Blue Moon

Citation preview

Things aren’t always what they seem…and that can be a really good thing.

Two years ago Samantha Dawson had everything she wanted—a close family, a promising career, and a man she loved. Until the night before her oldest sister’s wedding, a night of celebration and too much alcohol that tore her world apart. Devastated, she fled Oregon for Phoenix. Now she’s home for her little sister’s wedding, and just her luck, the best man is her ex-boyfriend. Worse, no one involved in that fateful night seems to want to let the past die an ugly death. Kyle Ackland has no memory of the events that destroyed his life, but he’ll never forget the woman who set his body on fire. Sam’s emotional barriers are as solid as the Cascade Mountains, but he’s determined to chip them away one sensual kiss at a time. Yet even if he succeeds, what’s left of their love could crumble under the weight of past sins…and present secrets.

Warning: Contains betrayal, lies, and reacquainted love that sizzles the words right off the page.

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B Cincinnati OH 45249 Blue Moon Copyright © 2011 by Mackenzie McKade ISBN: 978-1-60928-692-7 Edited by Sue Ellen Gower Cover by Scott Carpenter All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: September 2011 www.samhainpublishing.com

Blue Moon Mackenzie McKade

Dedication

To my wonderful friends Sharis Meyer, Kelly Andersen, Cathryn Fox and Nikki Duncan. What would I ever do without you?

Chapter One

“Don’t touch me!” If he did…her heart would shatter. Pulse throbbing, wide-eyed, Samantha stared at the achingly familiar man standing far too close for her comfort. An onlooker might take her reaction as anger, but it was pure, unadulterated fear that drove her. If Kyle Ackland laid one finger on her, her resolve would dissolve. “Sam, please.” Please? How could he sound so sorrowful? Look so hurt? Even his eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears. Sam raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. “No! I’m only back for Jennifer’s wedding and then I’m leaving.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. A commotion in her mother’s kitchen, voices rising and doors opening and closing, briefly stole her attention. The caterer must have arrived. Soon the house would be filled with guests, but her immediate problem was shaking her past long enough to get through this day. A pent-up breath squeezed from between Sam’s pinched lips. Why oh why did her youngest sister have to fall in love with Kyle’s best friend, Brad Collingsworth? And why, after all that had happened, had Jennifer insisted Sam be her matron of honor? For all intents and purposes, Sam was perfectly happy living in Phoenix—alone. Okay. Maybe that was a lie, but she had found a semblance of peace. She got up each morning, went to work, and came home without a thought of Kyle. The nights were a different story. Inching sideways to put distance between them, she swallowed hard. “Let’s just get through this awkward situation as reasonably as we can. Okay?” What a laugh. The sense of déjà vu rose so quickly it almost choked her. Had it been two years ago? Another wedding, her eldest sister, Cathy’s wedding. The thought of her sibling’s betrayal still left a bad taste in Sam’s mouth, but it took two to tango. Kyle was as much to blame as Cathy. Sam hadn’t been the only one hurt that night. Kyle eased back, threading his fingers through thick black hair that fell in waves on top. “We need to talk.”

Blue Moon

Sam looked up into his crystal blue eyes and shook her head once again. “We’ve talked.” In all reality she had been too hurt to believe that what she had seen wasn’t real. She swallowed hard, refusing to relive that horrible day. “There’s nothing left to say.” God. She couldn’t bear to be this close to him. Feel the heat of his body, smell his sandalwood cologne. He hadn’t changed, still the epitome of maleness. If anything his chest was broader, more muscular. Firm thighs wrapped seductively in blue denim were almost enough to send her into meltdown. Almost. But it wasn’t going to happen. “Two years ago you wouldn’t listen to me.” The veins in his throat tensed, bulged. He moved closer, sending her pulse into high gear. “Sam, I don’t know how Cathy got into my bed that night. I was drunk. We were all drunk.” Yeah. It had been quite a party—a celebration not to be forgotten. Sam closed her eyes to vanquish the memory of walking into Kyle’s room the next morning and finding her sister, naked, sleeping peacefully in his arms. The scene that followed hadn’t been a pretty one. When George, Cathy’s fiancé, stepped into the room, all hell broke loose. Sam had sat numbly through all the possibilities of how Cathy could have mistakenly wandered into Kyle’s room. She had wanted to believe them. Her sister could be a royal bitch. They had never gotten along, but Kyle had never given Sam any reason to doubt his word. Yet when George had asked if they had fucked, Cathy and Kyle fell silent. Sam remembered pushing to her feet and walking toward Kyle. “I don’t remember what happened,” he admitted. “But even drunk I would never betray you.” The rest was a blur. Her hand rose on its own accord, palm cracking across his cheek. The last thing she recalled from that day was running from the room. Funny. But it felt as if she was still running and getting nowhere fast. A squeaking door forced her eyelids open. “Oh.” Her mother pulled to an abrupt stop. Wringing her hands, she looked from Sam to Kyle. “I…uhhh…well…” She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Kyle, could you help Brad direct the vehicles outside? It’s becoming a parking lot. Everyone decided to arrive at once.” “Of course, Mary.” Kyle paused to glance back at Sam. His lips parted as if he would say more, but didn’t. Instead, he headed for the door and disappeared outside. With hastened steps, her mother closed the distance between them. Tender fingertips brushed back a strand of Sam’s elbow-length blonde hair behind an ear. “Honey, are you okay?” Sam inhaled an audible breath. On an exhale, she blurted, “I can’t do this.” Every nerve inside her felt strung tight, ready to burst. She tried to swallow, but the knot in her throat wouldn’t move. “I didn’t think it would be this difficult.” A single tear broke through her defenses. She swatted at the wayward emotion. “I’m leaving.”

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“For God’s sake, Samantha, get a hold of yourself.” Her mother’s raised voice skated over Sam’s skin like an ice pick. “This has gone on for too long. You haven’t spoken to Cathy in over two years. It kills me to have this rift between my children.” “Well, Mom—” Heat singed Sam’s face as she came eye-to-eye with her mother. “It killed me to find my sister in bed with my fiancé.” The words came out on a rush of anger. Her mother’s slender body flinched, but it didn’t stop her from continuing. “Honey, Cathy’s changed. Can’t you let it go?” Why couldn’t anyone see her side? Was she truly supposed to just kiss and make up with Cathy? Forgive Kyle? Maybe in her mother’s time women let men walk all over them—Lord knows their father did when he was alive—but not Sam. She had more backbone. Fists clenched, she glared at her mother and a surge of pity rose, softening her fury. Once, her mother had been young, beautiful, but time had carved its presence. The light had gone out of her signature blue eyes. The luster waned from her sable hair that used to be so like Jennifer’s beautiful mass. Living with a selfish, unfaithful man had taken its toll. Sadly, his lingering fight with cancer hadn’t been easy on any of them. “No. I can’t let it go.” Sam spun around just as Jennifer opened the kitchen door and waltzed through it. When she saw Sam she released a squeal. All smiles, she ran into Sam’s arms, pushing an umph from Sam’s mouth. “You’re here! When did you get here? Have you seen Brad? I’m so happy you’re home.” Moisture glistened in Jennifer’s sparkling eyes. “Thank you.” She kissed Sam’s cheek. Not once or twice, but three times in quick little pecks. “Thank you for coming home.” Their mother flashed Sam an anxious expression that seemed to say Are you going to break your sister’s heart? Ruin the best day of her life? Sam held Jennifer close to hide her apprehension, her uncertainty about returning. Could she make it through the next two days? Face Kyle several more times before Saturday? He would be underfoot 24/7. Because of the two-hour drive between his home and theirs, her mother had been forced to offer him one of the bedrooms. The least he could have done was reject the offer and taken a room in a hotel. But nooo, that would have been too easy on her. And what about Cathy? When Jennifer choked on another heartfelt thank you, Sam knew she had no choice. Emotion stinging her eyes, Sam squared her shoulders, and with a final hug, she released her hold on Jennifer. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world.” She also didn’t miss the relief filtering across her mother’s face or that of her sister’s.

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Blue Moon

Jennifer cleared her throat. “Sam.” The note of hesitancy in her voice was a glaring red flag, setting off warning signals aplenty. “You know Cathy is com—” “I’m dying to see your gown.” Sam weaved her arm through Jennifer’s. “Let’s go upstairs.” She needed to escape, needed peace and quiet to gather her thoughts and make sure her barriers were firmly in place. But peace and quiet would have to wait. All the way up the stairs, Jennifer chatted endlessly. “Did I tell you that we are going to Rome for our honeymoon?” About a hundred times during telephone calls, letters, and now, but who was counting? Jennifer’s face glowed with excitement as she continued. “Brad and Kyle are thinking of expanding their business offshore. While we are in Italy we’ll see what opportunities are there.” She squeezed Sam’s arm. “We might also go to England. Sam, can you imagine that, England?” “It sounds like their aerospace business is doing well.” A business that she had once thought to be a part of after she, Kyle and Brad graduated college. Both she and Brad had the engineering background, but Kyle had the head for business. “It’s doing great.” Jennifer pushed open her bedroom door and the scent of roses filled the air. Yellow roses to be exact. They were everywhere. Sam had almost forgotten how much her baby sister enjoyed the flowers, but this was going overboard. She cast an inquisitive glance at Jennifer. Her sister giggled. “Two dozen have arrived each day for the last five days. One in the morning and one at night.” Brad did this? The pencil-pushing nerd she had gone to school with? Sam had to ask. “You really love him?” She had no idea when this relationship had bloomed since she tried to stay away from anything connected to Kyle, and Brad was a connection. Jennifer met her gaze head on. “More than anything in this world.” The decisiveness in her voice, the look of love on her softened features sent a jagged pain to Sam’s chest. She had been in love like that once. Sam mentally shook off the sorrow threatening to pull her down into a familiar depression. Instead, she graced her sister with a trumped-up smile. “Well, Sis, clearly he loves you.” Jennifer’s exhale was breathy, dreamy. “He does, doesn’t he?” Sam reached deep inside to find the happiness she knew hid there for her sister. “Yes. He does.” Then she shook her head. Who would have thought that Sam’s brainiac friend would fall for her little sister? “Now show me that gorgeous dress you’ve been telling me about.”

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Mackenzie McKade

Kyle stumbled, nearly falling over the hose stretched across the yard. Several more wobbly steps and he found his footing. What the hell had Brad been thinking? Hmmm… That was the problem, his friend hadn’t been thinking past the woman who would be his wife in two days. Love. It had to be the most infuriating, fucked-up thing that could happen to a man, and Kyle should know. It might have been a little easier if Brad and Jennifer were having separate bachelor and bachelorette parties, but they had decided on one big party the night before their wedding, just like Cathy had. And look what a clusterfuck that had become. Kyle threaded his fingers through his hair. “She’s here?” were the only words Brad said as Kyle joined him beneath a large oak tree. Above them was a flutter of wings and chirping. “Oh yeah. She’s here.” It was only by luck that he had found her alone. Brad waved a delivery truck to the left of the circle driveway, toward the kitchen entrance. “Well?” “She despises me.” Kyle glanced back at the two-story ranch home with log siding that sat on five acres of grassy fields and tall pine trees. It was a large home with at least ten bedrooms. The house held a lot of good memories and some not so great, too. “Nah, not Sammy. She doesn’t have a vengeful bone in her body. She wouldn’t know how to hate.” “You didn’t see her face.” But Kyle had. Sam looked as if she’d crawl out of her skin to get away from him. And who could blame her? “Dammit, Brad. How did that night get so screwed up?” Cathy would have been the last sister he would have climbed into bed with. She was egotistical, selfabsorbed, more into herself, while Jennifer and Sam were just the opposite. Kyle had beaten himself up trying to figure out how the night had devolved into a nightmare. Of course, numerous games of beer pong and shots of tequila washed down with Jägermeister someone kept pushing into his hand could be the answer. Fuck. It wasn’t like him to get so trashed, so out of control to not remember a thing but the sweet scent of Sam’s perfume. Brad shrugged. “We were all foxed. It was amazing more than one couple didn’t end up with different partners come morning.” “Nice try, but bad conjecture.” Kyle forced a weak smile for his friend. “Man. You should see her.” “Sam?” Brad ushered another delivery truck toward the kitchen entrance. “Still got that beautiful thick hair and eyes that are so deep blue you feel like you’re falling into a well?” Kyle slid his gaze toward Brad. “Uhhh…yeah.” When the hell had his friend noticed Sam’s eyes? Brad burst into laughter. As if he read Kyle’s mind, he said, “They’re kind of hard to miss. Besides Sam, Jennifer and Cathy have the same eye coloring as their mother.”

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Blue Moon

Although all three sisters were similar in stature, neither of the other sisters truly compared to Sam, not in Kyle’s mind. At five-four, she was small and delicate, perfect, like a porcelain doll. She had a musical laugh, a warm, giving heart, and she was intelligent as all get-out. Her mind could run circles around him. When he was with her everything in his life seemed right. Now his world was disconnected, pieces missing. Heartbroken. “Give her time.” Kyle snapped out of his wanderings. “Time,” he huffed, half laughing. “Time has been all the both of us have had and nothing is resolved.” After she moved to Phoenix they had spoken once over the telephone. After reaming him a new asshole and him not having anything new to say, she had cut off all communications. Unanswered telephone calls, letters, she had even barred him from her apartment complex when he attempted several times to visit. Her earlier rejection wasn’t really a surprise, just disappointing. He had hoped for more. “Do you have anything different to say than you did two years ago?” Leave it to Brad to point out the obvious. “No.” Other than he had been so lonely without her. If it wasn’t for Brad and their business, Kyle wouldn’t have any reason to remain in Seattle. His parents and brother lived in Idaho. Over the years he had struggled with the idea of moving home, giving everything up. But Idaho wasn’t home—Sam was. Two more cars were heading up the drive. Brad waved them toward the front of the house. “Then what makes now different?” his friend asked, always the philosopher. Nothing. That was the problem. Brad narrowed his sights on Kyle. “She won’t listen until the status quo changes. You have to make her see that the situation has changed. You’ve changed.” Before Kyle could respond, Brad’s features twisted in a look of disgust. “Now that’s nasty.” Kyle followed the path of Brad’s gaze which happened to be to Kyle’s shoulder. There, dripping down his chest, was a splatter of white with a large greenish-black drop of—yes—bird shit. That warm, wet feeling started to bleed through his T-shirt. He jerked the material away from his skin and stared in disbelief. “Well fuck.” “At least the damn thing missed your head,” Brad chuckled. Slapping Kyle playfully on the back, he added, “Go get yourself cleaned up.” As Kyle stepped into the living room filled with large brown leather furniture and tasteful art that Mary had purchased after her husband’s death, he scanned the occupants for Sam. She wasn’t anywhere about. Before anyone could stop him, he made his way to the stairs, climbing them two at a time. At the bedroom he had been assigned, he stopped and opened the door, turning when someone called his name.

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“Cathy.” Her name came out a little strained. Staring into her eyes so like Sam’s, he felt nothing but dismay. He stepped into the room and was shocked when she followed. “Kyle, I need to…” She glanced at his shirt and stifled a laugh behind her palm. “Not going too well since you arrived, huh?” His gaze trailed hers to the blob of bird shit. “Not exactly.” When their gazes met, both began to laugh, until a gasp from the hallway jerked their attention. To Kyle’s disheartenment, Sam stood in the doorway, Jennifer slightly behind her. A hurt expression sparked on Sam’s face, but was quickly replaced with a stony coldness. Without a word she turned and walked away, leaving Jennifer staring at them as if they were descendents from hell. And maybe they were. Disappointment tightened Jennifer’s mouth. “Why?” was the only word she spoke, before turning and running down the hall. “Sam,” Kyle heard her cry out as her footsteps disappeared. Anger rose swiftly. He glared at Cathy. “Kyle, I didn’t mean to—” “Just go.” He didn’t have to ask twice. Cathy spun on her toes, leaving him alone. Kyle pinched his nose, fighting back his own sorrow, regret. There was no way Sam would listen to him now. It was hopeless.

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Chapter Two

Out of breath, Sam paused at the bottom stair. From the echoing footsteps behind her, Jennifer was hot on her heels. A sudden sense of panic overwhelmed Sam. For a moment, she couldn’t make her lungs work. There was no escape. Then trembling arms embraced her. “I’m so sorry.” Jennifer’s grip tightened. “Sammy. I-I just don’t know what to say.” Short, gasping breaths revealed she was crying, softly, but crying nonetheless. Damn. If her sister continued weeping then Sam would start weeping, and then it would become a big bawl-feast. A wall of emotion pushed against her eyelids, making her nose sting and her throat tighten. The only thing that kept her tears at bay was the people watching them, mainly their mother. “There’s nothing to say.” Sam was holding on by a thread, her voice a mere whisper. “But I have to get out of here. Leave.” Get as far away from Seattle—from Cathy and Kyle—as possible. “No! You can’t,” Jennifer sobbed, hanging on to Sam with a death grip. “Please.” Their mother cast Sam a disapproving glare that set her further on edge. Her teeth ground together in frustration. What did all of them expect from her? Instant anger heated her cheeks, but thankfully brought her back to why she was home in the first place. Jennifer. Her wedding. Her happiness. Her sister had never asked Sam for anything, except to be a part of her wedding and to see that her special day was all it could be. To hell with Cathy and Kyle rang in Sam’s head. If only she could get her heart to feel the same way. The line between love and hate was thin—real thin and growing thinner by the minute. “Okay, honey.” Her brittle voice held no conviction. All she had to do was ignore her nemesis. Right? She could do this. She had to. Resolve weakly in place, she lightly patted her sister’s back, changing to rub her hand in small circles. “Shhh… Jenny, you have to stop crying. I’ll stay. But you just have to let me go. I need some fresh air.” Slowly, Jennifer removed the hold she had on Sam. “Really? You’ll stay?” Sam nodded and tried for a smile she was sure made her look more constipated than happy. It would take a suit of emotional armor to get through the next two days, but for Jennifer she would try. Her sister reached out, fingers closing around Sam’s wrist. “You won’t disappear like you did last time?” No. It was time for Sam to stop running away. Life must go on.

