Reluctant Desire Read online

  Desire, Oklahoma 8

  Reluctant Desire

  Charity Sanderson had been Beau Parrish’s lover for months, but she knew it was only a matter of time before their affair ended. She needed a man she could count on to be there, and Beau never took anything seriously. But, she loved him too much to walk away. Beau loved Charity more than his own life, but knew she didn’t believe that. Every time he spoke about a future together, she got skittish, and so he’d had to back off for fear of losing her completely. The vulnerability in her eyes tugged at him, the love shining in them that she didn’t think he could see. He couldn’t go on living a lie. After giving her an ultimatum he walked out, hoping she would love him too much to let it end between them.

  Her accident changes everything. It forces her to see that the man she never thought he could be has been there the entire time.

  Genre: Contemporary

  Length: 91,810 words

  RELUCTANT DESIRE

  Desire, Oklahoma 8

  Leah Brooke

  EVERLASTING CLASSIC

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic

  RELUCTANT DESIRE

  Copyright © 2013 by Leah Brooke

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-520-1

  First E-book Publication: September 2013

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

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  This is Leah Brooke’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Brooke’s right to earn a living from her work.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  RELUCTANT DESIRE

  Desire, Oklahoma 8

  LEAH BROOKE

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Charity Sanderson shivered at the feel of Beau Parrish’s hands and lips moving up the backs of her legs. “Oh, that feels good.”

  Good didn’t even begin to describe it.

  Every time he touched her, she turned to putty, the decadence in the slow slide of his fingertips over the outside of her legs and to her hips created a fluttering in her stomach, while the feel of his lips and tongue working their way up her thighs sent pinpricks of pleasure racing through her.

  Sprawled naked on her belly, she gripped the edge of the mattress, lifting herself into his touch, a touch that never failed to send her senses soaring. Having such a physical and playful lover was like a dream come true, a dream that she wanted to enjoy as long as possible.

  Currents of sizzling delight ran up her legs as his touch moved higher, each caress, and each brush of his lips awakening every pleasure point in her body.

  It had always been like this with him.

  From the first touch, the first look, she knew it was something special.

  Beau was every erotic fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one.

  She’d lost her virginity to him, and couldn’t imagine letting another man touch her.

  No one could ever make her feel this way, and she wanted to savor every moment with him as long as he’d let her.

  Just the brush of his fingers over her skin awakened every nerve ending, drawing her into a spell of seduction she never wanted to escape.

  Every kiss inflamed her, making her dizzy.

  She couldn’t get enough of him, and even though she knew their loving meant nothing more than a night of pleasure to him, she couldn’t stop coming back for more.

  Beau nipped her bottom cheek, his hands sliding up her sides to hold her steady. “It would have felt good an hour ago if you hadn’t been late.”

  Startled by the rush of erotic heat, Charity yelped at the sharp nip, and tried to squirm away, but Beau slid his hands to her hips and pulled her back, urging her legs wider. Gripping the rails on the headboard of his bed, she let out a moan at the feel of his warm lips moving over her back. “I had some things to do. There’s a lot to be—ah—done before the club opens again. Jesus, Beau, that mouth should be illegal.”

  Drowning in sensation, she threw her head back and struggled for air. No matter how hard she tried to hide her response to him in an effort to appear more sophisticated, she didn’t stand a chance.

  He simply overwhelmed her—something she thought existed only in the erotic novels her sister devoured like candy.

  Beau’s teeth scraped over her bottom. “Hmm. I can tell from those moans and whimpers pouring out of you that you don’t like it very much.” Sliding higher up her body, he pushed her hair aside to nuzzle her neck, focusing on a particularly sensitive spot. “You’re just going to have to endure it for a while longer while I r
eacquaint myself with this gorgeous body. I haven’t seen you for two days. It seems like forever.” Straddling her hips, he pressed his cock against her bottom, his fingers caressing the outer curves of her breasts.

