Hero by Julia Sykes Read Free Book Online Page A

and jerking it up my legs to cover myself.
    “You’re going to drop,” his voice was heavy with disapproval. “I don’t have to touch you, but at least stay and talk to me for a little while.” He gestured to the empty cushion beside him on the leather couch where he’d been holding me. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
    I drew in a deep breath and summoned up my composure. “Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t want to have sex. Thanks for the scene. It was very informative.”
    “ Informative ?” He scowled.
    I lifted my chin. “Yes. I think I got some good material for my book. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out with my research.”
    “Your research,” he repeated in a cold monotone. “Right.”
    I gave him a brusque nod. “Thanks again. I should get going. I have an early morning tomorrow.”
    “Wait,” he commanded as I turned to leave. I stopped and looked back at him. “Promise me you’ll talk to Carina if you start to drop. I don’t like you leaving after an intense scene when you’re upset.”
    I shrugged. “I’m not upset. But I’ll talk to Carina if I need to,” I added when his strong jaw firmed with disapproval.
    I broke from his gaze and strode out of the room before the uncomfortable conversation could continue. I hadn’t been lying; I wasn’t upset. Not really. Annoyed with myself, maybe. I hated that I was so affected by the feel of Dex’s cock pressing into me. It was flagrant proof that I’d come perilously close to breaking my promise to myself. I didn’t want any man, but Dex had made my body crave his touch. The experience might have been mind-blowing, but I’d risked too much by making myself so vulnerable to him.
    I shook him from my mind, putting all my conflicted emotions behind me. We had shared a pleasant evening, nothing more. And now that evening was ending. It was time for me to find Carina and leave Decadence. Tomorrow, I’d get my big break on my Latin Kings story, and I didn’t need thoughts of BDSM clouding my mind. I’d return to work on my book another night. Maybe a little time and distance would allow me to process what had happened with Dex without making me feel so hot and bothered and confused.
    One thing was for certain: I’d definitely gotten the material I needed to take the kink factor in my books to the next level.

4
    Dex
    W ith a title like Declan’s Desires, I’d gone into Chloe’s book with low expectations. Not that I didn’t think she was intelligent, but the half-naked man pouting on the cover hadn’t set the bar very high. This wasn’t going to be as good as my usual sci-fi sagas.
    Or so I thought. While the love story wasn’t really my thing, the writing was good. Better than good. Her settings were vivid, her characters well-drawn. And the BDSM scenes were fucking hot.
    She’d left me alone and sexually frustrated just a few hours ago, and my hard-on came raging back to life as I read her lurid description of a flogging scene.
    Although the character was a curvy blonde, I couldn’t help picturing a lithe brunette strapped down to the spanking bench. Was this Chloe’s personal fantasy? Did she also put herself in the role of the submissive when she was writing? Or was it simply a calculated write-up of a scene she thought would sell the most copies?
    I still couldn’t get a read on Chloe. She claimed she was only interested in kink for research purposes, but she’d submitted so sweetly for me.
    Well, maybe not so sweetly. She’d challenged me at every turn, making me work for her submission. I’d never had a scene like it. Even the brattiest subs I’d played with were eager to be dominated. Chloe had been detached, defiant. Until I finally broke through and revealed the submissive within.
    But then she’d practically run from me when she came out of subspace. She’d told me at the beginning she wasn’t really a sub. Did she resent me for drawing out her submission? Or was there something more to it?
    Something