Back in Black

Table of Contents

 

 

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF
LORI FOSTER

 

 

“Tension, temptation, hot action, and hotter romance—Lori Foster has it all!
Hard to Handle
is a knockout!”

—Elizabeth Lowell,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“A wonderful, heartwarming story with plenty of action, [and] a suspenseful mystery.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Another success for Lori Foster . . . a sweet read.”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

 

“A delightful, lighthearted, romantic romp.”

—
The Best Reviews

 

“It’s impossible not to feel heat radiating off the pages, especially during their hard-earned love scenes . . . [The story has] neatly dovetailing plotlines.”

 

“With her trademark blend of danger, humor, and passion, Foster has written another entertaining romance.”

—
Booklist
(starred review)

THE WINSTON BROTHERS STORIES AND

 

“Funny, fast, and sexy.”

—Stella Cameron

 

“
Wild
lives up to its title.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Her books [are] always sexy, with heroes to die for . . . Foster’s books can help you heat up during the cold, dark days of winter.”

—
BellaOnline

 

“A talented author whose work shines, especially during erotic encounters.”

—
The Romance Reader

 

“A sizzling voyage of discovery . . . A sensual treat that combines fascinating character development with a terrific plot . . . A tantalizing and titillating delight.”

—
WordWeaving.com

 

 

MORE PRAISE FOR
LORI FOSTER

 

“The pages sizzle.”

—Christine Feehan,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Fun, sexy, warmhearted . . . just what people want in a romance.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Foster outwrites most of her peers.”

—
Library Journal

 

“Lori Foster delivers the goods.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Known for her funny, sexy writing.”

—
Booklist

 

THE WINSTON BROTHERS
WILD
CAUSING HAVOC
SIMON SAYS
HARD TO HANDLE
MY MAN, MICHAEL
BACK IN BLACK

 

HOT CHOCOLATE
(with Suzanne Forster, Elda Minger, and Fayrene Preston)
SINFUL
(with Maggie Shayne, Suzanne Forster, and Kimberly Randell)
WILDLY WINSTON
THE POWER OF LOVE
(with Erin McCarthy, Toni Blake, Dianne Castell, Karen Kelley,
Rosemary Laurey, Janice Maynard, LuAnn McLane, Lucy Monroe,
Patricia Sargeant, Kay Stockham, and J. C. Wilder)
CHARMED
(with Jayne Castle, Eileen Wilks, and Julie Beard)
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE
(with Deirdre Martin, Jacquie D’Alessandro, and Penny McCall)
TAILS OF LOVE
(with Stella Cameron, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Kate Angell, Sarah
McCarty, Donna MacMeans, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant,
Ann Christopher, and Marcia James)
OUT OF THE LIGHT, INTO THE SHADOWS
(with L. L. Foster and Erin McCarthy)
DOUBLE THE HEAT
(with Deirdre Martin, Elizabeth Bevarly, and Christie Ridgway)

 

 

 

SERVANT: THE AWAKENING
SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE
SERVANT: THE KINDRED

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

BACK IN BLACK

 

A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley mass-market edition / February 2010

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-18507-0

 

BERKLEY®

Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

 

To Tammy Helton

 

Sales Account Manager

 

West Chester, Ohio, Marriott

 

I know I speak for everyone in saying how much we appreciate all that you do to help organize our annual “Reader and Author Get Together.” The hotel accommodations are fabulous, the food provided is delicious, and the atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming. What started out as an uncertain effort to bring together readers, authors, editors, agents, and publishers has grown into a heartwarming event of major proportions, and the hotel has contributed greatly to our success. Because of your terrific management and assistance, we’re able to continue with an affordable event, and at the same time make significant donations to very worthy local causes.

 

Thank you for being so good at what you do.

 

~Lori Foster

 

G
ILLIAN Noode stood against the back wall of Roger’s Rodeo, the popular bar where many fighters hung out. She was close enough to observe him, but not close enough to get noticed. Yet. At least, not by him. Plenty of other men had already given her the once-over, showing appreciation for her trim black skirt, her low-scooped white blouse, and strappy sandals. A few had even tried to strike up a conversation. Though tempted, she’d politely declined.

She’d come here for a reason, and Drew Black was it. Dressed in well-worn jeans and a comfortable black T-shirt bearing the logo of the SBC fight organization, the president of the extreme sport sat at the polished bar. Currently, he was in close conversation with two longhaired lovelies whose bloated busts defied believability. No woman
that
slender had breasts
that
large.

But Drew showed no signs of disbelief. Like a king of his own making, he openly ogled their bounty. Thrilled with his appreciation, the girls played with their long hair, flirted, and
giggled
.

Gillian fought a gag.

From the many interviews and television spots she’d watched, as well as her current scrutiny, Gillian surmised that Drew Black had a fighter-type physique, sculpted with honest muscle rather than the steroid-induced kind. He wasn’t quite as shredded as the actual fighters, who made workouts and a healthy diet a regular part of their routine, but he looked strong and capable.

Obviously his ego demanded that he stay in shape. After all, he was often surrounded by younger men in their prime, elite fighters with rock-hard bodies and astounding ability.

Drew Black intrigued her beyond the job at hand.

As an entrepreneur he showed great intelligence; no one could have accomplished what he had without a lot of smarts. He’d taken a mostly dead sport, banned in many states, and turned it into an astounding success.

And motivation? The man had it in spades. He couldn’t possibly sleep more than six hours a night, given his enthusiastic workload and insane social calendar.

Good looks, great body, intelligence, enthusiasm, and money . . . Drew Black would be quite the catch if he wasn’t such a sexist, foul-mouthed jerk with the tact of a mountain goat.

With her external analysis now complete, Gillian moved closer, just a short way down the bar. She could hear Drew’s deep voice—not that she expected much enlightenment from his conversation.

But Drew surprised her.

“Will you call me?” bimbo number one asked him with a pout.

Lacking malice, he gave a low and mellow laugh. “No, I won’t.”

Look-alike bimbo number two said, “How about me?” She toyed with his ear in a way that made Gillian twitch. “I can promise you a
really
good time.”

“I just bet you can.” Drew took her wrist and moved her teasing hand away. “But I have to pass.”

Gillian raised a brow. She’d expected him to suggest a threesome, and instead he’d rejected both of them.

Interesting.

The bimbos combined their whining complaints and attempts at persuasion until Drew appeared to get annoyed. “Girls, what the fuck? C’mon, I have shit to do and it doesn’t include having my ears ring. Go find something—or someone—else to do, okay?”

“But Drew, we waited a long time to get to talk to you,” Bimbo One whined.

Drew leaned around the woman to eye his male companion. “A little help here, Brett?”

Gillian recognized the other man as a fighter. Grinning, he held up big, capable hands. “Sorry, Drew. I have a girl waiting at home.”