  Shivering in delight, Charity lifted her head, turning it to the side to give him better access, raising herself on her elbows, her nipples aching for attention. “Beau, oh God, how do you make me feel this way?” She tried to spread her thighs to make a place for him between them, but Beau straddled them with his, keeping them closed.

  Sliding his hands under her, he cupped her breasts, running his thumbs back and forth over her nipples. “You make me just as crazy. I love playing with you. I could spend every waking moment just touching you. Everywhere. No, don’t tense up. Don’t I always go slow with you? I’m not in any hurry. We’ve got all the time in the world. I brought something from the store.”

  Shivering at the feel of his cock, hot and hard, pressing against her bottom, Charity moaned. “I’m scared to ask.” She tried to keep her tone playful, but she knew what he wanted from her.

  They’d been lovers for several months, and he wanted her ass.

  Beau owned an adult toy store in Desire, Oklahoma, a town where people took sex very seriously.

  Beau took playing and sex very seriously. He wanted to explore every aspect of it with her, which she loved, but she couldn’t deny that at times, he made her nervous.

  He seemed to think that it was his responsibility to test every new product that came into his store, telling her that he had to be prepared to answer questions about his products and recommend them.

  She loved his toys, and loved how they played together.

  He made her feel more than she’d ever thought it possible to feel—physically and emotionally.

  She feared, though, that it was all physical for him, and as hard as she tried to stay away from him, she couldn’t resist coming back for more.

  She loved him so much, but she suspected that once he knew that, and knew that she wanted something more permanent, he would back away.

  Trying to appear more sophisticated, and convincing him she wanted nothing more than these times together grew more difficult every day.

  She didn’t want to think about the times he’d used toys with other women, or where he’d gotten the experience that turned her into a quivering mass of need. His delightful Cajun accent made it worse, the seductive quality in his lyrical voice melting her every time.

  No man should be so sexy.

  No man should be so easy to love.

  Beau chuckled, his hair brushing over her back as he trailed his lips to her shoulder. “You like my toys.” He flipped her to her back, straddling her and leaning close. His dark brown hair, in need of a cut again, fell around his face, disheveled from her fingers. “You said you wanted to help me with my business. Toys are my business.”

  His smile, full of mischief, seemed to reach inside her and tug at her heart. “Don’t worry, baby. No handcuffs this time. Tonight, I’m going to paint you.”

  Reaching across to the other side of the bed, he moved aside the pillow that he’d evidently placed there to hide his latest surprise, and pulled a tray closer. “Each color is a different flavor. The salesman assured me that the paints taste delicious, and that the brushes feel really good against the skin. Evidently, there are different textures, so we’re going to have to try all of them out. The paint is supposed to wash off easily—whatever I don’t lick off—and it’s supposed to leave your skin soft and lightly scented.”

  Lifting a brush, he ran his finger experimentally over the bristles. “The salesman assured me that customers could have quite a bit of fun experimenting with the different textures for different parts of the body.”

  Charity shivered again, her nipples tingling with anticipation. “You’re kidding, right?”

  She never knew what he would do next. One time he would tie her to the bed and make her come over and over, and the next, he would torment her, not letting her come for what seemed like forever.

  Grinning, he picked up a small jar of paint, and poised the brush over it. “No, Charity. I’m testing a product. Aren’t you the one who’s always lecturing me about not taking my business seriously?”

  The hint of censure in his tone made her more nervous than she would have ever admitted to, sending a shiver of apprehension through her that excited her even more, taking her arousal to a new level.

  Her opinion about things, including his business mattered to him.

  Her pulse leapt at the realization that he cared what she thought, taking their relationship past merely sex.

  Lowering her gaze to hide her excitement, Charity eyed his muscular chest and well-defined arms, the low light on the nightstand bathing every gorgeous inch of him in a warm glow.

  She’d broached the subject about taking his business seriously several times, hoping to understand him, but every time she brought up a subject that had nothing to do with what happened in the bedroom, all playfulness fled.

  Even though it was what she wanted, Beau’s intensity alarmed her, and she found herself backing off, cursing herself for her cowardice.