Mackenzie McKade

Yeah. Right. “Just give me a moment to compose myself. I’ll be back. I promise.” Stepping out of Jennifer’s embrace, Sam shot a quelling frown toward her mother who had moved to intercept her. “Not one word, Mom. Not one.” Her outstretched hand shook as she walked past and straight out the door. “Hey, stranger,” Brad yelled from across the front yard. Sam waved, but continued trudging around the house. Was it too much to ask for a little privacy? Time to repair the walls she thought were impenetrable? “Sammy, stop.” Privacy and rebuilding her defenses was obviously out of the picture. Her footsteps slowed then came to halt. The moment for solitude was lost as Brad joined her. When their gazes met, his grin faded. “Sammy, you okay?” He resettled his glasses on his nose, a nervous habit. “Great!” She folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself. Blinking hard didn’t stop one tear from sliding down her cheek. No use in wiping it away. The damage was already done. “What happened?” Brad reached out and drew her into his arms. The smell of soap and cologne assaulted Sam, but his embrace warmed her. She needed to be held and he felt so safe and strong, even if his tall, slender frame was built more for a library than a gym. He was handsome in a sort of studious way, so like her sister. “Does Jenny know you’re upset?” A river of silent tears broke free. She couldn’t help it. “You know the Dawsons,” she chuckled against his chest, but there was no humor in her broken cries. “We’re all just…one.” Hiccup. “Big.” Hiccup. “Dysfunctional family.” Her shoulders sagged as she leaned into him and wept. “Damn Kyle.” Sam didn’t disagree with him. Instead she took his comfort, listening to the beating of his heart as she attempted to rein in her control. When the last tear was spent she inhaled and shakily released the air trapped in her lungs. “Jenny’s all right. I promised her I’d stay.” “You know he loves you.” A heavy sigh rushed from her lungs. “I don’t want to talk about this.” She attempted to pull away, but Brad held on firmly. “Dammit, Sammy, you have to listen to someone.” Red-hot fury threatened to consume her. Her pulse a living thing, pounded in her head. “Not you too.” “No. Not me too. But you and Kyle are my dearest friends. I’ve watched him torture himself over that night for two years. He really has no idea how Cathy ended up in his bed.” Once again Sam attempted to break his hold and failed.

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Blue Moon

“Hell, Sammy, I put him to bed myself. Kyle couldn’t walk, much less get it up. I swear he was alone when I left.” He held her at arm’s length. “Can’t you accept that it was an accident—a horrible accident— but an accident nonetheless?” “No,” she muttered, refusing to believe. It couldn’t have been an accident. Cathy knew the house from top to bottom. There was no way she would have stumbled into Kyle’s room at the other end of the hall from hers by mishap. As for Kyle, well, her sister’s larger breasts should have been a telltale sign that she wasn’t Sam. “Do you really think Kyle would do that to you? Or Cathy, for that matter? Sammy, she’s your sister, for God’s sake.” Could Brad be right? For the briefest of moments, Sam teetered on her long-held beliefs. Then she looked Brad straight in the eyes. “They were naked. Together.” In each other’s arms, but she left those words unspoken. “Did you undress him before you left?” “Uhhh…no.” He quickly added, “But it was late. I was drunk. I guess I could have stripped him to his shorts.” If Brad was sober enough to get Kyle and him to their own rooms, then he was coherent enough to know whether he helped Kyle undress. Brad released her abruptly, causing her to sway. “Dammit, woman. Can’t you see this is wrong? Wrong on so many levels. You two belong together. It’s tearing both of you apart. Not to mention those of us who love you.” Sam didn’t know what to say, but he was right. That night had destroyed her family, Brad’s and her friendship, and that didn’t even skim the surface on what it had done to her. She didn’t date because she couldn’t trust. No. Even that was a lie. She didn’t date because no one measured up to Kyle, and she couldn’t forget his touch, his kiss—or his betrayal. Choking back a cry, she muffled it with her palm. Dammit. She wouldn’t live the life her mother had. Another pregnant pause followed, until she once again was able to control herself. “Just promise me you’ll stay until after the wedding. I want Jenny to be happy. I love her, Sammy.” She looked into his coffee-brown eyes and brushed back a blond lock of hair from his forehead. “I know you do, Brad. I’ll do whatever it takes to make these next two days pleasant for her. And you.” She only hoped it was a promise she could keep. Brad glanced over his shoulder. “I guess I’d better get back. What about you?” “I think I’ll take a walk. Find my land legs,” she jested. “Sammy?” “Huh?” “It’s good to have you home.” A heartbeat of a second ticked on, before he turned and headed for the house.

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At last, Sam was alone.

The party was in full swing by the time Kyle saw Sam descend the stairs. Each step she took made his heart beat faster. The short black dress she wore flowed and caressed each curve. A waiter with a tray of champagne walked in front of him. He grasped a flute, his fingers curling tight around the glass, when what he wanted was to touch her, just once more. He took a drink, his hungry gaze focused on four-inch stilettos that made Sam’s legs look long and slender. Smooth legs that had tightened around his waist as he slowly made love to her. His cock twitched, coming alive. Unconsciously, he moved forward, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs. Her cautious gaze met his, but his heart wouldn’t tell his mind what to say. Strained silence hung between them then she glanced away—the precious moment lost. Eyelids drifting down, he inhaled the sweet scent of wildflowers that followed her as she walked past him. And he fell in love all over again. With renewed determination he opened his eyes, searching the room. Like a predator stalking his prey, he watched her weave in and out amongst the crowd. Occasionally, she stopped and spoke to an old acquaintance. More than once her musical laughter filled the air and he swore he’d go mad with need. No one existed, but her—him—together. When she drifted out of his sight, he quickly moved until he could look upon her beauty. The sudden clench of fingers digging into his arm jerked his attention around. Frowning, Brad leveled his glare on him. “Let it go.” Kyle shook loose of his friend’s unfriendly grasp. “Can’t.” Brad didn’t know what he was asking of him. “Man, you’ve got to.” He adjusted his glasses. “I won’t have you ruining this night for Jennifer or hurting Sammy. This shit’s got to stop. Maybe it would be best if you let her go.” Disbelief widened Kyle’s eyes. “Let her go? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” “Can’t you see you’ve lost her—” “Is something wrong?” Jennifer glanced from Brad to him. She slipped beneath Brad’s arm as it folded around her shoulders. He pulled her closer into his shelter, before planting a kiss atop her head. “No. We were just discussing Italy. Kyle thinks he’s going to join us.” “Kyle!” Jennifer’s giggle had an innocent air to it, sweet, just like the woman. As her cheeks reddened, Kyle couldn’t dispute she was the perfect woman for Brad. Releasing an exasperated breath, Kyle knew he couldn’t let his infatuation with Sam ruin this occasion for his friends. Forcing a smile, he tweaked Jennifer’s nose. “I was pulling your fiancé’s leg. I just wanted to make sure you two lovebirds didn’t lose sight of the business end while you were over there.”

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Blue Moon

“We won’t,” she promised. “Dance with me, Brad?” The dreamy expression in her eyes as she stared up at her soon-to-be husband made Kyle’s breath catch. Sam had once looked at him like that. Over her head, Brad shot Kyle a warning glare. “Of course, sweetheart.” Hand in hand, they walked away. Until now, Kyle hadn’t even heard the music softly playing outside on the patio. And he’d lost track of Sam. Shuffling through the crowd, he followed the slow cry of a woman’s voice as she sang about love lost. When he stepped onto the patio he realized it was Cathy singing. Her willowy figure swayed with the music. Her eyelids shuttered as if she felt every note. Then he saw Sam. Wrapped in the embrace of an old school chum, she laid her head on Troy’s chest. Their closeness made the hair on Kyle’s neck spike with jealousy. The sonofabitch had always had a crush on Sam. Without thinking, he marched onto the dance floor. Troy was whispering something about her intoxicating perfume smelling like wildflowers when Kyle tapped on the man’s shoulder. Troy’s expression of shock was nothing compared to Sam’s, but he veered aside and Kyle stepped in, taking his place. Just the caress of his hand against hers and the heat in the small of her back made his heart take flight. When he shuffled his feet, hers stood firm. He dipped his head, his mouth above her ear. “You don’t want to make a scene. It’s just a dance, Sam, nothing more.” But if he had his way it would be much more. Without a word, she followed as he led, but she wasn’t happy. It was in her rigid backbone, the lightness of her touch. As if she thought her hand would burst into flames if she held on to his. Ignoring her discontent, he held her closer, let the feel of her take him away to another place, another time, where she loved him and everything was right with his world. God. She felt so good in his arms, next to his body. Desire burned hot across his flesh. The need to be naked, skin to skin, buried deep inside her warmth, her haven. The urge was so strong he thought he’d go mad. Instead, the song ended and so did his chance as she jerked out of his arms. Like flickering blue flames, the fire in her eyes danced over him, teasing his rising hormones. Damn, she was gorgeous when aroused, even if it was hatred for him that drove her. Her body shook with silent fury. “Don’t ever do that to me again.” Low and brittle, her whisper was filled with years of bitterness. With a snap of her shoulders, her silky mass of blonde hair whipped across his face, stinging as she spun around and disappeared amongst the throng. The breath in his lungs locked. If she didn’t care, would she react so vehemently toward him? Could it be that she still loved him? The barest of possibilities sent his senses soaring. Damn. Should he chase after her or dash behind a couch to hide his now obvious arousal? The material of his dress slacks was stretched taut over his hips. He wouldn’t make it through the night in this condition, much less be able to convince Sam to hear him out.

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Hands lowered before him, he inched his way toward the bathroom right inside the house. As he sighted the door, he was thankful no one was about. Without making eye contact with anyone, he strolled into the restroom and locked the door. A rush of air pushed between his taut lips. Remembering the way Sam had felt in his arms, the small of her back, the way she moved against him, sent a sharp pang through his groin. He groaned, cupping himself and squeezing. What he would give to have her pressed up against the wall, that little black dress hiked up around her waist. What was she wearing beneath it? A thong? The image was too much to bear. With trembling hands, he slid his zipper down and released his cock. It sprang forth, eager for attention. Tensing, he wrapped his fingers around his shaft. “Sam,” he moaned. As his grip firmed, he thought of her delicate hand, the feel of her fingers gliding over him. With slow, measured pumps from the base to the tip, he recalled the feel of her small breasts pressed against her clingy dress. The sensation of her hips moving against his. He didn’t think it was possible but his cock stiffened further, balls drawing close to his body. A slight tingle, an ache made his grip tighten and his rhythm increase. Harder and faster, he thrust his hips forward, pushing his engorged erection through his fingers. “God. Sam,” he breathed. He leaned his free hand against the wall and threw back his head as fire licked his sensitive organ. Fuck! It felt so good. It would feel even better with Sam on her knees, that impertinent mouth of hers sucking his cock. A sudden rush of blood between his thighs made his body quiver, shake with the thought of her tongue licking down the length of him or her throat squeezing him tighter and tighter, while the warmth and moisture of her wet cavern took him deeper. Out of nowhere his climax slammed into him, rocking him back on his heels. He barely had time to move to the sink, before a milky stream spewed forth. A moment of pure bliss passed, before he continued to pump his hand, up and down, fighting to remain silent and upright until the last of his seed was released. Heart pounding, breathless, he pictured himself lying in Sam’s arms, content, happy, before he gave himself a shake and eased himself back into his pants. With short, quick movements he tucked his dress shirt into his slacks. His hands shook as he secured his zipper. Careful to clean up any evidence of what just occurred, he inhaled a cleansing breath, and then washed his hands. Silently he gazed into the mirror. If Sam still had feelings for him, maybe there was a chance. With determination in his step, he unlocked the door and went in search of the only woman he had ever loved and would never willingly let go. Kyle made his way through the house, stopping briefly to chat with a new client he had signed on just yesterday. When an opening arose he excused himself. If Sam was on the dance floor with Troy, Kyle

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Blue Moon

would knock the man’s teeth out. But Sam wasn’t on the patio or in the house. A couple dancing knocked into him and he stumbled out of their way. Where could she be?

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Chapter Three

Arms crossed over her chest, Sam hugged herself, rocking quietly back and forth on the large boulder where she sat. Aimlessly, she stared into the dark waters of the swimming pool. Several attempts to think about the good times spent splashing in its depths were futile. She could still feel him. His hand locked around hers. His palm hot against the small of her back. His warm breath on her neck. Damn him. Why had he interrupted her dance with Troy? Why had he forced her to accept his touch, their bodies moving seductively together? To none other than Cathy’s singing. With a heavy sigh, Sam’s head lolled backward. With her troubled gaze, she searched the heavens for an answer. But no response came thundering down. Only a blue moon, a betrayer’s moon, its shaded areas taking form through her tear-blurred vision. “Of course.” Sarcasm dripped from her mouth. “How apropos.” The old man in the moon seemed to be laughing at her misery. She readjusted her position, the boulder beneath her hard, the cold penetrating through the thin fabric of her evening dress. Seattle nights could get nippy even in the summer, but she didn’t dare go back in the house and get her wrap. Sam would freeze to death before running into Kyle again tonight. “Sammy?” Cathy’s voice sent chills up Sam’s spine. “I need to speak with you.” Sam rolled her head from side to side listening to the snap, crackle, pop of her tendons. Did Cathy really want to get into this again? “Please, it’s been two years.” Dubious laughter burst from somewhere dark within Sam, but she didn’t turn around—didn’t face her sister. Instead she hummed, “Hmmm… Two years? Damn. It seems like just yesterday you were fucking my fiancé.” This time Sam spun around, leveling a heated glare at Cathy. “Who do you think you’re fooling? Since we were kids you have always wanted what was mine. I’m just surprised you haven’t been able to hold on to him. You’re slipping, Cathy.” Her grin held no humor. “Or did you move on? I hear there is another wedding for you to crash. Better hurry before some other bitch beats you to it.” Her sister’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

Blue Moon

Sam’s teeth ground together as she fought back tears. No way would she let Cathy know how badly she still hurt. “Screw this.” Her gaze narrowed. “Just stay out of my way. After the wedding—I’ll be gone.” Without waiting for a response, Sam stormed off toward the house, the people, the lights, the music and the alcohol. The noise bordered on offensive, but everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, except for her. She quickly scanned the distance for Kyle. Not seeing him, she released a breath of relief. Thankfully the first person she did meet as she stepped upon the patio was a handsome server with a tray of champagne. Sam didn’t wait for him to offer her a glass, she took two and smiled. Tonight, she’d drown all her problems—dull the pain. Maybe she’d stay drunk for the next two days. Tipping the flute to her lips, she let the sparkling wine slide down her throat, the bubbly sting welcome. When she righted the drink, she was met with an empty glass and a rather annoyed mother. But that didn’t bother her. She had another glass of champagne. Hands on hips, her mother glared at Sam. “What are you up to?” “Partying. Having fun. You remember how it’s done, Mom. Here.” Shoving the empty flute into mother’s hand, Sam raised her full drink. “Tooo…” she stammered. “What the hell. Getting drunk and having a good time. No. Make that a great time.” Upending her glass, she chugged the contents down without taking a breath. Her mother’s frown of disapproval didn’t faze Sam this time. Instead, she giggled. “Loosen up, Mom. The night is young. It’s a time to celebrate, so let’s celebrate.” She carelessly threw her arms in the air, waving them about. “Samantha—” But Sam wasn’t waiting around for a sermon. Humming to the tune of the band, she drowned out her mother’s voice and made a beeline for another waiter. Her gaze slid up and down the dark-haired man. Some of the help weren’t half bad. Maybe tonight she’d get lucky. By the fifth drink Sam wasn’t feeling any pain. Well, except for the permanent smile plastered on her face, an occasional fit of giggles, and her cheeks felt lava hot. The night even looked hopeful as Troy asked her to dance. Hand in his, she let him lead her onto the floor. The drummer beat out the tune of Trace Adkins’ Chrome. The sexy lead singer growled, “Ahhh… Son.” The vibration slid down Sam’s spine like silk. Before Troy reached for her, her hips and shoulders began to move to the beat. He grinned. She smiled back.

