Synopsis:

He already knew, but he's about to be reminded: Your whole world can change forever in a split second.

A man with a broken heart.

Doug Benton's heart was broken when he misread the cues of a purely sexual threesome. But when he meets Vivian, the sister of his employer's daughter-in-law, he wonders if she's as hungry for a real relationship as he is. There's just one problem: He's a Dominant. And Vivian is possibly the most vanilla woman he's ever met. That knowledge leaves him wondering if they could ever have anything that would last.

A woman scorned.

Vivian Norton has been dumped one too many times - the last time, at the altar. To make matters worse, she's fallen in love with the one man she most certainly shouldn't have. When she meets Doug at a Walters family gathering, her first thought of the good looking security agent is simply, What a heartbreaker! As Vivian gets to know Doug, she begins to wonder if they could have something more than just a fling and, even though she's scared, his calm strength gives her security and hope. As time passes, it becomes more and more obvious to the strong, passionate young man and the sweet, innocent, curvy redhead that they want a relationship that'll stand the test of time. Everything falls into place, and they discover that each is exactly what the other needs.

But all it takes is one simple mistake to ruin everything.

And when Doug makes that mistake, there's no going back. He doesn't mean to. He tries to fix it, to take it back, to make it all right, but Vivian is having none of that. And when he finally forces her hand, he learns a painful lesson.

There's no coming back from some mistakes.

In this first volume of the Citadel series, the first spinoff series of the popular Love Under Construction series, revisit the world of the Walters family in Louisville, Kentucky, and two characters you knew but wanted to know better. It's a story of love, loss, and what happens when "I'm sorry" just may not be enough. Is there hope?

In Deanndra Hall's stories? There's always hope.

WARNING: This book contains graphic sexual content and detailed injuries and medical situations. It is not considered suitable for those under the age of 18 years. Reader discretion advised.

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Excerpt

“Do you . . .” She stopped and Doug waited until he couldn’t wait anymore.

“What, baby? Spit it out.”

“Do you . . . think I’m a slut? I mean, I let you do anything you want to me, and I never make you stop. I take it because I love you and I want to feel sexy and desirable when I’m with you, but do I disgust you?” She cast her eyes downward and watched her finger cut through the dark blond hair on his chest. “Viv?” When she didn’t respond, Doug put a finger under her chin and tipped her face up.

“Viv, yes, I think you’re a slut – my slut. You’re a slut for me. That’s as it should be. Your body should be available for my use, but mine should be for yours too. That’s why I always ask you what you want. I’ll do whatever it takes to satisfy you, and I love the fact that you feel comfortable enough with me to just let go and do anything and everything. There shouldn’t be any shame between us.”

Her blue eyes searched his. No, he wasn’t making fun of her, she could tell. He meant every word. “You like me being slutty?”

Doug snorted. “Yeah, for me! But not for anyone else. I want you all to myself. The fact that you want it with me just tells me that we’ve really got something here, something that will let us be honest and open with the other person. Do you feel that way?”

“Yeah, I really do.” She stopped for a few seconds. “If you wanted to take me out into the middle of a field, strip me naked, and fuck me right there on the bare ground for an hour, I wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

He laughed and shrugged. “I don’t know why I’d ever want to do that, but okay then! Just know that I ask you to do the things most people would consider slutty because I want you to explore and learn, to grow sexually and know what you want and what you want to give to me. Yeah, you can be a slut, but you’re my slut. And I love that about you.”

The Love Under Construction Series

The Citadel Series is the long awaited spin-off from the wildly popular Love Under Construction Series. For a limited time get the book that started it all, Laying A Foundation, Book 1 from the Love Under Construction Series FREE! Click Image to Buy

About The Author

For as long as I can remember, I've been a writer . . .

and it has served me well. I wrote for local publications, wrote marketing and advertising materials, wrote for academic publications, and eventually grew jaded with the writing profession as I often watched others take credit for my hard work. I retreated into the world of 3-D art in the fiber and textile mediums and hid out in a world of colors and textures. But, truth is, there was always a story or two in my head. It wasn't until Nikki and I met in my imagination that I decided it was time to let those stories out, and I'm glad I did. My readers now get to enjoy the fruits of my imagination and, believe me, it runs wild!

On the personal side, I've been happily married to my lover and best friend for over thirty years, and I have two wonderful adult kids who've blessed me with two excellent choices of life partners. When I'm not writing, I'm playing with my three crazy little dogs, hiking in a local recreation area, kayaking, working out at the gym, tending my herbs, cooking, or doing some kind of research.

But I'd really rather be writing!