The only thing Derek Clayton has more of than secrets is money. He offers Sara help with one goal in mind – to keep her in the dark until he can work out the events that left her stranded without a memory. Can they give up the constraints of the past to find their happy ending or will his secrets and past love threaten their future?
This 17,000 word novella is intended for mature audiences. It contains a submissive amnesiac seduced by a sexy stranger whose smooth talking skills and sweet kisses leave them burning up the sheets with smoking hot sex.
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Sara
walked down the stairs to explore and heard Derek’s voice. She moved
closer but slowed at the angry tone. She edged closer, wondering
who he was speaking with.
“The
situation could be better, but I have it under control.”
He
paused. “It has nothing to do with Victoria.”
He
sighed. “Yeah, I moved them this morning while she was in the
shower. The headache is better.”
“It
is. No doubt. “
“Thanks.”
His voice was wry and his expression, tired. He straightened at whatever
the other person said. “You stay away. I’m not ready yet.
She’s not going anywhere.”
She
flattened herself against the wall. So he was talking about
her. She glanced around.
What
had he moved, and where else would she go? Did he know who she was?
She
quietly moved back upstairs to the bedroom. She glanced around at the
space. Was there something here that would tell her who she was? He
had clearly been talking about her, so what did he move? Victoria.
The woman in the photos? She walked toward the closet.
“Let’s
get outside for a while so you can sleep tonight.”
She
jumped at Derek’s voice from the doorway. She composed her expression and
turned. “What?”
“I
just think a little fresh air will help you rest better.”
He
led her to a mud room by the back door and pulled a thick jacket with a fluffy
collar from the hook for her. She hesitated for a moment. “Is this the
housekeeper’s?”
“No.”
“Whose
then?”
He
tapped her nose lightly with the tip of his finger. “Aren’t you the
curious one?”
She
froze. “I don’t actually know.”
He
slid his hand down her cheek before opening the back door. His touch was
warm and welcome and from the look on his face, she was sure he knew
that. They stepped into the bright sunshine, and Sara inhaled deeply.
“Where are we going?”
“I
thought we’d take a ride.”
She
tilted her head, considering. “Horses?”
He
laughed. “No horses. “
“You
don’t like horses or they don’t like you?” She knew that people who
didn’t have rapport with animals couldn’t be trusted.
“Neither.
I just don’t have the time to properly care for horses.” He continued
toward a large building in the backyard. The fields rolled into new hills
for as far as the eye could see. The only thing breaking up the fields
were a few tree lines in the distance and a pond off to one side. “I was
thinking more of a two wheel ride.”
The
gleaming black animal stood in the middle of an open space in the
building. Metal and chrome, power and finesse. On a shelf sat
several helmets. Derek pulled the band from Sara’s hair, and she shook it
out, curls tangling down her back, as he watched. Then he helped her put
on the helmet before grabbing one for himself.
“I’m
not sure this is the best idea.”
“It
is the absolute best idea I’ve had in a long time.” He slid onto the seat
and gave her a sideways glance. “Coming?”
If
she got onto that bike, she wasn’t sure what she’d be doing. He had
secrets concerning her, and she needed to know what they were. She would
just have to work hard to maintain a little distance because she really wanted
to go with him. The idea of forgetting her troubles with a fast ride
appealed to her on several levels. “You’re sure it’s safe?”
“Positive.
We’ve-“
She
waited. “We’ve?” Her mouth tilted into a soft grin on one side.
He
leaned toward her then, no preamble, just touched his lips to hers.
“We’ve got to get going if we’re going to get back before dark.” His lips
were soft and warm and she felt bereft that the touch was so quick. She
hadn’t seen it coming, hadn’t savored it at all. It was the first time a
kiss on her mouth hadn’t been part of sex. The other was good but this
was also very nice.
She
gave a firm nod and got on behind him. He put on his own helmet before
pulling from the building and weaving around to the road. As they passed
the house, she was sure she saw the housekeeper watching from the window.
But she hadn’t been alone. There was a man watching too.
Renee Burke has sampled life in Louisiana and the East Coast before
finally settling down in the Midwest where she met her husband. She was destined to be a teacher and loves
instilling a love of reading in her students and trying to draw out their inner
writers.
Renee has enjoyed romance since she was old enough to buy her
own books, but her writing developed slowly as she balanced life with her
family and a desire to “do it right.” Her
husband gave her the push she needed with a writing course several years ago,
and she was off! She has finally learned
that romance should be felt rather than overanalyzed. She loves reading and writing romance with a
wide range of emotion and humor. Her
close friends all enjoy swapping author and book suggestions and looking for
the next hot, sweet love story.
Renee claims her phone e-reader app allows her more reading time
than ever before. “People think I’m busy
with important emails and let me read uninterrupted!” Besides writing, Renee is crazy about spending
time with her two handsome sons and amazingly devoted husband.
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