Up In Knots Read online

  Up in Knots

  By Gillian Archer

  Book two of The Pleasure Code

  After the loss of her dom and first love two years ago, the time has come for Kyla to again allow herself the pleasure of giving up control. She isn’t looking for anything serious yet, just the comforting embrace of rope and a firm hand on her body for the night.

  Rope-top Sawyer is extremely skilled and he doesn’t do relationships—but he’s fascinated by the gymnastics instructor who approaches him at a kink con. By the end of the day he’s vowed to help her feel submissive pleasure again, and to introduce her to a few doms she can choose from.

  But as Sawyer breaks down Kyla’s emotional defenses, his barriers also come down. Soon he can’t imagine giving Kyla over to any other dom—and Kyla can’t imagine being with anyone else. When their feelings are put to the ultimate test, they’ll learn that while taking risks in the bedroom is easy, taking risks in love is terrifying.

  54,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I know many of you have been waiting for the next installment of New York Times bestselling author Marie Force’s thrilling romantic suspense series. Fatal Jeopardy is finally here, and Nick and Sam are as good as ever!

  But that’s not all the great storytelling we have in store for you with the March releases. This month, we introduce debut author Matt Sheehan and a book that had the Carina Press acquisitions team in hysterics. Be sure to check out Helmut Saves the World, in which there’s magic, fistfights and one-liners with the best, most handsome and, of course, humble detective Helmut Haase and his apathetic sidekick Shamus O’Sheagan.

  If you’ve been longing for a great historical romance, we’ve got two this month. Juliana Ross finishes up her erotic Improper trilogy. In Improper Proposals, a lonely young widow learns to live—and love—again as she and her ambitious publisher, the most captivating man she has ever met, work on a forbidden guide to sexual pleasure. It’s An Heir of Uncertainty by Alyssa Everett and it’s also the answer to Colonel Win Vaughan’s prayers when he learns he’s the heir to the newly deceased Earl of Radbourne—but the beginning of a deadly mystery when he arrives to claim his inheritance, only to discover that the earl’s lovely widow is carrying a child who could displace him.

  If you’re looking for something hot, with an unusual hero, Solace Ames releases erotic romance The Submission Gift this month. A young husband offers his wife an unusual gift—to fulfill a fantasy she’d always set aside. But what starts out as a onetime session becomes something precious shared between three—one of them a male escort. Solace Ames brings something new to this story and if you love erotic romance, you’ll want to check this out.

  Also in the hot category is Up in Knots by Gillian Archer. Still bruised over the death of her boyfriend two years ago, Kyla Grant is determined to get back into the kinky dating scene, and bad-boy top Sawyer is just the man to help her. Joining Gillian, Juliana and Solace in the erotic romance category, Nico Rosso’s Slam Dance with the Devil, from his Demon Rock series, brings entertainment to a new level. Wild rock star Kent Gaol’s dark past goes back even further than private investigator Nona Harris could’ve imagined, and one night onstage surprises them both by slamming her into his supernatural world.

  March shapes up to be a good one for erotic romances because Emily Ryan-Davis brings us the follow-up to Ménage on 34th Street, which she coauthored with Elise Logan. In this next installment, Dial M for Ménage, it’s a new year and a new way of life for Katrina Holland, who started 2014 by waking up with two men in her bed. Now, she, Owen and Hunter struggle to define, and redefine, their relationships with one another after the first rush of newness fades.

  Paranormal romance author Lorenda Christensen follows up her funny, entertaining Never Deal with Dragons with the next in the series, Dancing with Dragons. If Carol Jenski knows anything, it’s fashion—and it’s in fashion to consort with dragons, even though they’ve coexisted with humans since WWIII. Still, she would never have agreed to take part in a plot against them. Now a dragon lord has called for her head, her boyfriend is MIA and she’s been abandoned in a foreign country.

  Stacy Gail’s paranormal romance miniseries, The Earth Angels, comes to an exciting conclusion in Dangerous Angel, where the heroes and heroines from all the previous books combine their efforts to avert a demonic apocalypse. In Kathleen Collins’s Death’s Daughter, Realm Walker Juliana Norris hunts a serial killer targeting Altered children while an enemy from her past closes in.

  This month we have two titles in the science-fiction genre. First, join the adventure At Star’s End! A galactic treasure hunter and an astro-archaeologist race across the galaxy in pursuit of the last remaining fragment of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in this space opera romance from Anna Hackett.

  And we’re pleased to welcome T.D. Wilson with his debut, The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace. Set in the mid-twenty-second century, Embrace is the first book of an exciting new space opera series where Earth’s newest warship, the Armstrong, must make contact with fledgling colonies in nearby solar systems amid the threat of an alien attack.

  If you’re ready for a cozy mystery to keep you guessing as to whodunit, look no further than Julie Anne Lindsey’s latest release. Most islanders celebrate the reprieve of summer tourism with cider, mums and cocoa, but sharks, birders and a possible serial killer seem intent on ruining autumn for Patience when Murder Comes Ashore.

