WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author's imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Photo Credit: Patrick He Used under a Creative Commons license. Cover Design: Selena Kitt Making Up © 2008 Dakota Trace eXcessica publishing All rights reserved Making Up By Dakota Trace eXcessica gratis * free fiction Alexa sighed as she opened the front door to the office she shared with her brother, Andrew. Her chosen, Joseph, had been gone for a week on business, and she sure missed his warm comforting arms at night when she got home from a long day's work. It didn't help that her brother's chosen, Grace-lee, worked with both of them. She had to see them mooning over each other every day. It wasn't much different, she supposed, than she and Joseph were together. She wasn't surprised to see Andrew had already arrived. He was always the first one in and usually the last one to leave at night. She was surprised, however, that she didn't see Grace-lee any where in the office. Placing her purse and coat in the coat closet, she wandered back into Andrew's lab. She found him hunched over his desk with his head braced between his hands. "Andrew, is everything okay?" She walked over to his desk and leaned against it. "I don't know what to do, Alexa. Grace-lee has left." "What?" she asked in disbelief. It was unheard of for chosen ones to leave each other. They needed the constant presence of their mate to function. "Yes, she left me." Andrew raised his head and looked up at her. Alexa gasped when she saw the huge bags under his silver eyes and patchiness of his normally smooth skin. "When?" "Over the weekend," he growled. "She said something about needing some space." "Doesn't she realize that isn't how it works between us? This is Venus, not Earth!" Alexa insisted hotly. "I tried explaining it to her, sis. But she comes from a race that doesn't normally bond together mentally as well as physically." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Andrew. Did she say when she would be back?" "No. She went home to her apartment and I don't even know if she's coming to work today." He rose out of his chair to start pacing. In the outer office, the communication console chirped. "I'll be right back, Andrew. I have to answer that." "You're hoping to talk to Joseph. Sorry sis, I can't imagine going without Grace-lee for week. Even one night is hard. Go answer the phone. I'll be all right." Andrew sighed as he moved over to the window. * * * * Grace-lee stood next to the communication console in her kitchen and waited for someone in the office to pick up. She'd spent a couple of lonely nights in her apartment, where the sheets had the lingering smell of Drew, probably left behind the last time he'd spent the night with her. She didn't understand how one minute she felt like she was being smothered in his presence, then when he let her have the space she wanted, she felt like the world was going to end because he wasn't there with her. She drummed her finger on the wall and listened to the phone ring for a fifth time. Surely Alexa would be in by now. She'd waited 'til now to call because she didn't want to give into her overwhelming need for Drew. Finally Alexa's breathless voice came on. It sounded as if she had ran from the lab to get to the phone in time. "Hello, Consolatory Labs. Alexa speaking. How may I help you?" "Hey, Alexa. It's Grace-lee." She fully expected her sister-in-law to hang up on her. Alexa glanced over her shoulder quickly before covering her mouth so Andrew couldn't hear her. "Call me back on my walkie." She referred to the cell-phone like device they used on this planet. "All right." "Andrew, I'll be back in a minute," Alexa said from the doorway of the lab. "Okay." Drew still paced around his lab almost mindlessly. Rushing towards the break room, she waited for her walkie to ring. When it did, she answered it quickly. "What's going on, Grace-lee? Andrew is a basket case and you aren't here," Alexa asked immediately. "I don't know." Grace-lee sighed. "I needed some space from Drew." "Do you love him?" "Yes, of course I love him. That's not the problem. I don't know how to deal with this. This is nothing like what I'd go through if I was on Earth. I'm at a loss here." Grace-lee sounded sad. "I feel like I've been thrown into the deep end and have to keep my head above water without any swimming lessons. I don't know what to do or say." "Oh, sweetheart," Alexa whispered. "I'm so sorry you feel that way. But you're going to have to deal with it. I know you didn't understand what all was entailed with bonding with Andrew but you can't be apart." "Drew, said something about that. I don't understand. How do your couples function while they're separated?" "It's very difficult. Joseph and I have been bonded for over five years, Grace-lee. It still isn't comfortable when we're apart but we're both secure enough to handle it." "Secure enough?" Grace-lee rubbed her forehead. She had the start of a headache. "Yes. Joseph