Jill Monroe - Hitting the Mark

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to my husband. • Thanks for always believing in me!

A special thanks to Gena Showalter.

The sun and moon don’t lie. Thanks also go to

Kassia Krozser, who knows all my dirt and

therefore gets in every dedication.

Plus you’re an awesome friend.

I’d also like to thank Sheila Fields, Linda Rooks,

Betty, Donnell, Tami and Amanda. To OKP,

whenever I imagined all the bad things

happening to Dirk, I pictured your face.

Many thanks to Kathryn Lye. I’m looking

forward to the next one!

To my family, who are so patient and supportive—

I love you.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Coming Next Month

MAYBE SHE SHOULD just fake it.

Danni Flynn closed her eyes and willed herself to get into the mood. She concentrated on the sensual play of the hard muscles of her lover’s back as he moved his tongue along her body. She loved running her fingers over his hips. Loved to feel him push against her when she found his ultra-sensitive spots.

Except this time, all she felt was betrayed.

Danni tried to shut off her mind, made herself slow down to enjoy the delicious heat of his breath on her neck as he whispered, “Danni, you’re so incredible.”

When his fingers found her nipple and gently caressed, her toes curled, actually curled into the mattress.

Okay, maybe she wouldn’t have to fake it. Maybe she could let this go on a little longer. She could get back into it. After all, Eric Reynolds, if that were really his name, owed her the mother of all orgasms considering what he’d done to her.

Thinking of his treachery caused her muscles to tense.

“Something wrong?” he asked. He looked so good. All messed up from their lovemaking and concerned about her. Jerk.

“Everything’s…wonderful,” she lied.

But she’d lost it again. There had to be some way to keep her brain from drifting to the lying, manipulating and using jerk Eric was. Rather than the orgasm-inducing God of Sex that he’d proven to be in the past.

He continued to caress and behave in ways that never failed to get a response from her. Never failed until now. From the determination on his face, Eric wasn’t going to stop until she came. That was what made him a great lover. Made being the operative word there. Past tense. This was the last time she’d allow him to touch her.

“You feel so good, Danni,” he said, his voice nothing but a sexy ragged whisper.

Yeah, she just bet she did. A wave of anger killed the last of her pleasure buzz. Would it feel good when she duct taped his mouth?

Yep, fake it. She sighed and made a moan deep in her throat to speed things along.

He now moved inside her more purposefully, his breathing becoming more strained. She almost grinned. He’d bought it. This faking business wasn’t going to be so difficult. Who’d ever invented it sure had the right idea. Add a moan here and there and he’d be done.

Now wait a minute. Why should the lying bastard be having any fun? If she didn’t get to come, he shouldn’t, either. In fact, she’d never planned to let him enjoy this one last marathon of sex. Honestly, as long as he was screwing her outside of bed, she should at least get one last good screw from him in bed.

And now that wasn’t even working. Might as well jump to phase two of her plan.

Determined, she gripped his strong shoulders. Danni pushed him away, their bodies still joined.

“I have a game I want to play,” she said, dropping her voice to a provocative level.

A wicked glint sparked to life in his brown eyes. “You and your games.”

“I want to tie you up and then do naughty things to your body,” she told him as she traced a teasing line across his chest.

“Next time,” he said, his voice a promise.

She shook her head, turning her smile devilish. “No, it will be more fun this way. Our bodies will ache for completion, but we won’t let them have it until we turn up the heat even more. It will be almost tantric.”

Eric groaned deep in his throat. “I can never say no to you.”

Yeah, it was dealing with the truth he had a problem with. Double dealing with the truth.

Eric wrapped his arms around her, and for a moment she closed her eyes. Remembering. Remembering what it felt like to wake up in his arms this very morning thinking he loved her. Knowing she loved him. The solid strength of him. The promise of a future in his eyes. That sexy, sleepy smile on his face only for her.

He rolled so she straddled him. She gasped in pleasure as he delved deeper into her. Okay, the man had skills in bed. Her last boyfriend had never mastered the roll-over-and-still-stay-joined maneuver. Although that boyfriend had been upfront about his loserness and lack of ambition.

“I’m all yours,” he said.

“You just bet you will be.”

“What?” he asked, his eyes dark and lusty.

How’d he do it? Just how in the hell was he able to look so sincere, almost loving while all the time he was also happy to send her on a train ride to hell?

Danni shook her head and forced a smile. “Nothing. I have the rope in my bag,” she told him.

His gaze left her breasts and he met her eyes. His brows lifted. “You came prepared.”

He didn’t know the half of it.

He groaned again as she shimmied off his body. She fought back the wave of sadness, already missing the intimate closeness of being joined. She’d use an extra piece of duct tape on his mouth just for that feeling alone.

His gaze followed her as she padded along the carpet to her bag. Originally, she was going to tie him up after he’d given her a great time. Gripping the handle of the bag hard in frustration, she tossed it on the bedside table. Returning to the bed, she schooled her features to look seductive. Her eyes promised the naughty game-playing he liked so much. With a snap, Danni pulled out the rope. Thick, tight and knotted.

He blinked in surprise. “You’re serious. I expected a scarf or something,” he said, excitement lacing his words.

She’d like to hog-tie him. That is, if she actually knew how to do such a thing. Hog-tie him and beat him with a stick like he had her heart.

She sucked in the side of her lip. Now that was being a bit overdramatic. Even for her.

She winked then reached over and drew out a few delicate scarves. “The scarf I’ll put against your skin.” Jerk. “That way you won’t get chafed.” Rot in hell. “Wouldn’t want you showing up to work with burn marks.” And may it fall off.

Oh, no, she couldn’t let him show up for work looking less than corporate. Especially since she knew now just how important that job of his was to him. He could lie and cheat and then sleep like a baby. That’s a skill even she didn’t possess.

A hint of uncertainty lit in his eyes. “Trust me,” she urged, throwing back the same words he used on her half a dozen times.

Eric lifted his hand, and she forced her expression to stay sensual rather than triumphant. Yes. It was working.

Danni pressed a quick kiss on the warm skin of his wrist then slid the scarf in place. He even had sexy wrists, masculine and flexible with the right amount of hair. Oh, it was so unfair. With a quick twist, she secured his arm to the bedpost and used the same routine to bind his other arm and both his legs. Sitting back on her heels on Eric’s large bed, she admired her work.