Delayed Penalty
by Bianca Sommerland
All choices have consequences, only sometimes they’re . . . delayed.
Cortland Nash fled Dartmouth to avoid being arrested for murder, but his best friend, Ford Delgado, is in danger. Cort returns, prepared to keep his head down, and do whatever it takes to keep Ford breathing, but when he finds a beautiful young woman out in the snow, frozen in fear, his plans change. He needs to make sure she’s safe—even if the greatest danger is him.
Akira Hayashi never thought she’d overcome her fear of men, but the care of an experienced Dom helped her achieve so much more. She’s embraced her submissive side, and found her strength as the captain of the Dartmouth Cobras’ Ice Girls. There’s nothing she can’t do—except function when she’s mugged in a parking lot. The intimidating stranger who rescues her makes her feel things she never thought possible. The only problem is his connection with Ford, a man she’ll hate forever because she refuses to feel anything else.
With the constant threats from the crime lord he once called “Dad,” Ford Delgado has no room in his life for love. Unfortunately, Akira already has his heart—which is split in two when he discovers Cort is dating her. The betrayal has him lashing out, trying to move on, to grow as a Dom, and free himself from Kingsley’s criminal empire. He tries to forget what Akira means to him, but one look into her eyes shows him the last thing she needs is for him to let her go.
*** Warning
This e-book contains material not suitable for readers under 18. There are situations involving sex and violence and extreme emotions as a result. It also contains scenes that some may find objectionable, including BDSM and other rather enjoyable practices. As the characters are prone to exploring their sexuality, it is advised that readers be prepared to see some lines blurred. Or erased….
Author takes no responsibility for nonexistent lines. ;)
Interview with Ford Delgado
The place was nicer than Sarah had expected. Clean, with big
windows, on a decent street that didn’t make her feel like she was going
somewhere shady. But it wasn’t just the cold making her shiver. A little midday
stop at a bar for an interview might not seem like a big deal, but she wasn’t a
reporter—just a girl doing a favor for a friend. A friend who so owed her
because this didn’t fit her fantasies of sitting in the Dartmouth Cobras’
locker room, surrounded by sexy hockey players. Perfectly safe, because the men
had to behave. Mostly.
In any case, she was pretty sure none of them carried guns.
A quick look around the bar, almost empty at this time of
day, had her pulse speeding up. The big black man sitting with his back to the
wall near the exit, drinking coffee and watching her with a lazy smile on his
lips must be Cam—Dominik’s brother and Ford’s bodyguard. The bar’s owner had
some nasty connections in his past and that was the only reason she’d almost
called her ‘friend’ this morning to cancel the interview. Ford was lucky to be
alive. Sarah didn’t really want to be around when his luck ran out.
“Sarah?” Off to her left, Ford came out from behind the bar,
drying his hand with a rag before holding it out to her. After he gave her hand
a light squeeze, he motioned for her to sit on one of the stools. “Too early
for a drink or could you use one to steady your nerves?”
Oh, the man had a smile that could charm the devil. His
voice was smooth, something about the way he spoke putting her at ease. Not
like he thought it was silly that she was nervous, but, instead, understood and
wanted to help her relax.
I so wasn’t expecting
him to be a nice guy. Smiling at him, she shook her head and she hopped up
onto the stool. “Too early, but I’ll have some coffee if you don’t mind?”
“Sure thing. Sugar?” He met her eyes, his golden depths
shimmering like the flames in a hearth, gentle heat warming her and making her
forget all about the frigid weather. And the danger. There was only him and her
and the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee. He wasn’t quite as big or built as
most of the Cobra players, but there was a strength to him. One that attracted
her on a very basic level.
She needed to know more about him. Not just because she’d
agreed to do the interview, but because talking to him, being around him, felt
natural.
“Yes, please. And cream.” Her cheeks heated a little as he
passed her the mug and her fingers touched his. His presence was magnetic,
drawing her in to the point that she couldn’t have moved if he hadn’t first.
Worst thing was, he had this effect on her without even trying. She wasn’t sure
how she’d handle him if he did. Which was why she didn’t think before asking
her first question. “How did Akira resist you for so long?”
