Wicked as Seduction: Trees & Laila Part 1 (Wicked & Devoted #5) by Shayla Black ~ Book Review and Excerpt

 

 

Wicked as Seduction by Shayla Black is now live!

He'll protect her...even if he has to take her captive to save her.

Tech wiz and former elite soldier Forest "Trees" Scott had one mission: Rescue the woman being hunted by a vicious cartel and get her to safety. It should have been simple...but the minute he sees the wary beauty with haunted eyes, his desire for her complicates everything. So does her stubborn refusal to trust him. When Trees is forced to abduct her, she vows to hate him--even as he finds himself falling in love...

For six years, Laila Torres has known nothing but brutality at the hands of men, so when the massive stranger with the forbidding mien kidnaps her, she's frightened--and furious. But the giant's protective care shocks her. With every word, he proves steadfast. With every forbidden touch, he awakens the woman in her. Soon, she's facing the terrifying realization that he's also dangerously close to capturing her heart.

But their ruthless enemies are closing in, threatening everything Laila holds dear. When she's forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice, will she trust Trees and their love to save her?

 

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EXCERPT

 He lowered his head, laid his mouth over hers, and he kissed her.

   Laila froze. Despite being a giant of a man, he brushed his lips over hers softly. Shock and heat flared inside her. He lingered, his warm breath on her face…then he was gone before she was ready for the kiss to end.

   Trees cupped her face, skimming his thumb over her lips. “You okay?”

   Why did he ask? Why did he care? “Yes.”

   “Good. I’m going to kiss you again. Breathe. Relax.”

   How, when her lips burned? When she was naked and acutely aware of the damp crush of his bare skin against hers?

   “Laila, did you hear me?”

   “Y-yes.” She didn’t trust herself to say more.

   “Close your eyes,” he instructed in that velvety voice that compelled her to comply. “Good. Now breathe in deep.” When she did, he glided a gentle thumb over her cheek in silent approval. “Let it out.”

   As she exhaled, tension began to leave her body.

   “Again,” he prompted. “Do it slowly. Focus on my voice.”

   She did, feeling even more at ease. Then she blinked up at him. For approval, she realized the moment he smiled her way.

   “Beautiful. Now I’m going to kiss you. And this time, I’m going to kiss you right.”

   He’d done it wrong before? Too bad. She’d liked it. His lips against hers had been…sweet.

   As a girl, she’d known school friends who had crushes on boys. They had all giggled and whispered about their first kisses the summer she’d turned fourteen. She had been fascinated, even a little jealous, not to have captured any boy’s notice. She’d been so curious to know what kissing felt like. Not long after that, she’d become horribly aware of men’s desires, thanks to life in her brother-in-law’s compound. Then she’d no longer cared that she had never been kissed.

   But as with everything else, Trees seemed different.

   “Is that all right?”

   He was asking permission to touch her? Laila frowned. As if she could stop him.

   Still, if real kissing—whatever that was—would excite him enough to demand a blow job, then her purpose would be served. She could escape afterward.

   “Fine.”

   “I won’t hurt you,” he assured. “If anything I do scares or upsets you, just say red.”

   “You will stop touching me if I say that word?”

   “Absolutely. Immediately.”

   He was lying. There was no way she could utter a simple word and he would cease taking his pleasure. That would be giving her all the power, all the choice. No man would ever do that. After all, what would be in it for him?

   “Why?” she asked skeptically.

   “Because we’ll need to talk so I can understand what upset you.”

   So he could do it again? So he could do it harder? More painfully? More degradingly? Was that his game?

   The tenderness in his eyes made her wonder if she was wrong. But her head—and her experience—said otherwise. Laila didn’t dare show weakness. The word red could never cross her lips. “Okay. Kiss me.”

   As he settled his weight onto her, his stare never wavered, seemingly penetrating all the way down to her thoughts. Laila’s breath caught. Her heart thudded. She felt shaky…and it wasn’t fear. A nervous excitement she didn’t understand made her tremble.

   As he drew closer, Trees’s approaching heat and his warm breath against her lips had her eyes sliding shut. Instantly, the dark made her feel too vulnerable. She squirmed, eyes flaring wide again.

   “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

   If he did, he wouldn’t be the first. She would be fine once she reached Valeria and Jorge. But to get there, she had to give in and let Trees take over.

Laila closed her eyes again.

   “Good girl.” His mouth settled over hers, perching there as if gauging her reaction.

   She held her breath. Tension gripped her. Would he stay here until her thundering heart beat out of her chest? Or attack her when her guard was down?

   Trees did neither. He cupped her face and nudged her mouth open, drawing her bottom lip between his for a soft, shocking moment. Her skin sizzled as he sank deeper, stealing her thoughts, her breath, and her reluctance. She got lost in the dizzying sensation.

   Before she realized it, she fell into his rhythm, opening beneath him to invite him inside.

   Clearly, he knew what he was doing. She was panting when he pulled away to search her face.

   “Laila?”

   She couldn’t look away. The moment felt terribly intimate. She was stunned to realize how much she liked his kiss. What was he doing to her? “Yes?”

   The question was lost when he covered her lips again, this time urging them even wider. His tongue slipped inside and caressed hers. She recoiled against the new sensation, but he stayed patient and firm, cupping her nape and plunging in again. She couldn’t avoid him, so she yielded, giving him free rein of her mouth until lightning—unlike anything she’d ever felt or imagined—flared through her veins.

   The moment she moaned and surrendered, he wielded his power like a king. He ruled over her blossoming pleasure, using it ruthlessly to sweep through her mouth and take every inch, as if proclaiming that—at least in this moment—she was his to touch and please as he wished.

   Dazed, she curled her arms around his neck as she tilted her head and yielded to him. He continued his siege, sweeping one hand down her rib cage, dipping in at her waist, before cupping her hip with a groan. “Laila…”

   His whisper swept through her, blanketing her skin with goose bumps and tightening her belly with heat. If he was the king, why did he sound as if he worshipped her? It confused her, just like her desire for more of his touch.

   “Want me to stop?”

   Her body answered for her. “No.”

***Excerpt is property of Shayla Black

I have been waiting for Trees and Laila's story for a while now and I have to say it was soooo worth the wait. Shayla Black did a Wicked job with seducing this reader right along with Laila, having us fall for Trees in no time at all.

Trees has been tasked with keeping Laila safe while the men from E.M. Security figures out who has leaked the safe house where she along with her sister and nephew have been staying yet again. The Mexican Cartel will not stop until they have what they want and they will do anything to get them back. But Trees isn't going to let that happen and it's not only because it's his job. 

Laila's past is not for the faint of heart, although things aren't explicit on the page we are made aware of the horrors that the young woman suffered at the hand of her sisters husband and his men, who were part of a Mexican Cartel, so please be aware of this before you start reading. I am thankful to the author for not being explicit in this aspect of the story because I don't know if I would be able to personally handle it. 

WICKED AS SEDUCTION is the fifth book in the Wicked & Devoted Series but the first book in Trees & Laila's Duet, I would recommend reading the series in order of release because there is a story line that runs through each of the books. I feel it would be beneficial to have all sides of the story although each duet can be read on their own if that is the way you choose to do so, but, be aware that the main story line has not yet been resolved.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Age Gap Romances, BDSM Romances, Bodyguard - Client Romances, or Steamy Romantic Suspense Novels.

Happy Reading!!!

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**

 

Meet Shayla

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than eighty contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

As an only child, Shayla occupied herself by daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and started pursuing a publishing career. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America, her heart was with her stories and characters, so she left her pantyhose and power suits behind.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her "free" time, she enjoys reality TV, gaming, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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