His Strings to Pull by Cathryn Fox Read Free Book Online

heavy. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong. I want you.” She ran her hands over his lapels. Even though the tough soldier cleaned up nicely and looked rather dashing in his suit, underneath the clothes he was still that same rough and rugged, fiercely protective guy who hung out at her family’s ranch. “I’ve always wanted you.”
    “Gemma—”
    She molded her body against his, aware of the explosive heat arcing between them. “Why don’t you sneak me to my room like you used to do when we were younger, and instead of lecturing me, I think you should strip me naked and spend the rest of the night in my bed, inside me.”

Falling for the bad boy is even more dangerous the second time around.
    Good Girl Gone Plaid
    © 2013 Shelli Stevens
    The McLaughlins, Book 1
    In high school Sarah fell for her best friend’s older brother—one of the sexy, Scottish McLaughlin boys. But a painful betrayal showed her she’d been a fool to give her heart to a bad boy. At least it made it easier to leave him and move halfway around the world when her Navy dad got stationed in Japan.
    Eleven years later, the death of her grandmother has forced Sarah back to Whidbey Island for a month. It’s the length of time she must stay in her inherited house before she’s allowed to sell it, take the money and run. But when she sees Ian, bad as ever and still looking like sin on a stick, she can’t keep her mouth from watering.
    One look at Sarah stirs up the regret lingering in Ian’s heart—and never-forgotten desire lingering in his body. He should walk away, especially since divorced single mothers aren’t his style. But when she starts showing up at his family’s pub, he can’t resist a little casual seduction for old time’s sake.
    One thing quickly becomes clear, though. The heat between them is causing an avalanche of secrets and betrayal and nothing will ever be the same.
    Warning: A bad-boy hero who’s good with his hands, a heroine who’s trying to be good. Contains liberal consumption of Scotch whisky, a Highland Games competition, men in kilts wielding large poles, and a potential Sarah McLaughlin of the non-musical kind.
    Enjoy the following excerpt for Good Girl Gone Plaid:
    She blinked and wet her lips. “W-what?”
    “You heard exactly what I said.” His gaze honed in on her mouth and his eyes darkened. “A kiss. It’s not that complicated.”
    Oh, it was definitely that complicated.
    “Not a chance.”
    “Why?”
    “Are you high? Because we’ve got a history—a pretty complex one where I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with you. And beyond that, I’m not for sale, dammit.”
    Ian laughed. The sound so deep and sexy, she hated the way it heated her blood.
    “I’m not asking you to suck me off. Though I sure as hell wouldn’t protest if you tried. It’s just a kiss.”
    The imagery. Oh, God, the imagery those words created. She shoved it aside, and sputtered, “You’re disgusting. You kiss your mother with those lips?”
    “Not since she moved back to Scotland with Da. And the only kissing I’d like to focus on is between you and I.”
    “It’s not going to happen.”
    When she stepped back, he followed her. A deliberate dance of seduction. Of intimidation.
    “It will happen, Sarah, because I want it to and I’m certain you do too.”
    “Arrogant much?” Her mouth went dry. “I was done with you the day I moved to Japan.”
    Okay, that was a lie. She’d never forgotten him—it would be impossible to. And each suggestive little sentence he uttered was turning her body to liquid heat. Which pretty much made her think she needed to have her head examined. Any normal woman would’ve reacted by slapping that smug smile off his face.
    “And that’s just the thing, doll. I wasn’t done with you.” His head dipped. “Not even close.”
    And before she could fire back a response, not that she had one after his explosive admission, he muttered, “I’m