Seducing Fate

Professional Reviews

4 CHERRIES: "This tale of love recaptured is at times sensual, sad, hopeful and perplexing. I have to give the author credit for coming up with a mind-bender of a story. How she wove the present time-frame and then tweaked it for other possibilities is astounding. The book also showcases the power of love over time and other seemingly unalterable events. The passion between the two main characters is clear and vivid. The writing is tight and the dialogue pretty much on target with their personalities. It’s not your typical love story because it doesn’t tell the tale in the usual way. It was refreshing and different and the happily ever after was satisfying and sweet. I’d recommend this short read to any romance reader who is looking for something different, and enjoys a character driven plot. It makes you wonder." -- Xeranthemum, Whipped Cream Reviews

Excerpt

STORY EXCERPT

Time to hitch up her big girl panties, or, in this case, take her panties off, and launch her offensive. Merryn Porter sat up, peeking cautiously at her friend, Serena Hanson, sleeping in the other bed. Serena was sprawled on her side, her pillow clutched over her head, muffled snores rumbling out into her designer room in her brother Luke’s house. Perfect. She didn’t want any witnesses.

Merryn, finally of legal age, had been in love with Luke since she’d turned twelve. She’d always considered her passion for Luke a hopeless cause. Who could compete with the older, sophisticated supermodel types he dated? The friendship they’d built, the common interests, the hours spent discussing everything from life-after-death to entertainment—none of that could create romantic interest where none existed.

Lately, faint hope flared in her heart once again. She’d imagined she’d caught him staring at her at odd moments, like tonight at the little housewarming party he’d thrown. She’d enjoyed her first taste of champagne—just one taste, but a treat nonetheless. She could feel the tingles from that rare gaze as she sipped from his crystal glass, laughing as the bubbles tickled her tongue. Though quickly extinguished when she turned to him, she’d caught the peculiar gleam in his eye. Maybe she’d pissed him off and the gleam represented a glare of disapproval, or maybe he actually liked her too but didn’t want to behave “dishonorably” with his younger sister’s best friend. Luke always tried to be noble, to do the right thing with his family, in his business, and in life in general. That, among many other qualities, led her to fall irrevocably in love with him. It also annoyed the crap out of her because she desperately wanted him to be more than a bit naughty with her, and she didn’t see it happening. Not without a considerable nudge from her anyway. She had to do something to erase Luke’s perception of her as just his kid sister’s friend.

In her typical bull-headed, crafty way, she’d planned to override his iron control. She wanted him. She burned for him with a carnal craving she understood only in theory, but one that drove her to action. A tiny twinge of guilt stung her conscience, and she hoped Serena would forgive her for wangling extra invitations to be around when Luke might be there. Forgive her for lusting after her brother, and forgive her for tonight—her last ditch, pull-out-all-the-stops effort to show Luke how much she loved him and how good they could be together before she and Serena headed off to college. Well, actually, she hoped Serena never found out if she went down in flames. She risked enough humiliation without adding that shame.

She slipped out of the bed, heart beating madly, butterflies assailing her tummy. She didn’t know if she possessed the courage to do what she planned, but did she really want to wonder “what if” for the rest of her life? At the very least, she wanted Luke to be her first. Even if he didn’t love her or want her long-term. She’d trade anything for one night with him.

So she set aside her innate shyness, crept from the room, and silently closed the door behind her. The hall leading to the master suite, to Luke, loomed long before her, the distance seeming to grow rather than diminish with each step. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The antique clock on the landing provided a rhythm for her careful footsteps on the cool hardwood floor. If only her heartbeat would stay that slow and measured. She shivered a bit. Though the furnace battled the chill, temperatures outside had dipped into the teens and cold spots peppered the house. Fear of rejection didn’t help to steady her tremors, either.

She twisted the knob, relieved to find his door unlocked, and stepped into Luke’s bedroom. The warmth from the fireplace embraced her and bathed the room in a golden glow. Her toes sank into the plush carpet, and her gaze immediately turned to Luke’s sleeping form in the big bed across the room. She held her breath, but he didn’t stir. She let out a shaky exhale and softly closed and locked the door.

Luke lay on his stomach, the sheet just draped across his hips and waist, his muscular back and legs uncovered, his skin gleaming in the firelight. Her mouth watered, and a familiar odd tickle began low in her belly. His dark reddish-brown hair curled forward over his face—his chiseled features softened in sleep. She couldn’t believe how much younger and more vulnerable he looked. Her heart cracked a little.

Yeah, she had it bad for this man. But did he have any feelings for her?

Her hands shook as she grasped the hem of her nightgown and pulled it over her head, dropping it to the floor. Need dominated her fear, pushing her forward. When she reached the edge of the bed, she took a moment to listen to his peaceful breathing and draw his unique scent into her lungs. She loved the way he smelled—a hint of sandalwood soap, a bit of musk, but all Luke. His fragrance was as overwhelmingly dear and attractive to her as the man himself.

