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Romance Books

Month: March 2015 (page 4 of 7)

Excerpt Reveal: Silver Bastard by Joanna Wylde

Excerpt 

Prologue

California

Five years ago

Puck

Motherfucker that burned.

The shot was a double, and the fact that it’d come cradled between two beautiful, giant tits attached to a stripper with endless legs and a tight ass didn’t hurt one goddamned bit. Tequila hit my stomach, the alcohol shocking my system, and shit finally got real.

Freedom.

Fourteen months since the last time I’d had a decent drink—all but forgotten what it felt like, too. That sweet, harsh pain that comes from losing the surface layer of skin all the way down your throat? Gorgeous. Never felt better in my life, and that’s a fact. Helped that the queen of body shots had sucked me off right after we’d pulled up to the party.

Spent the last year trying to decide what I’d do first when I finally got out. Kept going back and forth between getting laid and getting drunk, but God apparently has a soft spot for assholes because we’d found one hell of a good compromise.

I’d been free nearly four hours now. Still felt like a dream. The California Department of Corrections took its own sweet time with everything, up to and including processing a man out. I’d spent half the wait wondering if the cockwads would change their minds or if the club lawyer had forgotten something. Figured they’d find some way to fuck with my head.

FBI, state cops, even Homeland Security—they all wanted a piece of my club, the Silver Bastards MC, and not a week went by inside that they didn’t try to cut it out of my hide. Guess they figured a prospect made an easy target.

Not fucking likely.

My old man died for the Bastards. If I turned, he’d haunt my ass the rest of my life because that shit does not stand in my family. I’d been born to wear a Bastard cut. And tonight? For the first time I finally had the right to show those colors off.

A hand slapped my shoulder, then a burly man caught me up in a hug so tight it hurt. My fucking ribs creaked.

“That patch feel right on your back, brother?” asked Boonie. He was the president of the Silver Bastards in Callup, Idaho, and I’d heard him call me a hell of a lot of things—but never brother. Felt good. Damned good. Until an hour ago, I’d been a prospect and I’d never gotten any special treatment because of my old man.

That’s how I wanted it.

“Best night of my life,” I admitted. He pulled back, and his face grew serious.

“Proud of you,” he said. “You did what you had to. Protected the club, took care of business. Painter told us how things were inside, how you took his back. You earned this, earned it with your life and your blood. I know you won’t shame this patch, Puck.”

“I won’t,” I replied, his words almost too much. Boonie grinned suddenly, then grabbed my arm and turned me toward the bar again.

“Drink up,” he told me. “Then find yourself some pretty little thing to play with, because tomorrow we’re ridin’ home. Your bike’s in good shape—took care of it for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Another shot, baby?” the stripper asked. She rolled onto her side, reaching out to catch my neck with her hand, pulling me in for a kiss. That brought me a little too close to her face. She was sweaty, and her mascara had started running. Didn’t smell that great, either.

“More shots,” I said, pulling away. I’d appreciated the blow job, no question. But she wasn’t exactly the fantasy I’d been jacking off to the last year and I’d promised myself I wouldn’t settle once I got out. I wanted someone fresh—someone clean and soft and sweet enough to eat. I’d play with her for a while before letting myself go, punching through all that softness until she screamed and begged for mercy.

Mouth, cunt, ass.

That’d been what got me through those long nights wondering why the fuck I’d let myself get caught.

Ignoring the bitch on the bar, I reached across and grabbed the bottle of tequila, chugging nearly a third of it down. Christ, there went the rest of my throat. Then I turned to look out across room. Four of my new Silver Bastard brothers had come down from Callup—Boonie, Miner, Deep, and Demon. Joining them were four Reapers and two Reaper prospects. They were here to welcome Painter, who’d gone down with me on a weapons charge. This sucked, but such is life. We’d been fighting for our clubs, so no regrets there. Through a combination of luck and well-placed payoffs, we’d managed to stick together for the duration of our time served. The clubs provided the funds and the attorneys—to protect them, we matched that investment with our silence.

Painter caught my eye from across the room, grinning. After so much time together I could almost read his thoughts. I gave him a nod, one of those chin jerks that speaks volumes.

Congrats to you, too, asshole.

“You havin’ fun?” a man asked. I looked down to find a painfully skinny, greasy little man missing half his teeth standing next to me. Tweaker called Teeny. His face was just a little too eager, his eyes a little too bright. Unfortunately, Teeny was our host for the night so I had to be nice to him. We were out in the middle of nowhere, tucked back in a canyon where this douche had somehow acquired a house. The Longnecks MC—one of our “allies,” although their loyalty was questionable—had a warehouse set up in a shop right next to this guy’s house.

This Teeny asshole wasn’t even part of the club . . . Apparently his brother Bax was patched in, though, so they used him as a pit stop. Something didn’t quite add up about the situation, but fuck if I cared. In the morning I’d be riding for home. With luck my future association with the state of California in general and Teeny in particular would be extremely limited.

“See anything you like?” he asked. “That’s my old lady, there. “You want her? She’s real good, welcome you home right.”

I shrugged, glancing over toward his woman. She was probably in her midthirties, I decided. Pretty enough, but she had a hard, tired look around her eyes that didn’t appeal. Not only that, she was wiry and skinny as fuck. Probably smoking meth to block out the fact that she had to live with this dickwad.

“No, she’s great but not my type,” I said, casually taking another drink of tequila. Wasn’t burning so much now, which in retrospect should’ve been a sign to slow down. Maybe things would’ve turned out different.

Shitty thing about time—only runs the one direction.

“What’s your type?” he asked. I shrugged. The day I needed some tweaker to find me pussy, I’d cut off my own cock and get it over with. Swallowing another drink, I glanced across the room, pointedly ignoring him.

That’s when I saw her.

Now, I fuckin’ hate clichés, and shit like this only happens in movies . . . but I swear to fuck, I think I fell for her in that instant. She was small, with long brown hair in one of those knot things on top of her head. Not dressed to show off her figure, either. I could still see she had a tiny waist, though, along with generous tits and the kind of round, healthy curves you just know will cradle your hips perfectly when you’re pounding her.

I had to have her.

Like, needed her. Now.

“Good call,” Teeny said. I ignored him, focusing on the angel I had every intention of owning just as soon as I talked her out of her pants. God, she was pretty. Kind of out of place, too. Not flirting with anyone, and not a ton of makeup. Just wandering around, picking up empties, and avoiding conversation. Fascinating.

“I’ll introduce you.”

Teeny walked across the room toward my Dream Fuck. I started after him, because I didn’t want the asshole speaking on my behalf. Then Boonie caught my arm.

“Heads‑up,” he said, his voice pitched low, difficult to hear through the noise of the party. “We think somethin’s going on with that guy. Don’t be afraid to talk him up, okay? Can always use good information.”

I nodded, wondering why the fuck Teeny had to pick me to buddy up with. Tonight was for relaxing, enjoying myself. Just looking at him made me feel dirty, and considering some of the shit I’ve pulled in my life, that’s an accomplishment. Another hand slapped my back, then Painter caught me by the neck, squeezing me as he laughed.

“Never ends,” he said. “Boonie cock-blocking you?”

I punched him in the gut—not hard. Just enough to make him back off.

“No, right now you have that honor,” I muttered, glaring at him. “Christ, we just spent a year together in a fuckin’ cell. Think we’ve covered everything, so let me get laid? Please?”

He answered by punching me back, and I reeled . . . damn, hadn’t realized how drunk I’d gotten. Still, I wasn’t about to go down easy. I swayed, watching him as our brothers started crowding around us. The wild gleam in his eyes—a mixture of almost manic happiness and pent‑up energy—matched my own.

“Take it outside,” Boonie said. “I got fifty on Puck.”

“Hundred on Painter,” Picnic Hayes, the Reapers’ president, answered and then we were bundled outside for the fight.

I couldn’t wait.

We’d sparred before, of course. Nothing but time to kill in the pen, so I knew Painter’s moves like they were my own— and he knew mine, too. We were a good match, could go either way. Neither of us had much in the way of formal training but we’d both picked up a fair amount along the way. Hell, I’d gotten caught in my first bar fight when I was fourteen years old, seeing as my pop wasn’t exactly Father of the Year material. Still loved the old bastard, though.

The sun was fading as we stepped outside, painting the sky in pinks and oranges shot through with smudged clouds. I paused a moment, struck by the incredible beauty all around me, and smiled, breathing deep. So fucking good to be outside again. Nobody knows what it’s like, trapped in a cell like an animal. Nobody but the guys who’ve heard the sound of those gates closing behind them.

Fortunately for me, I wasn’t exactly the first Silver Bastard to do time for the club, which meant my brothers got me. They knew what this was like.

“Okay, we got a circle here,” Pic was saying. I blinked, starting to process the fact that maybe boxing with Painter while I was drunk might not be such a hot idea. Of course, he was drunk, too, and the booze would numb the pain . . . “Fight goes until one of you is down or taps out. Time to make your bets, brothers.”

Boonie caught my arm, pulling me to the side and looking into my face.

“You ready?” he asked. I nodded sharply, because drunk or not, I wasn’t going to pussy out in front of my president on the same day I got my colors. I glanced across the dusty circle to see Painter, who gave me a friendly sneer. Laughing, I flipped him off, then shook my arms out, loosening up.

That’s when I saw her again. Off to the side, standing next to Teeny, who was talking rapidly and pointing to me. I frowned, because I really didn’t need or want that asshole on my side. Knowing my luck, the fucker would send her running. I nudged my brother, Deep, who was standing next to me.

“See that girl?” I asked, jerking my chin toward her. “Make sure Teeny doesn’t scare her off, okay?”

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thanks.”

Painter and I stepped into the circle together, and I felt the thrill of adrenaline cut through the haze of alcohol. My blood started pumping, pounding through me until I could all but taste it. Christ, but I loved to fight. Always seemed to clear my head, and I’d gotten good enough over the years that I won more than I lost. Inside, those skills had saved our asses, and I’d picked up my fair share of pointers from the very man I found myself facing.

Painter moved first, coming in with an experimental jab toward my stomach. This wasn’t a real attack, just him testing my limits. I’d had a lot to drink, which would slow my reflexes. So had he. That changed the baseline, something we both needed to feel out.

“Can’t believe they gave you a top rocker,” he said, taunting me.

I grinned.

“Try harder, old man. I know you too well.”

