Title: STEEL and LACE: The Complete Series (Lace #1 – 4)
Author: Adriane Leigh
Release Date: March 25, 2013
Synopsis
Enigmatic and sexy, Carter Morgan is a wealthy CEO and playboy who keeps a model on his arm and the walls around his heart high. His dangerous good looks and seductive charm gets him whatever he wants— whenever he wants it. That is until he meets Eva.
When smart and spirited fashion editor Evangeline Austin encounters Carter Morgan, sparks fly and worlds collide. Her every instinct tells her to run, yet she can't deny the overwhelming effect he has on her. They embark on a passionate affair that threatens to consume them. They try to defy the odds by making their own rules and surrendering completely to the exquisite power of their passion but when unforeseen forces threaten to tear them apart, Carter and Eva must decide if the moments of exquisite perfection are worth the intense pain.
The bestselling erotic romance series from Adriane Leigh is now available in one volume.
Bonus Scene
Carter POV - Chapter One - Steel and Lace #1
Nikki had been hounding me about this opening for weeks. I knew I
couldn’t keep it from her, we'd been fucking for months and as much
as I tried to keep her out of my business life, she always managed to
weasel her way in. It didn't matter, showing up with someone was good
in a social situation; and Nikki wasn't a bad date to have. The press
made more of an effort to turn up at these events if they thought the
beautiful and bitchy supermodel Nikki Vilanova would be on my arm.
She was always good for a little drama in the tabloids; not that I
liked the drama but I could appreciate the role the press played in
my line of work. They'd been following our relationship for a while,
if you could even call it that. When she was in town we spent time
together, we were never anything more or less. I walked the line with
keeping her at a comfortable distance and keeping her happy because
she was a great fuck. That had been established the first night we
were together.; she was wild and uninhibited and never wore out her
welcome. She didn't require any post-coital cuddling-- just the way I
preferred it. I had a bedroom attached to my office for late nights
that had the added benefit of serving as a fuck pad. She'd asked once
or twice for me to take her home, but I'd been able to put her off
easily. The truth was, I wasn’t comfortable bringing anyone home. I
was wary of who I could trust and wasn't comfortable inviting them
into my house and my life any more than I had to.
Nikki and I had shown up just a few minutes before to the opening of
a new boutique on Newbury and it wasn't long before I was bored out
of my skull. Nikki giggled and kept a predatory hand on my forearm as
we sipped champagne. My eyes scanned the room for faces I knew and
wanted to avoid, and for those that I would need to mingle with
tonight. Madeleine would have been my first choice for a date, she
was great with these things; she had the ability to direct
conversation and knew intuitively when I wasn't interested in talking
to someone. Nikki on the other hand was interested in talking to
everyone; she liked to keep as many connections in her back pocket as
possible, never knowing when they would come in handy later. I guess
at the end of the day I was just another connection for her, albeit
one that she fucked when it was convenient.
I tightened my jaw when Nikki’s fingertips trailed up my forearm
suggestively. I ignored her intimate gesture and brought the
champagne flute to my lips before my gaze settled on a pair of dark
green eyes that were focused on mine. Striking, soft, gentle green
eyes. My heart rate accelerated and the conversation around me seemed
to fall away. The world halted as my eyes focused on the dark-haired
beauty staring back at me.
My gaze dropped to the chestnut tendrils framing her beautiful,
heart-shaped face. Her full lips were curved in a soft frown as she
looked at me. What could she be thinking that would have her frowning
at me? Perhaps my reputation had preceded me, it wouldn't be the
first time.
But this girl-- I knew I had to meet her, to talk to her, to hear her
voice; those lush lips curving around sensual words. I envisioned
soft lips locked on my ear lobe, whispering breathless moans along
the skin of my neck, hearing her call my name as I sank into her.
Fuck me, this girl is affecting me.
But I knew I was affecting her too. I could see it. She couldn't
break our intense stare down any easier than I could.
Finally the world started to spin again and I arched my eyebrow at
her, a silent acknowledgment of the moment that had flared between
us. I watched her take a quick breath, her full breasts perfectly
outlined in her fitted white dress. Fuck, I wanted to feel them in my
hands, suck on them, tease them until her nipples hardened. What
color would they be when I coaxed her body into arousal? The same
shade as her dark, rosy lips?
Her eyes widened for a moment and then she turned back to her friend
and tried to pretend that I hadn't just swept the air from her lungs.
I had to meet her.
