King of Clubs
by Sandra Owens
Series: Aces & Eights, #2
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release Date: June 27, 2017
In the second novel in acclaimed author Sandra Owens’s Aces & Eights series, passions—and tempers—flare as one star-crossed couple gets a second chance at love.
Covert FBI agent Court Gentry loves his brothers, his job, and his Harley-Davidson. Once he loved a girl, too, but when she broke his heart, he put his emotions on lockdown…until she crosses his path again.
On vacation six years ago, free-spirited Lauren Montgomery fell hard for Court Gentry. She returned home happier than ever, only to descend into a spiral of abuse by her ex-husband, Stephan. When Stephan threatened to kill any man who touched her, Lauren cut Court from her life—but not from her heart.
When Lauren and Court reunite after her friend marries his brother, Court guards himself against the person who made him feel such intense passion and pain. Except the undeniable spark between them is impossible to contain and heating up fast. Six years ago, it was love. Now, it’s just lust. Keeping it merely physical is a foolproof plan…right?
When Stephan is released from prison, Lauren can’t outrun her past anymore, and Court vows to protect her. But with Lauren in imminent danger, Court must question his heart and risk his life to save the woman he never stopped loving.
In the elevator, as they rode up, Lauren stood as far away from him as possible. It irritated him that he wanted to touch her, to somehow put the laughter back into her eyes. Being around her brought all the memories back. How soft her skin felt as his hands explored every inch on her body, how her scent intoxicated him, how she tasted, but most of all, the way she would look at him, her eyes filled with love. Or so he’d thought at the time.
What he wanted to do was kiss her senseless, until she begged him to take her right here in the elevator. By the time they said good-bye to Madison, and he closed his condo door behind him and Lauren, he was past caring that she’d cut out his heart with a rusty hacksaw.
She stood in his entryway, silent and wary. That irritated him, too. He didn’t deserve her attitude. He’d done nothing but love her. Something dark and hungry birthed and grew inside him as their eyes caught and held. Keeping his gaze on her, he stepped closer. He trailed the back of his hand down her cheek, then brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.
Satisfaction hummed through him as desire replaced the wariness in her eyes. She wasn’t immune to him, and it was only fair. Maybe he should lock himself in his room until he got control of his need for her, but she was here and he’d never been able to resist her.
“If you don’t want me to kiss you, walk away right now.” She didn’t walk away. He cupped her chin, lifting her face. Their eyes locked as he lowered his mouth, softly pressing his lips to hers, amazed that he still had it in him to be gentle. She stood perfectly still, but her breath hitched when their lips touched, telling him that whatever else might or might not be between them, the desire was still there. The beast growled its pleasure.
Hungry for her, he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into the sweet recess of her mouth. At hearing her quiet whimper, he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her against him. She willingly came, snuggling into him. This was what he was made for, kissing Lauren.
When she slid her arms around his neck, he walked her back a few steps until she was pressed against the wall. He rocked his groin against her, showing her what she did to him. She moaned, and by sheer will, he tore his mouth away before he took her down to the floor with him in his foyer. With his breaths coming as fast as hers, he stared down at her.
He shouldn’t have touched her because now that he had, a fire raged inside him, wanting what he couldn’t have. She’d agreed to give him seven days to teach her how to disappear without a trace, and then she’d leave him again. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if he wished she’d stay.
“That was a mistake,” he said, stepping back, putting space between them before he decided the consequences be damned. His head throbbed with the knowledge of what he’d just learned. Six years hadn’t dimmed his desire for her.
She turned her face away. “Just don’t do it again.”
He wasn’t sure he could promise that where she was concerned. “I have to go out for a while. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” That was a lie. There was nowhere he needed to go, but he had to get away from her so he could get his head straight.
What he wanted to do was kiss her senseless, until she begged him to take her right here in the elevator. By the time they said good-bye to Madison, and he closed his condo door behind him and Lauren, he was past caring that she’d cut out his heart with a rusty hacksaw.
She stood in his entryway, silent and wary. That irritated him, too. He didn’t deserve her attitude. He’d done nothing but love her. Something dark and hungry birthed and grew inside him as their eyes caught and held. Keeping his gaze on her, he stepped closer. He trailed the back of his hand down her cheek, then brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.
Satisfaction hummed through him as desire replaced the wariness in her eyes. She wasn’t immune to him, and it was only fair. Maybe he should lock himself in his room until he got control of his need for her, but she was here and he’d never been able to resist her.
“If you don’t want me to kiss you, walk away right now.” She didn’t walk away. He cupped her chin, lifting her face. Their eyes locked as he lowered his mouth, softly pressing his lips to hers, amazed that he still had it in him to be gentle. She stood perfectly still, but her breath hitched when their lips touched, telling him that whatever else might or might not be between them, the desire was still there. The beast growled its pleasure.
Hungry for her, he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into the sweet recess of her mouth. At hearing her quiet whimper, he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her against him. She willingly came, snuggling into him. This was what he was made for, kissing Lauren.
When she slid her arms around his neck, he walked her back a few steps until she was pressed against the wall. He rocked his groin against her, showing her what she did to him. She moaned, and by sheer will, he tore his mouth away before he took her down to the floor with him in his foyer. With his breaths coming as fast as hers, he stared down at her.
He shouldn’t have touched her because now that he had, a fire raged inside him, wanting what he couldn’t have. She’d agreed to give him seven days to teach her how to disappear without a trace, and then she’d leave him again. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if he wished she’d stay.
“That was a mistake,” he said, stepping back, putting space between them before he decided the consequences be damned. His head throbbed with the knowledge of what he’d just learned. Six years hadn’t dimmed his desire for her.
She turned her face away. “Just don’t do it again.”
He wasn’t sure he could promise that where she was concerned. “I have to go out for a while. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” That was a lie. There was nowhere he needed to go, but he had to get away from her so he could get his head straight.
Also in the Series
Book 1: Jack of Hearts
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Sandra is a member of Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll and a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist for her contemporary romance, CRAZY FOR HER. In addition to her contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories.
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