Platinum (Facets of Passion) Read online

  “I do?”

  “Yes. You smooth all those sharp edges and rough corners. Just when I’m likely to melt it all down, you come in like a cool breeze.”

  A swell of love warmed her, filling the empty spaces in her heart.

  “Also, I can make a soufflé.”

  “A soufflé? Really?”

  “I swear they gave us classes in everything—anything to keep us occupied and not thinking up ways to get into trouble.” He rolled his eyes. “Most useless skill ever and I never said it tastes any good. I guess they thought it would teach us patience.”

  She laid her cheek on his lapel, keenly aware of the nipple ring hidden beneath. “I’ll never catch up with such an eclectic education.”

  Dipping his head to whisper in her ear, he ran his tongue along the sensitive shell. “You seem to be a fast learner to me. I’m always happy to offer lessons—in anything that catches your fancy.”

  She shivered, though his insinuation made the heat rise, and tipped her head back to look up at him. “This time it’s you who has to sit still in the limo.”

  His hands flexed around her back, pulling her close so she could feel his erection. “Does that mean you’re ready to blow this place?”

  “Yes.” She licked her lips. “And something else too.”

  Steel nearly dragged her out of there, barely letting her say her goodbyes. Turned out tormenting him in the limo was even more fun than dancing.

  * * *

  A month later, Althea reopened the gallery and reintroduced herself to the world.

  The room was packed with far from the usual gallery crowd. Hipsters in their studied black contrasted nicely with the jewel-tone walls. College students mingled with a number of European tourists. More than one society matron had given her the hairy eyeball and departed in a huff. And quite a few of the ladies who lunch had looked shocked, giggled, and then took another turn to get a better look at Steel’s seductive art. She’d also sold three pieces and taken five inquiries for commissions.

  Steel stood across the room amidst a pack of giddy young women. No surprise there. He was talking about the satyr, rampant under the gleaming lights, sex incarnate. They were enraptured. He’d wanted to add more, to display images of that sculpture’s prurient uses, but she’d reined him back. Dancing on the edge of imagination.

  Her father had “other business” to attend to, but Bootsie bustled about, flushed with her daughter’s triumph, in her element berating the caterers.

  Already she’d found—or had recommended to her—several other artists to show. All raw, visceral and shouting of life.

  Nothing of hers, yet. But maybe soon.

  “Well, look at you.” Abby pressed a flute of champagne into her hand and slid an arm around her waist. “Owner of the hottest gallery in town and smiling like the cat who ate the canary.”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s a mixed metaphor.” Althea laughed.

  Abby clinked her own flute against Althea’s. “Okay, the cat who ate the hottie artist—or who’s planning to later.”

  “Now that’s entirely possible.” Althea leaned her head against Abby’s dark curls and surveyed the crowd. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  “I can’t believe that’s you in the paintings in the other room. Who knew you have such great tits?”

  Althea groaned, elbowing her friend. “Don’t make it worse.”

  “Where’s Cheri? Shouldn’t she be screwing around somewhere?”

  “She decided to seek greener pastures.” Althea sipped her champagne. “After I told her I’d only pay her for the hours she was actually here.”

  Abby barked out a laugh, eyes sparkling. “Now that is the second best business decision you’ve made lately.”

  “And the first?”

  “Following your passion. I stand in awe, Thea, honey. This, all of this, is amazing. And you’re painting again, I just—” Abby’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m just so happy for you.”

  “Me too.” Althea raised her glass to Steel, who caught her eye with a smoldering look and blew a kiss in her direction. “I’m happy for me.”

  * * * * *

  In the mood for more erotic BDSM romance?

  Then check out the first book in the Facets of Passion series, Sapphire, available now!

  Sapphire

  A successful executive, M. Taylor Hamilton is on track with her ten-year plan. Too bad her personal life consists of hitting the gym and grocery shopping. Enter the seductive Adam Kirliss. They may have a working relationship, but everything changes at an office party when he handcuffs her to the rail of a yacht.

  Taylor writes off the adventure as too much champagne, but when Adam challenges her to a date, she agrees to meet up with him. And follow his rules. They share a night of exquisite intimacy, brimming with both pain and pleasure. But afterward, fearful of losing her heart, Taylor pulls back emotionally.

  Adam is determined to prove that she longs for the loss of control he can give her—and the passionate release it provides. How can he make her see that he wants her, and not just her body?

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  About the Author

  Jeffe took the crooked road to writing, stopping off at neurobiology, religious studies and environmental consulting before her creative writing began appearing in places like Redbook, Puerto del Sol, Wyoming Wildlife, Under the Sun and Aeon.

  An erotic novella, Petals and Thorns, came out under her pen name of Jennifer Paris in 2010, heralding yet another branch of her path, into erotica and romantic fantasy fiction. Since then, an erotic short, Feeding the Vampire, and another erotic novella, Sapphire, have hit the shelves. Her contemporary fantasy novel, Rogue’s Pawn, released in July 2012. Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie and plentiful free-range lizards, and frequently serves as a guinea pig for an acupuncturist-in-training.

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  ISBN: 978-14268-9513-5

  Copyright © 2013 by Jennifer M. Kennedy

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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  Jeffe Kennedy, Platinum (Facets of Passion)