Belong to Me
Wicked Lovers, Book 5He’s got everything under control until he falls for his first love…again.
When FBI analyst Tara Jacobs’ fellow agent and best friend goes missing while investigating a sex ring, Tara goes undercover as a submissive in a Dallas BDSM club called Dominion. But no man can top a woman with Tara’s moxie convincingly enough—until an edgy, dangerous Dom takes control of the scene and sets her heart racing with a single, commanding glance. Too bad he’s also the man who stole her innocence years ago—and the one to whom she will never submit.
Navy SEAL Logan Edgington once left the woman he loved to save her life. He knows Tara will never forgive him, but he has no doubt that he possesses the knowledge to master her fears and the strength to guide her through an unfamiliar world of pleasure and pain. He alone can protect her on a dangerous mission that reveals both wicked depravities and terrible secrets. Logan relishes the exquisite torture of holding her again, feeling her uninhibited response. No matter how much Tara insists their fling will end after this mission, he’s determined that she will be his again—and this time, he’ll never let her go.
Novel
Wicked Lovers SERIES
EXCERPT
“You dragged my ass out of the shower for—” Logan paused as Mitchell Thorpe glared at him with cold gray eyes, then yanked back the black drape covering the one-way mirror.
Logan’s jaw dropped at the sight. “Oh, holy shit.”
Around him, half a dozen other Doms all whistled and looked their fill.
“I thought she’d get your attention,” Thorpe drawled.
Completely. Logan’s gaze glued itself hungrily to the graceful line of her spine, cut in half by a gray sports bra. Tight black running shorts barely covered the lush globes of her ass. Though the beauty was way overdressed for her role, she sat back on her knees, legs spread, pose submissive. Mercy!
Logan rubbed his jaw. But the ache coursing through him wasn’t under his two days’ growth of beard; it had quickly settled south, behind his straining zipper, despite his orgasm fifteen minutes ago. Desire sizzled through him, along with shock. For the first time in years, he not only wanted inside a woman, he was desperate for it. Trying to cool down and process this development, he grabbed a bottle of water from the nearby cooler and drained half in two swallows.
Thorpe cleared his throat, clearly expecting a reply. As Logan forced himself to look at the club’s owner, a thousand responses ran through his head. Finally, he settled for something factual. “With that curvy ass and fiery hair? Yeah, she’s got my attention.”
He really had a thing for redheads. Always had.
In fact, everything about this woman set off Logan’s buttons. Such fair skin. He’d bet it would be damn soft and look so prettily pink after a good spanking. She radiated femininity, from the slender neck just under her pile of vibrant hair atop her head, to the sensual flare of her hips. Already, he wanted her the way he hadn’t wanted anyone in years—down, dirty, insatiably. Completely. He wanted to penetrate her, violate her, subjugate her. Every moment he watched her, the desire grew. Logan swallowed.
An unfamiliar thirtysomething man in jeans beside her issued orders. Logan couldn’t hear through the glass. Granted, he wasn’t the best at reading lips, but he thought the guy told her to bow her head. The stranger’s physique looked powerful enough to enforce his will . . . but he lacked any sort of commanding presence.
“Is this poser her Dom?” Logan drained the rest of his water bottle, wondering who the guy on the other side of the glass thought he was kidding.
Thorpe sighed. “Not yet. He needs to be. These two are actually FBI agents, training for an upcoming undercover assignment to break up a sex ring and rescue another agent. They’ve been in Axel’s dungeon for nearly a week. We’re not getting anywhere.”
“I have to be honest; it’s looking hopeless.” Axel, the club’s resident Dom, sighed.
In that instant, Logan knew that Thorpe had called together all the club’s Doms in the hopes that one of them could step in and train the delicious redhead in the next room. Yeah, she was still kneeling at the other man’s feet, but she had her hands on her hips. The sway of her body and the bobs of her head told Logan, she was giving her “Dom” an earful. He smiled.
Suddenly, he was damn glad he’d left Tyler, Texas, for Dallas during his leave to blow off some pent-up steam. Logan loved the navy, but constant missions to third world shit holes didn’t give him many opportunities to indulge in his kink of choice. But after yesterday, he needed to release tension even more. Over breakfast with his dad, Logan had seen an engagement announcement in the Tyler Morning Telegraph that had knocked him flat. She was fucking marrying Brad Thompson. Every muscle in Logan’s body tensed at the thought of that raving ass-hat touching her, planting his children in her womb.
“You trying crush that plastic?” Xander whispered, brow raised.
