His eyes softened and with the way the nearly set sun was slicing across half his face, it looked like he was wearing a mask. “If you want to stop, you just say the word. We can go and enjoy a quiet dinner together instead. Fully clothed.”

  I smiled and dragged my fingers down the rasp of his stubble like I’d been wanting to do since the moment I first saw him. “No, I want to do this. I want to be someone else right now. Or at least… a different version of me.” I kind of like this girl I was becoming. She’s bolder. Asked for what she wanted. And maybe more importantly, made it clear what she didn’t want.

  With my admission, Pierce leaned down, kissing me. His tongue probed my lips open, and he licked a slow line in my mouth like he was savoring me. I could taste myself on him and though it was unusual, it wasn’t altogether unpleasant. Even as he pulled back, his lips lingered there just a moment longer, leaving me breathless. I felt that kiss down in my soul. Some deeper connection to him that I wasn’t sure if it was just some chemical reaction to finally coming in front of a man or something… more. I couldn’t explain what it was. But right now? It felt so right… so good being here with him and I didn’t want to dwell on anything else.

  I opened my legs wider and angled my hips toward his cock, jutting toward me and I was suddenly struck with how achingly empty my sex felt. I was desperate for him. He fisted his cock and positioned himself at my wet entrance, sliding it up and down over my clit before pressing against my sex and driving inside.

  He paused, filling me and my moan of pleasure was met with his growl. He stretched me, filling my deliciously tight pussy and my hands fisted the comforter as I lifted my hips in an effort to take more.

  He slid himself out slowly and then thrusted hard back into me before reaching between us and stroking my clit.

  I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him harder, deeper as his hips moved fluidly against me. Slick. In and out. Holy hell it felt amazing. My clit was hard and sensitive and each stroke of his finger sent urgent pulses firing to my core.

  He pushed faster, harder, pumping in and out of me in quick, but expertly controlled movements. Then, his hips started circling. With each thrust in, he punctuated it with a roll of his hips. His eyes were on me, urgent and needy and I was right there with him.

  A fog of pleasure jolted through my body and before I knew what was happening or could explain it, my body was trembling.

  “Oh, God,” I cried out and my hands flew to his shoulders, bracing against him.

  “Stay with me baby. Come with me.”

  His command was the nudge over the edge I needed. I exploded around his cock and as he groaned, I nipped his throat, licking the vibrations as we both jerked and slowed.

  The room spun around us and I watched as he lowered me back to the bed, scraping his palm down over his stubble. “I’m not usually that fast,” he admitted sheepishly and I loved that I had a small view of his vulnerable side. If even for a moment. “Next time we’ll take our time.”

  I swallowed. “Next time?”

  “Yes. Next time. If you’re up for it.” He slid off of me, discarding the condom in the waste can, then taking my hand, he tugged me to my feet. “But first… food. We need some dinner to reenergize.”

  I smirked as he handed me my dress and I slipped it up my body. “Reenergize for what?” I asked, fully knowing the answer.

  “Dessert.”

  Chapter 6

  “Okay, okay. I promise I will watch Amadeus if you promise to watch Kramer vs. Kramer,” I said, falling back in my seat and laughing. “Though it hardly feels like a fair trade since Amadeus is like, three hours long!”

  He grinned and took a sip of his wine. “Well, I could promise to watch Titanic instead, but I have a feeling neither of us would enjoy that.”

  “That bitch Rose needed to learn to share. She totally could have moved over on that door and saved Jack, too.”

  He laughed, but nodded. “My heart will go on my ass. The only way either of us is getting through that movie is with a defibrillator and some Lipitor.”

  I laughed and dunked my spoon into the cup of chocolate mousse Pierce had ordered for us with dinner. It was rich and creamy and delicious and I was pretty sure I would never again be able to eat chocolate without thinking about this incredible night.

  When I looked up from over my spoon, Pierce was eyeing me, suddenly serious. “Tell me what happened.”

  I tilted my head. “What happened with what?”