He chuckled, taking a seat behind the bar and wrapping his
hands around his own mug. “The fact that she hated me probably had something to
do with it.”
How could anyone hate
you? She wouldn’t ask that, because she knew. But being near him made it
harder to understand. “From everything I’ve read, she’s a smart girl. She had
to know—”
“She’s also very loyal. Protective. Yeah, I guess some would
argue that what happened to Jami wasn’t my fault, but I deserve some of the
blame.” Ford set his mug down and stared into his cup. “I had to earn Akira’s
forgiveness. Not by what I said, but what I did. It meant more because she
didn’t make it easy.”
“So you did it all for her? Changed for the better?” The
concept was a little messy. No matter how nice and charming and sexy Ford was,
he’d been a bad boy in all the worst ways. When Sarah had first heard about
him, gotten to know him, she hadn’t liked him very much. He’d done some truly
horrible things. Nothing unforgiveable, but . . . you didn’t start a
relationship with the intent to change someone. That wasn’t what Akira had
done, but if Ford had only cleaned up his act to have a chance with the young
woman—
“She made me see how fucked up my life was.” Ford glanced
over at Cam when the man cleared his throat. She’d almost forgotten Cam was
there. Giving her a sheepish smile, Ford folding his hands in front of his mug.
“Sorry, how messed up my life was.”
“I don’t mind a bit of swearing.”
“Maybe not, but my sister made me promise to cut back during
interviews after the last one was half bleeped out. I’m ‘representing the team’
and all.” Ford made quote marks in the air with his fingers and rolled his
eyes.
She laughed. She couldn’t imagine what having a brother like
this must be like. “You get along well with your sisters?”
“I do now. Actually, we’re all closer since . . .” His brow
furrowed as he glared at the top of the bar. “You know.”
She did know. And she’d had no intention of bringing it up.
Just thinking about what had happened made her throat tighten, but she did have
one question. “How is the team handling everything? Do they know Cort—”
Ford’s eyes narrowed. He stood, snatching up the rag he’d
dropped on the bar to start wiping the gleaming surface down, his tone sharp.
“It’s not Cort’s fault, so there’s no reason for anyone to know anything. The
team looks like it will make the playoffs. The guys are dealing in their own
ways.”
Time for the next question. “Are you happy to be working
with the team? That must be very different from working here?”
His posture relaxed a
bit. The edges of his lips turned up. “It’s a family thing. I enjoy it and it’s
a nice change from being the Kingsley heir. Anthony Delgado is a miserable old
man, but he’s not involved in the team anymore—he’s in no condition to meddle.
Mr. Keane owns the majority of the team, but he has a lot of respect for Silver
and Dean. We all meet every week to discuss new ideas for the franchise. Oriana
has more to offer than either me or Silver, but we’re all dedicated to the
team’s success. Feels like I’m doing something good for a change.”
Sarah finished her coffee, pretty sure she’d asked enough
questions to satisfy the readers. Except . . . there was one last thing she was
pretty sure everyone would want to know. She took a deep breath. “This is
personal, but I hope you understand why I have to ask it. It was no secret how
you feel about Akira. But sharing her with Cort . . . would that have happened
if she’d been with you first?”
Ford went perfectly still. Inhaled slowly and closed his
eyes. “No. If she’d been with me first, I probably wouldn’t have considered
sharing her. I can be a selfish bastard and I don’t think I would have been
okay with her loving another man no matter how much the man had to offer.” A
smile stole across his lips, so big and full of love she
couldn’t help but smile back even before he continued. “Cort’s a far better man
than I am. And both me and Akira are lucky that she let him in first.”
About the Author :
Jen's review
I hate to say this, because I've been slacking a lot lately - but I'm not finished reading this book yet -
I'm still planning on giving it 4-5 stars though - I'm a diehard fan of Dartmouth Cobra's - Honestly this book has me nervous though - I'm not a huge fan of Akira - she's very skiddish and timid - but with reason, right?
But so far from what I've read, she's not really as skiddish as we thought she was. Sure she gets her flashbacks and nervous around men, but she's come a long way.
