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Ours to Love

Wicked Lovers, Book 7

Two estranged brothers. A virgin with a past. A danger that could destroy them all.

Xander Santiago spent years living it up as a billionaire playboy. Never given a chance to lead his family business in the boardroom, he became a Master in the bedroom instead. His older brother inherited the company and worked tirelessly to make it an empire. But while the cutthroat corporate espionage took its toll on Javier, nothing was as devastating as the seemingly senseless murder of his wife. It propelled him into a year of punishing rage and guilt…until Xander came to his rescue.

Eager to rejuvenate Javier’s life, Xander shanghais him to Louisiana where they meet the beautiful London McLane. After surviving a decade of tragedy and struggle, London is determined to make a fresh start—and these sexy billionaire brothers are more than willing to help. In every way. And London is stunned to find herself open to every heated suggestion…and desperately hoping that her love will heal them.

But a killer with a hidden motive is watching, on a single-minded mission to destroy everything the Santiago brothers hold dear, especially London. And as fear and desire collide, every passionate beat of her heart could be her last.

Novel



Wicked Lovers SERIES

EXCERPT

“I’m London McLane, sir. I was told you were expecting me.”

Javier clutched the last of the vodka in his hand, the bottle hidden by the door, and stared at the curvaceous blonde. Sir? Yes, he liked that coming from her pretty mouth. His first instinct was to shove her against the wall, bury her lips under his, and kiss her until she begged for more.

She blinked up at him with big blue eyes, looking as if she smothered the shock of surprise. Yeah, he supposed no one expected their prospective boss to be well sauced by early afternoon.

He stared back at the woman. Fuck, what fair skin. She’d turn rosy when she flushed with arousal, when he rubbed his stubble over her cheeks, down her neck, between her thighs as he ate her sweet pussy.

For the first time in weeks, his cock filled and lengthened, as if rising to greet her. With a scowl, he turned away and took refuge in the interior office, behind his desk. He hoped to hell she followed. He couldn’t turn back toward her without embarrassing himself.

As he plopped back in his chair and settled his crotch under the desk, Javier was gratified to see that…what was her name—Lauren? Lacey? He couldn’t remember—had followed and perched herself in the sturdy chair on the other side of his rented desk that had seen better days.

“Résumé?”

She swallowed nervously, then reached inside her big purse to extract a manila folder. Opening it with delicate fingers, she withdrew it and handed it to him. Her scent came with it, something

tart and sweet at once. It had a hint of something intriguing. In fact, that described everything about her, especially her eyes with their long lashes and gentle tilt. They had a secret language all their own.

Javier wanted to fuck her.

Instead, he cleared his throat, leaned back in his sprawling leather office chair, and skimmed her résumé. London, that was her name. He set the bottle of vodka on the floor and gazed down the

details of her life, reduced to a single, neatly typed piece of paper.

“Why did you get your GED, instead of graduating from high school?”

She raised her chin slightly and squared her shoulders. “I was injured as a sophomore. It required extensive hospitalization and therapy. By the time I recovered, I’d missed too much school to graduate with the rest of my class.”

Javier lifted his eyes from her résumé and studied her. So injured that she’d missed months of school? “It sounds serious.”

“It was. I’m mostly recovered now.”

Mostly. There was something she wasn’t telling him. Javier had been in business with sharks too long to fall for her guppy tale.

“Any residual issues that will affect your work performance?”

Technically, he wasn’t allowed to ask that…and she probably had no idea.

“I have some new medication, so I’m hopeful there won’t be any problems.”

Not a precise answer, and he didn’t like it. But he wasn’t perfect, either. He should probably send her on her way now, but he’d had little luck keeping assistants. He needed one desperately. Morgan had recommended her.

“I don’t see any work experience here.” He glanced at the résumé again. It was either that or fuse his gaze to her large, pillowy breasts.

“I recently graduated from college. My schooling was delayed, due to my injuries.”

He glanced at her. A bit older than twenty-two, he guessed, but not by much. Christ, that made him feel old. After the year he’d had, he felt downright ancient.

Drawing in a centering breath, he scanned the page in his hand. “I’ve never heard of this university.”

She frowned, and he wished he would have kept his mouth shut. He didn’t have a lot of candidates, and none he’d liked so far. But his instinct told him she was different, maybe just what he needed—someone who would work hard, someone he could mold into the

perfect assistant. Putting her on the spot was doing nothing but making her uncomfortable. He had to stop prodding her, demanding personal information. He hadn’t even asked about her typing abilities, computer skills, and salary requirements. He’d jumped straight to her.

“Due to my injuries, I attended a university online.”

Javier watched as she crossed her legs primly at the ankles and tucked them under her chair, then folded her hands in her lap. Under that annoying blouse, he saw a hint of her lace bra. She radiated innocence—something he hadn’t seen in more years than he could count. Everything about her fascinated him.

Yes, he definitely wanted to fuck her.

And the minute he hired her, that option would go out the window. The last thing a tanking, multibillion-dollar business with cutthroat competitors needed was a sexual harassment suit with its CEO at the center. Even if it annoyed him, he needed an assistant more than he needed a soft woman in his bed.

AUDIO EXCERPT

PLAYLIST

TEASERS

PRAISE

4 1/2 Stars!! ~ “A sizzling ménage…”
– RT Book Club

Recommended Read! “OURS TO LOVE is a beautiful and emotionally driven story…that makes you smile, tear up, and then smile again…”
– Romance Junkies

Top Pick!
– Night Owl Romance

“…sizzling sexual tension and suspense…”
– Fresh Fiction

“Shayla Black will not disappoint.”
– Ramblings and Reviews

“Hold on to your seats because Shayla Black’s Ours to Love is an explosive read from its first word.”
– Two Lips Reviews

“I love the way Shayla Black is able to blend the sensuality of erotica with strong plots and intrigue that keep me glued to the page.”
– The Romance Reviews

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