Sexy to Go Volume 2 Read online

  Sexy to Go

  Volume 2

  Sexy to Go is back with 11 new stories full of sensuous aliens, shifters, stranded commuters, dominant husbands and naughty neighbors. Check out what’s new in Volume 2 – we promise to tempt, tease, and deliver the hotness you desire!

  Lip Service by Tara Quan

  Forced into a marriage of convenience, Damien discovers an intense attraction to his new bride. When Kailee's past prevents their pleasure, this dominant groom must teach her the joys of submission.

  Neighborhood Watch by Jocelyn Dex

  Happily married Astral would never cheat on her husband, but when the moving guy next door sparks her exhibitionist fantasy, will she take it too far and get herself in trouble?

  Blackout by Sofia Grey

  A breakdown and blackout on the late train home, could be bad news. But for Anton, stuck in a carriage with the sexy stranger of his dreams, it could be the hottest encounter he's ever had.

  Roman’s Gold by Ann Gimpel

  Devon’s been a cop for a long time, but he can’t get his latest target’s stunning body and coppery hair out of his mind. Maybe an afternoon delight will obliterate his fantasies—at least for a while.

  Lust in Bloom by Shiloh Saddler

  During cotton harvest Daniel and James spend their days picking and nights in each other’s arms. They must guard against a nosy neighbor intent on taking their farm and separating the lovers forever.

  Roll Against Fantasy by Allyson Lindt

  A daring trip to a topless beach goes from hot to scorching for Tasha when Ryan pushes all the right buttons, both physically and through fantasy, and strips away her inhibitions.

  One More Chance by Nerika Parke

  Eleven years ago, Calum was Ella's first love, before her family moved away and they lost each other. With a chance to see him again, she is determined to finally put all thoughts of him in the past. But he proves harder to get over than she'd anticipated.

  An Arresting Development by Leigh Ellwood

  Shy, geeky Wynton's idea of a good time is a marathon role playing game. After meeting Mitch, he's tempted to put away his seven-sided dice and play something different.

  Bound by the Beta by Eva Lefoy

  Casi ventures to the alpine music hall once more, and meets a sexy new wolf. His kisses set her aflame, but after their lovemaking end he demands they mate. Will she run or will curiosity and her desire to see Dahlia again make her stay?

  First Contact by Daisy Banks

  Clancy hopes to claim first contact with an alien life force. When her dream comes true she agrees development of interstellar relations needs more interaction, and after their first encounter, she can hardly get enough.

  Dreamwalker: Nightscape by Pamela Moran

  Reggie and Cliff have a common goal: Keep her patient and his friend from being killed. If they can keep their hands off of each other, they might stand a chance of them all coming out of this alive.

  Table of Contents

  Lip Service by Tara Quan

  Neighborhood Watch by Jocelyn Dex

  Blackout by Sofia Grey

  Roman’s Gold by Ann Gimpel

  Lust in Bloom by Shiloh Saddler

  Roll Against Fantasy by Allyson Lindt

  One More Chance by Nerika Parke

  An Arresting Development by Leigh Ellwood

  Bound by the Beta by Eva Lefoy

  First Contact by Daisy Banks

  Dreamwalker: Nightscape by Pamela Moran

  Lip Service

  Tara Quan

  Even a marriage of convenience required a honeymoon. Whether the groom remained with his bride during this period was a separate matter.

  Kailee Chan glanced over her laptop’s screen. If nothing else, staring at the snow-capped peaks bordering Lake Brienz soothed her gritty eyes. Damien had dispatched her to his Swiss Chalet after their wedding. At the height of a July summer, the weather in Bern was nippy enough to warrant a sweater. Good thing he’d bought her half a dozen cashmere cardigans at the airport.

  By law, she’d had a husband for over a week. She hadn’t set eyes on him since their plane landed. Without any explanation, he’d caught a connecting flight to New York, leaving her behind.