and I know that the other will always return. So it makes our separation more comfortable than it would be if that knowledge wasn't there," she told her friend. "But this is about you and Andrew. Andrew doesn't know if he's even going to see you again. Unfortunately this isn't like your earthling marriage. The bonding you agreed to combined your spirits along with your physical bodies." "So what are you saying?" Grace-lee sounded concerned. "Don't you feel lost without him, Grace-lee?" "Yes," came her whisper a few moments later. "Now double what you're feeling. That's what Andrew is going through," Alexa said. "I'm not going to sugar coat this, Grace-lee. Andrew isn't good today. He's restless. He looks like hell and worse he has no desire to do anything at all. This early in your bonding, it's certain death to be separated for more than a few hours every day." "So your saying that the longer we're together, the easier it will be to be apart?" "No. I'm not saying that. Just that it's easier to tolerate. You'll always want to be with your chosen. That's why many bonded couples work together. That's why there's a place on all of our applications that asks how long an applicant has been bonded." There was silence at the other end of the phone. Then, "How is he doing?" "Like I said, not good." "Then I guess?I better come into work then. I thought about taking the day off to think." "When did you leave him, Grace-lee?" Alexa asked as a thought occurred to her. "Saturday night, why?" "Oh, hell. I'll have to close the office." Alexa swore. "Don't come in until I have time to reschedule all of our appointments for today." "Why?" Grace-lee asked, confused. "Because, my dear sister-in-law, for every day you two have been apart, you can expect at least two hours of make-up sex. So I figure you have about four hours worth coming-and I'm not going to explain to customers what all the noise in the lab is." "You're expecting Drew and I to have sex in the lab?" Grace-lee gave a strained laugh. 'Grace-lee, honey, there's no expect about it. There's not any way to stop it from happening. When my brother finally sees you, the first thing he's gonna do is reaffirm you're still his chosen, and the most basic way to do that is to make love. He'll have no control over it. Neither will you. So do me a favor, wait an hour and then come in. I'm gonna lock up, so you won't have an audience. Do yourself a favor, Grace-lee-don't wear anything you don't want him ripping off you." Alexa hung up the phone. \* * * * Alexa walked into the lab and saw her brother staring mindlessly at his computer. Walking past him, she shut all the blinds until the lab was darkened. Glancing over at her, he barely noticed what she'd done. Walking over to his desk, she leaned down and gave him a hug. "I'm taking the rest of the day off, Andrew." "Why?" "As a thank you from you." "For what?" he asked, confused. "For talking your chosen into coming into work today." Alexa brushed the hair off his face. "Alexa, you know what's gonna happen." His eyes darkened, and Alexa could see his lust. "If you can talk her into coming into work, then talk her into letting me go to her apartment or coming to mine." "Don't worry." Alexa gave him a smile. "I've rescheduled all our appointments. When she shows up, I'll lock the doors behind me." * * * * As promised, Grace-lee showed up at the office an hour after she got off the phone with Alexa. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door, smiling at her sister-in-law as she walked in. Alexa motioned her to head back to the lab. Taking her coat off, she laid it over the edge of Alexa's desk. She slowly pushed the lab door open, feeling the butterflies in her stomach increase. As her eyes adjusted to the darkened room until she finally spotted Drew sitting in his chair with his back to her. "Drew?" she whispered softly. "Don't come near me, Grace-lee." His voice was strained and he didn't turn around. "What have I done wrong?" "I don't want to hurt you, Grace-lee. And I need you to be ready to accept me before you get within touching distance." Drew gripped the arms of the chair tightly. The desire to claim his chosen was riding him hard. It had been since the moment Alexa told him Grace-lee was coming in. "Ready for you?" Grace-lee chuckled softly. "I've been ready for you since Alexa told me about your 'make-up sex.' I don't claim to understand this 'bonded' thing?but I'm willing to try. Just be patient with me. I'll get it eventually." Grace-lee crept closer. "Are you wet?" Drew asked her as he unzipped his pants, his hard manhood springing out of the opening. Grace-lee stopped just inches from him. "Yes," she moaned softly. "Christ, I need you." "Good." He spun the chair around and grabbed her, reaching up under her skirt and groaning when he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear-she was wet clear down to her thighs. Yanking her forward, he surged out of his chair, bringing her up and over his rampant erection. Bracing