I waited until the party cleared out later that night and Nikki was
tied up with someone else. I didn’t know with who and I didn't
care, I was just glad to have her off my back so I could seek out the
brunette beauty that I'd been consumed with all night. She'd never
been far from my sight. I'd followed her with my eyes, insuring she
didn't leave and watching her mingle. In my perusal, I'd noticed
every single server pass her flirty glances as they gave her
champagne. Jealously poured through my body when she smiled sweetly
back at them. I'd have to call the company that provided the
waitstaff and make it known in no uncertain terms that if the servers
couldn't refrain from flirting with the guests, they would no longer
be getting my business.
I watched as she spoke to her friend, a smile spreading across her
face, her eyes crinkling in the most captivating way. My heart
skipped a beat every time she laughed because her entire face lit up
and her green eyes danced. I swear that smile had every guy in the
room falling at her feet, but I knew intuitively they weren't her
type; they couldn't make a girl like that happy. And even if I wasn't
her type, I'd make it my mission in life to be.
Fuck if I can't keep my eyes off her, I'm ruined.
"Great view." I breathed in her ear as she stood at the
windows looking out over Boston Harbor. I wouldn’t know if the view
was great or not, all I could think about was running my hands
through her hair. Twisting my fingers in it, feeling the silky
strands caress my skin. Fuck, my dick's getting hard just thinking
about her hair.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
She spun around and a spray of champagne landed on my herringbone
suit. Her burning green eyes traveled up my body. I held my breath as
she took me in.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry," she finally spoke before
setting her glass down on a nearby table and digging through the tiny
purse she was carrying. My eyes flicked from her flushed face to the
liquid dampening the arm of my suit. I frowned for a moment and
wondered how I could work with this situation. The thought crossed my
mind that I could coerce her into a date in return for spilling on my
suit. A smirk played across my lips at the thought.
"It's alright." I placed a hand on her arm and fire sparked
in my system. Her soft skin beneath mine had the blood pumping
through my veins at a punishing pace. She took my fucking breath away
and I hadn’t even gotten her dress off yet.
"I'm sorry, I'll pay to have it cleaned. If you send the bill to
me. Here…" She said before she was off digging in her bag
again. Fuck that bag. Look at me.
"I've got it. Really," I said as I squeezed her arm
reassuringly. My eyes couldn't help but trail down her curvy body;
past her defined waist, her lush hips that I couldn't stop thinking
about digging my fingers into. I imagined those shapely legs wrapped
around my hips as I plowed into her soft body. Fuck, my dick grew
impossibly harder as my brain shut down.
"Carter Morgan." I held my hand out to her.
"Evangeline Austin," she replied as she placed her small
hand in mine. I was lost in the swirling green depths of her eyes as
we gazed at each other. The world fell away and all that existed in
that moment was her hand in mine.
"Hey Eva, are you ready? Everyone who's anyone has come and
gone." I heard a voice burst our perfect, hypnotic bubble. I
didn't care. I was choosing to block everyone else out. Nothing
mattered more in that moment than the beautiful, green-eyed angel
whose hand was locked in mine. "Uh… hi, I'm Cate Evans."
The voice at my shoulder intruded on the moment I thought I was
having with this girl-- Evangeline, Eva. I glanced to see the friend
she'd been with all night. Short, blonde, bubbly Cate Evans; my mind
registered the name and filed it away for later.
I only nodded at her and then my eyes searched out Evangeline's
again. I couldn't stay away from her for long. I knew nothing about
her and yet I was sure of that. I was consumed with the beautiful,
flustered, carefree Evangeline Austin.
"Well Evangeline, despite the fact that you may have ruined my
favorite suit, I hope to see you again." Fuck if that didn't
come out wrong. Here I'd met a beautiful, dark-haired angel and I may
have fucked it all up before it'd even begun. I flashed her the
confident smirk that generally gets me out of trouble in any given
situation and hoped I could rectify the bad impression I'm sure I
made on her.
"Ms. Evans." I addressed her friend before giving
Evangeline one last lingering glance. Then I dropped her hand and
turned to walk out. I scanned the room for Nikki and saw her drinking
with a large group by the bar. Nikki was a party girl in the truest
form and tonight wouldn’t be the first time I'd ducked out before
midnight while she stayed out 'til dawn.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket as soon as I hit the pavement and
found Parker waiting along the curb.
"Mr. Morgan." Parker nodded as I slid into the backseat.
"Evening, Parker." I mumbled as I scrolled through the list
of contacts on my phone before I found the number I was looking for
and hit send.
"Johnson? Find me everything you can on Evangeline Austin and
Cate Evans in Boston. May be connected to the fashion industry. It's
time sensitive. Thanks." I hung up as Parker pulled into the
traffic of the Boston night.
Evangeline. She was an angel after all.
About the Author
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