ARC Review….Unlocked by Maya Cross

Unlocked releases TOMORROW!

UNLOCKED

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

Who is Sebastian Lock?

The heart can lead you to dangerous places.  Abandoned by the man she loves, with nothing more than sweet riddles for an explanation, Sophia Pearce felt like her life was crumbling before her eyes.  And then they came for her.  Now, things will never be the same.

Confronted with the truth about Sebastian’s identity, she’s thrust into a high stakes world beyond anything she could have imagined.  A world that threatens much more than just her feelings.  Sebastian’s enemies will stop at nothing to get what they want, and they want her.

Their passion for one another consumes them, but as danger mounts, and loyalties are tested, Sophia must answer one simple question.  What is she willing to risk for love?

 

My review:

Unlocked is the final book in The Alpha Group series by Maya Cross and picks up where the second book in the series left off…..which was quite the cliffhanger. Well, let me say, the action and suspense in this third installment was the perfect ending to this intense trilogy!

After the devastating breakup with Sebastian and the loss of her career, Sophia was trying to figure out what to do next.  Those plans were interrupted when she finds herself being kept hostage after being kidnapped from her home.  What could anyone possibly want from her?  Clearly this has to do with Sebastian and the secret life he was trying to save her from.  Does he know he has put her right in the middle of danger?  Will he come to her rescue?

Sebastian will never forgive himself for getting his former love killed all those years ago.  Even though no one has ever blamed him for Liv’s death, he knows his life in the Alpha Group had to be somewhat responsible.  Now, getting the information that Sophia has been kidnapped, he refuses to let history repeat itself and will do whatever it takes to get Sophia back safe.  But the question is, will he be able to keep himself at a distance once he gets her back?  He must keep her safe, and if that means staying away as he had originally planned when he broke up with her, then that’s what he must do….no matter how much it breaks his heart.

Sophia and Sebastian have more to overcome than either of them realize.  After getting Sophia back, and trying to keep her safe, they realize there’s no way they can deny what’s between them, and with a little faith and trust, they give their relationship another go.  Soon enough, they are thrust into more danger than ever before and it’s soon apparent that they only have each other to rely on.  Sebastian isn’t sure whom he can trust in the Alpha Group anymore.  With threats mounting against them and very little leads to go on, it’s clear they must go off the grid and try to solve who is behind the mess they are living.

Whew!  This was the most intense, action packed story out of the series and I adored it!  It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire read and more than once I went into a nail biting frenzy.  We finally get to learn what the Alpha Group is all about and what Sebastian’s role is and it’s clear there are some heavy hitters in this group.  It’s pretty powerful and not something to be messed with.  Unfortunately, the threats seem to be coming from an insider.  The journey Sophia and Sebastian have to travel on to get to the bottom of things is INTENSE! The twists and turns were fantastic and holy hell…..the ending was a twist I never in a million years saw coming! Way to go, Maya! As always, Sophia is one kick ass heroine and she really showed just how strong she is in Unlocked.  What a gal! I feel like we were able to see a more vulnerable and a softer side to Sebastian, and it was a really nice change of pace and just added to the charm of his whole yummy package.  Oh, and speaking of yummy, even with their lives on the line, there were plenty of hot and sexy scenes.  Maya does sexy so well!  One of my favorite things about Unlocked was the dual POV.  It was a real treat to get into Sebastian’s head.

Overall, I am so happy with the way Maya wrapped up this series. We got all the answers we have been waiting for with a whole lot of juicy suspense and action!  I loved it and I’m sure all of you Maya Cross fans will too.  Thank you, Maya, for a fantastic end to a fantastic series!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Maya Cross is a writer who enjoys making people blush. Growing up with a mother who worked in a book store, she read a lot from a very young age, and soon enough picked up a pen of her own. She’s tried her hands at a whole variety of genres including horror, science fiction, and fantasy, but funnily enough, it was the sexy stuff that stuck. She has now started this pen name as an outlet for her spicier thoughts (they were starting to overflow). She likes her heroes strong but mysterious, her encounters sizzling, and her characters true to life.

She believes in writing familiar narratives told with a twist, so most of her stories will feel comfortable, but hopefully a little unique. Whatever genre she’s writing, finding a fascinating concept is the first, and most important step.

The Alpha Group is her first attempt at erotic romance.

When she’s not writing, she’s playing tennis, trawling her home town of Sydney for new inspiration, and drinking too much coffee.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads 

Cover Reveal & Giveaway….Worth the Fight by Vi Keeland

I am happy to introduce the cover for Vi Keeland’s WORTH THE FIGHT!  

Vi is also holding a giveaway with two $25 Amazon gift cards…enter HERE

Enjoy!

Worth the Fight releases October 3

Worth the Fight Cover 500X750

 

 

Synopsis:

It didn’t matter that the ref called it a clean hit.  Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life.  A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she’s been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half.  But it’s boring…and she strives to keep it that way.  Too many emotions are dangerous.  Her own past is living proof of what can happen when you lose control.

Then Nico walks into Elle’s office and everything changes…for both of them.  But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common?  A lot more than they bargained for.

Add Worth the Fight to your TBR list on Goodreads here

Be sure to enter to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards here

 

About the author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting USA Today Best Selling smut author by night!

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads 

email:  vikeeland@gmail.com

Authors other published works:

Belong to You

Made for You

First Thing I See

 Book Links:

Made for You

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Barnes and Noble

Belong to You

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK    ~  Barnes and Noble

 First Thing I See

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Barnes and Noble

 

 

ARC Review….Losing Control by Nina Croft

Losing Control Cover

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads 

Synopsis:

Four years after escaping her abusive ex-husband, Kim finally believes she’s in control of her life and her emotions and she’s determined to never risk either again with a man.  She has a great home, a job as a security specialist which she loves, and Jake for a best friend.  But things are a tad lonely in the sex department, so she decides to embark on a no-strings-affair with one of her hot co-workers.  And who better to help her remember how to lure a man then her best friend?

Jake has wanted Kim from the moment he first saw her, but for four years ago, she was too young and too damaged.  So he kept her close and he kept her safe, offering her a job in his security company and the training to feel safe again, and he bided his time.  But now, after the long wait, if she imagines he’s going to stand by while she seduces some other guy…

Never going to happen.

 

My review:

Losing Control is part of Nina Croft’s Babysitting a Billionaire Series and the first of her work that I have read and I’m thrilled to have come across this story.  What a hot, sexy, enjoyable read!

Finally, Kim feels like her life is on the right track.  She had the strength to put her abusive ex-husband in her past four years ago and has been moving forward since then.  Having a dream job in her best friend, Jake’s, security company as a security specialist has given her the confidence and skill to make sure she never repeats the mistake she made when she was young and vulnerable.  Now she’s on a new mission….hot sex.  She’s been so focused on not needing a man that she’s now painfully aware that she hasn’t had one in a really long time.  Luckily she works with some prime pieces of beefcake and she’s certain one of them will be more than willing to help her scratch her itch.

Jake has been watching over Kim since she started working for him four years earlier, and while he’s been watching over her, he’s watched himself fall head-over-heels in love with her.  He knows she’s had a really rough past and that her ex-husband really did a number on her and has all but ruined her outlook on love.  He’s hoping that he can be the one to show her that not all guys are abusive and love really is a great gift.  He’s been waiting patiently for the right time to start showing his affections….but as soon as he realizes she’s becoming a little too flirty with the new hire, he knows he’s gonna have to speed up the process.  There’s no way any other guy is going to Kim.  She’s been his since he laid eyes on her….she just doesn’t know it yet.

Jake certainly has his work cut out for him when it comes to Kim, and even though he’s pretty much convinced her that he is the perfect guy to scratch her itch, sex and love are two completely different things.  Will he have what it takes to break down her defenses?

Yum, this was one delicious story!  Kim is a kick-ass gal and she really has had a rough past.  I really admired her determination to move past that crappy hand she had been dealt.  She really had a lot to overcome emotionally and I was worried she wouldn’t be able to.  Jake is the ultimate good guy.  He understands Kim and her situation and is willing to do whatever it takes to win her heart.  He is deliciously sexy with sex appeal to spare but knows when to tone it down for Kim’s sake.  On the flip side, he turns it on hardcore when he knows Kim is ready.  Man, there were some smexy scenes in this book!  Jake is equally sweet and caring which really rounded him out well.  The ending was totally perfect and I let out a happy “awwww”!

If you’re looking for an easy-to-get-into-and-get-lost-in kind of story, this is definitely a book that should be on your list! Thank you, Nina, for a sexy and sweet read!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

I grew up in the north of England, and after training as an accountant, I spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left me with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. I then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but have now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds.

I share the farm with my husband, four dogs, three cats, a horse, two goats, a three-legged Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, and a handful of chickens. It’s a perfect place to indulge my two great passions, reading and writing.

I write lots of different things, but mainly paranormal and science-fiction, usually with a strong element of romance.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads 

Wanna Read It Wednesday……Out Of Line by Jen McLaughlin

WannaReadItWednesday

So, here’s some fun for you guys on this fabulous Wednesday!  Below you will find the first TWENTY-FIVE pages of Out Of Line by Jen McLaughlin! How awesome is THAT!? Even better is that you can keep getting more pages if you spread the word and get people to add it to their Goodreads to-read list.  For every 100 adds it gets, we get five pages!  It’s that easy!

 Jen is also giving fans a chance to win a SIGNED paperback advanced readers copy (ARC) of Out Of Line before anyone else can buy it! Enter the rafflecopter at the end of the post to win!