I'm also not sure how I feel about Ford - I've hated him, then he made a complete 180 and I loved him, then he kind of did a few things to tick you off in the last book - but he's trying - you can really see that- so far in this book from what I've read he's determined to make things better for him and his sisters. He still has feelings for Akira, but knows that she doesn't want him around and is trying to respect that.
Then I met Cord - LOL NOW that's why I'm determined to stick with at least 4 stars :)
Cord has a shady past - but it seems like he's justified in just about everything, but he knows he's no good. And when he meets Akira , he can't explain how he feels about her, but he just goes with it.
That is until he figures out WHO Akira is, and why he's screwed. He gave up one woman for Ford before, but is he willing to do it again??
Haven't gotten that far yet - but I'm guessing NO - because their bond is so strong, and so .. cute - I can totally see this book happening as a threesome -
Ford and Cord go way back - Ford is in trouble with the man he called Dad and Cord is now around to make sure that Ford is safe. The guys Kingsley hired are afraid of Cord, as they should be - so .... I'm hoping that as soon as Ford is out of the hosptial, things are going to come together for these three..
There will be some kind of something happening towards the middle/end - I don't know what yet - but I'm really anxious to find out how this book plays off.
Max is back in town and playing for the Cobra's again. The team isn't too happy with him leaving and then coming back like he did, but I have loved Max from book one! So I'm excited to see him back :)
Once I finish the book, I'll stick up another post with my full review on it - I'm not trying to fake my review - I love this series enough to know I'm going to love this one, too. Each book has been rated 4-5 stars and shoved in my favorites - I just totally LOVE it!
Bianca Sommerland |
Tell you about me? Hmm, well, there’s not much to say. I love
hockey and cars and my kids…not in that order of course! Lol! When I’m not
writing—which isn’t often—I’m usually watching a game or a car show while
networking. Going out with my kids is my only downtime. I get to clear my head and
forget everything.
As for when and why I first started writing, I guess I thought
I’d get extra cookies if I was quiet for a while—that’s how young I was. I used
to bring my grandmother barely legible pages filled with tales of evil
unicorns. She told me then that I would be a famous author.
I hope one day to prove her right.
Buy Links:
Amazon - http://goo.gl/ttsiEJ
Smashwords - http://goo.gl/haPS2E
ARe - http://goo.gl/wyB3U7
Kobo - http://goo.gl/lsbHZI
Smashwords - http://goo.gl/haPS2E
ARe - http://goo.gl/wyB3U7
Kobo - http://goo.gl/lsbHZI
Jen's review
I hate to say this, because I've been slacking a lot lately - but I'm not finished reading this book yet -
I'm still planning on giving it 4-5 stars though - I'm a diehard fan of Dartmouth Cobra's - Honestly this book has me nervous though - I'm not a huge fan of Akira - she's very skiddish and timid - but with reason, right?
But so far from what I've read, she's not really as skiddish as we thought she was. Sure she gets her flashbacks and nervous around men, but she's come a long way.
I'm also not sure how I feel about Ford - I've hated him, then he made a complete 180 and I loved him, then he kind of did a few things to tick you off in the last book - but he's trying - you can really see that- so far in this book from what I've read he's determined to make things better for him and his sisters. He still has feelings for Akira, but knows that she doesn't want him around and is trying to respect that.
Then I met Cord - LOL NOW that's why I'm determined to stick with at least 4 stars :)
Cord has a shady past - but it seems like he's justified in just about everything, but he knows he's no good. And when he meets Akira , he can't explain how he feels about her, but he just goes with it.
That is until he figures out WHO Akira is, and why he's screwed. He gave up one woman for Ford before, but is he willing to do it again??
Haven't gotten that far yet - but I'm guessing NO - because their bond is so strong, and so .. cute - I can totally see this book happening as a threesome -
Ford and Cord go way back - Ford is in trouble with the man he called Dad and Cord is now around to make sure that Ford is safe. The guys Kingsley hired are afraid of Cord, as they should be - so .... I'm hoping that as soon as Ford is out of the hosptial, things are going to come together for these three..
