New Release ~ Winski & Leeds: An Enforcers of San Diego Collection ~ by ~ Mignon Mikel

Title: Winski and Leeds: An Enforcers of San Diego Collection
Author: Mignon Mykel
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: January 24, 2020

 

On the ice, they’re two of San Diego’s best NHL players.
Off the ice? They’re both struggling with love.
When Trevor Winski meets Callie he knows his luck with the ladies is about to change. He’ll just have to break some rules first.
Mikey Leeds had luck but lost it. Now superstitious of that fateful day, the last thing he expects is about to get his second chance at love—with the one woman he shouldn’t want.
Follow these two on their journeys to happily ever after in this collection, containing 32: Refuse to Lose and 25: Angels and Assists!

 

 

 

 

Mignon Mykel, author of reader-favorite Prescott Family, loves books, dreaming, and espresso. When not writing, you can find her reading, hiking, or hanging out with her adorable nanny boy-os.

 

 

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New Release ~ Bittersweet Legacy ~ by ~ R.G. Angel

Title: Bittersweet Legacy
Series: Patrician Book One
Author: R.G. Angel
Genre: Bully Romance
Release Date: January 24, 2020

You don’t realize when your life is about to change forever, how a simple text can tear your world apart. 
 
Esme Danvers doesn’t have an easy life but at least she is loved by her widower father… or at least that’s who she thought he was for 17 years. Enter William Forbes, top 10 of America’s 1% and her actual father – or rather the father of Esmeralda Forbes, the girl she was born to be, the heir to a legacy she’d never known or wanted. 
 
Esme’s thrown into a world of glamour and money, smoke and mirrors, hate, pain and unspoken rancor. A world with a distant, calculating and uncaring father; Archibald, a brother who hates her; and Caleb, his best friend who is as wicked and mean as he is beautiful and charismatic. 
 
Caleb, this broken boy whom she can’t seem to hate enough to keep him out of her bloodstream, a boy who doesn’t seem to hate her enough to stay away. 
 
But as the past reveals itself in ways Esme didn’t expect, she finds herself in the middle of a swirl of lies, betrayals, conspiracy and even murder, with barely anyone to watch her back. 
The only thing she really wants is to get back to being Esme Danvers, to find a way out before it’s too late.
 
 

 
 
 
 
R.G Angel is a trained lawyer, world traveler, coffee addict, cheese aficionado, avid book reviewer and blogger.
 
She considers herself as an ‘Eclectic romantic’ and wants to write romances in every sub-genre she can think of.
 
When she is not busy doing all her lawyerly mayhem, and because she is living in rainy Britain, she mostly enjoys indoor activities such as reading, watching TV, playing with her crazy puppy and writing stories she hopes will make you dream.
 
If you want to know when R.G.’s next book will come out, or what signing she will be attending please follow her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRGAngel/
 


 

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Blog Tour ~ Dream With Me ~ by ~ Kristen Proby

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Dream With Me by Kristen Proby

Release Date: January 21, 2020

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Dream With Me, an all-new standalone contemporary romance in the beloved With Me In Seattle Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby.

Kane O’Callaghan knows what it is to have his work shown all over the world. His pieces are on display in palaces and museums, including the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass just outside of his beloved hometown of Seattle. Kane is a bit of a recluse, spending time on his farm alone and committed to his art. His life is full.

Until the day he meets her.

Wandering through museums is Anastasia Montgomery’s favorite way to spend her time. Not only does art feed her soul, but it inspires her own art of designing wedding cakes. When her muse seems to be gone, she finds her again among the beauty in the museums of Seattle, and the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass is her favorite. She’s never met the artist, but he must be absolutely brilliant, if he can make such beautiful things out of glass.

Bumping into a grumpy stranger at the museum wasn’t in Anastasia’s plan. And then discovering it was Kane himself was absolutely humiliating.

But when she sees him again at a charity fundraiser, and ends up spending an incredible, unforgettable night with the mysterious glass smith, Anastasia finds herself thinking of Kane and little else, even her precious work. Will this relationship bloom into the romance of a lifetime, or will their dreams of success get in the way of true love?

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Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/32sHox0

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/DreamWithMeKP

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2NZlDjc

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Excerpt:

Okay, so the man has moves. It shouldn’t surprise me that someone who creates such amazing works of art can also lead a girl around the dance floor. With one palm firmly planted on my lower back, and the other clutching my hand, Kane keeps his eyes on mine.