Painter laughed, then came at me again, suddenly. He punched me square in the stomach and I doubled over. Shit. I fell back and almost stumbled out of the ring, catching myself at the last minute. I heard the shouts of my brothers urging me on.

Oh, hell no.

No fucking way I’d lose a fight tonight. Painter could fuck right off, because he’d had his colors for years. This was my night. I owned this bitch and he’d just have to suck it up and deal.

Still staggering, I lurched forward toward him like I was out of control. Then I attacked, and this time I caught him. One hit, two. Three. Right in the gut. Painter gasped and I moved in for the kill.

Somehow he pulled himself together, catching me across the chin. My entire head rattled as I staggered to the side. I felt blood in my mouth, then found a loose tooth with my tongue.

Asshole.

I thought of the pretty girl I’d just seen, which pissed me off. The anger was good. Cleared my head. Didn’t matter if I won or not, she wouldn’t want to suck face with someone bleeding like a stuck pig. This wasn’t a fight—it was a cock-block.

Time to end it.

Painter waited for me, swaying. I’d gotten him pretty good.

He was definitely favoring his left hand, which was great news because he was left-handed. Lucky me. I was ambidextrous.

I launched myself at him, turning that to my advantage.

He tried to block me but his arm was weak. I landed a blow to his gut followed by one that caught the side of his cheek. Pain seared through my hand, parting the fog of alcohol.

“Dick,” he managed to gasp as I danced back, flexing my fingers. That last one had been bad—if I’d been any more off-center, I’d have a fist full of broken bones.

“You got him,” Boonie shouted. I stretched my hand again. Did I want to risk another head blow? I hadn’t even wrapped my knuckles. . .

Fuck it.

I caught his chin again and Painter went down, falling hard. Blood dribbled from his nose and for long seconds I wondered if I’d actually hurt him for real.

Then he managed to roll onto his stomach, tapping out and flipping me off, all in one gesture.

“Congrats on getting your colors, Puck,” he groaned. “I’ll give you this one. Enjoy it while you can because next time I’m killing you.”

I staggered back, grinning and raising my hands once I realized he wasn’t seriously hurt. It’d been a lucky shot and we both knew it—we were well matched, could’ve gone either way. As I heard my brothers shouting in victory I didn’t care. This was my night. I had my freedom and my patch.

Still needed that girl, though.

I looked around and spotted her standing next to Deep. Teeny stood on the other side of him, looking all sorry for himself. She was hugging herself with both arms, obviously nervous, and I felt my smile fade. Shit. I hadn’t wanted her scared. I shook my head, wishing things weren’t moving so fast. Waving off the men crowding around me, I headed toward her, half expecting her to run off.

She didn’t, though.

As I came to a stop in front of her, she gave me a wavering smile, then spoke. “Can I help you find another drink?”

“Fuck yeah.”

I took her arm and pulled her into my side, exchanging a satisfied look with Deep.

“Let me know if you need anything!” Teeny yelled after us, and

I felt the girl shudder.

“Christ, but he’s a nasty little shit, isn’t he?” I asked her conversationally, and she gave a startled snort of laughter. I liked the sound. Sweet and sort of innocent. Made my dick happy, that was for sure. Still, I didn’t want to fuck things up and push her too hard, because the skittish vibes were intense.

“Yeah, he is,” she agreed quietly, and I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She smelled good—fresh and clean, just like I’d been fantasizing all those months inside. Fresh and clean and perfect.

I wondered what she’d taste like.

“They’re lighting a fire out back,” she told me, her voice soft. “By the kegs. Maybe we should go over there?”

Hmmm . . . I could work with that.

“Okay.”

She tried to pull away from me then, but I caught her hand playfully, tugging her back toward me.

“I can’t get you a beer if you don’t let me go,” she pointed out.

Fuck. She was right. Still, I wasn’t about to let her get away that easy—knowing my luck, Painter’d swoop in and take her, just to fuck with my head. If anyone could pull it off, he could. Fucker was pretty in his own weird way—even I could see it. I couldn’t compete, not with the nasty scar on my face.

I’d just have to keep a close eye on her, I decided. Protect what was mine.

* * *

An hour later I found myself leaning back against the wall of the house, wondering how I’d gotten so lucky. My girl’s name was Becca, and she was rapidly turning into my all-time favorite female. Not that we’d talked much—she was pretty quiet. But she was soft and warm, and now I had her tucked between my legs, leaning back against me.

“Skittish” hadn’t been the right word for her, either. She’d been nervous as hell, so nervous I’d been afraid at first she’d pull a runner on me. Beer helped with that, and now she was relaxed into me, eyes closed, head turned toward my chest so that my chin brushed her forehead. I’d have said she was asleep if it wasn’t for the little noises she made every time my fingers circled her nipples under her shirt, or slid down her stomach.

We’d pushed up the bra about ten minutes ago, and I’d explored down below just enough to know she wasn’t sopping wet for me yet . . . but she was getting there. This was a good thing, because my dick was harder than a rock and ready for more. I shifted my hips, sliding my erection against her back, and groaned.

Feeling her up in the firelight was great, but time to move things along.

I pulled out one hand, catching her chin and tilting it up for a kiss. God, she was sweet. She tasted like sunshine and beer, with a hint of tequila mixed in for good measure. I could tell she didn’t have a ton of experience, because when I slid my tongue into her mouth she wasn’t quite sure what to do with her own.

Turned me on in a big way, gotta admit.

“Becca, you should take him on upstairs, don’t you think?”

Teeny’s voice cut through the kiss, and Becca stiffened. She pulled away from me, shutting down so hard I could practically feel the arctic chill. Fuck. For an instant I gave serious consideration to killing Teeny. It’d taken me nearly an hour to get her to this point, and he was not going to fuck it up for me.

I stared him down, eyes narrow.

“Is there a reason you’re talking to her?”

He smirked.

“Just making sure it’s all good here.”

“Go away.”

“Take him upstairs, Becca.” If anything, she got more tense, and I groaned. Sure, I could just go find someone else. But I didn’t want anyone else, and this asshole was ruining things for me. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into me, tight, making it clear that she didn’t need to worry about Teeny.

“Now would be a real good time to disappear,” I told him, my voice full of a quiet menace designed to convey one message—fear. Becca shivered, which pissed me off. Been hard enough to get through to her, and now she had to see this. “Otherwise I’ll make it happen. Got me?”

Boonie came to stand next to us.

“We got a problem here?” he asked.

“No,” Teeny said, glaring at me and Becca. Then he turned and scuttled off like the fucking roach he was. She shivered, and I rubbed my hands up and down her arms.

“Don’t worry, babe,” I told her absently. “Thanks, Boonie.”

“No prob,” he muttered looking after Teeny. “Glad we’re leaving in the morning. There’s something wrong here—been a very educational trip.”

I nodded, although I didn’t have the full story. They’d fill me in later, so until then I’d just follow Boonie’s lead.

“Let’s go inside,” Becca said. “Find some privacy.”

She pulled free and stood up. This startled me, but I wasn’t exactly unhappy about the development. I lurched off-balance as I rose, and things were a little hazy around the edges. Wasn’t messing with my dick, though, so all good where it counted. She led me into the house and up the stairs to a small room in the back. It had a twin-size bed that was rumpled and stained. There was a puddle of beer spilled on the floor next to a turned-over bottle. More cups and bottles littered the area, and an ashtray was half full on the bedside table.

“Guess we aren’t the first ones looking for some privacy,” I commented, but I didn’t really care. Nope. I just shut the door and locked it. When I turned back, she’d already stripped down to her bra, and was busy unzipping her jeans.

Holy shit.

Becca was gorgeous.

I mean, I’d seen how pretty she was outside, but those sweet little boobs I’d been groping the last hour were even more perfect than I’d imagined. Somehow the fact that a plain cotton bra cradled them just enhanced the experience. Then she slid her pants off and I nearly died because I’d never seen anything sexier. I wanted to tie her down and take possession of every hole in her body. Twice.

Becca saw it all written in my face—clearly it scared her. She took a step back, and held up a hand. A deeply disturbing question flickered through my foggy brain.

“Are you a virgin?” I asked, the words tasting strange in my mouth. She gave a harsh laugh, then shook her head.

“No, I’m not a virgin.”

She reached behind to unhook her bra and I saw her nipples for the first time. Pink and pointy and gorgeous, exactly the right size for my mouth . . . I stepped toward her and she surprised me, dropping to her knees and reaching for my fly.

“How long has it been?” she asked, her voice almost businesslike. I groaned as she pushed down my jeans and briefs, cock springing free. I’d never been harder—wasn’t entirely sure I’d survive the next ten minutes. Fuck, would I even last ten minutes? Then her hand wrapped around me and I closed my eyes, reaching out to lean against the wall because otherwise I would’ve fallen flat on my ass.

She started out slow and steady, wrapping her fingers around me and rubbing up and down. After a minute she paused. I opened my eyes to see her peeking up at me as she licked her palm, looking older and more seductive than I’d pegged her before. Fuck. Fuck. Then her other hand reached down to cup my balls as she started working me again with all ten fingers.

I gasped, falling into the sensation again. Definitely wouldn’t be lasting that long, I realized. No way. But that was just fine, because tonight I had a lot more than one load saved up and ready to go.

“Use your mouth.”

She obeyed, opening up and taking me in, her tongue flicking at me expertly. Almost too expertly . . . weird, and a little surprising, given how she kissed. Then she sucked me deeper and I stopped thinking at all. Everything was warm and wet and fucking perfect.

Thirty seconds later I blew up in her mouth without warning. Hell, it caught me off guard, it happened so fast, and I cringed. Reaching down, I caught her hair in my hand, pulling out the rubber band holding it so the long, brown strands fell around her face. She stood, wiping her face with the back of her hand, soft brown eyes meeting mine.

She looked like an innocent little angel again.

“Becca, that was . . .” I didn’t have the words. God, I’d missed sex. Real sex, not just jacking off in my hand. Nothing in the world quite as sweet as the feel of hot wet woman wrapped around my dick.

She turned away, reaching down to grab a half-empty fifth of rotgut vodka off the bedside table, taking a big drink, and swishing it around her mouth. Then she spat it out on the floor so it mingled with the pooled beer before taking another swig.

Okay, not a total angel.

I reached out, and Becca handed the bottle to me wordlessly. Then she slid off her plain cotton panties and laid back on the bed.

“You ready?” she asked. I drank deep, my head spinning because I’d never been more ready for anything in my life. She didn’t look ready, though. Her eyes were distant, and when I kicked off my pants and stepped between her legs, I could see her body wasn’t with me, either.

