Release Day Blitz ~ Home For the Howliday ~ by ~ Cassie Leigh

Title: Home for the Howliday
Series: An Ushers Run Pack Novella
Author: Cassie Leigh
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: November 1, 2016
He may have given up fighting, but he’s in for the fight of his life…
Walking away from his wolf pack duties and woman he loved was the hardest thing Gunner Thoren ever did. But now, ten years later, the successful MMA fighter is giving up the cage, and reclaiming what’s always been his. 
Before shifter witch Noelle Hiver could give Gunner her heart, he was gone. And now that he’s back, someone else is determined to claim her as his mate. Refusing to be marked by anyone other than the wolf she’s loved for past ten years, Noelle will do anything in her power to stay connected to Gunner. But the jealous wolf who wants her for his own won’t heel. Now it’s up to Gunner to protect the woman he’s always loved and finally give Noelle the best gift of the holiday season–his mark. Will the howlidays bring something for Noelle and Gunner this Christmas?
Chapter 1
The sultry croon of “Santa Baby” blaring through the crowded cabin might as well have been nails on a chalkboard to Gunner Thoren. The eggnog and holiday cookie smorgasbord only added to his irritation. For the hundredth time he questioned his motivation for coming back into the fold. He’d walked away from a good thing in Las Vegas, to return home to the wolf-pack town of Ushers Run, Iowa. “Eventually you all come home.” Gunner shook the pack-elder’s voice from his already crowded mind. He’d met with the old man along with the pack-leader, Ambrose. It was a lofty position for his best friend to ascend to in Gunner’s absence. Then Ambrose blindsided him with a compulsory invitation to attend the festivities this evening. It was intended for the younger members. Some crap about pack bonding.
Gunner just wanted to enjoy being in nature. It was the only part of being home that he looked forward to after a decade of self-imposed exile. The bright lights of Las Vegas lacked a forest for his wolf to run in. Wolves didn’t belong skulking through back alleys and desert landscapes. At least Ambrose picked a nice spot in the woods for the cabin he’d designed for the pack’s use. Too bad it was currently being overrun with someone’s bastardized idea of Christmas cheer.
From his spot in the corner, Gunner sneered at the garish holiday sweaters covered in ice skating reindeer and penguins decorating evergreen trees. The pack he was born to, or at least this generation of it, might be happy to prance around like drunken fools, but he wouldn’t be caught dead participating in such stupidity. His brother, Asher, loped toward him from across the room in the easy way that came with overstimulated youth. Battery-powered twinkle lights wrapped around the kid’s snowflake-covered sweater. It must have come out of their grandmother’s closet.
Asher grinned up at him. “You aren’t in party gear, bro!”
Gunner growled and hunkered down in his corner, unwilling to acknowledge the fool. This kid was why he gave up fighting and the title shot he had worked for years to achieve. Now he would run his family’s business—the local gym. With their father’s passing, his mother needed the help keeping it from going under and his kid brother from tearing down half the town with his idiocy. Less than two years until he graduated and Gunner could take off again. He was already counting down the days.
“Never fear,” Asher said, undaunted by Gunner’s stoicism. “I knew it would happen, so I brought an extra.”
Asher slapped his brother’s back and gave him an ineffective shove that left the kid rubbing the sting out of his hand. Gunner stood still as a mountain, which he was as a middleweight fighter. He fought at 185 pounds but walked around closer to 220 between fights.
“Nothing’s wrong with my sweater,” Gunner groused. He’d worn a normal sweater, a traditional Scandinavian pattern in grey and navy. A respectable sweater, not some castoff thrift store reject.
“You’re not getting into the spirit,” Asher said, his tone sullen and accusatory.
Feminine laughter that was equal parts wicked and ethereal rose above the chaotic jumble of voices and crappy Christmas pop-music. Gunner tuned out the useless prattle that continued to dump out of his brother’s mouth, searching for the owner of that laugh as if it was a homing beacon meant to draw him in.
“You’ve got enough for both of us.” Gunner answered his brother to stop the distracting noise. He searched the nameless faces. The laughter had stopped but he knew he hadn’t imagined its siren song.
That’s when Gunner saw her. The reason he left town in the first place—Noelle Hiver. She moved like a Nordic goddess come to life—a young and beautiful version of the Norns—as she stood in front of a tinsel-draped tree talking with her hands as if they were weaving a tapestry to illustrate her words. The multicolored lights that reflected off the metallic decorations shone on her like a rainbow spotlight.
The little vixen was a dangerous temptation. Her white sweater dress embroidered with silver poinsettias hugged her lithe curves in places he knew his eyes shouldn’t linger—but he couldn’t stop himself, just like before. No one should look at the pack-leader’s half-sister that way, not if he wanted to keep his eyes. His illicit gaze continued the treacherous journey north to wild platinum blonde hair that skimmed her slender shoulders. He wanted a closer look, perilous as it was. He needed to know if she still wore feathers braided in the riotous curls.
Noelle again laughed at something her companion said, a woman who didn’t exist as far as Gunner was concerned, and it rang like bells calling him home. She glanced his way and his heart nearly stopped. Those eyes, guarded aquamarine glaciers, bored into him from across the room and he was curious what the pack abomination had made of herself.  
He’d never called her that, but nearly everyone they knew had. A half-breed shifter witch was not welcome among purebred werewolves, but her brother Ambrose, Gunner’s best friend, had changed that when he took over, hadn’t he? At least for this one pack he had. Gunner had never worried about any of that as she was just Noelle to him.
He closed his eyes against visions of the past that clawed to the surface of his mind and realized his brother was still talking. “Bro, hotties heading our way. It’s too late to fix you now.” This time when Asher shoved, Gunner moved as his eyes flew open. Just a step closer to her but it was as if he jumped a chasm.
Noelle sauntered toward him, her friend in tow. A sweet smile spread across her pouty pink lips. A knowing smile. Gunner steeled himself against its impact. He knew this would come when he made the choice to return home. He just wasn’t ready to see her tonight or for her to see him. But those lips brought a flash he’d give anything to forget, just to relieve the torture.
An image of her broke through, unbidden, from the past. That same smile as she sat waiting for him in the passenger seat of his Camaro on another winter night, reaching for something other than the gear shift, or at least not the one that belonged in his car.
“Gunner, fancy seeing you here.” Noelle’s silken voice pulled him out of the past.
“You’re brother’s invite clearly stated that I didn’t have a choice.”
Noelle smiled at the growl in his voice, clearly finding some kind of perverse pleasure in his words.
Asher glanced from Gunner to Noelle. “Dude, you know her?”
CASSIE LEIGH specializes in all things paranormal romance. She has been dreaming up stories since before she could write. It started with recording conversations for her dolls on a Fisher-Price tape recorder, moved on to an antique typewriter found at a garage sale, then an electric typewriter, and finally computers. In all that time, she never thought of herself as a writer. It was only a dream. It wasn’t until she picked up romance novels in her late twenties that she started to believe it was more than that and she had found where she belonged. With the help of her husband, she carves out time to write while raising five children, working full time and obsessing over her midcentury modern dream home.

