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BIO

Once a Thief

The good girl —

She's worked hard to leave her ghetto roots behind. Now a successful district attorney with a reputation to uphold, Katherine can't afford to let go and indulge her secret desires.

The bad boy —

Ex-convict Jake Monroe remembers Kate as an uptight, prissy teenager. Seeing her again makes him want to live out every kinky fantasy he's ever had — with her.

They have nothing in common but a difficult past...and a taste for unusual pleasures. Jake's determined to tear down Kate's walls, to push her past her limits. But Kate takes him further than he ever imagined.

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Excerpt...

© 2006 by Doreen DeSalvo

"Being without a woman...it's the worst thing about being in prison."

"I'm not interested."

Sure she was. And he'd tell her, because she was the closest thing to heaven he'd seen since getting out...and because she wasn't going to let him get any closer to her than he was right now. He wanted to punish her for that. Punish her for making him so desperate to get between her legs.

Hell, he'd punish her just for the fun of it. Just to prove what an undeserving bastard he was.

"You probably think it makes a man selfish. That he'll grab the first woman he sees. That he won't want anything but a quick fuck."

She gasped a little, like she'd never heard the word.

"Well, you'd be wrong." He leaned forward, until he swore he could smell her perfume. "It makes him fantasize about just looking at her. Looking at her spread out on a bed, naked. Open. Waiting for him. It makes him think of a thousand different ways to take her."

A thousand kinky ways. Ways you've never imagined in your safe little lawyer world.

His throat got tight. He had to take another sip of coffee before he could go on. "It makes him want a whole night of fucking. Over and over...until you beg me to stop."

She licked her lips. "I'm not interested."

She was interested, all right. She was so interested, she was repeating herself. And she hadn't noticed that he'd replaced his fantasy woman with her.

"After the first year, you almost forget about the sex. You start fantasizing about touching her, just touching her. Touching her in little ways." He moved his hand across the table until it was next to hers. With his forefinger, he gently stroked the side of her wrist. "Little ways...like this."

The tip of her tongue peeked out for a brief flash as she wet her lips. "Stop." Her hand moved just an inch, but enough to break contact.

His own hand followed, until his forefinger barely rested against her arm. "If you let me touch you..."

If you let me touch you, I'll have you under me in ten seconds.

Not a good thought to share with her. "I'd give anything to kiss you." He kept his voice low. "I'd die happy if you gave me one kiss. Let me taste your mouth just one time."

"You wouldn't be happy with just a kiss, and you know it."

She sounded angry—angry and a little breathless. Did he actually have a chance with her? "I'd stop whenever you wanted." He'd try to, at least. "I'd start with your hair. I'll take it down from that bun..."

"It's a French twist."

"Whatever. First I'll kiss your bare, beautiful neck, with little open-mouthed kisses."

And I'll bite your neck hard enough to brand you. To remind you that I was in your bed. In your body.

"I'll unbutton that shirt so slowly, you'll wonder if I'm going to take all night." Sounded good, but in reality he'd rip the damned thing off her. Her breasts would be beautiful, he just knew it.

"I'll spread your shirt open real slow, and I'll look at you in your bra for a long, long, time." He swallowed to get the hoarseness out of his voice. "I wonder what yours looks like. One of those stretchy sports bras? Or something lacy?"

She shook her head once, but didn't speak. Her lips had parted, like she was breathing hard.

"Something lacy, I bet. I'll touch you through your bra. Kiss you through it." He dropped his voice so no one could hear. "Maybe I'll bite you a little. Do you know how close pleasure can be to pain?"

He saw her throat move, but she didn't say anything. Was he exciting her?

"Yeah, I'd bite your nipples just a little, just until you were squirming. Until you begged me to get to your skin. Then I'd take your bra off...and bite you some more. "

"Stop this." Her voice came out hoarse. Almost a moan.

"Why? A little fantasy never hurt anyone." He'd had years to do nothing else. Nothing but fantasize about all the ways he wanted to take a woman. And now, with only a week on the outside, he was rock hard over a woman who'd never let him touch her.

"Because..." She glanced down at the table, took a deep breath, and looked at him again, her chin raised belligerently. "It's not appropriate."

Appropriate? God, she was a starchy one. "I don't give a damn."

He slid out of the booth and sat down next to her, his torso turned to face her. She looked shocked, eyes wide, lips parted. He leaned close, closer, and she leaned further away, until her back was against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Her voice shook. Was she frightened?

Good.

"I'm gonna kiss you."

Her hands came up to press against his chest, and she gasped. "Don't."

