Grind (verb): to weaken or destroy gradually

Macy Carrington is not the woman I once thought her to be. 

What she does not allow her heart to feel, she gives with her body. The sex between us is explosive and depraved. I’ve done things with her that would never have crossed my wildest imagination, and I can’t ever seem to get enough.

But now I want more from her. I want to figure out her dark secret, expose it and then help her to heal from it. I know, without a doubt, that Macy is capable of love, and I will grind her down until I make her accept the truth of it.

Grind (verb): to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction

Strong, determined, sexy as hell and a beast in the bedroom. He is every woman’s fantasy.

He is my fantasy.

But no matter how hard Cal tries to grind me down, my heart and secrets are mine and mine alone.

This installment starts right where Clash left off. Once Cal and Macy are back in the same room, their irrational need comes back full force. They have an attraction and chemistry that they can't seem to shake. 

But Cal, being the ethical guy that he is, knows if he is to represent her in her case, he can't also be getting down and dirty with her. Those pesky little conflicts of interest can be a big mood killer.

But now that they've had a taste of each other, they can hardly wait to deal with her legal and issues and not be attorney and client any longer. 

Cal and Macy just ooze sexual tension and are white hot together. They are compatible, yet push boundaries. They dig underneath the surface, but still maintain some walls. Cal is determined to grind down her walls and get to more of what lies under the surface. But Macy has already let Cal in more than she ever has any other man. Trusting a man is a foreign concept to her. 

But Cal is a good, caring guy with serious sex appeal. He is hot, dirty, and can keep up with her needs. They react so strongly an completely to each other. They dance along a game of control and submission. Even though they both think it could be disastrous to feel anything, it seems to be occurring against their will.

They've tried new things together, but can they risk the most dangerous experiment of all and risk their hearts?

Just as things are heating up, they find themselves not only having to be honest about what is happening, but also have to deal with some of Macy's demons that are quickly clawing their way to the surface. 

This installment was longer, sexier, humorous, a bit shocking, and completely engaging.  It had me laughing, fanning myself, saying "Whoa!" outloud, and kept me thinking about the undertones of Macy's life. I enjoy getting more with Mac and Matt Connover in their roles as friends and supporters. I love Macy and Cal together. I want to see them keep pushing forward and for Cal to be the unexpected White Knight she never planned on and never thought she deserved. I am so ready for more of their story in Yield. I have some theories about what Macy has been hiding and why she has behaved the way she does, but I am dying to get to the full secret and see the resolution of their story. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Continuing Macy and Cal’s story, Grind picks up with Mac asking Cal to help Macy out with a legal problem. While he wants to decline, Mac pressures him and ultimately he does the favor for his friend and business partner. But what taking the case also does is offer Macy and Cal additional excuses to be together without Macy learning of their attraction. Because Mac knows ALL of Macy’s secrets, and if she finds out they are together Mac will worry.

The allusion to Macy’s secrets really confirmed that there are more layers to the beautiful heiress than her public persona. While Cal is learning that for himself, to readers it becomes clear that whatever she is hiding is huge. Crushing. And will probably stress this couple to their breaking points.

This is just as hot as Clash, though for the first time, the emotions beneath the surface attraction are beginning to show. Cal isn’t one for casual sex, and try as he might he struggles to remain emotionally detached and keep his protective nature out of the relationship. Trust begins to build, and they both begin to rely on the other for more than simply sex.

Grind also began to developing an interesting dynamic between Matt and Cal as well. Though they used to be best friends, their history crushed the friendship. Now that Cal and Mac are partners and they are around each other more again, it seems the seeds of a new friendship might be developing.

Generally when I finish a short story, especially one with a cliffhanger, I struggle to find words to describe my thoughts. Because the story is unfinished, I can’t decide how I feel, let alone put it into words. When I finished reading Grind, I immediately sat down and put down more thoughts than I typically find after a novel. Granted, I can’t share many of them because they are my thoughts about where the cliff will lead, and secrets that are revealed throughout the story, but this made me feel more than most middle installments of trilogies.

And once again I wanted to grab Yield immediately. The ending was such a great cliffhanger that I’m left wondering what will be revealed and how each character will react to the news. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.