“You’re a good dancer,” I murmur.

“You’re nervous,” he replies softly. “There’s no need to be. It’s just a dance.”

I take a deep breath and offer him a smile. He’s right. It’s just a dance.

The fact that he’s maybe the hottest man I’ve ever seen is a huge bonus.

And if he can move like this, with all of our clothes on, I can only imagine what it could be like if we were naked.

Mercy.

“I never got your name,” he says and guides me closer to him so we can talk into each other’s ears. I glance around the room, seeing my sister and the other girls smiling at us, watching us dance.

“Anastasia,” I say and turn my head, not quite planting my nose against his neck. The smell of this man is going to kill me.

And not because it triggers my asthma.

Because it’s too sexy.

I watch the pulse in his neck and enjoy the feeling of his strong arms holding me.

“That’s a lovely name.” The accent is thicker in his voice now. Irish? I’m not good with accents, but I’d bet he’s Irish.

His last name might be an indicator.

“Thank you.”

The song ends and flows into another ballad. Adele sings about finding another lover, as Kane moves against me, with me.

I wonder if it looks as sexy as it feels.

“You said yesterday,” he whispers against my ear, “that you’d be using your sketch for something else. What will that something be?”

“A cake.”

He pulls back far enough to smile down at me in surprise. “A cake, is it?”

I nod, more comfortable talking about what I do for a living than just dancing in silence.

“I design and build wedding cakes for a living. I can do them for other occasions, as well, but wedding cakes are what I’m known for.”

“Interesting.”

“I have a client who came into my shop about a month ago to hire me. They didn’t give me any direction at all. No colors, no requests. It just has to feed about two hundred guests.” I shake my head in disgust. “Not that I want them to tell me to copy a photo. I won’t do that, but usually, they have colors they like or flowers in mind. Something. Not these two. When I need inspiration, I like to look at what others have created. Or have conversations with people I enjoy.”

“That makes sense,” he says and leans in to kiss my forehead, which sends a shiver right down my spine to my lady parts—which had already sat up and taken notice of Kane.

“What was that for?” I ask.

“An apology,” he replies. “For being difficult yesterday.”

“Apology accepted.”

His lips quirk into that half-smile, his green eyes shining. The song is almost over, and I know I should thank him for the dance and find Lia and the others.

“Thanks for the dance.”

The last note plays, and I pull back, immediately wishing I was back in his arms.

He’s a stranger, and it’s crazy, but it’s true.

“Do you belong to a man, Anastasia?” Kane brushes his knuckles down the side of my cheek.

I frown. “I’ll never belong to anyone.”

“You know what I mean. Are you taken?”

“I’m single if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Good.” He kisses the back of my hand.

About Kristen:

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq
Pinterest: @handbagjunkie
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up

 

Cover Reveal ~ Hard Work ~ by ~ BJ Harvey

Title: Hard Work
Series: A Cook Brothers Novel
Author: BJ Harvey
Genre: Co-Worker, Unrequited Love, House Flipping RomCom

Release Date: January 30, 2020

Having watched his brothers meet their match, Cohen Cook is feeling something he never anticipated—envy.
 
With a demanding job, and helping his brothers with their biggest flip project yet, he doesn’t have time to sleep with, let alone date, anyone.
 
Skye Rossi is a free spirit. She’s a take-her-as-you-see-her woman who works hard and plays hard, but the person she wants to play with friend-zoned her the minute they met.
 
When sparks fly between Cohen and Skye, the only way forward is to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement that no one knows about.
 
Besides, what’s the harm in a few orgasms between best friends?
 
 
***
 
Hard Work is a full-length, co-worker, unrequited love, house flipping romantic comedy that can be read as a complete standalone and is book 4 in the Cook County series.
 
“Do you think living in the same building and working together is going to be too much?”

“If I thought it would be, I wouldn’t have said yes when Jamie suggested it,” I say with a shrug. “It’s not like we don’t spend time outside of work together already.”

“But… not like this. You’re literally two flights of stairs away.”

“Do you have a problem with it? I didn’t exactly ask before springing it on you.”