 

Her goal as a writer is to transform the trials and tribulations of everyday life and turn it on its head using the paranormal world of spirits, vampires, and were-animals. The world can be a scary place, but she finds it a little more tolerable knowing that the supernatural things that go bump in the night have problems just like the rest of us.

 

Want more? You can connect with Cassie Leigh online.
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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Arrogant ~ by ~ Jenika Snow

 

Even a bad boy can wear a suit and tie…

Noah

All it took was one look at Harley to know I wanted her.

It wasn’t about the deliberate sexual dry spell I was going through either … the one I voluntarily participated in. No, there was something about her innocence and her vulnerability that had possessiveness running through my veins.

I wanted her as mine, and I’d have her. I’d show her that although I could be cruel to those who went up against me, when it came to her, I’d make the world bow down at her feet.

Harley

The intern position I had been offered was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it also came with working for a man who had the most notorious reputation in the city.

Noah Wright was anything but Mr. Right, especially not with his arrogant, unforgiving, and tyrannical attitude. He was wealthy and gorgeous, but he struck fear into people with just a look. They knew who held the power when he was in the room. So did I.

And I was now working for him and getting an up close and personal experience with his cold, hardened, and abrasive personality … and it turned me on.

But there was something else under the frigid demeanor he showed everyone, a slice of warmth he showed only me. I knew if Noah wanted me, he could easily have me, because putting up a fight was not what I planned on doing.

I wanted him, but I wouldn’t be just a conquest. I wouldn’t make this easy for him.



Warning: Love insta-everything in a book? Like over the top sugary goodness? Want your stories dripping with cocky and possessive alpha heroes who only want one woman? Get a fan and a cold glass of water ready, because this story will definitely heat you up.
Without thinking, this instinct and possessiveness moved through me. I lifted my hand and pushed the fall of her hair away from her shoulder. She sucked in a breath at the touch, but I liked that, loved that she was reacting. I wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything, wasn’t going to try and lie about any of it. Two months had passed, and I was ready to stake my claim, make her know I wanted her.

I could tell I affected her in more than one way, but whether she’d embrace that remained to be seen.

“Mr. Wright.” She whispered my name.

“You’ll call me Noah. I need you to call me that.”

I stared at her lips. I wasn’t the type of man that gave in to anyone or anything, but for Harley I’d gladly give her my entire world.

Insta-everything was going on with me where it concerned her, and I wasn’t about to ignore this, not when it was the first real thing I’d ever felt. I wasn’t going to pretend that this was a passing, superficial experience.
This was fucking real.

I saw the emotion flash across her face, the confusion, the war. She wanted me; I knew that by the way she acted toward me and by her body language. But she was trying to keep her composure, trying to keep this wall between us. I sensed that, felt it since I was trying to do that myself.

“I don’t think this is appropriate, Mr. Wright,” she said, but I kept my hand on her cheek and stroked my thumb along her jawline.

“Appropriate? Maybe not. But it feels pretty fucking right, Harley. It feels really damn good to me.”

“You’re my boss.” She tried to sound adamant, but I could hear the longing in her voice.

I didn’t stop touching her jawline. I wanted to touch more of her … all of her. She slipped her tongue out and ran it along the swell of her bottom lip. And I lost all semblance of the self-control I’d been holding on to. I lowered my head, moved slightly toward her, and knew if I allowed myself to kiss her, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
But I paused with our mouths only inches apart. “Tell me you want this, that you want me.” I stared right in her eyes. “We don’t have to fight this.”

She breathed hard, and the sweet scent of her breath, laced with cinnamon and sugar, moved along my mouth.

“I want you, and I know you want me, Harley. I can see it when you look at me, in the way you hold yourself in my presence.”

“We shouldn’t cross this line,” she whispered.

And that’s when I did what I’d wanted to do for the last two months.

I cupped the back of her head and placed my mouth right on hers. She gasped instantly, and I used that opportunity to lick at her lips before delving inside her mouth. I felt the moment she gave in, her resistance leaving and breaking away into desire. I pulled her closer, tilted my head to deepen the kiss, and groaned at how good she tasted. She must have had hot chocolate before coming into the office, because her flavor was incredible.
Harley panted against my mouth. I needed her so fucking badly. Her hair was loose around her face, and I gripped a chunk behind her head, pulled back, and broke the kiss. I immediately went to her throat and started sucking and licking at her soft, creamy skin.

“Oh. God,” she gasped, and I instantly went back to her mouth, delving my tongue inside.

A groan left me, my control right out the fucking window. All I could picture was tossing the shit off my desk and bending her over the glass and chrome.
TBRreview
Noah is a tough, hard, CEO and his company’s internship program is intense and stringent.
Harley has passed through the rigorous interviews to earn a coveted spot as one of Noah’s interns.  Once Noah sees Harley, he knows he must have her and will do anything to have her.  But he also doesn’t want to get involved with an employee.
Time passes and Noah is still fiercly attracted to Harley and Harley is to Noah, when she isn’t hating him for being a demanding boss.
Finally Noah can’t take it any more and must claim Harley, physically.  She’s already been his but now he just needs to make her know it.
4.5 stars!
Jenika Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author that lives in the northwest with her husband and their two daughters. Before she started writing full-time she worked as a nurse.

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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Paid For ~ by ~ Alexa Riley

 

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Mason foster goes through assistants like some people go through tissues. He’s sick and tired of having to replace them, so his best friend and business partner decides to help him out.

Kennedy Myers is here for a job and nothing else. But when the money is too good to be true, there’s nothing she won’t do to please her new boss. She’s bought and paid for, so who is she to say no? Especially when she likes it.

