them into shape,” Ian had said with an easy smile.
Finally alone with the man in question, Laila slowly stripped him of the tie he’d worn to the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant.
Humming a nonsensical tune, she pushed Mason down on the edge of the bed. “The first time I stayed here, when you brought me, I lay down on a bed just like this and pretended you were with me.”
Light sparked in his eyes. His big hands moved up her back, undoing the zipper of her dress. “How did you pretend?”
Shimmying out of her dress, she kicked it aside before taking his hand and moving it down the length of her body. She made him cup her breast, the fingers under hers trailing fire down her body to her satin-covered mound. “It went something like this,” she whispered.
The rest of their clothes melted away as she joined him on the bed, glorying in his touch, the feel of his skin, and the warmth of his hard body over hers.
Long minutes of intense pleasure melded into one another. She took Mason inside her, again and again, each time refusing to let go until he’d broken, splintering in her arms the way she always did in his.
After her fourth orgasm, Mason collapsed next to her on the bed, a sated golden god. Laila curled against him. Her hands stroked his chest, her legs rubbing against his.
“I still kick myself for not coming to you that time I brought you here,” he confessed. “I wanted to. But I told myself I was protecting you by leaving you alone. I was so concerned with saving you from the dangers of my job that I left you exposed to the dangers of the world. I was a fool.”
She grinned at the ceiling, her body still coming down from the blistering heights he took her to. “We’ve been married for over eight months. I can’t believe you’re still beating yourself up about those early days. And don’t get me wrong—I love that you protect me. But I can take care of myself, too.”
“I know that. My wife is the ballsiest, most bad-ass baker in the world.” Mason rolled on top of her, caging her with his arms. “But I will regret every day that I knew you and didn’t do this,” he said, lowering his head for the deepest and most possessive kiss of her life.
The caress reverberated throughout her, sinking into her very skin, transmitting his love and need more effectively than words.
Laila wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his. “Then it’s a good thing we’ll never have to be apart again. We have the rest of our lives to make up for any lost time.”
His grin took her breath away. “Damn straight we do, sugar.”
THE END
The Mercenary Next Door is the second installment of a spin off series. If you want more romance read the award-winning Singular Obsession books!
Or pre-order the next installment of Rogues and Rescuers on sale now!
Not all queens want a knight to rescue them…
To the outside world, Caroline Wentworth is the new cold and cutthroat CEO of the struggling Wentworth Hotel chain. Always dutiful, Caroline lived by her father's constraints, squeezing into the suffocating mold of the perfect southern socialite. Since his death, she runs the show and makes the hard calls he refused to face, earning her the title of 'Ice Queen' from her employees.
FBI Agent Isaac Rivera is used to assertive people, but he's met his match with Caroline. Convincing this driven and overworked woman that she's in danger is his hardest mission yet. Just when he thinks he has her where he wants her, Caroline blindsides him again with her determined independence. Refusing to back down, Caroline has a hotel to save, and can't possibly get sidetracked by an irresistible FBI agent. With danger looming and his heart burning, can this Knight thaw the fiery Ice Queen?
Pre-Order Today!
About the Author
Lucy Leroux is another name for USA Today Bestselling Author L.B. Gilbert.
Seven years ago Lucy moved to France for a one-year research contract. Six months later she was living with a handsome Frenchman and is now married with an adorable half-french toddler. Her family lives in California.
When her last contract ended Lucy turned to writing. Frustrated by the lack of quality romance erotica she created her own.
Lucy loves all genres of romance and intends to write as many of them as possible. To date she has published award-winning paranormal, urban fantasy, and gothic regency novels. Additionally,