Pleasure Control **November 2006**

PUTTING OUT THE FIRE A dedicated scientist, Laura Manning has an I.Q. that's off the charts. But beneath her pristine white lab coat is a curvaceous body that craves satisfaction. She finds it hard keeping her mind on the experiment and off what's under the lab coat of her bad boy research partner, Jay Cutler, whom she's working with to develop a libido suppressant, an "antidote" for a society gone sex-mad, pumped up and over-stimulated by the miracle of Viagra. With time running out, Jay offers to act as a human guinea pig, injecting himself with the libido suppressant. Laura's role requires lingerie, soft music and candlelight. Her job is to entice him, to determine if the suppressant tamps down his desires. Rather than cooling the flames of lust engulfing them, their "antidote" only heats them up and there's only one scandalous way to deal with it! Suddenly long days of laboratory work are giving way to sizzling nights of sensual experimentation--and a different kind of "chemistry" that leaves Jay and Laura breathless and gasping for more! Their professional careers may depend upon a successful climax--and there are dangerous competitors determined to steal their research. And maybe their pleasure games have gotten a bit out of control. But who in her right mind would want to pull the plug on her man's libido when the loving is this deliciously hot? Excerpt She stopped to consider what she’d gotten herself into. In no time at all the man she was secretly infatuated with would be walking through her front door, expecting to see her in her slinkiest lingerie. And what were the chances she’d ever experience the feel of his lips caressing hers, or his artful fingers stroking her heated, naked flesh? None, considering the fact that she’d given him a libido suppressant hours earlier. She resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Way to go, Laura. You’re brilliant. That move had Nobel Prize written all over it. But what if he did get aroused? The possibilities are endless. Those four simple words had echoed in her head all day. She allowed herself a brief luxurious moment to envision what it would be like to have his naked body moving over hers. His mouth kissing a path down her quivering flesh until he reached the moist fissure between her thighs. The soft blade of his tongue opening her dewy folds so he could taste her liquid arousal. His lips closing over her hooded flesh, branding her with their heat, claiming her as his own. Her skin came alive as a wave of desire traveled onward and upward through her body. Laura shook her passion-fogged mind from its delicious wanderings and retraced her steps back to the window. Actually, if she really thought about it, she was in a win/win situation. If Jay didn’t get aroused, they’d secure their funding and make their mark in the scientific world. If he did get aroused, well…a slow tremor made her body quake…well, maybe he could douse the fire raging between her legs. Which one did she want more? She reached for the curtain. Her fingers froze mid-air when a soft knock on her door drew her attention. She spun around and sucked in a quick, sharp breath. Her pulse leapt in her throat. God, she was a bundle of nerves. It wasn’t everyday her job required her to entice the guy she’d been fantasizing about for months. A guy who was completely out of her league. She tightened her robe around her waist and slowly padded across the floor. Slipping her hand around the knob, she twisted it open, and eyed the man casually lounging against her doorjamb. She took a moment to peruse the length of him. Sculpted muscles stretched the cotton fabric of his T-shirt while broad shoulders tapered to meet a tight waist and firm stomach. With symmetry and a lethally honed body, he was designed to satisfy the most insatiable. Dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged his physique in all the wrong places, this bad boy had trouble written all over him. He presented her with a sexy, lopsided smile. “Hey,” he said, handing her a bottle of wine. “Hey yourself.” Taking a small step back, she placed the bottle on a side table, waved her hand, and gestured for him to enter. “Come in.” Without taking his eyes off her, he stepped inside. A shiver skipped down her spine at the sound of the deadbolt clicking in place. Damn. He was so handsome. So perfect. Some deeper emotion stirred within. She moistened her lips and shrugged it off. It wasn’t like she was going to fall for him if he kissed her, touched her, or made sweet love to her all night long. She knew better than to fill her head with fancy notions of love. JC Penny’s weekend white sales were known to last longer than his relationships. The predatory gleam in his eyes made her pulse rate kick up a notch. She began to warm in the most interesting places. She fanned her face and loosened the lapels of her robe, exposing the lace on her teddy. Was it getting hotter in here? Schooling her expression, she banked her desires and asked, “How are you feeling? Any side effects yet?” He shrugged, his eyes shifting downward to examine the rise and fall of her chest. A feminine thrill ran through her. He cleared his throat and raked his bangs off his forehead. “So far so good. I still have all my hair and I’m not drooling.” His gaze roamed her body. “At least not yet,” he said playfully. She glanced at his crotch. Purely for research purposes, she told herself. “Anything going on, down there?” He grinned. “A few twitches. Nothing out of the ordinary.” His eyes sparkled with mischief and something else. If she had to guess, she’d say promise. “We’ll know more when we put him to the test.” She shivered with a mix of excitement and nervousness as she toyed with the belt on her housecoat. She didn’t want to seem too eager, too anxious to start putting Little Jay to the test, but the promising look in his eyes prompted her into action. With renewed concentration, she plastered on an air of professionalism and fought to ignore the fine tremor of heat rippling through her. She lowered her voice. “Perhaps we should get started. We have no idea how long this will take.” Powerful muscles shifted as he took a step closer and angled his head. His heady male scent intoxicated her and fired her senses. “Yes, perhaps we should.” Drawing a fueling breath, she inched open her housecoat, revealing a silky white chemise, lace panties and matching garter. A rich, decadent rumble of pleasure sounded low in his throat. Her body trembled in response. She watched his eyes darken with lust as his gaze caressed her. Lust! In his eyes! When he looked at her! Hot damn! Her nipples swelled under his devouring eyes. She felt her cheeks flush from heat and desire. His fingers bit into her hips as he pulled her hard against him. A fever rose in her when her breasts crushed into a wall of thick muscle. His voice was husky, sensual. “How did you know?” His eyes reflected his every emotion, his every desire. “Know what?” she rasped. With excruciating gentleness, he skimmed her curves with his palms. “That white lace is my favorite.” The deep timbre of his voice covered her like warm butter. She cleared her throat and drew in a steadying breath. “I once read that white lace will raise any man’s eyebrows.” The turbulence in his eyes made her skin grow moist and tighten. He tangled his hands through her hair and urged her mouth closer. “Yes, well, what we’re looking to raise is nowhere near my eyebrows.” She resisted the urge to scream hallelujah!