From Jen:

SPECIAL CONTEST:
I’m offering up a special contest. For every 100 adds we get on Goodreads for OUT OF LINE before the release (September 10th), I will reveal 5 pages of the book early!

If the book hits 600 adds before the release, I will release a bonus scene from Finn’s POV! I will also choose random people who use the tag‪ #‎OUTOFLINE‬ on twitter and facebook, or adds the book to their TBR list, to receive swag!

Please let people know to add the book to goodreads in order to get these excerpts released.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf here!

 

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00071]

Chapter One-Carrie

I leaned against the wall and surveyed the crowded room. All around me, people were in pursuit of the three majors of college: getting drunk, getting laid, and then getting even drunker. They were shouting in each other’s ears to be heard over the deafening music, sucking on each other’s body parts, or throwing up in a corner. The overachievers would do all three by the time the night ended.

It was freshman year at its finest—and I was the only freshman not fitting in.

But at least no one had been paid to hang out with me at this party. When I was twelve, my father had thrown me a huge birthday party. The turnout had been particularly surprising to me, considering the people who came were the same girls who told me what a loser I was while in school. Of course, as soon as my parents left the room to get cake, the girls had backed me in a corner and pulled at my hair and dress. They had told me that I was such a loser my father had to pay their parents to make them come. Susie had gotten an iPod. Mary received a phone. Chrissie—a pony.

I had gotten a cold, hard dose of reality.

A tall guy bumped into me, hauling me out of memory lane. His beer tipped and spilled all over my open-toed sandals. The cool liquid was almost a welcome change from the stifling hotness.

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” He dropped to his knees and started patting at my feet with the closest object he could get his hands on. It looked like a shirt. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

I laughed and shook my head, dropping a hand on his shoulder. He felt a tiny bit sweaty, but who could blame him? It was freaking hot. “Don’t worry about it. Seriously.”

“No, it’s not.” He lifted his head and his eyes went wide. “Oh, fuck. Do I know you?”

My smile slipped a little bit, but I forced it back into place. He wouldn’t recognize me. I had been out of the public eye for well over a year, and I’d made sure to change my appearance quite a bit. I also had much longer hair, and my body finally grew into itself. My braces were gone, and I outgrew those god-awful bangs, too. I liked to think I didn’t look anything like the gawky girl I’d once been.

Please, God.

“No, I don’t think so. But don’t worry about my feet. It’s not a big deal. I was just leaving anyway.”

He stood up. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I smiled at him, hoping my sincerity showed. “Thank you, though.”

He gave me one more smile and headed back toward the bar. I watched him go before I worked my way across the room. I needed to get out and breathe some fresh air. Somehow I even managed to make it through the crush without spilling my Coke. As I pushed through the door, the ocean breeze washed over me, immediately calming my pounding heart.

One thing I hadn’t managed to change about myself in my big transformation: I still didn’t do well in crowds. I never should have listened to my new roommate, Marie. I had only been at the University of California in San Diego for two days and had already been invited to four parties. I’d turned down all but this one. It wasn’t because I was a prude or anything. I just didn’t like the craziness that parties entailed.

After all, I had ultimately picked this campus because the occupational therapy program was excellent—not because of the parties. It also had the added bonus of being on the beach and as far away from my parents as I could possibly manage without leaving the country. They were great, and I loved them, but man, they liked to smother me. The “hold me down kicking and screaming as I tried to break free” type of smothering. That was the last thing I needed at this point in my life. I needed to try to be on my own. To try to make my own place in the world. And for once I was really, truly on my own…outside of a raging party that I didn’t belong in, hiding in dark shadows that hid only God knew what. But still. Awesome.

I kicked off my sandals and trudged down the sandy hill to the dark beach, sinking my toes into the chilly sand. Probably not the best combination with the beer bath I had just taken, but whatever. My mom and dad had never let me walk barefoot in the sand. It was too unclean, and syringes might be buried deep down—plus other unmentionable items Mom blushed just thinking about. She couldn’t even say the word condom for cripes sake.

I was convinced I must have been conceived via subliminal messaging or something. My parents were far too proper to do the down and nasty. Too proper to walk barefoot on a dark, scary beach. And I was supposed to be the same. Grinning, I dug in even deeper, loving the way the sand felt between my toes.

I scanned the shadows and found a bench a few feet away. When I sat down, I swung both of my bare feet in the air and let out a deep sigh. There was probably a homeless guy sleeping a few feet away from me in the darkness, but I didn’t give a hoot. I was alone, in front of the ocean, listening to the waves crash on the sand.

For the first time since coming here, I felt at peace. Maybe I could fit in. There had to be some people here who were like me—a little bit dorky and a lot awkward. The door opened behind me, and the sound of heels clacking on the pavement interrupted my thoughts. “Carrie? Are you out here?”

“Yeah. Over here,” I called out.

“Are you trying to get mugged?”
“No. Just trying to find a homeless guy to fall in love with,” I replied, keeping my voice light. “So far, no one wants me.”

“Whatever,” Marie said, snorting. After a few moments, she stood in front of me, heels in hand and hands on hips. Marie frowned at me from behind a veil of perfectly arranged blonde hair, which blew in the ocean breeze. “You totally bailed on me.”

I flinched. Yeah. I kind of had. “Sorry. In my defense, I did tell you parties aren’t my thing.”

“That’s something girls say when they don’t want to seem like sluts.” Marie waved a hand and shoved her hair out of her face. Within seconds, it was back. “I didn’t think you actually meant it meant it.”

“Well, I did.” I swung my legs some more, trying to distract myself from the righteous anger being thrown my way. “You can go back in. I just needed some air.”

“Will you be back?”
“Maybe.” I blew out a breath. “No.”
Marie’s light blue eyes pierced into me. “Are you going to be like this all year long? I like you and all, but you’re kinda lame.”

“I’ll try not to be,” I said as honestly as I possibly could. Because I would try to be sociable and outgoing and not so lame. I would probably fail. “But it will be a while till I’m there.”

Marie rolled her eyes and fluffed her hair with her hand. “Well, hurry up. I’m not going to be lame with you as you struggle to adulthood.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Go back to the party.” I shooed her away, a smile on my face. “I kind of want to be alone with my homeless boyfriend.”

Marie eyed me, the hesitation clear in her eyes and the way she held her weight on one foot, the other slightly lifted. “Are you sure?”

“More positive than a proton.”
“Oh my God. Never say that again.”
I laughed. “Fine. Now go have fun.”
“Okay.” Marie hugged me tight, and her hair tickled my nose. “But next time, you stay whether or not you want to. Enough lameness.”

I watched her go. We were complete opposites, but maybe it would make us great roommates. Marie might be the person to pull me out of my self-imposed shell, and I could make sure Marie studied as hard as she partied. It had the makings of a win-win situation. Maybe. Of course, it could be a complete and utter disaster too.

But I was trying to be optimistic, thank you very much.
I leaned back against the park bench, letting out another sigh. I would sit here for another minute before I headed back to my room. Once I got there, I’d curl up with a good romance book with my current book boyfriend and pretend the real world didn’t exist for a little while.

It would be the perfect Saturday night…for a sixty-year-old woman.

Lame, lame, lame.

After a couple of seconds of pure relaxation, I stiffened. Someone moved in the shadows. I almost missed it, but out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. Who was out here with me? If Dad were here, he’d be saying it was a druggie desperate for his next hit. He’d sic his private security team on whoever dared to walk near him. I used to go back to the spot and give whoever had been held back by my father’s team some money. One of Dad’s security officers would go with me.

But I wasn’t my father, and I refused to jump to the worst conclusions. I stood up and crept toward the shadows, my heart in my throat and my legs feeling less than steady. My mind screamed at me to turn around and run home, but I ignored it.

“H-Hello?” I called out, but it sounded more like a croak than a word. I licked my lips and swallowed hard, taking another step toward the ocean. “Is anyone there?”

Nothing but the waves crashing. I hesitated. Someone was there. I knew it. “I know you’re out there. You might as well come out. If you don’t, I’ll…I’ll call the cops.”

I held my breath, waiting to see if the hidden person would call my bluff and come out. After a few seconds, a shadowed form stepped forward. As the shadow grew closer, I realized it was a man. A guy who stood at least six feet tall and had muscles that I thought only existed in the romance books I read.

He had to be a couple years older than me, maybe a senior, and he had on a pair of cargo shorts and nothing else. Hot damn, he obviously worked out. A lot. He had short, curly brown hair, and he looked harmless enough. But those muscles…

Okay, when I goaded the guy out of hiding, I hadn’t been expecting a freaking bodybuilder to walk out of the shadows. I backed up a step, biting down on my lower lip. “Who are you, and why are you hiding in the shadows?”

He had a black tattoo of some sort on his flexed bicep. Wait. Scratch that. He had tattoos pretty much from his elbows up and all across his shoulders and pecs. Hot. Really hot. This was the type of guy Dad kept me away from. He had bad boy written all over him. In numerous ways.

He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped closer, towering over me. “Who are you, and why are you hiding in shadows?”

I blinked and forced my eyes away from his ink. “I wasn’t. I was sitting on the bench.”

“Maybe I was too, before you came out.” He grinned at me. “Maybe you stole my seat.”

“Did I?”
“Maybe.”
I shook my head and tried not to smile, but it was hard. For some reason, I liked this guy. “You like that word, don’t you?” I held my hand up when he opened his mouth to answer. “Let me guess. Maybe?”