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Mackenzie McKade

Male appreciation gleamed in his eyes as his hands settled on her waist, slipping lower to ride her swaying hips. Without a second thought, she locked her fingers behind his neck and they started gliding across the makeshift dance floor. Sam closed her eyes and let the music take her away. The night held a numbing beauty and she sighed, her body becoming an extension of the rhythm strumming through her. Head lolled back, she basked in the carefree stupor that had embraced her. Even Troy’s warm palm stroking up and down her back didn’t affect her. “I’ve missed you, Sam,” he whispered against her ear, before he pressed his lips against her throat. Her eyelids sprung wide. “Troy, I didn’t mean to give you the wrong—” “Don’t say it.” He paused, before continuing. “I thought after all these years that you would have forgotten about Kyle—that maybe I had a chance.” For a moment they danced in silence, and then he spoke again. “You should know that I stumbled on Cathy coming out of your bedroom.” Sam eased back so that they were an arm’s length away. “Tonight?” “No!” He drew her closer, his voice lowering as they sashayed toward the edge of the dance floor. “The night before her wedding. At the time I didn’t think too much about it, until I heard what happened the next morning. Sam, she was wearing your perfume. And… Well, she bypassed her room heading down the hall towards… You know the rest.” For a moment Sam was speechless. Her feet rooted to the floor as couples danced by. Had Cathy connived the whole thing? Had Kyle been innocent all this time? Sam gasped, finding it hard to breathe. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” “I’d hoped.” As Troy held onto her waist with one hand, his other one released hers. Pushing his fingers through his hair, he glanced at his feet. “Hell. I don’t know what I’d hoped.” “Oh, Troy,” she moaned. He raised his troubled gaze to hers. “I’m sorry, Sam. I’ve wanted you for so long.” He quickly added, “And who knows? Maybe Kyle invited Cathy into his room.” Yeah. But what if he hadn’t? What if this was all Cathy’s fault? A little dark cloud in the back of her mind said, And what if Troy is right? Sam’s world felt like it was spinning out of control. “I need a drink.” She pushed out of his grip. “Sam, wait.” She jutted out a hand, staying him. What she needed was a drink and to be alone. The matter of alcohol was easily remedied when she cornered a waiter, taking from his tray not one, but two flutes of champagne. As the man turned away, she yelled, “Wait,” and she retrieved another glass.

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Blue Moon

With three drinks cold against her chest, she made a beeline for the darkest spot in backyard. Finding a tree stump, she sat down. The first drink went down quickly, the second a little slower. By the time she lifted the third glass to her lips, she felt sick. Had Cathy concocted this whole mess or had Troy been right? The thought made her tip the glass and swallow deeply. How long she sat on the rough stump, she had no idea. Then she heard her name and groaned. Jennifer. Moonlight lit upon the concern in her sister’s eyes. “What are you doing out here in the dark?” Sam pushed to her feet, swaying to the serenade of crickets in the background. “Gathering glasses.” Her sister’s face swam before her and Sam giggled. “Well stop it. We have a cleaning crew for that.” Her sister took the empty flutes from her hands and placed them on the stump. “You should be dancing and singing—having fun.” No. She should be hunting Cathy down and choking the truth from the skinny bitch. That is if Sam could stop tottering back and forth. Just then the band struck up the cords for Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like a Woman. Jennifer squealed. “Come on.” She grabbed Sam’s hand, pulling her toward the dance floor. “Sis, you love this song.” Yeah, but— Before Sam knew it she was center stage. The female vocalist pushed the microphone into her hand. For a moment she just stood there taking in the audience and Kyle. Watching him, needing him to lust, to want her like he had years ago, she raised the mic to her lips and began to sing. The crowd went wild. Everyone stopped dancing and the world belonged to Sam. Even Kyle watched from across the patio. Her heart began to beat with the rhythm of the drums. Her hips following the rhythm as she kept him in view. Shamelessly, she felt free. Sexy. Wanton. Maybe she was playing with fire, but she didn’t care. Neither he nor Cathy could hurt her anymore. Tonight she was invincible. Kicking off her shoes, Sam leaned against the lead singer’s back and slinked down his body and then slowly up again. The throng roared. Kyle moved closer, until through a drink-induced haze she could see the heat in his eyes. Oh yeah. Sam remembered that flame of desire. She swayed, feeling a little lightheaded, but then Kyle had always made her feel that way. By the time the song ended, Sam was out of breath. From out of nowhere someone pressed a glass of champagne into her hand. She didn’t think—she just drank. When she tried to step away, the lead singer grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. His sexy smile was all she needed to remain.

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Mackenzie McKade

Maybe… Just maybe tonight… From the corner of her eye, she saw Brad grab Kyle by the arm, but her mind was spinning. Where had this other glass of champagne come from? Sam staggered. “Oh God.” The glass fell from her hand, shattering on the floor. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Kyle shook off Brad’s grasp, closing the distance between him and Sam. The damn woman looked green around the gills. Her painful expression made the strings around his heart tighten. Not hesitating, he swept her up in his arms. “Kyle?” “Yes, baby.” Her eyes rolled and she grew silent, limp. Fighting his way through the crowd, he headed for the stairs. Yes, there was a closer bathroom, but Sam would die if she lost the contents of her stomach in front of everyone. Besides, her mother looked fit to be tied as her scowl caught his eye. The last thing Sam needed was a lecture tonight. Like a limp rag, her head bobbed with each step he took. “I-I don’t feel w-well,” she slurred. “I know. Try to hold on.” Several times her shoulders heaved and he half expected her to spew recycled champagne all over him, but finally they were in the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. Flipping the commode lid up, he gathered her hair into a fist, pinning it back when her stomach erupted. Her tortured sounds made his chest ache for her. Hands resting on the seat, her head half buried below it, she continued to retch. When she finally fell quiet, her cheek resting on the edge of the toilet, he positioned her hair over a shoulder and moved to the sink. Wetting a washcloth and grabbing a glass of water, he returned. “Swish this around in your mouth and spit.” He placed the cup in one of her hands. “When you can stand you can brush your teeth.” She glanced up at him with bloodshot eyes. Kyle tried not to smile, but he did. “It’ll make you feel better.” He flushed the commode. After a moment or two, she did as he suggested. When she finished, he gently wiped her mouth then her face. Even with her drunk as skunk, he loved her so much. Pent-up emotion made his eyes blur. He cleared his throat. “Can you stand up?” “I think so.”

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Sam released an agonized moan as she got to her feet with his assistance. Propping her against the sink, he released her long enough to locate her toothbrush. He squeezed a thin line of minty paste on it, before he handed it to her. Then he left her, closing the bathroom door behind him. The queen-size bed squeaked beneath his weight as he sat and waited, wondering when she appeared if she would throw him out. While anticipating the worst, he looked around the room. All the pictures of her and him were gone. Even family photographs containing Cathy were absent. The smell of Sam, of wildflowers and woman, hung in the air. When the door opened, Sam appeared. Her legs crossed in front of each other as she zigzagged, before stumbling backward to lean against the wall. Eyelids heavy, she licked her lips. “Why are you here, Kyle?” She spoke in a low, drawn-out way that emphasized the amount of alcohol she had consumed. The bed springs squeaked again as he got to his feet. “You needed me.” Shaking her head tipped her off balance and she struggled to right herself. “No!” Sam shoved a hand out, stopping him. “I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone,” she mumbled. “Baby, let’s not fight.” Kyle was tired of being at odds with her. He just wanted to hold her, be close. Maybe even take care of her. Sam blinked as if her vision dimmed. “Fight. No.” On unsteady legs, she made her way toward him. “I—” Again, she staggered. “I’m tired. Sleep. That’s w-what I n-need.” “Let me help you undress.” “No!” Her eyes became as large as saucers. “I don’t need your h-help.” Unsteady, she reached for the hem of her little black dress and pulled it up. For a moment she struggled with the material, huffing and cursing, until she pulled the gown over her head. The silk slithered out of her grasp and onto the floor. Kyle’s jaw dropped. Dressed in only a low-cut, push-up bra edged in black lace with matching, ass-molding boy shorts, Sam was pure, unadulterated sex. Blood rushed to his groin, instantly hardening his cock. The ache sent his arousal from zero to one hundred in a single heartbeat. His pulse jumped and took off. When her hand went behind her to unfasten her bra, Kyle knew he had to stop her. “Baby, I don’t think that’s wise.” Sam frowned. “What?” Leaning forward, she glared at him. “Sooo, you don’t think—” Her feet did a little two-step before she came to a stop. “I c-can measure up to my s-sister?” “Sam—” Too late. The scrap of material fell away, revealing small but firm breasts he used to cradle in his palms, spend hours worshipping, tasting.

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Mackenzie McKade

The smirk she gave him did nothing to extinguish his desire. If anything, her little striptease was doing just the opposite. Holy shit. His cock firmed even more. “Sam, please.” His plea only seemed to urge her onward. She shot him a shit-eating grin before she slipped her thumbs in the elastic of her boy shorts. Her smile turned sultry as she began to inch the panties down. Her hips moved to some sexy tune that must have played only in her mind, but her svelte motions were enough to put his imagination into full gear. To his surprise he discovered she waxed. Something she hadn’t done two years ago. The realization both excited and infuriated him. Who had she waxed for? The thought came and went just as quickly. In utter agony, he watched her silky panties move down her thighs, past her knees, to pool around her ankles. Stepping out of them was another thing. Each time she tried, she stumbled. Her brows pulled together in a line of frustration. Kyle would have laughed, but he couldn’t breathe nor tear his gaze from her sensual body. When she was finally naked before him, he managed to drag in a strangled breath. Beneath shuttered eyelashes she looked up at him. “Do you want me?” She licked her lips again, but this time it was a slow, smooth motion that had his heart thudding against his chest. Oh God. Yes. He wanted her more than anything in this fuckin’ world. Kyle took a step toward her. “Are you sure you want this?” Even as he asked, he began to unbutton his shirt. Tossing back her golden mane of hair, a humorless laugh spilled from her lips. “Why not? You can’t hurt me anymore.” He paused. The pain of the last two years slammed hard into him, stealing the air from his lungs. Inhaling, he reached for something to say. “Sam, I never meant to hurt you,” was all that came to mind. Silently, she just stared at him. Then her bottom lip began to quiver. “Why, Kyle?” A tear raced down her reddened cheek, another one close behind. “I loved you.” Her knees suddenly buckled. Kyle barely caught her before she collapsed and fell to the floor. Cradling her in his arms, he moved to a plush chair by the window and sat with her in his lap. “Hush, baby.” Gently, he rocked her. “Please don’t cry.” Through broken sobs, she murmured, “I want to know why.” But he didn’t have an answer for her, not one they hadn’t hashed over before. “I don’t know how it happened. I can tell you that I’ve never been attracted to your sister, and if I’d been sober that would have never happened. We would be married. Maybe even have a child.” That only seemed to make things worse. She wept harder.

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Blue Moon

Kyle did the only thing he could—he held her, handing her an occasional tissue, until finally her tears dried. Chin resting on her head, he couldn’t help but wish things had been different. “I missed you, Sam.” “Kyle?” “Yes, baby.” “I n-need for you to l-leave.” Sam was shutting him out. His eyelids closed as his world began to crumble again. What had he expected? Maybe in his scrambled brain, he thought that they would end up in bed. That making love to her would right the wrong? That in her alcohol-induced haze she would listen to him. Forgive him. “Let me stay, Sam. Please.” Desperation rang loud and clear. His embrace tightened. It would take more self-control than he possessed to walk away from her tonight. Sam pushed out of his arms and stood. Refusing to look at him, she made her way to the dress lying on the floor and picked it up, clenching it protectively before her, although the gown hid very little from his view. She didn’t need to speak. Kyle could see determination settle in her now puffy eyes. Getting to his feet, he came to stand before her. Without a word, he snaked his arm around her. His hand speared through her hair, dragging her head up so that she was on tiptoes as he forced her lips to his. Gentleness was not his objective. He wanted her to remember his touch, his taste. Without warning, violent lust exploded inside him. Fighting the battle to breathe and conquer her at the same time, he inhaled as white-hot desire surged wildly through his veins. She was sweet heat, fire. A drug he had missed. Kyle would never take her against her will, but he wasn’t above doing whatever he had to do to convince her that loving him tonight was right. His lips moved over hers, his tongue pressing past a gasp. A mere whimper echoed from her throat as her dress dropped between them. Like a warrior fighting for his life, he devoured her mouth. His tongue pushed beyond her lips, stroking and tasting, until she surrendered. Raising her hands, she slid her fingers into his hair, gripping, before she arched against him and melted. Oh yeah. She remembered. A rough growl rumbled from somewhere inside him. Lips slanted over hers, he jerked her to him, closing the distance between their bodies, and then he deepened the kiss. Hot little nipples, hard as pebbles, moved across his bare chest, but it was her cool palms sliding his unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders that triggered another growl. Breathless, he tore his lips from hers. “I need you, Sam. Now.” The ache in his voice went bone-deep.

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Mackenzie McKade

As he laid her on the wide bed, staring down at the rapid movements of her swollen breasts, and her flat abdomen, Kyle felt a sense of balance right his world. Long, blonde strands of hair haloed her face. Her eyes were haunted, shadowed with uncertainty. How he wished he could vanquish the demons—make her laugh again. “You’re beautiful,” he breathed, moving to stretch out beside her. “Kyle—” He placed a finger to her swollen lips. “Let me love you, baby.” Before she could answer, he leaned in and gently blew a stream of warm air across a rosy nipple. His arousal climbed, as he watched the small bud tighten and bead. When his wet tongue circled her flesh, she turned her head away from him, her back rising into his caress. While he laved attention on one breast, he fondled the other. Slow kneading motions, as his fingers rolled, pulled and pinched her nipple. He smoothed his palm across her ribcage, over her abdomen, and further downward. His pulse sped. Please. Don’t stop me. Hand trembling, he rimmed her swollen folds, fingertips caressing, before he slid a single digit into the small opening. Moist. Warm. Creamy heaven. “Kyle!” Her ragged cry filled the night, delighting him. “Tell me you want this,” he muttered against her breast. While he waited for her answer, he drew slow circles around her clit. “I—” Her body bucked beneath his hand. He squeezed the little bundle of nerves between his thumb and index finger. “Yes,” she hissed. Her hips rose to meet each of his advances. Two fingers disappeared within her, pumping slowly in and out. “Say the words, baby.” She groaned, low. “Say it,” he demanded. “I. Want. You.” It was all he needed to hear. Kyle slid between her thighs, raising her legs so that her knees were bent, feet flat upon the bed, her silken flesh glistening with a satin sheen, bared to his gaze. Inhaling, he breathed in her feminine fragrance. This was what he missed most. The taste of her. The way she tugged his hair, releasing an unbridled cry when she came. “Kyle?” He didn’t respond. Instead, he bent down and savored.

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Chapter Four

Sam couldn’t breathe. How they got where they were was beyond her recollection. The last thing she remembered was asking him to leave. Now all she knew was she had to feel his mouth upon her pussy. Her hips rose as his tongue flattened across her slit. Lying on his belly between her thighs, his palms cupping her ass, he raised her hips. Eyes on hers, his gaze was hot, hungry. With slow, long licks that caressed and burned, he then stabbed his tongue deep inside her, and growled. The vibration shimmied through her, waking every nerve ending. She wanted to beg for more—much more. A deeper stroke and she writhed beneath him, wanting to scream with pleasure. Yet it was a whimper that pushed past her lips. “Kyle,” she cried. Oh God. Did he have any idea how good this felt? His tongue circled her clit, again and again, setting off flickering flames of fire that tightened her body with an intensity that almost made her toes curl. Widening her thighs, Sam reached down and fisted his hair, pushing her pussy hard against his mouth, seeking the right spot that would ignite her, send her soaring. Through an inebriated haze, she knew this madness had to end. Instead of hearing the words “no” and “stop” come from her mouth, “Please, Kyle” burst forth. Her skin tingled, matching the currents of pleasure building like a storm inside her, a whirling mass of sensations that threatened to consume her. “I’m not rushing this, baby. I’ve waited too long.” The hum of his voice against her flesh sent quivers of delight throughout her. “I love you, Sam.” Unanticipated emotion rolled like a thundercloud to the surface. No. Not now. Inhaling, she turned her head away. I love you too, echoed through her mind. Before reality could take hold of her and steal the moment, he blew warm air over her dampness. “Yes,” Sam moaned, inwardly struggling between right and wrong. Any thoughts of denying the pleasure Kyle offered disappeared when he took her clit between his lips, sucking the flesh deep into his mouth. Relentlessly, his tongue soothed and teased, building her arousal until all she could think about was that moment of sweet, sweet completion. The coil inside her wound tighter with each of his caresses. But it was his teeth adding just enough pleasure-pain that pushed her even closer to the edge.

Mackenzie McKade

Shaking and crying out raggedly for more, Sam raised her hips again, releasing a wave of her slick juices. He growled and sucked harder, long drinking pulls that sent her mind spinning and forced her eyes closed as a blazing ball of heat burst inside her. An earth-shattering cry followed. Hot streaks of lightning whipped through her, jerking her body with each lash. It was as if someone had set off a hundred rockets inside her. Stars burst and the sky opened up and swallowed her. When her senses returned, Kyle’s hardness nudged her entrance. She blinked open her eyes as he pressed his lower half against hers. The warm weight of him was something she had missed, but— He entered her with a savage thrust. Ohhh… Ahhh… Yes. This was what she had really missed. Big. Thick. His firm erection was almost too much for her to take, but that had always been the thrill. His gaze burned into hers. “Fuck,” he groaned, low and strained. “So tight.” Sam was as lost for words as he. Clutching his muscular biceps, she dug her fingernails into his skin, leaving crescent moons in their wake. The tension in his face made her wrap her legs around his hips, hips that moved with strong, steady thrusts. Stretching. Driving her again into pleasure she wished never to leave. Every place inside her felt alive, raw and sensitive. With each caress of his cock, he stroked her nerve endings, taking her higher and higher. When her eyelids drifted down, he growled. “Look at me.” A piercing stab that bounced off the mouth of her cervix made her eyes gape. “Mine. Forever.” Harshness edged his voice, as if saying the words would make the fact true. Over and over, he thrust slow and easy, and then fast and hard. He penetrated her with a ruthlessness that felt as if he marked her—his. “Oh God.” Her grasp on his arms grew taut. “Kyle.” “Let it go, baby.” He lowered his chest so that they were skin to skin, and then took her mouth in a drugging kiss. He captured her cry as she splintered apart in his arms. Through an ocean of sensations, Sam felt Kyle’s cock throb deep inside her. He threw back his head and trembled. Suddenly he stilled. Every muscle was taut beneath her palms. His expression almost painful, he moaned her name as wet warmth filled her. Each jerk of his shaft triggered deeper, more spellbinding contractions that thickened and shortened the walls of her sex. Someone cried out and she wasn’t sure whether it was her or Kyle. As they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, his heartbeat blended into hers, the beat a fast, steady echo. Their bodies pulsed in unison. Another cry rose and this time she was sure it was hers.

