Secret Hearts Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  Acclaim for Radclyffe’s Fiction

  Applause for L.L. Raand’s Midnight Hunters Series

  By Radclyffe

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  About the Author

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Secret Hearts

  Kip Kensington owes four hundred hours of community service for a joyride gone wrong. Jordan Rice has no time for younger women with trouble written all over them no matter how sexy they might be, even if she is in desperate need of more hands—and more funds—to keep her community garden project alive. Kip’s past follows her into Jordan’s carefully constructed, and safe, world, disrupting Jordan’s orderly life and threatening to uncover all the secrets she’d locked away: secrets she guarded as closely as her heart. Together they discover the only way to build a future is to make peace with the past.

  Acclaim for Radclyffe’s Fiction

  In Prescription for Love “Radclyffe populates her small town with colorful characters, among the most memorable being Flann’s little sister, Margie, and Abby’s 15-year-old trans son, Blake…This romantic drama has plenty of heart and soul.”—Publishers Weekly

  2013 RWA/New England Bean Pot award winner for contemporary romance Crossroads “will draw the reader in and make her heart ache, willing the two main characters to find love and a life together. It’s a story that lingers long after coming to ‘the end.’”—Lambda Literary

  In 2012 RWA/FTHRW Lories and RWA HODRW Aspen Gold award winner Firestorm “Radclyffe brings another hot lesbian romance for her readers.”—The Lesbrary

  Foreword Review Book of the Year finalist and IPPY silver medalist Trauma Alert “is hard to put down and it will sizzle in the reader’s hands. The characters are hot, the sex scenes explicit and explosive, and the book is moved along by an interesting plot with well drawn secondary characters. The real star of this show is the attraction between the two characters, both of whom resist and then fall head over heels.”—Lambda Literary Reviews

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Best Lesbian Romance 2010 features “stories [that] are diverse in tone, style, and subject, making for more variety than in many, similar anthologies…well written, each containing a satisfying, surprising twist. Best Lesbian Romance series editor Radclyffe has assembled a respectable crop of 17 authors for this year’s offering.”—Curve Magazine

  2010 Prism award winner and ForeWord Review Book of the Year Award finalist Secrets in the Stone is “so powerfully [written] that the worlds of these three women shimmer between reality and dreams…A strong, must read novel that will linger in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned.”—Just About Write

  In Benjamin Franklin Award finalist Desire by Starlight “Radclyffe writes romance with such heart and her down-to-earth characters not only come to life but leap off the page until you feel like you know them. What Jenna and Gard feel for each other is not only a spark but an inferno and, as a reader, you will be washed away in this tumultuous romance until you can do nothing but succumb to it.”—Queer Magazine Online

  Lambda Literary Award winner Stolen Moments “is a collection of steamy stories about women who just couldn’t wait. It’s sex when desire overrides reason, and it’s incredibly hot!”—On Our Backs

  Lambda Literary Award winner Distant Shores, Silent Thunder “weaves an intricate tapestry about passion and commitment between lovers. The story explores the fragile nature of trust and the sanctuary provided by loving relationships.”—Sapphic Reader

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Justice Served delivers a “crisply written, fast-paced story with twists and turns and keeps us guessing until the final explosive ending.”—Independent Gay Writer

  Lambda Literary Award finalist Turn Back Time “is filled with wonderful love scenes, which are both tender and hot.”—MegaScene

  Applause for L.L. Raand’s Midnight Hunters Series

  The Midnight Hunt

  RWA 2012 VCRW Laurel Wreath winner Blood Hunt

  Night Hunt

  The Lone Hunt

  “Raand has built a complex world inhabited by werewolves, vampires, and other paranormal beings…Raand has given her readers a complex plot filled with wonderful characters as well as insight into the hierarchy of Sylvan’s pack and vampire clans. There are many plot twists and turns, as well as erotic sex scenes in this riveting novel that keep the pages flying until its satisfying conclusion.”—Just About Write

  “Once again, I am amazed at the storytelling ability of L.L. Raand aka Radclyffe. In Blood Hunt, she mixes high levels of sheer eroticism that will leave you squirming in your seat with an impeccable multi-character storyline all streaming together to form one great read.”—Queer Magazine Online

  “The Midnight Hunt has a gripping story to tell, and while there are also some truly erotic sex scenes, the story always takes precedence. This is a great read which is not easily put down nor easily forgotten.”—Just About Write

