Satin and Steel

(Erotically Yours 3)

Contemporary Consensual BDSM, bondage, paddling, sex toys, HEA

The peace Beth Matthews had finally found was shattered by her new next-door neighbor.

She’d been alone since her divorce and had found a strength within herself that she’d never suspected.

Searching for peace, Joe Steel wanted to move from the city to the quiet town of Lakeside.

He hadn’t expected to meet the woman of his dreams living right next door.

Beth was everything he’d spent his life searching for and he was determined to make her his submissive.

Joe’s lovemaking made her feel like a woman in ways she hadn’t in a very long time and she couldn’t resist his proposal or the chance to feel like a woman again.

They’d barely begun when her car crash changed everything.

Her paralysis—however temporary—terrified her.

Joe understood Beth’s reasons for trying to push him away, but he loved her and had no intention of going anywhere.

Excerpt

Beth finished her grapefruit and coffee and washed her dishes before going to take a shower.

She knew she would get sweaty while she cleaned, but her eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep, and she hoped a hot shower would put her in a better mood.

Dressed in denim shorts and a bright pink T-shirt, and with her wet hair piled up in with a clip, Beth stripped the bed and started the laundry, drinking another cup of coffee before she started to clean.

Making sure she couldn’t be seen, she peered out the window, surprised to see that not only had all worked stopped but the men had all gone.

The number of trucks remaining and the sight of the two saws still standing in the yard told her that they would be back, but in the meantime, she planned to enjoy the silence.

She started on the bathrooms, cleaning them until they sparkled, planning to wait until they started making noise again before using the vacuum.

She’d just started on the kitchen when a knock sounded at the door.

Irritated at the interruption, especially when she suspected that she’d open the door to find Phil standing on her doorstep, she clenched her jaw, cursing under her breath.

“There’s no way to get any peace around here!” Dropping the bucket and cleanser she’d been using on the kitchen floor, she headed for the front door. “Phil, I told you that I’m not interested—”

She yanked the door open, snapping her mouth closed when she saw that the man standing on her doorstep wasn’t Phil.

It was him.

Sucking in a breath, she froze and stared at him, her mind going blank.

The sexuality he exuded made it difficult to breathe, and she found herself pressing a hand against her fluttering stomach, taking a deep breath.

He even smelled expensive.

Holding on to the door for support, she stared into brown eyes that glimmered with flecks of green and gold.

Dark brown hair, just long enough to brush the collar of his T-shirt framed a face too masculine to be handsome, but somehow was, the streaks of gray at his temple only adding to his appeal.

He had high cheekbones and a strong jaw, and lips that promised incredible pleasure, his bottom lip fuller than the top, and she found her own lips tingling with the anticipation of feeling them against hers.

His eyes glittered with interest and a confidence that unnerved her.

He smiled slowly, another of those knowing smiles that told her that he knew exactly what his presence did to her, a smile that instantly reignited her anger. “Good morning.”

Stiffening, she clenched her jaw, reining in her temper and giving him the cool tone she’d perfected a long time ago. “Good morning? I wouldn’t exactly call it that. A good morning would have been if I could sleep in on the first day of spring vacation.”

He had the grace to grimace, but it only drew her attention to his lips. “I’m sorry about that. I understand it’s been going on for some time.”

His deep voice had a seductive quality that wrapped her in a gossamer web of warmth and desire that had her fighting for calm.

Aware that her nipples had beaded, she stiffened and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, it has. Even on weekends, which is especially delightful. Saturdays and Sundays.”

His eyes flickered briefly with anger. “I know. I’m sorry. I just found out this morning. It won’t happen again. I brought—” He lifted a box she hadn’t noticed before, a box from the local donut shop.

“No. Thank you. Please tell those assholes to keep it quiet. Good-bye.”

Shaking by her own response to his presence, she slammed the door, leaning back against it and struggling to catch her breath.

It had been years since she’d felt anything even resembling desire, and it had never even been close to the bubbling heat now flowing through her veins.

Slowly sinking to the floor, she wrapped her arms around her knees and took several steadying breaths, which did very little to steady her.

Listening for any sound, she sat that way for several minutes, stiffening when she heard his car start from her driveway.

Jumping to her feet, she rushed toward the kitchen window, peering out from the side so he couldn’t see her.

Keeping a hand pressed to her belly, she watched him through his windshield. After sitting motionlessly for several heart-stopping seconds, he unexpectedly lifted his gaze to zero in on hers through the window.

With a gasp, she hurriedly stepped away, tripping over the bucket of cleaning supplies and landing hard on her bottom.

“Damn it!”

Bringing her knees up, she wrapped her arms around them again and listened for his car to drive away, her heart pounding.

Even after she heard his car pull out and she got to her feet to watch it disappear down the street, it was several minutes before she drew a steady breath.

“Get a grip, Beth. It’s only a man. Hell, you don’t even know his name.”

Realizing that she’d made a fool of herself in front of him, she inwardly cursed, promising herself that she’d be better prepared if she ever encountered him again.