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Blue Moon

Before the last ember died, Kyle rolled off her, gathering her into his embrace. And then his mouth was upon hers again. Tender kisses she remembered had once made her feel loved and cherished. Butterfly caresses he always used to seduce and enchant brought back precious moments when Kyle was hers and life was good. Sated. The first contentment she had felt in two years covered her like a soft, familiar blanket. Eyelids drifting downward rose and fell again. Sam was tired. So very, very tired. Even as she fought the inevitable, Something I should do waltzed through her head. Mentally reaching for the answer was futile. The more she tried to grasp it, the farther the thought moved away. Something. Floating just above unconsciousness, she felt the warmth of Kyle’s mouth against the hollow of her shoulder. His light touch smoothed up her throat, along her jawline. “I love you,” he breathed against her lips. “Love too,” she mumbled as sleep tugged her into its arms.

For a moment, Kyle allowed himself to bask in the aftermath of their loving. It had been like old times but better. There were slight changes in Sam, such as the shaved pussy. Reaching between them, he caressed the silky smooth skin. His cock jerked alive, while a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Tenderly, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Did she have someone new in Phoenix? According to Brad, Sam dodged the subject every time Jennifer inquired about a special someone. It worried him thinking about her being alone, but the alternative would have killed him. Kyle thought of Jennifer, his only link to Sam over these past years. He owed her everything. The little tidbits she supplied Brad, and then his friend relaying the news to him, was the only thing that kept him sane. Sam was working for a large aerospace company. Something she had said she would never do. She enjoyed adventure, taking chances. A busy corporation would kill her enthusiasm. Had it already accomplished distinguishing the fire inside her? Did she long to come back and join him and Brad? “My angel sleeps,” he whispered. Her sweet lips were partially open. Her chest rising and falling with each soft breath. Watching her was his greatest pleasure. She was so full of life. Even in her slumber, thoughts and emotions ran rampant across her face. Sam frowned, her brows pulling together, as if she dreamt of something distasteful. With a fingertip he stroked the perfectly plucked brows until she slept peacefully again. Cuddling nearer, he wasn’t surprised when she turned into him and threw a slender leg over his. For a small thing she had always moved around the bed. In the past, he had woken with her lying atop him more than a time or two. Each time it had evolved into a loving that made facing the day worthwhile. “Kyle,” she murmured.

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“Yes, baby?” No response was forthcoming. Instead, she just scooted closer until she had him lying on his back, her hips diagonally draping his. A quiet chuckle eased from his lips as he tried not to wake her. She hadn’t changed. The position, though, had possibilities. He traced a finger down her spine, before he cupped the cheek of her ass. As he drew a path along the cleft of those beautiful mounds, he thought about San Diego, the beach, and the night he had christened her rosebud. A shiver of ecstasy slid across his flesh, raising goose bumps and his cock. The wayward thing pressed hard into Sam’s belly. The last thing he wanted was to wake her. What if she regretted their evening together? That alone was enough to shrivel his dick. Would all hell break loose come tomorrow? Would there be awkwardness between them when she woke beside him? Because that was where she would be come morning. Sam released a sorrowful whimper. Her arms flailed until she crammed them beneath a pillow, raised her head and slammed it against the fluffy feathers. Kyle gently rubbed her back, needing to chase all her bad dreams away. Would she agree to marry him after tonight or would she turn tail and run away again? Then there was the other rising issue. Neither of them had used protection, unless she was on the pill. If he knew Sam, there was a good chance she wasn’t. The thought of a child, their child, growing in her belly sent chills across his arms. A little girl with blonde ringlets and deep blue eyes, or a son with dark hair and a mischievous attitude. Kyle was still smiling when sleep brushed over him.

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Chapter Five

Wakefulness came with a price. Sam’s temples throbbed. Her head felt as if it would explode at any moment. Smacking her lips, she badly needed a drink of something. Her mouth was so dry she doubted a gallon of water could satisfy her. What the hell happened last night? She squinted. Before the ray of sunlight spearing through the slit in her bedroom curtains could blind her, she pinched her eyelids closed. In the quiet darkness that followed it felt as if the room was spinning. But it couldn’t be. She lay flat on her stomach. Her face buried in a pillow. What she couldn’t quite make out was what was she lying on. While she mentally shook off the lingering effects of slumber, she squirmed against the hard and unyielding object, seeking comfort. “Baby, if you keep moving like that I swear I’ll roll you over and have my way with you again.” The deep, sultry voice made the air in her lungs freeze. No. No. No. Please let her be asleep, caught in some horrible dream like all the others that plagued her night after night. Better judgment told her to remain silent, but she wasn’t one to follow her own advice. “Kyle?” she croaked. A warm palm slid across her back and grasped an ass cheek, squeezing, and something stirred beneath her. The action sent her hormones screaming. This was not a dream. It was real. Kyle was real. That something growing larger beneath her was real. Really. Really. Real. Gauging by the way his hips shifted and that something sinfully wedged itself between her thighs—her bare thighs to be exact—she was in trouble. In fact, she wore not a stitch of clothes and neither did he. “Who’d you think it was?” His familiar chuckle sent a sense of dread slamming into the excitement her wayward body was hell-bent on experiencing. With lightning speed, her pulse jumped and raced. Sam swallowed, but the cottony taste lingered, refusing to get past the golf ball-size knot in her throat. Afraid to open her eyes, she fought desperately to dismiss the obvious. She did not sleep with Kyle last night. Her body was not warring with her mind to widen her legs. And the throb in her nipples was not a sign that she wanted him.

Mackenzie McKade

Scattered snippets of the night floated aimlessly in her head, but try as she might portions of the night remained missing, like how she got to her room. Then her dance, her conversation with Troy popped into her head. Sam groaned aloud. “You okay, Sam?” His large hand smoothed up her back, brushing away her hair as his fingertips danced across her skin. “Can I get you anything? A drink?” Nooo… No more to drink. A gun might be a better choice, because she couldn’t bear to open her eyes and face the mess she’d created. A shiver slithered across her skin. Was this how Kyle had felt that night? Had he really been too intoxicated to recognize the difference between her and Cathy? Her stomach rolled. “Baby?” “Please don’t call me that.” Inhaling a shaky breath, she opened her eyes, turned and stared directly into his crystal blue ones. His tousled hair, the sly, seductive smirk on his face, made her pause, but not for long. “This was a mistake.” She should have spoken to Cathy last night. Should have discovered the truth, before she let anything like this happen. His hand tensed against her skin. His grin died a quick death. “The hell it was.” Several worry lines furrowed his forehead. “I wanted you. You wanted me.” “I was drunk.” It was a poor excuse and she knew it the minute the stupid words left her mouth. Kyle’s brows shot up so quickly they almost touched his hairline. “So drunk you don’t remember what happened? What? You have five, six, maybe seven glasses of champagne?” Sam stopped counting after five. He flashed her one of those how’s-it-feel-to-be-in-my-shoes looks. “You know, Sam, I had a hell of a lot more to drink that night.” Both of them knew exactly what night he spoke of. And yes, she wanted to believe him, but first she had to speak with her sister. Careful not to touch him any more than she had to, she climbed off his decadent body and the bed, dragging a pillow along with her. Using it like a shield before her, she inched her chin higher. “You should leave, Kyle.” “No. Please.” Muscles bunched, rippled beneath his sun-kissed skin as he moved across the bed and stood before her. “Sam, don’t push me away. Forget the past. Look at what we could have together.” We would be married. Maybe even have a child. His words rang in her ears. Of all the things for her to remember from their night together. The sob building in her throat nearly undid her. It didn’t help that the room smelled musky of sex, their coupling. Squeezing her lips together, an attempt to keep her emotions at bay, she shook her head.

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Blue Moon

“I can’t. Every time I close my eyes I see you with her,” she admitted. “I don’t want to live with that memory in my head each time I look at you.” “Please, baby. Don’t do this to us.” “You hurt me.” She couldn’t mask the trembling in her voice. Then the truth tumbled out. “I don’t know if I could ever trust you again.” “But—” Sam held up a hand, silencing him. “Don’t.” Couldn’t he see her heart was breaking? The weight inside her chest was suffocating. What happened last night only made things worse. This had been her fault. She had no one to blame but herself. “I can’t go through this again.” Kyle reached for her. Before she could dodge his grasp, he jerked her to him. She slammed into his chest, knocking the pillow out of her hands. It dropped between them. Skin to skin, Sam stood on rubbery legs. He lowered his head. His lips were a breath away from hers and she almost melted. Almost. “Please don’t kiss me.” It was a plea. Blinking back tears, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to resist him. “Is that all it would take for you to be mine again?” The ruthlessness in his tone sent another shiver down her spine. He held her a little tighter, a little closer. “Yes.” Even as she made the confession, something inside her died. Pride. What little she had left oozed out of her. There was no need to deny it. She still loved and hated him. “I want you, Sam.” His abrupt release left her staggering. “But not at the price of your dignity.” Jaws clenching, he made a see-saw motion, before he spoke again. “When you come back to me it will be because you want to. I can’t apologize any longer for something I can’t remember. And I won’t live here anymore pretending like my life is okay.” Backbone rigid, he stepped away from her and began to gather his clothes. The bed moaned beneath his weight as he sat, pushing one leg and then another into his pants before he fastened them. Not bothering with donning a shirt, he marched to the door and jerked it open. He took one more long look at her before slamming the door behind him. Sam startled. Her pulse raced even faster. The change in his demeanor left her speechless and cold, a chill that went bone deep. Before she had a chance to fall apart, a knock sounded on the door. For a brief moment she prayed it was Kyle but instinctively knew it wasn’t. As the door squeaked open, she grabbed the pillow from the floor and clutched the softness before her. “Sammy, are you ready?” Jennifer peeked around the door. Her eyes gaped at the sight that met her. “We have a nine o’clock appointment with the nail salon and the hairdresser at ten thirty.” Yikes! Sam had forgotten all about today’s activities. It was Jennifer and Brad’s wedding day.

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“What happened here?” Jennifer glanced around at the disheveled bed, last night’s clothes tossed about, and Sam’s apparent nudity. “Nothing.” Nothing she wanted to admit to. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll hurry. I promise.” Her sister hesitated, concern flittering across her face. “You okay?” “Fine. Ten minutes.” When the door shut with a thud, leaving Sam alone, she sucked in a breath. How would she make it through the day and another night?

Kyle’s mood was sour at best. Unloading lawn furniture from the back of a dusty truck wasn’t exactly on his plans today, but the delivery company had been shorthanded so Brad and he had offered to assist. Next they had to carry the tables and chairs around the house to the Dawson’s backyard and arrange them just as Mary had designated. What he really wanted to do was find Sam and shake her until she came to her senses. Last night had been spectacular. Images popping into his head that kept his randy cock in a perpetually aroused state were never far from his mind, but neither was her rejection. Dammit. When would Sam admit that they belonged together? Standing on the back end of a truck, Brad handed Kyle another chair. “You’ve been quiet this morning.” Kyle grunted in response as he set the chair on a dolly before returning for another. “So the night didn’t end up how you envisioned it? She pass out on you or toss you out on your ass?” Kyle raised his arms. “Chair?” The demand was laced with animosity. Brad picked up another white lawn chair and eased it into Kyle’s waiting hands. “What did you expect?” Glaring at his friend, Kyle lowered the chair. “For your information, the night happened exactly as I wanted.” It was this morning that sucked. But he was through apologizing for something he had no control over. Sam would have to make the next move. His gut had been twisted in knots since they parted. He couldn’t live like this any longer. Brad pushed his glasses up his nose. “Sooo… If things are good why do you act as if you slept in the dog house last night?” Kyle resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Things apparently look different in the light of day.” “Morning regrets.” Brad nodded as if he understood, then he added, “You mean things look different after you’re sober.” “Yeah. That too.”

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Blue Moon

Brad jumped down from the back of the truck, brushing his hands on his jeans. “Want to talk about it?” “No!” Hands raised in defense, Brad took a step backward. “Whoa, buddy. Don’t bite my head off.” Briefly Kyle closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to get through to her. She still loves me, I know she does.” No one could make love like she did without strong feelings. Hell, the woman nearly melted beneath his kisses. And although it was an admission made as she fell asleep, she had said, “Love too.” That had to count for something. Of course, he had to take into consideration that she was drunk. People said and did things they normally wouldn’t under the influence. He should know. Brad threw a playful arm around Kyle’s shoulders as he guided him toward the house. “You want a beer?” “It’s ten in the morning.” Kyle glanced at his friend, a slow, knowing grin appearing. “Cold feet?” That was one thing he hadn’t expected from Brad. His friend did nothing unless he was sure about the outcome. It was the engineer in him. Both Sam and Brad analyzed things to death. “No.” As if Brad thought of his bride-to-be, softness lit his face, and then quickly went south. “Just a case of the nerves, I guess. I want Jennifer to be happy. Everything to be perfect for her.” “It will be.” Because Kyle intended on giving Sam the space she needed. Earlier he would have done anything to get her back, but not after he had seen her anguished expression this morning. It had torn his heart out. He could have possessed her body, but not her heart, her respect, or above all, her trust. If he couldn’t have all of her, then he would have to live with nothing. Hence, his continuing bad mood. Odds were he would be walking away tonight, alone, and he knew it. “Let’s get that beer.” Three beers later they were sitting in the Dawson’s backyard watching everyone else work. An extra crew had been called in and their assistance was no longer required. All the tables and chairs were arranged and several people were now draping tablecloths. An arbor was being decorated with twinkle lights and flowers. Clear lights hung from the trees and shrubs. Outdoor tapered walk lights lined the sidewalks and paths to and from the pool. Six lamp posts with four carriage lights each were scattered throughout the yard. At night it would look like a fairyland. Both envy and jealousy peeked through to make Kyle uncomfortable. Legs propped on a lounge chair across from where he sat, Kyle upended his bottle, chugging the last of the amber. “Want another?” “Nah.” Brad set his beer on the table. “I need to keep my wits about me.” “You mean if Jennifer doesn’t kill you, Mary will, you showing up shit-faced at the wedding.” Brad smirked. “Yeah. There is that.” For a moment, silence lingered between them.

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“You’re a lucky man, my friend.” Even if Brad was wrapped around his soon-to-be-wife’s finger, he was lucky. Hell. Kyle would give anything to be in his position with Sam by his side. “I know.” Slapping his palms against his thighs, Brad rose. “Well, I guess it’s time for a haircut, and then I’ll let you take me to lunch.” Kyle eased to his feet. “Your last supper as a single man.” He chuckled, even though the union left him as the third wheel in the party. The thought was like a sore festering inside him. If only Sam would come around.

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Chapter Six

Run. Run. Run. It had been one appointment after another. Sam, her mother and sisters had barely had time for lunch or to speak with Cathy. She had attempted to hold back her animosity, but each time she looked at Cathy her blood boiled. Now Sam sat before a cosmetician who promised to give her a fresh new look. Clothed in dress slacks and a polo shirt versus her jeans and a T-shirt, the flamboyant man, whose name was Francois, had Sam worrying exactly what the finished product might look like. But Jennifer had sworn, “He’s the best.” And he had made her sister shine even brighter than she had earlier. Rubbing her sweaty hands down her thighs, Sam prayed she didn’t walk away looking like a cheap dime-store whore. Last night’s behavior had been bad enough. Try as she might to recall, visions of her brazenness still waffled in her head. No way had she wanted to hurt Kyle or mislead him. Damn the alcohol. No, damn her weakness, because in all honesty, subconsciously she had wanted one more night with Kyle—dreamed of making love to him, his body against hers, driving her— Crap. She couldn’t think like this. They would never be able to get back what they’d had. The reminder sat beside her while another makeup artist worked her magic on Cathy. Sam listened to her mother and Jennifer behind her chatting about the flowers. “I can’t wait to get home and see the arrangements,” Jennifer gushed with excitement. “Honey, we won’t have time for you to go gallivanting around the backyard. We’ll be lucky if we get you dressed by the time the wedding begins.” Their mother was always the killjoy. “Tracy phoned and said the backyard looks beautiful. If we keep the schedule tight and start the wedding at five o’clock, we should get some fantastic sunset pictures.” Pictures? Was that all her mother thought about? Couldn’t she remember her own wedding? Or had it been as unemotional as her life with their father? Well, this train of thought sucked. Sam focused on what the man before her was doing to her. A neatly groomed hand reached for eyeliner and moved to waver before Sam’s eyes. “Close them and hold still, lovey.” A light pressure outlined her left eye, and then moved to the next one. Please let it be a thin line.

