Morgan blinked, coming back into herself. She realized Jack had ceased raining tender blows on her butt. Instead, he rubbed each cheek softly, reverently.

  “Feel better?” He sat her up on his lap.

  She squirmed, enjoying the delightful sting as she curled against him. When he thumbed a tear from her cheek, she was shocked to realize she’d been crying. “Yes.”

  “Good girl.”

  When he lifted her to her feet and stood beside her, tugging at the tie of his sweatpants, Morgan wrestled with the strong urge to hold him close and pour her love all over him. But the submissive side of her won out instead.

  She sank to her knees, blinking up at him. “I’m sorry. Let me serve you, Sir. Let me show you how sorry I am.”

  In the middle of shoving his pants down his hips, Jack froze, delved into her stare. “No. You can serve me when you want to give me pleasure, not because you’re drowning in guilt. Let that go. We’ve both made mistakes. Right now and all the moments following are the ones that matter. Lie across our bed. I’m going to please you so thoroughly you’ll never forget how badly I cherish and want you.”

  His understanding made her fall in love with him all over again. “Yes, Sir.”

  When she settled across the bed, spread wide open for him, he kicked off his sweats and followed her down to the mattress. He barely had time to settle on top of her before he eased his tongue in her mouth and submerged his cock inside her clenching pussy.

  As he filled her completely, Morgan threw her head back. “Jack!”

  He answered by wriggling deeper into her, circling his hips and applying pressure to her clit, then tugging at her lower lip with his teeth. “I’m here, cher. I’m not going anywhere. And for the record, I love your body exactly the way it is. The curves you have now remind me that you’ve matured into the woman who gave birth to our precious children. I would never want to deny or change anything about that. Would you?”

  “No,” she gasped. He felt solid and massive inside her, surrounding her, loving her. “Never.”

  “Then stop trying to look different or thinking that I want you to be different.” He withdrew nearly to the tip, then shoved back in with a ruthlessness that had her arching her back and calling his name. “Are we clear?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Does this feel like I find you sexy?” He eased out before pistoning in once again, so hard and insistent she couldn’t doubt how much he ached for her.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Do you doubt my desire right now?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Will you ever let your insecurities take over again without talking to me?”

  As he spoke, he pulled completely free of her body. Only the swollen head of his cock nestled at her entrance, knocking at her door. Morgan spread her legs farther apart, welcoming him. He didn’t enter, just waited for her to answer.

  “No, Sir. I won’t,” she finally whispered, cupping his face and fusing their lips together.

  After a long kiss that left her desperate and panting, he eased away enough to look into her eyes. “I know you haven’t started the pill again yet. I’m not wearing a condom. If you’re not ready for what might happen, stop me. But I adore your body, I love you, and I want you pregnant again.”

  Knowing how he felt, knowing she felt the same…Morgan couldn’t possibly say no.

  “Please,” she whimpered. “Fuck me, Jack.”

  A second later, he merged their bodies together and didn’t stop until pleasure dissolved her sadness and worry. Until she cared only about giving every bit of herself and her passion to her husband. Until she felt them melding again with that same magic she’d always felt when Jack Cole made her his.

  He swallowed her scream with his kiss as she let go. He followed her into the heady rush of ecstasy moments later, neck corded, arms taut as he clutched her tightly, like he’d never let go.

  “How do you feel now, cher?” he panted. “Good?”

  “Fantastic.” She grinned up at him, trying to catch her breath, too. “Best Christmas ever.”

  His solemn face broke out into a wide, infectious grin. “Couldn’t agree more. Tell me when you’re ready for round two. I love the idea of giving you the gift that keeps on giving.”

  “Yeah. For eighteen years,” she quipped, rolling her eyes at him.

  When Jack Cole turned on the charm, she could never resist.

  “Well, that, too. But I meant the love I want to give you for a lifetime. What do you say?”

  “Yes, Sir. Let’s make this Christmas a little merrier.”

  He stroked her cheek before he brushed a kiss over her lips. “You got it. Just like you’ve got me. I love you.”

  Love a sexy, suspenseful bad boy meets good girl story? Wicked as Sin kicks off the addictive, nail-biting Wicked & Devoted series!

  * * *

  WICKED AS SIN

  One-Mile and Brea, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 1

  by Shayla Black

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  Click here to purchase!

  Thank you for reading A Very Wicked Christmas! If you enjoyed it, please review and recommend it to your reader friends. That means the world to me!

  * * *

  Want an easy way to keep up with the latest Shayla news and releases? Join my VIP Reader Newsletter or visit www.shaylablack.com for excerpts, teasers, previews, series’ reading order, and much more!

