Hell was hot, but the flames of deliverance might be the ones to burn …
For the first time in living memory, Angel Lawson feels cherished.
Ethan Wilde has taught her that love is possible for all, even the sinners among us. The bonds of his love free her from the shackles of her guilt. Inch by inch, he’s slid under her skin, folding himself around her soul like a soothing blanket. His love nourishes her starving heart, and his passion fuels the scorching flames of her deepest desires, driving her to the blissful edge of sweet insanity.
Brick by brick, she tears down the protective wall she’s built around her heart, and the ice inside begins to thaw.
To Ethan, Angel is the sole reason he exists, the blood in his veins, the drug to his addiction. He vows to mend her, to help her confront her demons and come to terms with a buried past that continues to haunt her.
But what lies beneath the surface of Ethan’s past?
Pasts left hidden to rot become dirty secrets. Secrets that can tear even the strongest love apart.
And secrets have a habit of revealing themselves when least expected ...
Ethan paused at the foot of the steps to be sure I was shadowing him, and with one hand in his pocket, casually ascended the stairs. I followed at a distance, the way he’d followed me on the first night we met, and as I reached the summit, I caught sight of him disappearing into a room at the end of a wide corridor. The noise from the music and chatter faded into a distant hum as I made my way down the hall, my heart hammering rhythmically against my chest as excitement built up inside me, just as it had that night. The door to the room stood slightly ajar and tentatively, I reached out to push it open.
The room was in darkness, but the brightness from the hallway cast a muted light into the room, enough so that I could just make out a large, silver, Las Vegas pool table. It was a games room. Suddenly, the chrome lights above the table flicked on, drawing my attention to the high quality, smooth, black cloth covering the table. Wilde was scrawled in gray writing across the middle. The rest of the room remained in the shadows.
I entered the room slowly, a quick glimpse revealing, among other things, a foosball table, a pinball machine, and several vintage arcade games. A proper boys-with-toys room. I couldn’t see Ethan, but his presence was indisputable, like an electrical force field charging the space around me, exerting his force without any tangible contact.
Behind me, I heard the sound of the door closing, the key turning in the lock. A combination of apprehension and exhilaration sped through me, a shiver chasing a trail up and down my spine, continuing down and under to my naked, clenching sex.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind me, somewhere to the left in the corner of the room. The sound of a dime being pushed into a coin slot and the whirring of mechanics—a jukebox. I didn’t turn around. Ethan’s imprecise location, the unfamiliar surroundings, the uncertainty of what was about to happen, all seemed to exacerbate my arousal beyond reason, and everything south of my navel began to pulse.
I gazed in bewilderment at the stranger in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. My hair was tangled and unwashed. Dark circles surrounded my red-rimmed eyes, too large for the hollows in my pale, haunted face. Turning away in disgust, I stripped naked and climbed into the shower. The steaming hot water cascaded over my tender, aching body, cleansing and soothing me, both physically and spiritually.
When I emerged, I towel dried my hair and put on my robe, knowing I had only seconds to spare. As if on cue, I heard a commotion in the hallway before Ethan burst through the door to my apartment, frantically shouting out my name.
He appeared in the doorway of my bedroom from the hallway as I entered from the bathroom and stared transfixed, his eyes wide with fear. The look of torment and suffering etched on his usually seamless face reflected that which I felt, and my heart constricted at the sight of him. His face was pinched, pain and misery evident in every crease and curve of his beautiful features. His bedraggled hair and bloodshot eyes revealed a state of turmoil and sleepless nights.
The transformation was devastating. He stood before me, a mere shadow of his usual assertive, confident self, and suddenly my mind reeled with conflicting emotions. I hadn’t expected this. I’d imagined him shameful—remorseful even—that his deceit had been exposed, but this was an image of a broken man. Broken like me.
Part of me wanted to run into his arms and kiss away the anguish and the hurt, and the other wanted to scream at him, pound my fists violently into his chest. I did neither. I just stood, rooted to the spot, incapable of any reaction.
Amazon
Kendra Leigh fell in love with books and the wonderful world of reading from a very young age. She was at her happiest when Enid Blyton whisked her away up into the magical lands at the top of the Faraway Tree with Moon-face and the rest of the gang. Books have been her constant source of escapism ever since. Currently residing in the UK, Kendra devotes her life to her devilishly handsome partner, scandalously beautiful daughter and cute as hell Shih-Tzu. As well as writing and reading, Kendra loves great TV, especially Dexter, Homeland and Breaking Bad. Bound for Hell was her debut novel and book one of The Bound Trilogy. Bound For Nirvana will follow Bound For Salvation and conclude the series.
Bound For Hell, Book 1 of The Bound Trilogy, by Kendra Leigh Ethan Wilde. Billionaire. Business Man. Passionate. Powerful. Persistent. One of New York’s most eligible bachelors. Angel Lawson. Photographer. Gallery Owner. Burdened. Beautiful. Broken. A woman bound by the ropes of her sins and forgotten past, fearful of her future. A chance encounter… Consumed by guilt and tormented by the bonds of a tragic past, Angel Lawson’s life has been a solitary journey, condemned to live without love. In order to preserve her damaged soul from further rejection, sex is as close to a man as she ever plans to get. She was already hell-bound for her sins. One more wasn’t going to hurt ... ... or so she thought. When a passionate encounter throws her into the world of Ethan Wilde, Angel is helpless to resist the irrefutable desire and depth of raw emotion he ignites in her. Ethan is as intense as he is sinfully sexy. Irretrievably captivated by Angel, he seems just as intent on understanding her naked soul as he is desperate to possess every inch of her naked body. Angel craves his touch like a drug and yearns for the love he promises, but surrendering to the feelings he’s unearthed will mean exposing her fears and releasing the demons buried for a lifetime. Exposing her heart will leave it at risk of being broken. Will Angel choose to leave her life of solitude behind, or is the choice no longer hers? Ethan Wilde is used to getting what he wants … and what he wants is Angel. Relentlessly sexy. Emotionally deep. Tangled, twisted, intricately woven love story with romance and suspense. For readers 18 and over due to mature themes and sexual content.
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