Mackenzie McKade

“It was my fault. I undressed Kyle. Climbed into bed with him that night,” Cathy breathed, her voice almost inaudible. “I know you talked to Troy.” Those words Sam heard perfectly well. They came through loud and clear. She jerked her head around so fast, the eyeliner dragged across her face to her temple. “Oh no,” Francois groaned at the same time their mother yelled, “Cathy!” He attempted to wipe away the mess Sam had made of her makeup. She flailed her arms, hands swatting at his, as she leaned forward. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “What did you say?” Sam demanded. Like a car crash, everyone within hearing distance, including their mother and Jennifer, grew quiet and stepped closer. You could hear a pin drop, except for the rapid beat of Sam’s heart threatening to jump out of her chest. Her gaze clashed with Cathy’s. Moisture pooled in her sister’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked. Streams of tears made sooty tracks through her freshly applied powder. “I didn’t know what to do.” Sam’s teeth were clenched so tightly they ached. Her fingers curled into fists to keep from reaching out and strangling her sister. “I didn’t know what to do,” Cathy repeated in a mere whisper. “Cathy, what are you talking about?” Their mother grew nearer. “Stay out of this, Mom,” Sam barked, startling her mother to a halt. Then she turned her venomous glare back upon her sister. “Why?” The urge to shake the answer from Cathy was so strong, Sam eased out of her chair, every muscle tensed, ready to spring. “I got cold feet. I didn’t want to marry George. For days I’d known the truth, wanted to back out of the wedding. But M-mom had spent so much money. E-everyone expected me to— We were all wrong for each other. Not perfect like you and Kyle.” Jealousy stretched between them. The tall brunette who had been applying Cathy’s makeup handed her several tissues. She dabbed at her eyes, but it did no good. The tears gushed like a river unleashed. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she sobbed. “I panicked.” “Panicked?” Sam’s voice pitched. “You ruined my life.” A life that she now lived sequestered in another state, alone, apart from her family and friends, and the one man she loved more than life itself. “Why Kyle?” Cathy closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at Sam. When she opened them a shadow crept over them. “I hated what you had.” Bitterness seeped into her words. “It was wrong, but if I couldn’t be happy, why should you be?” She nervously bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.” “Sorry?” Sam took another step toward the sister—no—woman she now hated with a vengeance. Her mother caught her arm but Sam shook her off. “Sorry?” she repeated, trembling.

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Blue Moon

The knowledge that Cathy had instigated this problem, knowing full well what the outcome would be, was too much for Sam. She drew back her hand and released. The loud slap echoed throughout the store. Cathy’s eyelids shot open. Her tears instantly dried. She held her palm over her now red cheek, staring at Sam in what appeared like disbelief. Several people gasped and someone yelled Sam’s name, but she couldn’t comprehend through the red haze her mind had become. “Did you fuck him while he was passed out?” she growled. “No!” Cathy quickly added, “Sam, I wouldn’t do that to you. He couldn’t have performed in his condition. Besides, even inebriated he knew I wasn’t you. He pushed me away before he passed out. I stayed because I wanted to make it look real.” Real? Sam wanted to scream. Tear her updo out. No. She wanted to rip every strand of Cathy’s hair out. Before she could take action on the fiery revenge surging through her veins, Jennifer and Francois caught her arms. Sam struggled against them like a madwoman. If she could just get her fingers around Cathy’s throat… “Sam! Someone has called security.” Jennifer gave Sam a jerk. “Let’s take a walk.” “Sweetheart,” the cosmetician’s tone was soft and sympathetic. “When you’ve calmed down, come back and I’ll finish.” Finish? Makeup was the last thing on Sam’s mind. Murder was the first thing. While her sister half dragged her away, their mother went to console Cathy. That in itself fueled Sam’s fury. Anger so alive it threatened to consume her burned brightly. Who was the victim in all this mess? Cathy? Hell no. “Breathe, Sam.” Air flooded her lungs as she opened her mouth, almost choking her. “I can’t believe it. That bitch!” Heavy footsteps took Sam through the jewelry and then through the purse section. She had shrugged off her sister’s grasp somewhere between the earring counter and accessories. All she could think of was that Kyle was innocent. For two years she had put them both through a living hell. He was innocent but Cathy was not. Sam and Jennifer were approaching women’s wear when her sister cautiously began to speak. “Sam. Think.” Think? That was all she’d done since she returned to Seattle. Her head hurt from all the thinking. “Kyle tripped over himself to be with you, to give you everything you desired, while George acted as if Cathy was his soon-to-be trophy wife.” “And I’m supposed to care, why?” Spite hung onto the last word.

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“Come on, Sam.” This time Jennifer snapped at her. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. George wanted someone to show off in front of his law firm. Cathy had the big diamond ring. The large house to look forward to, but you had love. You had Kyle and dreams and a future together.” “A love that Cathy tore out of my hands.” “I don’t blame you for being angry.” Jennifer fought back tears. “What she did to you is unforgivable.” They strolled quietly through racks and racks of women’s shoes before Jennifer spoke again. “You okay, Sammy?” Leave it to Jennifer to think about someone else on the biggest day of her life. “Yes,” Sam lied. A sense of dread crept into her bones. “We need to get back.” She tried to smile, but the corners of her mouth refused to cooperate. “You’re going to be married in a couple hours.” The fact was she had a lot to think about. What would she say to Kyle? Could they pick up where they left off? Could she ever look at him and not see Cathy, naked, in his arms? Time was pressing hard on them as they returned to the makeup counter. Cathy and their mother were nowhere in sight. Inquisitive glances flew their way, but Sam ignored them. No matter what had happened earlier, today was Jennifer’s day. For her sister’s sake, Sam needed to keep focus. There was time to deal with the fucked-up situation later. “Lovey, come take a seat.” Francois dabbed at the black smudge across Sam’s face, and then he quietly began to repair the damage. The cosmetician who had been working on Cathy took Jennifer aside. “Your mother and sister took a taxi home.” She spoke softly, but Sam heard every word, thankful that they wouldn’t be locked in the car for the thirty-minute drive home. She wasn’t ready to face anyone and that included her mother. Finished, Jennifer and Sam moved hastily through the mall. Nothing was said as they located the car in the parking lot and her sister slid behind the wheel. “Jenny?” “Huh?” She steered the car onto the side street. Sam inhaled a steady breath. “Don’t let this ruin your day.” Again, large tears blossomed in her sister’s eyes, but didn’t fall as she blinked them away. “I just wish things had been different. If you want I’ll send Cathy away.” Oh God. How had this day gotten so screwed up? “No. You can’t do that. If Cathy isn’t present everyone will notice and start asking questions. I can’t go through that and neither should you.” Jennifer nodded. “What will you do about Kyle?” The truth was Sam had no idea what she would do or say, until the opportunity was forced upon her. Jennifer, always the voice of reason, spoke the obvious. “He deserves a second chance.” “I know, but—”

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Blue Moon

“Sammy, do yourself a favor—let it go. Both of you deserve more.” A grin spread across her sister’s face. “You know, we could make it a double wedding.” Unexpected laughter burst from Sam’s mouth. “You’re kidding, right?” Her sister’s mischievous grin said differently. “Just think about it. The four of us could tear up Italy.” No. Sam and Kyle had too much to talk about. They lived different lives now. And, in truth, Sam was scared. She wasn’t the same person she had been two years ago and neither was Kyle. Arriving late to the house, they had to park down the street due to all the vehicles. Like two schoolgirls they giggled as they weaved through the empty cars trying to sneak inside the house without being seen. Abruptly Jennifer stopped, Sam running into the back of her. “Look.” Her sister’s voice was filled with awe. “There he is.” Sam’s breath caught with something close to the same admiration her sister must have felt, because Kyle was standing next to Brad. Both men were dressed in black tuxes, but Sam only had eyes for Kyle, even though the yard was overflowing with guests. His dark skin was a stark contrast against his white shirt. Ebony hair framed a handsome face that sent her heart fluttering. All those thoughts she hadn’t allowed herself to consciously think about for the past two years flooded her head with feelings that tugged at her heart. As she gazed upon him everything seemed so different—so clear now that she could look at him again with no barriers, no feeling of betrayal. She’d missed him so very much. But what really mattered was that she loved him—had always loved him. Sam released an audible sigh at the same time as Jennifer. They glanced at each other and started to giggle again. “We better hurry.” Sam grabbed her sister’s hand and they darted inside. When they finally made it to Jennifer’s bedroom, their mother was waiting on them. Without a word, she glanced at Sam. Smiling softly, she closed the distance and gave Sam a big hug. Tears sprang to life. A rogue one rolled down Sam’s cheek. “None of that now.” Her mother swatted her playfully on the butt. “We have a wedding to attend to. I’ll help Jennifer. You go get dressed and we will meet up here.” Sam turned to walk away, but stopped, facing her mother once more. “Mom?” Batting back emotion building at an alarming sped, Sam cleared her throat. Dammit. Even after all that had happened, she needed her mother. Warm palms cupped her face, her mother’s expression tender. “Everything will be okay, sweetheart. Trust me.” She kissed Sam on the cheek. “Go get dressed.” As Sam left the bedroom, she fought with the mixed bag of feelings churning inside her. After two years, betrayal and lies, how could things ever be okay again?

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Chapter Seven

Music played low in the background. A flowery aroma blended with a combination of different perfumes and colognes to fill the air. The ring bearer and flower girl had already departed down the white carpet leading toward the lattice arbor where the minister and Brad waited. The clicking of hurried heels on tile caused Kyle to turn around from where he and Allen, a friend and groomsmen, stood on the patio. Cathy came through the opening first. Ducking her head and looking away from him, she weaved her arm through Allen’s and they stepped forward. Sam was next to arrive as she appeared in the archway. She took a single step and then another toward Kyle and all the air surrounding him evaporated. Stilettos gave the illusion of height. Yet it was the long satin, teaberry strapless gown with its crisscrossing bodice and skirt that put the finishing points to the tall slinky image she made. Each sway of her hips awoke his desire, raised memories of last night. For a moment all he could think about was sweeping her off her feet and carrying her upstairs to make mad, passionate love to her. When Sam caught his hungry gaze, she smiled and his heart skipped a beat. It was the first real smile she had gifted him since her return. With her hair swept up in a cascade of curls adorned by small flowers and her porcelain skin pictureperfect, Kyle was almost afraid to touch her. Switching a bouquet of white and burgundy roses sprinkled with baby’s breath to one hand, she laced the other through his extended arm. The feel of her next to him made his eyes briefly close. It felt so good to hold her. “Beautiful,” he breathed, though the single word didn’t do her justice. Through long, coy eyelashes she glanced up at him. “Thank you.” Soft. Seductive. All woman. At that moment nothing existed in his world but the woman beside him. Kyle couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Psst… Sam. Kyle!” Jennifer’s tone pitched, pulling his attention. Anxiety rose in her tense expression. She jerked her head toward the white carpet. “Go.” Shit. So enchanted with Sam, he had forgotten where they were and what his job was—to lead her down the aisle. When he turned back to her, laughter danced in her eyes. Was it her happiness for her sister or had she had a change of heart about them?

Blue Moon

Kyle stumbled on a rise in the carpet, but Sam was there to steady him as she had always done before when he needed her. Even the snickers from the crowd didn’t faze him as he reveled in the fact she stood beside him. As they approached the minister he was reluctant to release her, but the sighs from the throng told him Jennifer was making her way down the aisle. A quick glance at Brad revealed love shining in his friend’s eyes. It was worth Kyle parting with Sam. Releasing her, he took his place next to the groom.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister announced. Kyle blinked. The ceremony was over? He hadn’t heard a word of it. Puzzling over Sam’s behavior had stolen his attention. If the troubles of last night plagued her, it wasn’t evident. A large grin spread from ear to ear as she hugged Jennifer and then Brad. “Congratulations.” Kyle slapped Brad on the back, before dragging Jennifer into his arms. “You and Sam are next,” she whispered in his ear. Jennifer squeezed him tightly before letting go. He and Sam? He opened his mouth to ask for an explanation, but a swarm of well-wishers sabotaged him, moving him further back into the crowd. What had she meant? Had she and Sam discussed last night? Had Sam really changed her mind? Lightheaded, he scanned the yard for Sam, but she was nowhere to be found. The place buzzed with excitement as everyone took a moment to speak with the bride and groom. “Kyle,” Mary called his name. “It’s picture time. Where is everyone?” Oh goody. Picture time. What he really wanted to do was find Sam and talk to her, even though he’d sworn he would leave her alone—let her make the next move. Anxiety prickled his skin. Where was she? As Jennifer and Brad marched to Mary’s tune, and the photographer snapped one photograph after another, Kyle walked through the crowd. He’d almost given up when Sam’s sweet voice floated up from behind him to caress his ears. “Kyle?” Palms sweating, he slowly turned to face her. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she stepped closer. Apprehension screamed across her terse expression. “We need to talk.” Kyle swallowed hard. This was it. Sam was ready to talk, which had to mean that last night had meant something to her—he had meant something to her.

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“There you are.” Mary broke in between them, grabbing each of their arms and pulling them forward. “It’s picture time.” Kyle almost groaned his frustration. Fuck the pictures. No way did he want to lose this opportunity. “Mary, please?” The plea in his voice was humiliating but worth it. The woman glanced from him to her daughter and her eyes misted. “Fifteen minutes.” She hugged Sam, whispering, “Keep those eyes dry.” Releasing her grip, she scurried toward the bride and groom. Silence stretched between them. “You wanted to talk?” Fidgeting with her dress, her fingers gliding along the low neckline, she took in the crowd around them. “Not here.” She didn’t wait for a response, heading off toward a quiet grove of trees where she stopped, her back to him. “I’ve made such a mess out of our lives.” She whirled around, her eyes locking with his. So much pain swam in those blue depths. Kyle wanted to reach for her, hold her close, but insecurity raised its ugly head and made him pause. He couldn’t stand for her to push him away. Calling on his strength, he shored his shoulders just in case this conversation went south. “Cathy told me the truth.” A shuddering breath raised her breasts. “She did this to us.” His forehead furrowed. “I don’t understand.” What had Cathy told Sam? Had what her sister said made a different? “Cathy wanted out of her wedding.” Sam licked her lips. “George…Cathy—” She hesitated as if she needed time to gather her control. “Oh God, Kyle. Can’t you see?” She rushed on to say, “Cathy used you that night to get out of her wedding. She hated what we had together.” Anger rose on swift feet. That night had not been an accident? Red-hot fury raced through his veins. The fuckin’ woman had trapped him in a lie. Used him. Destroyed his and Sam’s future. Every time I close my eyes I see you with her. I don’t want to live with that memory in my head each time I look at you. Sam’s heartbreaking words from last night echoed through his head. Even innocent, he was guilty. The gravity of the truth was chains wrapped around his heart. His chest hurt. “Kyle?” Sam laid a hand on his arm. “Do you understand? Nothing happened?” What exactly was she saying? “You didn’t sleep with her.” A spark of bitterness followed. “Cathy removed your clothes to make it believable.” The weight of the world flew from his shoulders. He knew no matter how drunk he was that he would never betray Sam. “Does this mean I’m forgiven? We’re okay?” “I’m sorry, Kyle.” A sheen of tears glistened as she gazed up at him. “I should have trusted you.”

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Blue Moon

Pulling her trembling body into his arms, he rested his chin on her head. “No, baby. I don’t blame you for how you reacted.” He only wished Cathy had come clean earlier. Thoughts of strangling the bitch vanished when he heard Sam’s mother. “Time’s up, you two.” As Sam attempted to step away from him, he slid a knuckle beneath her chin, raising her gaze to meet his. “Man. I want to ravish you.” He settled for a brief kiss that tightened his gut and left him hungry for more. “Later.” She walked away, leaving the promise to linger between them.

The rest of the evening was pure hell. After an hour of posing and smiling until Sam’s cheeks ached, everyone settled into their assigned seats for dinner, with the exception of Kyle. He had gone missing after the last snap of the camera. The wedding party sat down at the head table just as the lights blinked on, bathing the area in a twinkling fairytale land of light. It was breathtaking—a moment to savor, only enhanced when the man she loved moved hastily through the crowd, stopping to chat with her mother before he leaned down and whispered something in Brad’s ear. Brad grinned down the table at her. That’s when Sam realized two people separated her from Kyle—the bride and groom. Cathy sat to her left, which made the arrangement even more uncomfortable. Sam’s only saving grace was that Kyle couldn’t keep his eyes off her. It might have been her imagination, but he regarded her with the same admiration that Brad did Jennifer. It made Sam giddy and warm all over. Thoughts of last night, Kyle’s hands and lips across her body, made her squirm in her chair. “Excuse me.” A waiter offered her a glass of champagne and she cringed. “Ohhh… No—” No more alcohol for her. Jennifer giggled. “Take it, Sam. It’s for the toast.” The toast? She’d forgotten about the toast. Silly her. Fingers curling around the cool stem of the flute, she watched the bubbles rise and burst. Who knew that this innocent-looking drink could hold such a punch? When Kyle got to his feet, tall, dark and handsome, Sam sucked in a taut breath. This man raising his glass in honor of Jennifer and Brad and speaking of love, of new beginnings and futures, loved her. For a second, a shadow fell across her eyes. Could things be the way they were? No, Negative Nelly would not take hold of her. Refusing to let the past rain on her parade, Sam pushed the thought aside. Tonight was for new beginnings not only for the newlyweds, but for her and Kyle. Nothing would stand in their way. Then Cathy spoke and Sam felt her house of cards tumble into a pile. “Can you forgive me?”

