Exposing Victoria Read online

  Exposing Victoria

  Reese Gabriel

  Sequel to Commanding Kat, but may be read as a stand-alone title.

  Shane has faced his share of battles but nothing like the spunky Victoria. He’ll do anything to possess her beautiful body.

  Vicky is determined to make sure Shane is no more than a one-night stand but when the handsome hunk guesses her secret fantasy, an all-out war ensues. Vicky is an exhibitionist and Shane is just the man to light her on fire. The threat of discovery turns her on. Nowhere is off limits for their pulse-pounding lovemaking. From beaches to offices to a back alley at midnight, they can’t get enough of each other.

  She’s never had a man satisfy her so well, but Shane has to fight to keep the upper hand and keep Vicky coming back for more.

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Exposing Victoria

  ISBN 9781419925405

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Exposing Victoria Copyright © 2009 Reese Gabriel

  Edited by Pamela Campbell

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book publication December 2009

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  EXPOSING VICTORIA

  Reese Gabriel

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Batman: DC Comics Warner Communications Inc.

  Boy Scouts: The National Boy Scouts of America Foundation

  Jeopardy: Jeopardy Productions, Inc. DBA Merv Griffin Enterprises Corporation

  Chapter One

  “Hey, wait up, counselor!”

  Vicky cringed at the sound of Shane’s voice, deep, masculine and full of mischief. Pretending not to hear, she quickened her pace.

  What is his problem? The makeshift beach wedding reception was over, Kat and Chase were safely tucked away in their honeymoon chamber and Vicky was ready for a good night’s sleep in the guestroom Chase was providing her in the mansion he had built on his private Caribbean island.

  She had more than earned her keep for the day and tomorrow she was going to have to head straight back to the mainland to do her real work and Kat’s too.

  No rest for the wicked and that went double for lawyers.

  “Vicky!” Shane called again, much closer. She could almost feel his presence, impossibly strong and potent, not to mention thoroughly untamable.

  Hard to believe she had only just met the man a few hours ago. He had curled her toes at first sight.

  Talk about a train wreck waiting to happen.

  With any luck she would make it back to her room before he caught up. Vicky knew Shane’s type from hard experience—handsome and sexy as hell and wild as a demon. In short, he was the last thing she needed right now.

  Apparently he specialized in turning people’s lives upside down. Just moments before the nuptials he had shown up out of the blue, all tan and chiseled, long blond hair flowing.

  Chase, his longtime friend had turned white as a sheet. Shane had supposedly been left for dead two years ago in some jungle during an operation both had participated in as mercenary fighters.

  Chase was a businessman now as well as a practicing sexual Dominant and leader of the Society for Sexual Freedom. It was there he had first met Kat when she had wandered into the Red Room where he was playing with a young submissive. Kat had turned out to be a secret submissive herself.

  No doubt Kat was submitting right now, lying in her husband’s arms, tied most likely. Or maybe she was yielding to the teasing whims of his punishing whip.

  “You deaf or what, woman?” Shane had caught up to her, his hand on her arm.

  The touch of his skin shot through her like electricity.

  “No, I’m not deaf.” She whirled on him. “But you’re about to sing like a soprano if you don’t take your frigging mitts off me.”

  “Whoa there,” Shane said, chuckling and backing off. “Didn’t mean to start World War III, sugar.”

  Vicky did her best to resist the slow drawl, the rippling muscles, the easy way he carried his body—confident like a jungle cat. He was the sort who could have any woman he wanted and tonight he had set his sights on her.

  She would be flattered, but then again, she was pretty much the only available female on the island.

  “I’m not your sugar,” she snapped. “So stop sweet-talking me. It’s late and I’m going to bed.”

  He licked his lips, his blue eyes flashing. “Is that an invitation, Miss Victoria?”

  She felt a hot spark shoot down her spine at the thought of her and Shane in bed, naked, their hands exploring, bodies sweating, intertwined, all those smooth muscles hers to play with, kiss and love.

  “It most certainly is not. I am going to bed to sleep.”

  “That’s a real shame. A body like yours shouldn’t be wasted on sleep.”

  Vicky glared. His blatant pick-up lines ought to be shutting her down cold, instead they were heating her core to molten levels, leaving her at once weak-kneed and fierce with desire.

  Would it be so bad to use Shane as he obviously wanted to use her? She sure needed the sexual release. Just pure animal pleasure, no complications and no-morning after stress.

  Sex with Shane would be playing with fire though. He was unpredictable. What if he wanted more from her than she was prepared to give? What if he came back to her again and again? Would she have the willpower to ever turn him away from her bed?

