him in a kilt with a claymore on his back, could see him on horseback with armor covering him.
Sure, his features were a little baby faced, but his eyes? Those dark brown orbs held a multitude of secrets, and I got the feeling most of them were terrifying. His body was taut and trim, and the tails he wore—a long suit jacket with a ‘tail’ at the back—fit him to perfection. He gave off a slender appearance, I guessed, but there was something coiled about him. Like he was just preparing to spring into action.
And from his response to my very well hidden, expertly concealed bruises?
I figured that was pretty apt.
He had dark hair, so dark it was almost black, and his brows matched. They hooded gleaming eyes that, I got the feeling, saw everything and missed nothing, and his jaw was clean-shaven but, judging by the faint tan on his cheeks, he usually had a short beard.
The notion intrigued me, as did his handsomeness.
I’d known, at some point, I’d be married off to someone. Sure, I’d never thought it would be when I was eighteen, and I’d never thought I’d be married to a goddamn Irish man, but to be wed to a handsome guy who wasn’t thick around the waist, smelled of potatoes that had been lost in the back of the kitchen cabinets, and drank more vodka than water?
Yeah, technically Eoghan was a dream.
A technicolor one.
“You’re staring.”
His lips twitched, the dusky peach flesh moving, enticing me to smile with him.
I hadn’t expected any kindness from him.
If the Russians hated the Irish, that was nothing compared to what they felt for us. I’d known I was walking into enemy territory today, but, of course, life was full of surprises.
My ‘home’ camp had treated me worse than Eoghan who, the second he’d seen me, had stopped glowering at me, and had started glaring at the world like he was pissed at it and not me.
I couldn’t even begin to describe how much of a relief that was.
Not to be in his crosshairs? Bliss!
And the truth was, if he could keep me safe?
I’d do anything, be anything he wanted. I’d even stay, I wouldn’t run.
I just wanted away from my family, I just wanted a life of my own, even if it was still curtailed by being a wife to a high-ranking lieutenant in a crime family.
“You’re very handsome,” I whispered, my voice husky.
He arched a brow. “Thank you.” His voice was toneless, but his eyes gleamed with humor.
I felt gauche, very young and stupid, until he leaned into me, pressed a kiss to my temple, and whispered, “A handsome groom for a beautiful bride. We’re going to make the congregation weep.”
It was my turn for my lips to twitch, and I grinned at him, liking the softer side he was showing me, and hoping and praying, even though I knew both were stupid and dangerous, that maybe we could have something together.
Maybe we could take this arrangement and make it work for us.
Even if we led shorter lives thanks to our affiliations, we still had a long time on this earth to be tied together. I didn’t want to spend every day miserable, and that kiss? His tenderness? While surprising, they filled me with dreams I shouldn’t have.
That I was foolish to have.
Free eBook ALERT!!
Don’t forget to grab your free e-Book!
Secrets & Lies is now free!
Meg’s love life was missing a spark until she discovered her need to be dominated. When her fiancé shared the same kink, she thought all her birthdays had come at once, and then she came to learn their relationship was one big fat lie.
Gabe has loved Meg for years, watching her from afar, and always wishing he’d been the one to date her first and not his brother. When he has the chance to have Meg in his bed—even better, tied to it—it’s an opportunity he can’t refuse.
With disastrous consequences.
Can Gabe make Meg realize she’s the one woman he’s always wanted? But once secrets and lies have wormed their way into a relationship, is it impossible to establish the firm base of trust needed between lovers, and more importantly, between sub and Sir…?
This story features orgasm control in a BDSM setting.
Secrets & Lies is now free!
Connect with Serena
For the latest updates, be sure to check out my website!
But, if you’d like to hang out with me and get to know me better, then I’d love to see you in my Diva reader’s group where you can find out all the gossip on new releases as and when they happen. You can join here: www.facebook.com/groups/SerenaAkeroydsDivas. Or, you can always PM or email me. I love to hear from you guys: [email protected].
About the Author
I'm a romance novelaholic and I won't touch a book unless I know there's a happy ending. This addiction is what made me craft stories that suit my voracious need for raunchy romance. I love twists and unexpected turns, and my novels all contain sexy guys, dark humor, and hot AF love scenes.
I write MF, Menage, and Reverse Harem (also known as Why Choose romance,) in both contemporary and paranormal. Some of my stories are darker than others, but I can promise you one thing, you will always get the happy ending your heart needs!