“It’s fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine,” she rambles. “I’m just in one of my weird overthinking, worst-case-scenario, the-world-may-end-tomorrow kind of moods.” She waves her hand in the air. “Just run with it, keep me fed and watered, and tell me I look pretty.”

“You’re fucking gorgeous, Skye, and you know that.”

“Well, that’s a bit much, but I’m not gonna stop you.”

“It’s true. And to take it one step further,” I say, leaning in, the smell of her perfume more potent the closer I get, “when you walked into the station tonight, I had to turn around and walk away to stop from becoming the laughing stock of the station and earning a new nickname.” A salacious grin transforms her face.

“That bad, huh?”

“That good. It’s like you purposefully forgot to do up the top button of your shirt just to flash me the blue lace underneath.”

Her eyes dance with mischief, and without even asking, I know it was all for me. She taps her chin with her index finger. “Hmm, I wonder what name you could have had.”

“Egg white,” I say.

“Okay, that’s not what I expected. Why that?”

“Stiff when well beaten.”

Skye barks out a laugh, and I join her. “What about Cocked and Loaded?”

“Or just Cocked.”

“Quick Draw?” Her lips quirk up and said cock twitches to attention. How is it that I’ve been able to control myself around Skye during the past year, but since that kiss and Skye’s declaration that sex with me could just be sex—no complications needed—I can’t get her out of my head? The genie is out of the bottle, and that stubborn bastard refuses to go back inside.

“And I think that’s a sign we should change the subject.”

 

 
Work In Progress – DOWNLOAD FREE
 
 
 
Working For It – PREORDER
 
BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Bliss Series. She regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer, and a funny romance thinker upper. An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly and loving every minute of it. She’s a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, and hails from what she considers as the best country in the world—New Zealand—although she currently lives in Perth, Australia.
 

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Cover Reveal ~ Unicorn Untamed ~ by ~ Lin Reynolds

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Unicorn Untamed: Turning Sh*t to Sparkle, a journey of messy self-discovery from Lin Reynolds, is coming March 30th, and we have the one-of-a-kind cover!

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We’ve all done things we’re not proud of.

We all struggle with emotions we’re ashamed of.

We all have darkness we try to hide.

What if you could learn the tools to take the bad shit . . . and turn it into a beautiful sparkle?

Unicorn Untamed takes you on a journey of messy, uncomfortable self-discovery with some hard truths to help you become a better version of yourself . . . your true unicorn self.

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Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gf1SjP

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/UnicornUntamed

Add UNICORN UNTAMED to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/37lZnIK

Lin Reynolds

About Lin

Lin is a middle-aged unicorn . . . proof that you really can do or be anything. She considers herself a fun enthusiast, a queso connoisseur, and is highly obsessed with Bret Michaels and glitter. She lives in East TX with her husband and 2 fur babies and hates responsibility, spiders, and adulting.

 

 

Connect with Lin

Instagram:  http://bit.ly/2tBrtAX

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Gf2V3f

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2tEoY0F

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RzxFS2

Website: https://linreynolds.com

Join Lin’s Unicorn Untamed Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2G5KQom

 

Cover Reveal ~ Waiting For My Queen ~ by ~ Georgia Cates

🔥🔥 HOT COVER REVEAL 🔥🔥
Check out Georgia Cates’s hot cover! Waiting for my Queen is releasing on March 3rd!

BLURB

Emilia—

All I’ve ever wanted was to marry for love.

But girls like me don’t have that luxury.

We are used as pawns in a game we can’t control.

The game? It’s called Mafia.

I was foolish enough to try to change the rules… and I lost.

 

Luca—

She was promised to me years ago.

And he dared to take her from me.

Dared to touch what was mine.

I put an end to that.

I hope he’s enjoying the view from his dirt room.

 

Emilia—

My beloved’s killer placed a ruby ring on my finger and called me his queen.

But that red gem symbolizes something different for me.

It represents the blood shed by those I love most.

Hell was empty the day we wed.

Because the devil was standing before me and said “I do.”

 

Luca—

I saw her as a possession.

A shiny toy I didn’t want other boys to play with.

But she’s so much more.

Beautiful and brave and strong and broken all at once.

She tastes like everything I’ve ever wanted.

 

Emilia—

Hidden and patient.

I wait for the perfect time to seek my revenge.

But slowly, I feel him possessing me.