There will be some kind of something happening towards the middle/end - I don't know what yet - but I'm really anxious to find out how this book plays off.
Max is back in town and playing for the Cobra's again. The team isn't too happy with him leaving and then coming back like he did, but I have loved Max from book one! So I'm excited to see him back :)
Once I finish the book, I'll stick up another post with my full review on it - I'm not trying to fake my review - I love this series enough to know I'm going to love this one, too. Each book has been rated 4-5 stars and shoved in my favorites - I just totally LOVE it!
Except:
Exhaustion had taken Akira the second she’d climbed into bed with Cort, but it was 5:00 a.m. and she was wide awake. She rolled on to her belly, braced her elbows on the bed, and smiled at the big man in the bed beside her. He let out a soft, sleepy groan and dropped an arm over her back.
She giggled as he picked her up by the waist and laid her over him. “I thought you were sleeping!”
“No, I was waiting for you to follow through with your threats.” He placed his hands on her hips, his thumbs lightly stroking the curve of her pelvis, waking her in a different way. All that was between them were his boxers and her panties. The swell of his erection pressing against her had her melting with pure, hot desire. He gave her a knowing grin. “I spent the first hour considering all the things in your room I could use to tie you up if you got out of control.”
“Mmm, I think it’s too late.” She grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands over his head, leaning down to kiss the length of his neck. “You can’t stop me.”
“Not sure I want to.” He easily freed one hand, slipping it around the back of her neck and guiding her up so he could give her a long, slow kiss. The way he ground up against her made her breath catch as heat throbbed down low. Then he slipped his lips along her cheek to whisper in her ear. “The first time would be easiest with you on top. Then I’ll know how much of me you can take.”
“I’d say you’re bragging.” She inhaled his clean, arousing scent, sure she could get drunk and high on him alone. He was rain in the spring mixed with pure, deep notes of musk. Like standing on a mountain during a downpour, the air around her earthy and rich. She lifted her head as his fingers trailed up her spine under her nightshirt. “But I’ve had my mouth on you. I can’t take you all the way in.”
“Such a dilemma.” He made her sit up and pulled her night shirt up over her head. “I guess we’ll have to go very, very slow.”
Her eyes drifted shut as he covered her small breasts with his huge hands. Brought her back down so he could suck a nipple into his mouth. The tug of his lips, the flick of his tongue, had her trying to get a good grip on his hair so he wouldn’t stop. His hot breath moistened her flesh. He slipped one hand between her thighs, rubbing gently at the moist swatch of cloth covering her.
“Not too slow.” She whimpered as he slid a finger under the material and pressed it inside her at a torturously languorous pace. Part of her was a little nervous about taking him into her body, afraid it would hurt. Some women might think bigger was better, but Cort was big enough that he’d have to be careful whenever they were together.
If she didn’t trust him, she wouldn’t even risk it. But she did, and right now his finger just wasn’t enough.
“Hmm, I guess not.” He withdrew his finger, glistening wet, and brought it to his mouth, making a hungry sound as he sucked it. “Fuck, I could just eat you. You taste so good.”
She held her breath, torn between wanting his very talented mouth on her once again, and taking as much of him into her body as she could. Shifting restlessly, all kinds of naughty words on the tip of her tongue, she spoke quietly. “I want this, Cort. I want you.”
He sat up, wrapping his arms around her. “Your last request of the night.” He glanced at the clock and laughed. “Or should I say, morning. But we do this my way.”
“Yes, Sir.” She batted her eyelashes, wiggling her hips a little to tease him. “I am yours to command.”
One brow arched, he set her aside, then stood. He reached down to take his wallet out of his jeans on the floor, pulling out a condom. “Right now, I have only one command, Tiny.”
Her lips held tight between her teeth, she looked up at him expectantly as he placed the condom in her hand.
His fingertip brushed down her cheek. He bent down and grazed her lips with his. “Don’t let me hurt you.”
2 comments:
I am anxiously waiting to read Delayed Penalty! I have to finish the one before this before I can start, can't wait!!!
Eva P.
Great review for a great author! Thanks for the contest!
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