Every Wicked Lovers book has a different meaning to me, and I loved writing them all for different reasons. This one had particular meaning for me, however. From the beginning, Thorpe has always been THE MAN for me. Smart, controlled, powerful, determined…just shiver. Callie is, in some ways, so much like me that I couldn’t wait to write her story. Bratty at first glance, yes. But she also has a huge heart and a great capacity for loyalty and devotion. Accused of killing her family, she’s also a fugitive aching for the one thing she can’t have on the run: belonging and love. I’ve always known these two were meant to be together in some form or fashion. But something was missing. Or rather, someone. Enter Sean. Cool, sophisticated, clever, he’s an FBI agent who always gets his man. Except this time, he’s hunting Callie. And he’s fallen hard for her. The tangle of emotions with this complex trio was something I enjoyed from the first page to the last. Watching love prevail over everything touched me. I hope you’ll join the Facebook discussion about one of my personal favorites in the Wicked Lovers series on Thursday, March 19 at 6pm Eastern. Lots of fun, revelations, prizes and community with others of the #wickedloversnation. Join in!
Theirs To Cherish
Wicked Lovers, Book 8
The perfect place for a woman on the run to disappear…
Accused of a horrific murder she didn’t commit, former heiress Callie Ward has been a fugitive since she was sixteen—until she found the perfect hideout, Club Dominion. The only problem is she’s fallen for the club’s Master, Mitchell Thorpe, who keeps her at arm’s length. Little does she know that his reasons for not getting involved have everything to do with his wounded heart…and his consuming desire for her.
To live out her wildest fantasies…
Enter Sean Kirkpatrick, a Dom who’s recently come to Dominion and taken a pointed interest in Callie. Hoping to make Thorpe jealous, she submits to Sean one shuddering sigh at a time. It isn’t long before she realizes she’s falling for him too. But the tender lover who’s slowly seducing her body and earning her trust isn’t who he claims…
And to fall in love.
When emotions collide and truths are exposed, Sean is willing to risk all to keep Callie from slipping through his fingers. But he’s not the only man looking to stake a claim. Now Callie is torn between Sean and Thorpe, and though she’s unsure whom she can trust, she’ll have to surrender her body and soul to both—if she wants to elude a killer…
EXCERPT
“Everything except my name and occupation was the real me. I never lied about how I felt.”
She wanted to believe him. But the truth was, she’d fallen for a charming smile, a fake brogue, and a whole lot of smooth lines. If his tenderness and caring had seemed like more, well . . . wasn’t that the point of winning her trust and breaking her barriers down? “Whatever.”
“It’s a lot more than ‘whatever,’ Callie. I swear to you.”
“Even if finding out that Sean wasn’t who he claimed, that doesn’t excuse you for running off without talking to me, pet,” Thorpe jumped in. “What’s your justification there?”
“I didn’t think you knew who I was, so I tried to keep you from this mess. Was I supposed to guess that you cared about me?”
She hadn’t thought it possible, but his face became even more forbidding. “Don’t you ever say that to me again. I sheltered you for four years, Callie. I tried to teach you, help you, comfort you. What part of that indicated to you that I didn’t give a shit?”
“I knew you cared as a friend, but I didn’t think you—” She tried to untangle her thoughts as he leaned across the seat toward her. “The night you . . . that it seemed like we were going to . . . you know.” She still hated thinking about that humiliating event. “Then you just walked away and never explained, never touched me again, so—”
“Because I didn’t fuck you, you imagined that I didn’t care anymore?”
“Pretty much, yeah.” She shrugged. “I might have believed that a lover would go out on a limb for me, but not merely a boss or a friend.”
“There are so many things wrong with that statement.” Thorpe cursed, shaking his head.
“Being your lover clearly didn’t give me any extra perks in the trust department,” Sean piped up from the front seat. “In fact, I think you gave me even less than Thorpe.”
“Well, yeah,” Callie defended hotly. “Everything between us was pretense and bullshit. Don’t try to convince me that I’ve wronged you.”
“He’s not telling his superiors that you’ve run or that his cover is blown because he’s trying to minimize the chances that the FBI will suddenly want you brought in.”
Maybe that was true, but she wasn’t ready to be less angry. No, hurt. Damn it. “So I’m supposed to thank you for your kind lies? Was it difficult to get hard on command? Was fucking me a chore?”