His heart is full of darkness… and I still want every inch of him.

Hard as I try, I can’t escape loving this beautiful monster.

 

Luca—

I’m waiting patiently because I already know that she’s mine.

Mine in a way that no one will ever understand.

Even if she hasn’t yet realized it.

For love, I’d do anything.

For her, I’d do everything.

 

Add Waiting for My Queen to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/2QOCCWM

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/37aEGzA

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2NWxfEG

Nook: http://bit.ly/2r8hYHG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qe0xpn

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2qrhah9

 

 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate Waiting for my Queen’s cover reveal, Georgia Cates is giving away two $50 gift cards! Head to her Facebook Author and Instagram pages to enter!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaCatesAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgeorgiacates/

 

TEASERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn’t looked back yet.

When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her music and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire

 

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaCatesAuthor

Facebook Author Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GeorgiasGems

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaCates

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgeorgiacates/

Tumblr: http://authorgeorgiacates.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5228869.Georgia_Cates

Website: http://georgiacates.com/

Amazon: http://bit.ly/GeorgiaCatesAmazonPage

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/georgia-cates

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/georgiacates1/

 

 

Cover Reveal ~ Striking Distance ~ by ~ L.K. Shaw

TWO HOT COVERS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!!

Check out what LK Shaw has for you… two new covers and a brand new series title!

In Too Deep (Love Undercover #1) is out now!!

BLURB

My life’s mission after joining the D.E.A has been to take down the entire drug trade in Chicago. Nothing has distracted me from it. Over the years, the line between the role I’d started out playing and the man I’ve become has blurred. The person I used to be no longer exists.

Until Gabriela. She belongs to the boss’ nephew. That doesn’t stop me from wanting her. Craving her. She threatens everything I’ve worked for. She also reminds me of the man I once was. Before the drugs and the killing. The one who tried to do the right thing. Until I lost my way.

Neither of us can resist the pull. Our passion runs hot and fiery. We meet in secret, a forbidden affair that will get us both killed. One fateful night, I discover Gabriela isn’t who she says she is. Now I have to protect the woman I’ve fallen for.

What happens when the cartel discovers my secret instead?

ONE CLICK NOW:
Or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!!
The second book in the Love Undercover series, Striking Distance,
is coming February 20!
RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW!!
BLURB:
She’s a damsel in distress.
I’m supposed to protect her, not desire her.
Especially since she’s my sister’s best friend.Estelle

I never imagined I’d get caught in the crossfire between the police and the Mexican cartel. After a failed kidnapping attempt, a bodyguard attaches himself to my hip.

Why does it have to be Victor: my best friend’s brother and the man I’ve had a crush on since I was sixteen?

Victor

Estelle tempts me like no other woman. I push aside my attraction though, because my goal is to keep her safe, not sleep with her.

The stakes are at an all time high when someone betrays us to the enemy. Now it’s a race against the clock to find her before it’s too late.

ADD TO YOUR TBR: http://bit.ly/2PV7ILT
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FOLLOW LK SHAW FOR RELEASE ALERTS: http://bit.ly/2oAiRrQ
About LK Shaw
LK Shaw is a physical therapist assistant by day and author by night. She resides in South Carolina with her high maintenance beagle mix dog, Miss P, who should probably just have her own Instagram account. An avid reader since childhood, she became hooked on historical romance novels in high school. She now reads, and loves, all romance sub-genres, with erotic romance and romantic suspense being her favorite. LK enjoys traveling and chocolate. Her books feature hot alpha heroes and the strong women they love.
Follow LK Shaw Online!

 

New Release ~ The Broken Kind ~ by ~ Andrea Bills

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We are so excited to be revealing the cover for THE BROKEN KIND, the third book in Andrea Bills’ Brotherhood series. This new romantic suspense will release January 23rd – pre-order now for just 99 cents!

About THE BROKEN KIND

The Brotherhood Series comes to a close with one final story: The Broken Kind.

A simple rescue mission for Beryl’s niece, Blair, turns Kip’s carefully balanced world upside down. She’s been held against her will for months leaving her physically and mentally battered. Kip is determined to finish what Blair started when she went undercover, but she’s just as determined to help.