his feet apart, he slammed her down on to his hard cock. Grace-lee screamed as he buried every inch inside her. "I love you, Grace-lee." He panted as he started thrusting her up and down. He was ferocious, his eyes glinting as he took her, claimed her. His expression alone sent her into orbit. "Oh, Drew. I love you too." She rode him, sobbing as she got closer to her orgasm. "I'm sorry. So sorry." She gasped as she went over the edge, climaxing hard around his thrusting cock. "Yes!" he hissed as she quaked in his arms. "I love you and you're mine." He backed them towards the wall, spinning in the chair to pin her between the wall and his hard body. "Mine!" He continued to hammer in and out of her. "Don't leave me again. Not like that." He gritted as he felt the climax coming. "No. I won't." She whimpered in his arms. "No, you won't. You belong with me." He panted as he tensed. "You belong to me-we belong together. Forever." "Yes!" she squealed. "I'm coming! Fuck me hard." She gasped as another orgasm raced through her. "Hell, yes! I'm gonna come," he growled as he sank to the floor with her, still thrusting. "Mine. That little pussy's mine and I'm gonna fill it full!" Then his head snapped back and he froze above her. Grace-lee stared up at him . Even as ragged as he looked, she still had never seen a more beautiful sight. Then he started hammering her as hard as he could, his seed exploding out of him, into her welcoming depths. "Ahhhh!" He groaned as he gave up his life-giving fluid. It was all Grace-lee could do to hold onto him as her body started spasming violently. When the tremors finally slowed, she looked up at him, smiling softly-until she felt him hardening inside of her. "What?" she gasped in surprise, staring down between them, as if she could see him getting hard inside of her. She could certainly feel it. "She wasn't lying, Grace-lee," he whispered as he started to thrust again slowly. "I'm going to love you for the rest of the day. Then we'll see if you ever want to leave me again." All Grace-lee could do is moan softly as he gently pushed her over the edge into another orgasm. * * * * Grace-lee moaned softly as she stood. She could barely keep her balance. It didn't help she still had one shoe on and one off. Drew had managed getting her skirt and blouse off but that was all. Looking over her shoulder, she could see him laying on the couch that graced one side of the break room. It looked like he was asleep. And Lord did she hope so. Her alien was a sex machine. He hadn't gotten brutal with her but he must have climaxed five times in the last three hours. And she wasn't sure how many times he'd pushed her over the edge. She knew all she wanted was a glass of water and a warm bed to curl up and sleep on. Tip-toeing across the break room, she opened the small fridge-like contraption and grabbed a cold bottle of water. She nearly dropped it when she felt Drew's arm wrap around her waist and lift her off her feet. "I missed you," Drew whispered against the back of her neck as he lightly teased her naked nipples with his other hand. "Don't you ever get enough?" She gasped as an all too familiar surge of desire ran through her body. "No." His lips ran over the side of her neck and up to her ear. "Drew." She gasped. "One more time, Grace-lee. Let me have you one more time before we go home." He drew his fingers over her moist sex. When she moaned softly, Drew took that for a yes and gently carried her back over to the couch, sitting her down on it. Drawing her hips to the edge, he slowly explored her soft folds until she begged him to take her. Sighing with pleasure, he knelt and slowly sank inside her with a gentle thrust. "Look at me Grace-lee," he ordered as he slowly started moving. "What?" She gasped. "What do you see?" he asked. "You." "Look closer," he whispered as he delved deeper into her. "The chosen who loves me." She panted as she felt the familiar tingle of impending orgasm. How many times could a human do this in a day? "That's right." He kissed her. "I'm your chosen, Grace-lee. I can't live without you. I won't live without you," he finished as he pushed deeper into. "Ohh!" She gasped, arching her back at the tense pleasure spiraling through her lower body. "That's right. No one else can give you this, Grace-lee. Only I can." He continued to slowly thrust. Drew gritted his teeth against the urge to hammer in and out of his chosen. The mating fever he'd been in when she first arrived still had him wrapped in it's coils, but he knew she wasn't one of his kind and he didn't want to hurt her. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight as he slowly coaxed her body closer to the point of no return. He loved listening to her little gasps of pleasure. "Drew...please," she pleaded. "I know, you want to come all over me." He plunged a little bit deeper. "Yes." She gasped as another surge of pleasure hit her. "Promise me you'll stay," he coaxed as he urged her closer to the edge. "What?" She panted as she fought to get closer. Drew grasped her hips and stilled her movements. "I won't go through this again. Love me enough to stay and work it out." He gazed into her beautiful green eyes. "I'll try," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "Grace-lee, look at me!" When her startled eyes meet his again, he continued. "Promise me." When she squirmed and pleaded with him to start moving again, he smiled. "I'm not gonna move until I get your promise, sweetheart." "Yes, I promise." She finally sighed, running her fingers through his hair and tightening her grip as she pulled his head down and nibbled at his mouth. "Now quit stalling and fuck me." "Yes, Ma'am." He pulled his hips back and thrust as deep as he could into her. At her soft moan, he smiled happily. Now that he'd gotten what he wanted out of her, it was time for some serious loving. * * * * Sitting on the couch in her apartment, Drew sat with Grace-lee cuddled on his lap. Watching the vid screen, he knew he was going to have some serious adjustments to make for his chosen. He realized now, she didn't understand the depths of the bonding they'd gone through. At the time if their bonding, he had been too out of control with both love and lust for her, and too selfish to stop and explain the enormity of her decision to bond with him. And in the back of his mind, he knew he had definitely taken advantage of her inexperience for his own needs. When she shifted, he pulled her closer. He knew she was tired. She'd dozed off next to him shortly after they'd gotten back to her apartment. Of course, he couldn't resist and had pulled her onto his lap. She hadn't so much as protested his actions. She had just dozed back off. In the morning, he decided. They would talk about it in the morning. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the couch and savored the contentment that came from being with her. * * * * When dawn came the next morning, Grace-lee woke wrapped in Drew arms. With a sigh of pleasure she snuggled closer. She'd slept well in her chosen's arms. Idly she toyed with the soft hair that covered his chest. It was the same pitch black hair that graced his head, but unlike men on her planet, the hair was so soft that it felt like cashmere. He may look like a human, she reminded herself, but he isn't. She wasn't sure what to do with that fact either. She'd been swept away in a moment of passion. In fact the passion they generated was enough to overwhelm her-and did, at times. She had nothing to compare this with. All her relationships on Earth were tepid compared to the intensity she had found with Drew. Slipping out of his arms, she pulled on her robe, walking over to the window and watching as the sun started to breach the night. She wasn't surprised when she heard Drew start to stir in her bed. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as he felt around for her. Then his eyes flew open and he looked around wildly. "Grace-lee!" And it that moment, Grace-lee realized how deeply she'd hurt him. "I'm here, Drew," she said softly, then with a smile, she beckoned him over. "Come and watch the sunrise with me." Pushing the rumpled sheets off of him, he stood and stretched before joining her in front window. "I thought you were gone again," he mumbled sleepily as he held her into his arms. "No. I promised I never leave again." Pulling back, she looked into his silver eyes. "And I never break a promise." "I've made the same to you, Grace-lee," he whispered. "I won't ever leave. It doesn't matter how old we get or how sick or even how happy we are. I'll always be here with you. We have to find a way to make it work for both of us." "I've been thinking about that," she said softly. "Any suggestions?" He carried her back to her bed. "One. I was thinking of something called a girl's night out." "What's that?" "It's a tradition that we have at home. Once a week, all the girls get together without their husbands and kids. Then they go out and do something as group-eat at a restaurant, go to a movie, or just hangout at one of the houses," she explained as he pulled her next to him and covered them both up. "Sounds interesting. Can't say I've ever heard of it happening here though." "I can imagine. With the bonding the way it is. Most women probably don't think about doing something without their chosen." "Yes, we're a civilization based on that," he agreed as she rested her head over his heart. "Do you think Alexa would be willing to try it out?" "Hmm." He considered it. "How long do these nights out last? A whole evening?" "Not usually. Just a couple of hours," Grace-lee whispered against his chest. "So this custom is for women to get together and just blow off a little steam for a few hours?" "Yes," Grace-lee said, hoping that he understood. "You know, it might just work. Joseph wouldn't probably mind if Alexa went out with you for a few hours. Then maybe he and I could go golfing." "Golfing?" She choked on a laugh. "You've never heard of girls night out but you've heard