Excerpt of A Hard Man to Love by Kathleen Lawless

“We haven’t renegotiated my contract,” Steele said.

“What did you have in mind?”

“How about a flat fee, renewable on a daily basis? That
way if you don’t like what I’m doing, we simply walk away
from each other, no hard feelings.”

“And if I like what you’re doing?” she asked with a husky
catch in her voice. His nearness stirred something primal
inside of her, something she’d feared had been forever
extinguished by Charlie’s infidelity.

He trailed his fingers down the length of one arm, the
light stimulation far more powerful and arousing than if
he’d clutched her close. He linked his fingers through
hers and raised their joined hands overhead, slowly
leaning into her as he pressed her back against the rock.
His eyes were on hers with deliberate intent as he pinned
her in place.

Montana felt an internal jolt, as if he’d suddenly jump-
started something deep within, something that threatened
madly to ricochet out of control.

Her breathing quickened. She watched his eyes darken, the
pupils dilating till the intriguing rim of blue all but
disappeared into the smoldering darkness. He was fully
aroused, his body brushing hers with slow and deliberate
intent and she felt herself soften in response, every
quivering nerve ending on full alert. She held her
breath, wondering what he’d do next. How far would he
push her? How intoxicating to yield the control for
once.

He kneed her legs apart and pressed his kneecap against
that tingling, throbbing central core in a move that both
teased and further inflamed her, as he lowered his head
and captured her mouth with his own.

Montana shimmied against him, her body suddenly,
desperately in need of his touch. Everywhere. Fully
aroused in a way she’d never been before. His tongue
mated with hers, knowing deliberation in the way it
challenged and stimulated. He swallowed her soft moan of
pleasure, her plea for more as he deepened the kiss and
his body molded itself to hers. His erect cock throbbed
against the thin barrier of silk as he sought and found
her inner heat.

She moaned in frustration, chafed her aching breasts
against the crisp matting of damp hair on his chest, and
swiveled her pelvis in tandem with his. He broke the kiss
then immediately moved to the sensitive pulse point just
below her earlobe, eliciting a low moan for more.

“Turn around,” he said, his voice a husky breath of warmth
that found its way from her inner ear to her inner
womanhood in less than a second.

She did as he said, hands still joined with his as she
spun in a graceful arc reminiscent of her short career as
a dancer.

He caught both her hands in one of his and anchored them
against the rock, imprisoned in a way she found divinely
thrilling. His other hand he ran freely, knowingly across
her breasts, her belly, her hips and her buttocks, his
touch urgent, yet leisurely in his exploration of her
body.

How long since she’d been touched by a man? Felt sexy and
desired? It was good for her soul, her emotional
responses sending her physical reaction right off the
Richter scale.