Her Wicked Warrior

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Interests:

• Contemporary
• Kindle Unlimited
• Paranormal
• Romantic Comedy

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He slid his hand down her body, caressing her nipples, then he replaced his hand with his mouth. She felt his breath warm the tip at the moment before his teeth scraped against her skin. When he took the nipple into his mouth, Paige gasped, then moaned as she arched her back. Heat that had been winding through her flashed and burned hotter, drawing tension tighter.

Before she was satisfied, he moved away and he pressed his mouth against her damp skin, kissing a path down her stomach. He let his tongue slip over her bellybutton before he settled between her legs. Sliding his hands under her bottom, he lifted her to his mouth. Instead of a full assault with his mouth, he brushed his tongue along her slit. Hot liquid filled her cunt. He continued to tease, barely slipping his tongue between her lips. Pressure coiled in her stomach then slid to her sex. She thrashed her head from side to side, moaning, begging for relief as she clutched the silken strands of his hair in her hands.

She placed both of her feet on the bed, pushing up against his mouth at the same time his tongue touched her clit. Her world exploded into a million brilliant pieces as her orgasm flashed through her.

Paige Turner awoke, her body throbbing, her sheets soaked and her mind trying to remember the dream she’d just had. Closing her eyes, she tried to grasp anything from the vision, but nothing came.

With an irritated sigh, she opened her eyes, squinting against the sliver of sunlight that snuck through her blinds. This was starting to get ridiculous. Each day she woke up with the scent of primal male and the memory of hands against her skin. Her breasts even ached. But within minutes the details of the dream faded, frustrating her further.

Turning her head, she glanced at the clock and noticed that it wasn’t even six a.m. Great. Not only was the dream irritating her, it was causing her to lose what little sleep she was getting. Which, thanks to her nighttime visions, hadn’t been restful. Still, she

had less than an hour before the alarm would have jarred her awake anyway, so she might as well get out of bed. She knew from experience that she wouldn’t get any more rest.

Tossing aside her sheets, Paige sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed, causing her head to spin. Her body still throbbed. Standing might be difficult, she thought. Her legs trembled from the bone-melting orgasm. Real or imagined, her system continued to pulse with the aftershocks of it. Grabbing the cup of water she kept on her nightstand, she took a long gulp. The tepid water gave her little relief.

Once she was sure she could walk without falling, she stood and decided a nice hot shower would help ease out the kinks. As she undressed, she wondered why she might be having erotic dreams. She’d never been an overly sexual person. Not that she was a virgin, but at the ripe age of thirty-two, Paige was sure that all the talk about multiple orgasms with an actual man in the room was overblown.

In the past few weeks, she’d turned into some kind of sex maniac. Frustration and arousal intertwined to drive her insane. She knew she’d had an orgasm in the dream and there was an element of sexual relief when she woke. Heck, her legs were wet with her arousal. But it was if she hadn’t really achieved a true release and her body still waited for her to complete the act.

She had no memories of the dreams, at least nothing solid. Just gauzy impressions of wanting, of desire, and the way her body felt when she awakened told her they were naughty. There was no way they weren’t considering the way her heart tattooed against her breast each time she woke. The memory of hands gliding over her flesh made her skin tingle. Even as she tried to grasp at the thought, remember just whose hands they’d been, the feeling faded. It left her exhausted even after a good eight hours of sleep— which was a rarity lately.

With a sigh, she turned on the water. If she got a chance today, she would do some research. Maybe she was missing something in her diet. Minerals or perhaps a vitamin deficiency. As soon as she had a free moment she’d check.

Unfortunately, she knew it had nothing to do with her fiancé, Jeremy. After they’d announced their engagement three months earlier, their sex life had gone from unfulfilling to nonexistent. He’d claimed it had to do with the stress of his research for his new book, but she had other ideas—none of them nice. They’d never exactly burned up the sheets and lately it seemed difficult to even get a spark started.

Paige wasn’t an overly sexual creature, but she did have some passion. All of it seemed to be wasted on Jeremy who tried to be proper even in bed. She’d suggested a few things, nothing over the top or illegal in Georgia. But he’d acted appalled, as if she suggested a threesome with the head librarian. So she wanted to try a new position every now and then or play with a blindfold, what was so wrong with that? Nothing, in her humble opinion. It was just the sign of a healthy sex drive that was getting faster by the day.

It’d gotten worse since the dreams started. She stopped for a second and thought. Paige wasn’t so sure if it was the dreams that had started first or that her sex drive had revved up first. Either way, she was sure at some point that there was a definite possibility she would lose all control and jump his body.

She pushed all thoughts of sex, fiancés and other problems aside and stepped into the shower. But even as she lathered her hair, her thoughts turned back to her dreams and the fact she couldn’t remember anything. It was decidedly odd because she usually remembered her dreams, or at least parts of them. These she couldn’t seem to grasp anything.

