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Heat
A Soldiers of Fortune Romance
Aubrey Irons
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Military Romance,
New Adult Romance, Billionaire Romance,
Alpha Male, Bad-Boy
Date of Publication: 8/11/15
ASIN: B013TVO5VQ
Number of pages: 237 (kindle)
Word Count: 58,000
Cover Artist: Aubrey Irons
Book Description:
Five years ago, that cocky, egotistical a**hole played me like a fool and broke my heart.
Hudson Banks; the dominant, tattooed, womanizing, ex-Marine-turned-billionaire who runs God-knows-what at my late father’s company.
Oh, and he’s sexy as all f**k, and he damn well knows it.
He’s like a gasoline fire; a scorchingly hot disaster, and if I’m not careful, I’m going to get burned.
I’m on track to be the youngest New York State Senator ever elected; the bright, gutsy, good-girl media darling. Except my campaign funding just went dry, and it looks like the only solution is coming from the last person on Earth I’d ever want to take anything from. Oh, and it turns out bad-boy, tough-guy Hudson will be shadowing me 24/7 after he makes it clear that he’s in charge of "protecting the investment".
Yeah, just perfect; a reckless, irresistible d*ck like Hudson Banks is the last person I need being “in charge” of anything to do with me.
Especially when I still can’t forget the taste of his lips or the feeling of that massive hardness I know he’s packing between his legs. It’s not fair that he’s even hotter now than he was back then. It’s not fair that those smoldering, arrogant eyes and that cocky, panty-melting grin still make me warm in places they shouldn’t. And it’s definitely not fair that five years later, I still can’t get him out of my head.
So it looks like I’ve got two races on my hands: the one for election, and the one against the burning heat threatening to tear us both apart. But on the sprint to the finish line, what happens when the man who has everything comes up against the one thing he can’t have?
**This is a standalone, HEA novel**
Available at Amazon
My heart is pounding as I slam the door shut to my room. I’m pacing the floor, the blood roaring in my ears and hot across my face as I bring one of my fingers to my lips and chew at the cuticle; a habit I’ve been trying to kick since I was a kid. Shit; I just walked in on Hudson totally naked with those absolutely insane abs, those grooved muscles of his hips and that holy-fucking-shit HUGE cock. I can feel the blush bloom hotter through my face as I think of that particular part of him again; the part that had me staring and frozen like I was under a spell of some kind. It’s the part of him that has me wetter than I’ve ever been as the mental image of it sears itself into my brain.
I’m used to living alone, but I can’t believe I just barged in through a closed bathroom door. And I stayed! Why on earth hadn’t I just turned on my heal and bolted as soon s I’d seen him, instead of staring at him and his- his cock like I was some sort of sex-starved, tongue-tied weirdo! And what was I thinking letting him get that close to me, so close that I actually felt him against my thigh like that.
‘Say the word, Reagan’
My breath comes shaking as the desire floods through me, and I stop pacing to lean my forehead against the door. I have no idea where I possibly found the ability to say no, and as I feel my pulse throbbing in my ears and between my legs, I almost wish I could go back in time and try a different answer.
“Reagan.”
The knock at my door makes me jump, makes my heart leap into my throat; “Go away, Hudson.” I croak out. It takes every ounce of my control to keep my voice level and not betray the quaver I’m trying so hard to contain; “And learn to lock the damn door!”
I can hear him growl in the hallway; “Will you just open this one and we can ta-“
“There’s nothing to talk about.” My eyes are clenched tightly, my fingers digging into my palms as I chew at my lip, not sure if I want to will him to walk away or break the door down and take me right here and now. I can hear him swear under his breath on the other side of the door and then I jump at the sound of a palm slamming flat against the doorframe.
“Damnit, Reagan, open-“
“There’s nothing to talk about, Hudson.” I saw quietly; “Just lock the door next time.”