  “Are you sick of the same old hetero vampire/werewolf story plastered in every bookstore and at every movie theater? Well, I’ve got the cure to your werewolf fever. The Midnight Hunt is first in, what I hope is, a long-running series of fantasy erotica for L.L. Raand (aka Radclyffe).”—Queer Magazine Online

  “Any reader familiar with Radclyffe’s writing will recognize the author’s style within The Midnight Hunt, yet at the same time it is most definitely a new direction. The author delivers an excellent story here, one that is engrossing from the very beginning. Raand has pieced together an intricate world, and provided just enough details for the reader to become enmeshed in the new world. The action moves quickly throughout the book and it’s hard to put down.”—Three Dollar Bill Reviews

  Secret Hearts

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Secret Hearts

  © 2017 By Radclyffe. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-933-4

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: March 2017

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman


  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Melody Pond

  By Radclyffe

  Romances

  Innocent Hearts

  Promising Hearts

  Love’s Melody Lost

  Love’s Tender Warriors

  Tomorrow’s Promise

  Love’s Masquerade

  shadowland

  Passion’s Bright Fury

  Fated Love

  Turn Back Time

  When Dreams Tremble

  The Lonely Hearts Club

  Night Call

  Secrets in the Stone

  Desire by Starlight

  Crossroads

  Homestead

  Against Doctor’s Orders

  Prescription for Love

  The Color of Love

  Love on Call

  Secret Hearts

  Honor Series

  Above All, Honor

  Honor Bound

  Love & Honor

  Honor Guards

  Honor Reclaimed

  Honor Under Siege

  Word of Honor

  Code of Honor

  Price of Honor

  Justice Series

  A Matter of Trust (prequel)

  Shield of Justice

  In Pursuit of Justice

  Justice in the Shadows

  Justice Served

  Justice For All

  The Provincetown Tales

  Safe Harbor

  Beyond the Breakwater

  Distant Shores, Silent Thunder

  Storms of Change

  Winds of Fortune

  Returning Tides

  Sheltering Dunes

  First Responders Novels

  Trauma Alert

  Firestorm

  Oath of Honor

  Taking Fire

  Wild Shores

  Short Fiction

  Collected Stories by Radclyffe

  Erotic Interludes: Change of Pace

  Radical Encounters

  Edited by Radclyffe:

  Best Lesbian Romance 2009-2014

  Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.

  Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments

  Erotic Interludes 3: Lessons in Love

  Erotic Interludes 4: Extreme Passions

  Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games

  Romantic Interludes 1: Discovery

  Romantic Interludes 2: Secrets

  Breathless: Tales of Celebration

  Women of the Dark Streets

  Amore and More: Love Everafter

  Myth & Magic: Queer Fairy Tales

  By L.L. Raand

  Midnight Hunters

  The Midnight Hunt

  Blood Hunt

  Night Hunt

  The Lone Hunt

  The Magic Hunt

  Shadow Hunt

  Acknowledgments

  I had a request for a “city” setting at the same time as I planned to write a non-series romance, but as I discovered after many years of living in a large East Coast city before returning to upstate New York, you can never really shed “all” the country. While I lived in Philadelphia, my idea of a vacation was tenting in the Poconos or running in the sand dunes on Cape Cod or roughing it in a cabin in the Adirondacks with no heat, electricity, or running water—anywhere with clear skies, moonlit nights, and frogs (turtles are a bonus). As a result, this romance, set in the heart of Manhattan, blends my desire to escape the city while capturing the unique energy and vibrancy of one of the largest metropolises in the world (a place I love to visit but wouldn’t want to live).

  Many thanks go to: senior editor Sandy Lowe for the astounding progress she has made in streamlining all things BSB and providing me with expert advice as a publisher and author, editor Ruth Sternglantz for never letting any loose ends slip by, editor Stacia Seaman for her careful review of the late stages, and my first readers Paula and Eva for taking time out of their busy lives to send invaluable feedback.

  And as always, thanks to Lee for always looking to the next adventure. Amo te.

  Radclyffe, 2017

  To Lee, for saying “why not”

  Chapter One

  “I’ve got red wine—will that do for starters?” Kip called to Julie from the kitchen, scanning the bottles in the small wine rack she’d built in to the cupboards just above the refrigerator. She took down a Merlot, figuring that was always a good bet for any casual wine drinker. One glass, a few minutes of conversation, and she could send for a car to take Julie home. Julie, yet another of Savannah’s semi-blind dates foisted on her because her loving, meddling cousin thought she ought to be settled down by now. If Savannah wasn’t her best friend and hugely pregnant and always there for her, she’d probably try harder to get out of these empty evenings. Rather than listen to Savannah nagging her every other day, she just surrendered.

