NEED YOU TONIGHT - Roni Loren
A Loving on the Edge Novel, Book 5
Berkley Heat
ISBN: 978-0-425-26856-8
March 2014
Erotic Contemporary Romance
Dallas, Texas - Present Day
A year ago, Tessa McAllen walked in on her husband having sex with one of her friends, and left behind the only life and security she had. Now she's working temp jobs and scraping to get by, but she's living on her own terms and is financially independent. When her best friend, Sam, signs her up for a cooking lesson/dating event, Tessa isn't interested in hooking up, and when the host can't find her confirmation, a part of her is relieved to skip the event. Then a deep voice behind her offers to cover the cost, and Tessa's night changes. Her reluctance to let him pay prompts him to offer a private lesson, on the house, and she agrees.
Kade Vandergriff can't take his eyes off the beautiful woman in his restaurant, and when he convinces her to accept a private cooking lesson, all the bad things that happened that day disappear. Shortly after they start cooking, Tessa tells him flat out that she's not looking for love, romance or even a date – but sex isn't something she'd turn down. It isn't until much later – after a very enjoyable evening – that Kade learns “Contessa” is really Tessa McAllen, the girl he had a crush on in high school. The girl who left him for someone who could offer her more, and was inadvertently the cause of the most traumatic night of his life.
Kade's been a Dominant long enough to recognize the interest in Tessa's eyes when he mentions he likes a little kink with his sex. As he does his best to show her the pleasure in submitting, he once again finds himself falling for the woman who held his teenage heart. Tessa's learned the hard way that nobody ever sticks around, and while she's beginning to crave the things that Kade is teaching her, Tessa is determined to keep her heart locked away.
A chance encounter leads to an unexpected reunion in NEED YOU TONIGHT. After being abandoned by her mother and entering foster care, Tessa quickly learned the only way to stay safe was to conform to whatever was expected of her, a mindset that followed her into marriage. Now that she's free of her controlling husband, Tessa is taking night classes and trying to figure out who the real Tessa is. She doesn't want to get hurt again, so men aren't high on her priority list, but proving to herself that she's not boring in bed as her ex-husband claims, is something she's willing to test. Growing up, Kade was overweight, had a stutter, with a verbally abusive stepfather and not a lot of money. Often a target of the bullies in school, to Kade Tessa was the unattainable dream, until he started tutoring her and they became friends. As adults, he's hoping his success will mean things work out differently than they had before, but he's learned the hard way that it's important for Tessa to learn exactly what he expects of her, both in the bedroom and out.
The previous stories in the Loving on the Edge series have featured Kade's friends as well as their activities at The Ranch, a private BDSM club. Characters from those stories make appearances, and anyone who has read them will recognize Kade from his interactions with the couples previously featured. Though connected by The Ranch and friendship, the books stand well on their own, and don't necessarily have to be read in order.
An edgy, sexy novel which also includes romance and a little twist of suspense, don't miss NEED YOU TONIGHT.
Jennifer Bishop