Fortunately I knew how to fix that.

Pulling off my cut, I looked for somewhere safe to put it. The only available flat surface was the little table, but in the back corner was one of those hanging racks with some clothes on it. I walked over and grabbed a hanger, hung up the leather vest, and turned back to Becca.

She’d closed her eyes, and I’d have thought she was asleep if I didn’t know better. Fuck, maybe she’d passed out.

“You awake?”

She nodded her head.

“Yeah, just sort of drunk,” she muttered. “Don’t worry about it.”

Shrugging, I pulled off my shirt, then knelt down beside the bed and caught her legs up and over my shoulders. She squawked as I spread her pussy lips, giving her a long lick straight up to her clit.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, suddenly awake and alert. I licked her again, and Becca squirmed and gasped as her little nub started to harden for me. Nice. “Oh my God! I can’t believe how good that feels . . .”

She fell back on the bed as I got going. I love pussy. Of course, most men do, but not all of them love going down on a nice, juicy cunt as much as me. I licked and tickled, every once in a while giving a little nip as Becca came to life under me. I think she was trying to keep still at first, but no way was I having any of that shit. Nope. I wanted her soaking wet and screaming, because I planned to ride her hard the rest of the night.

Then I slid two fingers deep inside, searching for just the right spot as I sucked on her clit like candy. Found it on the first try, and she blew up around me, crying out and sobbing. I pulled away, grabbing a chunk of loose sheet to wipe off my mouth, and she moaned, little shivers running through her body.

I’d been hard for her before—almost constantly, even right after I’d come in her mouth—but that was nothing compared to my cock now. Fluid seeped from the tip, and I reached across the floor for my pants, pulling out a condom. Along the way the vodka caught my eye and I took another drink, following her lead as I swished out my mouth and spat on the floor.

The place was truly disgusting, but I’d spent fourteen months in prison so a little filth was the least of my concerns. Tilting back my head, I sucked down the rest of the booze, swaying as I stood. I caught her under the arms and scooted her up the bed before I slipped on the condom. Seconds later I pushed deep into her. Fuck, this had been the right call tonight, because—I shit you not—never felt anything that good before in my life.

She moaned and I caught her mouth with mine, kissing her hard and claiming her. This time I didn’t hold back. Nope. I just took as much as I could, savoring her sweet taste and wondering if she wanted to see Idaho . . . We’d be leaving in the morning, and the thought of throwing her on the back of my bike and taking her along worked for me in a big way.

Then she squeezed down on me hard and I stopped thinking altogether.

* * *

We slept for a while. Maybe we passed out. Dunno. Same difference. When I woke up, Becca was tucked into my side, one leg thrown over mine. Her hair trailed across my chest and her breath tickled my skin.

That’s all it took.

I rolled her over onto her stomach, sliding a pillow under her hips and spreading her legs before grabbing a condom. She murmured, not really talking, but the sounds coming out of her mouth weren’t unhappy when I found her clit again. Seconds later I pushed into her. I’m sure some man—somewhere in history—had enjoyed the feel of a woman’s cunt more than I did in that moment. Hard to imagine how, though.

I’d taken off the edge earlier and now that I had her nice and warmed up, I was ready to do this thing for real. Grabbing her hips, I pulled back and slammed deep. Becca screamed and stiffened, now well and truly awake. Fuck, so hot and slick . . . I started pumping in and out of her hard, loving how she convulsed around me. Her arms reached out, clawing the sheets, and I lowered myself across her back, using my knees to spread her legs out even wider. Then I caught her hands in mine, nipping at the back of her neck before groaning into her ear.

“Reach down below and finger your clit.”

“I can’t,” she gasped. I paused, catching her hand and shoving it down beneath her stomach as I lifted my weight. We found her clit together, then I shoved back into her roughly.

“Oh my God . . .” she moaned. “That’s incredible.”

Damn straight.

“Now keep it there,” I ordered. “You’re going to come for me at least twice, got it?”

She nodded into the sheets and I pulled my hand free, bracing myself as I started moving again. It wasn’t gentle, but that was okay because I felt how wet and slick she was around me. Tight, too. Even better than I’d imagined back in my cell, and I have a hell of a good imagination. I leaned up on my elbows, catching her hair and jerking it back because I get off on that shit. Each twist of my hips took me closer, and when she started convulsing around me and crying, I nearly lost it. Not quite, though. I wasn’t finished.

Mouth. Cunt. Ass.

I’d planned it all out in my head, dreamed about it for months . . . Now I finally had the staying power to finish it. As she shuddered and trembled, I pulled free and sat back on my heels. Becca’s ass spread wide in front of me, and I smiled because it was fucking gorgeous. Heart shaped, pretty. Not too big, but not fucking skinny and nasty like a half-starved donkey, either.

Christ, I wanted to fuck her there.

My cock was still wrapped tight and dripping with her juices, but I spat into my hand a couple times for good measure, slathering it on for a little extra lube. Then caught her hips and pulled her up and onto her knees.

“Brace yourself.”

She nodded, stretching out her arms in front of her like a cat, which was cute but totally inadequate under the circumstances. I caught her hair again, yanking her head to the side. Becca gasped.

“I said brace yourself,” I repeated. “Gonna fuck your ass now.”

She squawked, and her entire body stiffened.

“That a problem?” I asked. She shook her head quickly.

“No, do it.”

Shit, could she sound less enthusiastic? I stilled, realizing my prison dream girl might not be up for the full porno fantasy in living color. Fuck.

“It’s okay,” I said, pulling back. I closed my eyes, running a hand through my hair and shuddering. I’d just fuck her cunt some more. I could do that. Then she shocked the hell out of me by reaching around behind to grab my cock. She pushed back with her hips, awkwardly trying to guide me to her asshole, which was funny and pathetic at the same time.

Because I’m a shitty human being, I went for it. Not a complete dick, though. I could see the tension radiating off her.

“You never done this before?” I asked her. She shook her head violently, not looking at me.

“Okay, we’ll go slow.”

She nodded this time, but she still didn’t give me her eyes. It bothered me for some reason, although why, I had no fucking idea. I dug my fingers deep into her hair, twisting her head around enough to kiss her. Hard. My tongue dug deep, forcing her to kiss me back and, I shit you not, I felt like fireworks were going off in my head. Clichéd as all fuck, but there you have it. After long seconds we came up for air, and I stared into her eyes, seeing how her pupils grew wide.

Slowly, steadily I found her opening with my cockhead, pushing in as she gasped.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, eyes wide, her lips trembling. I held her there, my heart beating so hard I thought it might come right out of my chest as I pushed down deep. She was tight—really tight. Sure as hell hadn’t been lying when she’d said she’d never done this before. I sank into her for what felt like forever before I hit bottom, balls resting against her pussy. Her heartbeat pulsed around my cock and I realized that I would be happy to die in that moment. That’s how good it was.

Becca closed her eyes and turned her face into the covers, spasming around me. I didn’t like the position—I wanted to watch her face— but she seemed to need some privacy. I got it. I’ve never been a nice, vanilla kind of guy, but this was a different kind of intensity than even I was used to. No screaming, no scratching, no fighting with each other until we both lost our minds . . . No, this was powerful on a whole new level, and looking into her eyes the whole time was probably too much for me, too.

I pulled back out, then slid in again. She gasped.

“Play with your clit some more.”

She nodded without speaking, burrowing her hand back down until she found her target. I started moving, going slowly and carefully at first. But it felt really good, and I’ve never been one to take things slow and careful.

Looking back, I can’t decide if that’s when things really fell to shit, or if they’d been falling to shit all along and I was just too stupid to see it. Never have figured that one out, but what happened next was not my finest hour. I started moving faster. It felt fucking amazing. She felt fucking amazing. Then I was pounding her and she was shuddering and I thought she was coming and it was perfect.

Becca sobbed suddenly. Loud. Not a pretty crying kind of noise, and not one of those moans bitches give when they’re getting off so hard they can’t quite control themselves.

No.

This was the kind of noise a puppy makes when you kick it, and I felt it all the way down to my gut like a knife ripping me open.

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

I pulled out and caught her up and into my arms. She flinched and I hated myself, because even like that she was soft and pretty and I just wanted to keep nailing her ass. Becca knew it, too, because she tried to pull away from the press of my cock against her back. More sobs escaped and tears rolled down her face and I knew for a fact that I’d burn in hell for this.

Rubbing her head, I tried to think of soothing noises. Instead I was full of questions. Why had she let me do it?

‘Cause you’re a pushy, scary bastard.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry,” I told her, my head starting to spin. Shouldn’t have drunk so much. I had no idea what time it was, no idea how long we’d been up here . . . I heard noises outside, the sounds of music and the party still going, but that didn’t mean much. A good party could last all night and into the next morning.

“It’s okay,” she finally managed to whisper, and I bit back a harsh laugh because that was a huge fucking lie and we both knew it. Then she did something that blew me away. Becca turned in my arms and pushed me down onto my back. Seconds later she had the condom off and was sucking me deep again, which made no fucking sense at all.

Unfortunately my dick wasn’t the sensitive, caring type because it really didn’t care that she was clearly so scared and drunk off her ass she’d lost touch with reality.

I could’ve stopped her.

I should’ve stopped her.

Instead I sank my fingers into her hair and blew up into her mouth and it was even better than the first time. The room was seriously spinning all around me as she tucked into my arm and stroked my chest.

“Tell him I did good, okay?” she whispered. “Just tell him I did good. Please?”

I passed out, wondering what the fuck she was talking about.

* * *

My bladder was about to explode.

Needed to pee. Maybe rinse out my mouth, too, because it tasted like something died in there and that was not an exaggeration. Shifting, I realized that Becca was still tucked into me, sleeping heavily. I managed to crack my eyes open, blinking. Faint light was creeping in through the window, although even now I could still hear music down below.

Great. Gonna be a long ride home with no sleep. Sliding carefully out from under Becca, I stood and pulled on my pants. My shirt had fallen into the sticky puddle of beer and vodka, so I stumbled out of the room half naked. The door across the hall was locked, although from the smell it had to be the bathroom—either that or people had started pissing and vomiting in the bedrooms, which I supposed wasn’t entirely impossible. Felt great to be back with my brothers, but our hosts kind of sucked ass. Bunch of assholes and meth heads, so far as I could tell. No wonder Boonie didn’t trust them.