of golfing?" "Hey, now. Golfing is a wonderful sport. It's been the rage since we first had you earthlings show up on our doorstep." He laughed. * * * * Later that morning, Drew and Grace-lee walked into the office. They found Alexa draped over the edge of her desk, wrapped up in her husband's arms. "Oops." Grace-lee squeaked as she pushed Drew back out of the office. "I'll lock up behind me. Call me later." She hollered over her shoulder. Drew stumbled and backed up. "What was that?" He hadn't seen anything due to the fact that he'd been riffling through the days mail. "Your sister and Joseph." "Really? Dare I ask what they were doing that caused you to back out so quickly?" He winked. "Bonding." She grinned as she led him back towards her apartment. "Why don't we go and try it ourselves?" "My pleasure." He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the apartment. "Who needs work?" The sound of Grace-lee's laughter echoed in the hallway as Drew kicked the door shut. The End ABOUT DAKOTA TRACE Dakota hails from the home state of the Hawkeyes, corn and pigs. Surrounded by children's laughter and the corn fields, she crafts her stories. She enjoys writing romances and sci-fi/fantasy stories. She is a romantic at heart, so even the sci-fi stories have an underlying romantic plot. She started writing at the tender age of fourteen and hasn't stopped since. Although it is a mystery to most where she finds the time to write. Aside from being a full time wife and mother, she also works the dreaded overnight shift at a clothing company. To find out more about Dakota visit her at http://dakotatrace.wordpress.com/. If you enjoyed MAKING UP, you might also enjoy: DARKNESS CALLING By Rachelle Le Monnier In the back of beyond, all is not as it seems. Alec only wanted a quiet life, but when he met Pandora, all hell broke loose. After he was caught in a terrible storm, Pandora saved Alec's life, but his brief taste of something tantalizing that night left him craving far more. It isn't long before they are both caught up in a whirl of passion and intrigue that threatens Pandora's life and Alec's sanity. Can their love survive the shadows from her past, or will her true nature destroy them both? Warning: This title contains graphic language, sex, and one non-consent scene. Excerpt From DARKNESS CALLING: "How come I've never seen you around the village?" "Oh, I'm not allowed down there. Father prefers me to stay on the farm, where he can keep an eye on me," she said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "What??" Alec was outraged. "You're an adult! You can do what the hell you like!" He was beginning to think that maybe he needed to pay a visit to Seth Blakey. It wasn't right to treat a girl that way. There were laws against that kind of thing - or at least he thought there were. "Father knows best," the girl said calmly. She stood up and stretched like a cat. Alec couldn't help but admire her feline grace. Her hair cascaded down her back and her trousers clung to her slim body like a second skin. She was so unconsciously sexy it was all he could do not to jump up and take hold of her. Instead he forced himself to look away and examine the stone wall in enormous detail. They might be stranded here for a while - it would not help matters if he continued to harbour erotic fantasies about Pandora. She was much too young for him anyhow. "Are you hungry?" Pandora asked as she turned back towards him. "A little?" he admitted reluctantly. His plate of toast this morning was but a distant memory. He was starving if he was honest, but as he hadn't bothered bringing any food, there was very little he could do about it. "I have some chocolate. Do you want to share it?" Pandora's strange amber eyes twinkled at him in the half light. Alec nodded enthusiastically. His mouth began to water at the prospect. "Yes please!" He grinned. It was hardly a huge plate of steak and chips, but it was still better than nothing. Pandora delved her hand into the pocket of her cavernous wax coat. She pulled a large bar of chocolate out from the depths and broke a piece off for Alec before kneeling down in the straw beside him. "Thanks," he said gratefully. The sweet flavour melted in his mouth in a dark burst of bliss. He hadn't realised how much he had craved sugar until that moment. He watched as Pandora broke another chunk off and popped it into her own mouth. She half closed her eyes and a smile spread across her face. "Mmmm. I love chocolate!" Silently they devoured the rest of the bar, each lost in their own cocoa induced high. When it was finally gone, Alec regretfully crumpled the foil wrapper up and threw it away into a corner. He just hoped the rain stopped soon and that plate of steak and chips was on the menu also. Chocolate was great - but it wouldn't keep the hunger pangs at bay for long. Without warning, Pandora reached out and rubbed her thumb across the corner of his mouth. "You have a chocolate smudge," she explained in a husky voice. Her face was