Warning: This dirty office romance is over-the-top filthy. If you want a possessive alpha with a bossy mouth, then do what you’re told and get this book! Seriously, though, if Mason asks, just say you bought it. He’s grumpy.
Chapter 1 *Kennedy*

I think I’m going to throw up. The single thought runs through my head, over and over. I take a deep breath, trying to get my nerves under control. Glancing around the giant room, I feel completely out of place. A woman in her late fifties sits typing away at a large desk, the clicks of her fingers hitting the keys the only sound in the big, empty lobby. I’m on the fiftieth floor of the Foster Building, trying to control my stomach as the lady ignores me and continues to work. Her silky gray hair is cut short to just below her ears and she’s wearing thick-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose. Everything about her is professional and says she belongs here. Her outfit is stylish in a way I could never put together, even if I had the money to do so. She’s classy and elegant and was surprisingly sweet to me when I checked in. She didn’t give me a snide look like the women downstairs had done.
I run one hand across my thighs in an attempt to brush away any pieces of fuzz on the too-tight gray skirt I have on. I’m still shocked I got myself into the thing. I got it in the ninth grade when I’d joined the debate team and needed to look professional. My stint at that size lasted about as long as my time on the team. The waist is starting to dig into my stomach, and I pray that the button in the back won’t pop.
I’m wearing simple black heels that I spent two hours practicing walking in yesterday. I found them in a discount bin in a shop down the street from my little studio apartment, along with a simple button-up white shirt. I feel so plain, even a little mousy. I was trying to look older, but I’m not sure I’m pulling it off.
I tried my hand at a little makeup and even took the time to put some curls into my hair. I’d tried to mimic a woman from a magazine I saw, but I’m not sure I got close to what I was trying to pull off.
What am I doing here? I shake my head at myself. I’m a horrible liar and I know it. The absolute worst at it. When I was seven, I broke a glass case my grandpa kept a signed football in. I’d confessed before he could even ask me what happened to it. Then when I was thirteen, my grandpa asked me how my day at school was, and out of my mouth came details of how Cody kissed me after school. I was so bad at lying. I couldn’t even fake it for a second. I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.
How I think I’ll ever pull this off, I have no idea. Because you have no other choice, I remind myself. I need this job. Correction, I more than need this job. I needed this job three weeks ago.
The little money I had left from selling my grandpa’s house is almost gone. I have no idea how I am going to make rent in my shitty little studio apartment. I might actually be happy to lose the place, though. Maybe I can find a local YMCA to stay at or something. My landlord is starting to really creep me out.
His apartment is right next to mine, and this morning he caught me as I was leaving, reminding me my rent was due three days ago. He also implied there are other ways to pay my rent. Ways that don’t involve money. It made my skin crawl. Mr. Kelly was easily sixty years old. He is always in pajama bottoms and a wife beater with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. And I am pretty sure the lady across the hall from me is paying her rent in the other ways he was talking about. I’d heard her earn her room on multiple occasions, and it made me shiver with disgust.
He was always a little too handsy. He finds new ways to put his hands on me all the time, and it’s becoming unsettling. I try to find ways to avoid him, but yesterday I’d come home to find him standing inside my home. He said he was checking on the water pipes, something about a leak, but my blood ran cold at how easily he accessed my home. How easily he could do it again. After he left, I shoved a chair under the door handle, but it gave me no comfort. I barely slept all night. I had no idea what I was going to do if I came up with the money to pay the rent, because I didn’t feel safe at all.
I’m just happy I still have a few more weeks until I need to make another payment to the nursing home my grandpa’s in. Knowing he has a place to be for a little longer gives me some relief, but not much. A sharp pain in my palm reminds me I’m squeezing my apartment keys too tight and they’re digging into my skin. I open my bag and drop them down inside.
Your name is Kennedy Myers. You went to University of Michigan, where you got a degree in liberal arts. You are twenty-two years old and have always dreamed of working for a company like Foster and Crate, I remind myself for the hundredth time. All lies, other than my name. Lies I made up to try and get this job.
I’m barely eighteen, almost didn’t graduate high school because of my attendance, and I had no freaking clue what Foster and Crate was until two days ago when I saw the job listing. It’s a job that pays more than I could dream of. Enough to keep my grandfather in the pricey nursing home he’s in. Not only that, but if I can keep the sham up, I can get us both health insurance in a few months’ time.
This has to work. I have no other options. This isn’t merely about me. It’s about the man who raised me since I was a little girl. A man who tried to give me everything he could until he started to forget who I was.
I knew I couldn’t take care of him anymore. He needed someone to be with him 24/7, and not only that, I was physically incapable of helping him at times—my grandfather is a big man, easily twice my size. I could, however, make sure he was somewhere safe where people were good to him. So far, I had done that, but the place was far from cheap, and I quickly burned through the money I’d gotten from selling the home he raised me in. I’m drowning in bills. Waiting tables and cleaning jobs simply aren’t cutting it anymore.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered other ways to make money. One of the girls in my building strips and says she could make over a thousand dollars some nights just off cash tips. I’d toyed with the idea. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t do to keep my grandfather happy.
The man had raised me since I was a little girl. I don’t remember my mother. My memories are crafted from the stories he told me about her. I never knew my father. My grandpa made it seem like he didn’t know who he was either.
It was always just the two of us, and I love him more than anything in the world. He is the only family I’ve ever known. I loved it when I’d lie down to bed at night and he’d tell me stories about grandma. He always lit up at the memory of her. I grew up thinking I wanted a love like that, but then all that was pushed to the back burner as his health started to decline.
Lately, whenever he is having a good day and starts talking about my mom and grandmother when I visit, I write down everything he says. I am scared that one day he’ll no longer remember the stories himself, and I want to be able to tell him those same stories.
I feel wetness hit my cheeks and I quickly wipe it away. Looking up, I see the woman behind the desk watching me. She gives me a sad smile, and I look away, not liking that I’ve been caught crying. Lovely. I’m sure that’s not going to help me get this job.
I stand up. I need to get myself under control.
“Bathroom?” I ask the woman.
“Down the hall, second door on the right,” she says.
I nod and make my way down the hall, almost running into a man coming out of an office.
“Sorry,” I whisper before moving around him and darting into the bathroom. I feel his eyes on me the whole way.
Get it together, Kennedy.
TBRreview
Kennedy is desperate for a job and is pretty determined to do anything to get it, including lying about how old she is. She has to earn money to pay for the nursing home for her grandfather and pay her rent so her skeezy landlord stops offering to let her “work” off her rent in other ways.

Mason has gone through a bazillion assistants because he’s very demanding and wants someone he doesn’t have to hand hold and just knows how to use their scheduling system. His partner does him a favor and hires him an assistant who will take care of “everything” ;-).