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Heart pounding, a bitter response perched on the tip of Sam’s tongue, but then she saw their mother watching them. “Cathy, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forget the damage you caused, the years you stole from Kyle and me. Mom can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she would have understood. We all would have understood. But what is more important, we would have stood behind you. I can’t forgive you. Right now I can’t even bear to look at you.” Ducking her head to hide her emotion, Cathy batted at falling tears. “I’m so sorry.” “Sammy?” Jennifer squeezed her hand drawing Sam’s attention. “It’s your turn.” “Turn?” “A toast.” Keep it short and sweet, that’s what Jennifer had suggested earlier. Scooting out of her chair, Sam stood, taking the microphone Kyle had passed to her sister. Sam cleared her throat, praying that she could remember her speech. “As Dr. James C. Dobson once said, ‘Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.’ And that’s just what my sister has done.” She swallowed welling tears and struggled for composure to continue. “Brad and Jenny,” she inhaled a deep breath, “separately you are two special and remarkable people, but together you are complete.” Sam started to sit and then paused. “Oh, one word of advice, Brad. Whenever you are wrong, admit it. Whenever you are right, be quiet. And always remember…a happy wife makes for a happy life! So here’s to love, laughter and happily ever after.” Raising her glass to her lips, she sipped. The crowd roared with laughter and Jennifer hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Sammy.” Settling back in her chair, she leaned close. “When does your plane leave?” “Tomorrow at noon.” Jennifer sparkled with excitement. “We’re staying at the Sheraton tonight.” Sighing, she glanced toward Brad. “Isn’t he wonderful?” “Yes, he is.” Jennifer stopped ogling her new husband long enough to bring her attention back to Sam. “Things okay between you and Kyle?” It was Sam’s turn to gaze down the table at the man she loved. “They will be.” As if he knew they were talking about him, he turned and smiled, releasing a thousand fluttering wings inside her stomach. “I’m thrilled for you. And Cathy?” Cautiously, Jennifer approached the subject. “I saw you talking to her.” “Honestly, I don’t know if I can ever forgive her.” “I understand.” Jennifer gave Sam a quick hug. “Thank you for coming home and sharing this day with me.” Sam was about to say it was her pleasure when the band began to play.

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Blue Moon

Brad stood, extending his hand to his bride. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Collingsworth?” Satin and lace belled from the skirt of Jennifer’s wedding dress as he spun her around upon the wooden makeshift floor and they fell into each other’s arms. The look they shared was so private, heat warmed Sam’s cheeks and she focused on the rest of the scenery. Bewitched by the lights, music and the moment, she startled when a deep, seductive voice whispered, “Miss me?” Her heart did a somersault. Chills raced across her flesh when he brushed a fallen curl aside and caressed her neck with a kiss. “Wildflowers. You always smell so fresh and sweet.” And he always smelled sexy and male. A scent that made her hormones jump up and take notice. It didn’t help that when he stood upright and she turned to answer his question, his hips were eye-level and she feasted on an intriguing bulge that was developing. Sam thought of reaching for his zipper, slowly dragging it down so that it made a soft hiss. She shuddered at the idea of peeling his tux off one garment at a time until he was naked, standing before her. But that would have to wait. “Yes. I missed you.” But he would never know just how badly she had missed him. Kyle held out his hand to her. She placed hers in his, his warmth folding around it. He pulled her near. “I need to hold you. Dance with me.” Others were joining the bride and groom on the floor, so there was nothing to stop Sam from obliging his whim. In fact, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more. When Kyle pressed his palm to the small of her back, she melted against him. Their bodies flush, he took a step and then they waltzed across the floor. Sam needed to pinch herself to prove this was real. Instead, he lowered his head and captured her mouth. With a feather touch he smoothed his mouth over hers, sucking first on her top lip and then the bottom, before parting them to slip inside. Languidly, he caressed her mouth from side to side, flicking his tongue against hers. Thrusting more firmly against her tongue, he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Sam was lost in a volley of sensations. His kiss was like an aphrodisiac. She curled her fingers into the upper sleeves of his jacket as she clung to him, kissing him with a wild eagerness that bordered on madness. She wanted more. “Get a room,” someone chuckled, dancing by. The comment tore Sam from the spell she had fallen into. Breathing hard, she gazed into his eyes which mirrored her desire. “Let’s leave. Get a room.” His palm stroked upward and back down so it rode her ass as they shuffled across the floor. From the corner of her eye, she saw Brad and Jennifer dance past. “We can’t. It wouldn’t be right.” The night air had cooled, but Sam’s body temperature felt as if it was rising. Even the small breeze that

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stirred didn’t ease her need for Kyle. “The cake hasn’t been cut. The bouquet thrown.” She continued to think of reasons why she couldn’t throw caution to the wind and leave. But tonight wasn’t about her and Kyle, even if the desire burning in the depths of his eyes said it was.

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Chapter Eight

“You know, being near you and not being able to touch you is going to kill me.” Musical laughter met Kyle’s husky grumble. The silky sound wound around him like iron shackles around his heart. Spinning her into a turn, he shuffled her across the dance floor. With a gentle pull, he drew her back into his arms, their bodies pressed close, her head coming to rest against his chest. Small, delicate hands perched lightly on his shoulders. This felt right—she felt right. Finally, back where she belonged. The song ended and another began, but he didn’t release her. Instead he took the opportunity to dance her off the floor onto the grassy surface. His goal was the line of trees now shadowed by the dying sun. With an umph, she swayed. Her heels sank into the soft soil. “What are you up to?” Running his palm up her bare arm, Kyle knew the chances of making it through the night without holding her were slim to none. “Stealing a few minutes of your time. Nothing more.” His attempt at innocence failed miserably, judging by her arched brow. “We’ll be missed,” she insisted. “I doubt it.” Already the throng had fallen into the party spirit. Several lines had formed leading to the two open bars set up for the night. People chatted, others strolled, and even Mary was occupied on the dance floor. In a surprise turn of events, Sam glanced back at the mass, and then grabbed his hand. Quietly giggling, she dragged him the rest of the way into their hideaway, the scent of pine surrounding them. In the background the celebration continued, only a muted sound against the beat of his heart. When they were entrenched in trees, bushes and the stars above, she pulled him into her embrace. “Sam…” It was the only word that got past his mouth before her lips were on his. She kissed him. And she wasn’t gentle about it, but hungry, eager, stabbing her tongue between his lips and teeth to stroke and taste. As his tongue slid across hers, wings of happiness soared inside him. Sam was truly back. “Mine,” he murmured against her mouth. Slipping her hands beneath his jacket, she smoothed them across his chest, touching and feeling, until they slid lower over his abdomen. A single hand disappeared down his trousers and he nearly bit her tongue. When her small, warm fingers wrapped around his cock, a growl rumbled in his throat and their mouths parted.

Mackenzie McKade

“Baby, you’re playing with fire.” Even as he spoke, he thrust his hips into her grasp. Damn. He had missed this—missed her. Tightening her grip, Sam slid from balls to crown and back again. “I want to taste you.” Her words went straight to his groin. His hard-on was instant and aching. The image of her going down on her knees, the thought of her moist heat consuming him, was gas on flame igniting into a conflagration. Through clenched teeth, he sucked in a taut breath. “There isn’t anything I’d rather feel—” Her slow, tantalizing rhythm left him speechless. For a moment all he could do was just that—feel. Kyle tried again, starting where he left off. “—feel than your sweet mouth making love to me.” He groaned because he couldn’t help himself. “But the ground would ruin your dress, get you dirty. And—” He jerked his hips back. “Oh God. Stop, Sam.” If this went any further everyone would know on their return what they had been doing, because he wanted to strip her naked and ravish every inch of her exquisite body, right here, right now. Disappointment replaced her sexy, hooded expression as she released him. Not to mention, the lack of her touch left him aching. Frustrated, he glanced at the tree behind her. As an idea popped into his head, a slow, sinful grin played at his mouth. He just might be able to put that sexy look back on her face. In fact, it was a deliciously wicked thought that made his blood burn even hotter with possibilities. “Turn around.” When she didn’t immediately comply, he twirled his index finger. “Trust me, baby, you’ll like this. Now turn around.” Slowly, she pivoted on the balls of her feet, throwing an inquisitive glance back at him. He moved close enough to plant a kiss on the tip of her nose, before he bent, grabbing the hem of her dress and easing the satin up her legs. To his delight, Sam wore thigh-high stockings and a skimpy black thong. The little strip of material wedged between her butt cheeks fired his arousal. “A thong?” His voice was husky and low. “I like that.” Still watching him, she wiggled her hips, and then the temptress winked. “I thought you might.” The knowledge that she wore the skimpy panties with him in mind made him impossibly harder. Man. He loved this woman. “You have the most beautiful ass.” The gentle swells called to the animal instincts in him to plunder and take what he wanted, and he wanted her now. Splaying his fingers over the soft skin, he squeezed. “Lean over and grab the tree.” The submissive position would place her at his mercy. A position that made his cock twitch and the throbbing pulse between his thighs quicken. Easing her gown up on her back, he inched down her thong and it fell around her ankles. “Spread your legs.” He wanted her open to him.

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Blue Moon

Inching her feet farther apart, she went as far as the elastic and lace would allow. The seductive smirk she threw him was nearly his undoing. She knew the sensual picture she made bent over in stilettos and naked to his eyes. “Fuck.” Kyle stumbled, nearly falling over a branch on the ground as he stepped backward to admire her. Soft, pink flesh, bare and vulnerable, drew him forward again. His cock was thick and hard, engorged from the scent of Sam’s arousal. He ran a finger along her swollen slit and she flinched. His woman was sensitive and wet. Kyle plunged a finger inside her. “Kyle?” The peevish sound that followed stretched into a sultry whine. She tightened her inner muscles as her juices gleamed beneath the moonlit night. Ka-thunk went his heart. Holy shit. She made him burn to be deep inside her. Hands shaking, he quickly unfastened his belt. “Tell me what you want, baby.” Tell me that you want me more than anything in this world. That you’ll never leave. “Fuck me,” she moaned. “Now.” Kyle almost swallowed his tongue. That wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, but it would do. Sam had never used fuck while making love. There was something raw and primitive about the way it rolled off her tongue that revved up his desire, sending blood slamming into his balls. He couldn’t undo his button or zipper fast enough, shoving his pants down around his knees and moving up behind her. Her ass was cool against his hips. His erection slid against her moist slit. “We don’t have time for slow and easy,” he warned. Not only did they need to get back to the party, but he wouldn’t last long. Already sparks of need shot down his shaft. His testicles high, pressed against the base of his shaft, pulsed. Her nostrils flared. “I don’t want slow and easy.” That’s my girl. With one hand he guided his cock to her entrance, the other he placed on her hip. “Damn, baby, do you know what you do to me?” The low rumble she released was the most provocative thing he had ever heard. “Shut up,” she breathed. “Fuck me.” Kyle didn’t wait for another invitation. His hips burst forward, burying him deep inside her warm, damp haven. Like a velvet fist, taut and greedy, she held him. Trembling, he clasped her hips with both hands and stared at the place they were joined. Rocking against her, the thickness of his cock disappeared and reappeared, the slurping sound making his heart hammer. With each thrust he was drowning, pure and simple. Hard and fast, he continued to pump into her.

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Sam’s head was still angled toward him but her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. He slid one hand from her hip so he could palm her breast, her nipple a pinpoint of need against his palm. As his fingers tweaked the little bud, she cried out his name. Knees shaking, he released the swollen peak to glide his palm down her abdomen, touching the smooth, silky flesh between her thighs. Cupping her pussy, he slid his middle finger along her moist slit until he found her clit. Drawing small circles around the swollen nub, he waited until her breath caught and then he pressed down, moving the digit back and forth to match the rapid rhythm of his hips. Rearing back against him, she was fire in his arms, meeting each thrust with one of her own. The firm mounds of her ass meeting his hips resounded, but it was her moans, broken cries, that got to him. Kyle heard the growl that vibrated in his throat, fought to hold on to his control. Then her sex squeezed him, began to milk him with a suction that made him go rigid. The battle was lost. His climax raced down his shaft so violently it felt as if it tore him apart.

Kyle cried out. The husky sound caused Sam to tremble. Her hands were clenched on the tree, bark splintering beneath her grasp. She could barely breathe for the physical demands of her body. Incredible sexual hunger rose from a dark, hidden part of Sam’s soul and screamed. Her vagina flexed and then clenched, over and over. Each contraction roared hotter, more intense, searing her from the inside out. She was a live flame, burning. Both gasped for air, straining against each other. Sam leaned her head on her arm, unable to move or willingly lose this moment. When Kyle stepped back, slipping from her body, she groaned her displeasure. She wasn’t ready to let reality encroach upon her time with Kyle. It had been too long since she had felt happy, wanted, loved. A sudden touch between her thighs startled her, pushing a squeal from her lips. Her gaze darted over her shoulder to meet his grin. “Easy, baby. I’m just cleaning you up.” “With what? A leaf?” He chuckled. “My handkerchief.” A starched hanky, no doubt. But his thoughtfulness thrilled her as he finished his task. “Inch your feet together.” When she did as Kyle requested, he eased her thong up her legs. Her gown fell around her in yards of satin. Pushing off from the tree, she stood upright, an ache settling in the small of her back and her knees. She groaned. Wadding his handkerchief, he crammed it into a pocket. “You okay?” “Fine.” She ruffled out the folds of her dress and wiggled, pulling the bodice up. “Just not used to that position.”

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Blue Moon

“Complaining?” Sam walked into his open arms, heels sinking into the soil. “Oh hell no.” His handsome features were bathed in shadows as he lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers. The tender kiss was honey sweet, stirring her senses. A slow caress across her lips, he nudged them apart, entering. Lips and tongues twisted together. Sam sipped, fed from his passion. A loud voice speaking over the microphone, announcing that it was time to cut the cake, shattered the amorous caress. He groaned as they broke apart. Kyle pressed his forehead to hers. “I guess we better go back.” From out of nowhere a vein of desperation rose. “Tell me this is real?” Sam couldn’t be dreaming. Panic rose quickly, leaving her lightheaded. Her fear subsided when warm palms encompassed her face. Feather light, his lips moved over hers once more. “It’s real, baby. You’re mine and you always will be.” Releasing an exasperated breath, he linked his fingers with hers. “I wish we had more time alone, but we better get back.” Reluctantly, she allowed him to draw her away from their little love nest to the party that was now in full swing. The backyard swarmed with people dressed to the hilt. Voices rose, a mixture of chatter and laughter. The first one to intercept them as they entered the crowd was her mother. “Where have you two been?” Sam opened her mouth to respond, make up a lie, but her mother raised her hand to stop her. “No.” She looked away, but Sam could see the grin tugging at her mother’s mouth. “I don’t want to know. Come on. It’s time to cut the cake.” Without another word, she scurried away. Kyle and Sam burst into laughter. As they made their way along with the others, Brad sidled up beside them. “What’s so funny?” Kyle slung his arm around Sam’s shoulders. “Nothing.” “Things okay?” he asked hesitantly. Kyle and Sam shared a knowing glance and then both spoke at once. “Perfect,” they said in unison. A smile spread across Brad’s face. “Then this is truly a celebration. Let’s find Jennifer.” After the cake was cut, presents opened and the bouquet thrown, the night seemed to fly. Brad and Kyle lounged near the pool. Cathy and their mother were saying goodbye to a dozen relatives and friends, while Sam helped Jennifer gather keepsakes from the flower arrangements and table giveaways where a disposable camera had been placed at the beginning of the wedding. People were supposed to randomly take pictures of the happy event. Jennifer picked up one of the cameras and then set it back down. “These should be a blast to look at later.” “It was a beautiful wedding, Jenny.” She collapsed into a chair. “It was, wasn’t it?”

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Jennifer’s soft sigh touched a spot deep inside Sam. She was happy for her sister. “So when can we expect your wedding?” Stopping midway from plucking a rose from a centerpiece, Sam drew her gaze up to meet her sister’s. “I think a wedding is moving too fast, don’t you?” “Are you kidding? It’s long overdue.” Sam shrugged, crying out when Kyle caught her around the waist, lifting her so her lips touched his. Slowly she slid down his body until her feet touched the ground. When Sam tore her gaze off Kyle, she saw Brad standing behind Jennifer, gently massaging her shoulders. Brad leaned down and kissed Jennifer’s cheek. “Honey, I’m ready to leave.” As she started to rise, he pulled her chair out, assisting her. Then he glanced at Kyle and Sam. “I guess this is goodbye for three weeks.” Brad shook his friend’s hand, and then took his new sister-in-law into an embrace. “Take care, Sammy.” Then he scooped Jennifer into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “How about it, Mrs. Collingsworth, are you ready to start your honeymoon?” Jennifer’s response was a kiss so intimate it made Sam blush. She turned to Kyle and smiled. “All right, you two lovebirds.” Their mother’s voice drew the passionate caress to halt. “The limousine is here to whisk you away.” A tear fell from her eye. “My baby is married.” Hugs and goodbyes followed. When it was finally only Sam and Kyle, he turned to her. “Do you want a big wedding, the dress and the cake?” “I think it’s every woman’s dream.” He frowned at her answer. “So does that mean you won’t run away with me to Las Vegas and marry me?” Sam’s jaw dropped. When she could finally speak, her voice cracked. “Are you asking me to marry you?” “Hell, yes, I’m asking you to marry me—tonight. Well, tomorrow morning.” Sam stood dumbfounded. He was kidding, right? Kyle glanced at his watch. “It’s midnight. Our flight leaves in two hours. We can be at the Bellagio by three thirty or four. I’ve reserved the chapel for six. That will give you two hours to shop for a wedding dress.” “A wedding dress?” This couldn’t be happening. Eyes and nose burning with unshed tears caused her to swallow hard. He nodded and then spread his hands wide. “I’ve already got the tux.” “But when did you make the flight arrangements, reservations?” “Right after all those damn pictures your mother forced us to take.”