He laughed, loud and clear. I liked the sound of it. “Perhaps.”

“Oh my God, he says something else.” I held a hand to my forehead. “I might be imagining things.”

“Hm. You do look a little flushed.”

Probably because an off-the-radar hot guy was talking to me. Maybe even flirting? Crap. I had no idea. The last time a normal boy had flirted with me, Dad had his security team drag him out of the mall by both arms. I had no doubt this guy would get the same treatment if he ever crossed paths with Dad. “I do?”

He stepped closer and bent down, his eyes at level with mine. They were blue. Really, really blue, with little specks of darker blue around the pupil. People were always telling me that I had the prettiest blue eyes in the world. They were wrong. This guy did.

“Yep. Definitely flushed.”

I cleared my throat and tucked my hair behind my ear. Until I remembered it was in a ponytail. Then I ended up kind of rubbing against my ear, trying to make it look like I’d meant to do that. And probably failing miserably. “I’m fine.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.” He backed off and smoothed his brown hair, but it bounced right back into perfect disarray. He headed for the bench I had been sitting on and lowered himself onto it. “So, tell me. Why are you outside instead of partying inside?”

I followed him, scooted my shoes between us to maintain a safe distance apart, and then sat down on the edge of the bench. “Uh…I needed some fresh air. And this party is a little bit too crazy for my tastes. The frat boys are a little crazy too.”

He nodded. “So, you new here?”

“Yeah. I’m a freshman.” After smoothing the stupid skirt Marie had conned me into wearing, I looked at him. “Do you go here?”

“Yeah, I’m a senior.” He cocked his head toward the house. “And I’m in that frat.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my lap. So I’d insulted his friends. Great. Just great. “I’m sure it’s a lot of fun.”

He grinned. “Even though they’re crazy?”

“Uh, sure.” I smiled back at him, but inwardly flinched. It was too late to tell him that the guys were perfectly normal. I was broken—not them. But I would look even more like an idiot than I already did if I told him I’d left because of my own lameness. “Maybe I’ll give it another chance.”

He chuckled. “Not tonight, though, right?”

“Nope. Not tonight.” I played with the hem of my skirt. “I’m all partied out. I drank too much.”

He looked at my cup. “You better watch yourself. A lot of guys will take advantage of a girl who drank too much.”

“But not you?”
His eyes darkened, but he looked away. “Not me.”
It was a pity. I’d never been taken advantage of by anyone, but if I was going to be used, I’d prefer he be the one doing it. I kind of snort- giggled at the thought, earning a weird look from him. Oh well. He wasn’t exactly the first person to shoot me that look. “Then I guess I’m in good company.”

He shrugged. “You should go home and sleep it off.”

“It’s only eleven,” I argued. I conveniently ignored the fact that I’d been planning on going home mere moments before. That had been before him. “Why would I go to bed already?”

He looked at me, running his gaze up and down my body. “You look like the type of girl who’s used to playing by the rules. Good girls go to bed early.”

I was, but I was also freaking sick of being that girl. All my life, Dad had neatly moved me around on his chessboard, a pawn to his own plans. I was done being a pawn. I wanted to be the queen of my own life from now on.

Leaning in, I caught his gaze. He stiffened, a light shining in his eyes I didn’t fully comprehend. “Maybe I’m the type of girl who’s sick of living by the rules and who’s ready to have some fun.”

Chapter Two-Finn

When she leaned in close to me like that, I gripped my thighs. I felt ridiculously out of place right now. I was in a pair of board shorts, pretending to be a carefree surfer dude so that my overprotective, needs- therapy boss could “rest easily” while his perfectly capable daughter attended college. I didn’t even have my gun on me. And to top it off? Carrie was a cute little thing who was looking at me as if she wanted nothing more than to crawl all over me.

I needed to get close to her, but not that close. Even if I wanted to.

Her soft red hair reminded me of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. I had always had a thing for her—what kind of hot-blooded American man hadn’t at one point or another? I especially liked her when she carried a kick-ass gun and wore black spandex and boots. It wasn’t a far stretch of my imagination to picture Carrie in Scarlett’s getup. Her short skirt left little to the imagination, and I wanted her. Bad.

I’d never had such an instant attraction to someone before. The type that demanded I find a way to get her in my arms, naked and writhing, before the end of the month, but I couldn’t have her. I forced myself to picture Senator Wallington’s face instead of Carrie’s. That should help. “I think you look like a good girl who wants to try her hand at being a bad girl.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But maybe not. You don’t know anything about me.”

Ah, but I did. I had her file memorized. And I’d been watching her from the shadows all night long. I also knew enough about her to know she hadn’t been drinking tonight. Knew enough to know the real reason she wasn’t inside was because she hated crowds. She hadn’t been to any real parties until now. And I knew her father was controlling enough to send an undercover agent to watch his nineteen-year-old daughter fumble her way through freshman year.

One thing I knew about repressed girls who went away to college: They went all Girls Gone Wild on crack as soon as they got even the slightest taste of freedom.

The girl was looking for trouble with a capital T. Even I could see that.

She licked her plump, red lips and met my eyes. “So, you going to your room or staying out here with me?”

Oh yeah. Trouble indeed. I shifted in my seat. The girl had no idea what kind of attention she was welcoming. She might only be a couple of years younger than me, but even so, she had off limits stamped across her forehead. I forced a lighthearted laugh. Something I suspected a California boy would do. Hell, something I’d once done. “I don’t really live here. I was fucking with you.”

“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “Which dorm do you live in?”

“None.” I grinned at her, even though my cheeks hurt from smiling so damned much. “I don’t even go here. I’m just a surfer who lives nearby. Can’t afford the fancy education.”

That much had once been true, at least. When I’d been eighteen, I couldn’t afford the tuition. That’s why I had enlisted in the Marines. My plan had been to use the GI Bill to earn my degree, but I hadn’t gotten to that point in my life yet. As it was, I had shadowed my father’s footsteps and joined the Marine reserves fresh outta high school. I had been ooh- rah’ing it for five years now and had attained the rank of sergeant. On top of that, I held the title of “assistant private security officer” with the senator’s security team.

I could afford to go to college now, but I was too busy. And now I was here in California. I’d been picked for this assignment since, as the youngest employee at twenty-three, I was the most likely candidate to blend into a college campus.

And if I managed to keep Carrie out of trouble, I would return to work minus the “assistant” in my title—and a spike in my pay. But first I had to get close enough to her to be able to be in her company, but not so close that she wanted me even closer.

“Oh, I totally get that,” she said, nodding as if she had a clue about what it was like to be poor. She didn’t.

Her daddy could afford to buy this whole campus without blinking. Hell, he’d already made a sizable contribution to get the dean to allow an undercover agent to linger around campus and follow a student. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She plucked at her skirt again, her shoulders hunched. “I mean, not personally, but I know how bad the economy is right now. I’m not some bimbo college student. I watch the news.”

Sure she did. Maybe TMZ was her version of “news,” but it sure as hell wasn’t mine. “I’m sure you do, Ginger.”

She gave me a look. I could tell she wasn’t sure if I was insulting her. Maybe she had more brains in her pretty head than I gave her credit for. “My name’s not Ginger.”

I gave her a cocky grin. “I think it has a nice ring to it, though. Don’t you?”

“No,” she said flatly. “So if you aren’t going to college, what do you do?”

“I’m a Marine,” I said. “And the rest of the time I surf.”

I tugged at my Hollister cargo shorts. Apparently that’s what all the California kids wore nowadays. I must’ve grown up since I left, because I preferred wearing a suit with a Glock or a pair of cammies…with a badass M-16.

“Nice. I’d like to learn how to surf sometime. It looks so freeing.”
I cocked a brow. What an odd choice of words. “Freeing?”
“Yeah.” She stole a quick look at me, her cheeks pink. “Like…it’s just you and the ocean, and no one can tell you what to do or how to act. No one can yell at you for riding a wave, or just sitting out there, watching the world pass by. I don’t even really know how that feels, and I doubt I ever will.”

With a father like hers? Doubtful.

I’d resented being asked to come here to babysit some spoiled little brat, but seeing her look so despondent tugged at the little bit of heartstrings I had. “I’ll teach you, if you want.”

Fuck. Why had I opened my stupid mouth and blurted out that shit?

“Really?” She perked up, her shoulders straight and her sapphire blue eyes shining. She looked way too pretty right now. Way too much like a pretty woman, and not enough like an assignment. “Do you mean it?”

Hell no. “Sure. Why not?”

I could think of at least a hundred reasons why not. The last thing I needed was to spend time with her out in the ocean. She’d probably wear a tiny bikini underneath her wetsuit. And she’d cling to me in fear, her slender body pressed to mine as she learned how to ride the waves…

Maybe she would chicken out and say no.

“Can we start now?” she asked, practically shouting in my ear. She hopped off the bench and did a little dance thing that was way too fucking cute. Her whole body trembled with excitement. I could feel it rolling off her. “I’m game if you are.”

I choked on a laugh. So much for her chickening out. Some small part of me admired her enthusiasm. A lot of girls wavered and couldn’t make up their minds. I was getting the sinking suspicion she wasn’t that kind of girl. “I think we should do it when we can actually see what we’re doing.”

“Tomorrow morning?”

I scratched my head and scrunched my nose. “Uh, you’ll need a board, a bathing suit, and a wetsuit first.”

“I have a bathing suit already.” She cocked her head. “Wait. Does a bikini work, or does it have to be a one-piece?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say she needed a one-piece. At least it would cover more of her skin, but she might find out I lied, and then she would start to question everything I told her. I couldn’t afford that right now. “Bikinis are fine. Preferred, even.”