Thorpe, Axel, and the other Doms all stared.
Logan looked down and realized that he’d pulverized his water bottle. Muttering a curse, he threw it in the trash can, then focused on the scene through the glass. “She’s not submitting to him and she never will.”
“Which is where one of you comes in. Axel has agreed to coach the male agent one-on-one. But that leaves the female, and she needs a strong hand. I don’t have time for a project.”
Before anyone else could say a word, Logan volunteered. “I’ll do it.”
Thorpe paused, sizing him up. Logan refused to flinch or blink.
“Since you like the defiant ones, I thought this might be up your alley,” Thorpe stated. “But will you be too much for our little FBI agent? It’s her first field assignment.”
“I’ll give her whatever she needs,” Logan vowed. She was beautiful and seemingly brave. Field assignments with the FBI didn’t tend to be cakewalks.
“Except sex,” Jason, the bad-boy financial wizard, drawled.
“Fuck off ,” Logan muttered.
“Sex isn’t required,” Thorpe advised, tossing a glare Jason’s way. “She just needs to learn protocol and obedience.”
The normally silent Erik shrugged. “You know I like the putty-in-my-hands type. I can tell by the finger wag, that ain’t her.”
Logan looked at her again. Watching that finger wag made him hard. Hell, everything about her made him hard. Any time he could spend touching the gorgeous woman in the next room would be time well spent. Maybe even cathartic. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this stiff so quickly after an orgasm, but looking at the redhead’s lush ass, his dick was fully saluting her.
Zeb, the last of the Doms in the room, just grunted. “I’m heading down to Cabo in a few days for vacation. Man, I’d love to—”
“But since you won’t be here, and I will . . .” Logan cut him off with a smile.
“Lucky bastard,” Zeb groused.
Thorpe stepped between them. “The agents don’t have long before their mission begins. They’re already working against the clock. The female agent is submissive, in my opinion. But she’s not letting go.”
Logan already knew the problem. “She doesn’t trust that guy.”
In fact, the man beside her dropped his shoulders and sighed, clearly trying to reason with her—and showing his frustration. Both were exactly the wrong thing to do to earn obedience.
Axel shook his head. “Dominance isn’t Agent York’s bag.”
“Clearly,” Logan drawled, staring at the two through the glass.
“Why not find someone else to take his place?”
“Six days ago, one of their fellow agents working undercover was abducted by the leaders of a sex ring they’re trying to bust. They sent her in alone as a submissive. The only training she’d received was an hour’s briefing.”
“Dear God,” Erik choked. “What the fuck were they thinking?”
Logan shook his head. Sending an agent in that unprepared was more than stupid; it was downright irresponsible. Submission wasn’t something a person learned by reading a piece of paper. Any Dom worth his leathers was able to spot a tourist a mile away. She had been a lamb sent to slaughter. And now the redhead was going in after her, trying to dupe heartless predators for her first undercover assignment? Definitely brave.
“It’s worse than you think. Agent York let me read some cursory information on this sex ring so I’d know how to prep the agents,” Axel said. “The mastermind of this ring is a ruthless motherfucker. Though he’s from somewhere in the U.S., he’s apparently got brothels all over the world, from what the FBI can tell. He’s made a fortune off the backs of ten-year-old girls in Thailand, along with distributing videos of orgies and gang rapes. Apparently, this sick bastard expanded his business to include high-end slave auctions about six months ago. He’s abducting gorgeous, young submissives out of clubs and resorts, then smuggling them out of the country. The minimum bid for the sadistic fucks who want to buy is three million dollars.”
“Damn, that’s twisted.” Zeb frowned. “Who has that kind of cash to drop on pussy?”
“Sheiks, Internet tycoons, obscure European royalty.” Thorpe shrugged. “They’re out there.”
Zeb shook his head as he looked at the woman. “That almost makes me want to change my plans. She’s probably scared to have this thrown at her as a first assignment.”
“She volunteered,” Thorpe clarified, obvious admiration in his voice. “She’s never been out from behind a desk, but she’s willing to risk her life for this. She deserves the best training we can give her, so these two agents are working to go undercover and hopefully recover the missing agent, who I suspect Agent York cares for as more than merely a peer.”
Gorgeous, courageous, submissive. Everything Logan had heard about this woman intrigued him, and Thorpe’s last statement perked him up even more. “So he and the redhead aren’t an item?”
“Definitely not. They’ve made their mutual discomfort of this training well known.”
Sweet. “And you haven’t had any luck handling her?” Logan asked Axel.