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Blue Moon

“Run, Sammy, don’t walk.” Sam spun around to face her mother. Cathy was nowhere about. “Don’t let this opportunity slip by you.” Her mother reached for Sam’s hand and squeezed. “You knew about this?” Her mother stepped forward and embraced her. “Yes. In fact, Kyle invited me to go with you.” “And Jenny? Brad?” “They’re taking a later flight, but they’ll be there by six.” Kyle reached for her, dragging her body into his arms. “What do you say? Will you make me the happiest man in the world? Become my wife?” Sam blinked, her heart fluttering. Kyle held her at arm’s length. “Sam?” “Yes.” Her answer was a mere whisper. “Yes,” she cried, jumping to lock her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Which was quite a feat with the gown she wore. Kyle’s hand on her ass saved her from falling, as the bodice dipped and she almost bared herself before him and her mother. He twirled her around, them both laughing, joy filling her to the point she thought she would burst. “I’ll be back in forty-five minutes. Can you be ready by then?” “I’m already packed.” His eyes widened. “Remember I was leaving for LA tomorrow.” “Then you can help your mother.” Kyle stole one more kiss before he released her and she slid down his body. As he walked away, her mother shooed Sam into the house. As she climbed the stairs, she wondered how this night had evolved into the perfect evening.

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Chapter Nine

The bells of the chapel rang. Kyle gazed into Sam’s eyes bright with unshed tears, happy tears. Before God and their family, which included Kyle’s parents and brother, Carl, they had exchanged vows and were now husband and wife. Brad slapped him on the back, extending his hand to Kyle. “Congratulations, buddy.” Beside his best man stood Carl with a big ball-and-chain smirk on his face, a face that looked so much like Kyle’s they could have been twins. But the rascal was two years younger and hell-bent on staying single and sowing his oats. Kyle turned back to Sam hugging Jennifer, her matron of honor, and he couldn’t help thinking how wrong his brother was. There was nothing like waking up each morning to the woman you loved and holding her in your arms as you fell asleep. The rest of the family joined them at the altar and the large amethyst glass window traced with gold leaf and Italian stained glass behind it. The beautifully designed chapel, with gentle hues of cream, rose, peach, antique green and bride’s blue was an idyllic backdrop for a picture-perfect union. And pictures were exactly what Mary had in mind. The woman grabbed the photographer by the hand, leading him forward before beginning to order everyone around like a drill sergeant. “First the wedding party.” She straightened out Sam’s full, tulle, ball-gown skirt and then focused on the fingertip-length veil with scalloped edges. The exquisite dress made his bride look like a fairy princess—his princess. With a fairytale smile, she completed the image. White, elbow-length gloves were a stark contrast against his black tux as she leaned into him, whispering, “Have I told you lately that I love you?” Soft and dreamy, her voice was almost a caress that got to him. Happiness tightened his chest. “No.” He ran his palm over her cool, bare shoulders. Inhaling the sweet summer scent that was uniquely hers, he shifted nearer, head lowering so that their lips were a breath away. Long lashes swept her cheek. “I love you.” Those were the sweetest words, he had ever— Snap! The flash of the camera almost blinded them, shattering the precious moment between them. Hands on hips, Sam turned to level a frown at her mother. “Mom,” she barked.

Blue Moon

Mary blew her off with a hand swiping through the air. “Trust me. You’ll thank me in years to come. Now move closer. The rest of you fall in beside them.” Jennifer had worn Sam’s matron of honor dress although it was a little too short, but a change of shoes had solved that problem. The fact that Sam was smaller than her sister had created the next problem. But no one seemed to care other than Brad that the dress gaped open in the back, held together with several safety pins. Easy entrance, Kyle had teased his friend. On the trip to Las Vegas, he and Sam had talked about the incident that had happened two years ago. Although it had shaken their lives apart, it was the past. Still, Kyle wondered if Sam and Cathy could ever have the relationship they had had as children. As for children, he couldn’t help further wondering if even now Sam was pregnant. Since she had been celibate for the last two years, birth control hadn’t been a concern. A fact that had thrilled him to hear, yet also brought him a measure of pain. She had suffered. Hell. He had suffered. Kyle pushed the thought away and focused on the directions Mary was beating out, one after another. Twisted and posed and smiling until his jaws hurt, after about thirty minutes Sam’s mother appeared satisfied. Circling her arms around Sam, she wept. Jennifer joined them. They had an all-out cry fest. “That woman of yours could crawl atop a wedding cake and be at home, but you, bro. You’re one ugly mother.” Carl dodged Kyle’s right. He was either getting slower or his brother was anticipating his moves. “Enough, you two.” Their mother came to Kyle’s side, throwing her arms around his waist. Tall and willowy, she almost met him eye to eye. “Are you happy, son?” “Alison, do you even need to ask? Just look at his smile—his wife’s.” Kyle followed his father’s gaze to where Sam wiped away the last of her tears. “Samantha is beautiful, son. She reminds me of your mother on our wedding day.” Kyle’s mother released him and walked into his father’s arms. “Oh, Kaden, don’t be silly. But she is breathtaking, Kyle. Simply breathtaking.” Sam turned as if she knew they spoke about her and gifted him with a soft smile. “If you will excuse me, I think I’ll take my wife to breakfast.” Kyle excused himself, stepping away. Everyone was riding on adrenaline and no sleep, but the mood was festive as they adjourned to a private dining room. A banquet of selected breakfast foods, shrimp, cold cuts, cheese and fruits sat on a side table awaiting them. Kyle inhaled the smell of rich coffee and sighed. Sam rubbed his back. “Tired?” “A little, but we can sleep on the plane.”

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She arched a delicate eyebrow. “Plane?” “You didn’t tell her.” Jennifer swatted him on the arm. “She’s going to kill you. Women need time to prepare for trips like these.” “Trips like what?” Sam’s troubled expression gave Kyle pause. “Can I?” The gleam on Jennifer’s face said she might burst with excitement. Kyle shrugged. “Go ahead.” Jennifer squealed. “You’re going with us, Sammy. Rome and then England.” Sam’s gaze flung toward Kyle. “I-I can’t go. What about my job? My apartment?” Clearly they hadn’t thought through every detail of their future together before taking this leap. One thing he knew about Sam was that she didn’t appreciate being pushed into anything. Kyle had to tread lightly. “Do you plan on commuting or joining Brad and me?” Mentally, he patted himself on the back for the response. This way he gave her a choice, one he was pretty sure about the outcome. Still, a little unease slithered beneath his skin. Releasing an exasperated breath, she looked away. Okay. Now he was beginning to worry. Kyle wanted a fulltime wife, not one he only saw on weekends. After the last two years, a separation would kill him. The room got quiet. Had everyone heard their discussion? With baited breath it appeared everyone waited for her reaction. “I have some vacation.” Sam paused as if still thinking. “My neighbor can water my plants.” Kyle wasn’t getting a good feeling about the direction her thoughts were heading. Sam spun back around to him and placed her hand on his arm. “Kyle?” A knot formed in his throat. Then she grinned, raising her shoulders. “I’ll quit. When we get to Rome, I’ll call.” Kyle released the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and swept her into his arms. “You’ll be happy, Sam. I promise.” Gazing deep into his eyes, she smiled. “I’m already happy. When do we leave?”

The flight had been long, but Sam had slept most of the way. Even now as she stared out of the window of the Hotel Pantheon, an elegant eighteenth-century building in the heart of Rome, her body ached, her limbs needing to stretch. Below her the old pedestrian street was quiet. Dimly lit lampposts threw off shadows in the night, giving an almost eerie feel of ghosts of the past. Just a short walk from the hotel was the Pantheon. They had passed it on their arrival. The majestic temple erected to worship all the gods of Ancient Rome was

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Blue Moon

magnificent. Everywhere she looked there was a story. Even the walls of their small room gave off a musky scent and lent authenticity to the history surrounding her. A shudder raced up her spine. She startled when Kyle grasped her from behind, sliding his warm palms up and down her arms. “You cold?” “No. Just thinking.” “About me?” Sam didn’t answer. Instead, she turned, facing him, going up on tiptoes to press her lips to his. “Hmmm…” he hummed. “I like where your thinking is going.” With a flick of his fingers, the strap of her satin nightgown fell off her shoulder. His moist lips traced the path of his hand. When he attempted to drag the other strap off, she took several steps backward. Holding her gown in place, she turned her back on him. Through half shuttered eyelashes, she glanced back at him and let the strap drop. In a silky flow, she allowed the lingerie to slip, nice and slow. The shiny material paused at her waist, but only briefly as she shimmied it over her hips, slithering past her thighs to circle her feet on the floor. Tonight she wore another thong, but nothing else. The little scrap of material got the response she was looking for. Kyle growled, but remained rooted where he stood. So you need more enticement. Taking her time, she peeled the panties off. Sam smiled when the evidence of his arousal tented the front of his shorts. Oh yeah… He was interested. Spreading her feet, she locked her knees and bent over to drag her fingertips along the carpeted floor. That’s when Kyle moved. In seconds she was standing upright, his hard body pressed to her back. “You little vixen.” His hand smoothed over her shaved mons, before caressing up her belly to cup her breasts. “I should take you, hard and fast.” Sam met his gaze over her shoulder. “Do it,” she cooed. “Take me now.” She didn’t have to ask again. Kyle swept her off her feet, cradling her against his chest, taking the necessary steps to close the distance between them and the queen-size bed. The sheets were already turned back and were cool as he gently laid her upon them. Staring at him, she couldn’t help wondering if he was as hard as she was wet. She didn’t have to wait long to discover the truth. Thumbs in the waistband of his boxers, he slid them down his legs and kicked them aside. Sam breathed in the sight of him. Masculine. Hard. Ready. His cock arched proudly against his belly. Already a glisten of pearly come anointed the mushroom head. She held out her arms and he climbed on the bed, his naked body sliding seductively next to hers. Just the touch of his skin against hers set her afire.

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Sharp tingles burst in each nipple and spread fast through her breasts, now heavy and achy. Desire dampened her thighs. This man was her husband. The thought made her breath catch. She turned to him and pressed her lips to his. His mouth was a contradiction, both soft and firm. “Thank you,” he murmured against her mouth. “For what?” “Marrying me.” Sam nudged his shoulders, pushing his back against the mattress. He went willingly. His hungry gaze watched her intently as she threw a leg over his hips and settled against his rigid erection. Slowly and deliberately, she glided her pussy over him, greeting him with her juices while she rocked, back and forth. “It was my pleasure.” Her voice had become throaty, a whisper of seduction. His large hands smoothed up her legs, starting at the bend of her knee and stopping at her waist. A wisp of controlled strength sent goose bumps across her flesh. “Ride me, baby.” He moaned, before reaching for her breasts that swayed with each little movement. Sharp fingernails grazed his chest. When she dragged them across his nipples, he growled, raising her. Without further thought of foreplay, he forced her body to accept his. As his cock parted her slit, spread her wide, the inner muscles of her pussy flexed, caressing and sucking him deeper. Then she pulled back so that the head of his shaft stood poised at her entrance, and paused. Drawing out the anticipation of taking him again into her swollen heat, she finally eased back down his shaft. “Damn, woman. So hot and tight.” Grinding her hips into his, she squirmed against him, loving the feel of his cock rubbing against the walls of her sex, an itch developing that only he could scratch. She rode him nice and slow and then doubled the pace. The angle and the pressure on her clit were too much. Light splintered the darkness behind her eyelids. Sam began to tremble. She had to back off or she’d lose it. As she attempted to rise, Kyle’s grip on her hips tightened. He pinned her to him, bucking beneath her, increasing the rhythm, increasing the pleasure. “Kyle! I’m too close. Stop.” She wouldn’t last. Couldn’t wait for him. He had to let her go. “Reach for it, baby.” His hips did something that made her core ripple around him. “We have all night.” “Please.” Yet surrender was in her weakened tone, in her actions as she bore down upon him, found that sweet spot and ground against it. A volley of tremors shook her to the core. She gasped. Exploded. Tossing back her mane of hair, she screamed. Shards of lightning ripped through her, jerking her body. Uncontrollable spasms refused to release her. When they did, emotion welled in her eyes.

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Sam blinked, forcing back the tears stinging her eyes. “I love you,” she choked. He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear. “I know, baby. I love you too.” Sam collapsed atop him. Skin slick with perspiration met hers. His masculine essence teased her senses as he nipped her shoulder, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone before feathering kisses up her neck. Before their mouths met, he flipped her over and draped her with his weight. A finger slid over her nipple and he watched as it tightened into a needy bud. Gently, he kneaded her breasts. “Now it’s my turn.” He wagged his brows. “I’m going to show you just how much I love you.” The man was true to his words, moving between her legs and laying on his belly between her thighs. Looking up her length, he grinned behind sensual lashes. And then he lowered his head. The touch of his tongue against her hot flesh was a slow, intimate caress. “Mmmm…” he hummed, sending vibrations deep into her core. Weaving her fingers through his hair, she held him close. Used him as an anchor against the promising storm he was building inside her. A finger eased into her. Her pulse jumped. Cream flooded her pussy. She could feel it seeping from her opening, slick and thick. Flattening his tongue, he lapped at the nectar and then pressed against her clit, sending a shot of white-hot lightning up her channel. “Kyle!” “Yes, baby.” He dipped his tongue into her, sucking as he finger-fucked her. Sam squirmed beneath him, her body tensing. Damn him. Kyle knew what he was doing to her. She was going to lose it again. “I need you inside me,” she cried. His movements were that of a predator, slow and calculating. He inched up her body. Rich, warm laughter stroked her ear. And then his hips came forward. In a single thrust he buried himself deep inside her. “Is this what you want?” “Yes.” Oh yes. A sharp kick of arousal tightened her womb. “God, Sam. That feels good.” His husky voice sent shivers cascading down her spine. The burning pleasure that streaked across his expression was her undoing. A fever of lust shrouded her in sudden heat. He pressed his forehead against hers. His cock was iron-hard, plunging hard and fast between her thighs. His hands gripped her hips, almost bruising in their strength. The pleasure was so exquisite her pussy clenched with his pounding rhythm. Miniature explosions sparked inside her. She arched. Shuddered. Fingernails biting into his back, she came apart in his arms. A long, low cry followed the pleasure screaming through her body. Sam gasped for air.

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His cock throbbed, pulsing as if it tried to bury deeper. Kyle groaned as he joined her. It was total surrender. Raw intimacy. The selfless act of giving one’s body and soul, and he belonged to her. In the tranquil aftermath, she cuddled close, loving the way his hand caressed her back, fingers playing with her hair. His lips occasionally brushed hers as if he couldn’t quite get enough of her. “Are you happy, Sam?” She adjusted her position so that they came eye to eye. “Happier than I have ever been. Shall I show you?” Slowly, she moved down his body, between his thighs and proceeded to do just that.

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About the Author

A taste of the erotic, a measure of daring and a hint of laughter describe Mackenzie McKade’s novels. She sizzles the pages with scorching sex, fantasy and deep emotion that will touch you and keep you immersed until the end. Whether her stories are contemporaries, futuristics or fantasies, this Arizona native thrives on giving you the ultimate erotic adventure. When not traveling through her vivid imagination, she’s spending time with three beautiful daughters, three devilishly handsome grandsons and the man of her dreams. She loves to write, enjoys reading and can’t wait ’til summer. Boating and jet skiing are top on her list of activities. Add to that laughter and if mischief is in order—Mackenzie’s your gal! To learn more about Mackenzie, please visit www.mackenziemckade.com. Send an email to Mackenzie at [email protected] or sign onto her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers and authors as well as Mackenzie. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wicked_writers/

Look for these titles by Mackenzie McKade

Now Available: Six Feet Under Fallon’s Revenge A Warrior’s Witch Lisa’s Gift Lost but not Forgotten Second Chance Christmas Black Widow Merry Christmas, Paige Ties That Bind Bound for the Holidays Bound by the Past Bound by Desire Wild Oats Take Me Take Me Again

Breaking the rules—to heal a broken heart.

Bound By The Past © 2008 Mackenzie McKade Years of neglect and disappointments have molded Jessica Evans into a strong, independent woman, determined to live life by her rules. The only place she’s willing to relinquish control is in the bedroom. Even then, it’s only on her terms. A safety net of multiple partners keeps anyone from getting too close. That is, until one sexy cowboy throws a snag in that net, big time. Not only does Wade Peterson make her body burn, he’s crossed the line. The damn man wants to marry her. For Wade, sharing her with another man is almost more than he can bear. But if he pushes too hard, he could lose her for good—something he refuses to allow to happen. Jessie’s rejection isn’t the end of it, not by a long shot. He’s back, and he’s hell-bent on seducing her right back into his wicked arms. Then her past comes back to drop a bomb in her lap, and Wade sees a part of her he didn’t know existed—and another obstacle that could drive her to push away her only chance for love. Warning: This title contains the following: Hot, explicit ménage sex, graphic language, and one sexyas-hell cowboy.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Bound By The Past: On quiet footsteps, Wade approached. He knew she didn’t hear him. That’s just how he wanted her— off guard. Moving quickly, he pressed his body against the back of the unsuspecting woman who haunted his dreams, trapping her against the steel railing of the corral. Her surprised gasp made him smile. “Hello, darlin’.” His voice sounded deep and hoarse even to him. But that’s the effect Jessie had on him. She stripped him of control. Made him weak in the knees, but he would never let her know. The man inside him needed to dominate her. Prove to her that he could take her or leave her—even if it wasn’t true. To his surprise she remained silent, unmoving. A cool breeze whipped around them, threatening to steal her sensual scent away, a soft feminine perfume that even distance hadn’t been able to erase. “I’m back,” he whispered against her ear, resisting the urge to nip the tender earlobe adorned with a single diamond stud. Wade wanted to do much more than to kiss and feel the earring pressed to his tongue, between his teeth. God, she felt good against his body. He couldn’t wait to remove her clothes so nothing lay between them. Several tendrils had worked their way loose of her braid and danced around her neck in the breeze. He smoothed his lips along the exposed skin, and then he blew lightly.