  Anne Marie Becker returns with another suspenseful installment in her romantic suspense series. In Dark Deeds, SSAM security expert Becca Haney is hiding a past that could hurt her ex-lover, NYPD detective Diego Sandoval—but the true threat comes from a “fan” whose conscience urges him to kill.

  Coming next month: contemporary romance Taken with You from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey. Also, sports week and six irresistible sports romances!

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  To my own hero, Dave.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank my wonderful mentor, Eden Bradley. I learned so much during our sessions. Love you! And my fabulous CPs, Sidney Bristol, Sasha Devlin and Lauren Fraser. Thanks for putting up with all my mistakes that no one else will see.

  And my brilliant editors. Melissa, thank you so much for believing in me and this book. Rhonda, your hard work has made my story shine even brighter. I can’t wait to work on another one with you!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Kyla darted along the edge of the huge conference hall. She kept her eyes glued to the floor. It wasn’t the finely tooled whips hanging in the booth across the way or the liquid latex application on stage, complete with squealing, half-naked women, which made her uncomfortabl
e. No, it was the familiar faces she hadn’t seen in over two years. She couldn’t look into their faces and see the questions, the pity, the pain. It had taken everything inside her to come today. One well-meaning head pat could quite possibly send her back into hiding.

  She ignored the garishly pink dildos on display in the booth on her right and headed straight toward the door marked Exit in neon red. She wasn’t here for the annual Kinkster’s Con—at least not the public displays or the staggering number of sex toys. She was here to see one person. Sawyer, Mr. Rope Top extraordinaire himself, and nothing would stand in the way of her attending his rope demo today.

  Except maybe her old mentor, Mistress Neri. The blonde bombshell stood at the booth next to the exit doors, fondling a wicked-looking whip.

  Kyla’s determination faltered. It was hard to see Neri and not think of Adam. The two were intrinsically linked in her mind. Neri had introduced them. Had been a huge part of her life. Before.

  But now? Now she had to be strong.

  And maybe a little cowardly, too. Hoping maybe she could squeak by her old BFF unnoticed, Kyla put her head down and picked up her speed.

  “Kyla Grant! Long time no see.”

  Kyla winced at the loud, boisterous alto that rang above the cacophony of the Con. So much for lying low. Biting her lip, she faced her old mentor. “Neri, hey. I’m just—” She cut off in a choke as her lithe friend grabbed her in a smothering embrace. The sensation shocked her for a second. She couldn’t remember the last time someone outside of her family had hugged her.

  Neri pulled back a little but still kept her arms around Kyla. “Sweetheart, you have been MIA for far too long. I said just the other day I should call up Kyla and invite her over to play. I had a killer party the other month you would’ve loved. The mancandy on display was hot. The things I made those boys do... Mmmm!”

  Kyla couldn’t help but relax in Neri’s company. The tiny woman was a fireball of energy who sucked everyone into her vortex. She might appear to be an adorable advertising executive in her vanilla clothes, but during playtime her friend was anything but. Kyla knew for a fact that the combination of Neri’s gorgeous figure in her siren-red micro-minidress and her thigh-high lace-up boots had brought more than one man to his knees. Which was exactly where Neri preferred her men to be.

  Kyla laughed. “Well, you know me. I’d rather feel a strong hand than be one.”

  “I don’t know, darling. That display would’ve tempted even the most zealous bottom into switching for at least one night. Those boys were mighty eager to please.” A sweetly wicked smile swept across Neri’s face as she reminisced. After a second she shook her head. “But enough about me. What are you up to lately, stranger? Are you browsing for a gift for your top? The fur-lined cuffs over there are to die for. They’d make the perfect present for your master. Who are you playing with nowadays?”

  Neri patted Kyla’s arms, then stepped back as though the mention of another top reminded her she could be trespassing.

  Kyla bit her lip. The thought of shopping for her top brought a long-buried memory to the surface. A sheen of tears hazed her vision as she remembered her last shopping trip for Adam and the box still under her bed, wrapping paper and all. She’d been so excited when she’d bought those paddles, imagining Adam’s face when he opened the package and saw the personalized brand etched on them. Of course, he’d never seen them. Would never see them.

  She blinked the memories and tears away. Even though Adam was gone, she wasn’t. She deserved to enjoy her life and hopefully a sexy rope dominant too. Determined to change her outlook, she faced Neri and tried to steel herself against her friend’s reaction. The merest allusion to her loss always made things awkward. “I’m not here to shop. I wanted to attend some of the classes. I thought that might be a better way to get into the swing of things again.”

  For once the cocksure Neri appeared flustered. She ran a hand through her curly mop of hair and made a face. “Fuck, honey, I’m sorry. I’ve been a long sufferer of foot-in-mouth disease. I didn’t think.” Neri grabbed her arm and dragged her through the exit door and into the quiet hall beyond. “Have you... I know it’s been two years since he passed, but do you wanna talk about it? I’m here for you—have been here for you. Anytime, anyplace.”