She nibbled on her lower lip. “Would you go shopping with me tomorrow? Help me pick out the right gear? Then maybe we could head out to the waves.”

Shopping? Hell no. I didn’t want to go shopping. For girls, shopping was a marathon sport. I’d probably be dragged through ten stores before she could find the perfect color surfboard. And a matching wetsuit. And probably a fucking hair bow, too. “I’d love to.”

I forced a smile and tried to look on the bright side of things. I needed to spend time with her, and this would accomplish that. After the heinous shopping experience, I would be rewarded with surfing. It wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

“Thank you.” Her cheeks flushed and she gave me a shy smile. “Where should we meet?”

“At your dorm around eight?” I met her eyes. “Or is that too early for you, Ginger?”

She stiffened, the fetching pink color leaving her cheeks. That was probably a good thing, since she looked far too cute wearing a blush. There was that steely determination again. When she looked at me, her eyes flashing with challenge, she looked like her father. “I’ll be there. I don’t sleep in till twelve.”

“All right.” I inclined my head. “Then off to bed you go.”

She laughed. “You can’t send me to bed. Who do you think you are? My father?”

Hell no. But I worked for her father, so that had to count for something. “Hey, if you want to surf, you need to be well rested. If you’re hung over and tired, I’m not taking you.”

“I won’t be hung over.”

I eyed her cup, even though I knew damn well it didn’t have alcohol in it. “Tell that to the judge.”

“Fine. I’m going to bed.” She clamped her mouth and grabbed her shoes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll walk you,” I offered, standing up. It would make me feel better to know she was safely ensconced behind locked doors before I went back to my apartment. It was my job, after all.

She flushed and ducked her head. “If you want to. But you can’t come in.”

She was probably thinking I wanted to walk her home to try to steal a kiss or cop a feel. Well, she could think that all she wanted. It wasn’t happening. In fact, it had been strictly forbidden. I had even gotten a lecture from the senator about what was allowed and what wasn’t— complete with a signed contract. As if I was a child who needed to be shown on a fucking doll where I could and couldn’t touch.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, feeling ridiculous. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Then why walk with me?” she asked, her head cocked.

“So I’ll know where to meet you tomorrow.” I shrugged. “Ya know, for our shopping.”

“Oh. Right.” She started walking, and I fell into step beside her while scanning the shadows for any threats. “I knew that.”

I laughed lightly. “Sure you did.”
“I can’t think of any other reason you’d want to walk me.”
I shook my head, then realized, like an idiot, I’d never asked her what her name was. If I accidentally blurted it out before she told me who she was, the gig would be up before I even got started. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Carrie. Yours?”

She left off her last name just as her father instructed her to do. I could report back that she was following instructions like a good little girl. Although…walking with strange men she met on the beach after dark wasn’t exactly playing by the rules. But since it was with me, I would let the infraction slide this time.

“I’m Finn. Finn Coram.”

She gave me another smile. She looked so pretty, smiling at me in the moonlight. It would be a hell of a long year keeping the horny college boys off her. “Nice to meet you, Finn.”

“Back atcha, Carrie,” I said, forcing a grin. I hated acting like a foolish boy. Hated pretending to be something I wasn’t. “But I still prefer Ginger.”

She hesitated, licking her lips. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. Go for it.”
“Why are you teaching me how to surf? What made you offer?” She stole a quick glance at me. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Already, she was questioning my motives. My respect for her grew. This wasn’t a bimbo socialite. She knew to use caution, even if she wasn’t using enough of it. I shrugged. “Why not?”

“In my world, there’s always a reason.” She lifted a shoulder and stopped at a pathway leading to a big dorm. “So you’ve got to have one.” “Yeah, well, I don’t.” I leaned against the building next to hers and crossed my ankles. “This your building?”

She didn’t answer my question, but narrowed her eyes on me. “I’ll meet you out here at eight.”

“All right.”

She stared at me. I arched my brow in return, waiting to see what the hell she was waiting for. If it was a good night kiss, she would be waiting a hell of a long time. She tapped her foot. “You can go now,” she said.

“I’ll wait until you’re safely inside.”
Her foot stopped tapping and she glowered at me. Oh, yeah. She definitely took after her father. “And I’ll wait till you leave.”

We stared each other down, neither one of use seeming to want to be the one who looked away first. After a bit more of our little Mexican standoff, I chuckled. “I can do this all night, Ginger.”

“So can I.” She tilted her head and studied her nails. “You know, you’re starting to remind me of my father’s private security firm.” “Your father has private security? Or he works in it?”

She flushed. “Yeah, he has security.”
“Why?”

“None of your business. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Of course not.” I laughed but shifted on my feet. She was way too close to the truth already. I would need to back down to remain undercover. “Do I look like private security?”

She ran her gaze over me. “Not really, but that doesn’t mean anything. You’re being awfully…protective.”

“Ya know, I’m a Marine. It’s kind of our thing to guard people.”

She pursed her lips. “Fair enough, but still. Go home before I call security on your butt.”

“There you go, bossing me around again.” I picked up a piece of her hair without intending to do so. It was so soft and pretty. “Fine, but I’ll see you right here in the morning.”

“Okay.” She nodded and bit her lower lip. “Bye.”

I dropped her hair and headed back toward the beach, where I could then hop on my motorcycle and ride back to my empty apartment. As I turned the corner, I stopped and peeked out. She headed toward her building, her head low and her steps unhurried. I pulled out my iPhone and jotted off a quick text to update the senator.

I’m here and have seen her. All is well.

As I slid the phone into my pocket without awaiting a reply, I watched her go with a smile on my face. The senator had obviously underestimated his daughter’s street smarts. Sure, she’d made a few blunders, but she’d also made some smart choices. She hadn’t given me her full name, and she’d lied to me to hide her true location in case I was some creepy stalker.

Her father would be proud.

 Chapter Three-Carrie

With only ten minutes to spare, I hurriedly applied the last touches to my lip gloss, checked out my hair, and turned off the bathroom light. If I had primped right, I looked effortlessly, naturally beautiful. That’s what the website said I would look like, anyway. I had never really bothered to primp for a boy, so I’d had to rely on my best friend for help.

Google.

Was it pathetic that I had no one else to ask? Sure. But at least Google never let me down. It had also given me the talk, the same one my mother avoided until right before I left for school. And when I’d finally been given the talk, it had been with so many euphemisms even I had become confused while trying to figure out what drumsticks had to do with warm apple pie.

I smoothed my tank top over my stomach. I had paired it with some yoga pants, and I wore my red bikini underneath the simple outfit just in case Finn wanted to go out in the water afterward. Tiptoeing past a snoring Marie, I managed to make it out of the dorm without waking her up.

I probably worried for nothing. I doubted a stampede of elephants would have woken Marie up. The girl had been snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Her arms were flung out to her sides, and a huge puddle of drool gathered under her cheek. She’d probably have a hell of a hangover when she woke up, so I had set my bottle of Motrin next to her bed on my way out.

I glanced at my phone and walked faster. A quick call home would be a good idea. That way I wouldn’t have to deal with my parents while out with Finn. I quickly dialed home and leaned against the wall. They picked up on the first ring, as if they’d been hovering by the phone waiting for me to call all morning.

“Hello?” Mom said.
A line clicked as Dad picked up the phone in his office. “Carrie?”
I smiled. “Hi, guys.”
“How’s college going?” Mom asked, her voice trembling.
“Have you met anyone nice yet?” Dad asked.
“Yeah.” I pictured Finn and smiled. “A couple of people.”
“What are their names?” Dad asked. I could picture him sitting at his desk, pencil in hand, waiting to look into anyone who dared say hello to me. “I’ll do a background check.”

“Dad. No.”
“But—”
“No.”
Mom sighed. “Let her be, dear.”
“Fine.” I heard something slam down. “But if you get involved with someone, I’ll expect to get his name from you.”

“She’s not going to do that yet.” Mom paused. “Right? We had our little talk. Do we need to have another one?”

I flinched. “God, no.” I cleared my throat. “I mean, uh, no, thank you.

I’m good. And I’m not seeing anyone yet. I’ve only been here two days.” Dad laughed. “That’s my girl.”
I peeked at the time. I had less than one minute to get downstairs.

“I’m about to go out with a friend of mine, though. Shopping.”
“Oh, how delightful.” Mom, of course, perked up at the word shopping. “Where are you going? What are you shopping for?”

“Do you need more money?” Dad threw in. “I can transfer more to your account.”

“No, I’m fine. And I’m shopping for…” I pictured the dead silence that would come if I said what I was really shopping for. It would be amusing for two-point-two seconds…until all hell broke loose. “I’m just shopping for fun. Hanging out and stuff.”

“But what for?” Mom asked.

Geez. Enough with the details already. “I think swimsuits and beach gear.”

“Oh, how fun.”

Dad yawned. “This is my cue to say goodbye. I’ve got meetings all day long.”

“Yeah, I have to go.” I gripped the phone tight. “I love you guys.” “We love you, too,” Mom said.
Dad mumbled something that might have been I love you, but he never said it, so it was doubtful. “Bye.” “Bye, dear.”

I hung up and headed outside. I needed to get down to the meeting point before Finn did, or he would see me come out of the correct building. He didn’t need to know where I lived. Didn’t need to know anything about me…yet. If he proved trustworthy, then I would tell him more. Little by little. But for now, I was just a girl who liked sitting on benches at night.