so close to his as she spoke, he could almost taste the chocolate on her breath, sweet and sugary. His skin tingled where her thumb lingered. It was only when his lungs began to protest at the lack of oxygen that he realised he had stopped breathing. Her eyes bored into his although her expression remained inscrutable. For a long moment neither of them moved a muscle. Alec's heart thudded painfully in his chest; it was so loud he wondered if she would be able to hear it. He felt as if he was teetering on the edge of a dangerous precipice. One wrong footstep and he might tumble into the abyss. It was scary. It was exhilarating. Pandora was a complex puzzle. He knew nothing about her. She was a world apart from other girls he had met; almost childlike in many ways. But he couldn't deny that he was dangerously attracted to her. Her animal sensuality was like a seductive perfume weaving a spell on his senses. The knowledge that he really shouldn't be contemplating such carnal fantasies did not seem to be getting through to his cock. Beneath the blanket, his erection was raging hard. The situation was rapidly spiralling out of control and he felt powerless to stop. "Pandora, I-" "Hush!" she whispered softly before she closed the gap between them and kissed him. The pressure of her lips was like a butterfly's wings brushing across his mouth; so fleeting he wondered for a minute if he had imagined it. Then he felt her again, harder this time; more demanding. His free hand found the tangled tresses of her hair and entwined itself joyfully as he explored the crevasses of her sweet mouth. A small whimper escaped as they parted and he opened his eyes to find her staring at him hungrily. Outside the rain continued to pour down. Alec was barely aware of a distant crack of thunder splitting the heavens apart. A small part of his brain tried to warn him against the foolhardy path he was about to follow, but he resolutely ignored it. He leant back against the straw bales that were piled up behind him, his broken arm strapped securely to his chest. The blanket had slid down off his shoulders, but he was unheeding of the chilly air. All he could feel was the heat from Pandora's nubile body as she leant over him, bracing her hands on the bales beside of him. Her shirt gaped open at the neck and he caught a tantalising glimpse of small breasts. He fought with his conscience as she watched him closely, her lips parted and her cheeks flushed. The right thing to do was to say, no, this is a terrible idea, but the words stuck in his throat. When she leant forward and kissed him again, Alec knew the moment to stop this madness was gone. He had relinquished control and what happened next was her choice. Soft breasts pressed against his naked chest and his hand slid down her spine, pulling her closer. She murmured into his mouth, arching her back, catlike, before moving astride his thighs. The heat of her burned into him, further inflaming his desire. All rational thought was rapidly floating away into the ether, but he forced himself to voice one last protest as he reluctantly broke away. "Pandora, we really shouldn't be doing this!" "Shh," she whispered, her silky voice weaving a magical spell that obliterated his good intentions. "You know you want to?" God knew he wanted to, but that didn't make it right! "Your father will kill me," he said in a final attempt to instil some reason into the proceedings. "No, he won't, 'cause he'll never know?" She grinned at him mischievously and he gave up? BUY THIS AND MORE TITLES AT www.eXcessica.com eXcessica's BLOG www.excessica.com/blog eXcessica's YAHOO GROUP groups.yahoo.com/group/eXcessica/ Check out both for updates about eXcessica books, as well as chances to win free E-Books! And look for these other titles from Dakota Trace: BARELY THERE By Dakota Trace When Nicola Rambaudi approaches Empress Chikowski, a plus size ladies clothing store owner, with his new clothing design, sparks fly. While she thinks the design is too risque for her customers, he's convinced it isn't. In fact, he offers her a chance to put him in his place: a focus group on his design. If the group agrees with her, he takes his designs elsewhere?but if they agree with him, he wins the contract and gets to see Empress personally model it! Warnings: This title contains public nudity, graphic language and sex. JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS By Dakota Trace Seth Anderson and Isabella Carnetti have been best friends since grade school. They live and work next to each other and are content with the status quo until the day that Seth realizes that Isabella is a desirable woman. She is leery of a relationship with him especially when she finds out he's into tying up his lovers. He won't rest until he has her in his bed. Then his ex shows up wanting to him back. Can Seth and Is have a relationship or will Seth's ex be enough to tear them apart? Warnings: This title contains graphic language, light bondage, toys and exhibitionism.