  In many ways, life continued as before. Unlike her cousin Lee-Ann, the runaway bride whose wedding she’d been forced to usurp, Kailee had an actual job. With a few hours’ notice before filling another bride’s shoes, she’d left her colleagues in a lurch. Though competent, her assistant manager had difficulty with judgment calls. His emailed questions arrived at a fast clip, forcing her to spend most of the week with her fingers glued to a computer keyboard.

  As soon as her so-called spouse deigned to show his face, they’d discuss her return to Hong Kong. The Food and Beverages department of a five-star hotel couldn’t be managed from a distance. On top of that, she had important arrangements to make. Their sham of a marriage had already proven more troublesome than she’d expected.

  On the bright side, the gorgeous Alpine view was a huge step up from the four empty walls of her windowless office. She swayed on a cushion-lined porch swing. With each breath, her lungs filled with pristine air. Crystal-clear waters lapped at the wood deck beneath her bare feet, the rhythmic waves combining with birdsong into a soothing symphony.

  Separated from the frantic pace of an Asian metropolis, she’d discovered the true meaning of peace. Her life no longer resembled a battlefield. She made her own schedule, developed routines, and no longer had to watch her family’s seething animosity play out in tiresome boardroom games.

  The solitary haven might have proved onerous to some, but she’d thrived in the protective cocoon. Her limbs had lightened. Tension evaporated from her once-knotted muscles. The constant, throbbing pain at her temples relented, leaving behind fleeting, dull aches.

  But how long could she spend in limbo, the wife of a man whose intentions remained unclear? To appease the nepotistic board of his adoptive family’s hotel conglomerate, Damien Walker had been forced to marry a woman of their bloodline. His fluent Cantonese and unparalleled business acumen had failed to impress an old guard who couldn’t see past the darkness of his skin. Though he’d called their patriarch “Father” for decades, he remained a gweilo—an American ghost whose meteoric rise had shaken the foundations of a company steeped in a tradition of corruption.

  But she was neither the bride he’d first chosen, nor the one he deserved. A loveless match borne of necessity wouldn’t survive the shadows of past mistakes, or the taint of shame she could never wash away.

  Second Uncle’s warning as she’d knelt at his feet blasted through her reverie, its spinning blade unearthing memories she’d cemented over with hard-taught control. Her vision blurred as the sounds and smells from her wedding’s tea ceremony seeped into the present—the clinking of ceramic, the noxious clouds of burning tobacco mixed with incense smoke, and the stench of Chinese sorghum alcohol.

  When she’d offered her guardian the traditional gilded cup, he’d gripped her wrist tight enough she’d feared it might shatter. His sneer broadcasted disdain, the contemptuous glare reducing her to dirt he’d scraped from his shoe.

  Whore. Daughter of a whore. Remember what you are, remember what you’ve done, and never dare defy me.

  The words on her screen a luminous glob, she shut the laptop and set it on the small table at her side. Her groom hadn’t asked her to explain the accusation, but his disgust couldn’t be more obvious. Why else would he abandon her without claiming what was his?

  The part of her that recognized Damien as a friend protested her assumption. His departure had been a reprieve, not punishment. After what she’d endured at their reception, anything more sexual than a fleeting kiss would have sp
lintered her composure, leaving her a sniveling mess.

  Thanks to the healing salve of time, she once again yearned for the searing fire of his touch. A shiver rolled down her spine as she recalled the way he’d cornered her in his office. He’d caged her against a leather sofa, his arm a steel manacle around her shoulders. He’d slid deft fingers up her skirt, yanked down her panties until they’d circled her knees. Then he’d dispensed her punishment for delivering news of his doomed wedding, giving her the first orgasm she’d experienced in years—the only one she’d achieved at the hands of another.

  That was before he’d learned about her past.

  Hysteria threatened to prevail over logic. The nonsensical, paranoia-fueled explanation for his abrupt departure triumphed over others. Damien had found out what she’d done, and he couldn’t bear to share a roof with her.

