, he’d gotten a hardon when they’d whistled at her and yelled out they wanted to fuck her. He’d only gotten mad and lost control when one of them had decided to touch her. He swallowed at the memory of the metal pole between her ass combined with the sight of several patrons masturbating, or fucking one of the girls on top of a table. That had just about sent him over the edge. The craving for sex intensified in The G-Spot, and Nathan knew how the addiction consumed a person’s soul to the point of extinction. He’d lost his years ago. Rose’s soft laughter reached his ears, and Nathan dragged his thoughts back to the present. If she stayed much longer, he would have to introduce her to the darker desires, which plagued his mind and released him from his personal demons. He wanted her more than he could ever remember wanting a woman. Nathan twisted his neck to the side to ease the sudden tension in his head and back. His balls ached with the need to feel Rose’s mouth wrapped around his cock. Time for Plan B. Since Plan A had failed so miserably, he’d have to make sure his next idea had her running for the hills. At that second Rose spotted him and gave a little yelp. “Nathan!” She practically bounced over to him.

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Ah, shit! He forced a smile to his face and caught her in his arms to give her a big hug. He hated to crush her excitement over her accomplishment, but he had to. “Did you see me? How did I do? Were you proud of me?” “Whoa, whoa, one question at a time, babe.” Her breasts jiggled within the confines of the tiny, black bra she’d snapped back into place. A fake dragon tattoo on the inner swell of her left breast added to the bad-girl persona. Nathan rubbed a finger across the red and green monster and had to admit the effect devastated the average male’s mind, not to mention several other parts of the anatomy. A mental flash of her above him, riding him hard, while he bit and suckled those gorgeous breasts made his cock swell with a throbbing need. He’d make that dragon wish it were real enough to do the same to her. Nathan smiled and dug his fingers into her thick hair. The feel of warm silk against his skin forced a groan from his throat. He pulled her head back and crushed her mouth with his. When they came up for air, he rested his forehead against hers and fought the raging sexual hunger growing within him. He had to focus on what needed to be done. Get her out

of here! “You were great.” He kissed her nose, and she giggled. “Yeah, I was, wasn’t I?” Nathan swallowed a curse. Instead he nodded. “You did this so well I think you’re ready to learn a new trick.” He felt her body stiffen and watched her smile falter. His tension eased. Her expression grew serious, and he knew she wouldn’t go through with the next phase. There was no wa -“I know which girl I want to have oral sex with.”

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Chapter Nine

“You lied to me, Rose.” “No, no, really, I’ve been a good girl.” “Liar! I know you danced for those despicable men the other night.” “H-how?” Laughter filled the receiver, and Rose had to pull the phone from her ear. “I was there, Rose. I saw you.” Rose gasped. No, he couldn’t have been here. Could he? Had he been the guy, who grabbed her? “Why are you doing this? Leave me alone.” “Never, Rose. You’re mine. If it’s desire you need, I have enough for the both of us.” “No!” “Don’t make me hurt you, Rose.”

***** Rose worked her way through the rows of flowers Mrs. Benson took such good care of. In the distance she could see an eagle circle above the desert floor, while a hot breeze blew strands of her hair across her face. She bent to smell the heady aroma of a rosebud and

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sighed. The quiet of the day soothed her nerves, but she couldn’t get the horror of her earlier phone conversation out of her mind. She’d told Nathan immediately, and he’d called the police and demanded phone taps be placed on all the lines into the house. Even with that Rose didn’t think they’d ever catch this lunatic. She closed her eyes. God, when will this end? “Nice show last night.” The voice sounded behind her, and Rose turned toward the familiar male tone full of warmth and humor. “Mr. Townsend!” She clutched her breast where her heart pounded. “Y-you saw my routine?” “Yeah.” He lifted his cap and rubbed his forehead with a laugh. “That was quite a…performance.” The cap came back down, and his grin flashed. “And, call me Mike, please,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” “You didn’t. You just startled me. What brings you all the way out here to the middle of nowhere?” “You do.” He moved closer, and Rose took note of his attire. A faded baseball cap, worn jeans, and tennis shoes. The black Metallica T-shirt had seen better days, too, but overall he made an attractive and appealing picture. Mike’s face held a certain hunger she’d seen in Nathan. “Me?” “I wondered if you’ve had any further contact with the killer.” He hesitated, but Rose was sure it wasn’t from fear she’d be offended by any of his questions. This man went after what he wanted, whether it be information, or …sex. Rose stiffened with the insight. Mike Townsend might be one sexy man, but he had

dangerous written all over him.

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“I-I don’t know if I should talk to you about this,” she said and glanced back at the house. Nathan had said he wanted to take a nap before they met for their next…tutoring…session. “Why not?” His breath fanned her cheek, and she realized he’d moved even closer to her. An alarm bell went off in her mind, telling her to move away. “I have to go.” She stepped away without turning her back. His eyes narrowed at her retreat, but he didn’t try to stop her. She made it to the front door of the house before he responded. “Mike. My name’s Mike, and if you won’t talk to me now, Rose, you will soon.” Rose hesitated with her hand on the doorknob and shook her head. “Is that a threat?” “No.” He smiled. “A promise.” “Why can’t you just leave me alone?” She waved her hand in the air, letting the frustration of her situation take control. “All of you!” Mike Townsend walked toward her, and she drew in a quick breath. He stopped a good five feet away with his camera ready. “If they saw what I saw when I watched you last night, you’re in deep trouble, lady.” He snapped several shots of her, then gave her a smile that she recognized. Full of desire, it was the smile she’d seen on the faces of all the men who had watched her last night. “You’re the kind of woman we need to lock up, throw away the key, and fuck forever until we can drown away our sins.” Rose stared in fascinated horror at his handsome face. It’s him. Oh, my God! “Stay away from me!” She turned and fumbled with the handle. After what felt like an eternity, the massive door opened and she stumbled into the foyer. Pushing the heavy wood shut, she bolted the lock and leaned against its coolness. Her heart thudded against her chest, and her breath came in gasps. “What’s wrong?”

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She looked up to see Lila on the landing in her normal early morning negligee and bare feet. “There’s a man outside. I-I think he’s my stalker.” Lila’s gaze narrowed and she came down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. With a firm hand she pushed Rose aside and opened the door, undeterred by her attire. Rose moved into the corner, scared to look out at Mike Townsend again with his tempting as sin smile, tousled black hair, and brown eyes. She listened, but could hear nothing except, the ticking of the old grandfather clock to her right. After several minutes the door opened and Lila strode back inside. She looked at Rose with an eyebrow raised and shook her head. “No one out there.” “Where could he have gone?” Lila shrugged. “I don’t see any vehicles in the lot, or on the road. Are you sure you saw someone? You did have a pretty big night last night, and you’re up early today.” “I know what I saw, Lila,” she said, pushing away from the wall. “I carried on a conversation with the man.” Lila didn’t seem fazed by Rose’s outburst. She glided away into the kitchen area with a graceful sway of her hips. At the swinging doors she looked back over her shoulder. “It’s okay. Nathan and I will help you relax later.”

***** “Rose!” The lace teddy she held against her naked body fell to the floor. “What?” She looked at the man, who lay across her bed. He stretched his body, like a lazy cat. The sight made her nipples tighten and her clit throb. He’d been tutoring her for the last

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hour in what to expect when she slept with Lila tonight. Correction! There’s not going to be

any sleeping going on, girlfriend. “What are you thinking about?” She reached down and picked up the white lace teddy. When she stood, she couldn’t meet his gaze. She had chosen Lila, so she shouldn’t have felt so uptight. The younger woman’s body fascinated her, and Rose admitted she’d fantasized about Lila’s mouth ever since she’d seen her. But -“Nervous about tonight?” Rose looked up and found green eyes focused on her. She nodded and wondered if the idea of her having sex with another woman bothered Nathan. He hadn’t shown any jealousy at all when she’d taken her clothes off and danced in front of a room full of men, but this would be more intimate. Another person besides him would have access to her body. She heard Mike Townsend’s words in her mind and moved closer to the bed. “Does it bother you that I’m…” -- she waved her hand -- “having sex with someone else?” She thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes before he moved to sit up, but she couldn’t determine what emotion Nathan hid from her. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled a small box she hadn’t noticed from the top drawer. When he turned back, his sensuous mouth quirked up on the side with a grin. “Come here,” he said. She stepped between his legs, then gasped when he opened the box to reveal a small pearl and diamond pendant on a delicate gold chain nestled in the warmth of the velvetlined box. “Where did you get this?” She reached for the pearl teardrop. “It looks identical to the one I told you about a few days ago.” After an all night sexathon. That had been the first

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night he hadn’t left her bed for his own. Instead, he’d pulled her close and asked her about her childhood. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought he’d remembered. “My mother left us after years of abuse by my father to find love and happiness in the arms of another man.” One tear pooled, then rolled down her cheek. “The day she left she gave me a pendant, which had been her grandmother’s. I guess she didn’t think what I really needed was my mom.” “I know, but maybe she knew your father wouldn’t let you go.” She heard him clear his throat. Maybe he remembered his own mother leaving him. At that moment she felt closer to him than any other human being. They may come from different worlds, but they had a lot in common. “No one will take this one away from you. It’s yours from me.” Hope flowed through her veins. How could he deny being compassionate when he’d remembered how she’d told him her father had ripped the necklace from her throat and told her he wouldn’t have her wearing a whore’s jewelry? “Thank you, it’s beautiful.” Her lips quivered with emotion, and she gave him a fierce hug. “Thank you for letting me learn about my sexuality, too. That’s something my exhusband refused.” Deft fingers tightened before he tunneled his hand beneath the length of her hair along her neck. She closed her eyes against the pleasure he gave her when he massaged the base of her skull. The spark of hope built inside her, but his words dampened whatever wish in her heart for them to have a true relationship. “I’m not forcing you to do this. Tonight is your decision. Your body and needs are yours, but if you don’t want to continue this quest, just say so.” He wrapped strong arms around her and pulled her close. His nose and mouth nuzzled her ear and neck, and she closed her eyes at the contact of his naked body against hers.