It’s a case of mistaken identity but with an insta-love, uber alpha-ness that I expect from the ladies behind Alexa Riley.

4.5 stars!
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Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.
They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!
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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Master Bits & Mercenary Bites ~ by ~ Lexi Blake & Suzanne M. Johnson

 

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masters-bits-mercenaries-bites_300dpiTop restaurant has become the hot spot in Dallas for elevated comfort food—and a side of spicy romance. Run by executive chef Sean Taggart, Top is the premiere fictional destination for gourmet food. Join creator, New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, and Southern food expert Suzanne Johnson as they guide you through the world of Masters and Mercenaries via the secret recipes behind the food served in Top.

But what would a gourmet meal be without some company? Spend an evening with your favorite characters from McKay-Taggart as they celebrate the special moments that make up their happily ever afters. Learn how to make Sean’s specialty dishes and Macon’s desserts while exploring the private lives of the characters who make up the world. From Charlie and Ian’s next demon spawn to a change in path for Simon and Chelsea, these are the times that bind us together, the moments that make us a family.

Good meals, good times, good friends.

Bon appétit!

 

 

Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | GooglePlay | All Romance eBooks | Kobo

 

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Ian went to grab the dog’s leash. Bud started up his pee-pee dance, his massive body twisting and turning as he ran after Ian. His big paws thudded against the brand new hardwood he would never have spent that god-awful amount of money on had he realized a dog would pee on it.

He looked back Charlie’s way. “You know there’s a whole forest out back for him to go in. He should be a free-range dog. Aren’t we taking away his dogness by putting him on a leash?”

Charlie frowned his way as she refilled Kenzie’s cup. “Yes, he’s the mighty wolf dog, Ian. I watched him run away from a bunny the other day.”

He grabbed the leash. “See, if he had to go out and hunt, he wouldn’t be such a shitty guard dog. Don’t even say it, you two. Say good words. Not Daddy words.”

Charlie put a hand to her belly. “I swear this one will come out giving the world the finger and cursing.”

Bud whined, running back and forth in front of the door. Ian sighed and attached the leash. He stepped outside and Bud took off, barking and jumping against the leash until he managed to drag Ian out onto the lawn where he immediately squatted in the middle of Charlie’s azaleas and started to take a crap.

Yep. This was his life. Watching the dog crap. He was so building a fence. “You know you were supposed to be a guard dog. You were supposed to be a raging, feral beast who would take out anything in your way.”

Sort of like Ian had been at one time.

He’d been the bane of intelligence agencies. He’d been Dr. Death, raining down justice and protecting America.

Now he was a dumbass with a mortgage, a dog who seemed to be a bit constipated, two tiny chaotic things, and another on the way. No one even let him kill people anymore.

It was a never-ending cycle of waking up in the morning and seeing their faces, taking care of them, going to work, coming home, and going to bed with his wife.

It was kind of fucking awesome.

Sure, his younger self would likely tell him he’d sold out and he was a pathetic version of himself, but his younger self had been stupid as shit. His younger self thought a great time was following a known terrorist around for three weeks so he could find the cell. His younger self had needed a freaking shower, some decent food, and a comfy bed.

And a dog who didn’t take his time with the poop.

“Come on, Bud. Pinch off, man. We’ve got shit to do today.” Well, he did anyway. He was sure Bud would have a full day of licking his private parts and waiting for the girls to drop food. Bud seemed forever optimistic that one of these days the girls or Charlie was going to drop a ham in front of him.

A butterfly landed on the bush next to Bud and that was when he went into protective mode. He barked, the deep sound threatening to anyone who didn’t know what a wuss he was, and he pulled hard at his leash.

Hard enough to make Ian stumble and damn near break his toe on the garden gnome Alex had left as a joke. Hard enough to send Ian crashing down to his knee, pain flaring and making him curse.

Bud twisted again and Ian tripped over the riding ladybug thing Kala liked to push around the yard. He landed flat on his back, looking up at the sky.

Taken down by a freaking ladybug. And his back was spasming. The pain flared through him and he could feel his lower back seizing like a motherfucker.

Bud suddenly blocked out the sky, his big doggie face staring down.

“Don’t you dare.”

It was too late. Bud licked his face and Ian realized he shouldn’t have gotten up that morning. Nope. He should have stayed in bed and then he would be warm and happy and not having his face licked by a gargantuan mass of body odor and a tongue that licked its own ass from time to time.

God, if he didn’t die from breaking his spine he was going to catch some dog disease and waste away. Right here. Because he wasn’t sure he could move. “Bud, I need you to go get Charlie. Go on. Run and get her.” He let the leash drop. Bud simply sat down beside him. “Go get Charlie, boy. I think she’s got a ham for you. Go on.”

Bud laid his big head down on Ian’s chest.

Now he had a sleeping mutt and a garden gnome that was practically up his ass. He could feel the pointy cap thing attempting to violate him.

“Ian? Ian, I need you.”

Thank god. His wife would laugh her ass off, but at least she would be able to maybe help him up.

“Ian, I think the baby’s coming.”

Yep. It was that kind of day.

 

2 Warnings:
1 – You need to read the Masters & Mercenaries series before you read this novella.  
2 – Don’t read this while you’re hungry. Or skip over the recipes until you can cook them. 🙂
This is an awesome glimpse into our favorite M&M characters and their lives. It’s always nice to get a little after story check-in, especially in a series like this. You get a look at the couples and their individual stories and their friendships with the group.  
A great novella with great recipes!
5 stars! 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

 

 

 

suzanneauthorSuzanne Johnson is family-trained, a south Georgia native who’s been cooking all of her life, creating not only some really unique food, but precious memories that re-occur every time she smells something simmering in the oven. In all of her books, Suzanne shows that making a delicious meal doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be made with love. So go ahead, don’t be bashful, dive right in. Who knows? You might just make a few memories of your own.

 

 

Release Day Blitz ~ Cold Justice Series Vol 2 ~ by ~ Toni Anderson

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The second volume of NYT bestselling author Toni Anderson’s COLD JUSTICE series available now! Get your hands on books 4-6 in one boxset. And if you haven’t picked up the first boxset, find out more about it below! Romantic suspense lovers do not want to miss this intense and sexy series.

 


coldjusticeseriesboxset2_v2_finalAbout COLD JUSTICE Series Box Set (Volume 2)

If you love “Powerful suspense and sizzling romance,” don’t miss Toni Anderson’s bestselling, award-winning Cold Justice Series (Books4-6).