  He sighed and leveled me with a look that made it seem like I should know exactly what he was talking about. “Your idiot ex who didn’t marry you. What the hell happened?”

  I swallowed and that delicious chocolate turned to sand in my stomach. “He… just didn’t love me, I guess. He and his ex-girlfriend got back together a few weeks before the wedding, I guess.”

  Pierce’s eyes flashed with something fierce and protective. The sight made my stomach knot into a ball. “He cheated on you,” he stated flatly.

  For the last week, I’d been pissed. I’d hated James for what he did. Hated her for wedging into my relationship. But for the first time since I peeled my wedding dress from my body last week, I didn’t feel anger. I felt… peace. “He did. But… I think he did me a favor. I cared about him, but I wasn’t in love with him. It was just comfortable. Six years and we both just felt like we should be getting married. And his ex-girlfriend…” I cleared my throat and gave a defeated chuckle. “Well, I guess she’s not his ex anymore. His girlfriend fits into his lifestyle better than I ever did. Her dad is a Congressman. His dad is the Attorney General.” I shrugged as though this was an adequate explanation for him cheating on me. It didn’t justify what he did. At all. But I was really starting to believe it in my heart, despite my broken ego, that him leaving me at the altar was braver than going through with a marriage you both knew was doomed to fail.

  “And for the love of God,” I added. “I would have had to fake orgasms for the rest of my life with him!”

  The corner of Pierce’s mouth twisted into a small smile and he held his wine glass out to mine. “To never faking it again,” he said.

  I tapped the edge of my glass to his. “I’ll drink to that.”

  He sipped his red wine long and slowly and I did the same. It was fruity and went down smooth across my tongue like velvet.

  Pierce cleared his throat. “Did you ever feel bad about faking it with your ex fiancé?”

  I nodded, not even having to think about the answer. “All the time. I felt bad for me. Bad for him. It was like I had to live this lie with him in the bedroom. Like I was promising he was pleasing me and he wasn’t. Then again, he promised he’d marry me and look what happened there.”

  The silence rolled between us like storm clouds and I felt that quiet in my bones. Like it was permeating us. This was it. This was the goodbye. We’ve run out of things to talk about and I’ve overstayed my welcome.

  I licked my lips and set the wine glass down. What the hell was it about him that he could chip away at my hard veneer and reveal my vulnerable side lurking beneath? “Well,” I said, standing and smoothing my dress over my hips. “I should probably be going.”

  Dragging a hand through his thick, light brown hair, Pierce stood as well, rushing over to me. “Wait,” he said and I could hear the urgency in his voice. “Stay with me.”

  I swallowed, my mind whirring. “The night?” I asked.

  He swallowed. “The week. Stay with me this week here in Croatia. We’ll go to dinner. Dancing. We’ll take a boat out on the Adriatic sea…”

  “Oh, God.” I clutched my stomach. “Please no more boats.”

  He smiled, but didn’t laugh and instead, took my hands. “No more boats. Just an amazing vacation with the two of us. And orgasms. So many orgasms.”

  I didn’t answer right away. Not because the answer was no… what woman in her right mind would say no to a mind-blowing vacation with Pierce Whitley? But mostly, I was stunned. He mistook my silence though and said, “Please. I came here to escape Los Angeles for a while. I auditioned for this role that I really wanted and I didn’t get the callback like I was hoping I would. I just needed a break. A breath of fresh air… Emma, that’s what you’ve been. A breath of fresh air.”

  I tilted my head, studying him as a hot breath trickled from my lips. “I would love to stay the week with you.”

  His grin widened and it was so boyishly handsome that I could have melted into a puddle right there. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  He leaned down, his fingers curling around my jaw and his stubble was a soft rasp against my flesh as he kissed me. I remembered that rasp between my legs, scraping against my sensitive skin and excitement shuddered down my spine. He licked into my mouth, teasing me with a stroke of his tongue and behind my breastbone, my heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.

  The world melted away and I relaxed into his arms. Right now… for this week, there was only Pierce. Only me. Only sinful pleasure and carnal lust.