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“It’s not that. I actually” -- she hesitated, not sure if her desire made her a slut -- “want Lila.” She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. She and Nathan had been having sex on a regular basis since the day she’d made lunch for him, but she’d never shared such intimate secrets with him. “I just don’t want you to think I’m a…slut like my ex-husband did every time I suggested we try something a little risqué in the bedroom.” Nathan acted like he wanted her, but she knew desire could stem from a different aspect than caring for someone. His lack of objection at her having intimate contact with other people pretty much told her where their relationship stood. She meant nothing more than casual sex to him. No way would she admit to Nathan he meant more to her than she meant to him. She didn’t even want to acknowledge what she knew she felt. She gave herself a mental shake. They had a business relationship with good sex on the side. That’s all. His arms tightened. “You are a consenting adult with no commitments to anyone.” He kissed the back of her neck. “You’re ex was a fool not to take full advantage of all that passion hidden beneath that cool shell of yours.” She heard him sigh, but it sounded like a sigh of defeat instead of triumph. “I can’t wait to see you with another woman.” “T-That would really turn you on?” She squirmed, but he held her fast, and she felt deep laughter rumble in his chest at the same instant she heard him speak. “Hmm, let me think… Hell, yes, it’d turn me on. It’s probably number one on every red-blooded male’s fantasy list.” He turned her in his arms and nibbled the globe of her breast. “Now, what exactly would you like Lila to do for you, little Rose?” He lifted her chin with his forefinger, but she couldn’t look him in the eye. “Hmm?” He kissed her eyelids. “How about that?” She nodded. His lips moved to her ear and neck to nibble at the sensitive skin. “This?”

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White-hot flames licked from the erogenous zones to her clit, and she gasped. “Yes.” Rose heard him inhale through his nose. “From that musky smell on your skin I think you’re turned on. Am I right?” She nodded, then groaned when she felt his fingers probe the wetness of her pussy. He pushed deep, and she felt her muscles contract to suck him in farther. “Lie on your stomach.” His tone indicated an order, not a request. She shivered and did what he instructed. The sound of his husky voice had a hypnotic quality, and she closed her eyes. Warm, strong fingers massaged her shoulders and back, and she felt the tension ease from her tight muscles. Firm strokes changed into feather caresses, causing a tingling sensation over her skin. She sighed. “Do you like that?” Rose stiffened and opened her eyes. The voice didn’t belong to Nathan, but to Lila. She rose on one elbow and tried to turn her head, but a firm hand, gently, pushed her back into the bedcovers. “Lila --” “Shh, just relax. We thought you’d do better not to wait until tonight. Close your eyes and pretend you’re with Nathan.” The woman’s long fingers stroked across the mound of her ass to trail down the back of her thighs, and Rose bit back a groan. She let her body go limp and gave in to the foreign sensations. Nathan hadn’t demonstrated this particular technique earlier, and Rose found she quite liked Lila’s method. Her hands were gentle, but sure, and worked all the finer muscles Nathan seemed unaware existed.

Something only another woman would know. Rose smiled into the sheets. Soon Lila’s lips followed her fingers, and Rose clutched the covers in her fists and tightened her buttocks. The more Lila stroked and kissed the backs of her knees the more

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Rose thought she would come. Tiny ripples raced up and down her skin and centered in the nerve endings of her clit. “Roll over and let me lick your nipples.” Lila’s voice resembled Nathan’s with the husky but authoritative tone, and Rose found herself responding without hesitation. Once over, Lila straddled her hips, and Rose felt a jolt of surprise to find the other woman naked. Rose let her gaze travel over the other’s pert breasts and toned abdomen to rest on the junction where their pussies met. Blonde hair mingled with red, and the sight made her juices ooze between the crease of her buttocks. Rose squirmed against the tickle, and saw Lila smile. “In time, Rosie, in time. I’m going to work my way down there at my own pace.” Rose felt her eyes widen before Lila moved over her to pull her arms above her head. The redhead’s boobs hung in her face, but Rose fought the desire to suckle one. Lila laughed and looked down at her. Her blue eyes were alive with anticipation. “Y-you like doing this,” Rose said. “Why wouldn’t I?” She leaned down and kissed Rose on the mouth. “You’re a beautiful woman.” Lila lifted up and continued her task. “That excites me.” Rose found her hands tied to the headboard with pantyhose, and a spark of fear passed through her. “I-I’m not sure about this.” With the task completed, Lila looked at her again. “Virgin flesh, so to speak. You’re too much of a temptation to pass up.” “I’m not a virgin,” Rose said, hoping the information would make Lila change her mind about whatever she had in mind. Where was Nathan? Lila crushed Rose’s mouth with her own, and Rose groaned. White-hot need arrowed to her clit, and she arched her hips into Lila’s pelvis. When Lila drew back, Rose looked at the other woman, a fog surrounded her mind. “You’ve never done this have you?” Lila asked and drew circles around Rose’s areoles.

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Rose felt her nipples peak into hardened buds at the same time her pussy clenched tight. She bit her lip and had to shake her head, because if she opened her mouth she would scream from all the pent-up desires Lila brought out in her. Lila nodded. “Then, you’re a virgin, and it’s always exciting to teach someone something new.” She looked over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t you agree?” Rose followed her gaze and gasped when she saw Nathan in the corner of the room, watching. His green eyes sparkled with an intense need she recognized. His long, muscular frame stretched out in her rocking chair as he stroked his hardened cock. At Lila’s spoken question, he gave her a curt nod, and Rose knew he wanted Lila to continue. Lila might be the one performing this sexual act with Rose, but Rose had no doubt who controlled the situation. Her fear at being bound dissipated. He’d said this turned him on, and she wanted to please him. Lila looked down at her, and Rose shivered with anticipation and apprehension. The woman’s eyes were bright, and her lips held a secretive smile. “W-what are you going to do?” The whore’s smile turned into a smirk. “Exactly what he likes me to do, hon.” With that cryptic answer, she rubbed her pussy against Rose’s, and Rose could feel their juices mingle until their bodies slid without friction against each other. Their pubic bones ground together to harden their clits to the point of bursting. Rose clutched the nylon that bound her hands and tried to wrap her legs around Lila’s body, but the other girl made a hissing sound through her teeth. “No, or I’ll tie your legs apart.” Rose’s legs flopped to the bed. She didn’t think she wanted her entire body bound. At least with her legs loose, she felt some semblance of freedom. The pressure in her pelvis increased to the point she couldn’t hold back the need to come. With a shudder Rose arched into Lila and let her orgasm take her. The crush of Lila’s

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mouth over hers heightened the climax. Not only did she kiss her, but Lila pinched Rose’s nipples hard to the point of pain, but Rose didn’t care. The orgasm went on and on with her and Lila’s juices flowing down her thighs and ass onto tangled sheets. Her breath broke in ragged gasps, and she opened her eyes to look at Nathan. He sat on the edge of the rocker with his gaze locked on her face. When their eyes met he closed his. With a long, hard stroke of his hand his body tensed, and his head fell back, while his mouth opened with a groan. She watched semen spill from the head of his cock.

He’s so beautiful. With that thought her desire rose again. She wanted to please him like she had when she’d danced. His face had been what she focused on instead of the fifty or sixty men gathered in the club. She focused on him, now. Rose looked at Lila and found the other woman’s gaze, studying her without a smile. “What else does he like?” she asked the prostitute. Lila leaned across Rose. Their breasts and lips flush, Lila reached above her and untied Rose’s bonds. “Make love to me, like you’re making love to him,” she said. Without hesitation Rose lifted her head and kissed Lila at the same time she wrapped her arms around the other girl. The feel of Lila’s trim body and soft curves melded with hers. Rose groaned at the sensuous feeling of another woman in her arms. The smell of their combined feminine musk permeated her nostrils, and she thought she would drown. She kissed Lila’s lips and neck, which were smooth like satin. When she reached the other woman’s nipples Rose felt Lila’s groan of pleasure rumble through her own body. Using Nathan and Lila’s techniques, Rose bit the whore’s tits, and the resulting cry made her belly clench with heat. Greed enveloped her. They rolled over, and she moved farther down the other woman’s body. The patch of damp, red curls called to her, and Rose dove in with an abandon she didn’t know she had. She flicked her tongue against the swollen clit, and when Lila drew her legs together to ward off Rose’s attack, Rose grabbed her thighs and forced her legs apart for

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better access. Behind her she heard Nathan draw in his breath with a hiss before he moved closer to the bed. Lila sat up, propped on her elbows with her body shaking. “Let her finish, dammit.” Rose swiped her tongue along the swollen cleft and smacked her lips with the taste of the salty juices, which flowed like nectar from Lila’s body. She must be really turned on. She knew she was. She looked at Nathan and eased her wet fingers into Lila’s cunt and slowly pulled them out again; the girl bucked and Nathan groaned. He stood next to the bed, and his cock protruded like a sword from his taut body. Rose knew he wanted to join them, but she met his gaze and shook her head. Not yet. She hoped he understood she wanted to do this alone, then he could join. Rose pushed up onto her knees, and Lila reached for her. “No, don’t go,” Lila said, and Rose smiled at the need she heard in the other woman’s voice. A sense of power washed over her, and she liked it. She pulled the redhead closer to her, then flipped her leg and hips over the girl’s body to straddle her face. She looked over her hip into blue eyes full of surprise. “I’m not going anywhere, hon. We’re just getting started.” She laughed at the expression on Lila’s face at the use of one of the prostitute’s favorite words. Rose lowered her pussy to Lila’s mouth and rotated her hips to indicate what motion she wanted Lila to follow. She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath when the younger woman took the cue and latched onto her clit. “Ohhh, yes.” She pushed her arms between her new lover’s thighs, but before she took the glistening pussy laid out in front of her, she glanced at Nathan. His nostrils were flared and a faint flush highlighted his cheekbones. He leaned against the bedpost, and his head peered around the side, as if to get a better angle, to see what she planned to do. “It’s your turn next,” she whispered before she plunged her tongue deep into Lila’s cunt. She heard a resounding groan from each of them.

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Chapter Ten

Holy, Mother -- What she did to him. She was blessed with brains, beauty, and a compassionate heart. The women at The G-Spot lacked that trait. Maybe they’d had it at one time, but now they were hardened from life’s knocks, and he didn’t want that to happen to Ro -The suckling sounds her pouty lips made against Lila’s clit echoed through his mind, and he gripped the bedpost with both hands. God, I’ve created a sex monster. But, what a desirable creature Rose had turned out to be. His cock throbbed to the point he thought he’d explode if he didn’t get into her wet pussy soon. Air locked tight in his throat, but even the need to breathe couldn’t ease the desperate urge to fuck. His heart pounded against his chest. He shook his head. Have…to…get…control. But, he couldn’t. He stood entranced by the scene of the two women, eating the other’s pussy. He watched them climax together seconds later, and their moans of ecstasy filled his ears. Their screams of completion echoed throughout the room, and he couldn’t wait any longer.

