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Copyright 2012 by Janet Eckford

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing,
photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by
any information storage or retrieval system without prior
written permission from the authors or holders of the
copyright.
This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to
locations and historical events; however, names, characters,
places and incidents are the products of the authors
imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is
either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service
marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are
the property of their respective owners and are used herein for
identification purposes only.
Published by
Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC
PO Box 61
Colfax, NC 27235
www.beautifultroublepublishing.com
Cover Art: Marteeka Karland,
http://www.marteekakarland.com/
Editor: Cindy Davis, http://www.fiction-doctor.com/
Proofreader: Novellette Whyte
http://authorgurunovellette.blogspot.com/
Formatter: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/
E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/
ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-237-1

For those readers that appreciate not only the sweet

tongue but a sharp tooth as well.

Note about eBooks

eBooks are NOT transferable.
Re-selling,
sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright
infringement. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without written permission of the
author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

CAVEAT
This work of erotica contains adult language
and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking
hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it
is defined by the laws of the country in which
the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the
hands of under-aged readers.

I
Lauren could feel him watching her as she left
the Irish Pub where shed gone to celebrate St.
Patricks Day with some of her friendswaiting just
there beyond the shadows but never actually making
his presence known. There was an awareness between
them that kept her attuned to his every move, like a
link in some invisible chain that now bound her to
him.
Inside the stuffy confines of the pub, the feel of
his gaze across the bare skin of her shoulders was like
the softest of caresses. She imagined his fingertips
lightly trailing along the slope of her shoulder toward
the ridged lines of her collarbone and dipping down to
caress the soft swell of her breasts. Shivering at the
thought of such an intimate caress she headed in the
direction of her apartment.
It was a short walk to her little bit of sanctuary,
but shed had to stave off concerns about her taking
the journey alone. She couldnt have anyone else with
her tonight because he would stay neatly tucked away
in the shadows, never crossing her doorstep if there
was another with her. That wouldnt do because she
had plans for her silent observer. Plans that involved
not the caress of his eyes on her but of his hands on
7

At That Hour
her body, those strongly muscled hands that could be
just as cruel as they were kind. Stroking her until she
purred with satisfaction and completion.
As she moved further and further from the
sounds of revelry and cheer the silence of the night
seemed to engulf her. There was a stillness that only
heightened her awareness that he was out there,
watching and waiting, tracking her with focused
intensity that caused her body to heat and liquefy into
a puddle of sexual awareness. She often wondered
what that focused intensity of his would be like in the
confines of her room, without the distractions of the
world to interrupt.
Lauren shivered as a soft breeze whispered
across her skin and she thought how nice it would be
when it was his hot breath there instead. Blowing on
skin cooled after the exertion of the friction their
bodies would make with one another. Would he use
his tongue to gently lap at the salty sweet taste of her
skin or would his lips instead make promises to her
flesh that his words could never express?
She wanted to run those last few feet to her
doorstep but she didnt want the chase to end so
quickly. Hed stalked her for hours and to give in so
quickly wouldnt be the proper reward for all his hard
work. Instead she forced herself to go slow, to place
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Janet Eckford
one foot in front of the other and count the steps until
she was home. It was blissfully torturous in its nonfulfillment and it made her wonder if hed make her
wait when he had her writhing beneath him begging
for release, keeping her balanced on that fine edge of
completion as he stroked and caressed her body
relentlessly.
The sight of her apartment almost made her cry
out with joy. She was so close to coming, thinking
about him doing all the naughty things she had
planned. Pressing her key into the lock she paused,
listening to the night sounds. She knew that he was
there, silent and patient, hoping that tonight would be
different, that she would finally broker a full invitation
instead of her initial one given in haste.
The thrill of her what if coming to life made
her want to prolong the inevitable just a little more.
Maybe she should let him wait in the shadows he loved
so dearly and continue to watch her from afar a few
seconds more. Or should she wait until he was in her
bed, hot and heavy in her hand, desiring to be
wrapped in the warmth of her mouth to see the limits
of his patience? Would she tease him, gently stroke
him with just the tips of her fingers or would she use
the tip of her tongue instead? She imagined watching
his body arch with unspent desire as she finally gave
9

At That Hour
him what he wanted, what they both wanted. Stepping
through her doorway, she knew she couldnt tease and
withhold at this point in their silent little game of cat
and mouse. She was hot and needy and knew he was
the only one who could give her what she craved, so
she opened her mouth and said, You can come in.

10

II
She had barely uttered the invitation. He was
there before her next breath. She expected him to
gather her up where she stood, carry her to bed, and
make love to her like her fantasy dictated, but he was
no white knight. He also didnt pounce on her like
some great feline beast that now had its toy. Instead
he flowed into the room as if he was made of smoke
and sound. The soft rustle of his clothing the only
indicator that he had entered. She should have been
startled, but the anticipation of things to come stifled
any wayward feelings of doubt she may have had.
Shutting her door she turned to face him and noticed
that he still clung to the shadows as if the little light in
the room was too bright for what he planned.
Wont you come out so I can see you? she
asked.
What is it you would like to see? His husky
reply was like the softest caress along her body.
Shed imagined what his voice would sound like
but fantasy could never have conjured up a pitch and
cadence that was the audio expression of sexual desire
and need. She wracked her brain in hopes of finding
ways to get him to speak one more word or phrase but
she realized that would be a waste of such a superb
11

At That Hour
sound. Instead she would wait until they were pressed
tightly together and he was fitted so deeply inside her
that his whispered words of seduction cause her body
to quake and release.
You. I want to see you, she whispered back.
Are you sure?
The hesitancy in his question caused her to
pause. Did he doubt her, doubt her intentions, after all
this time and energy shed put into getting him to
notice her. Scowling, she took a step toward him but
pausedno, she thought, shed done her part and now
he would have to do his.
Are you sure? She turned his question back on
him and watched as his body shifted ever so slightly.
She could tell he was surprised by her bold
behavior. Smirking she wondered if he expected her to
be a shrinking violet, shocked at the intensity of her
own sexual desires. Shed come too far for false
modesty. When he shifted slightly and moved further
out of the shadows, she couldnt help taking in a small
breath. He was large, broad, and as he moved further
into the light he still seemed to be shrouded in a type
of wickedly dangerous appeal. No, he was no white
night or darkly cloaked villainhe was something
beyond myth and lore.