INCLUDES: COLD FEAR, COLD IN THE SHADOWS, COLD HEARTED Plus an exclusive short story before COLD FEAR

About Book #4, COLD FEAR

2016 Daphne Du Maurier Award For Excellence In Mystery/Romantic Suspense finalist and Bookseller’s Best Award finalist.

When old evidence turns up on a fresh corpse, ASAC Lincoln Frazer is determined it won’t delay the execution of a convicted serial killer. But when more young women are brutally slain, it becomes clear—this new killer is intimately familiar with the old murders.

Former Army Captain Dr. Isadora Campbell helped her mother conceal a terrible crime. After her mother’s death, Izzy resigned her commission and returned to the Outer Banks to raise her rebellious teenage sister. But it doesn’t take long for Izzy to suspect that someone knows exactly what she did, all those years ago.

With pressure mounting to reopen the old case, Frazer will use any means possible to catch the killer. Thrust together during the investigation, he and Izzy find themselves reluctantly attracted to one another, and begin an affair. Meanwhile the killer is much closer than they think. Izzy’s confession of her secret drives Frazer away as he struggles with her deception. By the time he realizes he’s fallen in love with the stubborn woman, the killer has her. Now the race is on to save Izzy, and any chance of a future they might have together.

Get your hands on the second volume of the COLD JUSTICE series box set!

iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play

 

Have you grabbed the first volume in the Cold Justice series? Make sure to grab the first three books!


cjvol1About COLD JUSTICE Series Box Set (Volume 1)

If you love Romantic Suspense don’t miss the first three books of Toni Anderson’s award-winning Cold Justice Series, available in one thrilling bundle!

INCLUDES: A COLD DARK PLACE, COLD PURSUIT, COLD LIGHT OF DAY Plus an exclusive epilogue to A COLD DARK PLACE

“Justice isn’t always black or white. Sometimes it’s cold and dark.”

About Book #1, A COLD DARK PLACE

(Winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award in Romantic Suspense. 2015 Holt Medallion Finalist).

Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn’t enjoy killing, but he’s damn good at it. He’s good at dodging the law, too—until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught.

FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there’s a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn’t justice. Is it?

When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves.

Get your hands on the first volume of the COLD JUSTICE series box set!

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play

About Toni Anderson

New York Times and USA Today international bestselling author, Toni Anderson, writes dark, gritty Romantic Suspense novels that have hit #1 in Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, the Top 10 in Amazon and Kobo stores, and the Top 50 in iBooks. Her novels have won many awards. A former Marine Biologist from Britain, she inexplicably ended up in the geographical center of North America, about as far from the ocean as it is possible to get. She now lives in the Canadian prairies with her Irish husband and two children and spends most of her time complaining about the weather.

Toni has no explanation for her oft-times dark imagination, and only hopes the romance makes up for it. She’s addicted to reading, dogs, tea, and chocolate.

If you want to know when Toni’s next book will be out, visit her website (http://www.toniandersonauthor.com) and sign up for her newsletter. If you want to read other fascinating stories about life in a city that, during winter, is sometimes colder than Mars, friend her on Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/toniannanderson).

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Instagram | Pinterest

Release Day Launch ~ Breaking Cage ~ by ~ A.J. Pryor

breaking-cage-rdl-banToday we have Breaking Cage on the blog! Check out this sexy new sports romance and grab your copy today!!

breaking-cage-amazon

 

About Breaking Cage:

There is speculation that he killed a girl . . .

 

Journalist Hannah Black has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: Get the exclusive story from the Chicago Bears’ new starting quarterback, Derek Cage. There’s only one problem—Derek refuses to talk to reporters. The son of a famed Illinois senator, this football star despises the media.

 

Hannah has never been one to follow orders, especially when she wants something. When her new assignment tries to give her the brush off, Hannah won’t take no for an answer, going to extremes to get the attention of this superstar athlete.

 

Drawn to her quirky questions and die-hard persistence, Derek begins opening up to this rookie reporter, and he can’t stay away no matter how hard he tries.

 

As the two get closer, Hannah finds herself falling for the enigmatic quarterback. But nothing’s ever easy. As a decade old secret comes to light, Hannah has to decide how far she’ll go and how many lines she’s willing to cross to keep Derek safe.

 

Is uncovering the truth worth the risk of losing it all?

 

Get Your Copy Today!

 

 

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

There is a small commotion at the entrance of the hotel. Derek strolls into the lobby. The dark strands of his hair are pulled off his face, and his square jaw is covered in stubble. Sexy. He’s aloof. His fuck-off attitude has my pulse quickening.

He affects me more than I’d care to admit, and I’m defenseless when he spots me, his eyes piercing the distance between us, his brow creasing, his frown tightening.

Lowering his dark lashes, he stops and inhales a deep breath. It seems my appearance has angered him, but then he opens his stunning blue eyes, and a sexy and sweet grin appears on his face, sending my heart into panic mode. He’s magnificent. He’s not walking but striding toward me.

His white button-down is un-tucked over faded blue jeans, and the sleeves are rolled to his elbows. “Hannah.” He takes the seat beside me. “I didn’t realize press was staying in this hotel.”

“I’m not officially press. I’m here to see you.”

The bartender interrupts us. “Can I get you a drink, Mr. Cage?”

Derek nods. “Water, please.” He fingers a loose tendril of hair on my cheek. “I have a game tomorrow, Hannah.”

He slides his knees between mine, trailing his fingers sensually down my bare arm. My skin tingles in its wake. It’s the oddest sensation, and it’s distracting.

“I know. I came to watch, cheer you on.” My voice is higher than usual, my sudden desire for him impossible to hide.

A smile lights his face, causing butterflies to take flight inside my stomach. Carl puts the water in front of Derek, and as he takes a sip, I’m fixated on the movement of his throat, the strength of his jaw, the bronze color of his skin.

Derek sets the glass down. “Do you have a ticket?”

With unsteady hands, I pull one out of my purse and wave it in front of him.

He snatches it from my fingers, studies it. Seemingly disappointed he says, “This is press seating.”

Larry had pulled a few strings yesterday when I called, begging him to get me a pass into this game. Technically, I’m not press, Travis is. My focus is on Derek Cage, not the Bears. But I need to be there. I will always need to be there if I’m going to learn anything about Derek Cage. Two hours later, I had one VIP ticket to the press box and locker room access.

“Connections,” I say with a shrug.

Derek grips the ticket between his thumb and forefinger. In one swift move, he rips it in two. “What are you—?”

“I’ll get you a field pass and a seat in the owner’s box. You don’t have to sit with the parasites.”