  I moaned into the kiss and felt his grin against my lips.

  He leaned in, whispering in my ear.“Was that my official acceptance to be a part of your ‘honeymoan?’”

  “You were accepted the moment I stepped in that door.”

  About Katana Collins

  When Katana Collins was younger and stole her mother’s Harlequins to read beneath the covers with a flashlight, she wanted to read about the tough as nails heroine. The perfectly imperfect girl with quirks and attitude and sass. And the anti-heroes who were anything but “Prince Charming.” Forget the knight on a white horse… she wanted the bad boy on a motorcycle.

  So, now, she writes those romance novels she craved to see on the shelves all those years ago—the sassy heroines. The badass heroes. Since penning her first romance novel back in 2012, she is now an international author with 15 published books and counting.

  She lives in Portland, Maine, with an ever-growing brood of rescue animals: a kind of mean cat, a really doofy lab, a very mellow chihuahua, and a very not mellow cairn terrier puppy... oh yeah, there's a husband somewhere in that mix, too. She can usually be found hunched over her laptop in a cafe, guzzling gallons of coffee, and wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes.

  To be notified of new releases or sales, join Katana’s private VIP Readers: Mailing List.

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  Visit Katana at KatanaCollins.com!

  Chapter 1

  Fidgeting in my seat, I try to shake off this restless feeling. I’m no stranger to long international flights, but something about this trip to Canada has me on edge. Spending time with Ethan O’Connell, the VP of International Sales, can be stressful at the best of times, but I highly doubt I’m feeling anxious about my boss’s difficult disposition. On the contrary, these days he seems content; he seems happy.

  If I had to guess why I’m feeling a little off, it would be the odd dreams that have been haunting my sleep since I found out I’d be flying into Toronto. They’re the kind of dreams that linger in your mind, long after you wake. Places and people that seem so familiar to me, yet when I wake, I can’t seem to identify them. And then there’s her… my mind becomes preoccupied with the memory of her smile. Her image is so clearly burned in my mind, it’s as if she were sitting beside me, with those beautiful hazel eyes. I will never forget the way they sparkle an intense green with dramatic flecks of gold and brown. My chest becomes tight, and if it weren’t for the sudden turbulence that startles me into taking a breath, I think I would have forgotten to breathe altogether.

  I force myself to think of something else. Work. Yeah, that’s it; focus on work. I didn’t even question why John McCabe, Ethan’s right-hand man, asked me to take an earlier flight because when Ethan O’Connell has a need, everyone jumps. That’s how it’s always been. For me, Carter Brant, it’s how it will always be. There’s always been an unspoken understanding between us; a brotherly type of connection we formed back in school. It was Ethan who paid for my education when I lost the funding for my scholarship. He skyrocketed up the corporate ladder, and two years later, when the opportunity arose, he hired me to run the Australian office of Aurora Technologies. In short, I’d sooner sever a limb than disappoint him.

  All my success and everything I value, I owe to Ethan O’Connell: my boat, my luxury home, my Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, and my big fat bank account. You’d think I’d be happy with all that, but lately, I want more. The playboy lifestyle isn’t as fulfilling as it used to be. I long to find a woman I can call my own. One I can start a family with, like the woman in my dreams. That’s the kind of love I want to find.

  Feeling like I’m being watched, I glance over the headrest of the adjoining seat. The flight attendant looks away, ashamed she’s been caught. She’s been staring at me since I boarded the plane. After a brief moment, she turns and locks on to my gaze. Unable to hide her reaction to me, her face turns a telltale shade of pink. A mischievous grin slowly curls the edges of my lips. I know where this is going. There’s always a beautiful woman willing to make the long, tiresome flight a little more enjoyable.

