She knew he was right. He hadn’t wanted her to be overcome with lust by his little show. He’d wanted her to laugh and remember how much she loved him—exactly as she’d done.

She smiled, relaxing in his arms. “My heart always seems to get me in trouble with you.”

He brushed a kiss into her hair. “Yours isn’t the only one.”

“I wasn’t even supposed to have a heart.”

“Me either.”

She raised her head to meet his eyes, and they gazed at each other for a long moment, understanding each other completely.

“I think mine has completely swallowed up the beast,” he added, a wry, resigned note in his voice. He must still be thinking about her comment before, as she’d been trying to spur him to put away his work.

“No, it hasn’t. The beast is still lurking in there somewhere. I like when he comes out to play occasionally.”

His brown eyes ignited at her words, and his focus lowered briefly to her breasts, which were barely covered with the material of her suit.

She smiled, her heart overflowing with a sudden, stark realization of how far they’d come in the last year. “But I think I was right when I told you on the first day we met that, by the time I was through with you, all your unrelenting alpha-maleness would be broken.”

“Not broken,” he objected, the corners of his mouth tilting up again. “Maybe just bent a little.”

She smiled and kissed him briefly. “Just so you know, you were right about me too. I used to think I was better off alone. I don’t think that anymore.”

“Good. Because you’re stuck with this man, no matter how old and boring and work-obsessed he gets.”

“I’m not stuck with you. I chose you, out of all the other men I could have had.”

His eyebrows arched. “Just how many other men are we talking about?”

She giggled and gave him a soft hug. “I’m not sure you’re in a good position to start comparing numbers.”

“Probably not,” he agreed drily. Then he adjusted her so she was looking at him again, his expression sobering. “I might be half the man I was before, but it’s the better half. You know that, right?”

She felt her chest tighten with feeling again, knowing how much he meant it, knowing how far he had come to be able to share his heart so nakedly. She nodded, her eyes burning slightly, realizing how far she had come too. “Yes. I know it. Same here.”

After a minute of silent acknowledgment, she gave her head a little shake, deciding the sappy part of the afternoon was over. “Now,” she said, pitching her tone as a taunt again, “if you think you can manage to rouse the beast a little, I can think of a few things I’d like him to do.”

It worked. Of course it worked. Some things would never change. And Caleb Marshall would never let a challenge go unanswered.

About the Author

CLAIRE KENT has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. She has a PhD in British literature and, when she’s not writing, teaches English at the university level. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Noelle Adams.

You can email her at clairekent.writer@yahoo.com and find her online at:

clairekent.com

Facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor

@NoelleAdams3

The Editor’s Corner

Another month of new Loveswept romance books is here! I know you’ll adore this selection of stories chosen just for you….

USA Today bestselling author Claire Kent continues her emotionally charged story of longing, betrayal, and insatiable desire with Darker the Release, the sequel to Sweet the Sin. Another Loveswept USA Today bestseller, Lauren Layne, introduces her new Oxford series with Irresistibly Yours. Wendy Marcus’s latest sexy yet sweet military romance, All I Need Is You, releases this month as well. Then there’s another Friends First story from USA Today bestseller Laura Drewry, How Forever Feels. USA Today bestseller Stacey Kennedy finishes up her successful BDSM Club Sin series with Mine, simultaneously introducing her next series of erotic play, Dungeon’s Key, and hot hero Micah.

We’re back on the ice with the first in the Aces Hockey series from Kelly Jamieson, Major Misconduct. Ladies, hold on to your hearts, the Caldwell Brothers are here—USA Today bestselling author MJ Fields and Chelsea Camaron want you to meet Hendrix, the first book in a series about three alpha men who live up to their legendary names. Lastly, something a little different—bear-shifter’s anyone? An alpha hero to the extreme, hot highlander Ronan is all that you could want in Bearing It All by Vonnie Davis, perfect for fans of Jennifer Ashley and Shelly Laurenston.

Fabulous variety with a book for everyone, yes? I hope you’ve found your book boyfriend in this month’s releases. However, if you haven’t, fear not, as November’s hot lineup is just around the corner. Until then…

Happy Romance!

Gina Wachtel

Associate Publisher

Let USA Today bestselling author Claire Kent introduce you to Matt Stokes, the sexy-as-sin male stripper and club owner who really knows what it means to bare everything in Taking It Off

Coming soon from Loveswept

Continue reading for a sneak peek

Chapter 1

Elizabeth Marks faked a smile as a buff, polished man shook his nylon-encased dick in her face.

She wanted to cringe and back away, but she was afraid of offending Melissa, her college roommate who was having her bachelorette party at Bare Assets, the most popular male dance revue—which was obviously just a male strip club—in Boston. So she pretended to laugh and quickly stuck a ten-dollar bill beneath the waistband of the guy’s clingy black bikini briefs to make it clear he could move on.

She hated this.

She hated the overdone music, the squeals of all the women around her, the vulgarity of the humping motions from all the dancers who had left the stage and now spread out around the audience. Melissa and the four other bridesmaids all appeared to be having a great time.

Elizabeth wished she’d had the foresight to fake a migraine.

Maybe there was something wrong with her, but she didn’t find the forty-five minutes they’d spent so far at Bare Assets either fun or sexy.

“Come on, Elizabeth,” Melissa said, reaching all the way over the table so she could tuck a bill into the stripper’s underwear too. “Don’t be so uptight.”

“I’m not uptight.” Elizabeth looked away as the man walked over to Melissa, pulled her to her feet, and began to hump her, much to the delight of the other women at the table.

Unlike the rest of them, Elizabeth really didn’t want to see that.