I walked down the stairs into the living room, where despite the fact that music still blared, people were passed out all over the place. My brother Deep leaned back against the bar separating the living room from the kitchen area, arms crossed, a look of faint disgust on his face.

“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“You look like death. Have fun up there?”

I shrugged, feeling like an asshole.

“She’s perfect,” I said. “But I think I hurt her.”

His eyes narrowed.

“We got a situation? Should I go get Boonie?”

Shit.

“No, not like that,” I said quickly. “I mean, I think I pushed her too far. Tried to fuck her ass, and it didn’t go over so well. She’s okay, but I still feel like a douche.”

“We got a girl who’s gonna cry rape?” he asked quickly, and I snorted.

“Probably should,” I replied. “She told me to do it, though. Afterward she sucked me off. Feels wrong, somehow.”

“You want another drink?” I turned to see Teeny standing there, his beady eyes bright and full of something I couldn’t quite follow. God, I hated him—he was like a cockroach that wasn’t smart enough to stay out of the light.

Anger replaced my disgust. He needed to leave me the fuck alone.

“Are you serious?” I asked him, turning and cracking my knuckles. The fight with Painter had taken off my edge, but it’d come back again as I told Deep about Becca. Hitting someone— anyone—would feel good, but hitting this guy? That’d be a flat-out pleasure. “God, don’t you ever go away? Fucking piece of shit!”

I started toward him, but Deep caught my arm, pulling me back.

“Careful, bro,” he said quietly. “This isn’t about him. You’re pissed about the girl. Pick your battles, because there’s a lot more Longnecks than Reapers and Bastards combined. All he did was offer you a drink.”

Fuck. I breathed deep, looking at the scared little shit and wishing desperately he’d do something—anything—to give me an excuse to take him down. My brothers would back me no matter what, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think there wouldn’t be a price for my actions.

“I’m going back to bed,” I said after a tense minute or so, pulling free. “Talk to you later, brother.”

Deep nodded, watching Teeny as I turned and stalked back up the stairs. This time the bathroom door was open. Sure enough, someone had missed the toilet, and I felt my own stomach heave sympathetically. For a sec there I thought I might lose it. Then I pulled it together enough to piss without barfing. Afterward, I turned to look at myself in the mirror. As always, the face looking back at me was ugly as fuck. Dark, ragged hair. Scar cutting across my face. Nose that’d been broken at least four times now . . .

Shit, no wonder Becca had been scared of me—I looked like a fuckin’ serial killer. I wanted to punch the mirror and break it into a thousand pieces, which would accomplish even less than beating the shit out of Teeny.

Instead I went back into the room and found her still sound asleep on the bed. Her skin was pale and fragile, dark shadows ringing her eyes. Still gorgeous, but younger and more frail-looking now. Christ. What had I done? I crawled back into bed with her, sure I’d never get to sleep. I’d underestimated how much booze was still floating around in my system, because everything went dark again.

* * *

This time the sun was bright and harsh. I blinked, trying to remember where I was . . . Then it all came back and I looked around, wondering where my girl went.

Shit. Becca was gone.

What the hell really happened last night? I sat up, spotting my colors hanging from a rack next to . . . school uniforms? Fuck, some kid must live in this room, I realized. That’d suck, coming home to a mess like this. I turned and lowered my feet on the far side of the bed, figuring I’d open the window to air things out, check the lay of the land in the process. I stepped on a pile of books, which fell over. I reached down to pick one up.

Textbook.

I picked up another. Shit, it was another textbook, and under that was a notebook. That’s when I started to get a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach—something I wouldn’t have pegged as possible, given how shitty I already felt about how the night had played out.

The notebook opened in my hands, and I saw the name Becca Jones written on the top of the front page, along with English: First Period and the date.

Below were notes.

Maybe she was in college, I thought desperately. Please, fuck . . . let her be in college. A piece of colored paper fell to the ground, and I dropped the notebook to pick it up.

What I saw nearly made me throw up.

It was a flyer for a dance—a high school dance.

Becca was still in school. Jailbait. The fuck? It didn’t add up . . . Then her last words to me sank in, and it all added up far too well.

“Tell him I did good, okay? Just tell him I did good. Please?”

* * *

I flew down the stairs half dressed, my boots thudding loudly. My shirt was filthy from her floor, but my cut was still fine—safe and sound after a night spent hanging next to Becca’s little school dresses. Fucking piece of shit pimp Teeny.

Had to be him.

This was his house. Who the hell was she? His kid? What the fuck kind of asshole pimped out his own daughter? But shit, I guess it happened all the time, all over the world. About halfway down I heard her scream, which should’ve woken up everyone all over the goddamned house. Most of them were still passed out drunk, though. I heard more shouts outside and knew my brothers were probably coming.

That turned out to be a good thing, because I came damned close to ending a man’s life that day—fucking craptastic way to start parole . . .

Teeny stood in the center of the kitchen, Becca huddled at his feet as he kicked her. Then he whacked her across the head with a fucking soup pot, of all things, and I lost my shit.

“You cocksucking asshole!” I shouted, launching myself at him.

“Fucking twat! I’ll kill you!”

My fists destroyed his face with a crunch. It felt good— cathartic.

He fell like a bag of concrete and some part of my brain noted vaguely that Becca was scrabbling away from us, chunks of her long hair torn loose and left on the floor. Blood, too. Another woman shouted and tugged at her, but I didn’t turn to look.

Nope. I had work to do.

Specifically, I needed to kill Teeny with my bare hands. Then I’d tear him apart and eat his heart. Raw. He screamed like a bitch the whole time, and I heard Boonie yelling in the background. Then they hauled me off his ass, kicking and fighting because I’d well and truly lost my shit.

“What the fuck is happening here?” Picnic Hayes demanded. Beside him stood one of the Longnecks, a guy who looked a fuckuva lot like Teeny and I realized this must be the brother who was part of the club. Bax.

Bax wasn’t a happy camper. Fair enough. I was pretty fucking unhappy myself.

Teeny moaned on the floor, rolling onto his back, and I spat at him. Then I heard a sobbing noise—one that’d already been burned into my brain. Becca was crying, and I looked over to find her huddled up against Teeny’s old lady.

Shit. I hadn’t seen it before because the woman was so nasty and used up, but under that scrawny, tweaker body was an older copy of Becca. Had to be her mother . . . Even with the meth eating her, though, she seemed too young. If that was the mother, she must’ve had Becca really fucking early.

“She his daughter?” I asked her, my voice like a knife. The woman shook her head quickly, lips quivering. “You let him pimp her out?”

She looked away.

“Damn,” Picnic said. “This is a hell of a clusterfuck.”

“I’m not leaving her here. He’ll kill her.”

Pic shook his head slowly, thoughtfully, but I could see it in his face—he knew I was right.

“Yeah, she can come with us,” he said. “You up for that, Boon?”

My president nodded, eyes never leaving the huddled mass of blood and human filth crying on the floor.

“We’ll head out in twenty minutes,” Boonie said decisively. “Anyone got a problem with that?”

He looked around the room in challenge, and several of the Longnecks glanced away—apparently they weren’t going to stand up for Teeny. Said a hell of a lot about them in general and Teeny in particular. I mean, I was glad that we weren’t fighting our way out, but that’s just pathetic. They were happy to party with him. When it came time to take his back, they were out.

“C’mon, let’s go upstairs and grab some of your shit,” I said to Becca, reaching toward her. She gave a little scream and pushed back with her feet, sliding across the floor to get away from me. Fuck.

“I’ll get her ready,” her mother said suddenly. Her voice quavered, but her eyes were resolute as they met mine. “She’ll go with you—just get her away from here. He’ll hurt her bad for this. Real bad.”

I nodded, watching as she drew her daughter to her feet, then pushed her toward the stairwell.

“Jesus, you can sure pick ’em,” Boonie said. “How old you think she is?”

“She’s still in high school,” I said, my voice grim. “Fairly certain I’m up for statutory if this goes down wrong.”

“Damn,” Painter said, coming up behind me. “That’s fast work—usually takes a little longer to violate parole, bro.”

I met his gaze, and for once his face didn’t hold even a hint of mockery. Fuck. This was really bad.

“Outside,” Picnic said sharply. “Horse, Ruger—you stay here. Make sure the girl gets out safe, okay?”

He caught my arm and pulled me toward the door. Boonie flanked us, and I sensed real danger beneath their calm expressions. We walked over to the bikes as the others scrambled to grab their shit and pack up.

“I won’t leave her,” I told them again. “I know she’s scared of me, but I don’t give a fuck. That girl’ll die if she stays here.”

“Not gonna leave her,” Pic said. “But we do need to get out fast, before they have time to figure out what happened and get pissed off. They decide to fight for her, things’ll get ugly. Not sure we can take ’em.”

“Thanks for standing with me.”

Boonie snorted.

“You’re our brother, Puck,” he said, his voice casual. “This is what we do. You went down for us, you think we aren’t prepared to do the same for you? Now pull your shit together. We can put the girl in the truck with the prospects, or you can take her on your bike. No time to fuck around.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I watched as Horse, Becca, and her mom walked out of the house. At least thirty members of the Longnecks MC stood watching, talking quietly among themselves. I kept waiting for one of them to reach for a gun or challenge us, but they didn’t.

No sign of Teeny.

Becca had stopped crying, but her face was still covered in tear-smeared blood, and nasty bruises were popping up all over. Her breath sounded wheezy, too, and I hoped to hell she didn’t have broken ribs.

“I don’t want to go,” she whispered, catching at her mom’s arm. “I want to stay with you.”

“You’re getting out,” the woman replied, her eyes hard and calculating. “Let him cool off, then we’ll talk. Figure something out.”

Becca shook her head, but when I caught her arm gently she let me pull her away.

“You want to ride in the truck or on my bike?”

Becca glanced at the truck, eyes widening at the sight of two Reaper prospects. “I’ll stay with you.”

I nodded and climbed on my bike, eyes alert as I monitored our audience. She climbed up behind me, and then her mother gave a satisfied nod. Becca wrapped her arms around me and I felt her tits press tight against my back. My cock stirred to life. What the fucking hell was wrong with me?

“How old are you?” I asked, my voice low.

“Sixteen.”

Shit.

“Like, you’re almost seventeen?”

“No, I turned sixteen last week.”

Double shit.

Boonie kicked his bike to life, and we followed his lead, pulling away from the house in formation.

So that’s the story of how I committed statutory rape less than twenty-four hours out of prison—on my birthday, no less. In retrospect, I probably should’ve stayed inside, served out my full five-year term. Would’ve been less work for everyone.

