Claim Me: A Novel

parked on the street beside a very giddy valet, is a cherry red Lamborghini.
    Damien turns to look at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “What’s this?”
    “I thought you could use a little fun tonight, and the A9’s just a few miles away. Fast car. German autobahn. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.”
    “Boys and their toys?”
    I lower my voice so that the concierge can’t overhear. “Since we already have some interesting toys in the room, I thought you might enjoy a change of pace.” I lead him closer to where the valet stands by the open passenger door. “I understand she’s very responsive, and I know you’ll enjoy having all that power at your command.”
    “Is she?” He looks me up and down, and this time the inspection is tinged with fire. “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I like. Responsiveness. Power. Control.”
    “I know,” I say, and then slide into the passenger seat, letting more than a little thigh show as I do.
    And instant later, Damien is behind the wheel and he’s fired the powerful engine.
    “Drive fast enough, and it’s almost like sex,” I tease. And then, because I can’t resist, I add, “At the very least, it makes for exceptional foreplay.”
    “In that case, Ms. Fairchild,” he says, with a boyish grin that makes this all worthwhile, “I suggest you hold on tight.”

Acknowledgments
    I almost hesitate to include this page because I am certain that I will forget someone, but I’m going to soldier on, wrangle my memory, and hope that whomever I accidentally slight will let me make it up to them with a martini (Damien Stark’s Glen Garioch bourbon is a little out of my league).
    Right up front I have to say that I am cheating a bit with this acknowledgment, because it is as much about
Release Me
as it is about this book, and I have to start off by thanking everyone who helped get
Release Me
and the Stark Trilogy as a whole out to readers.
    Most especially, I want to thank my fabulous agent, Kimberly Whalen, my amazing editor, Shauna Summers, and everyone else on the team at Bantam, who has made diving into the world of Damien and Nikki such an absolute pleasure: Gina Wachtel, Jennifer Hershey, Maggie Oberrender, Susan Grimshaw, Alison Masciovecchio, Sarah Murphy, Matt Schwartz, Rachel Kind, Donna Duverglas, everyone I’ve missed (sorry!); the rest of the folks at Trident; Janet Stark and Sofia Willingham who brought Nikki’s voice to life; and the wonderful publishers in foreign territories, especially the folks at Headline such as Kate Byrne and Veronique Norton, who have made Twittering across “the pond” such fun.
    Special thanks to my “betas”—K.J., Heather, Stefani, and Liz. Thanks so much for the feedback!
    And, of course, I have to thank my husband and my kids for putting up with “Mommy needs to write,” and supporting me in so many ways.
    Most of all, though, I want to thank the readers, especially those who have reached out to let me know how much Damien and Nikki have come to life for them. Every email, every tweet, every comment on my website and Facebook page is appreciated. Thank you! And a special shout-out to Kathy Womack, who coined the term “Damienized,” which I have boldly appropriated, and to Redhotpolkadots on Twitter, whose #StarkOnSpeedDial hashtag made me grin—here you go, girl!

by J. Kenner
    claim me
    release me