  She only hoped he wasn’t capable of sensing her body’s reactions—the instinctive hardening of her nipples and the inevitable moistening between her thighs as she imagined his hard cock pushing inside her, insistent and demanding.

  “You must get slapped a lot,” Vicky said.

  “I’ve had my share of war wounds.”

  Vicky shook her head in disbelief. “You’re actually proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “’Better to have loved and lost’, isn’t that what they say?”

  She rolled her eyes, knowing she really ought to give him the brush-off. On the other hand, she wanted to learn his story. He had been through some incredible war trauma and spared from certain death. Surely there was more to him than the sexual opportunist he appeared to be?

  For Kat’s sake, if for no other reason, she ought to get to know this man who meant so much to Chase. After all Kat was going to spend the rest of her life with Chase and she certainly hadn’t taken much time getting to know him or his friends before tying the knot.

  The whole wedding idea had come on the spur o
f the moment. Chase had whisked Kat off to the Caribbean and held her as a virtual love prisoner until she’d agreed to be his bride. Sure, it was romantic as hell but this was the real world.

  “I’ll talk with you but nothing physical is going to happen. Is that clear?”

  “Scout’s honor,” he assured, hand up, palm facing out.

  She arched a brow. “That is not a Scout salute.”

  “It’s not?” He feigned shock. “I might have to go back to school on that one.”

  “While you’re at it, I would advise you to brush up on your karate. I’m a black belt and if you make one false move on me I will unleash a firestorm on your ass.”

  Shane whistled, clearly impressed. “Gorgeous and tough too? Victoria, you might be the woman of my dreams.”

  “How fitting,” she shot back. “Because you are most definitely the man of my nightmares.”

  Shane laughed, much to her irritation. Why was it the harder she tried to put him off the more interested in her he became?

  “So where do you want to talk, baby, your room or mine?”

  “Neither.” There was no way she was going to get within a million miles of a bed, not the way her libido was acting up. “And I already told you, stop with the pet names.”

  “Okay. How about the beach?”

  Vicky’s heart skipped a beat.

  The beach, yeah right, the two of them under the moonlight, the silvery waves washing up onto a blanket of white sand, pure as crystal, nature’s own bed. Talk about a recipe for romantic disaster.

  “It’s too dark down there. And there’s too much sand.”

  Why was she even having this conversation in the first place?

  Shane grinned.

  It was more than she could bear.

  “What the hell are you smiling about?”

  “I was just thinking how adorable you are, so determined and proper, like a duchess or something. But underneath, it’s a different story, isn’t it, Miss Victoria?”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, I think you do. Tell you what, how about if we go for neutral territory and have a drink over on the next island. I know a real laid-back kind of place.”

  Vicky snorted. “I’ll bet it comes complete with stripper poles and mud wrestling.”

  “I like where your head’s at, darlin’,” he mused. “But the only stripping that would interest me tonight is seeing what’s under that dress of yours.”

  Vicky bristled. She had spent the better part of her adult life putting men in their place, from the courtroom to the boardroom, forcing them to see her as more than just a sex object.

  Unfortunately, Shane was exactly the kind of guy to make a woman want to be a sex object, at least for a night.

  “Listen, buddy.” She poked a manicured finger at his muscular chest, all too well displayed in a skintight, sleeveless T-shirt. “I am trying to be nice because we are family now but you are really pushing it. So you’d better think carefully about the next words out of your mouth. If they are even the tiniest bit inappropriate, I am out of here. Got it?”

  Shane offered no reply. His eyes were fixed on hers—calm, steady, like a hunter with all the time in the world.

  And she was the prey.

  Agonizing seconds ticked by.

  “Say something, damn it.”

  Shane moved too fast for her to react. His hands went to her upper arms, gripping, lifting her up on tiptoe.

  He was going to kiss her.

  She released a cry of protest but it was too late. His lips captured hers, hot and insistent. Vicky felt the strength drain from her body. Every ounce of “no” was replaced with a terrible, aching “yes”.

  Not just yes, but “yes, now, please”.

  His body was like a living wall, shielding and protecting, but also inflaming. She knew, now, that he wasn’t bluffing. Shane was the kind of man who could deliver on the sexual bliss he promised.

  Women chased men like this, they pined for them and made fools of themselves over them, ruining their lives. They’d do anything for another taste, another touch, another climax.

  Only they would never get enough because men like Shane—built like a god and handsome as the devil—did not stick around in the beds of mere mortals. They were on nature’s list of cruel ironies, things too good to be true, like the rose with its cutting thorns or the coral snake, so deadly to the touch.

  Despite the warnings from her brain, Vicky’s resistance melted in a heartbeat, her breasts pressing against his chest, her nipples burning, her pelvis feeling the hardness of his cock beneath his jeans. Her mind filled mind with possibilities.

