Bait & Switch (Alphas Undone #1)
Kendall Ryan
About the Book
Love is a trap, a trick only other people fall for. Former Navy SEAL Nolan Maxwell has no such illusions. The only things real in his life are his beloved bulldog and the two women who regularly share his bed. One is light—soft, innocent, and tender touches. The other is dark—and gives him all the wicked things he craves behind closed doors. It’s not cheating when each is aware of the other. But when he begins to feel much more than he ever bargained for, the order of his carefully crafted world is shaken, and he stands to lose everything.
Nolan thinks we met by chance. We didn’t. I sought him out, seduced him, and in return got the sanctuary I needed to survive. But now, impossibly, I’ve fallen in love with him. I don’t care that he has another lover, because when he finds out who I am, it’s going to ruin any chance I ever had with him anyway. She’s the least of my worries.
Bait & Switch is Book 1 in a new contemporary romance series by Kendall Ryan.
Prologue
Knowing how much her curves affected him, she used them to her full advantage. Standing before the floor-length mirror in her bedroom, she lifted her breasts so the cups of her bra cradled them nice and high. There.
She gave a little wiggle in the mirror. Black leggings and a low-cut red tunic hugged the curves of her hips while still emphasizing her trim waist. She smiled at her own reflection, something dark and possessive flashing in her eyes, her mouth curling into a bloodthirsty grin.
She wanted him to pant like a dog when he saw her. No more of this sharing bullshit. She might have said she was okay with it in the beginning, but that had been a lie. One meant to soothe and calm his worries, win him over. And she had.
Tonight she would show him, despite her many faults, that all he needed was right in front of him. Two damaged souls with murky pasts who were perfect for each other.
Nearly overcome with anticipation, she scurried around her bedroom, tossing stray clothes into the closet and fluffing her pillows for the third time. He would be here any minute, and she’d been looking forward to this moment all day.
Glancing at her dresser, she wondered if the red pillar candles she’d lit were too much. He wasn’t much for romance, but she didn’t care. Tonight she was going to make him hers. It had been too long, and her body was almost humming with need for him. She wanted him to fill her and mark her skin, just as he’d marked her heart.
Her bare feet paused at the wool throw rug beside her bed as something shifted inside her. Should I feel guilty?
She was escaping a dark past . . . but it was light that cast the greatest shadow.
Swallowing the bitter taste of acid in her mouth, she shook her head. There was no way she was backing down now. Everything about him made her feel alive, raw, and visceral. She wanted him. All of him.
Hearts would be broken. Secrets would be revealed. And nothing would ever be the same.
Chapter One
Nolan
The black leather ball gag went on first. I brushed aside Daniella’s wavy auburn hair to fasten its buckle, snapping my fingers for her to open her mouth and accept it. I stepped forward to tighten the straps, my body lingering against hers for longer than necessary. Her stiffened nipples brushed my bare chest and my cock answered, already half-hard, nudging at her through my jeans.
I’d ordered her to stand motionless unless I said otherwise. But I made the task as difficult for her as possible. Every time she fidgeted, even slightly, I spanked her naked ass hard with my open palm. She shuddered and earned another slap. Her creamy skin had started to redden, her breath coming faster.
She didn’t really need the gag. If I told her to be quiet, she would have done her best. This little ritual was all about heightening her anticipation.
“On the bed,” I finally commanded, my voice low and gruff. “All fours, hands and feet. Show me your pretty cunt.” I might have sounded cool and in control, but my own heart was pounding just as hard and fast as hers.
Her breathing hitched, and I fought down a smile.
After leaving the Navy SEALs two years ago, an unfamiliar feeling of powerlessness had swirled inside me. The realization that no one needed me, no one was waiting on my command, had been a tough pill to swallow. And even though I’d been more than ready to leave it all behind, I found I hated my new life on the outside.
But then Daniella needed me, needed me to be the man to save her. So I made that my mission.