  But if her fears were true, why had he allowed their sham of a marriage to continue? He hadn’t left her side at the lavish reception meant to satisfy the extravagant tastes of another woman. His hand had warmed her back as she’d bowed her head and accepted a wedding gift from the man who’d destroyed her innocence all those years ago.

  Minh-wei’s laughing remark had ripped through her like talons of ice, more so because of the groom at her side. Despite the graying hair by his temples, her tormentor’s beautiful face continued to hide a pitiless heart. The potent camouflage had once tricked her into the worst mistake of her life.

  The little slut fancied herself in love. She spread her legs and fell on her back without protest, moaning with pleasure when I pounded into her like a common whore.

  In that moment, Damien should have walked away. Instead, he’d pulled her against his solid chest and allowed her to draw strength from his steady heartbeat. His thunderous glare had sent her accuser scurrying off.

  She dug her fingernails into her palms, reaching for the pain to banish the echoing taunt. Over the years, the oozing wound had scabbed over, only to be wrenched apart at the moment she’d dared hope for happiness.

  The glass door behind her creaked. Heavy footsteps thudded on the wood planks. A bare, corded arm looped around her. “You’ve been a naughty girl.”

  Damien’s voice paralyzed her even before his callused hand closed over her mouth, preempting a scream she hadn’t vocalized. His hot breath brushed her neck, the influx of warmth driving away the chill from the pit of her stomach. Heat bloomed between her legs, her dampening panties a physical reminder of her weakness. The joy from her husband’s sudden arrival morphed into guilt. Cold sweat covered her forehead and neck. Her spine stiffened.

  He’d returned to her—but why?

  Dropping a peck on her cheek, he joined her on the swing. Though he left a few inches of distance between their thighs, he stretched his arm along the backrest. “Someone is poaching you from Sanctuary Hotels. I want to know who.”

  She gaped at him. After disappearing for a week, he’d come here to discuss work? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He tugged off the elastic holding her ponytail in place, sending her hair cascading like an ominous shadow. After tossing the tie on the floor, he closed his hand over her nape.

  “Never lie to me, Kailee. That’s a rule I will punish you for breaking. Do you understand?”

  His eyes captured hers, luring her into a blue abyss deeper than the lake’s sapphire waters. The sun glinted off his biceps and forearms, its illuminating caress turning him into a sculpture of dark bronze. Her pulse raced. An undercurrent of desire laced his words. During their flight, he’d been kind, distant, and polite. He’d returned a different man.

  Lifting her chin, she tried to concentrate on his initial question. “No one in the hotel business would offer employment to a member of our family. They know better.”

  Though his mouth remained a firm line, crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. His amusement, and the implied approval, went a long way toward soothing her frayed nerves. “Evasion gets you nowhere. I’ve given you time and space, but you’re well enough to send a hundred emails a day. The gloves come off. Where’s the new job?”

  She crossed her arms. “Did you fly all the way from America to ask me this question?”

  “Step one: evade. Step two: go on the offensive.” He counted off on his fingers. “I’ve trained you well, young grasshopper. I’m here because I’ve finished what I needed to do. As a reward, I get to enjoy my damn honeymoon.”

  A sliver of hope flared. Logic snuffed it out. “You’re trying to throw me off balance. It won’t work.”

  “I don’t have to throw you off balance to get a confession, kitten.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been playing this game long before you grew those baby claws. You haven’t started any new projects in months. Every decision you’ve made this week delegated away authority. Our uncle and his cronies might have their heads up their asses, but I’m not blind. The hotel isn’t exactly running on rails, so if the Food and Beverages Manager is about to quit, I want her to admit it to my face.”

  “When I leave,” she managed a crocodile smile, “I will turn in my resignation in writing, and give the hotel the requisite thirty-day notice.”

  With a chuckle, he flicked her nose. “I’m glad we’re past hypotheticals. I can’t make a counter-offer without knowing what’s on the table. Start spilling your guts.”