“Back?” Her voice trembled, but she quickly repressed it as she gazed over the acres of corrals. “I didn’t know you’d left,” she stated calmly, even as she grasped the steel bar before her and the tendons in her throat grew taut. Well, that hurt. But what had he expected? To his disappointment and embarrassment, Jessie had rejected him. Well, she hadn’t exactly said no. It’d been more like hell no, stating she wasn’t the marrying type. Like an idiot, he had run—hauled ass out of town, accepting an old school chum’s invitation to join him for Christmas. When what he should have done was made love to her until she changed her mind. She glanced smugly over her shoulder, hitting the rim of his Stetson with her forehead. “What do you want, Peterson?” Okay, this wasn’t a good start. Yet he was like a dog with a bone when his mind was made up. His mom called it stubborn. He called it determined. With her still looking over her shoulder, Wade stared into her crystal blue eyes, never breaking their connection, and pressed his lips to her neck again. In slow, seductive swirls, he smoothed his tongue over her skin before nibbling on the area. She jerked her head forward and he felt the tremor that whispered through her, reviving his confidence that she felt something—anything. That’s what he loved most about Jessie. She came apart in his arms, made him feel all man when they were together. She had to care. He couldn’t help the triumphant grin that tugged at his mouth when she tried to pull away. Sliding his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer. “Tonight,” he breathed against her neck, watching her skin prickle. Jessie’s grasp tightened even more on the railing, knuckles turning white. Then her attention was stolen from him. “Poyo, not that gate—the next one,” she yelled at the vaquero, a Mexican cowboy straddling a sorrel horse. “Plans.” The clipped word was meant for Wade. She pointed toward three bay geldings and hollered, “Gilbert, move those three over to the next pen.” “Clancy’s?” he asked, slipping several fingers beneath her white down vest and between the buttonedspace of her long sleeve shirt. Wade didn’t quite understand Jessie and Clancy’s relationship. They were close—intimate—but neither blinked an eye when Wade joined them to make a threesome. In fact, Jessie and Clancy gave him the impression there wasn’t anything deeper to their relationship than sex. When his fingers met skin, she inhaled sharply and he smiled. Jessie had the smoothest flesh and the greatest body he had ever held. Not to mention she was a wildcat in bed. Callused hands from hard work turned to silk during lovemaking. She knew what a man liked and she never held back her own desires. She was made for him. He had known it the minute she allowed him to tie her up. Their tastes ran alike—uninhibited and wild, both into multiple partners and a little dominance and bondage. They were suited for each other. Why couldn’t she see that?

There was a pregnant pause before she spoke. “Uh-huh,” and then she stuttered, “No. No. No. Back the Paint out of there. I want the black filly next.” Wade continued to stroke her skin with his fingertips. “His house?” The young colt evaded Poyo’s grasp and headed the other direction. “Well sonofabitch. Catch her,” Jessie yelled before turning her attention back to Wade. “Yeah. His house.” “I’ll be there.” Already the thought of stripping her naked, of tasting the sweetness between her thighs was making him harder. He shifted his legs before pressing firmly against her to show her exactly how much he was anticipating the evening. Again she glanced over her shoulder, raising a brow. “I don’t recall inviting you.” This time her voice was tight, strained, but he recognized the sexual hunger in her eyes that had him responding, “I don’t recall you saying, ‘No’.”

All she wants for Christmas is him. All he wants is everything…for her.

Priceless © 2011 Lena Matthews Urban Fairytales, Book 3 As Christmas bears down on Eric Athers’s empty wallet, one question plagues him: What to get the love of his life when he has less than nothing? It doesn’t help that his wife, Nia, who works extra shifts to support him through his medical residency, practically glows with holiday spirit. Her determination to put the “Merry” in Merry Christmas only serves as a painful reminder of everything he’s unable to provide for her. Nia loves her husband to distraction, and she can’t for the life of her figure out how someone so smart can be so dumb when it comes to something as simple as a little holiday. Christmas is so much more than presents and shopping malls. All she has to do is show her own personal Scrooge that the best gifts come from the heart. Warning: This story is guaranteed to melt your snowman.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Priceless: Eric’s words were so unexpected it took a minute for his meaning to sink in. “Decorate me.” Nia licked her lips, and she took a few steps back. “That sounds a bit…kinky.” “Your point is…?” Her throat suddenly felt very dry. “Yeah…not sure I have one,” she admitted, still a little floored by Eric’s suggestion. Although he hadn’t been her first lover, he was definitely the most passionate and inventive. “What exactly do you mean though?” “What I said.” Nia glanced over at the box on the floor then back at her husband. He couldn’t really mean… “Are we talking star on head, ornaments on nipples, decorate?” “Well…” Eric tilted his head to the side, a contemplative look on his face. “Not star on head.” But nipples and stuff were apparently fair game. “Oh,” she said after a few seconds, because she really had no comeback for that. “Any objections?” She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “The hooks might scratch a bit.” “Possibly, but I promise to kiss it better.” Without waiting for her to reply, Eric made his way over to the box which held the leftovers. He picked up the box and carried it to the table, setting it down with a resounding thump. Carefully, as was his way, he began to sort through the remaining decorations. “Hmmm…looks like we have lots to choose from.”

Words escaped her. He was absolutely serious. One second he’d been dogging her tree, the next talking about using her as a tree. Nia shook her head in amazement. Every time she thought she had a handle on her husband he would do or say something completely out of character. Some days she wasn’t sure who she was married to—the focused, studious, determined doctor, or the sensual, dominating, erotic lover. Nia was torn between wanting to say hell no, and her desire to do every depraved thing he hinted at. No, that wasn’t true, she wasn’t torn at all. “What about rules? I think we should have them.” “Fair enough.” Eric strolled over to the oven. Warm air burst from the door as he opened the appliance, taking a bit of the sting out of the room. They’d learned quickly to use that part of the stove as a heating source when they were in the kitchen. “First rule, I make all the rules.” Nia crossed her arms over her breasts, not because she was upset, but in hopes of hiding her nipples, which instantly hardened at his words. “Sounds…” she cleared her throat before continuing, “…like a game we’ve played before.” Eric switched on the burners on the stove, then turned, facing her once more. “We’ve never played this.” “Maybe not, but the rules are always the same.” With a wicked little smile on his lips, he walked over to her, stopping only when he was standing directly in front of her. “Because they make you wet.” He was so close she had to drop her arms or risk having them pinned. “Don’t they?” His voice was low and rich and held not an ounce of compromise in it. “Maybe.” Standing this close to him, with the heat seeping into the room, she began to feel a little lightheaded. His delicious, heady aroma filled the air around her and toyed with her senses, much in the way the man standing in front of her did with her libido. “You don’t play fair,” she said after a moment. “I play to win.” “What do you consider a win?” “The sweet sound you make when you come.” His words took her aback. Damn he was good. “You should have been a lawyer.” “Then do I have your consent to drive you out of your mind?” “Yes.” “Good. First things first.” Eric slipped his hand under her sweater and cupped her butt. “Take everything off.” “But it’s still chilly in here.” Nia tried to focus on his words and not the lazy pattern his fingers were making on her behind. “I promise you this.” His voice was soft, his breath warm as he lowered his lips to kiss right below her left ear—one of the many spots on her body he’d found that could turn her to mush when toyed with just right. “You won’t be cold for long, and you’ll never look at Christmas decorations the same way again.”

With his lips on her neck once more and his hands on her hips, cold was the very last thing Nia felt. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head to the side, giving him better access and surrendered to the moment, to the man and to the delicious tremors he sent through her body with the barest of his touches. “Sunshine.” Nia opened her eyes, drunkenly raised her head and peered at her husband. “Yes?” “Take off everything then sit here on the table.” There wasn’t even a need to reply. Nia obeyed while he watched with lust-filled eyes. Eric was quiet the entire time she undressed, silent but attentive. She felt his gaze heavy on her even when she bent over to slip off her shoes and step out of her pants and panties. When she was wearing nothing but her grandmother’s heirloom, silver-filigree, garnet-pendant necklace, she placed her hand on her hip and stood proudly in front of him. She was going for a sexy comehither look, but the shiver she let out and the goose bumps that broke out all over her arms instantly ruined it. The only thing remotely sexy about her now was how her nipples were erect, but even that had more to do with the crisp air than their naughty game. “Waiting for you to warm me.” Eric picked her up and set her next to the box on the table. “You mean these dark berries didn’t come out to play just for me?” he asked as he ran his hands up and down her arms, giving a little warmth to her chilled limbs. “Traitorous bitches.” “I think I might have to teach them a lesson, but first.” Eric let her go and pulled a Santa hat out of the box. He dangled the red fabric with the white trim in the air and smiled in his devilish way. Chill forgotten, Nia was ready for the fun. “Oh, Santa, I’ve been a very naughty girl.” “I hope so, but it’s not for me.” To her surprise, Eric set the hat in her lap and reached up behind her with both hands to free her hair from her ponytail. He tossed the band over his shoulder as if it were of no importance then ran his fingers through her thick strands. When it was down on her shoulders, Eric picked up the hat from her lap and arranged it on her head. When it was situated just right, he took a step away to admire his work. “Perfect. You might make a Christmas lover out of me yet.” “I do what I can for the cause.” “Good. Do you trust me?” “Absolutely,” she answered without hesitation. Eric pulled roughly an arm’s length of wide silver ribbon off its spool, then took out a pair of scissors he’d found stored in the box. He turned the shears until the sharp part was pointing toward himself and handed them to Nia. “Cut right there.” It only took one snip to slice through the material, but when she was done, he took the scissors away and set them along with the remaining ribbon on the table next to her. “I’m going to blindfold you now.”

“I—” “Do you trust me?” he asked again, just as patiently as he had the first time. They’d played trust games before, and Nia knew if she wanted to quit at any time, all she had to do was say so. “With my life.” Nia closed her eyes, but then promptly opened them to give Eric a warning glare. “But if I hear one click from a camera, you’re a dead man.” His lips twitched as if he were trying not to smile. “Duly noted.” Content, she closed her eyes again and held still as he used the ribbon to blindfold her. The thin material was in no way the correct size for something like this. If she wanted, Nia could very well blink her eyes a couple of times to move it about so she could see, but that would ruin the game. So instead she held still as he tied the ribbon behind her head, before covering the back of the satin material with the bottom of the Santa hat. “Now clasp your hands together behind your back.” “Looks as if someone is getting into the Christmas spirit after all,” she said as she did as he requested. “Oh yeah, I’m feeling all kinds of jolly.” Being unable to see, she tried her best to figure out what he was up to. She had a general idea that was confirmed when she heard the scissors cut through another piece of fabric. Then, as she’d expected, her hands were gathered behind her and tied together with what felt like ribbon. Nia wiggled her fingers and moved her wrists back and forth, testing the bonds, but they didn’t give. “Satisfied, Kinky Klause?” “Close.” The sharp sound of something being pulled across the floor startled her. She jerked and almost lost her balance, but as usual, Eric came to her rescue and helped her right herself. “Careful.” “I’d be more careful if I knew what was going on.” “Yeah.” The scraping sound grew closer. “But where’s the fun in that?” “What are you…?” Before she could finish her sentence, Eric lifted her leg then set her foot on what felt like one of the kitchen chairs. Her hearing, extra sensitive now that her sight was restricted, detected the nimble snip of the scissors. Frowning, she tried to figure out what he was up to, but before she could ask, Eric placed her leg against the back of the cool chair and then tied her ankle to it. As soon as he was done, he lifted her free foot and placed it in a similar fashion, securing her to a second chair. “Eric,” she whispered. “Shh…” Eric took hold of her hips and pulled her dangerously close to the edge of the table. Her feeling of vulnerability increased tenfold as he pushed the two chairs out a bit, forcing her legs to spread lewdly.

Silence was something she could not do. Nia knew he was her husband and he’d seen parts of her body she’d never even seen, but this just seemed vulgar, for her to be spread open, exposed before him. “Eric…this is just…” “Just the beginning.”

He’s going to show this wedding crasher just how dirty the outdoors can be.

Seducing Allie © 2011 Shelli Stevens Seattle Steam, Book 3 Allison Siegel is out to stop a wedding. With one of her best childhood friends about to marry a golddigger, who wouldn’t at least try to stage an intervention? Apparently, her other childhood bestie, Clint. The minute Allie grew out of her sneakers and into her curves, Clint’s hormones went ballistic. But she had eyes only for Ken, so Clint made himself scarce, even after the relationship fizzled. Now she’s back, looking better than ever—and hell-bent on sabotaging Ken’s wedding. So Clint knows he needs to do whatever it takes to head her off at the pass. Kidnapped! Allison can't believe it. Now she’s stuck in the Montana backwoods fending off nature’s friends, and fighting a losing battle to resist Clint—the sexiest forest ranger on the planet. Clint has big plans for Allie. Not only will he convince a city girl that she needs to embrace her inner nature freak, but he's going to prove there's sparks flying in more places than just the campfire. Warning: This book contains a city girl out of her element, a forest ranger determined to keep her there, and a campfire seduction hot enough to melt more than just marshmallows.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Seducing Allie: “You liked it when I kissed you this morning.” “Not even a bit.” Her pulse went into double time. “And last night at the bachelor party? You were practically melting in my arms.” “Talking to girls like this doesn’t actually get you laid, does it?” “In fact,” he went on like she hadn’t even spoken, “I think you’d like it if I did a whole lot more than kiss you tonight.” The scent of him filled her senses, sending her mind spinning and making her knees tremble. His hard torso pressed firmly against her breasts and her nipples tightened into hard points against the lace of her bra. She swallowed hard and tugged at her wrist. “Tell me, Allie. I’ve always wondered how you like it. Are you all about the romance?” His voice lowered to a soft caress. “Do you enjoy it when a man gently sucks on your nipples and brings you to orgasm while playing your clit like an instrument?” His words sent a rush of hot moisture between her legs and she bit back a groan. “Stop this,” she begged hoarsely. “Please, Clint.” “Or do you like it hard?” he went on, ignoring her plea. “Do you want a guy to bite and suck on your nipples until they’re red and marked?” He lowered his head, his breath hot against her cheek. “Do you like

to hold a man’s head between your legs—let him eat you as if you’re the fucking blue ribbon pie at the fair?” Shock ripped through her, from the top of her head to her toes which were curling. Shock and absolute lust. No man had ever spoken to her in such a crude, sexual way before. And more so, no man had ever fucked her hard like that. The idea of Clint being the one to do it and the imagery his words created… This time a groan did escape and she could feel the dampness of her panties between her legs. “Or maybe both.” His eyes darkened and he used his free hand to pull her tighter against him. Through the abrasive fabric of his jeans she felt him growing harder against her belly. “One thing is certain—I’m going to enjoy finding out.” He slid his hand down her spine to her bottom, bunching the fabric of her dress. Cool air tickled her buttocks, and her pulse quickened as he pulled the dress over her hips. His fingers plucked at the strip of thong between the cheeks of her ass. “I was wondering about this.” His mouth hovered just above hers. “Whether you wear thongs or just no panties at all.” “Both,” her voice trembled, and she couldn’t believe she was admitting it. “Sometimes a thong, sometimes nothing.” Why wasn’t she pushing him away? She should be fighting this—fighting him. But at this moment nothing else mattered except being locked in this sensual power struggle with Clint. She drew in a ragged breath and before she could reconsider, pressed her body firmly against his. He gave a murmur of approval. “I’ve been wondering about another thing.” “Oh yeah?” His lips brushed across hers, ever so lightly and a tremble racked her body. “What’s that?” She brushed her lips over his this time. He followed the strip of her thong down with his fingers, low between her cheeks. With a slight tug, she felt him slip his finger beneath the fabric, before his fingers grazed over the swollen lips of her sex. Fire raced through her veins and her knees weakened. “This,” his voice grew hoarser now. “I wanted to know how wet I made you.” He pushed a finger between the folds and inside her. “Hell.” His mouth grazed the side of her neck as he pushed the finger deep and began to slowly penetrate her with it. “You’re soaked for me.” She bit her lip, not so far gone that she would admit the words aloud. “Allie. My Allie-cat. My seductive little kitten.” He curled his finger, moving it along the wall of her channel. He hit an ultra sensitive spot and she gasped. “Admit you want me.” “The hell I do.” She moved against his hand.

“Really?” He pulled his finger from her and she cried out at the loss of sensation. “Well, we’ll just have to see about that.” He cupped her ass and lifted her, carrying her over to the bed before he dropped her down. She bounced once and scrambled to sit up. Going to his knees in front of her, he grabbed her legs and pulled her to the edge. “You don’t want me?” “No,” she lied. The breath locked in her throat as he trailed his fingers up her calves. “Not even a little bit?” He pushed her dress up around her waist again and bracketed her hips with his hands. “Not even—” she gasped when he dropped a kiss on the silky fabric still covering her mound, “—a little bit.” “Hmm.” His tongue traced her slit through her thong. Up and down. The pressure and wetness of his mouth alone almost made her come. Tension coiled hot in her belly and the walls of her sex clenched in anticipation. “I’m not sure I believe you, kitten.” He hooked his fingers into the sides of her thong and tugged it off her hips. The tiny scrap of material slid down her body and off. Oh God, it was insane how bad she wanted his mouth on her. She clenched her fists and stared down at Clint kneeling between her thighs. He gave the slightest smile as he studied her swollen sex. Almost like he was forming a plan of attack. His breathing grew heavier as he gripped her calves and lifted her legs over his shoulders. He kissed the inside of her thigh, then caught the sensitive skin between his teeth lightly. Allison leaned back onto her elbows, pushing herself closer to his mouth. She wouldn’t be the one to lose control. He raised his gaze to hers. Without looking away, he pushed his tongue inside her and despite her vow, she was lost.