“In Dangerously Bound, Eden Bradley has created a delicious tale of second chances and dark yearning, of people exploring love’s shadowed edges. Mick is a hero to inspire wicked dreams, while Allie is a strong woman who is not afraid to admit to a fascination for dominance and submission. I enjoyed every luscious word!”
—Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF EDEN BRADLEY
“Intelligent, haunting and sexy as hell . . . for you people who like story and heart with your erotica, I’d definitely recommend any of Eden’s books.”
—Maya Banks, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Honest, tender and totally sexy—a feast for the senses and the heart.”
—Shayla Black, USA Today bestselling author
“Brilliant, seductive and dangerous. All of my favorite things.”
—R. G. Alexander, author of Tempt Me
“A hot and steamy ride to the climactic end . . . This story will steam up your glasses.”
—Library Journal
“An exciting, erotic page-turner that does not disappoint . . . Ms. Bradley’s wonderful storytelling ability and knack for description transport you right into the story and hold you there until the very last page.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Graphic, loving and incredibly well written, the sex scenes ratchet up the drama with unbelievable intensity . . . Sexual desire intertwines with emotional intensity, resulting in a book you won’t want to put down.”
—Romance Junkies
“Bradley delivers the goods. There is intense intimacy and heart-wrenching emotions . . . This is delicious and delightful from the first page until the conclusion.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Eden Bradley is an incredible author who writes scorching-hot love scenes with characters who are very memorable and so very well written.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Eden Bradley knows how to heat up the pages in a hurry. She creates sexual tension and love scenes that will get your heart racing. But she also creates characters that are realistic and fun to read.”
—Fiction Vixen
“Eden Bradley has a knack for penning extraordinary erotic romances.”
—Wild on Books
“Dark and seductive; it left me breathless and eager for more. I loved it!”
—My Secret Romance Book Reviews
“Highly erotic and sensual.”
—Under the Covers
Titles by Eden Bradley
DANGEROUSLY BOUND
Writing as Eve Berlin
PLEASURE’S EDGE
DESIRE’S EDGE
TEMPTATION’S EDGE
Anthologies
EXCLUSIVE
(with Jaci Burton and Lisa Renee Jones)
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
Copyright © 2014 by Eden Bradley.
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eBook ISBN: 978-0-425-26962-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bradley, Eden.
Dangerously Bound / Eden Bradley.
pages cm. — (A dangerous romance ; 1)
ISBN 978-0-425-26962-6 (paperback)
1. Sadomasochism—Fiction. 2. Bondage (Sexual behavior)—Fiction. 3. Erotic fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.R34266D34 2014
813'.6—dc23 2013051060
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / April 2014
Cover photo of Rope by Phil Cawley/Alamy; Wrought Iron by Purestock/Getty.
Cover design by Judith Lagerman.
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.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Dawn, for being the most amazing beta reader ever, and brainstorming this story with me!
To Sidney Bristol, for cheerfully getting down on the floor to demonstrate the viability of a certain hog-tie. The first dungeon scene in this book only happened the way it did because you were such a willing coconspirator!
And always, to R. G. Alexander, for being my unending support; for being the person I can take any crazy idea to and talk it out as many times as I need to; for helping me to build depth into my characters and cleverness into my dialogue—but most of all, for being my friend.
A note to those of you who know rope: Thank you to the many people who have been directly or indirectly involved in my research, through hands-on experience as well as observation. My intention here was to present rope bondage in a way readers who may never have seen it could understand, so I have left out the more technical terms for the beautiful knots, materials and suspensions.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
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 One
THERE WAS SOMETHING about New Orleans—something about the air itself—a certain sultriness found nowhere else, that silky touch of humidity on skin, like fingertips dragged slowly over your flesh. Or maybe it was only that this was Mick’s town. Every side street and café thick with memories of him, each corner she turned leaving her breathless with the possibility of running into him, seeing him again.