Elle's Yearning

Jory has been a thorn
in Elle’s side ever since he arrived to spend the entire summer with his twin
brother. He has no scruples about using his raw male beauty to charm…and
exploit. If only her pulse didn’t race with breathless excitement every time he turns those gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes in her direction!

But Jory is about to realize he’s just met his match in sweet, soft-spoken Elle Sutherland. Will the angry sparks flying between them bond them together, or drive them apart
forever?

~~~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~~~

Elle’s mind suddenly
went blank when Jory closed the distance between them again, and curled his arms around her waist. “Knock it off, I’m trying to work here,” she yelped—but
even she could hear how feeble her protest sounded. “Damn it, Jory, I mean it!”

He retreated…but very
reluctantly. Hastily she put one of the massage couches between them.

“You’re as skittish as a newborn colt,” he teased, lightly running one finger over her trembling
bottom lip. “Are you that way around all men? Or only me?”

Elle’s heart was pounding so loudly that she could barely even hear his mocking question—but
there was no mistaking his intent as he leaned so close that she could feel the heat of his muscular body.

“I choose my own
partners,” she gasped, and wished that her whisper-soft voice wasn’t so shaky.
“So if you want to help me finish decorating in here, that’s fine. But if you
have anything else in mind, you can kiss it goodbye.”

“I’d rather kiss you.”
His teeth flashed in another dazzling grin…then he startled her by cupping both
hands around her face. His long fingers sizzled against her bare skin, and she gasped in surprise. Was this what Astra had felt when she’d let Jared make love
to her?

Damn it, why did it have to be Jory? She didn’t even like him!

Every nerve in her body
shattered as his mouth closed over hers in a hot, heady kiss. She never even
heard the frantic whimper that tore from her throat as her fingers gripped his
shirt like a lifeline, and her long body arched against his in wondering shock.

Then his nimble hand
rose to possessively cup her lush breast…and the next instant, he was writhing
on the floor, moaning in helpless agony.

Elle stumbled back in appalled shock. Oh God, what had she done?

Reflex. Selena had taught them all how to defend themselves against attack. A necessary skill,
she’d insisted, for nine single, superbly stacked sorority sisters. The alliteration had made Elle laugh while she’d been obediently practicing her kicks and blocks on the mat. But she wasn’t laughing now. Jory’s twisted
features were a sickly green, and his helpless moan was an agonized rasp.

“Jesus, Elle!” Fierce
shudders racked his hunched frame as he rocked back and forth, desperately
clutching himself. “What the hell! I said I wasn’t going to hurt you!”
“And that makes it all right?” Outrage rose in a choking wave, and her
normally-soft voice rose with it. “I told you no! You didn’t listen! You never listen! What gives you the right to grab
me against my will?” Tears of sheer rage began to shimmer in her crystal-blue
eyes as she backed away, clenching her small hands into fists. “You think that
since you’re drop-dead gorgeous and sexy as hell, you can just take whatever
woman you want, whether she’s interested or not? You can go straight to hell,
Jory Montrose!”