Part of the Best Erotic Romance 2014 anthology.
This decidedly blissful and romantic anthology is filled with couples in every stage of love and lust who simply can't get enough of each other. Best Erotic Romance 2014 is naughty and nice, and has both the heat and the sweet. Editor Kristina Wright has developed a stellar reputation with romance readers and fans, winning the coveted Golden Heart award. Desire, love, and realism are the heartbeat of the third edition of this popular, well-reviewed series. The authors are top writers in the erotica and erotic romance genres and they capture the essence of lustful loving in their passionate stories. From new lovers to married couples who have withstood the test of time and parenting, these are luscious, heartfelt tales layered with eroticism and emotion.
Damn, it was hot. The roasting heat of the Texas day had spilled over into a sweltering night. A languid breeze barely made the curtains ruffle, and a sheen of sweat coated Jamie’s body. She stared at the ceiling, too hot and restless to sleep. Annoyed, she kicked the twisted sheet away and heaved herself out of bed. Shoving open the French doors, she stepped out onto the porch that wrapped around the house.
A few lights shone from the barns and she heard the occasional neigh of a horse, but the rest of the ranch seemed to have managed the slumber that eluded her. Twelve years of living in the middle of nowhere, and though she cherished the quiet, she’d never quite adjusted to the summer humidity. Sighing, she leaned against the railing.
“Can’t sleep?”
The low voice brought her upright. “Cord.”
READ MOREHis boots crunched in the gravel before he climbed the three steps onto the porch. Her heart fluttered the way it always did when he was around, and it was all she could do not to fall back a step as he came near. She tried for a light tone. “The heat’s keeping you up too, huh?”
“No.” He moved a little closer, into her personal space, and her pulse sped. She was suddenly hyperaware of the fact that she wore nothing underneath her cotton nightgown.
Her nipples tightened, thrusting against the thin material, and she had to resist the urge to cross her arms. “No? Then what’s got you up at two in the morning?”
“You.” His dark gaze zeroed in on her chest, and she saw a flicker of pure lust in his expression. An answering throb of desire settled low in her belly. The night closed in around them, making it feel like they were the only two people in the world. Being alone with this man was dangerous temptation. He took another step toward her and she skittered back until the doorjamb pressed between her shoulder blades. He loomed over her, huge and masculine and far too sexy. “Invite me in, Jamie.”
Her hormones clamored an emphatic agreement at that suggestion, but she shook her head. “I’m your boss. That would be a bad idea.”
Nothing could keep the quaver of longing out of her voice, though. Liquid flames licked at her core at the very thought of inviting Cord Preston into her bedroom. She tried to squelch the need and failed. As usual. She’d been unable to control the way her body responded to him since she’d hired him as a horse trainer three months before. She’d been worse than a lovesick teenager, hanging out in the barns to talk to him for hours—about anything and everything. Even then, she’d resisted acting on this insane attraction. He’d hired on for the season, and then he’d be gone. Temporary sexual arrangements weren’t her style.
He leaned forward until his lips were no more than a hairsbreadth from hers. “It’s too late for either of us to stop this thing, sweetheart, and I’m tired of pretending we don’t want each other. Invite me in.” It was more demand than request, and his hot breath rush over her skin as he spoke. “I’m dying to be inside you, Jamie.”
Cord. Inside her. Her sex clenched, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to arch into his body and finally, finally know what it was like to have his hands on her flesh.
His voice dropped to a coaxing rumble. “I need to touch you. Let me.”
“Yes,” she whispered, the word spilling out before she could stop it.
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