  “You lack the authority to offer me anything.” She frowned. “You have no say in domestic operations. I work for Sanctuary Hong Kong.”

  “All hotels belong to Sanctuary, Inc. As of this morning, my investment firm has bought up twenty-six percent of its stock. Add it to my initial stake, and you’re looking at the new majority share-holder.”

  When she opened her mouth, he placed his finger over her lips. “Yes, it’s possible. Some of your relatives have unsustainable spending habits. A small bank was floating their loans. I spent last week acquiring it.”

  She turned her head to the side, escaping the symbolic gag. “They’re your relatives as well, you know.”

  “Funny. They never acknowledged my existence. As far as they’re concerned, my father is childless—adoption or no. They expect his brother to inherit everything.” His crooked grin took on a predatory mien. “Even though no one realizes it yet, I don’t need Dad to die to gain control over Sanctuary. As of last night, you all work for me. The Hong Kong branch has operated at a loss for eight years. Your department is one of the few clearing a profit. You can’t leave.”

  “Are you forbidding me as my boss, or my husband?”

  With the tip of his forefinger, he drew a line over her chin and down the center of her neck. “You might not realize this, but some men find defiance arousing.” He circled her throat. “Submission is more satisfying when it isn’t too easily surrendered. I’m in the mood to employ bribery rather than force. Your salary is pathetic. Why don’t I double it?”

  She struggled to swallow. “I’m sorry, but there are more important things in life than money.”

  “Like what?” He tightened his grip. “Loyalty?”

  Though she hadn’t said a word, he smiled. “I’m on the right track, which means…. You’re not the only one who is about to quit.”

  Her brows snapped together. Had he read her mind?

  Laugh lines bracketed the corners of his mouth. “It’s not magic. Whenever I take over a failing company, whether or not it’s for vindictive, personal reasons, I have a team of very smart people go over potential pitfalls with a fine-tooth comb. The human resources folks raised a few red flags. So, little wife. Where are you, the Housekeeping Manager, the French restaurant’s Head Chef, the Spa Manager, and the Cafe Manager planning to go?”

  She choked on an inhale. He’d discovered in a few days what her uncle had been blinded to for six months. “I…. We’re not….” Her teeth clicked as she stemmed the lie.

  “Good call.” His smug smile was both encouragement and a threat. “Let’s start this interrogation with the reason you’re all resigning.�
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  She pursed her lips.

  He lowered his hand to her chest. “How’s this for incentive? Every time you don’t answer my question right away, I remove a piece of clothing.” Cupping her left breast, he slid his thumb over the tip.

  She shrank back, and found her shoulders imprisoned. He’d circled his other arm around her, his proprietary grip reminiscent of the time they’d spent in his office. “You have no right—”

  “As your husband, I have every right.” Lowering his head, he nipped her neck. “If you want me to stop, start talking.”

  Forcing air into her lungs, she focused on cloaking her physical reaction to his advances. But even though she managed not to move a muscle, she couldn’t stop her nipples from pebbling as he fondled her through the layers of cloth. “I…. The hotel is living on its name. Old men come to sip tea, to be served by waitresses with slits running high up their cheongsams, to bask in light reflected from gold paint, crystal chandeliers, and cheap jade. It’s not where I want to work. I want to help create something different—a place where customers our age can mingle and drink fancy coffee, where people other than the ultra-rich can enjoy a good meal.”

  One by one, the buttons of her cardigan fell victim to his roaming hands. “And the others?”

  She trembled as he smoothed off the sleeves. All totaled, she wore five pieces of clothing. About to lose one, she couldn’t afford to sacrifice another. “Second Uncle doesn’t reward competence. Salaries and titles are based on… legitimacy and parentage. Not all members of the family are treated equal.”

  “There was a reason I’d avoided wading into this mess.” He tossed the expensive cashmere onto the deck as if it were a rag. “Our family takes nepotism to a whole new level of crazy.”