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Nathan rounded the bed and grabbed Rose under her arms. She looked up at him in surprise, like she didn’t recognize him. His jaw clenched, and he had to fight the surge of jealousy that washed over him. He wanted to be the one who gave her pleasure. With a tug he pulled her to him, then turned her around to face Lila. She fell forward, and her ass rose up toward his face. Her relaxed state made her vulnerable to whatever he desired. The thought made his dick spurt with need, and when Lila opened her arms to take Rose’s weight in the embrace of a lover, Nathan growled. “Don’t forget who she belongs to, Lila.” Lila gave him a sly grin before she kissed Rose’s wet lips and trailed her fingers, covered with slick juices from Rose’s exposed cunt, to her ass. Nathan watched the redhead slide her fingers in and out of the tight flesh. Rose moaned, but didn’t pull away. “Come on, Nathan, do it,” Lila said. “I know you want to, and Rosie won’t mind, will you, hon?” The raw need and desire in the glance Rose threw him over her shoulder pushed him into action. Nathan moved to the nightstand and opened the top drawer. His hands rummaged through several dildos and vibrators until he found what he searched for. He glanced back at the two women, and his fingers shook so hard he dropped the lid to the lubricating cream when he opened the jar. He walked to end of the bed while he smeared the thick cream over his cock. He dug his fingers into her hips to keep her still long enough to coat her opening. When he felt her rectal muscles clamp around his finger, he withdrew to grasp her hips and drive his cock deep into her soft flesh. He heard her cry and felt her stiffen, but couldn’t stop. “Relax. It’s just like we’ve practiced with the plugs, babe.” He rubbed her lower back to ease her discomfort. “Let me in.” He felt Rose shudder when Lila’s fingers eased in, then out of her cunt to circle her clit. A tiny film of sweat clung to her skin, but with his command and his massage, he felt her

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body adjust to his invasion. The smell of sex permeated the air in the tiny room, and his nostrils twitched.

One, two, three thrusts and he threw his head back and howled his release. The orgasm rocked him from his head to his toes for several seconds. He continued to pump into her heat, but circled an arm around her waist and leaned his abdomen against her damp back. Within minutes her body clenched and trembled with her own climax, but she didn’t scream out. Instead, she buried her face against Lila’s neck and dug her fingernails into the sheets. Rose’s body lay in a limp pile on top of the prostitute. Nathan withdrew his weight, but left his cock in her tight hold. He disentangled Lila’s arms from around Rose’s neck. The smell of sex engulfed his senses, and, God help him, he wanted more. “Come on, sweet Rose. Time to let Lila leave.” He lifted Rose into the cradle of his arms, her back to his chest, away from the clutches of a woman he knew liked her profession way too much. Lila sat up in a rush, and her eyes blazed with anger, while her nostrils flared. “Maybe she doesn’t want me to leave, Nathan.” She pushed onto her knees, and their faces were inches apart. “Maybe she wants you to go, instead.” Nathan arched his eyebrow. “I doubt that, Lila.” He kissed the top of Rose’s head. “She doesn’t have your likes. She prefers men.” He watched the blue eyes narrow, but the smile she gave him appeared sweet and serene. “Ah, but the question is has she found out what you like?” Anger welled in his gut at the woman’s threat. If he weren’t holding Rose, his cock still buried in her sweet ass, he would have thrown the other woman out of the room. But, in that second, he admitted his needs were no worse than Lila’s, and she knew it from the laugh she gave him before scooting off the bed.

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“Good thing I respect you, Nathan, or you’d have a run for your money with that piece of ass.” He watched Lila pull on her robe, then turn to him. “She’s good, hon. A real natural.” She reached the door and turned the handle. “Take her to the ‘dungeon’.” She winked. “Teach her a few more tricks, and you’ll have a real money-maker on your hands.” With another husky laugh she pulled the door wide and left. Nathan stood there for several seconds, holding Rose in his arms. She turned in profile to him and moaned. Her hips wiggled in invitation against his pelvis. He looked down at her, and the beauty in her face made his breath catch, and he felt his dick grow full again.

Damn. If she had this kind of power over two burned-out whores, what would she do to the regular bastards, who came in here night after night? No way to know, because he wouldn’t let that particular scenario happen. Rose didn’t belong here, and the sooner he made her realize the fact, the better…for all of them. He eased out of her body and laid her across the bed beneath the warmth and safety of the comforter. “You okay?” She nodded and smiled up at him, her eyes heavy with contentment. “Umm, never better,” she said with a yawn. “Sleepy.” Nathan let his long frame flop into the wicker rocking chair he’d vacated earlier in favor of some up close and personal contact with Lila and Rose. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He’d struck out twice with the tasks he’d given her. Neither had intimidated the feisty little blonde. She released a contented sigh, and he raised his head to watch her roll over onto her side. Her hair fell in long curls across her shoulder and breast, while the flush on her cheeks made her appear younger than her thirty-eight years. He eased his way to the edge of the bed on hands and knees. When he knelt inches from her face he stopped and traced the back of his knuckles across the silky skin of her face into her hair.

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Hard to believe she could look so innocent when she’d been such a little tramp only minutes before, but he couldn’t deny he liked the contrast. If his fear didn’t plague him so much, he’d keep her and teach her everything he knew until she grew tired of him. The fear he’d felt the other night when he’d held that boy’s hand engulfed him and transported him back to the day his mother had died. His fingers tightened around a soft curl. “And, that, folks, is the crux of the matter,” he whispered. He’d rather her leave, now, before she had him wrapped around her finger so tight he couldn’t escape the ultimate pain he knew he’d experience with her loss.

Time to play rough. If pole-dancing and one-on-one with another female hadn’t scared her off, Nathan could think of only one option left. He placed both hands on his knees and rose. She smiled her angelic smile, and he walked to the door. With his hand on the light switch he turned and took one last glance. He’d let her sleep in peace the rest of the night. But, tomorrow night -- he smiled -- he planned to see how Goldilocks liked playing with whips and chains.

***** Rose eased a foot down one step, then hesitated. Had she taken a wrong turn? The basement of the old house had a myriad of rooms and corridors, dark and dank. She looked over her shoulder. Electric candles flickered in the wall sconces, and the only sound was a slight creaking the closer she drew to the door in front of her. “Nathan?” She pushed the door open and stepped inside. The sound of yawning metal entwined with deep moans to echo throughout the darkened room. Her heart skipped several beats, as she tried to focus on the contraption in the center of the room. Metal poles angled inward to support a huge swing-like device made of a leather harness with metal hooks and chains. A woman, her body held captive by the harness, lay weightless, suspended several feet above the ground. Rose’s heart skipped a beat. Was she dead?

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Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and focused on where she thought she’d seen a figure in the corner, standing beside a long, narrow table covered with various objects. She squinted, but couldn’t make them out. “Nathan?” she called, again. A slight breeze brushed her bicep, and she turned, but no one was there. Looking back at the woman, Rose could see her hands and feet stretched as far as they would spread. A flush eased across Rose’s face and neck. She had to swallow to ease the embarrassment washing over her at the sight of the woman’s bared pussy, open and vulnerable. The gulp turned into a gasp as strong hands wrapped around her upper arms and pulled her against a rock-hard chest. A raspy, hot breath whispered close to her ear and sent chills of anticipation and fear through her abdomen to her clit. Deft fingers traced the contour of her breast. “Did you wear the rings?” he asked. His voice sounded husky with a slight tone of need that made her body juices flood between her legs. She nodded, and while he held her with one had, he worked a gloved hand into the loose robe she wore and tweaked the metal rings she’d attached to her nipples when she’d dressed earlier. She cried out and tried to pull away, but he held her fast. “Scream for me.” His words were muffled, but authoritative, and the hands, which held her, gripped tighter. A strangled squeak, purely feminine, emanated from her throat. The woman in suspension opened her eyes to stare down at her. Rose struggled to get free, but a mixture of rough leather, cold metal studs, and warm flesh grazed her skin and raked down to her pussy. A flash of anger made her bite her lip and shake her head. She wouldn’t let him subjugate her like the woman in the swing, but with a moan her eyes were drawn to the other woman. A mental picture of his body pumping into hers took shape, and a groan

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escaped her lips. Somewhere, deep inside, she craved this forbidden world she never knew existed until Nathan. His grip eased around her waist. With a wave of mortification she knew he could make her do whatever he wanted, and she’d enjoy every second of it. She raised her head and tried to look into his eyes, but they were hooded in the blackness of a leather mask. “P-please,” she whispered, not sure if she begged to be released, or begged to be beaten with the cat-o-nine tails he had strapped to his waist. Her back and buttocks tingled in anticipation of what she knew he could give her -- one of the most powerful orgasms she’d ever experience. “Don’t play coy. You want this.” Rose felt the tension in his body, but she hesitated to admit her desire. This went

against everything she’d ever learned about moral behavior in a ‘good’ woman. When he pulled her head back hard and kissed her at the same time he ripped the robe from her body, she knew she didn’t care about ‘good’ any longer. Just ‘need’. She groaned at the rough maneuver and fought the urge to come. Their tongues fought for dominion, but he won, forcing a whimper from her throat. When she surrendered, he eased his mouth from hers and bit her neck under her ear. “Please, what?” “Fuck me,” she said, desperate for him to place her in the wicked restraint. At the sound of the vulgar word Rose watched his lips spread into a satisfied smile. She held her breath, frightened of what the smile might mean. The rules were still unclear in this new game. “I will. See?” He took her hand and wrapped her fingers around his bulging cock. She licked her lips. So far, she’d learned what he liked as they’d gone along, but she experienced a real fear for the unknown world Nathan led her into. “I-I’m scared.”