Sean slapped his palm against the steering wheel. “That’s it. I’ve had enough. Thorpe . . .”
“On it,” he assured the other man. “We’re done with your lack of trust.”
“And your bratty mouth,” Sean added. “Don’t forget that.”
“Absolutely,” Thorpe agreed. “You will apologize this instant to both of us.”
“Like hell! You two don’t like the way I communicate. Guess what? Your style sucks, too. You lie.” She pointed at Sean, then turned her stare on Thorpe. “And you clam up.”
Thorpe grabbed her by the arm. “You’ve refused to rely on the men determined to help you.”
“I didn’t ask for help,” she pointed out.
“You’ve refused to apologize, and you’ve insulted us.”
“You insulted me, too. Because I’m going to defend myself, I’m bratty?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not the only one slinging words around here.”
“I might have lied, lovely, but I didn’t drug you,” Sean reminded darkly.
“And neither one of us stripped for a room full of scum. And it was your third shift in two days?” Thorpe raised an intimidating brow at her.
A gong of foreboding resounded in her gut. Shit, they’d done their legwork. Sometimes, she lost her temper and forgot important details… like being at the mercy of two pissed off Doms. Of course, Thorpe probably wouldn’t punish her. In fact, he’d probably never touch her again. But he’d sure give Sean lots of craptastic ideas about how to do it effectively.
“I wasn’t enjoying myself. I was making money.”
“To skip town, right?” Thorpe’s question was sharp as a blade. “It’s what I do.”
“Along with driving us out of our fucking minds,” Sean growled.
“It wasn’t intended to be a personal affront!” she insisted.
“So we were supposed to shrug that you’d left and move on with our lives. Do you know how worried we’ve been?” her former boss asked.
“Oh my gawd, you both sound like overprotective hens.”
Callie braced for Thorpe’s explosion. Instead, he drew in a bracing breath, nostrils flaring, then with a taut profile and rigidly con- trolled body, he directed his gaze to the front seat. “Sean, reasoning with her isn’t going to work.”
“Agreed. Go ahead. I need to focus here, but I’ve had more than enough.”
“Excellent. Minus the gloves?”
He sighed. “I doubt anything less will register.”
“I couldn’t agree more. It’s bound to get noisy.”
Sean smiled faintly. “I’ll enjoy that.”
He glanced at her in the mirror at the same time Thorpe regarded her with a frightening smile. Callie felt like an actress who’d forgotten her lines pinned by a spotlight.
“Apologize, pet.”
It wasn’t a suggestion. But there was no way she was going to say “sorry” for doing what she thought necessary. “I’m sorry if whatever I did upset you.”
“And?” Thorpe’s grip on her arm tightened.
“I’m sorry if I misinterpreted your actions.”
“Anything else?” His voice dropped to a silky baritone that served as its own warning. “Anything you’d like to say to Sean?”
Callie’s belly tightened, but she refused to lie. “No, I think that’s it.”
“Then it’s obvious we need to lay down a few rules and expectations.” Thorpe settled against the backseat, legs braced wide, then grabbed her shoulders and gave a mighty jerk until she tumbled face down across his lap.
“Oh hell, no!” She writhed, trying to twist upright again.
Like that was going to help. He’d dealt with a thousand squirming submissives. There would be no escape. She already knew that from experience.
Expertly, he splayed a hand in the middle of her back, pinning her to his lap. “Hell, yes. It’s past due, pet. You’ve more than earned it. Your attitude needs serious adjusting.”
Thorpe punctuated his assertion by lifting her little skirt, yank- ing the bills out of her thong and throwing them on the floorboard, then giving her right cheek a quick, blistering swat. Before she’d even finished gasping, he spanked the left. Ouch! Her ass stung. Heat flared. And not for one second did she think that he was done.
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Party Information
Join me Thursday, March 19th at 6PM Eastern (11PM GMT/3PM Pacific) to chat about Theirs to Cherish. I’ll have hot pics, cyber cocktails, and prizes! Discuss the book to win all kinds of goodies. You can find the fun by liking my Facebook page!
For all those who comment about the excerpt here AND join the party on Thursday, I’ll give you an extra entry into the party’s grand prize drawing!
Hope to see you there!
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