  WICKED AS SIN

  One-Mile and Brea, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 1

  by Shayla Black

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  Click here to purchase!

  * * *

  The good girl wants a favor? She’ll pay in his bed.

  * * *

  Pierce “One-Mile” Walker has always kept his heart under wraps and his head behind his sniper’s scope. Nothing about buttoned-up Brea Bell should appeal to him. But after a single glance at the pretty preacher’s daughter, he doesn’t care that his past is less than shiny, that he gets paid to end lives…or that she’s his teammate’s woman. He'll do whatever it takes to steal her heart.

  * * *

  Brea has always been a dutiful daughter and a good girl…until she meets the dangerous warrior. He’s everything she shouldn’t want, especially after her best friend introduces her to his fellow operative as his girlfriend—to protect her from Pierce. But he’s a forbidden temptation she’s finding impossible to resist.

  * * *

  Then fate strikes, forcing Brea to beg Pierce to help solve a crisis. But his skills come at a price. When her innocent flirtations run headlong into his obsession, they cross the line into a passion so fiery she can’t say no. Soon, his past rears its head and a vendetta calls his name in a mission gone horribly wrong. Will he survive to fight his way back to the woman who claimed his soul?

  EXCERPT

  * * *

  Finally, he had her cornered. He intended to tear down every last damn obstacle between him and Brea Bell.

  Right now.

  For months, she’d succumbed to fears, buried her head in the sand, even lied. He’d tried to be understanding and patient. He’d put her first, backed away, given her space, been the good guy.

  Fuck that. Today, she would see the real him.

  One-Mile Walker slammed the door of his truck and turned all his focus on the modest white cottage with its vintage blue door. As he marched up the long concrete driveway, his heart pounded. He had a nasty idea how Brea’s father would respond when he explained why he’d come. The man would slam the door in his face; no maybe about that. After all, he was the bad boy from a broken home who had defiled Reverend Bell’s perfect daughter with unholy glee.

  But One-Mile refused to let Brea go again. He’d make her father listen…somehow. Since punching the guy in the face was out of the question, he’d have to quell his brute-force instinct to fight dirty and instead employ polish, tact, and charm—all the qualities he possessed zero of.

  Fuck. This was going to be a shit show.

  Still, One-Mile refused to give up. He’d known uphill battles his whole life. What was one more?

  Through the front window, he spotted the soft doe eyes that had haunted him since last summer. Though Brea was talking to an elderly couple, the moment she saw him approach her porch, her amber eyes went wide with shock.

  Determination gripped One-Mile and squeezed his chest. By damned, she was going to listen, too.

  He wasn’t leaving without making her his.

  As he mounted the first step toward her door, his cell phone rang. He would have ignored it if it hadn’t been for two critical facts: His job often entailed saving the world as people knew it, and this particular chime he only heard when one of the men he respected most in this fucked-up world needed him during the grimmest of emergencies.

  Of all the lousy timing…

  He yanked the device from his pocket. “Walker here. Colonel?”

  “Yeah.”

  Colonel Caleb Edgington was a retired, highly decorated military officer and a tough son of a bitch. One thing he wasn’t prone to was drama, so that single foreboding syllable told One-Mile that whatever had prompted this call was dire.

  He didn’t bother with small talk, even though it had been months since they’d spoken, and he wondered how the man was enjoying both his fifties and his new wife, but they’d catch up later. Now, they had no time to waste.

  “What can I do for you?” Since he owed Caleb a million times over, whatever the man needed One-Mile would make happen.

  Caleb’s sons might be his bosses these days…but as far as One-Mile was concerned, the jury was still out on that trio. Speaking of which, why wasn’t Caleb calling those badasses?

  One-Mile could only think of one answer. It was hardly comforting.

  “Or should I just ask who I need to kill?”

  A feminine gasp sent his gaze jerking to Brea, who now stood in the doorway, her rosy bow of a mouth gaping open in a perfect little O. She’d heard that. Goddamn it to hell. Yeah, she knew perfectly well what he was. But he’d managed to shock her repeatedly over the last six months.

  “I’m not sure yet.” Caleb sounded cautious in his ear. “I’m going to text you an address. Can you meet me there in fifteen minutes?”

  For months, he’d been anticipating this exact moment with Brea. “Any chance it can wait an hour?”

  “No. Every moment is critical.”

  Since Caleb would never say such things lightly, One-Mile didn’t see that he had an option. “On my way.”

  He ended the call and pocketed the phone as he climbed onto the porch and gave Brea his full attention. He had so little time with her, but he’d damn sure get his point across before he went.