A girl who wanted to surf.

It was probably the one place private security couldn’t follow me. It’s not like a bunch of men in suits would blend in out there in the great big sea. As I crossed the lawn, I glanced around. No one lurked in the bushes. No one suspicious followed me. I didn’t believe my father gave in to my request to go to college minus a bodyguard, but I hadn’t seen any yet.

Was it possible he had trusted me enough to be on my own? Doubtful. When I had gone abroad last year, it had been with not one, not two, but three security guards. He was ridiculous when it came to my safety. He’d probably installed a GPS tracking system under my skin when I was a kid. I wouldn’t put it past him.

I rounded the corner and saw Finn standing there, facing the other way and looking as sexy as I remembered. I had thought he was gorgeous last night. Holy freaking bananas. In the morning light, his sun-kissed skin glinted and highlighted his hard muscles. Muscles covered in tats that begged to be stroked…by my hands. With his brown hair in as much disarray as it had been last night, he quite easily emanated the surfer look he wore so well.

Oh, so well.

As I approached, he smiled at me. “You’re two minutes late, but you look pretty enough that I’ll let it slide.”

My heart sped up at his backhanded compliment, but I refused to show it. I shrugged and said, “A girl’s gotta primp. Get used to it, Marine.”

“Especially girls like you?”

I stiffened. That sounded an awful lot like an insult. And even worse, it sounded as if he knew something about me that I didn’t want him to know. Did he know who I was? “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” He straightened, looking less like a laid-back surfer and more like a man. A man I didn’t know at all. Maybe this had been a bad idea. “You just look like the type of girl who likes to spend hours getting ready before she walks outside to get the mail. I mean, you’re gorgeous. Just look at you.”

“And you look like the type of guy who makes presumptuous assumptions about other people, while keeping your own nose firmly pointed in the air.” I marched past him. “Forget it. I’ll learn how to surf with someone else.”

He grasped my elbow as I passed, his touch burning me and yet somehow sending a shiver through my veins. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice soft. “I shouldn’t make assumptions. You’re right.”

“Damn right I am.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and glared at him. Turns out, this close, his eyes were even bluer. Really, really blue. “Now let me go.”

He dropped his hand immediately and dragged it through his curls. “Can we start over? I get cranky before my coffee and say stupid things to beautiful women I’m supposed to be flirting with.”

My lips twitched. Truth was, so did I. Well, the first part, anyway. I usually didn’t bother to hit on pretty girls since I didn’t swing that way. “Okay. Coffee, then shopping?”

“Deal.” He motioned me forward as he walked beside me. “Where will we shop?” I asked.
“At a store? I hear that’s where most people do it.”
I laughed lightly and stopped at the coffee booth. “You’re weird.” “Aren’t we all in our own way?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I nudged him with my elbow. God, he was solid. “But you’re weirder than most.”

He let me order my mocha latte before he stepped forward to order a plain black coffee. As I reached into my pocket to grab some cash for my portion of the order, he handed the barista his card. “I got you.”

A warm flush spread through my body. No one ever paid for me. The few people I had hung out with in school had always been relying on me for purchases, but no one here knew how much money I had. No one knew my father was on the short list for presidential candidates. The anonymity was a refreshing change of pace. “Thank you. I’ll get the next one.”

He shrugged. “If I let you have a next time. You might kill me with boredom during the shopping trip.”

“Haha. So funny.” I grinned, then decided to get some payback for the trick he’d played on me last night. “Do you think I can find a Swarovski-encrusted surfboard? I’m willing to go in every single store in San Diego if needed.”

“Oh, hell no.” He shot me an incredulous look and turned a little bit green. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

I blinked innocently and managed to keep a straight face. “Is that a no?”

He grabbed our coffees and handed me the bigger one. Once I took it, he shoved his sunglasses up his nose. “No. It’s fucking fabulous.” He shot a quick look at me. “Oops. Sorry.”

“For what? Cursing?” I laughed at the absurdity of it. Who the heck apologized for cursing? “Sometimes I say fuck too. I’m not a little kid, you know.”

He took a sip of his coffee. How did he do that? I would have burnt my tongue. “It feels like you are at times. Like you could be my little sister or something.”

Sister? Ouch. Guess I knew where I stood with him. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.” He looked at me. “What about you? Are you jailbait?”

“No.” I looked down at my cup. How much should I tell him about myself? I wanted to make friends. To be normal for once, but I couldn’t be stupid. “I’m nineteen. I took a year off and went abroad before starting college.”

He took another sip of coffee. “That’s a good idea. It’s how I would have done it, if I’d gone the college route.”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries and had no idea what a friend should or should not say to that. Or if we even were friends yet. “You still could if you wanted to. Do you want to?”

“Maybe someday, when I have time.” He laughed. “Right now? I’m good in my career field.”

“Well, you never know. You might decide to go officer someday.”
He shot me a weird look. “Maybe.”
“There’s that word again.”
“It’s a good word, especially when life is filled with maybes.” He stopped in front of a surf shop on the beach. “This would be a good place to start. I can’t promise Swarovski, but there might be something pink.”

“I don’t do pink. It doesn’t match my hair.”

“Heaven forbid,” he said, holding the door open for me. “We can’t have that.”

“Darn right we can’t.” I ducked into the store and took a cautious look around. Surfboards of every imaginable color lined the left wall, while wetsuits filled up the other half. In the back, a bunch of boogie boards hung on the wood wall. Maybe boogie boarding would be a safer choice. It wasn’t too late to change my mind…

No. Not happening.

A blonde girl wearing a bikini underneath a transparent top stood behind the counter texting. She looked up when the bell on the door chimed, quickly assessing me before moving on to Finn—and staying there. She straightened and smoothed her hair. “Hello. Welcome to Surf ’s Up. What can I do for you?”

Finn smiled at her a little bit too widely, and his eyes dipped far too low to be staring at her face. Jerk. “My friend here needs a good beginner’s board.”

The girl looked at me again, but quickly turned back to Finn. “The blue one in the back is good for her. Perfect size.”

“You think?” Finn walked over to the board in question and cocked his head. I followed Finn, but practically got shoved aside by the worker. I struggled to right myself before I went legs over head in the rack of wetsuits, but Finn caught my elbow without even looking my way. “You should watch where you’re going, Ginger.”

“I told you.” I tried to pull free of his grip, but he didn’t budge. “Stop calling me that.”

Finn looked at me. “Why? It’s cute.”

“Says who?”

“Me.” He dropped his hold on me and turned back to the employee, who’d been watching him as if he was her next meal. “So this will work for her?”

The employee moved closer to Finn, brushing up against him. And Finn, the perv, didn’t move away. Of course not. He was a guy. The girl ran her fingers over the board, caressing it as if it was a person instead of an inanimate object. “Yes. The lines are smooth, and the finish flawless.”

“What do you think, Ginger?”

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, but didn’t bother to correct him again. No matter what I said, he would use it. “Sold. I’ll take it.”

Finn turned to me with wide eyes. “Really? That quick?”
“I don’t care what it looks like. If you say it’s good, it’s good.”
He tugged on his ear and looked at me as if I had sprouted two heads overnight or something. “All right. Next up? A suit.”

I turned to the employee, using the no-nonsense tone Dad used when he wanted shit to get done. “I’d like a blue and white one, to match the board.”

“Measurements?” The girl eyed me. “I’m guessing 32A?”
Total, petty lie. I was not a 32A, and it was obvious. “No, I’m—” “34C,” Finn replied, grinning. “Am I right?”
I blinked at him, taken off guard by that statement. Was it normal for a guy to know that crap? “Dude. What the heck is wrong with you? And why do you know that?”

“I’m kind of an expert in the frontal area.” Finn grinned, and his eyes sparkled. “It’s my thing.”

“Obviously,” I drawled, smiling.

He shrugged. I gave the rest of my measurements to the worker, and within ten minutes we were finished shopping. I carried my wetsuit and coffee, and he carried my board for me. I headed toward the ocean, so eager to hit the water I could barely stand still, and then sat down on a bench. He eyed me, but didn’t sit. “That was a hell of a lot faster than I expected. I didn’t even bring my board with me.”

I took a sip of my coffee and watched the waves crashing on the sand. A surfer effortlessly rode one in, and a bunch more of them bobbed out in the water. They made it look so easy. So simple. I knew it was anything but. What the heck was I thinking? I couldn’t do this, could I? If my father knew…

I straightened my back. The hell with that. I was going for it. The fact that my father didn’t approve only made me want it more. Childish? Sure. Who cared? I was allowed a little bit of rebellion now and then. “Do you want to go to your place and get it?”

“I could, I guess.” He looked over his shoulder toward the road. “Do you want to wait here for me?”

“Can’t I come?”

He hesitated, shifting on his feet. “I only have a motorcycle. I’m not sure you want to ride that.”

A motorcycle? Hell to the yes. Dad called bikes donor cycles. Told me if I ever even thought about setting foot within ten feet of one, he’d ground me for life. I wasn’t ground-able anymore, was I? God, this freedom I now had was exhilarating. A girl could get used to this kind of life. “Oh, I’d love that.”

“Seriously?” he asked, looking a little pale. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

I propped my hand on my hip and stood. “Why not?”
“I only have one helmet.”
“So what? I’ll be fine. I trust you.”
He looked up at the sky. “You might,” he mumbled under his breath.

