Book Crazy: Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Heart to Lead [The Playgrounds 03] by P. Stormcrow!

Excerpt!

He led the way from the car up to the modest eighth floor he lived on. As the minority partner of the security firm, he managed to sustain some luxuries that made life comfortable, but not the more opulent lifestyle the other two owners of the business enjoyed.

When they entered his apartment, she hummed in approval but did naught else.

“Would you like some wine? Or coffee?” He shrugged off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up, only to startle when she stepped up and placed a hand on his arm. Rarely did he meet anyone who could move with so much stealth, especially in stilettos.

“Let us not harbor any illusions that this is any more than what it is.” Her voice was soft, and the echo of sadness etched in the curve of her lips made him hesitate, while a desire to protect, to wipe away the cause of such emotion rose within him.

Nathan shifted to remove her mask and cup her cheek with his large hand, almost covering one side of her face. With his view of her unhindered now, part of him wondered at her delicate feminine features and at the way his rough calloused hand had to struggle to remain gentle against her smooth skin. “And what is this?” It came out as a hoarse whisper.

She smiled at him, a smile of both fondness and abolishment that told him he should know better than to ask. Without another word, she leaned in to brush her lips against his. So soft.

A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he pressed closer to deepen the kiss. Nathan shifted his body to turn toward her in full, sliding his hand down from her cheek to cup the graceful curve of her neck, stroking along the contours until he came to rest against her pulse, fluttering beneath his thumb.

Her hands did not remain idle as she raised them to undo the buttons of his shirt, popping each one open with deft skills while never breaking the kiss. When she parted her lips and tasted him with a small flick of her tongue, he moaned and slid his hand to the back where he found what kept her dress together.

It became a race to see who could get whose clothing off faster. She won the first round, sliding his shirt off until it forced him to withdraw his hands from her so he could shrug it off. His toned muscles distracted her enough that he managed to undo her zipper next, peeling the garment off her. As the black number pooled at her feet, he groaned and broke the kiss so that he could feast visually on the wondrous body encased in a matching dark lace bra and thong. This woman oozed sex appeal, and his cock twitched inside his slacks.

She did not shrink at his scrutiny. Rather, she watched him in return with knowing eyes while she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, taking advantage of his stunned state. His cock sprang free as she tugged at his waistband—he had gone commando today—and he sucked in a breath as she traced her forefinger along the outline of his shaft.

Her gaze never left his as she leaned in. In her tall heels, there was almost no need for her to raise herself as she brushed her lips by the tip of his ear. He shivered as she found one of his sensitive spots. Up close, the scent of her arousal was intoxicating.

“Enjoying the view?” The whispered words slipped past every single bit of control he had, and he groaned again, this time with a nod as he took advantage of her closeness to unsnap her bra from behind. He slid the piece of lace down, hands trembling with excitement as if he had never done such a thing. Once he freed her breasts from their confines, he cupped them both, one in each hand, and kneaded them with delight. He grinned like a kid in a candy store at her first moan and, wanting to hear more, he lowered his head to wrap his lips around the left nipple to suck and tease.

As she threaded her fingers through his short hair to hold him closer to her breast, he spun them until he could press her against the kitchen counter. It made her arch farther backward, and he slid his hand down to the small of her back, caressing there as he switched to the other side with his lips. Her moans filling the air were music to his ears, and he grew even more ravenous to sample her.

She must have had similar thoughts as she pressed her hands against his shoulders, pushing with insistence for him to lower himself. He licked and nibbled his way down until he kneeled before her. Skipping her center to tease, he caressed her foot, still in those sexy heels, and trailed his fingers along her calves, admiring the taut muscles leading to softer thighs. Something about being on his knees before her made his cock throb with eagerness but he never rushed his own pleasure to leave a partner unsatisfied, and he was damn sure he wouldn’t start now. Parting her legs, he nipped and kissed a path up toward the lace-clad prize he had hoped for all night.

“Yes, that’s it,” she whispered in encouragement, stroking his hair with a sigh of contentment. She was in no rush either, and he took enjoyment from a woman experienced enough to know anticipation made fulfillment later all the sweeter.

Three years of mourning. One night of pleasure. It might be a new beginning, but only if he is willing to submit.

Three years ago, Lani McMillan lost her submissive, and she has been running from her heart ever since. She may rely on the occasional scene to scratch the itch, but no other has come close to arousing her dominant instincts to claim them as her own.

That is, until she meets The Playgrounds’ latest security contractor, Nathan Pelletier.

He is everything she didn’t expect—ex-military, ex-cop, a fighter, a leader and very much confused by why submitting to her fulfills his deepest desires. So why does she want nothing more than to wrap her hands around his tie and pull him closer?

But time is running out for them to explore their new, tenuous bond, as the demons of both, real and imagined, emerge from the shadows and threaten to consume them. Now they must decide what they are to each other if they are to survive their pasts and their own desires.

Because it takes more than the will of a Dominant to lead.

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Author bio:

P. Stormcrow grew up with a love for love and somehow that turned into authoring contemporary and paranormal BDSM romances. Fierce women and sensitive men fill her stories while she examines social norms and challenges conventional tropes of the genre through her craft. She is the recipient of the 2021 inaugural Good Sex Awards in the category of Erotic Touch. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she enjoys writing about both cultures.

In addition to being an author, she is also a techie, a graphic designer, a mother, a lover, a fighter and a little bit of everything else in between. When she's not typing away madly on her phone and running into poles, she enjoys copious amounts of tea, way too many sugary treats and as many sci-fi / fantasy / paranormal TV shows as she can sneak in time to watch.