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He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. “All you have to say is peaches, Rose, and I’ll stop. Understand?” “Will I still pass your test to prove I’m capable of running this house?” She felt his body stiffen. “No, but you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Rose shook her head and turned within his arms to look at his face. “Yes, I do. You’re right. I can’t run this house if I don’t know what it’s all about.” “When I’m here, I play rough.” He bit her ear. “I love this kind of sex.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her father must be right. She closed her eyes. She had to be depraved to want this, but she did. She looked at the woman above them, and a wave of jealousy passed through her. “Did you give her what you like?” she asked. “No, she’s not my toy, but Doreen got what she wanted. She’s played these games for years.” “W-Whose toy is she?” Rose recognized Allen’s secretary, then. “She belongs to Lila.” She turned fully to face Nathan. A black leather harness crisscrossed his chest to attach to leather britches that hugged his crotch to mouth-watering perfection. The outline of his rock-hard cock made her pussy clench. Her gaze moved back to his. “I-I want to be your toy.” She felt his swollen flesh jump at her words, but the look on his face suggested he wanted to argue. She grabbed his wrists. “I need you to give me what Lila gave her, Nathan.” His jaw clenched and his muscles bunched beneath her fingers. There was only one thing left for her to do. “Please,” she whispered and lowered her gaze. “Fuck me like you would fuck” -- she glanced at Doreen -- “her, if she were yours.”

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One large leather-clad hand closed around her neck, while another wrapped around her hair, which she’d been instructed to pull onto the top of her head and braid into the semblance of a long rope. He pulled her head back, and she gasped, her oxygen supply cut short. He leaned close to whisper in her ear, and she heard the anticipation of her request in his voice. “You didn’t ask me correctly, slave.” A warm tongue swiped around the edge of her ear, and her pussy clenched at the same time she whimpered. “Anything you ask for must be done properly.” She saw his big body hesitate and felt his hand loosen its hold of her hair. His lips kissed her temple, and his voice whispered again. “I know you’re scared, but that’s part of the excitement.” She felt him shudder. “Part of the addiction. Can’t you feel it?” His voice mesmerized her, and wetness flooded from her body in a rush of pure need. She craved the unknown, but a niggle of doubt persisted even though his pleasure made her need rise. It wasn’t just his pleasure alone, now. “And, you will stop if I say --” “Peaches.” He rubbed his forehead against hers. “That’s all you have to say, and I swear I’ll release you.” “Yes,” she whispered in awe of the contradiction of his gentleness against what they planned to do tonight. “Then, we’ll play the game, and I’ll give you what you asked for.” A leather-studded hand passed over her abdomen and teased her nipple. Rose closed her eyes and nodded her head, putting her complete trust in this man. A man who knew her body better than she did. A man she loved, no matter how he wanted her. Her lust, too far gone, refused to abate. She needed him. Now. “I’ll have to punish you to teach you the proper way to ask a favor from me.”

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“N-no. I’ll remember, I promise!” Her voice pleaded forgiveness for her mistake, but she bit her lip and hoped he wouldn’t. She wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore, as she shivered in anticipation of his punishment. When he moved away to the metal table several feet away, she knew he hadn’t overlooked her error. Her breath came in gasps, and she thought she’d come before he ever touched her. What she should want didn’t matter. Not to Nathan. Only what she did want counted. What they both wanted. “Come here.” Rose jumped at the command, but looked at Doreen in confusion. Why hadn’t he taken the other woman down? The crack of leather sounded at the same time she felt the sting of the whip against her hip. Rose screamed and jerked away from him. Anger exploded within her at the same time she felt a thread of pleasure from his action. “Bastard!” His eyebrow rose, but she thought she saw a brief smile at her response. She knew he loved it when she screamed and decided that would be the one thing she wouldn’t give him tonight. “Don’t make me tell you again, slave.” Rose shuffled her feet forward, not certain she shouldn’t make a run for the door. When she stood before him she closed her eyes and made her choice. With a deep breath she knelt before him. “I beg you to punish me, Master, for my insolence.” The silence in the room stretched to snapping, and Rose thought she could hear Nathan’s heartbeat. After what seemed like an hour, a hand wrapped around her braid and pulled her up. He pushed her against the wall. With a leather-studded hand he brushed his knuckle against her cheek at the same instant his other hand flipped a switch. A fur-lined manacle latched around her neck and matching shackles banded around her ankles.

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Rose gasped at the soft bite of the restraints and the cold stone wall behind her. “Don’t go away, Rose.” Rose grabbed the collar and tugged, but the device held fast. Again, a sliver of anxiety raced through her, but eased as she watched him release the other woman. Doreen patted him on the arm and smiled up at him. “See you later, Nathan.” She glanced back at Rose, as she headed out the door. “You two have fun.” “Well, she seemed chipper,” Rose said, biting her lip on the catty words, which escaped her mouth. “What did you say, slave?” He snapped the whip again. Leather straps wrapped around her thigh, the ends coming close to her cunt, which lay bared to him by the spread-eagle position the metal restraint forced her in. The sting made her clench the muscles in her abdomen; her clit throbbed. Damn if he didn’t know how to use his toys in just the right way to make her need stronger. “What did you say, slave?” he asked, again, his voice low and cruel. For a second she hated him for making her like the degradation, but at the same time, she wanted him to make her come. She fought against the conflicting emotions, but her gaze drifted to his crotch and the thick bulge nested between the leather leggings he wore. With a groan of defeat she shifted her pelvis up toward him. “P-Please fuck me, Master.” Just the words were almost enough to make her orgasm. Almost, but not quite. She rotated her hips and waited. She hated it. She loved it. It didn’t matter what she wanted. The decision of what she needed and now rested with Nathan.

Nathan hung his head. What am I going to do now? The crazy woman begged for more, and he couldn’t hold out any longer. The objective had been to deny her everything she wanted and force her to accept the acts he desired.

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He’d felt certain this would scare her off, but he knew Lila had been right. The game of sex came natural for Rose, and her propensity made a shambles of his plan. The more perverse he became, the more she craved. If he kept on she’d be a frickin’ nymphomaniac. He looked up and let his gaze travel over his captive’s naked form. Her exposed skin glistened with sweat. The thin flicker of light revealed the desire that dripped from her pussy. She might be frightened, but not enough to run, or say the safe word. With a groan he threw down the cat-o-nine tails, and moved his body between her legs. The look of desire and need mixed with anger scorched his skin. If she did turn into a nympho, he’d be damned if it’d be with anyone, but him. She was his creation. She belonged to him. At least he’d pissed her off a little bit with the whip. She wasn’t totally subservient. He smiled and undid the laces attached to the crotch of his leather leggings. The restrainer hit the floor to let his cock hang free. His body throbbed with an urgency he felt all the way to his toes. He wanted this woman. He’d never known anyone like her. So innocent but full of passion. His fingers encountered the moist heat of her bottom when he grabbed her around her thighs. He closed his eyes on a groan and reached down further to press his body closer to what he desired. The sound of the metal restraints, creaking, echoed around them. “Scream for me, Rose.” He watched her head snap back in defiance. Her eyes narrowed on him. “No…Master.” His cock jumped and his heart accelerated at her continual defiance. Without searching, he’d found someone who flourished within the sexual boundaries that the great Marquis de Sade had created, like he did. He smiled. “We’ll see about that, my sweet.” He walked to the table, which held his

toys. He wouldn’t hurt her…tonight…but, he’d make her beg him before they were through.

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His hand scanned the instruments until he found what he wanted. Taking it up in one hand, he picked up a bottle of lube in the other and coated both ends of his ‘weapon.’ “We’re at war here, slave, and I plan to win.” He watched her throat move up and down. She wouldn’t give an inch. Damn, he

admired that in her. Well, he’d see how she liked ten inches in her cunt and six in her ass. He held the device up for her perusal and saw her eyes widen in alarm. “You only have to say ‘peaches’.” Don’t do it, babe. Let me play with you. Her head came up and her eyes narrowed. He had his answer. He eased forward and took one nipple ring into his mouth. He played the metal across her tit back and forth until her hands were on his head, trying to pry him from her body. He laughed, then hissed when her fingernails bit into his shoulders. “Yesss.” He pulled back from her. “The pain makes me want to fuck you more.” He resumed his attack, and her fingers threaded into his hair and yanked hard. “Any act of defiance will only make your punishment more severe.” He smiled and bit harder. A tiny cry escaped her lips, but that wasn’t what he needed. Working his way down her body, he nibbled and bit with his teeth. Sucked and lathed with his tongue. Then, he reached her clit. “Get ready. I’m not showing any mercy unless you scream the safe word.” “Fuck you!” He almost came at her defiance, but stopped himself long enough to pop the double dildo into her cunt and ass and push hard, filling her to the max. “No, baby, fuck you.” Her hands waved in the air and finally latched onto the restraint around her neck. She ground her teeth together to stop the scream he knew she wanted to release. The more she resisted, the more he wanted her.

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God, she’s magnificent. His cock throbbed, but he ignored the beast in favor of working the toy deeper into her wetness. He could feel her muscles tighten and knew her orgasm was close. “Want it, baby?” He pushed deeper. “Y-Yes, Master.” She bore down against his thrust. Her hips worked furiously within the confine of the harness. He knew it would be any minute. Sweat broke across her brow and her breaths were no more than short pants. Any minute now…any minute… “I don’t think so, my sweet.” He pulled the dildo back and ceased his attack. “W-What?” Her blue eyes were dazed, like she couldn’t understand what he had done. Why she hadn’t come. Then, realization of his tactic surfaced. Her hips bucked for a different reason, now. “Finish me!” “Ah, ah, ah. That is not how you address me, slave.” “Damn, you. I’m going to kill your ass when I get off this wall!” Nathan laughed and picked up the cat-o-nine tails. His smile died with the first strike against her thighs. His nostrils flared with desire at the smell of a fresh release of her pussy juices. She loved it! And…he flayed her white skin again…he loved giving it to her. Once again her orgasm built to breaking point, and he pulled back. This time she didn’t yell at him. She cried; tears streamed. “Please, Master, let me come for you.” Nathan felt his resolve harden. He didn’t want her to cry. She had to give in to him. She had to leave here before it was too late for her to escape this way of life. “Scream for me.”

Rose fought for control. God, he made her want to scream with the pleasure he gave, but she wouldn’t, couldn’t give in to him. She knew it was what he craved the most. If she gave it to him, he’d have no more use for her. If she could hold out, make him want her like

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no other woman, maybe, he’d be hers. She swallowed her tears of frustration and concentrated on gaining control. She lifted her face to him and looked him in the eye. “N-No.”