 Meet Puck & Becca on April 7th!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1L800mj

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Jo5nlE

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/19pOdnS

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FquTTu

iBooks: http://apple.co/1xqL0tv

About the Author: 

Joanna Wylde is a New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Reapers Motorcycle Club series. She currently lives in Idaho.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | TwitterGoodreads | Rock Star

Review: After Dark by M. Pierce

Author: M. Pierce

Book: After Dark 

Other Books in Series:

Night Owl (#1) – reviewed here
Last Light (#2) – reviewed here

tl;dr recommendation: A filthy and sweet conclusion to this epic trilogy!

Book Summary:

At twenty-nine, Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move to a simple house in the suburbs, and strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. They become more and more entangled, in the best ways possible.

At twenty-eight, Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first solo novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. For the first time, Matt and Hannah are able to explore intimacy without inhibitions—without lies, secrets, or jealousy—and the results are explosive.

Still life together is not as easy as it seems. Matt is estranged from his brothers in the wake of his cruel stunt; Seth Sky, embittered by his failed pursuit of Hannah, makes a play for Hannah’s sister; and the topic of Hannah’s novel—her relationship with Matt and the Sky family—is driving a wedge between her and Matt. The lovers are devoted to one another, having come through many ordeals, but is their bond strong enough to last a lifetime?

Longer Review:

After Dark is a completely gripping, unnerving and fascinating conclusion to the Night Owl Trilogy. I could not have fallen harder for Matt and Hannah. Even with Matt’s mercurial moods and domineering ways, Hannah rises up like the little bird she is and steadily guides him back to their nest. I loved the raw and explicit writing and the bare need that they have for each other. This need always finds a way to rise up and bubble over – like a boiling pot left on the stove too long: scalding, demanding, desperate to be noticed. It’s filthy and erotic and I LOVED it.

This book is like standing in front of a mirror, holding a mirror. M. Pierce, the author, writes about the characters (M. Pierce aka Matt and Hannah) and then the characters begin writing about themselves. It’s crazy and genius all at the same time. I mean, I knew it was happening in the prior two books, but M. Pierce grabs on to that concept in this book takes it to a new level. It’s used to allow Hannah and Matt to communicate with each other since they have severe problems actually TALKING (well, without it leading to incredible sex) and it’s really helpful to both the reader and the characters. Perfection, M. Pierce.

We left off in book 2 with Matt and Hannah as they were about to go on a talk show – and Hannah proposes. WHAT?! oh fuck. But is it real? Can they really start a life together when Matt has so seriously fucked up his trust points? This book follows what happens after Matt comes back from the dead and questions whether a relationship built partly on lies can have a chance when it’s stripped to the truth.

Hannah’s determination and inner strength is a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t put up with Matt’s shit and he deserves every night he sleeps in the doghouse. She is awesome. Of course, Hannah doesn’t seem to know what she wants these days either and the bombs that are dropped have her questioning her future. They are completely made for each other.

This book is unbelievable. my mouth gaped open more times than I could count. Matt starts keeping a journal about his dark desires after his psychologist recommends it. I won’t ruin it for you, but holy mother of fuck – it’s amazing. The sex scenes are just as dirty and explicit as you’ve come to expect, but there are actually a few sweet and romantic ones in there too. I know, right?! MATT’S A ROMANTIC. of course we knew that deep down he was. Which is why we love him. SIGH.

Of course everything starts to fall apart before it can come together, but M. Pierce ties everything up before this trilogy is over. I loved loved loved the ending. I could read that last scene a million times over. <3 This series is epic and a must read for any lover of dark romance.

let the major book hangover commence.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Release Day: Skip to the Good Part, Vol. 4!!

fb-heroIt’s release day for Skip to the Good Part Vol 4!! Check out all the fantastic details of this sexy anthology and make sure to grab your copy at it’s introductory price!!

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Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Skip to the Good Part Vol 4 Synopsis:

sttgp4-mediumFind your next red-hot read in this sizzling collection of sexy scenes. Volume Four offers even more great reads.

Skip to the Good Part 4: 20 Authors Reveal Their Steamiest Scenes offers face-fanning romance and tie-me-up sizzle (and everything in between) from top authors including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers.

This collection features a hostage who finds kinky ménages with her captors more exciting than her family’s sheep farm, a culinary student who is secretly hot for another guy in his class, a male escort who falls for his beautiful but innocent neighbor, an aspiring lawyer who doesn’t have time for a temptingly hot mechanic, and a woman who’s fallen in love—and lust—with a werewolf.

Read 20 of the best steamy scenes in steamy and erotic romance today. This 250-page collection will get your blood pumping, your heart racing, and your skin tingling. You’re sure to discover a new favorite.

Due to the graphic nature of some content, this collection is recommended strictly for mature readers.

New York Times bestsellers:

Emma Hart
Melissa Foster
Annika Martin
Marquita Valentine
V. M. Black
Viola Rivard USA Today bestsellers: Lili Saint Germain
Chelle Bliss
Shari Slade & Amber Lin

Featuring:

Carlie Sexton
Liv Morris
Jami Denise
S. R. Grey
Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels
Sarina Bowen
Riley Edgewood
Allison Rushby
Sera Bright
Grace Whidby
Angela Corbett

sttgp4teaser2Links:

Publisher Website

Skip to the Good Part Vol 2 Goodreads

Skip to the Good Part Vol 1 Buy Links:

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo |Barnes & Noble

Skip to the Good Part Vol 2 Buy Links:

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook

Skip to the Good Part Vol 3

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Goodreads

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Review: Bare Beginner by S.G. Lovell

Author: S.G. Lovell

Book: Bare Beginner

tl;dr recommendation: Making it rain with humor, romance & love. Love this!!

Book Summary:

The ABC’s of sexiness are what modern-day wallflower Alexandra Harrington is looking for when she signs up for the Beginners class at New York’s hip pole dance studio Crystal’s.

Drive.
Effort.
Family.

The three pillars that have always defined Jack Daniels, computer expert and junior partner at up-and-coming software company Corporate Calls.

When a glamorous dance project brings the pair with a history back together attraction soars. But Lexa’s insecurities are buried deep and jealousy threatens to destroy the young couple. Will one unfortunate kiss drive them forever apart, or will they fight for their happiness and end up lucky in love?

Longer Review:

I sort of want to take a pole dancing class now. No really, Lexa has inspired me to embrace my awesome and find a group of girls who can both flip around a pole and laugh loudly.

Lexa is a bit reserved due to an incident her freshman year of college that really damaged and affected her. Thankfully Jack Daniels (I CANNOT GET OVER HIS NAME) came to her rescue. But then he never made a move. She’s always had a crush on Jack, but never thought that he’d go for a girl like her. She’s insecure and she doesn’t fully accept that she is the one who needs to love herself. So, to try to give herself some confidence that she so desperately needs, she begins taking pole dancing classes. INSERT SERIOUSLY FUNNY & AWESOME SCENES HERE.

Even though Lexa’s always had eyes for Jack she refuses to do anything about it. So her roommate Molly takes matters into her own hands & sends Lexa’s CV to Jack’s company, Corporate Calls. Jack is ecstatic and quickly creates a position to hire Lexa for an internship that she so desperately wants but would never apply for. The stars begin to align. Maybe Lexa’s new pole dancing confidence will allow her to finally accept the signs that Jack actually likes her….

Truth time – Jack has been in love with Lexa for four years, but never made a move. I was beginning to wonder if we were just going to call a stalemate. BUT THEN. BUT THEN!

I loved watching their flirtation with one another & seeing their already deep feelings start to show. When they finally come together I was so freaking happy for them. Their feelings are hung out there on their sleeves and the first few kisses had a shy, nervous quality to them that was so unbelievably sweet. They’ve both finally gotten what they wanted – each other – but can they stay together when Lexa’s insecurities keep bubbling up to the surface? SO MUCH TO KNOW.

I really loved Lexa. Even though she’s insecure when it comes to men, she certainly has some fire in her and can stick up for herself when necessary. The catty bitches, the snarky comments and the witty responses all left me smiling widely. I couldn’t wait for her to find the confidence within herself and be the awesome woman that she is. btw, I was not left hanging 🙂

Let’s not forget about Jack. SIGH. He is everything his name tells you he will be: smooth, classic and always there for you when you want to mix him up. loved him! His little dates and sweet and searing kisses left ME breathless. And watching Lexa come into her own, with a little help from Jack & her friends, was so rewarding.

S.G. Lovell makes it rain with humor, romance, & love. Love this one!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Blog Tour: Professor Cline: Revealed by J.M. LaRocca

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Getting pleasure from pain makes me a sadist. I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. Plagued by painful memories and a dark past, I use women to help me forget. I’ve done everything in my power to take control of my life, but there are some things I have no control over.People think they know who I am, but in reality, they know nothing.

My name is Mason Cline.

But after today, you will call me Professor Cline.

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“Don’t move,” I commanded as I nipped at her ear. “You move and I won’t let you come. Do you understand?”
She let out a heavy breath and nodded slowly.
Lowering myself down her body, I trailed my hand down her tits as I once again lowered my head to her pussy. Spreading her lips, I could see her pulsing with need as she tried not to raise her pussy to my face. Gripping her thighs, I lowered my head down again when she stopped moving, flicking at her clit in a fast speed before inserting two fingers to pump into her. She let out a gasp as I curved my finger into her g-spot, and I knew it was taking all of her control not to move her body into mine for more friction.
Flicking my tongue a few more times, I pulled back and stopped pumping my fingers as soon as I felt the walls of her pussy start to clench. She groaned in frustration as the need took over her senses.
Her breathing slowed and I resumed my position, sucking on her clit and causing her to buck into me. Although I’d usually pull away, my own arousal was starting to take over. My hips were moving on their own accord, looking for friction against the bed. I groaned into her pussy as her heavy breathing turned into deep moans.
Keeping at my assault on the bed, I removed my fingers and lowered my mouth to lick up her juices, running my tongue from her entrance to her clit. She groaned every time I flicked at her clit lightly, causing me to pump into the bed faster. I knew if I kept it up, I’d end up releasing in my pants.
I needed to be inside her.
I let go of her legs, moving them off my shoulders, and climbed off the bed. I watched as she clamped her legs closed trying to get some friction for her aching pussy, an ache only I could soothe.
“I’m going to fuck you now, princess,” I told her as I undid my belt and dropped my pants to the floor.