Closing her eyes, she tried to pull the memories out from the shadows where they lurked, but nothing…nothing but an amazing pair of blue eyes. That was the one and only thing she could ever distinctly remember.

On her way into work, Paige stopped by The Sweet Shoppe to pick up the chocolate-covered peanuts her assistant Debbie loved. The tinkling of the little bell heralded her entrance and she smiled. The rush of scents—vanilla, cocoa and something elusive, something she could never pin down—surrounded her and beckoned her inside.

Since the shop had opened a month earlier, it had become a favorite with locals and tourists alike. Savannah residents liked their food, especially when it was sweet. A couple milled around the fudge display in the tiny shop. Every time she passed the shop, Paige had tried to ignore the lure of chocolate. During her turbulent childhood, she’d used it to suppress the scary feelings of an unsettled home. Her resistance to the shop had lasted a day. To help herself, she bought sweets for other people and coveted the scent of chocolate. Sick, yes. But she didn’t care.

“Ahhh, Miss Librarian. I see zat you have come again.”

At the sound of the proprietress of The Sweet Shoppe, Paige turned and smiled. The woman stood a whole foot shorter than Paige. Her lined face split into a wondrous smile as she beckoned Paige closer. The jingle of bells sounded as she moved her hand.

“You come to shop for yourself?”

Paige chuckled. “No. Not hardly. It’s my assistant’s birthday. She loves your chocolate-covered peanuts.”

She crossed her arms beneath her plentiful bosom and frowned at Paige. Even with her considerable height advantage, Paige felt like a little girl.

She pointed a finger at Paige’s chest. “You never buy for you.”

The remonstration in her voice rang like a bell.

“You don’t have my favorite and I only buy that. It’s hard to find in the local shops. That way I can control my eating habits.”

If possible, her frown deepened. “What is this favorite?”

“Irish whiskey truffles.”

Her small black eyes studied Paige, as if trying to discern if she was telling a lie. Paige resisted the urge to shift her weight from one foot to the other. Then the older woman’s lips turned up at the corners, the wrinkles around her mouth deepening with the movement. She nodded.

“Ahh, yes. I should have seen zat.”

Before Paige could ask her what she meant, the woman turned, the swirl of her full skirts tickling the top of Paige’s feet. The sound of the small bells tinkled as she hurried away.

“How much you need of zis peanuts?”

“Excuse me, but we were here first,” the young man from the couple Paige had seen earlier said.

The owner stopped and turned to face the couple. Her eyebrows drew down in a threatening manner and she frowned at them. “If you do not behave, you will not get any chocolate.”

And with that she turned and went to retrieve Paige’s peanuts. The man shot Paige a malevolent look, but they didn’t leave. She tried smiling at him, but he just huffed and looked away. A moment later, the woman returned with a bag. It was then that Paige realized she hadn’t told her how much she wanted. But as always, it was just the right amount.

After paying, Paige turned to leave, but the woman stopped. “Miss Librarian? You come back before closing at six pm. I will have zose whiskey truffles for you.”

Paige opened her mouth to argue, but the woman turned to the couple and ignored her. Sighing, she left the shop. Maybe she would indulge a little. A few sweets never hurt anyone.

* * *

By three o’clock that afternoon, Paige had had enough. Her eyes were gritty, her patience wearing thin. She was sure her lack of sleep had a lot to do with her irritability but other factors were not helping. There didn’t seem to be a library employee who hadn’t asked her to take on one of their tasks. Usually, she didn’t mind helping her co-workers, but every one of them seemed to have lost the ability to think lately. She knew that in Savannah it was normal this time of year.

The first buds of spring were beginning to show around Savannah. It was gorgeous and invited everyone to run outside and play hooky. The fact that everyone seemed to think they had a right to celebrate and Paige would pick up the slack was getting under her skin.

As head of the reference department, she had a lot of work to do. Her student assistant hadn’t shown up and Debbie, her part-time assistant, had a second job to go to. Paige’s section looked like a bomb hit it. Books and magazines covered the tables. She glanced at the clock, then at the littered tables. If she could sneak out without anyone noticing, she could pop in on Jeremy.

But just as she turned to leave, Judy Franks, the head of the circulation department, stepped into her section.

“Paige.”

She smiled. Paige knew that meant one thing. Judy wanted something. More than likely, she wanted Paige to fill in for her. Judy didn’t smile at anyone who didn’t outrank her—unless she wanted a favor. They’d been hired within a week of each other, both fresh from completing their Master’s Degrees. Two people couldn’t be more different. While Paige’s dream was to one day head up a collection on Celtic works or oversee a rare books department, Judy was wrapped up in campus politics and moving up the ladder in the library. She didn’t care who she screwed, literally and metaphorically.

