Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 63970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | Enchanted (Masters and Mercenaries #18.5) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Lexi Blake |
| Language: | English |
| ISBN/ ASIN: | B07KQN4BH8 |
| Book Information: | |
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series… A snarky submissive princess Sarah Stevens’s life is pretty sweet. By day, she’s a dedicated trauma nurse and by night, a fun-loving club sub. She adores her job, has a group of friends who have her back, and is a member of the hottest club in Dallas. So why does it all feel hollow? Could it be because she fell for her dream man and can’t forgive him for walking away from her? Nope. She’s not going there again. No matter how much she wants to. A prince of the silver screen Jared Johns might be one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, but he lost more than a fan when he walked away from Sarah. He lost the only woman he’s ever loved. He’s been trying to get her back, but she won’t return his calls. A trip to Dallas to visit his brother might be exactly what he needs to jump-start his quest to claim the woman who holds his heart. A masquerade to remember For Charlotte Taggart’s birthday, Sanctum becomes a fantasyland of kinky fun and games. Every unattached sub gets a new Dom for the festivities. The twist? The Doms must conceal their identities until the stroke of midnight at the end of the party. It’s exactly what Sarah needs to forget the fact that Jared is pursuing her. She can’t give in to him, and the mysterious Master D is making her rethink her position when it comes to signing a contract. Jared knows he was born to play this role, dashing suitor by day and dirty Dom at night. When the masks come off, will she be able to forgive the man who loves her, or will she leave him forever? **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.** | |
| Books in Series: | Masters and Mercenaries Series by Lexi Blake |
| Books by Author: | Lexi Blake Books |
One Thousand and One Dark Nights
Once upon a time, in the future…
I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.
I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and
the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast
library at my father’s home and collected thousands
of volumes of fantastic tales.
I learned all about ancient races and bygone
times. About myths and legends and dreams of all
people through the millennium. And the more I read
the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered
that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually
become part of them.
I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher
and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I
would not be telling you this tale now.
But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off
with bravery.
One afternoon, curious about the myth of the
Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to
see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar
(Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then
sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written
and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,
the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand
women.
Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived
in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged
places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had
never occurred before and that still to this day, I
cannot explain.
Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have
taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can
protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to
protect herself and stay alive.
Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.
And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a
point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.
And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that
he might hear the rest of my dark tale.
As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new
one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before
you now.
Once upon a time in a land far, far away…
(Or really close. It all depends on your relative distance from Dallas, TX)
Prologue
In which we meet our fairy godparents and hope they don’t cuss too much…
Charlotte Taggart felt the baby fluttering in her belly and a deep sense of peace filled her. She genuinely enjoyed being pregnant. It wasn’t for everyone. Her sister hated it, and Simon was going to have to be happy with the only kiddo he would ever share with Chelsea. Her friend Kori had vowed to never be pregnant, and it worked for her and Kai. They had a whole lot of dogs and it filled the need for them. The truth was there was no one way to have a family.
But damn she loved hers—all of them. She loved the ones she shared blood with and the ones she’d chosen. She was blessed beyond measure.
It made her feel the need to give back.
Soft baby snuffles came from the monitor, letting her know her son was still sleeping. She’d given up keeping a monitor in the twins’ room since they’d gotten big enough to simply come and ask for what they needed. Too many times she overheard plans for world domination and it kept her up at night.
The son in her stomach twisted again, but it wasn’t anywhere close to uncomfortable yet. That was still months away. For now, his kicks felt like waves across her belly.
Soft light illuminated the kitchen and she couldn’t help but think about how far she’d come from the child she’d been. Moscow didn’t have many sunny days, but here in Dallas the light seemed to always be around her.
Light and love and laughter.
“He giving you hell, baby?” The question rumbled against the nape of her neck and she was pulled back against the hard planes of her husband’s body. He’d gone to bed wearing nothing at all, but she knew he would have slid his strong legs into pajama bottoms or sweat pants before he’d left the room. His chest, however, was still warm and bare. “You’re up early. Or were you trying to sneak in some quiet time before the monsters awaken?”
Nothing ever felt as good as that moment when Ian took her in his arms. And he was right. She loved her three kiddos. Kenzie and Kala and Seth. Soon there would be four, and she wasn’t so foolish as to believe her baby girls wouldn’t immediately start training their youngest brother in how to take on the parents. But that wasn’t what had gotten her out of bed. “I was plotting.”
She could feel him smile against her shoulder, where he was currently laying soft kisses and getting her hot and bothered. He pushed her hair to the side to give himself better access.
“I love it when you plot. Is this a bloody, take-no-prisoners plot where I get to murder people? Because it’s been a long time.” His hands moved up to cup her breasts.