Then he perked up. “What will we do with your board?”
“I’ll have the store hold it for me.”
He sighed. “I guess I’m out of arguments.”
“I guess so,” I said cheerily, my heart accelerating at the mere thought of climbing on a bike with Finn. “Cheer up. You’re acting like my dad again.”

He stiffened. “Stop saying that.”

“Then stop acting like him,” I said, smiling to show I was teasing him. “You better be here when I come back out, or I’ll skin you alive.”

I grabbed my stuff and headed toward the store. After a quick conversation with the employee, I came back out and found Finn standing there, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. I held my hand out and waited for him to take it with bated breath. I don’t know why I did that. We weren’t dating. We weren’t even friends yet. I couldn’t resist. He stared at my hand for a second, muttered something under his breath, and closed his fingers around mine. A shot of electricity skittered up my arm, making me jump slightly.

What the heck had that been?

His eyes darkened and something weird twisted in my belly in response. Something I was only loosely familiar with. Desire. I was a virgin, but I’d read about sex enough times to recognize the sensation. And I would bet my favorite pair of Converses that he was feeling it, too.

“Ready?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual.

“So ready,” I said, peeking up at him through my lashes. “I’ve always wanted to ride one, but my dad wouldn’t let me.”

He perked up. “Maybe we shouldn’t. You know, if your dad would be mad.”

“Oh, please. I’m nineteen.” I tugged him toward a Harley I could only assume was his. “I’ll ride what I want to ride.”

He groaned under his breath. “I bet you will.” When we reached the bike, he grabbed the helmet off the handle and slid it over my head. I tried to pull back, not wanting to wear the ugly thing in front of him, but he didn’t let me. “My bike. My rules. You wear the helmet.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” He gently slid the helmet the rest of the way down over my head, making sure to keep my hair out of my eyes as he did so. My heart did a weird little flip flop at the way he watched me, his eyes hot and his lips soft. His touch, gentle as it might seem, held a strength behind it.

“How do I look?”

“Perfect,” he said lightly. Then he climbed onto the bike and looked over his shoulder at me. That look he gave me was the look that so many books described. Like he was inviting me to fall into his arms and stay there forever. God, I wanted to. His muscles flexed, teasing me with his perfection. “Climb on and hold on as tight as you can.”

I swallowed hard and slid on the back of the bike

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About the author:

DianeAlbertsAuthorPicJen McLaughlin writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, is due out September 2013. She also writes Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. She is a multi-published, bestselling author and is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is too write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

 

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Cover Reveal….Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye

Welcome to the cover reveal for Laura Kaye’s HARD AS YOU CAN:

Avon is proud to announce the publication of  Laura Kaye’s second book in her hot Hard Ink series, HARD AS YOU CAN (On Sale: February 25, 2014).

Synopsis:

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn’t want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can-and never let go.

 

 

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

 

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Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer…..A special double feature today of two Lorelei James stories reviewed by Selene

Cowboy Summer

Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer continues with Selene’s review of  Strong, Silent Type from the Wild Ride Anthology and Shoulda Been A Cowboy by Lorelei James

Strong Silent Type cover

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

…Tough. Taciturn. And a fool for letting her go…

Wyoming rancher Quinn McKay thought he’d only have to bide time until his levelheaded wife came to her senses and called a halt to this “trial separation”. He never believed the marital rough patch would drag on for a coon’s age.

Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn’t prone to blathering about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he’d rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her.

Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn’t loosen his tongue and he’ll lose the only woman he’s ever loved. In a last-ditch effort to keep her in his life, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence.

Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes.

Selene’s Review:

This is easily one of my favorite short stories I’ve read in a long while. Author Lorelei James knows two things for certain: characterization and writing really great sex!

Quinn and Libby are a couple whose marriage is definitely on the rocks. After being separated for a few months, his stubbornness and her [somewhat innocent] manipulation of their situation have more than backfired on both of them…

…but equal parts of talking and… er… screwing it out, ends up saving their relationship.

It was refreshing to see James write about an already established couple going through a rough patch. For me, it’s especially romantic to see characters already accustomed to each other and having been together for years bring something new to the table.

And I mustn’t leave out mention of the super sexy massage scene and following steamy sex. Yowza!!!

 

4andahalflovesFour-and-a-Half Loves

 

 

 

Shoulda Been a Cowboy Cover

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

…The bigger they are, the harder they fall—in love…

Soldier Cameron McKay has found his niche, and it ain’t ropin’ steers and wearin’ spurs. His deputy sheriff job, plus battle injuries that ended his military career, keep him right where he wants to be: Off the ranch and away from his family’s pity. His darkest war memories are on lockdown, leaving him skeptical he’ll ever find a woman who wants a man who’s less than whole.

Domini Katzinski has had to control every aspect of her life since age eleven, when she was orphaned in the Ukraine. Watching others’ relationships crumble has convinced her to focus on the short-term and find a take-charge man to whom she can relinquish total sexual control. Cam fits the bill: gorgeous, with a brooding vulnerability no one else seems to see. Plus, he has his own handcuffs.

Once Cam gets over his surprise that sweet, shy Domini wants to be dominated, he is back to issuing orders. Their passion is as hot as a rocket-propelled grenade—and if Domini has her way, it’s a one-shot deal. Cam wants more, and launches a full-out sensual assault…until tragedy strikes, forcing him to change tactics as he tries to keep past demons from blowing their future together all to hell…

 

Selene’s Review:

If ever there was a McKay man that you would want to tell you exactly what to do, what to say (and when to remain silent), how to UNdress, and when to *ahem* put your hands behind your back… Cam McKay is the obvious choice.

Probably the biggest of the McKay men, Cameron is a presence that jumps off the page and straight into your panties! But not only is this former military man and current police officer downright scrumptious in and out of uniform – his story will pull at all of your heartstrings like no other.

Domini, like Cam, has a sad history and Lorelei James tells it very well. The two complement each other so completely and by the end of the story, their tragic past, as well as the current tragedies in their lives, had me absolutely jumping out of my seat to cheer them on. With Cam’s self-loathing about his war injury, Domini is the perfect remedy for his reluctance to get close to another as she understands exactly what it’s like to have a big piece missing.

The love scenes between the two were both hot and sweet, like the characters themselves.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to any mention of them in the future as they hold a special place in my heart hereafter.

 4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

 

From author website:

A bit about me: When I’m not squirreled away behind my laptop writing fun, sexy, contemporary erotic romances set in the modern day Wild West, I can be found reading everything under the sun, practicing yoga until I’m a pretzel, shootin’ my .22, watching the Professional Bull Riders tour on Versus, and running a kid’s taxi service, all in the guise of avoiding housework and rustlin’ up vittles.

Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.

 

 

ARC Review….To The Limit by Jo Leigh

To The Limit cover

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

Subject: Captain Sam “Jaws” Brody

Mission: Test his limits…and push hers!

Air force pilot Sam Brody’s posting at Holloman AFB is a new start…and a brutal reminder that he’ll never fly again. The bright side? It’s the same town as teacher (and widow) Emma Lockwood—the woman he’s always had a major thing for. The woman who married his best friend….

For years, Emma ignored the spark between her and Sam. Now that he’s in town, the spark has turned into full-on electrical overload! She tells herself to stay grounded. She doesn’t want another hotshot flyboy, no matter how sexy. But with every night of wicked passion with Sam, she finds herself closer to the point of no return….

Uniformly Hot!  The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.

 

My review:

To The Limit is part of the Uniformly Hot Series and the first book of Jo Leigh’s that I have read and I was hooked after just reading the summary….I mean, really, who doesn’t love a sexy fighter pilot?

Even though Sam Brody has had a year to get used to the idea that he’ll be in the classroom rather then a cockpit, it still isn’t getting any easier to swallow.  Now, it seems the only bright spot is that his assignment takes him to the same town that Emma hopefully still lives in.  Emma had married his best friend but that didn’t stop him from loving her from afar since they all met years ago while the guys had been in flight school.  However, after his best friend Danny died in a tragic accident, she had asked for space and he hadn’t seen her in almost three years.  Faced with an uncertain future, he is hoping she can be the friend he desperately needs…and secretly he hopes for more.

Emma Lockwood, widowed three years earlier, has made a life for her here in Alamogordo, NM, and is content teaching and volunteering…well, as content as one can be as a young widow.  Sure, she knew the risks marrying a fighter pilot, but she really never thought her late husband was anything but invincible.  She missed him, and the life she had with him and his brother-like best friends and thought of them all from time to time but knew they had respected her wishes for space after the funeral.  That was three years ago.  Imagine her surprise when she gets a call from Sam, completely out of the blue, and learns he’s moved here and wants to know if they can meet.  She’s kept hidden the attraction she’s always felt for Sam, but now? Now there wouldn’t be anything to keep her from exploring it…but that would never happen.  She couldn’t allow it.  Besides, Sam only thought of her as his best friend’s widow…..little did she know that was so far from the truth.

Together, the obstacles they face are great and many.  Not only does seeing one another open old, unhealed wounds, but the attraction they feel is undeniable.  The emotions that come with that attraction are almost crippling at times…the guilt, uncertainty and fear of history repeating itself.  Will they be able to put their past behind them and learn to live with the chance they’ve been given?

This story was so emotionally charged from the first pages and was amazing.  I loved every second of it.  Sam, while being a modern day warrior fighter pilot has one of the biggest hearts and his not being able to fly hurt in a way that was tangible. He is loyal and kind and thought so much of the feelings of others before himself…I lost count of how many times I said “oh, Sam” with a pout while reading.  I adore him!  Emma is equally big hearted and a great match for Sam.  I loved her strength and willingness to take a chance.  Their story is one that was told beautifully…especially the last two chapters.  I was literally biting my nails!  No spoilers from me but I promise you, you will love how it ends just as much as I did!