Work was not only where they differed. Their personalities showed through in their clothing. Paige believed in quiet elegance, which she was sure most people would describe as conservative. Judy liked bright colors and trendy styles. The outfit she wore today was an example. Her black skirt was long but about a size too small, so it clung to every curve. Her shirt was fuchsia, again a size too small, and she’d left one button too many undone. Looking at Judy, from her perfectly styled blonde hair to her enhanced breasts, Paige would have never known she was a librarian.

“I was wondering if you could fill in for me tonight.” Judy’s smile widened, showing off every one of her perfectly aligned teeth.

“Sorry, Judy. I have plans for tonight.” That wasn’t exactly true, but Paige took a chance she couldn’t get struck by lightning in the library.

Judy crossed her arms beneath her breasts, causing them to almost spill over the neckline of the blouse. She frowned at Paige. “I have a date tonight and Mike has the flu.”

Sighing, Paige fought off the urge to just walk away. “It’s been a long day and there is no way I could last until nine tonight.”

Her smiled returned. “But you would only have to stay until seven.”

“Then you should have time to meet your date.”

Judy sighed and then placed her hands on her waist. “I need to go home and get ready. I know you wouldn’t understand this, Paige, but I like to freshen up before my dates.”

Irritation wound through her, finally settling in her stomach. Judy never really insulted Paige to her face, but she regularly made comments about her life as if they were fact. The worst thing was that Paige knew she was stuck. Judy would nag until Paige caved in and stayed. And if she didn’t, it would be worse. Judy would complain or force one of the students to work and then the whole place would be in an uproar. Nothing would get done and the place would be a mess tomorrow morning. Whoever was working the weekend would spend most of it cleaning up.

“Okay, I’ll do it if you’ll cover for me for about fifteen minutes. I need a break.”

Judy glanced around Paige’s section and one perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose. “As long as you don’t expect me to clean up.”

No of course not. Cleaning would be beneath Judy. Paige gritted her teeth, but still smiled. “No problem, Judy. I’m just going to pop over to see Jeremy for a few minutes, and then I’ll be back.”

Knowing that Judy would try to find an excuse to back out immediately, Paige grabbed her coat then closed the door to her office. Without another word, she hurried out the front door of the library.

She drew in a deep breath of cool spring air and shivered. Even with the sun shining, there was a definite chill in the air. In Savannah, you never knew what you would get this time of year. Spring hadn’t actually sprung yet, but Paige didn’t really care. Even being out of the library for a few minutes would give her time to relax. Drawing in another deep breath, she felt the muscles in her neck loosen.

She ambled down the sidewalk to the history department. He was probably sitting at his desk doing research for his new book. That was actually how they had started dating. A year earlier, Jeremy had been a newly hired assistant professor in history when he asked her for help. Before Paige knew it, they were dating, and several months later, Jeremy, not Paige, had begun talking about getting married.

Sighing, she waited for a car to pass then crossed the street. She had to figure out why every time she began to think about their wedding she felt as if she would suffocate. It was the same overwhelming feeling she had when she spent time with her parents. Jeremy chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters. Paige hoped he was right.

As Paige reached the door, her mind turned back to her growing unease at work. There was something not right, something that was causing her to dread work. And that had never been the case for her. She’d grown up as one of the Savannah Turners. Although that didn’t mean much to the outside world, in Savannah, old southern money meant everything.

So when she went out and got a part-time job the minute she turned sixteen, her mother had been appalled. Instead of making her debut and dating the quarterback, Paige had been more comfortable working in a bookstore. It was there she’d started her love affair with Celtic mythology. There had been no doubt in her mind she wanted to work surrounded by books, even at that young age. It had been her way to escape her parents’ many marital spats. And from the moment she’d started work at the college, Paige had loved it.

Lately, though, there were days work had become more of a chore. She dreaded the meetings, the constant fight for money to keep things current. Add in the nasty personalities, the constant bickering between departments and the fact that Paige seemed to take on more and more work each month from other departments, life at the library wasn’t as much fun as it had been a year ago.

She’d had several job offers, as her knowledge of Celtic mythology was well- known. She’d turned them all down, knowing that they would interfere with her wedding. But the last one had come from a grant association that had a research job for her, which would pay her to research and live in Ireland. It had physically pained her to turn that one down last week, but she had made a commitment to Jeremy.

Her steps slowed as she wandered down the hall to Jeremy’s office. Something whispered down her spine as she drew closer. The unpleasant feeling grew the closer she got to the door. Paige noticed it was opened a crack and she could hear Jeremy and a woman’s voice.

“I told you why we can’t do this on campus, Simone.”

“But, Jeremy, your librarian will never know. Besides, it isn’t like you said no.” The sultry tone in the other woman’s voice made it clear what they had been doing.

Paige heard the distinct noise of clothes rustling. She crept closer and peered through the door crack. Jeremy sat in his leather desk chair—the chair she’d bought him—and stared up at a curvy brunette. The woman stood in front of him, zipping up her skirt.

Her brain finally processed the fact she had just caught her fiancé schlepping one of his grad students.

End of Excerpt