Baring It All

Baring It All
Sandra Chastain

As his alter ego, Lord Sin, Ryan amassed a fortune by making women want him. But now that he's ready to put his past behind him, he can't keep his hands off the one woman determined to destroy him.Reporter Sunny Clary is on a mission–to disclose the true identity of legendary male stripper, Lord Sin. Only every tip-off leads her back to sexy playboy Ryan Malone. But what has her really confused is her intense reaction to the two men. Lord Sin leaves her yearning…Ryan Malone has her burning. How could Sunny fall for such completely different men? Or are they so different?

“Stop fighting what you feel.”

Ryan took a step closer. “You know we’ve been headed for this moment from the beginning.”

Sunny didn’t—couldn’t—stop him as he covered her mouth with his own, slipping his tongue inside, caressing her inner warmth in rhythm to the pounding of her heart. Then his fingers moved to the tightly drawn sash at her waist, loosening it and letting her robe fall open. He reached in and touched her breast, skimming it lightly, starting a thousand fires just beneath the skin, fires that ran down every pulsing vein in her body and settled between her legs.

Ryan didn’t try to hide his arousal as he pulled her hard against him. “I have to make love to you, Sunny. We both have to know if this is just a fantasy or if it’s real.”

Her knees trembled, her pulse raced. This was the moment of truth. Then, almost of their own volition, her fingers tugged down on his briefs. She looked at him and caught her breath.

“You said your bed or mine,” she whispered. “Looks like it’s going to be mine.”

Dear Reader,

Joining the grand roster of Temptation authors is unbelievably exciting. And being asked to write the first book in the Sweet Talkin’ Guys miniseries was a particular thrill and a challenge. After all, it’s not easy creating a hero who personifies every woman’s secret fantasy.

I hope that this will be the beginning of a new and very personal relationship between you and me. So let me tempt you with my first to-die-for Temptation hero, Lord Sin. He’s an enigmatic, internationally famous exotic dancer, who’s determined to keep his true identity a secret—until he runs into a bright-eyed, idealistic young reporter who’s determined to expose him to the world. Lies meet the truth, sunshine meets shadows and the unmasking begins.

I try to put a lot of humor, joy and love in all my stories. After all, I come from the land of moonlight and magnolias where true love, hot sex and happily ever afters are very real to me. When you’re finished reading Baring It All, take a cold shower, then let me know what you think. You can write to me at: P.O. Box 67, Smyrna, GA 30082.

Sincerely,

Sandra Chastain

Baring It All

Sandra Chastain

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

For Ann White, who always asks, “What’s he/she feeling here?”

For the over one million readers who’ve read my stories.

Writing is the wellspring of my life from which I draw sustenance. You make that possible. I hope I entertain, satisfy and bring you joy.

Contents

Chapter 1 (#ucc13ae36-7b4d-58f9-b39c-58ff7e9d19da)

Chapter 2 (#u7b4b909c-6eda-5b0c-b60a-1abe6271e86d)

Chapter 3 (#u701ef70b-688f-58f9-a135-efac9662edc9)

Chapter 4 (#u89a3b1cc-f5a5-5f20-9cbe-5f6d529fdb54)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

1

RYAN MALONE SAW HER the minute she walked into The Palace Of Sin. She was all legs in an emerald-green gown that was split from the floor to a spot high on her hips that screamed of her lack of undergarment. Her hair was Pretty-Woman-red, falling in a wild mass of curls across her shoulders. He had a sudden mental picture of those red curls cascading across a white satin pillow. He didn’t have to ask, he was already certain the color was natural. She was hot, ready to brand any man who dared to touch her.

A totally irrational jolt hit Ryan in the pit of his stomach—like nothing he’d ever felt before. He knew now what “knees going weak” meant. This kind of reaction was supposed to happen to the women in the audience, not to him. Wearing no jewelry, nothing to take a man’s eye away from the woman, she was spectacular. Still, an almost imperceptible slump of her shoulders said she might not be entirely comfortable.

Although he’d quit performing five years ago, this night would be the public ending of Lord Sin’s career as the most successful male stripper in history. And Ryan Malone, always in control, was suddenly awash in feelings he couldn’t identify. Nostalgia? Intense desire brought on by emotion? He didn’t know how to explain or control the turbulence of his physical reaction to the woman.

Normally, as Lord Sin, he would have passed on a woman like her and chosen a patron who was what he politely termed “lonely.” But nothing about tonight was normal, certainly not his physical reaction to the siren in green.

The redhead walked past one of the booths selling roses, paused and gave a puzzled look at the buyers. He frowned. Any other woman would have given the baskets of roses a smile or a glance of longing. But not this one. She took a deep breath and kept going, as if she were looking for someone.

But no one came forward to join her. Maybe she was alone. He liked that idea, then wondered why. A beautiful woman alone was a Ryan Malone thought and tonight he was Lord Sin. He also wondered how she’d react to Sin’s performance. Would she focus her concentration on him? Or would she be as indifferent to his dancing as she was to the roses?

He considered that and felt his lips curl into a reckless smile. Indifferent? Not if he had anything to do with it. Tonight he’d change his routine. Tonight Lord Sin would give his best performance; he’d play to her—alone. By the time the curtain came down, she’d leave The Palace Of Sin aching with desire. He certainly was.

As always, the front row of tables along the stage was vacant. His assistant, Lottie, earphone discreetly hidden in her left ear, waited below for him to decide who’d occupy them. Tonight, because the entire program had been designed as a fund-raiser, catering to the wealthy, she’d allowed for the possibility of escorts for the women, but so far, the redhead seemed to be alone.

As if she knew she was being stared at, the object of Lord Sin’s attention looked around once more, then glided toward the entrance with long fluid movements that verified his earlier speculations about what she wasn’t wearing beneath her dress. As she walked, he caught the flash of bare flesh, a warm peach color that said she liked the sun as much as he. He wondered if she looked like that all over.

A dancer or perhaps an athlete, her grace was obvious in her walk. But who was she? Ryan Malone thought he knew every single society woman in Atlanta. The cost of the tickets tonight should mean that the attendees were all well-heeled. Only wealthy women had been invited to the Valentine Gala at the Palace this evening. She spoke briefly with a big burly man carrying a television camera who handed her a microphone. When she stepped up and began talking to a couple just entering the theater, he had his answer.

She was a member of the press. One he hadn’t met. Must be new in town. He grimaced, a charged feeling rippling down his spine at the challenge. “Lottie,” he spoke into the mike attached to his jacket pocket. “Put the redhead in the green dress in the center seat.”

On the floor below, the elegant older woman looked up at his spot in the shadows and frowned. “The redhead may look like a society girl, boss, but she’s a reporter. Lay off.”

“I know. None of the reporters who tried to interview me ever looked like her. If they had, I might have been a lot more cooperative. Tonight, in honor of Lord Sin’s final performance, Lottie, I’m going to give myself a treat and give her the royal treatment.”

“What’s got into you, you rascal? You’ve avoided the press for ten years and now you’re playing to a reporter?”

“Playing. Yeah, I like that.”