Thank you, Jo, for giving us Sam and Emma’s story!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Award winning author and screenwriter Jo Leigh began her career in 1975 as a reader in the Comedy Development department for 20th-Century Fox. She left Fox in 1977 to go on location with THE DEER HUNTER. She then worked as an auditor, associate producer and producer on such projects as WHEN SHE SAYS NO for CBS, BEULAH LAND for NBC, GREAT AMERICAN TRAFFIC JAM for NBC and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR for Jozak Productions. In 1987 she became head of development for the McCarran Film Corp., overseeing a roster of twelve feature films.

As a screen writer, she’s had a series idea purchased by Cinemax, and has worked as a script consultant on more than 50 screenplays. Currently, her screenplay APACHE TEARS was optioned by Northern Lights Productions in Canada.

Ms. Leigh also teaches writing at workshops across the country and on-line, and is a frequent guest speaker at writing conferences. Her tape on Advanced Plotting from the Dallas Romance Writers of America conference is the best selling tape in RWA’s history.

Her first Silhouette novel, SUSPECT, was awarded BEST FIRST SERIES BOOK by Romantic Times Magazine, garnered the 1994 ROMANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR award from Pike’s Peak RWA, and was a finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL OF 1994 by Romance Writers of America.

Her first Temptation novel, ONE WICKED NIGHT was a finalist for BEST SHORT CONTEMPORARY NOVEL OF 1998 by Romance Writers of America.

Jo was invited to write one of the launch books for the Harlequin imprint, Blaze, with her book GOING FOR IT!

Her 2006 Blaze RELENTLESS was a RITA finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE.
She also ghost-wrote GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL – THE ANNA NICOLE SMITH STORY for Barricade Books.

Jo lives in an incredibly rural area of Utah where her many rescue dogs have room to run and play and her rescue cats are determined to win the International Shedding Award. She spends an inordinate amount of time reading about how the brain works, listening to music and trying not to kill the basil.

Website  ~  Goodreads  ~  Twitter

ARC Review….Dear Adam by Ava Zavora

 

Dear Adam releases September 16

Dear Adam Cover

Book links:

Goodreads

Synopsis:

“You’re the more real to me than any man I’ve ever known … ”

To book blogger Eden, Adam is the embodiment of every literary fantasy she’s ever had. Intelligent, wickedly funny, sexy, and attentive – he and his fascinating life seem right out of a novel. Their whirlwind relationship is so intense and all consuming that soon she can’t imagine being with anyone else.

But there’s one little thing that’s keeping Adam and Eden from their happily ever after.

They’ve never met. She doesn’t even know what he looks like.

Despite how hard she’s fallen for him and how he makes her feel, Eden’s doubts begin to threaten their passionate love affair. Why is he so mysterious? Why does he seem reluctant to meet her? What is Adam hiding?

Afraid that she’s being made a fool of, Eden is forced to choose between her heart and her head. Is Adam too good to be true, as her common sense is telling her, or is the truth more startling than fiction?

 

My review:

Dear Adam is the second work of author Ava Zavora’s that I have read and I’m really, really hoping that I can adequately convey how much I adored this book in my review…..here goes nothing!

A thirty-something single mom, Eden has taken her love and comfort in books to the blogging world and for the past three years, it has been her happy place.  She’s tried the relationship route, but the thought of spending time with a good book usually beat out any of her dating prospects.  And that was enough for her.  Until she starts chatting with Adam.  Not one to be very chatty in on-line forums, Eden is surprised with herself when she finds the friendly banter between her new on-line friend, Adam, something she increasingly looks forward to.  Before she realizes it, they have formed quite a meaningful relationship…even if they haven’t actually met in person.  After months of phone calls, emails and messaging, Eden and Adam seem to be a perfect match in every way possible.  Their interests and personalities just click, and even with opposing views on some issues, they still have a special and undeniable connection.  Or do they?  As open as Eden eventually becomes, Adam is equally secretive at times and she starts to wonder if he really is who he says he is.  Will Adam ever truly open up to Eden and let her see all of him?  Will Eden wait around long enough to find out?

So, I read a lot of books.  Most of the stories I read are somewhat similar, which is fantastic and keeps me happy and my library full.  Then, every so often, a book comes out that is completely unlike anything I have ever read and keeps me in my seat, e-reader in hand, for hours, from start to finish….Dear Adam is one of those books.  I’m not sure exactly what I loved most.  Maybe it was that in the digital age, and the heroine being a book blogger like myself, it was easy to relate to?  I understand her reluctance to reveal too much about herself but understand how it’s equally as easy to fall into fun, lively conversation and friendship on-line.  Maybe it was that this book was written so differently in that we read much of Eden and Adam’s email interactions and we got to see the relationship blossom from innocent chatting to something much deeper? Maybe it was the way Ava had me going back and forth the entire time between being afraid Adam wasn’t real, the suspicions that came and went about him and the desperate hopes I had for Eden that he was real and she get her happy ending.  Perhaps it was the entire package.  I can’t exactly put my finger on just one thing that I loved about this book….I simply loved it all! I will tell you one part I can say I loved a tad bit more than the others though.  The epilogue.  Completely surprising and not at all what I had expected but so amazingly perfect….I think I have lost count as to how many times I have re-read the epilogue.  Five? Ten? Who knows, honestly. The epilogue was like the fluffy, sweet icing on the deliciously decadent cake otherwise known as the book Dear Adam…..deliciously perfect.

I hope that if you’ve gotten one thing from this review, it’s how much I am imploring you to read this book.  It’s different and smart and entertaining and adventurous and relatable and well written and romantic and so truly refreshing and amazing.  People, this book will NOT disappoint!

Ava, thank you for bringing us Dear Adam and for bringing me on an emotional, sweaty palmed (those last few chapters had me a nervous wreck!) journey with some awesome sigh worthy moments.  Such a treat!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the author:

Ava pic“In my childhood, I used to ride water buffaloes and wade in swamps. When I discovered books, I would go adventuring with Anne of Green Gables, the Pevensies, Bilbo Baggins, or Alanna of Trebond. I incurred my mother’s displeasure for reading too many romance novels, so I learned to hide them and read underneath covers with a flashlight late at night. Nowadays, I travel and write dark fairy tales and romantic novels about adventurous women. And I still stay up too late reading, even though I don’t get in trouble for it anymore.”

Goodreads  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Website 

Cover Reveal and Giveaway…Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin

Yahooo!  I am super excited to bring you the gorgeous cover for Jen McLaughlin’s upcoming release, OUT OF LINE!

Out of Line releases September 2013

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00071]

Book Summary:

Desperate to break free…

I’ve spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I’m finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules…

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She’s a rule I know I shouldn’t break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything.

 

 

And…….Jen McLaughlin (aka Diane Alberts) is also offering up a special contest. For every 100 adds she gets on goodreads for OUT OF LINE before the release (September 10th), she will reveal 5 pages of the book early!

If the book hits 600 adds before the release, she will release a bonus scene from Finn’s POV! She will also choose random people who use the tag #OUTOFLINE on twitter and facebook, or adds the book to their TBR list, to receive swag!

To add OUT OF LINE to your Goodreads, click HERE and then click on the WANT TO READ button under the book cover….it’s that easy!

OOLTeaser3

Also, Jen is offering a signed/personalized copy of OUT OF LINE to one lucky reader! The rafflecopter is below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About the author:

DianeAlbertsAuthorPicJen McLaughlin writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, is due out September 2013. She also writes Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. She is a multi-published, bestselling author and is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing.

 

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is too write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

 

Website  ~  Facebook Fan Page  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads

 

Exclusive excerpt from All My Life by Rucy Ban

Happy Monday!

I am BEYOND excited to share an exclsive excerpt from Rucy Ban’s book, All My Life, from Neil’s point of view.

Huge thanks to Rucy and a big dreamy sigh for Neil!

Enjoy!

all my life

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

(you can find my review of All My Life here)

Exclusive Excerpt:

Thank you dear readers for all the love you’ve shown me! You are all amazing and I wanted to share this new scene from ALL MY LIFE with you as a special thanks! So go ahead and enjoy the ‘drive-in’ scene from Neil’s POV!
The following excerpt is for 17+ due to the hot, steamy foreplay and liberal use of the F word. 
 
“You being the best goddamn people!” I tell her and tug on her hand. Her softness slams against me and I bite my cheek to stop myself from groaning out loud. 

I know it’s too soon for her. The marks haven’t left her yet and I shouldn’t push her. I don’t want her to get that horrible hollow look on her face again. My heart clenches every time I see her like that. Like something inside her died. 

I wish I could kiss away all the scars he’s left on her heart. Maybe sing her one of those songs she likes so much or sketch her face just the way I see her. Those soft brown eyes, pink lips, her dimples etched out and a cheek-cramping smile covering her face. No trace of sadness anywhere on her. But I’m neither a singer nor an artist. I’m none of that. 

I’m just hoping my love will be enough to make her forget. She raises her hand and quickly wipes something off her cheeks. I lower my head and whisper in her ears, “No tears, Angel.”

She looks up at me and there’s a playful annoyed look on her face that makes me relax. She’s happy.

Not scared. Not nervous. Happy. Thank fuck.