  A little distraction might just be what I need to settle this anxiety. I push aside my earlier apprehension about my playboy lifestyle. Right now, it’s a strong impulse, and I can’t fight it. Taking an appreciative look at the blushing flight attendant’s long legs, I nod suggestively toward the rear of the plane. My cock twitches when she bites her lip and hesitates. The shy ones are always the ones who surprise me the most behind locked doors. I know how to coax them out of their comfort zones, eliciting responses they themselves didn’t know they were capable of. She makes her way down the narrow aisle of the first-class compartment, slowing as she passes my seat she whispers, “Follow me.”

  Standing under the spray of warm water, I grumble about the barely adequate water pressure in hotel showers. Squirting a dollop of shower gel into my hand, I try to scrub up enough lather to wash my body. I worked up a sweat on that flight, and for some reason, I feel like I need a good cleansing. She was a nice enough girl, and as I suspected, kinky as fuck. The quiet ones always are.

  I smile as I lean back and rinse the shampoo out of my hair. My amusement fades as I begin to think about what I’ve just done. I’ve done it many times before, but this time I felt a strange regret as we landed, and she slipped me her number while thanking me for flying Air Canada. I tucked it in my pocket, with no intention of calling her. I never call them, but this is the first time I’ve ever felt guilty about it.

  The owner of the restaurant smiles as I walk toward the entrance. “Good evening, Mr. Carter. It’s so nice to see you again. Ethan is waiting.”

  “Good evening, George. It’s just, Carter,” I remind him.

  As I pass, he leans in discreetly. “He has a beautiful woman on his arm tonight.”

  I reach for the brass handle on the heavy wooden door. “Doesn’t he always?”

  “Oh no, she’s not like the other girls. You’ll see.”

  I chuckle as I enter. Ethan is always attracted to the same kind of girls. Those he can easily control; bleach blonde, starry-eyed kittens that will do anything to please him. In my younger years, I admired him for that. Now I find it kind of pathetic.

  Through the dimly lit bar, I spot McCabe and make my way toward him. I can hear Ethan’s voice as I join them from behind. “Carter is the sales manager at our office in Australia. He’ll be here for a few weeks, while we work out a new business plan.”

  I catch a glimpse of her silhouette, and when the light briefly illuminates her face, it stops me in my tracks. Not the trashy blonde who’s rubbing herself against Ethan like a dog in heat; that’s not an uncommon sight. It’s the brunette that makes me feel as if I’ve just walked into an invisible brick wall. She’s undoubtedly the woman George was referring to.

  John catches me standing in the shadows and motions me in. I can tell from the look on his face, he’s relieved reinforcements have arrived. Keeping O’Connell out of trouble is a two-man job, most of the time.

  A jolt of energy awakens every nerve in my body when I step up behind her. Thoughts race through my mind at lightning speed. I’ve only ever felt like this when I dream of… her. My stomach nervously twists and turns, as I struggle to understand how it could be possible. It’s her… it has to be. I recognize the way she breathes; the way she smells. My heart pounds with a strange cadence as I lean in and speak gently in her ear as if we’re old friends. “My ears are burnin’ so they must be talkin’ bout me.”

  Her sudden intake of breath presses against my chest, reminding me that we’ve actually not met yet. Until now, she’s only been in my dreams. “Carter Brant.” I step to her side and extend my hand.

  “Olivia James.” Her cheeks flush as she reaches for my hand, and it elicits a response from my body that’s neither appropriate nor wanted, at this particular moment.

  I prolong the release of her hand until I feel the heat of Ethan’s glare. I sense her anxiety as he abandons his companion at the bar and heads toward us.

  “Carter.” Ethan nods and holds out his hand for a brief shake before pulling me into a quick man hug. “Good to see you. How was your flight?”

  “Brutal, as usual,” I complain. “Thank God for my long-standing membership to the mile-high club,” I joke.

  “We’ll head into the dining room for dinner now,” he directs. He doesn’t introduce me to the blonde that flanks in from the side, taking his arm. John has made sure I have all the details, so I know who she is and why I’m here. Olivia walks behind everyone, looking disappointed, and I don’t like it. I place my hand gently on her back, guiding her to the dining room. When we reach the table, Ethan’s client, Stacey, situates herself beside him to ensure that she captures all his attention.