At
the Heart of the Stone
By
Roxanne D. Howard
Genre:
Romance, Supernatural
Dreams
are the perfect shelter for our fantasies, safe havens to step inside
without changing our daily lives. For Lark Braithwaite, all that is
about to change. During the last six months, Lark has dreamt of a
mysterious Irish lover who knows what she wants and gives her exactly
what she needs. In her waking life in busy London, things aren’t as
ideal, as her long-term relationship with Charles, her controlling
fiancé, has hit a dry spell.
When
Lark is called home to Oregon for her father’s funeral right in the
middle of a high-stakes corporate merger, she heads back to face the
demons from her past. What she doesn’t expect is to meet her dream
lover in the flesh. Niall O’Hagan steps straight out of her
fantasies and right into her life, and the powerful connection they
share rocks her foundation. Although she's dealing with the
bitterness of being betrayed by Charles and his jealousy, Niall soon
stirs Lark’s awareness of the superficiality of her existence and
reawakens not only her sexuality, but her soul.
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She bit her lower lip, trying to get on solid ground, but from the hunger on his face, she shouldn’t have done that. The imprint of last night’s dream was still fresh in her mind, and she went for a bitchier approach, hoping to deter him. “Oh, please, Niall. My dad was more of a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do type of parent. So right now, I need these more than I need to be lectured, thank you very much.”
He shrugged a shoulder, and a wayward dark curl fell over his left eyebrow. “Fair enough. Could I make an observation, though?”
Lark put the cigarette between two fingers and played with the lighter in her other hand, prepared to take it outside. “Could I stop you?”
The corners of Niall’s mouth twitched. He glanced down, and she moved in for the kill.
“What? Oh, I’m sorry, are you intimidated by strong women?”
His gaze shot back up and fixed on hers. “Oh, no. On the contrary; I find it alluring. I find you, in particular, extremely alluring, though it’s unethical.”
Panic shot through her. What in tarnation was she doing? She should tell him she was with Charles, discourage him. But the way his eyes caught the hallway light, turning them a deep viridian, reminded her of their tryst in the cottage. She said nothing, but her nipples peaked and pressed against her shirt like hard pebbles. He glanced down at them and moved toward her until she found herself pushed up against the wall, trapped. She wasn’t an expert at reading people or anything, but I want you might as well have been written on his forehead in permanent marker. He dropped his law books on the floor without preamble and cupped her face in his hands, leaning forward to kiss her, with no uncertainty this time.
Stunned, she dropped her smoking items as his mouth claimed hers. She let out an involuntary whimper as he touched his tongue to hers, and it appeared to be all the encouragement he needed. With a groan, he fisted the lower back of her shirt and tugged her toward him as his other hand sought the side of her neck.
She sucked on his tongue, twining one of her legs around his as she devoured his mouth. He rubbed his cock against her tentatively and then pressed harder, rubbing it into her pussy through their barrier of clothes.
She should push him away—she should, this was insane—but he tasted like her dreams, warmth and earth and mint, and she craved to feel that again, needed it. She brought her arms up to his shoulders, unsure. He covered her hands with his own and placed them around his neck as he dived into her mouth again, groaning. She kissed him back, the tentativeness fading away with each pull of his lips, each stroke of his tongue.
Liquid warmth rushed to her pussy as his hands slid beneath the back of her shirt, exploring her skin. The amount of passion she got from this single kiss trumped anything she’d ever experienced. She shivered as he rocked against her, hard and hot in the cradle of her hips. He grabbed her bum, tugging her closer as he rubbed against her, his staggered breath against her mouth. Oh yes, he wanted her.
***Winner
of the Coffee Time Romance Reviewer's Award!!***
Roxanne D. Howard is a
U.S. Army veteran who has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and
English. She loves to read poetry, classical literature, and Stephen
King. Also, she is an avid Star Wars fan, musical theater nut, and
marine biology geek. Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when
she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and
children. Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you
to contact her via her website and social media.
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