  All the same, she tried to show her dates a good time. After all, it wasn’t their fault she’d rather work late than spend an evening with a stranger hoping for a connection she didn’t want. This time she’d procured tickets for the final performance of the latest Broadway hit. The show had lived up to its billing, but the rest of the night had held the same sense of déjà vu most of her social life had taken on over the last few years—a been there, done that, and don’t want to do it again quality that left her feeling oddly disconnected and adrift. “Julie? Red okay with—”

  She turned at the soft laugh coming from the hall behind her and stopped in her tracks. A very beautiful and unexpectedly naked woman lounged in the doorway. Julie had looked spectacular in a figure-hugging black outfit that displayed her full-bodied assets to perfection and appeared, if possible, even more stunning without the dress.

  Julie gave her a confident, knowing look. “I was rather hoping we could save the wine until later.”

  Keeping her eyes very deliberately above Julie’s collarbone level, two very nice collarbones indeed, Kip carefully set the wine bottle on the counter. “I think we’re—”

  Before she could finish a diplomatic decline of Julie’s generous offer, Julie took two steps into the tiny pocket kitchen and pressed against her, both arms wrapping around her neck.

  “I hope you’re thinking what I’m thinking,” she breathed, her lips grazing Kip’s ear.

  Kip backed up until her ass bumped into the refrigerator, which wasn’t far considering the size of the galley kitchen. Julie followed as if they were superglued together, her breasts—which deserved star billing, as Kip’s brief and inadvertent glance had assured her—pressed against her chest, and a shapely thigh insinuated itself between her legs. Kip’s pulse shot up higher than her temperature, which was approaching boiling.

  “Maybe we should take this—”

  Julie’s mouth covered hers, her tongue sweeping across Kip’s lower lip, her teeth tugging just a little too hard before she pulled away. “Mmm, yes. The bedroom.”

  A little slower? Like, some other night? Maybe with someone else?

  “I think the bedroom would be the perfect place to start,” Julie said, her thigh pressing harder between Kip’s legs.

  “Julie,” Kip murmured, her nipples tightening despite her reluctance. She wasn’t immune to the allure of a beautiful woman, and Julie was that and disarmingly seductive as well. Plus, the last time she’d had sex wasn’t quite a distant memory, but it was disappearing in the rearview mirror. All the same, their signals were definitely crossed. If they fell into bed, then what? Good-bye before dawn, which would be Kip’s preference? And if that wasn’t Julie’s picture, where did that leave them? What the hell did a fast hookup mean to Julie—because it meant nothing at all to her, as the last few times without even a hint of an orgasm or any desire to repeat the event had made pretty clear.

  Julie’s hand slid down between their bodies and tugged at the zipper on her trousers. “I’ve been thinking about this since I opened the door of my apartment. Savannah was right, you’re hot.”

  “Thanks,” Kip said dryly, doing her
best not to grab Julie’s wrist and forcibly move her questing hand from between her thighs, while imagining herself throttling her cousin.

  “Savannah forgot to mention you’re exactly my type—black hair, blue eyes, lean and sexy.”

  “Uh-huh,” Kip murmured, finally slipping sideways and backing toward the hallway. Her third-floor apartment in the East Village was big by Village standards, but not that big. She had nowhere to run. She didn’t always have to be in control in the bedroom, but she didn’t give it up when she barely knew more about a woman than her name either. Usually she didn’t have to worry about that—the women she slept with were generally casual acquaintances, friends who were happy to keep things light. “Let’s slow this down a little bit.”

  Following her into the small living room, Julie laughed and gave her an incredulous look. “You can’t be serious.” She ran her hands over her breasts and cupped them both for an instant. “Tell me you’re not interested.”

  “I’m breathing,” Kip said honestly. Watching Julie stroke herself made her clit jump. Sweat misted the back of her neck. For a second her libido threatened to win out over her better judgment and she imagined skimming her tongue over the nipple Julie had just teased into hardness, slipping her fingers between her smooth thighs, knowing just how Julie would sound when she made her come. And then, just like so many other times—when the moment’s satisfaction left her empty and confused—the feeling of déjà vu washed over her again in an icy deluge. Reason surfaced. “But I was kind of hoping we could get to know each other tonight. Relax, talk, enjoy some wine.”