Review

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW HERE

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I’ve had a passion for reading and writing for as long as I can remember. It has always been an escape for one reason or another. Now, I’m taking that passion and turning it into a book. My debut book Lifeless will be released late summer 2013. I can’t wait for you to read this story that has been brewing in my head for over a year. 🙂
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Review: Blindfolded Innocence by Alessandra Torre

Author: Alessandra Torre

Book: Blindfolded Innocence

Other Books in Series:

Masked Innocence
End of the Innocence
Diary of Brad De Luca

tl;dr recommendation: This book made me scream at a fictional character.

Book Summary:

“I’m not sure what you have been told about me, but I’m not nearly as bad as they make me out to be.” His deliciously deep voice carried a little bit of ego.

I’m sure you are exactly as bad as they make you out to be….

Brad De Luca is used to getting whatever and whomever he wants. The premier divorce attorney in town, he’s a playboy who’s bedded half the city—including his own clients. And when the newest intern at his firm poses a challenge, his seductive prowess goes into overdrive.

Pre-law student Julia Campbell is fresh off a failed engagement and happy with her new independence. Even if she weren’t warned away from Brad at every turn, she’d know he was bad news. The last thing she needs is a man who could destroy her job prospects, not to mention her innocence. But before she knows it, the incorrigible charmer has her under his spell. His deviant tastes plunge her deep into a forbidden world of sexual exploration…but her heart may not survive the fall.

Longer Review:

This book had me raging angry to the point that I had to throw my kindle down and walk away. I picked it up and put it back down so many times I lost count. But I persevered, because I believe that if you’re going to review a book, you need to fucking read it. I actually didn’t hate this book, I think I just couldn’t love the characters in it.

This is a story about Brad De Luca, divorce attorney extraordinaire, who sleeps with his clients, parties it up, and leaves by 5pm everyday. Basically, he lives a lawyer fantasy life that exists only in this book. Because if he really slept with his clients he’d be disbarred in five seconds. I don’t care how big his cock is. And he’s not old enough to be able to bill at $600 an hour and leave at 5pm. You know who gets to do that? Old partners who are near death and have geriatric issues, that’s who.

Sorry. I really try to suspend my real life knowledge of things when I read. I get that there’s a fantasy going on, but this just took it too far from me. Perhaps its jealousy. I don’t know. but it pissed me off. Which then didn’t help matters as Brad continued to piss me off.

Julia is a pre-law student who is interning at Brad’s law firm. Everyone says to STAY AWAY FROM BRAD AT ALL COSTS. Come on guys, that’s like holding out a chocolate chip cookie and saying, ‘oh, hey. yea, i’m just gonna leave that right here. don’t look at it or touch it. k?’ Obviously that tactic fails. Especially since Brad’s hot and delicious looking.

Julia and Brad have a lot of back and forth banter which was pretty enjoyable. I really liked it when Julia had a backbone.  And for the most part, the Vegas trip was fun, sexy & hot. AND THEN. holy fuck. I will not give away spoilers, but while they are in Vegas I was so motherfucking pissed with Brad’s actions. My notes read:

“Oh hi brad, I now fucking hate you. seriously. you are a royal piece of shit.” &
“don’t think I care that he’s an amazing fuck. I’m not sure he can do ANYTHING to make up for his actions. I’m sort of enraged. I may need to calm down.”

So here I am livid. Pissed off for Julia. Pissed off that Brad’s a fucking douchemonkey. And then what happened? Julia finds out and is all “oh, ok.” WHAT THE MOTHERFUCKING WHAT?!  Ugh. I was so pissed off and she just brushes it off like he just told her he picked up his laundry. OH OK JULIA.

I am so conflicted. I thought that their chemistry was great and their sex sizzled, but other than that, I was dismayed, confused, and annoyed by Brad. The ending made me hate him slightly less, but even as innocent Julia starts to experiment more with Brad’s lifestyle, I couldn’t fall in love with them together. This might be my problem more than the book’s problem. I recognize that, and thus I gave it three stars because there WERE some great parts, and the writing is pretty good. Apparently I just can’t get over Brad fucking De Luca.

Release Day & Excerpt: When Dreams Come True by M. Stratton

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Synopsis

What would you do if one day all of your dreams came true?

Melissa ‘Lissa’ Loring was a successful author. She was happy living in her home at the base of the mountains in Tucson with her assistant, Hannah Mills. First the phone call came; they wanted to make one of her books into a movie. Within six months, she was flying out to Los Angeles and talking with the studio about the final script and a list of actors to play the roles. Excited about her lunch meeting, she was shocked when her muse for one of the characters walked in and sat down at the table with her.

Will Martinsson was riding high on his fame and loving every minute of it. He traveled the world meeting his legions of fans and could pick which roles he wanted. When the script was presented to him, he read it and was intrigued. Then he found out that the author had modeled the character after him, so he searched out information on her and his interest was piqued. He told the studio he wanted in, but he also wanted to meet her before he would sign on the dotted line.

When two independent, successful people meet and have a strong connection, there is nothing they can do but see where the dream takes them.

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Chapter One
April 2015

Melissa Loring sat in the hippest restaurant in Los Angeles trying to act like she belonged there. Looking around was like reading the most recent gossip magazine; celebrities were all over the place and she felt completely out of her element. With one ear, she listened to the lilting Australian accent of her agent. She knew she should be paying closer attention since she was going over what was going to happen at the meeting, but she was just too nervous. At some point she knew she was either going to knock something over, or when she got up she’d trip, or somehow take the whole tablecloth with her. Something was going to go wrong.

“Lissa!” Angelica Sanderson leaned over and pinched her arm. “Lissa, pay attention, they’re going to be here any minute. Remember, we already have a contract to turn your book into a movie, so this is the final meeting before deciding the final details of filming and cast. We both know how important this deal is going to be, but to them it’s nothing. It’s no sweat off their back if it doesn’t happen. We don’t want to blow anything now, so try to come up with a poker face so they don’t realize how much it means to you.”

She might only be five foot three, but Angelica was one of the fiercest agents in the business, and going up against men twice her size to boot. Putting her heart and soul behind every one of her clients, she’d do whatever it took to make sure they received the best deal. Lissa felt lucky they’d found each other and worked so well together. They’d been working together for years, and finally one of Lissa’s books was going to be turned into a movie by a big-name studio. She had Angelica to thank for that, and if things went their way, it wasn’t going to be the last deal.

“What? I have a poker face.” When Angelica narrowed her eyes at her, Lissa shrugged. “Okay, I know I don’t, but at least let me lie to myself once in a while.”

Angelica did a double-take, looking behind Lissa before she reached over and grabbed Lissa’s arm in a death grip. “Oh, my God…” She whispered.

Lissa had her back to the door and was looking at Angelica when she saw her visibly start to shake and go pale. That was something on the red-headed Aussie; Lissa didn’t think she could get any paler. She wondered what could have caused her to react like that. Slowly, Lissa turned in her chair and saw Will Martinsson walking in his six-foot-two, long, lean and dangerous stride, and he was heading in their direction. He was, by far, perfection. Lissa actually had a huge crush on him, and he had been her muse for the book they were talking about making into a movie. Her mouth went dry seeing him in person; the big screen did nothing for him, and he was more magnificent in real life. But it wasn’t just his looks, which couldn’t be tossed aside; it was his personality, his humanitarian efforts, the whole damn package which was outstanding. He effectively ruined women for any other man with the standards he’d set forth.

Her mind whirled and she had no idea what to do. Not wanting to stare, or drool, which she knew would be mortifying she turned back to Angelica and was surprised when she stood up and held her hand out.

“Sam, it’s good to see you again. You didn’t tell me you were bringing company.”

“Well, if I told you, it wouldn’t have been a surprise, now would it?” Sam Lundy’s big laugh boomed through the restaurant.

Lissa’s head whipped back around. She hadn’t even seen the studio exec walking next to Will Martinsson, she’d been so focused on him. Considering Sam was larger than his personality and laugh that was saying something. She could feel everyone’s eyes on them, but slowly she turned back toward Angelica when she heard her agent continue to speak. Lissa knew that he was right there and she was terrified she was about to say something completely stupid herself, she decided to keep her mouth shut as long as possible.

“Mr. Martinsson, I’m Angelica Sanderson, Melissa Loring’s agent.”

“Please, call me Will. And if I’m not being too forward, may I call you Angelica?” His smooth, deep British accent rumbled right behind her.

Lissa turned her head to the right and there were hands there. Will Martinsson’s hand was right next to her face. She should have stood up, but it was too late; all she could do was stare at his long, graceful fingers wrapped around her agent’s small, delicate ones. A small frown crossed her face when their hands began to rotate and slowly Will’s face came into her view as he kissed the back of Angelica’s hand.

His face was inches from hers and he smelled so good, she wanted to bury her nose in his sleeve and take a deep breath to remember the scent forever. With a quirky smile to his lips, he turned his head and looked at her. They were almost nose to nose.

“Melissa Loring, I presume?”

She could do nothing but nod. Her voice wouldn’t work, and she didn’t want to open and close her mouth like a fish out of water, testing if she could actually make words come out.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in such an awkward position.” He let go of Angelica’s hand and reached down and grabbed hers, bringing it up to his lips. “Forgive me,” he implored, gazing at her over the top of her hand.

“Umm… yeah… sure…” She blinked a few times and tried to smile, but she was afraid it came across as a grimace. Her mind raced to come up with something brilliant to say to him, but her thoughts were a vast wasteland at the moment.

Easily, he stood back up to his very tall, impressive height and she followed his face up, not wanting to look at what was at eye level. Her face flamed red even at the thought. Deciding she needed to do something else, she looked at Angelica and almost burst out laughing as she wondered if they wore matching lovesick faces for him.

Both men walked around the table and sat down, Will Martinsson taking the seat right next to Lissa. Her mind scrambled and she knew she had to stop using both of his names to think of him. It would be so embarrassing if she did that in a conversation with him. I am having a conversation with Will Martinsson. No, not just a conversation. We’re having lunch. What am I supposed to do? Deciding to let Angelica take the lead, she reached out with shaking hands to take a drink of water. She was hoping she wasn’t going to spill any, or that anyone would notice she took a large gulp as the sound of her blood rushed through her ears, drowning out most of the noise in the restaurant.