Nathan’s cock shook so hard, he had to clench his teeth to stop his orgasm. A drop of semen oozed from the tip, but with a contraction of his muscles, that was all the seed he would lose. Her resistance would not get the better of him. He stepped to within an inch of her body. “Oh, I think so, sweet slave.” Nathan leaned forward and eased the tip of his cock into her wetness. The feel of her tight cunt around the head of his dick made him weak in the knees, but he fought the urge to explode. He kissed her hard and plunged into her to the hilt. In the past, this…his body…had been the one true way to make her scream his name. The technique would work again. It had to. The sound of her gasp and his hiss of pleasure made his mind spin. Her hot body closed around his cock and sucked him in deeper and deeper. He grasped her thighs tighter to open her more to his thrusts, over and over. Sweat ran like a river down his arms and back, but he didn’t stop. He pumped harder than he ever had, but when the scream he’d demanded came, Nathan realized the sound resonated from…him, not her. With a laugh of defeat and a shake of his head, his body shuddered one last time to empty his load into her eager body. He dropped to his knees, laid his head on her abdomen, kissed the inside of her thigh; his voice was a husky whisper. “The Master becomes the slave.”

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Chapter Eleven

What am I going to do, now? Rose paced the foyer; she bit her fingernail. Outside blue lights flashed and radios blared with the excitement of the capture. Mike Townsend snapped pictures and interviewed numerous officers. When he approached Nathan, Nathan shoved him. “Get outta my face, Townsend.” Since the police had put a tap on the phone, there had been no more phone calls from her stalker. Nathan had worked with the police to set up surveillance around the house, and the plan had worked. Earlier this morning, the man who had grabbed her in the club had been tackled on the front porch with a note addressed to her in his possession. He claimed someone had planted it on him and he was just delivering it to her, so she could contact the police. She looked at the letter in her hand, and the horror she felt made her choke. Her hand shook so hard, her fingers crushed the note. It didn’t matter. She knew the words by heart, because she’d read them over and over.

You didn’t listen, Rose. I told you to leave him alone, but you didn’t listen. You let him touch you and for that he’s going to die. I’ll have to punish you, as well. You’re not going to

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enjoy what I’ve in store as penance. I’ll make sure you atone for your sins, my sweet Rose. Then, you’ll be free to love only me. Yours forever…

Two hours later, relieved, but exhausted, she went to the window and looked out across the desert, which formed the backdrop to The G-Spot. Funny, when she’d first come to Nevada, she’d hated the dry landscape and lack of trees. Now… Rose turned and the contrast of her room with the outside caught her attention. Tiny, blue and gold flowered wallpaper and a bolder, flowered bedspread denied the stark reality outside her window. The white-globed kerosene lamps on either side of the bed were antiques, as were the furniture. Allen had spared no expense when he’d built and decorated his house of adult entertainment and labeled his business an escort service. His… no, hers, now. Hers and Nathan’s. Rose sighed and wrapped her hand around the cool bedpost, then circled to sit on the edge of the mattress. She’d called the police, and they couldn’t give her any new information. They were still in the process of interviewing the suspect, and didn’t have anything to connect him to Allen’s murder, except the note and the witnesses, who had seen him grab her the other night. He has to be the one! Her toe traced the edge of a flower pattern on the carpet. Her mind wandered over the world Nathan had introduced her to over the last few weeks, and she knew she’d never forget I or Nathan. He’d shown her how to be the woman she’d kept hidden from the world and herself. Her gaze wandered to the rustic scene beyond her window. This was home. A sob caught in her throat, and Rose couldn’t stop the flow of tears. She stretched across the bed and hugged her pillow close. She didn’t have to leave. She was safe.

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Rose left the silence of her room and wandered down to the office she shared with Nathan. He’d done the books before she came, but agreed since they were partners she could manage the finances of the business. He would handle the management and security ends of the deal. She sighed, still not sure what being a manager to a group of call girls entailed. She’d watched him over the last several weeks, and not once had she seen him sexually involved with the women who worked for him. He listened to them when they had complaints, he checked out every unknown client who requested a girl to be his escort, and Nathan worked the bar when the bartenders didn’t show for their shift. Other than his concern over their health, Rose hadn’t witnessed anything untoward in his behavior with his employees. She pulled up short. Until now. Nathan’s arms were wrapped around a tall, blonde girl…Violet. The young woman’s arms entwined around his neck, and they were locked in a kiss that would make a person’s toes curl. Tongues mated; Nathan pushed Violet into the wall grinding his hips against her pelvis. Rose swallowed a gasp. Her hands shook, and she dropped her key to the office. The tinkle echoed on the wooden floor, but she could only stand and stare. She shook her head.

How could he? She had given him so much of herself. The sense of betrayal hit hard in her gut, and she doubled over, the taste of bile rose in her throat to make her gag. At that moment her gaze met Nathan’s, and she thought she saw a flash of regret, but whatever the emotion, he hid it with a sardonic lift of his eyebrow. Rose leaned against the wall and watched Nathan whisper something in Violet’s ear before the blonde turned and looked over at her with an expression of guilt on her face.

Bitch! She wanted to scream at the whore, but bit her tongue. Violet had been one of the women who had helped her learn her pole routine, one of her friends -- or so she’d

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thought. Rose eased herself into a standing position, but kept an arm across her midsection to ease the pain of betrayal. Nathan walked to her. When he stood inches from her he tried to take her by the arm, but Rose jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me, you bastard.” The words came out like an angry ‘hiss’. Nathan dropped his hand. He leaned against the wall beside her, and she could feel the heat of his body. She shivered and closed her eyes against a wave of self-disgust. Even now she still wanted and craved his body in all the ways he’d shown her how to please herself and him. “Why?” she asked with tears in her eyes. “Why what?” He shrugged. “I’m bored. What can I say? I’ve taught you everything I can. It’s time to find a new game.” Rose looked up into gold-green eyes. She tried to read the secrets they held deep within, but shielded with their shimmery beauty. “I only promised to teach you the business. Nothing more.” He leaned close. “You were a very good student.” He kissed her ear, then stepped around her and walked down the hall. Hot tears blinded her and scalded her cheeks, and her breath came in tight sobs, but Rose picked up her key and stumbled to the office where she sank into her chair and laid her head on the desk. After several minutes, her self-pity spent, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Stationery lay on top of Nathan’s desk. She ripped a piece of paper from the stack. She had to clench the pen twice to stop the trembling in her hands, but managed to write Nathan a note. When she’d signed the letter, she sat back and stared at the fireplace. The stone opening lay empty, like her heart. I’m sorry, Allen. What’s done, is done. She positioned the letter on Nathan’s desk where he’d be sure to find the brief note. She threw the pen across the room and without a backward glance, she left.

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***** Without a word, Nathan watched Rose climb into the taxi with her head held high. He watched until he couldn’t see the taillights in the distance. When the vehicle disappeared on the horizon of the desert, he turned and glanced at the letter he held in his hand, and his jaw clenched at the words he had memorized with one reading.

Nathan, It’s been an experience. One I’ll never forget. I’m leaving instructions with Mr. Courtney to give my share of The G-Spot to you. I see, now, that’s all you ever wanted from me. All I wanted was peace, and -- Well, never mind what else I wanted. -- Rose

Nathan looked out the window and heard the paper crackle beneath his fisted hand. He’d gotten what he wanted. She was safe. She was gone from a life which would only have corrupted her, and turned her into a bitter, lonely woman, like his mother.

***** Four hours later he lay draped across the recliner in his room and stared at the television. With the sound muted, black and white ‘bees’ filled the screen. He stared into the chaos and tried to erase all thoughts of Rose from his mind, but, somehow, through his semidrunken haze, her face, when she’d seen him in the arms of another woman, filtered through. The hurt and anger she’d experienced were due to him, and he’d never forgive himself for causing her pain, even if he had only been trying to save her. Nathan took another swig of beer and tasted air. He turned the glass upside down and shook, but nothing came out. With a grunt he flung it over his shoulder. He heard a thump, then, “Hey, watch it!”

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He rolled his head and shoulders to look in the direction the bottle had flown. A tall, long-legged, blonde stood just inside his doorway. Violet. His mouth pinched, and he felt his anger increase. “What do you want?” “Don’t take that tone with me, you ass,” she said. “You were the one who wanted to pretend we had something going on to force Rose to leave.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now, you’re pissed off at me, because she believes you and I are fooling around?” Nathan rolled off of his chair and landed on all fours on the cluttered floor. Not bothering to stand, he crawled through the piles of beer bottles he’d consumed and an empty carton of take-out. He couldn’t face eating alone at the dining table. Flashes of Rose, trying to seduce him the first time they’d made love tormented him. He opened his mini-fridge and looked into the emptiness, which epitomized how he pictured his future without the one woman he’d allowed inside his head…and heart. He slammed the door with enough force to knock a picture off the wall.

Hell! Everything in the house reminded him of Rose. Everywhere he went -- the bedroom, the club, his playroom. He hung his head. Especially, the playroom. That’s where he’d planned to force her to leave her growing need for the sin of his world by exposing her to a little S&M, but his plan had back-fired. She not only liked what he’d done to her, but she had begged him for more. And, like a fool, he’d given her what she’d asked for and made his sexual dreams come true. “I just wanted her to stay sweet and innocent,” he whispered, looking at the tile beneath his hands. “Well, did you ever ask her what she wanted?” Nathan jumped at Violet’s question. He’d forgotten her. One hand on the refrigerator door, he leaned back against the wall. “She didn’t belong here, Vi. She wasn’t brought up in our world.” “So? Apparently, something happened in her life that brought her into our world.”

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Yeah, a psycho maniac who’d killed her boyfriend. Nathan frowned. There had been no contact from the police since they’d taken the guy in. “If you ask me, Nathan, you’re letting the best thing that’s ever happened to you slip through your fingers.” “What?” Nathan barely heard the blonde’s words, then they sank in, and his jaw clenched. “I don’t think I asked.” He watched his employee’s eyes narrow and her hand snap to her hip in offense. “But, thanks, anyway. I happen to agree with you.” Violet’s stance relaxed, and she smiled at him. He tried to smile back, but a flash of pain shot across his eyes. His head throbbed like a freight truck ran through it, and his throat felt dry and scratchy, like the desert floor. He pulled the neck of his T-shirt up and coughed. “Whew, man, I need a bath.” Violet turned to the door and laughed. “You can say that again.” When she reached the hall she turned around and asked, “You going to bring Rose home?” “Yeah.” He saw Violet nod before she walked down the hall to her room. “If I can find her.” Nathan sighed. First, he had to get a shower, then he had to call Mr. Courtney and find out where Rose had gone. He slammed his fist into his hand. He could be persuasive when he wanted something. The corner of his mouth twitched. And, he wanted Rose Leigh Daniels, real bad. He’d drag her sweet, little ass back here by her thong if he had to, but she would be coming home with him after he got on his knees and begged her to forgive him for acting like an ass. The memory of him on his knees with his head between her legs made him stop, and his bad-ass attitude slipped. For the first time in his life he admitted he was in love. The scope of what those words meant scared the shit out of him. He didn’t know how to be in love. He only knew how to be…Nathan Graham.