Then she pouts her pink lips at me and my gut clenches. Somehow that little act of hers snaps something inside me and I just can’t wait any more. I have to taste her…now. I crush my lips to hers and God it’s like I’ve just tasted heaven. Soft, hot, wet and sweet. My tongue delves in her mouth and the beat between us flares. Her heart pounding against my chest, the chills covering her arms, the soft moans she’s whimpering in my mouth, everything tells me she wants me. And when she raises her legs, wrapping them around me, it’s all the confirmation I need.

Whatever little doubt I have is crushed just as she pulls my shirt out and slides her soft hands on my chest. She moans at the contact and damn the purr in her voice drives me right over the edge. This is my chance and nothing on this planet can stop me from taking it.

I pull her waistband down and graze my hand just under her belly. She stops breathing and I can tell she really wants me to go on. But I don’t want to rush this. I change direction and lower my hands on her back, squeezing her behind. God but having her in my hands is the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had. I just hope she doesn’t ask me to stop because I think it’ll kill me if I have to.

I look down at her and will her to open her eyes, to give me her approval to continue. But she doesn’t and just when I think I should tell her I’ll stop and we’ll take it slow, she lets out a long overdue breath, opens her eyes and gives me the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my entire suckass life. A fist clenches around my heart, freezing me to the spot. Her fingers reach for the zipper on my jacket, pulling it down. It falls open and I shrug it off, soon followed by my shirt. All this while her lips keep mussing with mine, her tongue keeps making short, hesitant strokes in my mouth and her teeth nibble on my lower lip. God help me but I’m only human.

I drive into action like a man possessed. I remove her coat, flick off her shirt and am rewarded with the sight of her in a white lacy bra. My eyes trail over her nipples pebbled and straining against the cotton, almost as if they’re calling out to me.

My heart slamming against my chest, I look up at her face to judge where she’s at. Her eyes closed, her lips apart, her breath coming in short, fast gasps and her long, silky hair falling in a sexy mess on her white, creamy shoulders. It’s the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen.

A sigh escapes my lips just as I lower them on her neck. The pulse racing through her veins quickens as I press my lips on her skin and then graze them down to her breast. I thrust them into the soft swell there just as I bring my hand up to cup it from below. Both of us groan at the same time at the intensity of feelings that rock our bodies.

But I don’t want to act on them just as yet. I want her body to go completely wild with need, till there is not an ounce of shyness or unease left behind in her.     

I slip off her straps and take off the cups still molded to her breasts. Fucking hell’s angels. I was so wrong. This is the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen. My chest is thrumming for a taste of those hardened peaks and I just cannot fucking wait. I bend my head and pull in a nipple in my mouth.  

“Oh!” she gasps and immediately melts into me. I tighten my hold on her and as I keep sucking, her breath starts coming in soft desperate pants, her fingers dig into my skin and her musky scent surrounds me completely. I can tell my angel really likes my lips on her. 

 

Dear readers, hope you enjoyed this scene! Leave me a message on my Facebook page or my blog if you like this or want more! 

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/rucy.ban

BLOG – http://jiltedgenius.wordpress.com/

ALL MY LIFE ON AMAZON – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFB35UO/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Adult Angles of Omnific Event

ofic angels banner

Omnific Publishing is celebrating all things Omnific, Romance, and Angels! August 5th-10th, participating blogs will be featuring different guest posts, interviews, and excerpts by the authors of The Omnific Angels. Don’t forget to enter the giveaways and visit the other stops by clicking the linky list below. Different blogs will be hosting three different giveaways for each author.

Omnific and the authors would like to invite you to join the Angel Goodreads Group! Head over to Goodreads and see what’s going on: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/100102-angels-in-romantic-fiction. 

Click here to view the other Angels of Omnific stops and giveaways…

Read-Love-Blog was chosen to host Patricia Leever!  I have a fabulous excerpt, a fun round of questions with a character as well as all of her book info and she has a fantastic giveaway! All the info you need is below:

Patricia Leever’s Adult Event Giveaway: ( US Only)

(1) Print copy of Divinity

(1) Beaded angel wings bookmark

(1) Angel wings earrings (gold toned, hypoallergenic, nickel free)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Divinity cover

Divinity

(Divinity, #1)

 

Demons.

They’re everywhere, hiding in plain sight. Chances are, you’ve interacted with one or two of them in your lifetime without even realizing it…

Demon hunter Evelyn Brighton saves unsuspecting humans from the malevolent creatures masquerading around them every day. Working under the Lebriga Corporation’s direction, she never fails to bring her A-game with her keen skill, fiercely independent spirit, and the best weapon in her arsenal: the Divinity blade.

Evelyn’s world is turned on its ear, however, when she is ordered to train cocky new recruit Daniel Summers. They both feel an instinctive pull drawing them to one another, the ancient spells tattooed into their skin illuminating whenever the two hunters come into contact. But with evil looming over the city of Los Angeles, Evelyn and Daniel’s mutual competitiveness and sense of duty to Lebriga and all humankind forces them to hold back their desires. Will their restraint be enough to keep them focused and save southern California, or will the dark forces prevail?

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, Divinity is an action-filled, fast-paced marriage of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Edgy, witty, and sexy, it will bind you in its spell.

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Clarity cover

Clarity

(Divinity, 0.5)

 

Gasping for air inside an ice-filled tub. Convulsing from an electric shock to the brain. Struggling against restraints that bind and gag…

Just another day at Agnews, The Great Asylum for the Insane.

But for Evelyn, the night is so much worse.

“Demons—wearing white coats and crisp white hats—prowled the halls, searching for a patient who would serve as their evening’s entertainment. And from the moment I’d arrived, I seemed to be their favorite play toy.”

A young woman committed to the asylum during the late 19th century, Evelyn knows she isn’t insane, that the creatures she sees and suffers at the clawed hands of aren’t hallucinations. Yet she’s all alone but for their unholy company and the doctors trying to vanquish these “visions.”

All alone but for the others who can see what Evelyn sees, too. And they’re coming for her.

In this short-story prequel to Patricia Leever’s Divinity, we meet Evelyn Brighton before the tattoos—before a century of training and supernatural combat makes her an official bad-ass. Both eerie and endearing, Clarity transports you back to Evelyn’s origins, revealing the crucial turning point that delivers her from misunderstood maiden to deadly demon hunter.

Available for FREE at Omnific Publishing to download: http://omnificpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_38_39&products_id=90

Today’s book blurb is brought to you from Clarity, the short prequel to Divinity (available for FREE download at Omnific Publishing)

And, with that, we accepted Gabriel’s offer.

Kneeling before him as the train careened along, we grasped hands. Alexander and Isolde stood behind us, Alexander’s hand on my shoulder and Isolde’s on Tessa’s. Gabriel likewise placed a hand on each of our heads, and as warmth filled my body, radiating out of every limb, every hair, every fiber of my being, his voice became all-consuming.

“I bestow upon you these angelical gifts: you will fear no illness, for none shall touch you; you will not fear age, for that shall stand aside for you; you will not fear weakness, for my strength shall course through you; you will not fear ignorance, for you shall have the knowledge you seek without effort; and you will not fear death, for when it comes to you, it shall bring you to my side.”

Bright light painted in brilliantly beautiful colors filled the air around us, swirling with life. Warm angelical breath washed over everyone, and I could almost feel Gabriel’s presence within me, building me up, fortifying every molecule in my body. The sensation seemed endless, but in truth, it only lasted for a moment.

When the inside of the car returned to normal, Gabriel was gone and Tessa and I could start our life anew.

 

One more fun thing for you all today……  Three Random Questions with Gabriel

 Greetings my name is Gabriel, I am the archangel featured in Patricia Leever’s Divinity series and I’m here today to answer three random questions.

  1. Where are your wings?

Really? *sigh* I understand your human minds perceive that being an angel that I must sport a gigantic set of snow white wings. I fully admit that there was a time, in a different millennia, where that was the case and I did, in fact, allow my wings to be visible by the human eye. However, today I find them to be…passé and more than slightly ostentatious. Not to mention, they are enormous when they are unfurled and quite frankly more trouble than they are worth.

2.  I’ve heard that angels have no genitalia, is that true?

Oh for God’s sake that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I can assure you that while I do not possess the ability to procreate I do indeed have all the proper, working, equipment. Just because I cannot give a woman a child does not mean I don’t enjoy giving it my best go. Frequently. *wink*

3.  You don’t have a big part in Divinity, but I hear you are going to have a larger part in the sequel, Entity, is that true?

Yes, my part in Divinity is on the small side, but as you mentioned, Patricia has given me a larger part in Entity. I do enjoy interacting with the other characters, even that rude, disgusting bastard, Lucifer who is pleased as punch to make his debut in the series. Honestly, I don’t know why Patricia insisted on bringing that…creature…into the series, but c’est la vie, this is all her her twisted little mind, not mine.

 

Well, I thank you for joining me in this rousting round of Three Random Questions, it has been an honor to entertain you. I do hope you check out Divinity, and the short prequel, Clarity, which is available for free download at Omnific Publishing. Stay safe and ladies, remember the answer to question two.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this stop on the Adult Angels of Omnific Event!

About the Author

Patricia LeeverPatricia Leever is a wife, stay-at-home mom of four and owner of one dog and one little black cat. On the average school day she runs about town like a lunatic picking-up and dropping off kids and trying to find a moment of quiet to write down a word or two. She’s a sci-fi geek that loves to dress up like a zombie and participate in the local zombie march down Main St. and laugh as much as possible; laughter frees the mind and heals the soul.
Live. Breathe. Write.

 

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