Her Secret Thrill. Donna Kauffman

      “Taste it, Natalie. You know you want it.”

      Jake rubbed the ripe strawberry lightly over her lips, coating them in sugar and juice.

      “Does it bother you that these people are watching me feed you?” he asked.

      “Maybe a little—” she managed, glancing around the crowded restaurant, trying to keep her breathing even.

      “Do you wonder if this might be turning them on, that this could be the most erotic thing they’ve ever seen?” He smiled seductively. “Take the fruit, Natalie,” he coaxed softly. “Take it like you want it. Enjoy it like you know you will.”

      Natalie took the fruit in her mouth, its tartness exploding her senses, her desire for more than food crackling through her body. She glanced down at their table. “Do you want any more of this?”

      “Oh, I want a lot more of this.” Jake pocketed the rest of the fruit in one of the restaurant napkins and held out his hand. “Let’s finish this meal in private.”

      As Jake led her out of the restaurant, Natalie’s heart thudded heavily in anticipation of what was to come. Breakfast would never be the same….

      Dear Reader,

      Have you ever dreamed about finding the perfect fantasy man? A man who understands your every need, perhaps even better than you do? A man perfectly willing to push you to explore all those needs, a man who could make every fantasy you’ve ever had—and a few you’d never thought of!—come true? Well, Natalie Holcomb has never even considered such a fantasy man exists. But then, she doesn’t give much thought to fantasies at all…at least not the ones Jake Lannister is prepared to show her. Can she really allow herself to follow the seductive path he wants to lead her down? Can she say no? Would you?

      I hope you enjoy Natalie’s adventures into exploring her every secret thrill…including the most shocking one of all: falling in love. You never know, maybe you’ll discover a few secret thrills of your own, as well.:)

      Happy reading,

      Donna Kauffman

      P.S. Check out the Blaze Web site at www.tryblaze.com.

      Her Secret Thrill

      Donna Kauffman

      To my Lawman.

      Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Epilogue

      1

      WHERE HAD LIZA DISAPPEARED TO?

      Natalie Holcomb pasted a smile on her face and said good-night to another cluster of Liza’s glitzy guests as they left the penthouse suite. She closed the door behind them, wishing like hell she could slip out of these heels and go soak in that Olympic-size sunken tub she knew awaited her in her private bath.

      She couldn’t deny Liza knew how to throw a party…and where to throw one. The Maxi was the newest hotel in New York City and Liza had reserved the entire penthouse level for her latest bash. Typical overindulgence— Natalie went for elegance over opulence—but Liza could definitely afford it. Or, more correctly, her newest client could.

      At twenty-nine, Liza was the crème de la crème of the young Turks invading the public relations business. To night’s bash was a big coming-out party for the sexiest soap star to grace the set of the hottest soap, Steam. It was the party at which to see Conrad Jones, and to be seen by everyone else. Conrad’s surgically perfected face and buffed action-figure body didn’t do it for Natalie, but she’d quickly learned she was the only female under eighty who apparently felt that way. Then again, she didn’t recognize anyone here, so what did she know?

      “Where’s Liza?”

      Natalie spun around and automatically pasted on her hostess smile again. Now I know how a beauty pageant director feels. Inferior, with a good case of lockjaw.

      “I’m not sure where she is at the moment,” Natalie said graciously to the chic couple. “But I’ll be certain to tell her you said goodbye. I know she was thrilled you could make it.” Whoever you are.

      They gave her the “yeah, whatever” nod that clearly stated they realized she was a nobody and therefore not worthy of more of their time. Natalie didn’t stick her tongue out and slam the ten-foot-tall door behind them, but she thought about it. Which only went to show how late it really had gotten. She couldn’t care less what these people thought of her. Glitz and glam was Liza’s life. Corporate law was hers. She smiled, thinking it really wasn’t much different. Sharks and barracudas abounded in both arenas. Liza just swam with better-looking sharks.

      They’d shared a dorm at law school for four semesters before Liza had dropped out to head for the Big Apple to realize her own dream. That was six years ago. Natalie looked around and had to smile in approval. They’d both done pretty well. It was probably their drive to succeed that had kept them close despite their crazy schedules. Natalie lived in New York City but traveled all over the country. Liza worked out of L.A., but also traveled extensively. The only reason Natalie had come at all tonight was that they’d both been in the same town at the same time, and that happened all too rarely. She’d agreed to stay with her in the penthouse so they could spend some time together. Not, she thought as she looked through the rapidly thinning crowd, that she’d actually gotten to do much of that. She sighed but shrugged it off. Liza was…well, Liza.

      NINETY MINUTES and a couple of dozen more locked-jaw goodbyes later, Natalie sank thankfully back against the double doors. “Finally.” Liza had never surfaced. Knowing her, Natalie figured Liza had let Conrad talk her into hitting some hot club or another party. Liza was a slave to her career and loved every minute of it. Of course, Natalie thought with a private smile, Liza had probably let Conrad think he was her slave master. She shook her head and wandered to the oasis that was the kitchen, gathering up empty glasses as she went. She had let the bartending and wait staff go home at two. It was now almost three. She knew there would be a cleaning crew coming in the morning, so she’d just set these in the sink and head toward that sunken tub.

      “Excuse me.”

      Natalie squealed and spun around. The deep voice belonged to a tall guy with dark-blond hair and amused-looking blue eyes, who quickly stepped forward to catch the crystal stemware she almost bobbled to the floor.

      He rescued two of them, and Natalie managed to get the other three onto the counter intact.

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

      She shook her head, willing her pounding heart out of her throat. “I—I thought I was alone.” She meant to look away, regain her composure, but something about the direct, easy way he held her gaze prevented her from doing so. “Let me, uh, that is, I, um—” She broke off, suddenly feeling silly for being so tongue-tied. Like she hadn’t seen a hundred