  Kyla swallowed past the lump in her throat. These people more than anyone understood her—knew why Adam’s death had had such an immobilizing effect on her. She’d not only lost her boyfriend but also half of herself. Adam had been the first man she’d felt truly comfortable playing with in the kinky ways she’d always dreamed about. But with him gone, she didn’t know what to do, where to go...

  After a beat she cleared her throat. This was exactly why she was here. To find that other half of herself again. Her resolve returned and she gave Neri a less shaky smile than before and answered, “No, I’m good. I’ve dealt with things. I—I, it’s time. I’m ready.”

  “I’m glad. Classes are a great way to get you back into the scene. And a good place to do some flirting. Lemme think... There’s a Tantric sex class in an hour. And there’s a ‘fun with foods’ lecture but it started thirty minutes ago, I think. There’s a single tail class later on, but it’s geared more for tops. Of course, there’s the bondage class but it’s already...”

  Kyla’s eyes started to glaze over. She knew she should be paying attention to Neri’s advice but Neri was so excited and chattering a mile a minute, it was hard to follow her. But then, that was Neri—whether online or in person, she was a bundle of energy Kyla hadn’t been able to resist. Brought together seven years ago when Kyla had joined a local BDSM group on AlterNet, Mistress Neri had taken Kyla under her wing. Although Kyla had joined the alternative dating website to find a male dominant, the two of them had hit it off in the chat room. Plus she had learned more in one conversation with Neri than her months of online searching had revealed.

  Even though Kyla had been dreading meeting someone who knew her from her time with Adam, she was glad the first had been Neri. Seeing her old mentor again, relaxing in her comfortable chatter made Kyla wonder why she’d waited so long. If there was one person on this earth who would understand what Kyla had been going through, it was Neri. She was the only one in Kyla’s circle of kink friends who’d known Kyla wholly as a person before she’d become Adam’s. Before she’d become one half of a relationship. Before she’d become the only remaining half of their relationship. In Neri’s eyes she was plain ol’ Kyla.

  But Kyla had pushed everyone away. Longtime friends. Well-meaning family members. She’d ached to talk to her sister about Adam, but her emotions had been in such a tangle and her relationship with Adam was so complex that she didn’t know where to start. So in the end, she didn’t.

  “Earth to Kyla? You still with me, sweetheart?”

  Kyla nodded but she was distracted by the sound of the door behind them opening. Turning, she stared straight into the eyes of the man she’d been fantasizing about for so long. There he was. Bad boy Sawyer in the flesh. He looked exactly like the pictures of him on Twitter. From his dusty blond hair to his goatee and wireframe glasses. But pictures couldn’t capture that roguish swagger he had. A natural air of dominance swirled around him. Maybe it was the way he walked or the tilt of his chin, but whatever it was had her nipples standing at attention.

  Especially once she noticed he was staring right at her. Kyla’s mind blanked. All the little witty lines she’d thought up during the drive over disappeared. She’d gone from a sexy, confident woman to a stuttering teen in a heartbeat.

  Oh dear heaven, he was gorgeous.

  “Mistress Neri.”

  Even his voice was sexy. His baritone pitch had an erotic playfulness that had her wanting to hear more. Look at her. He’d said two words, and she was ready to fall at his feet. She had to get herself under control.

  “Sawyer, hey. Running a bit late? I
thought your class already started.”

  “Nah, still have a few—” he looked at his watch, “—seconds. You know me.”

  “Yeah, ‘punctuality is the eighth deadly sin.’ If I had a dollar every time you said that. One of these days a woman is really gonna make you pay for your tardiness.”

  Sawyer gave a Gallic shrug. “Doubt it. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Sawyer this is Kyla. Kyla, Sawyer.” Neri gave him a suspicious sideline look.

  He didn’t appear to notice. He kept a respectful distance and inclined his head, but his wolfish grin had her toes curling. This was one dangerous man. Yes, please.

  He laughed. “Much as I’d love to oblige such a lovely lady, I have a class to teach.”

  As he nodded at both of them, then continued down the hall, a wave of mortification swept over Kyla. She said that out loud?

  Of course she’d had an audience for her humiliating moment. Unwilling to face Neri and her knowing eyes, Kyla took a beat and watched the beauty of Sawyer walking down the hall. His black leather pants couldn’t quite conceal the magnificence of his ass flexing with his walk. Of course, the gray handkerchief waving from his back left pocket drew attention to his delectable rear. She knew a lot of the dominants in his circle liked to use the flagging code to proclaim their preferences. What color would the king of rope fly other than gray, the color of bondage? Maybe it meant he was looking for a submissive. Wasn’t that what they used the hanky code for? She might have picked the best time to attend one of Sawyer’s classes after all if he needed a playmate.

  Once he disappeared behind a door, Kyla knew she couldn’t postpone the inevitable any longer and turned back to her friend.

  Neri shook her head with a vaguely disapproving look on her face. “Kyla honey, don’t even think about it.”

  “Neri—”

  “No, hon. That man is trouble. He doesn’t do commitment. And if he’s the first top you’re playing with after Adam... I’m afraid it’s a recipe for disaster.”