  He kept her off guard at every turn, making her feel naïve and insecure, keeping her from letting him see just how much he mattered to her.

  She clenched her hands into fists, fighting the need to reach for him. She knew how warm and solid his arms would feel against her palms, and around her as he held her close. She knew the strength of them, strength he’d demonstrated numerous times as he lifted her in his arms, or adjusted her with breathtaking ease to his liking.

  She let her gaze wander lower, but because the sheets had bunched around his cock, she couldn’t see it.

  She knew the size of it. The heat of it.

  The way it filled her. Stretched her. Pleasured her.

  Her pussy clenched, anticipating the first firm thrust.

  Lifting her gaze to his again, she sucked in a breath, once again staggered by his striking good looks. Unable to look aware from the heat in his dark gaze, she found herself arching toward him, desperate for his touch.

  He dipped the brush into the jar of paint, his mischievous smile stealing her breath. “How else am I supposed to see if these things really work the way the salesman claimed?”

  Desperate for attention to her nipples, Charity arched her breasts toward him, thankful that his playfulness lightened the atmosphere she couldn’t quite deal with. Watching the look of contemplation on his face as he stared down at her breasts, Charity giggled nervously, a habit she’d acquired since sleeping with Beau. “You don’t care what the salesman said. You just like to play.”

  Beau smiled and tapped the brush against the inside rim of the jar, removing the excess. “Of course I like to play. So do you, but you don’t want to admit it. Now, what should I paint first? Hmm, this looks like a good spot.” His eyes danced as they met hers. “I’m probably not much of a painter, so be as still as you can.”

  Charity held her breath as he lowered the brush to her nipple, clenching her fists at her sides and trembling with anticipation. At the first touch of the soft brush, Charity cried out, her pussy clenching at the light friction, and the unexpected coolness of the paint on her beaded nipple.

  Shaking with the effort to remain still as he continued, she looked down at her breast, watching in fascination as brushed purple paint with slow deliberation over her nipple. Unable to look away from him for long, she lifted her gaze to his again, once again struck with an overwhelming surge of love and desire.

  Determined to keep the atmosphere playful, she ran her fingers through the ends of his hair and smiled. “What the hell are you doing? I thought you were just going to dab it on.”

  The look of concentration on Beau’s face might have been one of an artist painting a masterpiece. Glancing up at her, he grinned. “Why would you think that? If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right. You just can’t rush these things, chéri.”

  Closin
g her eyes at the erotic teasing in his tone, Charity dropped her head back to the pillow, digging her heels into the mattress as he continued to torture her with the brush. “What the hell are you painting, anyway?” Rubbing her thighs together to ease the ache at her slit, she teased herself, and hopefully him, by brushing her thigh against his cock, her stomach tightening when his hard length jumped against her thigh.

  Beau lifted the brush from her nipple, dipping it into the jar again, a muscle working in his jaw. “I’m painting a heart. Now, be still, or you’ll make me go out of the lines. Tell me how the brush feels.” Grinning, he tapped the brush against her nipple. “Research. I need to know what to tell my customers.”

  Charity fisted her hands in the bedding as the brush moved over her nipple, each stroke sending ribbons of heat to her already needy slit. Quick strokes intermingled with slow ones, each enhancing her need for him and making it increasingly difficult to stay still.

  She couldn’t resist looking down to where his cock pushed insistently against her thigh, thrilling at the sight of it now that it was no longer covered.

  Needing it inside her, she shifted restlessly and struggled to part her thighs, groaning in frustration when she couldn’t. “It feels great. Okay, you tested it. Now, take me.” She reached for his cock, hoping to hurry him along, but Beau knocked her hand away.

  Clicking his tongue, Beau frowned. “You’re always in such a hurry. You moved and made me mess up. Now, I’m gonna have to make it bigger.” He dipped the brush and got more of the purple paint, his eyes dancing with mischief. “One of these days I’ll get you to slow down. Now, stay still so I can do this. I still have several more colors to try.”