Note: Nicole Austin’s Books are intended for those readers 18 years old or older.

Chapter One

Evie Sloan pondered the hotel’s breakfast buffet and found the same boring fare she’d been eating all week. She’d kill for a big bowl of Frosted Flakes swimming in ice cold milk. Not thin, tasteless skim milk either. Give her the fully loaded whole milk. Oh yeah!

Loud chatter filled the cavernous room and assaulted her aching head. If one more person hit her with a sunshiny greeting before she got her morning dose of caffeine the phony smile pasted on her lips would darken into a permanent scowl.

She’d been anticipating the erotica conference thinking it would be a blast but long days of endless networking had drained her energy and bottomed out her enthusiasm. She needed to refuel. Leaning forward, she grabbed the silver tongs for the bacon and prayed it wasn’t something disgusting like turkey bacon. Evie shuddered.

Smile, she reminded herself for the gazillionth time. This is supposed to be fun.

Yeah, well the elusive good times would have to happen without her until she had breakfast. She had priorities, after all. Food and coffee were at the top of her list.

A solid wall of male heat blanketed her from behind. Shivers raced down her spine and goose bumps erupted on her arms. Warm breath caressed her neck, bringing every nerve ending to tingling awareness.

“We have an open spot tonight. You want in?” The odd yet seductive words were whispered in Caine Thorne’s distinct, authoritative voice. His dominant tone.

“We have an open spot tonight.”

Evie’s heart kicked into a fast, erratic beat. What exactly did that mean? Caine wanted to play with her? He had a piece of equipment he wanted to tie her up to? At the BDSM club?

Oh holy crap!

His large hand squeezed her shoulder, the casual gesture stealing the breath from her lungs. Everything fled Evie’s mind other than the man, his intriguing invitation and potent touch.

Damn, did that feel good! But still, what was he offering?

Hard core bondage images flashed through her mind. A nude body strapped to a St. Andrews Cross, pale skin bearing an intricate web of angry red marks from a recent flogging.

Her body.

And towering over her, a gorgeous, powerful Dom.

Dormant lust crackled with sizzling new energy and stirred her senses. The sinful ideas should not be turning her on. But they were. Big time.

“What about it, Evie? Wanna come?”

Hell yeah!

What red-blooded woman with a pulse would say no to the handsome man and his provocative offer? But she couldn’t get the words past a huge lump in her throat.

Her swollen breasts rose and fell in sync with her rapid breathing. The erotic thrill and possibilities threaded within Caine’s words moved Evie beyond reason and straight into pure sensual excess. With her pulse pounding in her ears, she blinked several times as she struggled for composure.

His whispered enticement had frozen her to the spot while the morning breakfast rush went on around them as if nothing of significance had happened. How strange that her entire world had shifted and no one else seemed to notice anything different.

She swallowed hard as he moved away. Evie took a moment to enjoy watching the flex and play of powerful muscles beneath his white T-shirt as he continued to peruse the breakfast offerings, filling his plate calm as could be, while she struggled just to make her lungs work. She may be gulping in air but the oxygen wasn’t reaching her sluggish brain. And zapped of strength, her legs quivered like a couple of overcooked noodles.

The massive Dom had propositioned her…right there at the breakfast buffet. Before she’d even had her first sip of coffee.

With the length of the buffet table between them, Caine winked at her. His intense brown eyes gleamed with awareness. He knew exactly how he affected her. And damn if that hot stare couldn’t melt an iceberg.

Jesus, this had to be a dream. She was sound asleep in her hotel room indulging in one heck of a wicked fantasy. Yes, that had to be it.

A pointy elbow slammed into her side and all the air she’d managed to suck into burning lungs escaped on a mumbled curse.

Okay, not a dream.

“Wake up, Evie.” Michelle Thorne, Caine’s wife, business partner and sexual submissive, flashed a devious grin and batted long eyelashes. “And close your mouth, honey.”