Title: Burned
Forbidden Series #4
Author: Melody Anne
Publication Date: June 16
Summary:
Tyler Knight isn’t nearly as hardened as his brothers. He was too young to remember the horrific death of his parents, the betrayal of his mother, or the weakness of his father. But he’s watched his brothers, and the hardened life they have led, and he’s always been the calm in the storm for them all, bringing light to an otherwise darkened world.
When he watches his brothers find a ray of sun in their otherwise turbulent lives, he wonders why he can’t find the same and he goes on a quest, for the first time doing it all on his own without the negative words of his brothers in his ear. But he’s about to learn that no matter how much he may want to hide from his dark past, it’s something that won’t disappear. And it’s about to catch up to him.
See the exciting conclusion to NYT best-selling author Melody Anne’s Forbidden Series with Tyler Knight’s story.
When he watches his brothers find a ray of sun in their otherwise turbulent lives, he wonders why he can’t find the same and he goes on a quest, for the first time doing it all on his own without the negative words of his brothers in his ear. But he’s about to learn that no matter how much he may want to hide from his dark past, it’s something that won’t disappear. And it’s about to catch up to him.
See the exciting conclusion to NYT best-selling author Melody Anne’s Forbidden Series with Tyler Knight’s story.
Chapter Four
Elena took long, deep breaths in front of the restroom mirror. She was in a major battle to get her heart to quit racing. Those words, those exact words he’d spoken to her twenty years before, had been too much for her to handle.
She’d been unable to speak. She’d just lurched up from the table and run.
"What’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay? Let me get you a washcloth."
Her friend Piper had rushed through the door and was talking a mile a minute and not giving Elena a chance to answer. But Elena couldn’t answer yet anyway. She was too frazzled.
Piper handed her a cool washcloth, and Elena pressed it to her forehead.
"Okay, I’m giving you exactly sixty seconds to pull yourself together and to tell me what in the hell is going on. If I need to go and kick that guy’s ass, then I’m your girl. I’m officially a brown belt in karate now."
The fact that Piper was deadly serious yanked Elena’s mood completely around. She broke out into a smile and then began laughing uncontrollably.
"I’m starting to get really worried now, Elena. Seriously. If you don’t stop laughing and talk to me, I’m going to have to call in the paramedics," Piper said, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her foot impatiently.
"I’m so…so sorry Piper. It’s just that you are the best friend that any girl could ever have, and I love you so much. Thank you," Elena said between fits of laughter.
"Yeah, yeah, you’re my bestie too," Piper snapped. "Now, tell me what is going on! I mean it, Elena. I’m serious!"
"Okay, okay. It’s just that things are going just fine. I know he wants me, wants me desperately, which is pretty great, actually — all things considered — but then the bastard tells me to prove it and I just lost it and headed for the hills."
She didn’t have to expand on that. Piper knew the entire story. She knew what those words meant.
"It’s settled. I am going to kick his worthless ass. Truly, I am," Piper said as she made one hand into a fist and hit the other one with it.
"No. Don’t do that," Elena said, overcome with a fit of giggles again. "You’ve done exactly what I needed you to do. I needed a minute to calm down. I need to end the evening on the proper note. With the proper touch. Or maybe not so proper."
Her friend looked at her dubiously. "Then we’re leaving?"
"In a few minutes," Elena told her, and Piper threw up her hands. "I’m going to go back out there, sweetie, so I can get him hot and bothered and then leave him wanting more. I need you to come out of the bathroom in exactly five minutes and tell me it’s time to go, and then we’ll talk more. I promise."
"I don’t like this, Elena. I don’t like it at all."
"I know you don’t, but because we will do anything for each other, you’ll carry through with my crazy plans," Elena said before checking herself out in the mirror.
She looked slightly crazy, but then she was feeling a little bit crazy at the moment. She was insane, actually, to think she could carry this off. But she was doing it, and she was doing it well — so far, at least.
"Fine. You have exactly five minutes," Piper warned her as she plopped down on one of the benches in front of the full-length mirrors.
"Thanks. Love you tons."
With that, Elena walked steadily ahead, took another deep breath, and swung the door open. When she turned the corner of the short hallway, she found Tyler leaning against the wall, His expression was unreadable, but that was fine by her. She could wear a pretty damn good mask of her own, if she had to say so.
"Are you okay, Elena?"
That was all he said.
"I’m sorry. My drink hit me wrong and I got overheated — hot all over. I had to cool down," she said as she slinked up to him. His eyes widened when she put out a hand and caressed his chest. "I believe you told me to prove it."