Her resistance made him want her even more. He'd never forced a woman before, not even into a kiss. But now, after prison, he was one sick bastard. Those slender hands pushing him away made him want to crush her against him...to crush her resistance, plunder her mouth, grab her breast...to show her how much he wanted her. To force her to want him. Right here in this tacky diner.

One arm went around her, pulling her closer, his mouth lowering—

"No, Jake. Don't. We're in public."

He stopped...and smiled down into her face. "So if we weren't in public, you'd let me?"

Her cheeks went pale. She looked even more frightened now. Because she wanted him? No, he couldn't be that lucky.

A clink on the table made him turn. The damned waitress, giving them refills. Her face was bland, bored—no doubt she'd seen worse things than an ex-con trying to force himself on a classy attorney.

"You need anything else?" the waitress asked.

"No," he snapped.

"Can we have our check, please?" Kate asked.

"Sure." The waitress pulled a check out of her pocket and laid it face down on the table, then walked away.

Kate pushed against him, hard. Damn, now she just looked pissed. Embarrassed, maybe. He backed off, and she straightened up. With a quick motion, she grabbed the bill with one hand and reached for her purse with the other.

No way was he letting her pay for his cup of coffee. He reached for the check, but she pulled it back. "Let me get this," he insisted.

"Don't be silly. You don't even have a job yet."

Nice of her to remind him. The hell of it was, even this five dollar tab would hurt him. "Thanks."

She stopped foraging in her purse and looked up at him, giving him an awkward little smile. As if she knew he hated being broke. "You can pay me back later." Then she laid a few bills on the table and clutched her purse close to her chest, holding it between them like a shield.

Damn. He'd scared her.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot. He'd see her again. But for now, he'd let her go. Her eyes looked too frightened to give him any more tonight.

He slid back out of the booth and stood up. Kate slipped out behind him. Without a word, she walked toward the door.

He had to hurry to keep up with her. She raced out the door without holding it for him, like the hounds of hell were after her. When he caught up with her in the parking lot, she was trying to get the door of her car unlocked. Her hand was shaking so bad, she couldn't get the key in.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, and she jerked around to face him. "Leave me alone."

She was breathing hard from rushing out of the restaurant. Her hot breath hit his neck, and he shuddered from the contact. Reaching out, he took her elbows in his hands. "Take it easy."

She stared up at him with those big green eyes, her lips moving a little with each breath. What would she do if he kissed her? Slap him, probably. Or knee him in the groin. His cock shriveled a little at the thought. "What are you afraid of?"

"You."

At least she was honest. He stroked up and down her upper arms, trying to reassure her. "I won't hurt you, Kate. I've never hurt a woman in my life."

She gave a half-choked laugh. "Oh, good. You have standards."

Damn her. Judging him after all he'd been through. "Yeah, I do."

He eased closer, just a fraction of an inch. She didn't flinch, didn't back up, didn't reach out to touch him. God, she acted like she'd never been this close to a man. Like she wanted him, but didn't know what to do about it.

He did. He slid his hands to her waist, testing. She didn't move away. He shouldn't kiss her. He really shouldn't. But he moved closer, and she didn't back away. Another inch. Another. She closed her eyes in consent.

Unbelievable.

He kissed her gently, just barely stroking his lips over hers. He'd never felt lips so soft. A groan came from his throat, rumbled against his lips. Her hands went to his shoulders, just resting there, not pushing him away...but not pulling him closer, either. Shy little Kate. He wouldn't grind his hard-on against her, no matter how badly he wanted to.

She gasped against his mouth, and his tongue touched hers for a second. Then again, and again, just light little touches...and then they were delving into each other with raw hunger. He tried to stay gentle, not crowd her, not squeeze her too hard. He didn't want to scare her away.

Breathe. Breathe. He dragged his lips from hers and buried them in her hair, panting.

She nuzzled at the front of his neck. Enough. He'd fall over if she kept this up.
"Kate, stop." He took her shoulders and gently moved her away.

She looked up at him, her lips glistening wet in the dim streetlight. Her eyes were cloudy with passion. Confused.

"Take me home with you." He almost winced. Not the most elegant pickup line he'd ever come up with. "You won't be sorry." Christ, that wasn't much better.

Her eyelids dropped closed. Then she nodded.

Yes. She'd said yes. He felt like shouting, but managed to keep himself to a smile. Probably more of a leer.

A classy woman like her had no business with a man like him. And he'd prove it to her. But first she'd give him everything...every nasty fantasy he'd ever had.

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