My heart races; my palms sweat. What is going on here? I stare at the liquor bottles that line the back of the bar. “Derek. I am the press.”

“No. You’re my press.”

I stare at him speechless. It’s what I’ve wanted, a break into that coat of armor, but I wasn’t expecting it.

“Ask me anything you want, Hannah.”

“What?” I quickly turn in his direction.

He leans forward and slides his hands up my legs, moving my dress high on my thighs, and I think my vagina has had a coronary.

Sensations explode between my legs when the warmth of his breath flutters across my ear, my heart pounding furiously.

“You are sitting in this bar, wearing a fuck-me-now dress and shoes I’d ask you to leave on if you were in my bed. Your nipples are as hard as gum drops, and you expect me to believe you came here to watch the game?”

Heat floods my cheeks, and I sneak a quick peek down. For fuck’s sake, my nipples are hard. Note to self: wear a padded bra around this man.

Leaning forward, his lips graze the outer edge of my ear. “Ask me,” he whispers. “Ask me anything you want.”

 

 

 

About AJ Pryor:

A.J. Pryor lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. If not home writing, you can find her at the beach, the yoga studio or the soccer field with her girls. An avid reader of contemporary romance, new adult and young adult novels, her Kindle is always within reach. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

https://www.facebook.com/AJPryorauthor?fref=ts

www.twitter.com/ajpryor1

Www.ajpryor.com

 

 

Enter AJ Pryor’s Giveaway:

 

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Release Day Launch & Review ~ Fling ~ by ~ Jana Aston

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Today we have Fling by Jana Aston, a sexy romantic comedy that releases today!! Grab your copy and enter Jana’s giveaway today!

fling

 

About Fling:

I have a crush on my boss’ best friend.

At least it’s not my brother’s best friend.

Or my best friend’s brother.

Or… never mind. It’s all pretty cliche.

 

And worse? My boss’ best friend is his business partner.

Which sort of makes him my boss too.

Okay – it’s not sort of. It’s definite. Gabe Laurent is off limits. Totally off limits.

 

Which is fine. I make do with my imagination. He’ll never know. Ever.

Unless my work bestie passes me an eighties-style teen movie sex quiz

during a meeting and I fill it out.

 

And it ends up in Gabe’s hands…

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Get your copy today!

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M4KT1VC/

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2e5j4xQ

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2erA3X1

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2dM6COd

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Fling?_requestid=316073#


Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/fling-3

iTunes: http://apple.co/2dyllyq

 

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WRONG Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jBsfDc

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

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1Vzp2QA

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1PZaIPN

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Paperback: http://amzn.to/2bBvji3

RIGHT Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MOhoOo

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/22VWl5R

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1pWcpqd

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1ZHqB2x

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/25J2dBR

Kobo: http://bit.ly/25J1Y9M

iTunes: http://apple.co/229UDeT

Paperback: http://amzn.to/1V7PUv5

Exclusive Excerpt:

What do you think of Sandra?” I ask Sawyer as I snag a signed baseball from a display case along the far wall of his office. I settle into one of the guest chairs across his desk and toss the ball over my head before catching it again.

He’s reviewing something on his monitor and he pauses at my question and turns his attention to me. “You know she’s the best executive assistant I’ve ever had. Do you need her help with something? I thought you were happy with Preston?”

Somehow human resources only assigns me gay men or women old enough to have birthed me. I suspect that’s on direct orders from Sawyer. Dick.

I give the ball another toss and catch. “No, I meant, what do you think of Sandra as a woman?”

“I don’t,” Sawyer says, narrowing his eyes at me.

“She’s got a thing for me,” I say.

“She doesn’t,” Sawyer says dismissively and taps the mouse on his desk, intent on ignoring me.

“She does,” I insist. “She’s always looking at me.”

“Maybe she thinks you’re an idiot.”

That’s a distinct possibility. I’ve never been quite sure. Most of the time she ducks her head and calls me Mr. Laurent as she scurries past. It fucking turns me on, but I’m not sure if it turns her on or if she honestly just thinks I’m an asshole.

“I think she’s dating someone in marketing,” Sawyer adds while tapping on his keyboard, engrossed with whatever’s on the screen in front of him.

“They broke up over the summer,” I say confidently, leaning back in the chair and tossing the ball a little further in the air.

“How do you know that?” Sawyer stops typing and crosses his arms across his chest. He doesn’t look pleased with my knowledge of Sandra’s dating life; I think he views her like the little sister he never had. “What could you possibly want to do with Sandra anyway?”

I catch the ball as my brows raise in disbelief. “You need me to spell it out for you, buddy?” I lean forward in the chair and adopt a serious tone. “Sometimes, when two people are attracted to each other, they enjoy taking their clothing off together so they can—”

“Shut up,” Sawyer interrupts. “She’s not really your type.”

“Beautiful?” I question.

“Sweet,” he replies.

She is sweet, he’s right about that. I think about the paper burning a hole in my pocket and wonder again if it was hers. I’d like it to be hers. I think sweet Sandra has a hidden dirty side, and I’d really like to uncover it.

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TBRreview

I LOVE John Hughes (RIP) and Sixteen Candles and this is the best nod to both. Sandra has a huge crush on the CFO of the company and her boss’ best friend. Enter Preston who gives Sandra a sex quiz and Sandra names someone she would never confess to being attracted to ever. Until the quiz falls into the wrong hands. 
A sweet, quick read that takes Sixteen Candles out of high school and into the working world. 

5 stars!

 

TBRauthorbio

Jana Aston is the New York Times bestselling author of WRONG. She quit her super boring day job to whip up more books and is hoping that was not a stupid idea. In her defense, it was a really boring job.

 

Connect with Jana:

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1M3KNIk Twitter: http://bit.ly/1JBnr5E

Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/1XqEqkJ

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1RYZhcL

Website: http://www.janaaston.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2edgQbm

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Release Blitz ~ Train’s Clash ~ by ~ Jamie Begley

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Synopsis

Beware of what you wish for; it might just come true.

Train swore never to let a woman get under his skin unless it meant forever, and forever only meant belonging to The Last Riders. He had believed his one brief sexual encounter with Killyama was a hit it and quit it. Instead, her green eyes haunted his memories. Then when he tried to convince the woman he was serious as his “more the merrier” lifestyle became a painful reminder of the life he lived, Killyama used his own club against him to keep him from what he wanted.