Please don’t ask me to open this door again or I know I will, I think, chewing at my lip with my eyes closed tight. I’m so close to the edge that I know if he asks me again there’s no way I’ll be able to say no. I clench my eyes closed even tighter, feeling my body shiver with desire and feeling the heat pulsing between my legs. Please, ask me-
The door to the guest room slamming shut down the hallway makes me jump, and I let my breath out suddenly, realizing I’ve been holding it. I count to three, and then ten, and then fifty before I open my door. I poke my head out to see that the hallways is clear, before I slip out and pad barefoot to the bathroom.
It’s still steamy in here from him, though I guess he never got a chance to take a shower before I barged in. There’s a bottle of aftershave lying on the sink next to a razor, and before I can stop myself, I’m holding the bottle to my nose and smelling his scent; letting it fill my senses as the steam of the room swirls around me. His aftershave hasn’t changed, and the smell instantly has me back there, back where we came so close. His hands are on me again, pushing me against the stone behind us as he kisses me; his hardness pressing hotly against my thigh through his pants.
I blush crimson, knowing that as of seven minutes ago, I know exactly what that hardness looks like.
I shake my head to clear it as I reach to turn on the water, trying to shake him out of my thoughts. The aftershave hasn’t changed, and as much as I want to think the man who wears it has with this whole new sober, healthy, helpful and positive Hudson, I know it’s just a new facade. People don’t change, not like that.
But when I step under the hot spray of the water, he’s still in my head; all of him. And as much as I want him gone from my thoughts, as the water teases electrically over my skin, the vivid image of his rock-hard body and his big cock standing a foot away from where I stand now invade every corner of my brain. I’m wet; far wetter than I’d be just from standing under a shower head, and before I can stop it, I’m pushing my hands down over my hips and over my stomach, and sliding them lower. My fingers roll over my aching clit, making me gasp quietly as I lean my forehead against the tile wall. A moan as soft as the steam rising around me escapes my lips as I rub myself there, picturing Hudson standing hot and ripped and naked right in front of me, so close that I can feel the heat from his body, and then closer still as I feel the throbbing heat of his erection press against my thigh. I picture myself letting him go further then, instead of pushing him away like I did. His mouth is on mine, sliding down to suck one of my nipples into his mouth before he slides lower still until he’s sliding his tongue deep into my wetness as I buck against his mouth. I moan again, louder this time as I slide a finger over my entrance and push it inside. I’m squeezing my eyes shut tight, already feeling myself start to tumble as I rock my hips to grind my clit against the palm of my hand as I picture Hudson wrapping my legs around his muscled waist and sliding that big, hard-
The bathroom door slams open; “Is my toothbrush-“
“Hudson!” But its not a cry of anger or shock, or even surprise; its me crying out his name as I come. And gasping out his name as my body begins to shatter pushes me tumbling over that sweet edge as my climax explodes through me.
“I- uh-“ His voice is choked, and as I look up through the semi-frosted clear shower curtain, I see him staring at me as he backs out of the room; “Sorry.”
The door shuts, and I slump against the wall, feeling like I want to turn to liquid and let the water pelting down on top of me carry me right down the drain along with it.
It’s a frosted shower curtain, so- no, there’s no way-
The water and the steam swirl around me as I slide to my knees in the tub and curl my legs up to my chin as I rock myself. He couldn’t have; God he couldn't have.
Character Name: Hudson Banks
Describe yourself what is your worst and best quality?
Like my brothers, I came from nothing; less than nothing. I was lost as a kid, and I always figured enlisting in the Marines, and then the mercenary circuit after that would get me somewhere close to being found. They never did, though, and I was only more adrift than I was before.
When the Old Man found me though - that’d be William Archer, of course; the billionaire - we were lost. But he saw something in me, and in my brothers. He took us in, put us in charge of his company, and made us the men of means we are today. I’d say it’s rags to riches, except that makes it sound like some sort of bullshit fairytale.
Best quality? I’m loyal; to a damn fault. If I’m on your team, I’m with you to the bitter end. Worst? I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I’m cocky, and arrogant sometimes; maybe a little more domineering than most.