And she leaned against him, circling her hand behind his head and pulling him down to her. She captured his lips and opened herself up, her hands splaying across his chest, her tongue tasting his excitement.
Tyler’s shock at her boldness lasted only a second, maybe less, and then he was pinning her against the wall as his mouth devoured hers.
Elena had been prepared for the kiss, or at least she’d thought she’d been prepared, but as his tongue traced the contours of her mouth, her stomach tightened and her core grew dangerously wet. And she knew that no amount of preparation in the world could have clued her in to how good it would feel to be in his arms.
She was no longer a little girl fumbling with what to do, and this wasn’t an innocent kiss.
His body was hard and unyielding, and he was running his hands up and down her sides, drawing closer and closer to her breasts with each pass. What he was doing with his mouth — she’d never experienced anything like it before.
His touch was searing her, and when a low groan erupted from his throat, the sound traveled straight through her veins and pulsed deep inside her. No, she hadn’t thought this revenge plot through. Not at all.
"Oh, Elena, are you as turned on as I am right now?" He leaned back only far enough to trail his lips across her jaw and trace the skin at her neck.
"I…uh…we… Too pubic…public!" she stuttered, her embarrassment quickly forgotten with her hunger so exposed. Her desperate fingers were clasping his shoulders, holding him to her. She was trying to stop, but her body was rebelling.
"No one is back here," he said. He slipped his hand beneath her shirt and stroked her now quivering stomach.
When he reached the underside of her breasts, she held her breath. She should tell him to stop. This wasn’t part of her plan, but she waited, instead, for what was coming next. She was aching for this.
He didn’t disappoint her. His hand traced over the lacy fabric of her bra, and his palm cupped her jutting nipples, making her moan in pleasure.
"You like my touch, don’t you, Elena?" he said. He sucked her bottom lip into his and bit down gently. "Yes, I can feel how much you do," he answered for her. "Let’s go back to my place."
She was trying to remember why she couldn’t do that, why she had to say no.
"Um, Elena… Hello!"
Elena heard her name, knew it wasn’t Tyler speaking, but for the life of her she couldn’t drag herself out of the sexual fog that was surrounding her.
"Go away. Elena’s busy," she heard Tyler growl.
"I don’t think so," Piper replied.
"Piper!" Her friend’s irritated voice brought Elena back to reality, and she managed to push, rather than pull, against Tyler’s chest.
That was all it took for him to take a step back.
"I’m ready to leave now," Piper said, sending a meaningful look Elena’s way, reminding her that this was what she’d asked her to do five minutes ago.
Five minutes ago seemed liked eons.
"I’m sorry. Yes, it’s time to go," Elena said. She hoped no one noticed that she was panting.
"Don’t," Tyler said, almost a panic in his eyes. "I’ll take you home later."
Elena was oh so tempted, but she needed to pull herself together. If she went home with this guy tonight, she would be the one losing. Yet again.
"Sorry, Tyler," she said, the purr back in her voice. "I have to leave now."
After walking a couple of steps away, she turned back around and pulled a piece of paper and pen from her purse, jotted down the number and moved back over to him. She slipped it right there into the front pocket of his trousers, and she let her hand linger there, so close to where she knew he was the hardest. Damn, how she wanted to touch him. Touch wasn’t the word she was really thinking, of course.
"You may call me," she said with just enough sass that she watched a spark light his eyes.
She didn’t look back at him again. She took her friend’s arm and walked away, and she didn’t breathe again until they were outside in the fresh air.
"You are so spilling," Piper growled as she hailed a cab and they slipped inside.
"I will. I promise," Elena said, leaning her head back against the vinyl headrest. "Just not yet. For now, I’m going to close my eyes and try to get my body under control."
"You’re in trouble, Elena, big trouble. If you carry through with this, I don’t think Tyler Knight is going to be the one who gets punished."
"Yeah, I know that too," Elena said.
And then she was done talking. Her friend was right. She was in trouble — big, huge, monstrous trouble.
About Melody Anne:
Melody Anne is the author of the popular series, Billionaire Bachelors, and Baby for the Billionaire. She also has a Young Adult Series out; Midnight Fire and Midnight Moon - Rise of the Dark Angel. She's been writing for years and published in 2011. She hold a bachelors degree in business, so she loves to write about strong, powerful, businessmen.
When Melody isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and pets. She lives in a small town that she loves, and is involved in many community projects.
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