Killyama was holding out for a man who could offer her forever, and Train wasn’t the forever kind of man. He was a Mr. Here and Now; the wicked warrior in her dreams. He might be a walking, talking sex machine, but she needed more than that. So, until he proved she was the only one sharing his bed, the only part of her body he was going to see was her ass walking away.

*WARNING*
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually active characters portrayed in this ebook are eighteen years of age or older. Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, multiple partners, violence, drugs, domestic discipline, and explicit language offends you.

BuyNow

Amazon US I Amazon UK I iBooks I Kobo I Nook

Teaser

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AboutTheAuthor

Jamie Begley grew up in a very small, and a very rural town in Kentucky. Growing up poor was hard but she would go back if she could just to get that feeling of going to the corner and popping open a soda.

For now her days are spent writing, writing, and writing.

She would like all her fans to know one thing, “All my books are written for one purpose- the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best.” AuthorLinks

Facebook Page I Website I E-mail I Twitter I GoodReads

Release Day Blast ~ Kiss the Boys ~ by ~ Diana Downey

We’re celebrating the release of KISS THE BOYS by Diana Downey! Check out the excerpt, teasers, and amazing giveaways below!

Title: Kiss the Boys (Lost Girls, Book 2)
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Psychological Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 1, 2016

Goodreads

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e8KmOQ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2eOTtnL

Nook: http://bit.ly/2eDbfOe

iBooks: http://apple.co/2eDhFwH

Book Description:
Three estranged brothers.
One runaway girl.
Sweet and sexy Noah soars as Spartans’ basketball shooting star. Overly protective, bad boy Nathan has beaten the devil and believes he’s invincible. And angry and bitter Jake cannot move past losing his unit in Afghanistan. After suffering personal tragedies, the three brothers barely speak to one another.
Until River.
When she runs away from her abusive foster home, she crash-lands into Noah’s arms. She should feel safe with him, but she is attracted to guys more broken than she. And his brooding brothers Nathan and Jake wait patiently to catch her when she falls. Her relationship with each jeopardizes the precarious balance of their troubled family, and she will either mend their wounds or break their hearts.
*Kiss the Boys is psychological romantic suspense, containing explicit sex. This is the second book in the Lost Girls Collection. The first book is Blackout (steamy psychological thriller) by Chris Myers. Each of these books is a standalone.
Excerpt:
Everything is bitter, the cold outside, the taste of blood in my mouth, and the sting of his belt. My foster father screams at me as he chases me out the door and through the blinding snow. The dark night doesn’t hide my tears for my ex-boyfriend Ashe lying cold and stiff on the concrete of an abandoned building where I left him alone.
I still can’t believe I just left him, but what was I supposed to do? The police would somehow blame me for Ashe’s death. I’ve already had a few scrapes with the law stealing food for me and my half-starved foster sister Mia. She’s only six, but so far, Schafe hasn’t laid a hand on her or the others, just me. The other foster kids fend for themselves and stay out of his way. I’m the only dumb one who provokes him. I can’t help it. He’s an asshole, and I’ll be damned if I’ll continuously allow him to treat me like shit.
She licks those luscious lips, slightly parting them. I want to taste them. I want to dive right in, even when I know it’s quicksand.
That same look of loneliness and pain open up to me. She blinks a few times and lures me into her with her expectant gaze. Her pull on me is strong. I close my eyes to resist, but her feminine scent overpowers me.
When I open my eyes, she chews on her lower lip, waiting on me to do something. I’ve been attracted to angels before but not like this. Ever since I first laid eyes on her, I haven’t really stopped thinking about River. My mind has worked over every word, every breath, and every curve of her body, committing them to memory. Last night, I used my hands to feel and carve her depth and shape her tragic beauty into stone.
I use my knee to spread her legs, cloaked in black stockings, and slip between them. Her skirt hitches up, and I know she’s receptive to me, even though she wore the skirt for Noah. I don’t like that she did that for him. I cannot lose her, and I can’t even explain why.
I tilt her chin back to expose the soft, creamy flesh of her neck. Her breathing increases, and I descend to those succulent lips. My tongue dives into her mouth, and she flicks hers against mine.
She moans and returns my kiss, deep and filled with longing. God, I want her. No angel has ever come onto me this strong, and I’ve never been with any woman who is younger than me. I normally take my time, not only for me but mostly for them.

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY:
There are two giveaways available!
WIN a print copy of KISS THE BOYS HERE!
(5) ebooks BLACKOUT by Chris Myers

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 About the author:
I love steamy sex that sizzles off the page but also well-developed characters and a solid plot that keeps the readers guessing. Strong, masculine men with endearing qualities and motivated, determined women always get to me. My work has earned several awards including first place Paul Gillette, Colorado Gold finalist, and two semi-finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Release Day Blitz ~ Stroked Hard ~ by ~ Meghan Quinn



We’re celebrating the release of STROKED HARD! Check out the excerpt and teasers below!


 

STROKED HARD
Scheduled to release: November 1, 2016

Sports Romance

Cover Designed by: Indie Solutions by Murphy Rae

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dGA5s9

iBooks: http://apple.co/2eQuMZR

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2dPh3Qc

Nook: to come!

