Title: Indecent Affair Part 4
Author: Stephanie Julian
Release Day!
About Indecent Affair 4:
Kat has uprooted her life and moved to Philadelphia. She's starting her own business and opening her heart. But caring for two men brings both rewards and pitfalls.
Tristan and Adam are determined to keep Kat close and win her heart. But work dangers and family obligations conspire to tear them apart before their fragile relationship has a chance to grow into something stronger.
Available on Amazon / B&N
Excerpt
An Indecent Affair Part IV
Kat’s
mouth dropped open at Tristan’s bald statement.
Naked and between them.
Oh, god,
yes. That sounded wonderful.
She
wanted that. And everything that went with it. All she needed was the courage
to take what they offered.
Go ahead. Do it. Say yes.
Tristan
watched her, his expression intent and a challenge in his eyes. From the very
first, he’d been upfront about exactly what that he wanted. Which was her.
Nothing
in her life had prepared her for Tristan. No one had ever pursued her with such
straightforward commitment. It made her ache for everything he wanted to give
her.
At the
same time, it made her wary of giving herself over to him and having the rug
pulled out from under her later.
That was
a game her mother liked to play. Give with one hand and take away with the
other.
Kat had
learned to be wary of anyone who offered her anything with no visible strings
attached. There were always strings. Something else her mother had taught her.
Her gaze
skipped to Adam, who had all sorts of hidden strings. She wasn’t sure she had
the necessary tools to deal with him. He held his emotions so closely in check,
she sometimes wondered if he felt anything at all. Well, anything besides lust.
If they
continued this affair, she’d have to learn to deal with that. And decide if she
could live with a man who only wanted her sexually.
If Adam
didn’t commit… If he was only in it for the short-term...
Could
she live with knowing she would be only a bed partner to him?
Can you live with knowing you
didn’t even try?
She’d
regret it every single day.
“I want
that, too.”
Tristan’s
immediate smile lit him up, stealing the air from her lungs. His expression
transformed into one of a man who’d gotten exactly what he wanted. Which was her. The thought made excitement sizzle
and pop along her nerves.
Then she
slid another glance at Adam and panic nipped at her confidence.
“It’s
just…” She struggled to pick the right words. “I’m just not sure I know how to
do…this.”
Tristan
shook his head. “There’s no right or wrong. We’ll figure out what works for us
as we go.”
She
nodded but that didn’t exactly make her feel better. She liked having a plan.
Liked knowing what was expected of her. Where she fit into the scheme of
things.
“Kat.”
Adam’s
voice made her blink before her gaze flipped to him.
“Yes?”
“We want this. Both of us.”
Adam
stared at her just as intently as Tristan had seconds ago. But his eyes lacked
the warmth Tristan’s held. Or did they?
She
couldn’t read Adam. As much as she tried, as much as she wanted to, she didn’t
know what he was thinking. The only thing she was sure of was Adam’s desire for
her. That was clear as day.
Frustration
bit at her. Would it always be like this? Would she always be lacking something
in Adam’s eyes? And did it matter, if she found what she needed in Tristan’s?
“Do you?
How can I know that for sure?”
Adam’s
chin lifted. “You can’t. You can only trust me when I say that I wouldn’t be
here if I didn’t want to be.”
She
absolutely believed that. She also knew that Adam’s bond to Tristan was so
strong, Adam might accept her into his bed simply because he knew that’s what
Tristan wanted.
Except
that didn’t explain yesterday’s encounter.
“Did you
tell him?”
The
question escaped before she could bite her tongue. She wanted to take back the
words immediately. Glancing at Tristan, he didn’t look shocked or surprised as
Adam nodded.
Thank god.
That
pressing weight on her shoulders suddenly felt twenty times lighter.
“Good.
That’s…good. I don’t want there to be secrets.”
With a widening
grin, Tristan took a step closer. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. Adam and I
know each other. We trust each other. You’re not a prize we’re competing for.
You’re the woman we want to make love to.”
Desire
heated her blood at the warmth in Tristan’s eyes. Her fingers itched with the
urge to reach out and run her fingers along Tristan’s strong jaw. To feel the
slight abrasion of his whiskers against her skin. To let her fingers run down
his neck to the broad muscles of his chest. Wanted to strip off his shirt and
press her naked body against his.
She
wanted Adam to plaster himself against her back, grip her hips with his hands
and bite her neck so hard he left a mark.
Her gaze
flipped to Adam, who’d held his ground.
“But you
have to understand,” Adam said. “I’m not Tristan. I’m not easy.”
Amazingly,
Adam’s blunt statement made her smile. As her lips curved, Adam’s expression
lost some of its darkness.
“I’ve
actually been able to pick that up on my own.”
Tristan
cut the distance between them by another step and her heart skipped a couple of
beats.
“So are
you ready to eat?’ Tristan asked.
She
blinked. “You want to eat first?”
Tristan’s
grin widened and even Adam’s lips curved.
Reaching
for her hand, Tristan squeezed her fingers then rubbed his thumb over her
knuckles. “We’re not just interested in sex.”
Neither
was she. But relationships were fraught with even more pitfalls than “just
sex.”
“Okay.”
“Kat.”
She
looked at Adam.
“Yes?”
“Do you
want to eat?”
She did.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought. “Dinner. Yes. Let’s order dinner.”
“Or
would you rather we lay you out on the table and show you why you won’t be
sorry you said yes?”
About Stephanie Julian:
Stephanie Julian writes sophisticated, sultry romance for adventurous readers.
She is the author of the best-selling Salon Games series. BY PRIVATE INVITATION (Salon Games 1) was an RT Magazine Top Pick. OVER EXPOSED (Salon Games 3) released July 2014. Her serial erotic romance, An Indecent Proposition, is a reader favorite.
She also writes several paranormal erotic series, including Forgotten Goddesses, Darkly Enchanted and Lucani Lovers.
Stephanie is happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and the mother of two sons who introduced her to the joys of Slipknot, Warped Tour and never-ending headaches.
Find out why Romantic Times magazine, Simply Romance Reviews, Night Owl Romance and Joyfully Reviewed have called Stephanie's stories "fascinating," "truly fantastic," "intoxicating," "highly imaginative" and "hot enough to peel paint."
Q&A with Stephanie Julian:
How did you come up with the idea for this story?
The Indecent series started two years ago, when I was asked to be in an anthology and needed to come up with a story in the space of a couple of days. The plot for An Indecent Proposition came to me after staring at a blank page and thinking, “What the hell am I going to write?” I wanted it to be a ménage, because I love writing ménage, and then I started to riff on the Beauty and the Beast story. For An Indecent Affair, I had already set up Kat’s backstory and knew she would need two strong men to help her become the woman she needed to be.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love should be the motivating factor in everything you do. I totally believe the world would be a better place for it.
What books have influenced your life most?
My own books? Seduced by Magic set me on my erotic romance career so that one’s obvious. The book that made me want to be a writer? Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series. Totally set me on the path. The book that made me want to write romance? Anything by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I’ve been reading her since sixth grade and she totally shaped my sensibilities as a reader. The book that kick-started my personal journey to publication? Possibly Ann Rice’s Interview with A Vampire. I remember reading that book and thinking this is what I want to do. I want to write. I was in high school.
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