Seduce: A Dark Bad Boy Romance: Hidden Lust Trilogy, #3

By Ashley Hall

Seduce is book 3 and the finale of the Hidden Lust Trilogy!

It takes a perfect bastard to ruin a perfect life.

Wesley Sykes was everything I was taught to stay away from – cocky, foul-mouthed, and living in perpetual sin. He looked the part, too, with broad shoulders wrapped in a leather jacket and a smile designed by the Devil himself.

And now he’s moving in…to my perfect, religious household.

All my life I had been the good girl. Wes warned me he was no good, and every time I wanted to get too close, he reminded me of who he was. I wanted to hate him for it, but I couldn’t. Every time he said no just made me want him even more, and no matter how many times I laid in bed, dreaming of his hands on me, it was never enough. I had to try it.

So I did.

Just once, I promised myself. But once temptation finally won, once wasn’t enough for either of us. There's no turning back now. I'm just praying that no one ever finds out about the things he’s done to my body when no one was looking.

But under this roof, nothing ever stays secret for long…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sopris Page Press
• Release date: Apr 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386220633

Book preview

SEDUCE: Hidden Lust Trilogy, Book 3

By Ashley Hall

It takes a perfect bastard to ruin a perfect life.

WESLEY SYKES WAS EVERYTHING I was taught to stay away from – cocky, foul-mouthed, and living in perpetual sin. He looked the part, too, with broad shoulders wrapped in a leather jacket and a smile designed by the Devil himself.

And now he’s moving in...to my perfect, religious household.

All my life I had been the good girl. Wes warned me he was no good, and every time I wanted to get too close, he reminded me of who he was. I wanted to hate him for it, but I couldn’t. Every time he said no just made me want him even more, and no matter how many times I laid in bed, dreaming of his hands on me, it was never enough. I had to try it.

So I did.

Just once, I promised myself. But once temptation finally won, once wasn’t enough for either of us. There's no turning back now. I'm just praying that no one ever finds out about the things he’s done to my body when no one was looking.

But under this roof, nothing ever stays secret for long...

Chapter 1

The ride home took forever. I couldn’t stop praying and worrying. My chest hurt. My stomach ached. My palms were sweaty. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Even praying didn’t make me feel better, even though I tried hard.

When we finally arrived home, I balked. The hospital...

Get out. I’m going by myself.

What? He couldn’t be serious!

Please, Dad. I really want—

Get out of the car, April.

But—

Are you that selfish? he exploded. You’re keeping me here when I could already be on my way to her.

Meekly, I climbed out of the car. Dad didn’t even give me the chance to get the luggage out of the car. He just took off.

Dazed, I watched his car until it disappeared from sight. My mind was whirling, and I had to force myself to walk to enter the house. It was oddly quiet and felt empty.

Jacqueline closed the door for me. April, how are you?

Fine, I guess, I muttered. Where is everyone?

Wes is at work, and the boys are at youth group.

Oh. Right. Great. So it was just Jacqueline, Yvonne, Penelope, and me.

Feeling like I was in a fog, at a loss, I wandered through the house, more than a little distraught. I needed a distraction, but I wasn’t in the cleaning mood. Penelope. The baby. Maybe holding her would help.

It took me a little bit to find Yvonne and Penelope. They were in the parlor. They seemed happy enough, and I hesitated in the doorway. I wanted to hold Penelope, at least I thought I did, but Yvonne’s expression on her face, it was a little strange. It was like she was in her own little world. And like she was almost pleased.

Just then, Yvonne glanced up. April. How was the ball?

Fine. I stayed in the doorway. Yvonne and I had never interacted too much before. She was normally chasing after the boys, trying to get them to behave. Now she was all about Penelope. Granted, the boys were older now, and they knew how to behave, but seeing her with Penelope angered me. And right now, I would rather be angry with her than worried sick over my mom.

Although that wasn’t quite happening.

Your father is worried about you. Thinks you need to learn your place.

I needed to learn my place? No, that was Yvonne. She couldn’t accept what had happened. She had been the one to lose a child. Yes, that was terrible and tragic, but to take Mom’s baby away, to raise her as her own...

I can help you with that, Yvonne continued.

Help with what?

Teaching you your place.

Why? Because you think my mom isn’t a good enough parent to teach me lessons by herself?

Best to ignore her. Can I hold Penelope? Holding out my hands, I approached them.

Yvonne held the baby tighter. She’s so comfortable right now.

Seriously? She was refusing to let me touch Penelope?

I jerked around and left the room, so angry I wanted to hit something. Beneath the anger, worry and fear welled up. With each step I climbed, I imagined Mom falling down them, slamming her back, hitting her head, over and over again. The stairs were high and narrow. How badly hurt was she? It had to have been a serious fall in order to warrant going to the emergency room.

I walked