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He swallowed hard, as he realized Rose might not want to come back with him. He blew a burst of air from puffed cheeks, and collected his resolve again. I’ll cross that bridge

when I get to it.

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Chapter Twelve

Nathan slung files left and right. “Whiney, old mother-fucker,” he mumbled. Who would have guessed drunk, old Mr. Courtney would get a conscience and decide to uphold attorney/client privilege? He shook the old Bible and a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. He picked up an envelope with his name on it. The writing belonged to Allen, but he didn’t have time to read it. He folded the paper and stuffed it in his back pocket. Nathan shook his head and flipped through the file in his hand. Davis, Driskel,

Duncan… “Daniels.” Nathan’s grip tightened on the file. He yanked the folder out and shoved the drawer shut with a loud ‘bang’. He’d gone through every piece of paper in Allen’s office, but couldn’t find an address on Rose. She hadn’t been listed in the phone book, either. “If you didn’t know better, you’d say she didn’t exist,” he mumbled, leafing through the information Allen had collected on Rose.

Hmm. Marriage license to that bastard husband of hers, birth certificate, social security card -- “Damn, he’s even got her immunization record from high school.” Nathan shook his head at his old friend’s phobia of needing to know everything about everyone he came into

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contact with. The man had been eccentric, but Nathan guessed that’s what made him a millionaire. “Bingo.” He pulled out a copy of an apartment lease made out to one Rose L. Daniels. He frowned at the date of the lease -- four months before she and Allen had moved in together. He stuffed the piece of paper into his back pocket. Hopefully, she had returned there, or he’d be back to square one. He grabbed his keys off the corner of the desk, and a familiar name caught his eye. He pulled a private investigator’s report from under a stack of papers and read two lines beneath the name. Past history of aggressive, violent behavior with partners. Believed to

have stalked and murdered at least two victims in Texas, but not enough evidence to convict. His fingers went numb and the report floated to the desktop. Nathan sprinted to his car. He was afraid she’d be dead before the end of the day.

***** The doorbell rang, and Rose paused in her tedious task of sorting through her few dishes and other household items she’d boxed up prior to her moving in with Allen. Rising slowly, she looked around at the mess she’d made, then shrugged. She would be the only one to see the disaster area, so it didn’t matter. The bell rang again, followed by a knock. It was probably her landlord, wondering how she planned on paying rent, monthly, weekly, or daily. She didn’t know the answer, either. “I’m coming.” She made her way to the door and looked through the peephole. With a frown she unlocked the deadbolt and slipped the safety chain from its latch. A tall redhead in blue jeans and a white T-shirt stood in the doorway. “Lila, what are you doing here?” “I saw you leave The G-Spot this morning, and you seemed pretty upset.”

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“Yeah, well, you could say that.” Rose motioned the other woman inside. “I-Nathan and I had a disagreement, and I’ve decided it would be in my best interest to leave.” “Permanently?” Rose looked at her. The other girl’s eyes were narrowed, but a slight grin touched the corner of her mouth. Rose frowned, but nodded. “Yes. I notified Mr. Courtney to let Nathan have everything.” Lila moved forward. “I’m sorry, Rose.” She placed an arm around Rose’s shoulders and gave her a hug. Rose felt tears well up in her eyes, and gave in to her need to talk to someone. “I-I love him, Lila, but he won’t let himself care about anyone.” Lila’s hands moved up and down her back, and Rose relaxed under their gentle pressure. “I tried to give him what I thought he wanted and needed.” She pulled away from the other girl and looked into her face. “It wasn’t enough.” “It never will be, love,” Lila said. “He, or any other man, can’t love you like I do.” Her hand came up and brushed a strand of hair from Rose’s face. Rose stiffened at Lila’s words. What was she talking about? She studied her carefully, noticing the over-bright eyes for the first time and the faraway look in the other woman’s gaze. Lila chanted a familiar nursery rhyme. Rose gasped and stepped away from Lila’s touch.

Roses are red -“Oh, my God, Lila!” Rose turned to run, but a sharp pain sizzled through her head, and the room went black.

***** “Now, don’t squirm, or the rope will cut off your air.” Rose stared at her captor and prayed she’d wake from the nightmare around her. She squeezed her eyes shut, but when she opened them she realized the reality of her situation.

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Alone with a maniac who wanted to punish her, she shifted her hip and felt the cord around her neck tighten. Tears welled up in her eyes with the need to cough. But, if she did, she realized the ropes would bind to her neck tighter and tighter until she passed out. She looked out the window. Shadows crossed the room to indicate late afternoon, and she realized she could be held captive for however long Lila wanted to hold her without anyone being the wiser. She frowned. The sting of her stalker’s whip crackled in the air. She sucked in a deep breath. She had to be strong. Surely, someone would be looking for her -- Mr. Courtney. Rose laughed. The sound croaked through the masking tape covering her mouth, and the laugh turned to a sob. The old lawyer wouldn’t think twice about her. She’d signed over everything Allen had left her to Nathan against the lawyer’s advice. She was nothing to him, now, but a penniless accountant. The cords tightened, and she gagged. Her vision blurred, and she knew she would pass out in a matter of seconds. Not again, please… No telling what Lila would do to her if she passed out this time. She squeezed her eyes shut. The thought of being raped by another woman would be more than she could bear. Blackness moved in from both sides as Rose watched her captor lean over her. A spark of anticipation gleamed in the psychotic gaze. Long, cold fingers traveled down her throat over her bra and breasts. Rose fought against a wave of nausea at Lila’s touch. Once she’d given Rose pleasure, but, now, there would be nothing but pain and disgust. When the fingers reached the junction of her thighs and rubbed her clit through the denim material Rose wanted to scream, but knew if she did she might be allowed to die this time when the cords strangled her. A cold, metal object flicked against the skin of her abdomen; Rose realized the other woman planned to torment her with the large butcher-knife. She didn’t have much time left.

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She already had minor cuts on her arms and breasts, but the lacerations would grow deeper and longer with each encounter. “How would you like me to clean out that sweet little cunt of yours, Rose?” Warm breath fanned her cheek, and she felt a moist tongue flick the length of her jaw. Her muscles tightened against her will, and another tear, from anger this time, eased down her cheek at the knowledge this maniac could take her against her will. Unlike before, when she and Lila had been together to please Nathan, brute force, not tenderness, ruled in this situation. “What, no screams of protest, or attempts to struggle?” Her tormentor laughed, but the sound muffled when Lila’s mouth buried against the material covering her body. Rose closed her eyes and bit her lip to hold in the urge to vomit. She tried to focus on Nathan and how he’d made love to her. Even when he’d tortured her, he’d made her see the beauty and joint pleasure in their lovemaking. Nathan!

***** Nathan scanned the vehicles as he pulled into the apartment complex and spotted Lila’s jeep. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, and he prayed he wasn’t too late. Pulling to the curb, he jumped out of his car and headed for Rose’s apartment building. “Nathan Graham!” Nathan turned and watched Mike Townsend stride toward him. He shook his head and continued his trek. “I don’t have time for you, Townsend.” “Well, make time. I just found out some very interesting information about your headwhore, Lila McGinnis.” The reporter kept up with Nathan’s fast pace, as Nathan scanned the letters of each building – A, C, D… “There!” The manager had said she lived in Building G. “Graham, your girlfriend might --”

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“I know, Townsend. I think Lila’s up there with Rose right now.” Nathan shoved a hand through his hair. “Look, I’ll give you an exclusive, whatever you want, just help me get Rose outta there safe.” Mike Townsend’s eyes narrowed and he looked up at the second floor apartment, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll go around back. You take the front. If anyone runs my way, I’ll stop’em.” “That’s your plan?” Nathan asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice. “I thought you reporters were creative.” “Hey, I’m a writer, not a freakin’ cop.” Townsend shrugged. “Speaking of which, have you called the boys in blue?” “No time,” Nathan said. He glanced up to the apartment, but couldn’t see any movement. He closed his eyes. Please, God, let her be okay. “Hey, you prayin’?” “Hell, yeah.” Nathan pushed away from the wall and headed up the stairs, hoping Lila couldn’t see or hear his approach. “And I hope He hears me.”

***** A crash sounded from the other room, like the door ramming into the wall. Rose stiffened at the same time her captor jumped off the bed with the knife in hand to face the unknown attacker. The voice which reached Rose’s ears forced a fresh wave of hope through her battered senses. Nathan. “Rose! Where are you?” he called out, and she could hear the anxiety in his tone. When he reached the bedroom Lila lurched from the side of the door and plunged the knife at him. Rose screamed through the tape, then coughed as her oxygen supply narrowed even more. Tears ran down the sides of her face, and she forced herself to focus on staying calm.

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Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. She couldn’t afford to pass out. She had to see Nathan. She blinked several times, and her vision cleared enough she could see him dodge the knife blade as the assailant swung in a wide arc.

Shit! Nathan jumped back on the tips of his toes and threw his arms wide to keep the sharpened blade from slicing through his skin. Without taking his eyes off his attacker, he waited for the opportunity to make a move and overpower the crazed being in front of him.

Where the hell was Townsend? Red hair stood out in all directions like a tumbleweed in a desert storm. Blue eyes blazed with anger, hatred, and…disease. He saw the sickness, but any pity he would normally have felt evaporated the second he’d seen Rose’s beautiful body strapped to the bed covered with bloody lacerations through the material of her shirt and jeans. He had to fight the red haze which threatened to overtake his judgment and turn him into a crazed animal. He had to be strong. He had to be calm. But above all, he had to be smart. Nathan took a deep breath and swallowed his anger. “Put the knife down, Lila,” he said, trying to keep his voice quiet and gentle, but he heard the tremor of fear. Her eyes narrowed on him, and he knew she didn’t trust him. The prostitute had never trusted anyone, especially men. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, and inched closer. Come on, Townsend. “Don’t try it, Nathan.” Lila jabbed the blade in his direction, and he jumped back. “Rose is mine, and you’re not going to put your filthy hands on her anymore.” Nathan bent his knees, ready for another attack, and tried to circle to Lila’s right. “Why don’t we do what you suggested the other day and ask Rose what she wants to do?”