12

Janet Eckford
Shed become accustomed to him watching her
unseen but with the sharp gaze of his emerald green
eyes tracing the lines and curves of her body she felt
like shed never felt the weight of his gaze before. He
was electric in his intensity and she imagined how it
would feel to have him visually devouring her while
she lay bare before him on the crisp cotton sheets of
her bed. Would he take his time drinking in the sight
of her before he lowered his lips to the most sensitive
part of her body for his first real sip?
Youre excited? His words caused her body to
tingle and moisten with desire.
Shouldnt I be?
His laugh was unexpected but not unwanted.
Rich and full like her favorite red wine, it seemed to
warm her from the inside out. She was mesmerized by
the flash of brilliantly white teeth, and lips that formed
into a devilish smile. For the briefest of moments
when those lush lips of his curved into a knowing grin
she felt a flare of panic. He was so far beyond all she
could have expected, what she could have desired, or
what her mind had conjured. Would she be enough,
could she be enough forfor
Stop.
The sound of his command caused the
whirlwind of her doubting thoughts to cease their
13

At That Hour
incessant niggling inside her brain. Lauren watched as
he unfolded himself completely from the shadows and
walked toward her. Her body softened at the thought
of all that mass resting snuggled between her thighs.
She knew he would stretch her until she fit only him,
and the thought of the pleasant ache of muscles used
and abused in the most delicious of ways caused her to
let out a little sigh of happiness.
You know what it means to call me?
Yes, she whispered, hoping he didnt notice the
tremor in her words.
He was only a breath away from her now and she
could make out the structure of his face, dangerously
beautiful with its firm lines and lush mouth. His dusky
colored skin provided the perfect contrast to his
thickly lashed emerald eyes and she could see both
promise and desire reflected in them. When he smiled,
those perfect teeth of his peeked out from a mouth
made for kissing and the tiny little points of his fangs
signaled his desire. She shuddered with pleasure
She wondered what it would feel like when he
dragged them slowly across the sensitive skin of her
neck. Nipping and sucking, simulating what it would
be like when he took that final plunge and truly broke
the last barrier between them, taking what she had to
offer and giving more than she could ever expect. Her
14

Janet Eckford
body flushed with the intensity of her desire and she
let it be reflected back at him through her eyes.
This time when he smiled it was there, the
knowledge that she was his and he practically glowed
from within.
Then come to me, he whispered.

15

III
There was no pretense when he gathered her in
his arms, no hesitancy, or awkwardness. His mouth
found hers and he devoured it as if it was the most
delicious of all rare delicacies. She had never felt
anything like it before and she knew that she never
would unless it was with his mouth on hers and his
hands on her body, working their way under the loose
fabric of her dress. She clutched at his shoulders
encapsulated in his leather jacket because her legs had
long since failed to support her weight. She was awash
in senses, and minor things like fine motor skills were
of no use to her.
Maram, she whispered, when he pulled back to
allow her a breath he did not need.
He watched her with his darkly dangerous
intensity and she realized she had used his name for
the first time since that night she had called him. The
sound of her labored breathing and the rapid thudding
of her heart drumming to a beat both primal and
enticing were the only sound she heard as he stared at
her. His hands abandoned their journey along her
thighs and instead moved to cradle her head between
them. When he leaned down and placed the softest of

16

Janet Eckford
kisses upon her lips she felt as if she had shattered and
reformed in an image that only he could recognize.
So long. I have waited so long. He breathed the
words against her lips as if he was breathing life itself
into her and she sighed from the pleasure of it.
This time when he kissed her it was slow and
measured in its intensity. His hands resumed their
forgotten journey, but there was a purpose that had
been lacking before and as the tips of his fingers found
her wet and waiting, a shudder gripped her body that
she felt all the way to her toes. This time she wouldnt
need whispered words of desire, or slick skin pressed
against slick skin, or the gentle give and take of two
bodies dictating their own unique rhythm. No, as he
lowered them to the ground, lifting her skirt as he
moved her panties aside, she knew that the first time
would be wanton and primal. Arching her back, she
lifted her neck as an invitation only he would get and
as he pushed himself inside of her and sank his teeth
even deeper she reveled in the intensity of this
moment and thought fondly of the many more yet to
come.

Janet
17

At That Hour

To read similar stories by Janet, check out:

Love Unfurled

18

Janet Eckford
Like most great superheroes (or super-villains,
depending on whos telling the story) Janet Eckford
lives a double life. By day Janet is a mild-mannered
crusader for justice (or nefarious deeds, depending on
whos telling the story) and by night an indestructible
creator of prose (or pathological liar, depending on
whos telling the story) while munching on her favorite
cookiesoatmeal raisin. A native West Coaster who
hails from the sunny state of California Janet, has
loved the romance genre ever since she convinced her
dad it was required reading when she was eleven.
Janet believes love shouldnt have a color code and
strives to create stories that represent that belief.
Send her your praise and adoration and she will return
it in kind.
janeteckford@yahoo.com