“I’ve spent all my time on York, thinking that if I can train him to lead, she’d follow. Not happening.” Axel’s long blond hair brushed his shoulders as he shrugged. “We’re going to have to divide and conquer. So if you’re willing to take on a novice, I’m more than willing to dump her in your lap. Not that it looks like you’ll mind.”
As he reached for the doorknob, Logan smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Axel pushed past him. “Slow down. She’s a tough cookie. Submission is new to her, so you can’t just barge in there and go all Dom on her ass. Let me do the introductions and hand off. Then you can take the girl down to your dungeon.”
“I’ll come along, too,” Xander cut in with a flashy grin. “Thorpe said sex wasn’t required, but you never know what she’ll need . . .”
Wherever there was wet pussy, Xander was never far away. But the thought of his friend grinding his dick inside the redhead made Logan seethe. He shot his buddy a scathing glare.
“What? She has a world-class ass,” Xander defended. “Sue me.”
It was impossible to argue with that. And while he didn’t want to think about Xander fucking her, Logan knew that, chances were, his sudden ache for this woman would likely disappear before she’d ever need sex.
Logan gestured to the door, then followed Axel and Xander down the hall to the next opening on the left . York looked up, tensed, clearly not digging the assignment. The female agent just set her shoulders and ignored him. That would change—damn quick. For now, Logan let Axel ease the way.
Quickly, Axel explained the situation. The male agent glanced at his female counterpart as she rose to her feet. Poor bastard actually looked relieved. Logan smiled, fighting back the urge to rub his hands together.
“You want me to introduce you two?” Axel gestured between Logan and the redhead.
He shook his head. “I got it from here. Face me.”
The woman gasped, stiffened—then darted to the other side of the room.
So she wanted to play games already? That was no problem for him.
Logan took off after her and grabbed her from behind, grasping a handful of that siren red hair. Damn, it was soft . Her breathing hitched, and he turned harder in an instant.
“On your knees. Stay there until I say otherwise. You’re in training with me now, and I won’t be as lax as Axel. I’d rather complete introductions before I spank you, but that’s your choice.”
“Let. Go. Of. Me.” The woman fought his hold. “Logan.”
She knew his name? Her voice resonated in his head, crisp yet feminine. So fucking familiar. Impossible. It couldn’t be . . .
He released her hair and grabbed her shoulders, still subduing her struggles. Heart pounding, he spun her to face him. That familiar face, angry dark eyes, and the mulish set of her pert little chin had him mentally flailing with shock. Holy fuck.
Logan gasped, stared. “Cherry?”
AUDIO EXCERPT
PLAYLIST
PRAISE
Nominated for the Cupid and Psyche Award “Best Contemporary Romance” at The Romance Studio!
5 Blue Ribbons “…one heck of a good read – it is sultry, sensuous, and solidly the single most favorite book I have read the entire summer!”
—Romance Junkies
5 Stars! “This is truly Shayla Black at her best! If there’s someone out there that can write a truly erotic book, that someone is Ms. Black. Nobody does it better!”
—Under the Covers
5 Stars! “…was erotic romantic suspense at its best…just about perfect. Tara and Logan have definitely made me fall in love with this series all over again!”
—The Romance Reviews
5 Stars! “Ms. Black totally hit this one out of the park. Word of warning: the scenes are so intense you just may have to sit inside a walk-in freezer while reading them. Holy Hotness!!! This one is a winner.”
—The Romance Reviews
5 Stars! “EXPLOSIVE! DARK! DEEP IN THE PIT OF YOUR SOUL FIRE! For the entire book I wanted Logan to BELONG TO ME!”
—Tigris Eden
“Shayla Black’s Belong to Me, is such a wicked good read I never wanted Logan and Tara’s story to end. Logan & Tara are HOT. Five-Alarm HOT!!!!”
—Books-n-Kisses
“Shayla …maintains a high standard of story crafting, delivering a thrilling story mixed with a sexuality which, while frank as it gets, does not rut in the gutter. It is her deft handling of some of the most scintillating scenes I have ever read which puts her at the top of my very short list of automatic go to authors in this category.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Shayla Black is known for her hot writing and this doesn’t disappoint. Not to be missed.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Blisteringly hot and equally emotional, Belong to Me is outstanding! Packed with intrigue and scorching sex, Shayla Black should be on every erotica fan’s must-have list!”
—Reader to Reader
“I couldn’t put the book down until the last page in the wee hours in the morning. BELONG TO ME is a fabulous read.”
—Fresh Fiction
OTHER EDITIONS