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Lila glanced at Rose, and Nathan saw a glimpse of confusion in the whore’s eyes. He realized in some warped way Lila loved Rose, but he also knew if Lila felt she couldn’t have the one she desired, she’d kill the object of her affection. Nathan stopped and felt his heart skip a beat. He glanced at Rose, and her gaze met his. His jaw tightened with the fear she’d die if he couldn’t overtake Lila, and in that instant he knew he’d die trying to free the woman he loved. “You know, Lila, love’s a crazy thing,” he said, a lump in his throat. “What would you know about it, Nathan? You’ve never loved anything but yourself and money.” “That’s true.” He looked at Rose. “I discovered, too late, what it’s like to love someone, though.” Lila followed his gaze and snorted. “You seduced her to get her share of The G-Spot.” She moved two steps toward him. Nathan tensed, but didn’t move. “I’m the one, who loves her, but you confused her with the power of your lust.” Lila pointed the knife at him. “Allen thought he could have her, too, but look what I did to him.” She waved the blade, as if carving his face into tiny pieces, and Nathan felt a queasy sensation in his stomach with the thought of Lila carving into Rose’s sweet flesh. “If I can’t have her, then, nobody can, especially a no-good whore like you, Nathan.” He felt Lila’s words to his core, and knew he would never be worthy of Rose, but that didn’t mean she had to die. “Are you so worthy, Lila? Sometimes we have to let the people we love the most go, so they can live the life they’re supposed to live, and have a chance to be happy even though it causes us pain.”

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He looked at Rose and hoped she understood what he said. He knew, now, his mother had loved him, but she’d tried to keep him with her by forcing him into her world of prostitution. He couldn’t do the same to Rose. She deserved better. A movement from Lila caught his attention. She’d angled away from him and back toward Rose. Nathan’s heart pounded against his ribcage, and sweat dampened his palms. The crazy bitch had lost it, and he knew Lila intended to kill Rose when she lunged forward at the bed. “Noooo!” He leaped toward Lila, catching the madwoman by her ankles. At the same moment a crash sounded through the balcony window, and Mike Townsend dove into the room and hit them. The impact forced Lila to fall with the butcher-knife flying from her hand. Nathan crawled up her body, trying to pin her legs beneath his. Her strength amazed him. Her knee caught him in the ribs, and air whooshed from his lungs. The next instant her fist hit him on the cheek. “Knock that bitch out, already!” Nathan grunted and looked at the reporter for a second before he forced his leg over Lila’s, then countered her right with one of his own to her jaw. The prostitute fell with a

thud to lie limp against the floor. Nathan fell forward onto his hands and listened to his ragged breaths. He closed his eyes and said a silent thank you, God. “R-Rose,” he said. His voice sounded hoarse and raspy from fear. He pulled his wet shirt away from his chest, as he inched himself up the side of the bed, and did a quick check for any wounds Lila may have inflicted upon him, but saw none. He couldn’t say the same for Rose. His lips tightened at the sight of her soft skin, cut and bleeding. He couldn’t bear it if she were dead. “Ah, Rose, I’m so sorry, baby.” He grabbed her hand and buried his head in the comforter. When she didn’t make a sound he looked up, scared of what he might find. Instead of death, he found her eyes, glaring at him.

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“I think you’d better untie her, man.” With a quick look under the bed he found the butcher-knife Lila had dropped. He straddled Rose’s hips and cut her binds. “We gotta get you to a hospital, Rose, and --” Her arms wrapped around his body with a vise grip. Nathan felt her tremble and pulled her close. Emotion welled up in his throat, and he couldn’t speak. For several minutes he held her tight and rocked her back and forth, letting her cry against his chest. “Shhh, now, I’m right here.” She sniffed and nodded her head, but didn’t speak. Nathan frowned. “What the hell?” He reached down and yanked the masking tape off her mouth. He smiled, but she punched him in the arm. “Hey!” “That hurt you big lug…” Her words faded in another round of tears, and she grabbed him, hugging him tight. In the background he heard the reporter laugh. He turned to the man and gave him a nod. The unspoken acknowledgement sealing their agreement, Mike Townsend walked out of the room. “It’s okay, Rose, you can hit me all you want. I deserve it for letting you go.”

***** “We’ll have to take a statement down at the station, but it can wait until morning,” the officer said. “Looks like the prostitute killed Mr. Richard after he confronted her about being the stalker.” Nathan nodded. “You might want to question Doreen DiSilva. She was in Allen’s apartment right before Lila arrived to kill him. They’re lovers.” He watched two other policemen lead Lila away to the patrol car. The redhead hadn’t said a word since she’d come around several minutes before the police arrived over an hour

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ago. Her eyes were glazed over and she wore a dazed look. He turned to Rose, who sat on the sofa, wrapped in a thick terrycloth robe. She had been so brave. She’d let the officers take pictures of her wounds, and answered all their questions without breaking down. When they’d turned to him, she had asked if she could shower in the hall bathroom. The only sign she’d given to indicate her fear had been the tightening of her hand in his when the officers had led Lila through the living room to the front door. Mike Townsend had been right there snapping pictures and asking Lila questions, which she had refused to answer. Nathan moved to the sofa and sat beside her. He traced the line of her jaw and wrapped a damp strand of her curls around his finger. He needed to tell her he loved her, but didn’t know if the words would come out right. He’d meant what he’d said back there to Lila about people like them, letting the ones they loved live a better life, but he knew he couldn’t let Rose go a second time. He watched his finger caught in the middle of her curl and almost laughed at the irony. She had him twisted around her finger, and he’d do anything, anything, to make her happy. He’d known it the night he’d held her prisoner in his playroom, but he’d been the prisoner, not her. “I staged that little scene with Violet.” He couldn’t look at her and see her condemnation, but he continued. She had to know why he’d hurt her. “Love isn’t an emotion a person can control. Love controls the person weak enough to fall victim, and it scared the hell out of me, Rosie.” His lip quivered. “I’m sorry --” “Shhh.” She placed a finger against his lips. The action forced him to look into her eyes, and his breath caught at what he saw there. Without breaking eye contact, she leaned forward and kissed his mouth. Her tongue circled around his and she bit his bottom lip. Nathan groaned, but forced his eyes to stay

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open. The pain made him blink, but she made it better with a warm lap of her tongue. His cock hardened, and he had to shift his weight to ease his discomfort. Rose stood beside the sofa and pulled the sash of her robe. The material made a whoosh on its way to the floor. His gaze traveled over her pert breasts, and his heart ached when he saw the bruises and cuts that would leave scars on her perfect body. He reached for her, but she moved back with a playful smile. He frowned. “Rose?” “You called me Gypsy Rose Lee the day I found out we were partners. Do you remember?” He nodded. He’d watched old movies of the famous stripper when he’d been a kid and had fallen in love with the erotic image she’d painted on his young mind. He’d forgotten about his boyhood crush until the day he’d heard Rose’s name. “I’ve been in love with her since the day I heard her name,” he said, hoping she understood what he tried to say, but couldn’t. Rose smiled and there were tears in her eyes. “I know.” She walked over to the stereo and turned the station on to a slow, bluesy song. With her back to him she moved her hips to the sensuous beat, then circled around to face him with her hands over her breasts. “Will you let me be your Gypsy Rose, Nathan?” God, he wanted nothing better, but he couldn’t ask her to stay with him after what she’d been through. She moved within centimeters of him and, with her legs spread wide, turned around. He watched her look over her shoulder with an impish grin before she bent from the waist to peek at him through her legs. The sight made him grit his teeth, but he’d be damned if he let sex take control in this situation. “Stop it. I don’t want you to be a whore, Rose.”

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He grabbed the top of her thighs to still her gentle gyrations. “Y-You can’t end up like my mother.” He stared into her eyes, but her face blurred through his tears. “She was the only woman I ever truly loved, until you.” Her eyebrows drew together, then she turned and knelt between his knees. “I know exactly what I want.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m an accountant, not a whore, but I would like to be your lover.” She kissed his lips. “And your friend.” He swallowed the lump which formed in his throat, and pulled at the neck of his Tshirt. “You’ve been through a traumatic experience --” She rose and straddled his lap with her arms around his neck. “Then, make me forget,” she whispered and kissed him hard on the mouth. He tried not to respond, but the feel of her body around his and her tongue in his mouth and in his ear made him give in to her demand. With a growl, he wrapped an arm around her waist to lift her, then roll her beneath him before he returned her kiss. Their tongues tangled, and their breaths mingled. Her breath came in pants, when he finally raised his head, and he smiled at her response. He pushed the curls away from her damp forehead and stared into her hungry eyes. “I’m not a good man. I’ve participated with, or in, every interpretation of sex, except rape.” “Well, there you go. One redeeming quality.” His fingers tightened. “Dammit, this isn’t a game, anymore.” He watched the laughter leave her eyes. “I don’t know how to be anything than what I am.” “I’m not asking you to be something else.” Rose shifted beneath him to where they lay side by side. “I grew up with a man who played God. He condemned and punished good people just because they wanted, or needed, to be different.” Her lip trembled, and his heart felt heavy. He reached up with his both hands to cradle her face. He didn’t want to cause her anymore pain.

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“I never had the chance to be who I needed to be, Nathan. You gave me that, and I want to keep and share that person with you.” A knot formed in his throat, and he closed his eyes against the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. The tears that he had held intact, earlier, broke free and rolled down his face, but he didn’t try to stop them, or wipe them away. He had never cried before, even when his mother died. Rose had given him the ability to release his demons, and he knew he couldn’t let her go. “Will you stay with me and help keep a bunch of whores, including myself, out of trouble and in line?” he asked and held his breath for her answer, still afraid of what she was telling him. So many times, his mother had promised him love and security, only to take it away from him in a moment of addicted haze. She smiled. “As long as you’ll be my whore, and no one else’s.” He buried his face into the softness of her neck. “Only yours, Gypsy.” They laughed and rolled into the cushions. The bulge in his back pocket caught his attention. “Oh, hey, wait a second. When I was tearing Allen’s office apart I found this letter.” He sat up without releasing his hold on her. Tearing open the envelope, he pulled out a letter addressed to both of them.