Lissa shook her head, trying to focus on what everyone else was saying; she’d hoped she hadn’t missed anything important. Lucky for her, they were looking at the menu and making small talk. She had no idea where to look so she picked up her menu, but her face went red again. Will Martin… Will was sitting right next to her. As if being in Los Angeles talking to a studio executive about the final stages of turning her book into a movie wasn’t surreal enough, there she was having lunch with a movie star she had a crush on. Somehow, almost amazingly, she managed to get through ordering the lunch and the general small talk without sounding like too much of an idiot.

It felt strange looking at him while he was talking. One reason she felt so drawn to him was that it didn’t matter if it was a movie role or if he was being interviewed; it always seemed like he was totally in the moment and focused on the other person who was talking to him. It was almost as if a bomb could go off next to him, but he’d never break eye contact, never lose that focus on the other person. She never expected to be on the other end of it, and especially not sitting two feet away from him. He put her at ease, telling stories about his different film roles or just general life stories, making him appear more human and less the big movie star.

“So, Melissa,” He leaned his chin in his hand, turning his body toward her. “I must say I’m very interested in your writing.”

“Really?” Why did her voice pick right then to squeak? She’d been playing it so cool! Well, as cool as she could.

He smiled at her. “Yes, really. I love how you give the reader just enough information so they can fill in the blanks with their own imagination.”

“Well, for me,” Lissa started, fiddling with the edge of the tablecloth. “I was a reader first, and I always skipped over the paragraphs which held too much information. Or when something was mentioned later on in the book I’d say to myself that was all wrong, because it wasn’t how I imagined it. I wanted the readers of my books to be able to fill in the blanks. They can really make the characters or settings any way they want to. I give them the basics, and they can do the rest. They get to pick the general shape and colors of my creation, which I think makes the story more personal to them.” She shrugged, blushing again. “There were times in my life when reading was my escape. I’d play the whole thing out in my head, with me as the heroine of course. I’d be able to go and do things I’d never be able to do in real life. I just hope I’m able to do that for others.”

“That’s why I’ve always loved to read. There’s something quite wonderful about getting lost in a story, isn’t there?” He waited for her to nod. “And your villains, darling, they are magnificent. Really, such depth, such psychosis. Tell me, this one we’re talking about for the movie, how did you come up with him? What else can you tell me about him?”

She knew the only way she’d be able to get through the lunch was to get into her writing and talking about her stories. This was her passion, this was what she knew. If she could get lost in the story of telling him about them, she might be able to forget who he was.

Lissa took a deep breath, knowing instinctively she needed to lay it all out there. “It was actually you.”

“Me? Now I’m really intrigued. I want to know everything.”

“I was surfing the internet, looking for inspiration, and there you were at one of the superhero conventions, dressed as the villain.” Lissa narrowed her eyes, wanting to get the words just right. “How you commanded the room, how you walked and moved. The power which came from you completely inspired him, and my villain was born. I wanted to make him completely crazy, yet there was something sexy about him. I wanted people to be conflicted about him. That’s actually what I try to do with all of my villains, male or female. In one way or another, I want my readers to be both drawn to and repulsed by them. I want people to wonder about their neighbors, their co-workers, and the people they pass on the streets. We are all hiding secrets, but what if theirs happened to be they killed people, a lot of people, horrifically?”

Will smiled at her. “I read the proposed script and then had to read the book. You did a good job transitioning from the book to the movie, by the way, but as always, the book was better.” His smile overtook his face.

He liked it. He read my book, and he liked it. Lissa was in shock and for a minute wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you. Ummm… so, yeah, that was how he was ‘born’ and then I filled the others around him.”

“Some of the situations or things you have him doing, how exactly do you come up with that?”

Lissa fiddled with her napkin. “Well, I don’t scare easily. I’m one of those people who is always first in line to go through the haunted houses and the guys are screaming and hiding behind me. I don’t get grossed out in movies that often, because I know it’s all fake. So, I think of a situation and keep playing with it, adding more and more until I feel that would be too much to put in a book, and I back it off a step or two. I know that way, most people who read it will be scared or creeped out. It’s always a delicate balance between too much and too little.”

He leaned toward her and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I have a confession to make. I have read all of your books.”

She couldn’t help herself; she leaned in a little closer to him. “Did I hear right? You’ve read all of my books?” Surely she had to be mistaken.

With twinkling eyes, he nodded.

“Wow. Why?” Really, Will Martinsson had read all of her books. He’d even read her sex scenes. Her face went red again, thinking about some of what she’d written and there she was sitting next to him, talking about her books.

“Because they are very good. They kept me on the edge of my seat, or laughing. You’ve got quite a sense of humor there. You know us Brits; we love a good bit of dry humor.”

His eyes were an amazing shade of blue and he didn’t hold anything back. Being that close, she could see every emotion in his eyes; there was nothing he could hide. She had to control herself not to prop her chin in her hand and sigh while looking at him like some lovesick school girl.

She looked down again. “Thank you.”

He tipped her chin up, and her heart fluttered like a little bird caught in a trap as she locked her gaze with his. “You don’t take compliments well, do you?”

“No.” She gulped.

“You’d better get used to it. You’re good, this script is good, and your other books are good. You could have a long career in Hollywood, if you want. Always remember to enjoy today, especially the compliments. Take them, hold them close, and do what you do best. This isn’t the easiest of towns, and it won’t always be hearts and flowers, but remember it’s your talent. Just keep doing what you do best and you’ll be fine.”

When he let go of her chin and leaned back, it was as if the restaurant came roaring back to life. The noise of the other diners surrounded them and they were no longer in their little bubble. Blinking, she looked over at Angelica who was deep in conversation with Sam. It was like no one had noticed the moment they had. Thinking it all had to be in her head she took another drink of her water, needing something to do. She was thankful when their lunch arrived.

Lissa’s stomach was in knots and she knew there’d be no way she could eat anything. Taking small bites and pushing the rest around her plate, she thought she was fooling them. Since the meeting was about her book and movie, most of the questions were directed toward her, or questions Angelica asked of Sam. Either way, she had to pay attention and talk.

During a lull, Will leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You’re not eating.”

She started to look down and stopped herself, deciding to ride it out. After all, having lunch with him could be the only time she ever had a chance to spend any kind of time with him. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I’m too excited to eat.”

Softly he chuckled, his breath tickling her neck. “Nothing ever stops me from eating, but I must tell you, I’m also a bit excited.”

“Really? Why?”

“I shouldn’t tell you this, since you’d have me at a great disadvantage, but I want this part. Out of all of your characters, this is the one I want to play. There’s also the fact you left the ending open.” He heard her suck in her breath. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

She could hear the excitement in his voice. “Yes. I’m planning another book, where he is released from the facility, completely rehabilitated, or so they say. He wants to ruin their happily ever after.”

“I knew it.” His breath came harder on her neck. “Knowing how he was in this one, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for him with the next one. Tell me.”

His scent was so intoxicating she was willing to give him anything to stay that close to him. Again having an intimate moment with him surrounded by so many people. “I can’t. I don’t have it all worked out yet.”

“Well, I can understand that.” He pulled away from her and pulled something out of his pocket. “Here.” He lifted her hand and turning it over, placed a card across her palm. Closing her fingers around it, he gave her a little squeeze. “Don’t lose that. You’ll keep me informed, right?”

“Sure. Yeah, I can do that.” She didn’t want to be a complete dork and open her hand, but she suspected it was a way to get a hold of him, most likely email. She wanted so badly to do a happy dance, but she was trying to be all professional and like she took lunch meetings with famous actors in Los Angeles all the time. Acting like a groupie would totally blow the image.

They spent the rest of the lunch talking about the movie and the possibility for more. She thought it was going well, and then Sam said they were going to be drawing up contracts for her first series. She knew she didn’t have to worry; Angelica knew what would be best for the both of them and she’d make sure they got the best deal. Besides, they had the basics down with this one.

When dessert was delivered, Lissa felt that she might finally be able to relax and enjoy some food. The lemon-raspberry cheesecake was one of her favorites and she couldn’t decide between that and the chocolate mousse. Somehow, Will must have seen her looking at his dessert and when he offered her a bite she almost fell off her chair. The world famous movie star was holding his fork out for her to take a bite of his mousse. What if she was reading him wrong and he was expecting her to take the fork from him and feed herself? Or should she just lean in and take the bite? He waved it closer to her.

Very carefully she moved forward, afraid she would miscalculate and stab herself in the cheek. She tentatively took the bite, trying not to think about how the fork was just in his mouth. She closed her eyes as it melted in her mouth, trying not to moan at the decadent taste of it.

“More?” his soft, sexy, deep voice asked.

Oh, God, yes. That and you, spread all over me. “No, no, it’s your dessert. I’m fine.”

“It’s just you looked like you were thoroughly enjoying it.”

“I was.” She needed a drink of water and took a sip.

He pushed his plate toward her. “Who am I to deny a woman her pleasure?”

Not sure she’d heard him right, she wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing and ended up choking on her water. Her face turned red as she coughed and she was sure everyone was, once again, staring at her. Once Angelica’s hard pounding on her back had gotten her coughing under control and she could talk again, she pushed the plate back to him. “Really, mine is good. Please, have yours.”

They finished their dessert and it was time to leave. He was right there pulling her chair out when she was ready to stand, a hand on her elbow. She was wearing heels and it was nice to be able to wear them and still be shorter than his six-foot-two. As they walked out together, he kept his hand on the small of her back and guided her off to the side so they could wait together for the valet to bring their cars around. Angelica had driven, but since she and Sam were deep in conversation about ten feet away, it was nice to have a few private moments with Will. It may be my only one, ever. Deciding to let him know how much she appreciated it, she wanted to come clean.

Once again, the two of them were in a bubble. She turned so she could look at him. “Thank you.”

“For what, darling?”

“Making me feel so comfortable. This whole thing.” She waved her hand around. “It isn’t something I normally do. You made sure I didn’t make a complete dork out of myself.”

“So, you’re saying you were a partial dork today?” he asked, smiling.

She couldn’t help it; she smiled back at him as she reached up and put her hand on his arm. “Actually, I was on my best behavior. I’d have to say I was only about ten percent dork, and most of that was internal conversations.”

“I look forward to seeing if I can bring out more of the dork in you.”

“Be careful what you wish for.”

“What’s life without a bit of dorkiness?”

“A life less dorkful? Dorkless? Void of dork?”

He threw his head back and laughed. She couldn’t help it when she joined him, all of her tension leaving her body in that one shared act of laughter.

“Ahhhh, Melissa Loring, I look forward to working with you.”

“Me, too.”