  She stepped outside and shut the door behind her, swallowing nervously as she cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, through the big picture window. Was she hoping her father didn’t see them?

  “Pierce.” Her whisper sounded closer to a hiss. “What are you doing here?”

  He hated when anyone else used his given name, but Brea could call him whatever the hell she wanted as long as she let him in her life.

  He peered down at her, considering how to answer. He’d had grand plans to lay his cards out on the table and do whatever he had to—talk, coax, hustle, schmooze—until she and her father both came around to his way of thinking. Now he only had time to cut to the chase. “You know what I want, pretty girl. I’m here for you. And when I come back, I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Looking for something forbidden?

  SEDUCING THE INNOCENT

  Forbidden Confessions: First Time, Book 1

  by Shayla Black

  Click here to purchase!

  Available in eBook!

  * * *

  How far will she go to persuade her brother’s best friend to touch her?

  * * *

  I’m Kayla.

  I’m twenty-one.

  And I’m all alone in the world—except for my late brother’s best friend.

  But Oliver intends to move back to London.

  I’m in love with him. I have to persuade him not to leave…somehow.

  If I confess I’m a virgin and show him how far I’ll go to keep him, will he stay?

  Maybe, but I also never suspected he’s keeping a shocking secret of his own…

  * * *

  Enjoy this Forbidden Confession. HEA guaranteed!

  EXCERPT

  One of his warm hands leaves my breast and skates down my waist, settling over my hip to bring me closer. I can smell a hint of toothpaste and coffee on his breath.

  “Have you let any of those tossers you’ve dated kiss you, Kayla?”

  I swallow. What will he do if I tell him the truth? “A few.”

  He scowls as if my answer pains him. “Did you like it?”

  I wanted to, but… “It was all right. No one has blown my panties off.”

  I suspect Oliver could.

  His eyes soften. “Kissing can be wonderful. Someday, when you find a man you care about, one who knows what he’s doing, you’ll love it.”

  I have a man I very much care about standing right in front of me, and the thought of kissing Oliver makes my body throb in arousal. I sway closer, pressing my aching breasts against his chest. “What about you? I’ll bet you know what you’re doing.”

  The second the words leave my mouth, my heart careens out of control.

  “I shouldn’t kiss you, Kayla,” Oliver practically groans.

  “Please,” I beg. “Just once.” When he stares at my lips, they tingle. Everything in my body flushes hot. Even my skin feels too tight. And the ache between my legs coils relentlessly. “You’ve already touched my breasts.”

  “Are you bloody trying to kill me?” His voice sounds rough with need.

  That excites me even more.

  “Is one kiss asking so much?” I clasp his T-shirt in my fists and tilt my face under his.

  He hesitates for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, nostrils flaring, jaw rigid.

  “Kayla,” he growls. “Goddamn it…”

  Just when I’m sure he’s going to walk away, Oliver grabs me by the nape, holding me immobile. His breathing turns hard and rough. I tremble. He’s wrestling with himself. My heart revs. What is he thinking? Is there any chance he’ll kiss me?

  Suddenly, he jerks me against his body and seizes my lips.

  LET’S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER!

  * * *

  Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than eighty contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

  * * *

  As an only child, Shayla occupied herself by daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and started pursuing a publishing career. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America, her heart was with her stories and characters, so she left her pantyhose and power suits behind.

  * * *

  Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, gaming, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

  * * *

  TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOU.

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  OTHER BOOKS BY SHAYLA BLACK

  * * *

  CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

  WICKED & DEVOTED

  Romantic Suspense

  Wicked as Sin (One-Mile & Brea, part 1)

  Wicked Ever After (One-Mile & Brea, part 2)

  Wicked as Lies (Zyron & Tessa, part 1)

  Wicked and True (Zyron & Tessa, part 2)

  Coming Soon:

  Wicked as Seduction (Trees & Laila, part 1) (March 15, 2022)

  * * *

  REED FAMILY RECKONING

  Angsty, emotional contemporary romance

  SIBLINGS

  More Than Want You (Maxon & Keeley)

  More Than Need You (Griff & Britta)

  More Than Love You (Harlow & Noah)

  BASTARDS

  More Than Crave You (Evan & Nia)

  More Than Tempt You (Bethany & Clint)

  Coming Soon:

  More Than Desire You (Xavian & ??) (Fall 2022)

  FRIENDS

  More Than Dare You (Trace & Masey)

  More Than Hate You (Sebastian & Sloan)

  1001 DARK NIGHTS

  More Than Pleasure You (Stephen & Skye)

  More Than Protect You (Tanner & Amanda)

  More Than Possess You (A Hope Series crossover) (Echo & Hayes)

  * * *