Rose and Nathan, If you’re reading this, my suspicions of Lila must be true, and she’s managed to get to me before I could stop her. I tried to help her, like I tried to help you two. If my plan for the two of you worked, you’re in bed, now, or close to being so. Now, don’t blush, sweet Rose. You’re the daughter I never had. And, Nathan, I’m so proud of you. You are the son I always wanted. That’s why, my children, I left my empire to

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the two of you. You belong together. I knew it the first time I met Rose, but neither of you would admit your attraction for the other. I couldn’t wait. You see, I had cancer, and was dying anyway. Lila just helped speed things along. I can’t hate her for that. At least I died with some dignity. What I couldn’t forgive was her threat to Rose. You’re safe now, my dear. Take care of each other, and have a wonderful life. I love you both. Allen

Rose buried her face into Nathan’s shoulder and cried. He pulled her close and felt his own tears sting his eyes. Allen had been his best friend and the closest thing to a father he’d ever had. How could he ever repay the kindnesses the old man had given him? He looked at Rose’s bent head and knew. With his forefinger he lifted her chin, and wiped her tears with his thumb. “I love you.” The words were husky. She heard the emotion in his voice. Allen had been special to him, but he had shown her today how special she had become. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. “I love you, too.” “I want to…make love…a new way.” She sniffed and laughed. “Okay. What do you have in mind? There’s not too many positions we haven’t tried.” “There’s one I know we haven’t done yet.” “Yeah? What?” “Face to face, and…” She gasped, and tears flowed down her cheeks on a fresh wave.

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Nathan kissed them away as gently as he could. A lump formed in his throat and his voice sounded unsure. “…heart to heart.” Rose nodded, too choked up to speak. When his lips took hers, he tasted her tears. “W-We made love face to face that morning in the bedroom.” “No.” He shook his head. “We had sex face to face. This time I want to look into your eyes and see how much I mean to you.” He kissed her lips with her face cupped in his hands. “I want you to see how much you mean to me, Rose.” Her arms pulled him close, and he fought the urge to crush her to him. The touch of her tongue around his forced a groan from deep in his chest. His need grew to a point he couldn’t ignore. With one hand he tore his jeans open and pushed the denim over his hips. When he broke their kiss, the release of lips resounded in a pop across the room. He smiled. “We’re kinda joined together, huh?” Rose’s eyebrow rose, and a wicked glint appeared in her gaze. “Not like we’re going to be, bubba.” With a laugh she lifted her hips and straddled his waist. Before he could protest she lowered her pussy over his cock. Nathan groaned at the feel of her heat wrapped around him. “Oh, God, I thought I’d lost you.” He pulled her down and captured her mouth in a long, hot kiss. He released her to rest his forehead against hers and drown in the sensation of her body moving over his. “Don’t ever leave me.” He swallowed hard and looked into her eyes. “I couldn’t stand it if you went away.” “Oh, Nathan, I’m not going anywhere.” With that she moved her hips faster to bring them to climax. With joint moans and shudders they collapsed onto the couch in a tangle of arms and legs.

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She sighed, then giggled. “We’ll have to add a few more straps to your swing in the playroom.” Nathan raised his gaze to the ceiling. “God, I’ve created a monster.”

~*~

Sheri Gilmore When Sheri Gilmore isn’t creating romantic sexual fantasies for her readers, she’s a registered nurse, wife, and a mother of three. Her most favorite cities are New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York City, but she’s always wanted to visit San Antonio, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. Author bio text goes here. It should be the same style “Normal LI” as every other bit of text. Visit Sheri on the Web at http://www.sherisecrets.com/.

***** Read on for a tantalizing glimpse of

Black Widow by Lena Austin Available at Loose Id

Black Widow

Brad appeared just as BW gave Calder one helluva view of her spectacular ass while she bent down to get a diet cola from the tiny cooler. Calder barely managed to keep his tongue from hanging out like a wolf’s. Instead of coming up to Calder, he went straight in to BW with a concerned look on his face. “Kelly!” he shouted, loud enough for Calder to hear over the pulsing of Metallica. “Stay around here for about an hour, okay? There’s going to be knife play in number three!” “Aw, damn!” Angie exclaimed, as the infamous Black Widow shuddered and wrinkled her nose. “Brad! Brad! Are you going to be safety monitor on that? And turn that music down!” “Yeah!” Brad shouted. “You stay with Kelly and Calder, okay?” At Angie’s nod, he raced off. Within moments, the music volume reduced to something below earsplitting, giving Calder’s abused eardrums some welcome relief. Mozart was more his speed. BW walked over, swigging long and deep from her can. “Ye gods, my feet are killing me. I’m losing the shoes for the rest of the night.” Her voice was low, throaty, and cultured, with just a hint of the Deep South. She bent down to loosen the ankle straps that held on the skyscraper heels, and gave Calder a view that had him wondering why her tits didn’t fall out. They sure threatened to do so at any moment. She lost a good four inches in height. “Ahhh!! How do you spell relief?” BW asked to the ceiling. Angie just laughed. “Self-inflicted torture, pal.” BW eyed Calder speculatively. “Any luck?” she asked, apparently to Angie.

Lena Austin

“Oh, no, Kelly. This guy wouldn’t know Gorean from sensual. He’s just observing tonight. No luck.” They were interrupted by the meek voice of Michael. “Mistress? May I please go watch the knife play?” “Sure, babe. Go for it,” BW answered without turning her head. Calder was positive now that her casual air of low-class was just an act. “Babe” hadn’t come out naturally. Her whole posture and voice screamed “Lady.” What a puzzle. BW took another swig of her soda as Michael sped off without another word. “So, observer, huh? And your name is Calder?” “Calder Burgess, at your service,” Calder answered with a mocking half-bow. “I doubt it.” BW winked saucily. Calder took a few moments to figure out that “service” around here took on a whole new meaning. “Just curiosity, tonight, Black Widow.” He grinned, appreciative that the joke was on him. “Would you care to explain your implements to me?”

***** Kelly studied this Calder fellow for a few minutes. He was tall, at least a six-footer, and had that easy confidence of an “innocent,” at least as far as BDSM was concerned. Intelligent green eyes, sun-streaked brown hair, and a hint he might wear glasses around the nose. She hoped not. Glasses were one thing that made her melt, big time.

You’re so repressed, Kelly. Get over it. Calder took her silence for consent and walked over to examine her large collection of toys with his hands wisely behind his back. She’d hate to have to break his fingers.

Geeezus! Get a load of that gravity-defying ass. Down, girl! Crap, I need to get laid before I burst.

Black Widow

Calder pointed without touching to her collection of clamps. A larger box with divided trays was on the floor nearby, but enough of each type was in the small pile. “What are those for?” “Stimulating nerve endings in specific locations, Einstein.” Rolling her eyes at such innocence, Kelly strolled over, getting into “BW mode” as she called it. She pointed toward a few plastic-coated alligator clamps with screws to make a perfect fit. “Those are the mildest. They do little more than restrict blood flow in the area involved, causing a certain amount of increased sensitivity. Of course, they are only good where skin is loose, such as nipples, scrotum, and occasionally ears or torso.” Calder had grinned at the mild insult, but shuddered at the mention of a guy’s tender balls. “It doesn’t hurt?” Kelly snorted. “Not those! Even the clothespins and other stronger items do little more than pinch. They stimulate the erogenous zones, nothing more. Now these,” she held up a rather wicked looking pair of tiny tong-like devices with sharp teeth in the prongs, “do a little more in the way of the pain department. But they are only good for pain sluts.” She held them up to the vicinity of her own nipples. It was almost second nature to tease a man like Calder. Calder looked thoughtful. “Pain sluts? Those who are in it for pure pain?” Kelly nodded. “Got it in one, babe. There are those in this world who can’t seem to enjoy what you and I would call normal stimuli for sexual pleasure. You have to bring them right up to the limit of stimulus, where the brain is almost overloaded.” She picked up a small device that looked like a less-wicked pair of the alligator clamp things. “Stick out your thumb and forefinger, sweetie.” Long and Luscious Calder hesitated, delighting Kelly with his wariness. This one was a smart cookie. Whoever said the brain was the best sex organ was definitely right. Well, she knew how to engage the masculine mind. Kelly winged an eyebrow to her hairline. “Don’t

Lena Austin

be scared, Calder,” she coaxed. “This is merely a small demonstration of how the brain overrides the body. It won’t do more than pinch.” Pride overrode his good sense, just as she planned. His eyes glittered, and he thrust out his right hand. Kelly rewarded his bravery with a smile. “Thank you for trusting me, Calder. Now, pay attention.” She clamped the little device on the loose skin between his thumb and forefinger, tightening it down until she felt his hand tense in hers. “Trust is a big part of BDSM, as you well know.” She shot a look at Angie, who nodded and moved one step to stand behind Calder. “Someday, you’ll have to elaborate on that for me. Ouch!” Kelly favored him with a deliberately worried expression. “Oh, is that too tight? Some people are so sensitive there.” The initial pinch would fade in three seconds or so, if she could engage his attention that long. Calder looked at his hand. The little clamp dangled there. “No, it’s okay. It just hurt for a second.” “Good. Calder, look at me, not your hand.” It was a low, soft command, deliberately enticing. Calder’s gaze snapped up and locked on hers. Kelly gave him a sweet smile and said softly, “Pardon me.” Without warning, she reached out to caress his crotch in a long, slow sweep.

***** What people are saying about

Black Widow Ms. Austin has written a vivid, realistic erotic love story set in world of BDSM. Ms. Austin lays out the foundations of the active BDSM scene. She dispels the image of pain and blood and brings sensation and passion to the surface. Ms. Austin writes inventive, vivid and blazing sex scenes. The romance and erotic writing in Black Widow is a treat for the reader. -- Julie Esparza, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Black Widow is an in-depth view of the BDSM lifestyle. Kelly is a strong woman, dominant and very sure of herself. Calder is a powerful male, curious and innocent at the same time… For a dark treat into a realm unknown by many, Black Widow is the book to read, and due to the graphic nature certainly earns its Scorching rating. -- Sinclair Reid, Romance Reviews Today

Lena Austin’s contemporary B/D romance is a highly seasoned portrait of a consensual reality with well-drawn characters… This is a well-conceived B/D story that manages to be informative, hot and still have a plot for the reader to savor. It lives up to Loose Id’s three lizard scorching rating. -- Maîtresse, Romantic Interludes