She pressed down on the mattress, putting all her weight on one knee and climbing up beside him. He mumbled something incoherent, stirring restlessly, and she froze. What should she do? Her body decided for her. Without conscious plan, she reached out and drew her fingertips down the smooth flesh of his back. His muscles twitched in response. “Luke,” she whispered.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Does that turn you on? Knowing that I watched you and that I imagined doing things to you, with you?”

“God, yes. You know it does.”

“Do you want me to do those things to you?” He ran the side of one hand down the center of her belly and stroked her in random, lazy patterns that raised goose bumps of delight.

“Ah… Yes.”

“Do you remember the night you climbed naked into my bed?”

She came back to earth from her sensual nirvana with a jarring thud, and pulled away from his hands. “I could never forget that night. The most amazing, sensual, special night of my life turned into the most humiliating, devastating night of my life. To put myself out on a limb like that and then to face the fact that you didn’t want me…”

Luke reached for her and resumed his caresses. “You know I lied. I wanted you all right, more than I wanted to breathe. And I came so, so close to giving in.” He nuzzled her neck before nipping hard at the tender skin.

She bucked in surprise and moaned as he ran his tongue over the magic spot, soothing and stimulating at the same time. Intense, pleasurable sensation shot through her like a lightning bolt straight to her core. He turned her face toward his, gave her a deep, thorough kiss. The taste of her own body, and of Luke, infused her mouth.

“Sweet, sweet Merryn,” he murmured, his voice dark and enticing. “If you had known the things I wanted to do to you that night, you’d have run screaming.” He rubbed the head of his cock back and forth across her clit in slow, sensuous strokes.

Tiring of his teasing, she reached back and fit his cock to her entrance. With a vigorous backward thrust of her hips, she impaled herself on him, groaning with the pleasure. “Try me.”

This time he gasped in surprise. He recovered quickly, taking control of their mating once again. “Put your head down on the bed.”

She did as he told her. She’d have agreed to anything he suggested as deeply as he’d aroused her. She wanted it all.

He penetrated her—going careful and deep, until he seated himself fully. She shivered in delight and wriggled impatiently as he paused to allow her to adjust. He withdrew until only the tip of his hard penis remained within. With a driving thrust of his pelvis, he rammed all the way back into her.

She gave a keening cry of excitement. The suddenness and depth of his entry thrilled her.

“I love those noises you make. They bring out such primitive instincts in me.” His words trailed off with a different kind of growl, one she found much more flattering. “Do you know I used to fantasize about doing this to you, and especially, doing it without a condom. I dreamed about getting you pregnant, Merry.”

He repeated the motion, varying the rhythm so he kept her off balance. “In my dreams, I’d fuck you again and again in every position imaginable until you carried my baby. I even imagined what your beautiful body would look like if you conceived my child. You’ve always made me feel like some kind of a crazed, possessive caveman wanting to mark my territory. I never wanted anything more than I wanted a life with you. You need to know that.”

She shuddered at the pleasure of what he did to her body and the evocative words that mirrored her own secret fantasies. If only… “But, then why—”

“Why didn’t I grab hold of you and refuse to ever let go? Sheer stupidity. I didn’t feel good enough for you. I’d played around and done things… I was a few years older…” He trailed off, seemingly out of breath and, she suspected, out of foolish excuses he no longer needed. “However dumb, I meant well. Which is why…”

“What?” He moved again and she lost her train of thought.

He worked her until she hovered just on the verge of coming, and then halted, ignoring her distraught protests. He supported himself on one hand and delved between her ass cheeks, seeking her body’s forbidden opening, spreading her own copious moisture about to ease the way for his finger.

The stinging stretch made her restive, and she tried to pull back, but he held her firmly in place. “Shh. Do you trust me, love?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to find out what we would have done that night?”

“Yes,” she whispered, nearly mindless with a combination of lust and apprehension.

“Then relax. Let it happen. Let me have my way. I won’t do anything I don’t think you’re ready for or that doesn’t bring you pleasure. I’m just going to put another finger inside you, and I want you to push back against it as I do. Can you do that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you, Luke. You know that.”

“Good girl.” The ring of quiet triumph sounded in his words. He inched the other finger inside slowly.

She whimpered.

“Deep breath. Push back.”

She did, accepting the burning pleasure-pain with a moan.

“That’s it, baby. You did it.” He slid his cock into her slick opening. With his fingers still in her ass, he resumed thrusting into her pussy with a steady, building rhythm.

The sensation of his dual penetration pushed her to her limits. He surrounded her, filled her, and consumed her. The primitive, raw experience shattered her fantasies. The reality proved so much more than she could have imagined. It felt strange, but so, so good…