I guess that doesn’t have to be a bad quality though, depending on the company ;).
What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?
I kinda play things close to the chest, if you know what I mean. If I want you to know something about me, I’ll tell you.
What is your biggest secret something no one knows about?
Hah! I wouldn’t even know how to begin answering that question. This whole life we have now is secrets upon secrets - our names, our background; all of it. My biggest secret though? That despite the money, the power, the women
What are you most afraid of?
Becoming my father, or of failing the man that took us in and made us who we are, and was more of a father than I ever had.
What do you want more than anything?
To be content; to find peace after all the shit I’ve seen and done.
What is your relationship status?
Single. That used to be “single” followed by a cocky, knowing wink, but I’m over that now. I’m trying to be the man I know I can be.
How would you describe your sense of fashion?
In public? The most expensive suit I can find. But it’s all part of the armor and the disguise that William taught us to wear. We need to hide who we really ar- were. Clothes make the man, and these clothes need to make us the men we need to be. Alone? Hah, gym shorts; at best.
How much of a rebel are you?
Darlin, you’ve got no idea.
What do you considered to be your greatest achievement?
Surviving war and life? Going sober maybe?
What is your idea of happiness?
A vintage motor purring under an american muscle hood, a perfect song, and the peaceful glory of an open road. Someone to lean their head
What is your current state of mind?
Anxious. I’m about to go meet William’s daughter Reagan for the first time in...well, a long time. And there’s...history, I guess you could say there. Shit, anxious doesn’t cover it, actually.
What is your most treasured possession?
Money buys you all sorts of shit, but when you have it, you realize it doesn’t actually mean anything. So I’ll say my memories of everything that brought me hear to who and where I am today. Ugh, ok that sounds super fuckin lame; I’ll also say my ‘69 Dodge Charger.
What is your most marked characteristic?
First glance? The tattoos, and probably the scars too. Anything else is a bullshit answer, like saying “oh, the first thing I noticed about her was her amazing wit and sparkling personality.” It’s just not true. You notice what you see first. Tats I’ve kind of got in spades. I consider my body a road-map from my life, and the scars and the ink are the postcards I left myself along the way.
What is it that you, most dislike?
Bullshit, hypocrisy, those with power exerting it over those who don’t.
Which living person do you, most despise?
I’d have said my father, but he’s dead now. Maybe myself too, but I’m changing; I’m trying. I’m trying to let go of hate like that.
What is your greatest regret?
Five years ago, Reagan Archer, a balcony, and a kiss I never should have walked away from. Not a damn word of that to anyone though.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Integrity, brutal honesty, honor.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Hah, same? The ability to carry themselves; to stand up for who they are and now cow to being who they think they should be. Girls who think they need to be some sort of bullshit Kardashian clone are the worse people I’ve ever met. Give me honesty, loyalty, and character.
It seems I’m also a total sucker for redheads, by the way.
Who is your favorite hero in fiction?
When I was a kid, I used to hide out in the local public library reading these old Tarzan books - the Sir Conan Doyle ones. Tarzan is the man; he’s loyal, he doesn’t take shit from anyone, and he’s wrestling with stuff inside no one knows about.
Which living person do you most admire?
My brothers, Byrce and Logan. Ok, not my literal brothers, but they’re closer than I can imagine any family being. We’ve been through hell on earth together, and somehow when everything seemed lost, those two were always there rallying the charge. I’ve got no idea how they’ve put up with me and my bullshit for so long, but I’m counting myself lucky in that regard.
If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
The mistake I made five years ago with letting the girl walk out of my life. I’m working on it, though.
What is your motto?
I’m still pretty partial to “Semper Fi”, but I’d also say “never back down.” Don’t ever back down.
Aubrey Irons enjoys writing about bold, sassy, and intelligent women and the hot, cocky, and quite typically forbidden alpha males who love and lust for them; gripping stories, happy endings, and enough heat to keep things extra steamy!
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her own tattooed Marine husband, their precocious and adorable three year old, and one very ill-behaved puppy.
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