  She could sense it instinctively, his skill and confidence. He was assured but not arrogant. He left no doubt that he could take her, lift her into his arms and carry her to the beach or the nearest bed. She would have no power, absolutely no ability to refuse.

  Oh god, his tongue was right there running across her teeth, bidding her to open further and let him in so their mouths could play.

  Yes, it will be good, his kiss said. We will be good together—molding, intertwining, working each other to fever pitch, to a perfect and mutual climax.

  Vicky was limp, wet and on the verge of surrender when he abruptly released her. She blinked, trying to get her bearings as he settled her sandaled feet back onto the sand.

  What the—

  Her blood pounded. Emotions swirled. She was overwhelmed and dizzy with need. Not to mention mad as hell.

  Shane was not going to get away with this.

  “What was that supposed to be? No, never mind, I know what it was, just tell me what possessed you?”

  Shane shrugged, his imperviousness further enraging her. “I couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say so I decided to wing it.”

  Unbelievable.

  “Wing it? By kissing me?”

  “It was an impulse. Life is short, Victoria. We all like to think we will get another chance to act on our desires if we ignore them now, but nothing’s guaranteed.”

  “Another lame pick-up line,” she dismissed, hiding her scorching, ignited desire behind a sarcastic smile. “Let me make love to you tonight, sweet darling, because tomorrow may never come.”

  Shane shrugged. “I’m just having fun. Aren’t you?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Being groped is hardly my idea of fun.”

  “It was just a kiss. Though it could have led to more. We both know it.”

  Vicky felt the heat in her cheeks…again. “Hah,” she snorted.

  “The evidence is there, counselor. We have the right chemistry. Or are you telling me that kiss didn’t rock your world like it did mine?”

  “I was just being polite.”

  Shane laughed, leaning back and letting loose a roar like a lion. “You are so adorable, Victoria, I swear.”

  “Laugh it up,” she shot back. “Because you and that ego of yours will be spending the night together, alone.”

  Shane grinned. “Good girl, you give it right back.”

  “Whatever,” she dismissed. “Just tell me where we are going for this drink before I come to my senses.”

  “I can’t tell you. I have to show you.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me exactly where…”

  He took her hand, ending her objection. The sudden enveloping strength and warmth made her toes curl, not to mention emptying her mind of coherent thoughts.

  “Let go of me, Shane.”

  “All in due time,” he said steering her back down to the beach.

  He led them silently toward the shore to a weather-beaten dock. There was a single boat waiting, sleek and black, way too small and fast for Vicky’s liking.

  “You expect me to get in that thing?”

  “You’re not scared, are you, counselor?”

  “Of you or the boat?”

  “Both.” Shane released her hand only to grab her around her waist. For a
moment she thought he intended to kiss her again but instead he lifted her into his arms in a single smooth motion that nearly made her swoon.

  The combination of strength and gentleness as he climbed onto the boat and set her down made her belly do a flip. It was like some corny scene from a romance novel.

  Minus any possibility of love, that is.

  Shane held onto her a second too long.

  She made the mistake of looking into his eyes, deep and blue and restless as the deepest sea.

  Talk about mixed emotions. The rational part of her wanted him to release her, but at the same time another part of her wanted him to pull her tightly against him until every objection was overruled by the sheer illogic of lust.

  He let go of her long enough to get a life jacket.

  “Arms up,” he said huskily.

  Vicky swallowed and did as told.

  Shane took his time, pulling the vest over her neck and fixing the straps. He pulled them snug while avidly watching her chest rise and fall.

  Vicky’s breasts ached, longing to be touched, caressed, squeezed.

  What kind of lover would Shane be? She didn’t doubt his prowess but exactly how would he taste and how would he touch her? No two men were alike.

  According to Kat, there was a soul mate for each person, a perfect match, and when you found that person you never wanted another to kiss you or touch you again.

  Maybe so, but she didn’t care to find out. Vicky sure as hell wasn’t going to be left picking up the pieces if a soul mate ran out on her. She would never be reduced to crying into her pillow at night, cursing the vibrator for the orgasms it brought, a pathetic, pale imitation of him.

  Damn it. This is getting out of hand. She was all too aware of the feel of the canvas strap running snugly across her waist. She wished the yellow dress did more to conceal her breasts.

  “That ought to do it.”

  Never had she been so glad to have a man back off…or so frustrated. What was Shane doing to her and what was with all the blushing? It was true that he was the most gorgeous specimen of manhood she had run across since…well, ever, but there was more to it, some kind of crazy chemistry, just as he’d he said, that made her want to take risks, as if she were in high school all over again, playing the perennial good girl cheerleader yearning to go off with the bad boy.