“Wonderful. Will you be on set, or don’t you know yet?”

“I should be, based on what we’ve asked for in the contract.”

“Excellent. Now, about that whole superhero convention I was part of. Do you like superhero movies?”

Lissa bounced on her toes in excitement. “Oh, yes, I do. My friend, she’s also my personal assistant, she’s here with me, and we watch them all the time.”

“You know part of the reason I’m in Los Angeles right now is because the premier for the next installment of the superhero movie is tonight..”

“Hannah and I were wondering if we’d have time to squeeze in going to the movies while we were here, or if we were going to have to wait until we got home. We’ve been counting down the days.”

“I could get the two of you in to the premier tonight.”

“Get out. No way!” She stopped herself from punching his shoulder just in time.

“Way.”

She giggled. “Seriously?”

“Very serious.”

“Oh, my! Oh, I can’t wait to tell Hannah. She’s going to love it. She’s a huge fan of Royce Rivers. Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him and his automatically went around her. She backed up a little bit from him. “Sorry, that was a bit forward.”

He didn’t let her go. “Don’t worry; it’s refreshing. You have no idea how it makes me feel to make someone else happy. Something which is so easy for me to do means so much to the other person.” He let her go when his car arrived then grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. “I cannot begin to tell you the pleasure it was to meet you. I’ll send a car for you, so all you and Hannah need to do is show up. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you, Will.”

“My pleasure.”

She waved to him as he pulled away. Seeing Angelica’s car waiting, she walked over to it and sat down before her legs gave out. They waited until they were away from the restaurant before they turned to each other and screamed like teenage girls.

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MSTRATTON
M. Stratton is an International Amazon bestselling author in the romantic suspense and mystery suspense categories for her debut novel After the Storm. She is a self-proclaimed dork that loves to make people laugh and can trip over nothing. Her inner rock star is always on stage performing to a sold out crowd but is quiet and shy on the outside.

She lives with her husband and son in Arizona, which is a big difference from where she grew up north of Chicago Illinois. As an only child she learned to tell herself stories to make the long winters go by quicker while dreaming of summer vacations. Now as an adult she still makes up stories to pass the time, but now she writes them down to share with other people.

When not writing you can find M. watching football (Go Bears!), NASCAR, or classic movies, watching her husband and father restore classic cars, and seeing who can be sillier, her or her son, and of course reading.

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Cover Reveal: Game of Love by Ara Grigorian

OOOOOO! It’s the cover for Game of Love, a new sports romance from Ara Grigorian! Check out all the fun details about this sexy romance and enter his fantastic giveaway!!

Title: Game of Love

Author: Ara Grigorian

Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance

Release Day: May 4TH

GOL Cover

About Game of Love:

Game of Love is set in the high-stakes world of professional tennis where fortune and fame can be decided by a single point. Gemma Lennon has spent nearly all of her 21 years focused on one thing: Winning a Grand Slam.

After a disastrous and very public scandal and subsequent loss at the Australian Open, Gemma is now laser-focused on winning the French Open. Nothing and no one will derail her shot at winning – until a heated chance encounter with brilliant and sexy Andre Reyes threatens to throw her off her game.

Breaking her own rules, Gemma begins a whirlwind romance with Andre who shows her that love and a life off the court might be the real prize. With him, she learns to trust and love… at precisely the worst time in her career. The pressure from her home country, fans, and even the Prime Minister to be the first British woman to win in nearly four decades weighs heavily.

As Wimbledon begins, fabricated and sensationalized news about them spreads, fueling the paparazzi, and hurting her performance. Now, she must reconsider everything, because in the high-stakes game of love, anyone can be the enemy within… even lovers and even friends. In the Game of Love, winner takes all.

Preorder today!!!

Exclusive Excerpt:
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“We are made strong by the difficulties we face, not by those we evade.”

~Author Unknown

Gemma’s security flanked her, their grip tight on her arms. Bedric, her coach, rushed ahead, slamming open the hotel’s glass doors to the roar of the French paparazzi―a cacophony of questions, comments, and insults.

Gemma moderated her breathing, prepared for another three-second spurt of chaos.

Three…

“―What happened in your hotel room?”

They knew. Dozens of cameras from all directions chirped and flashed. She kept her eyes trained on her goal: the awaiting car.

Two…

“―Mademoiselle! Gemma! One smile.”

The paparazzi bore in from her right. Only a few more steps. A knee rammed into her thigh. That one would leave a mark. A bruise that the papers would dissect and analyze gratuitously.

One…

“―Why were you hiding for four months? Were you going to quit tennis?”

Don’t react. Say nothing. Bedric forced the car door open, giving Gemma the opening she needed to squeeze in. He followed.

Zero.

The door slammed behind them, and the sounds of commotion lowered to a gentle hush. Black tinted windows offered a veil of privacy. Bodies, camera lenses, and faces smashed against the glass. Only inches separated her from the paparazzi. There had been a time when she used to move to the center of the car, creating as much separation as possible. But now she knew better. Distance was a mere illusion of safety.

The locks engaged, and the car accelerated away.

She didn’t like surprises―particularly on game day―but in this case, her security lead’s demand to move her to another hotel had been spot- on. It was one thing for the paparazzi to gather outside. It was quite another when one found his way into her hotel suite… while she slept. The French paparazzi were setting a new standard.

“This is not good,” Bedric said in stoic English.

She eyed her superstitious coach, who was always concerned with deviations from routine. But the concern etched on his face wasn’t about superstition. He didn’t want a repeat performance of the Australian Open months earlier.

“You have not rested,” he continued, “and you have yet to get breakfast.”

“We’ll be fine. We are fine,” she said, nearly believing it herself. “As for breakfast, we’ll grab something at the new hotel.”

The car swerved as the driver made a temporary effort to lose their tail. Memories of another car chase months earlier inched its way into her throat.

“There will be people. You don’t need more distractions.”

“More distractions?” She had woken to the sound of an intruder in her suite, and now she was rushing from one hotel to another on the morning of her quarterfinal match. How much worse could it get? “We’ll be discreet. Run in, eat, and we’ll be off.”

The car’s tires screeched as the driver took another quick turn. It was happening again. Another chase just before a critical match. Only this time, the driver wasn’t drunk.

From her bag, Gemma removed a tennis ball and twirled it in her hand. One point at a time. She focused on the soft texture. Familiar. Calming. Poking out from inside her bag, the newspaper article from the day before mocked her. Inch-tall letters above her picture: The Great HypeFive Years and Still Waiting. She squeezed the tennis ball over and over again until her fingers went numb.

She dropped the ball back inside the bag, then closed her eyes, hoping to salvage some sleep. She crossed her arms and tried to control her shivering. No, she wasn’t cold. She just wanted five minutes alone with the bastard who had violated her space. Gemma almost wished the coward hadn’t bolted when she charged him, tennis racquet in hand.

About Ara Grigorian:

34019c_ecb294aa4a244d158202952d64580733.jpg_srz_p_165_150_75_22_0.50_1.20_0Armenian by heritage, born in Iran, lived in Barcelona, and escaped New York until he found his home in Los Angeles, Ara’s first eleven years were both busy and confusing. The fruit salad of languages would slow down his genetically encoded need to tell stories. Until then, an alter ego would be required…

He received an engineering degree from California State University Northridge and earned his MBA from the University of Southern California. Today, he is a technology executive in the entertainment industry. True to the Hollywood life, Ara wrote for a children’s television pilot that could have made him rich (but didn’t) and nearly sold a video game to a major publisher (who closed shop days later).

But something was amiss until his wife read him the riot act. “Will you stop talking about wanting to be a writer and just do it?” So with her support (and mandate), and their two boys serving as his muse, he wrote stories.

Fascinated by the human species, Ara writes about choices, relationships, and second chances. Always a sucker for a hopeful ending, he writes contemporary romance stories. He is an alumnus of both the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and Southern California Writers’ Conference (where he also serves as a workshop leader). Ara is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and its Los Angeles chapter.

Ara is represented by Stacey Donaghy.

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Cover Reveal: Sustained by Emma Chase!

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BOOK SUMMARY:

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.
When you’re a defense attorney in Washington DC, you see first-hand how hard life can be and that sometimes the only way to survive is to become harder. I have a reputation for being cold, callous, intimidating – and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.Complications don’t work for me – I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will get you off. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming – and I don’t pretend to be.

Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I’m going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room and am knee deep in a damn compost pit.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be hard, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.

And that – that I know how to do.

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Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Book: Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2)

Other Books in Series:

Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss #1)
Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss novella)

tl;dr recommendation: sweet, caring, sexy & fun. Gabriel will have you eating right out of his incredibly large & delectable hands.

Book Summary:

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

Longer Review:

I tend to pull for strong female characters – I don’t know, it’s just a thing for me. So when we meet Charlotte, who is perhaps the most terrified, meek & shy character on earth, my heart plummeted a bit. I was worried she wouldn’t be able to pull out of her shell. But really there wasn’t a need to worry. Behind the shyness, there’s a strong, independent woman just waiting to be unleashed.

Charlotte hasn’t had it easy. She’s becomes terrified and suffers from panic attacks because she’s gone through an unbelievably terrible ordeal. NO SPOILERS. I’m not surprised that it ripped her to shreds – I’m more surprised that she lives alone and gets up and goes to work everyday. Once I found all of that out, I was so pulling for her to rock out life.

Gabriel is Charlotte’s new boss whose head doubles as target practice in the Great Office Staple Throwing Contest. Or so Charlotte wishes, since she met him by throwing a stapler at his head. OOPS. Good thing those years of rugby and more years of working out have honed his reaction skills. When Gabriel takes over Charlotte’s company, heads begin to roll. She nicknames him T-Rex since he’s built like a beast and basically stomps through the office ripping off people’s heads. It’s actually pretty endearing.

Gabriel sees past Charlotte’s frumpy clothes & prim bun. Something intrigues him about her and he’s desperate to find out. One thing we learn about Gabriel is that once he’s determined to do something – it’s happening. Once Charlotte’s mousy ways started to evaporate, her like-ability also skyrocketed. I really enjoyed Gabriel’s sweet and caring (and sometimes rough…mmmmm) nature. While not without flaws, his loyalty and determination were commendable and super sexy.

As Gabriel and Charlotte work together in re-building the company, they also re-build each other. Gabriel is strong, both physically & emotionally and his willingness to take everything at Charlotte’s pace had me swooning for real. This is a fun read with a little suspense and a lot of sexy.

Four stars all around!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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