He’s hot. Like, stop breathing kind of hot with his killer body, vivid blue eyes, and constant five o’clock shadow.
Did I mention his body?
Watching Hollis Knightly, Olympic diving gold medalist, man-pony specialist—and cocky bastard—stand up on the diving platform in nothing but a small piece of Spandex? Yeah, I’m beguiled.
And easily seduced.
I want to keep things light but he won’t leave me alone. And hell, if he’s not wearing me thin.
What is supposed to be a simple summer fling with a very hot man, has now morphed into a f*cked-up mess of feelings, attachment, and dare I say it…love. But I don’t do relationships. And Hollis Knightly does.
Excerpt:
A joke about Reese getting his makeup done is on the tip of my tongue when I turn to see a little brunette with sun-kissed hair, beautifully bronzed skin, and the biggest fucking green eyes I’ve ever seen standing behind Reese.
Holy shit.
The hottest fucking woman I’ve ever seen is standing behind him wearing ripped jean shorts, a tight-as-hell white tank top, and teal Converse. Her hair is shoulder length, wavy, and looks so fucking soft that all I want to do is bury my head in it. But what’s really causing my pants to grow tighter by the minute are her pink-glossed plump lips. I’m mesmerized by the way the lights bounce off them and I can’t fucking help the way my mind wanders, wondering all the ways I can have fun with those lips.
“Are you coming, man?” Reese asks as he walks away.
What? Oh shit.
“Sure. You need me to hold your hand like last time?” I ask, chasing after them. “I don’t mind, but when the scary blow dryer comes at you again, I won’t be cleaning your inner thighs again from pee dribble. I did it once and it was fucking creepy. Never again.”
I don’t get a response besides the middle finger directed at me from behind his back.
Reese sits in a black chair, his large body making the poor seat look like a toothpick. He exhales and slouches as Miss Pouty Lips starts to play around with his hair.
Jealousy instantly consumes me. I want to blast my best friend from his seat and take his place just to experience the feel of her pink painted nails running through my hair.
Are her toes painted pink as well? Or does she have them painted a different shade? Fuck, I don’t care, either way I’m hell-bent on figuring it out.
“Do you have dryland later today or do you want to grab dinner?” Reese asks, pulling my eyes off her fingers for a second.
“Are you paying?”
“Cheap fuck.”
I shrug. “I save my money for more important things, like dates.” The girl looks up at me and gives me a courtesy smile. Eh, I’ll take it. “Dude, you’re so fucking rude.”
“What did I do?” Reese asks.
“Uh, you didn’t introduce me to your friend.” I nod at the girl.
“Because I don’t even know her name.” Reese looks a little ashamed as he admits his fault.
I come closer and say, “Then you are fucking rude.” I hold my hand out. “Hi, I’m Hollis and this is my rude as fuck friend, Reese.”
The girl shakes my hand quickly, giving me a brief taste of how her palm would match up with mine. “Melony. Nice to meet you.”
“Melony, what a beautiful name.”
Reese snorts, right between us. Not in an awkward kind of a way, more in a dude’s blowing up my game kind of way.
He sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh shit, this is going to be good.”
Ignoring him, I keep my attention focused on Melony. “Do you frequent these shoots often?”
Another snort. “That’s the best you got?” Reese asks. “Come on, man. You’re better than the old ‘you come around here often’ pick-up line.”
He’s right, but fuck, I’m kind of thrown off my game a little. It’s the glossiness of her lips; they’re distracting me. Would that gloss help her slide right along my dick?
Melony ignores Reese’s barb and says, “I do all hair and makeup for the show, mostly for Bellini.”
Conversation door open.
“Oh shit, and you haven’t been burnt by dragon lady’s spitting fire yet?”
She flips her hair to the side and grins at me. “Why do you think my hair is short?”
Fuck. I like her. Just like that. The sexy grin, the flip of her soft hair, the mischief in her eyes. Yup, I’m a fucking goner.
But just as soon as the words slip from her mouth, she straightens up and looks at Reese. “Oh crap. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, Mr. King. Bellini is . . .” she swallows hard and continues, “a nice lady.”
Reese waves it off. “She can be a bitch.”
It’s all he says but I know what he really means. Bellini is the epitome of the devil reincarnated. Unfortunately, given his situation, he has to be politically correct. Frankly I don’t know why he’s putting himself through this kind of torture. Trials aren’t for six months; you would think his publicist could come up with something else for him to do after his last stint at the Olympics. If I were him, I would fire my publicist’s ass.
“Reese, can you spare a moment over here for a second?” a squirrely man I know by the name of Jasper asks. Reese excuses himself giving me the perfect opportunity to talk with Melony.
She’s washing some makeup brushes, busying herself and staying as far away from me as possible. Too bad for her, I have other plans.
“Where are you from, Melony?” She glances in my direction but turns back to her brushes.
“Here,” she says curtly.
“Born and raised a Cali girl, huh? That’s—”
“I’m going to stop you right there.” She holds her hand up. “I see where this is going.”
“And where is this going?” I ask, stepping closer to her.
She gives me the once-over and puts her hand on her hip. “You say some cheesy stuff trying to get to know me. To be polite, I’ll entertain you and then you’ll ask me out. I’ll say no and then you’ll take that as a challenge.”
I scrunch my nose. “You would say no?” That’s kind of a first for me, so I’m interested to hear her answer.
“Not used to the word? Does the Olympic diver always get what he wants?”
“Ah, so you know who I am.” I knowingly point at her. “I knew you did from the way you tried to see through my shirt. Don’t worry, sweetheart, the abs everyone talks about are real.”
She scoffs. “You’re pathetic.”
Well, that’s a first as well.
“Are you trying to make me cry?” I tease.
Rolling her eyes, she steps away, putting unwanted distance between us. “Seriously, not going to happen, Hollis, so pack up your pick-up lines and take them somewhere else.”
“Wow.” I rest my hip against one of the tables full of beauty shit and cross my arms over my chest. “Flatter yourself much? Who says I was even trying to pick you up? What if I was just trying to be nice? That’s kind of embarrassing for you, assuming such a thing.”
“Please, Hollis. Nice try. It’s not going to happen.”
Growing irritated, I ask, “And why not?”
“Because.” She points a makeup brush at me. “You’re not my type and I have zero interest in pursuing a relationship with you.” With that, she fucking wags her pert little ass away from me.
Well, fuck me. That didn’t go as planned.

 

 

NOW AVAILABLE!

 

STROKED by Meghan Quinn
Released: July 19, 2016

Cover Designer: Murphy Rae

BLURB:

Reese King: Olympic medalist, underwear model, Greek god.

His body is chiseled from rock, sculpted by the weight room, and refined by water.

On a daily basis his skin is completely bare for everyone to see, tan and defined, only covered up by a minuscule piece of spandex. There is no denying his sex appeal.

I hate to admit it, but I’m head over heels infatuated with him.

There is one HUGE problem though. His achingly gorgeous abs, inked up arm, and cocky swagger belong to my boss, the high-profile, reality star bitch from hell and certified heinous human being, Bellini Chambers.

What I think is going to be an easy job assisting a glorified wench turns into a cluster f*ck of epic proportions.

STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn
Scheduled to release: September 20, 2016

Sports Romance

Cover Designed by: Indie Solutions by Murphy Rae

BLURB:
From his dirty-blond hair and breathtaking smile, to the abs from heaven and the irresistible V in his waistline, everything about Bodi Olympic-gold-medalist Banks screams hot piece of @$$.
Yet there’s more.
Dark shadows lurk behind his soulful, serious eyes.
I’m enamored. He’s captured me.
How can running an art foundation with Bodi Banks turns into a slow-burning, epic romance, even though he tries to push me away at every chance? How can I stay away from a broken, routine-driven man whose soul cries to be forgiven for a crime only he believes he committed? Or is that a lie?


**STROKED LONG can be read as a stand alone.

About the Author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.
Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.
Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!
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