Kip finds peace from his own demons when she’s around— which is both terrifying and freeing. He knows it’s selfish to crave her closeness because Blair has her own healing to do. Even still, her chaos calls to his own in a way that only someone as broken as him would find beautiful.
She’s the kind of woman whose strength, beauty, and intelligence would make a man go to war.

He’s the kind of man that stays in the dark because the light of the world doesn’t want him around.

Can love unite two tired, desperate souls or will it only exist as a catalyst to their own self-destruction? The odds are against them in this romantic suspense, but shouldn’t love be able to conquer all?

Add THE BROKEN KIND to your TBR!

Pre-order THE BROKEN KIND for 99 cents!
Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo

 

 

About ANDREA BILLS

Andrea is a wife, mother and writer from small town West Virginia. She spends her time while she’s not dreaming up lovers and villains alike chasing after her two kids and husband.

Her overactive imagination and her husband’s wacky dreams attribute to her love of the written word. Guilty pleasures include reading all night and Reese Cups.

Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

Cover Reveal ~ All Geek to Me ~ by ~ Allie York

Cover Reveal for ALL GEEK TO ME by Allie York

 

 

Join us in this super nerdy cover reveal of Allie York’s upcoming release, ALL GEEK TO ME.
Welcome to Words for Nerds, the best comic book shop in the south, an upcoming
must-read series. Scroll for a look at the cover and don’t forget to add this
single dad romance to your Goodreads shelf!

I, Noralee Reynolds, lead the ultimate nerd life. I own a comic shop,
have a great group of geeky friends to work with and wear a different cosplay
every day. Since inheriting the family business I’ve had no time for a personal
life of my own. Even if hosting a speed dating event makes me wish otherwise.

I, Wyatt Collins, lead a hectic life. As a single dad, I’ve only got
time for two things – raising my son and being a cop. I wasn’t looking to cuff
myself to anyone. Then I crossed paths with a nerdy comic shop owner who made
me think twice.
Things are great until a little self-doubt has Noralee wanting to run
away.
Can Wyatt convince her that he can be her real-life superhero?
Pre-Order Today!

 

Add to Goodreads!
About Allie
Allie is a mom, wife, and dog groomer by day. At
night she is posted at her laptop writing or reading in a cozy corner. She has
a soft spot for gooey romance,  coffee, and anything cute and furry

 

This release event is hosted by Forever Write
PR. For more details, please visit the FWPR Facebook page.

 

New Release ~ Reign & Ruin ~ by ~ J.D. Evans

Today we have the release day blitz of J.D. Evans’ Reign & Ruin, the first in her MAGES OF THE WHEEL Series! Check out the release and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: Reign & Ruin

Series: Mages of the Wheel, Book 1

Author: J.D. Evans

Genre: Epic Fantasy

 

 

About Reign & Ruin:

“All magic is beautiful,” she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.”

 

She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.

 

She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man’s place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.

 

His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.

 

Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.

 

They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel—but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm…

 

Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning.

Get Your Copy Today!

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

“It’s subtle,” he said, “but I get the sense I’ve upset you.” His midnight eyes were bright and wild with energy from his fighting, his face flushed, his breath still quick. He was close enough to touch, and she clasped her hands in front of her. That was the extent of her self-control, and her gaze slid from his fierce expression to his bared torso. Naime had never been so close to a man who wasn’t fully clothed, outside of Ihsan while he was recovering from his burns.

She had seen men without their caftans, in the fields, at the docks. But this was wholly different. He was different. A warrior, attested to by the hash-work of scars on his golden skin. Naime wondered at them, a thin one across his chest, a thicker, short line over his ribs, and a long, curved one that disappeared into his salvar. The entire expanse of her skin felt as if it were on fire.

Naime cut her gaze away from his body and caught sight of the Viziers, huddled just outside the walkway that opened into the main courtyard. They were watching the two of them together, expressions pinched with suspicion.

“Do you have clothes?” Naime said, appalled that she’d been so preoccupied ogling him that she hadn’t considered the fact she was lurking in an archway with a half-naked man.

“I am wearing clothes,” he said. Her gaze whipped to his, and her shame deepened to see the pleased expression on his face. Of course he was aware of her attention, she had been as obvious in her staring as her handmaids had.

“More clothes.” Naime tried not to sound desperate, but the weak timbre of her voice gave her away.

“I do.” He reached up to swipe a hand across the back of his neck. A shower of sand fell to the stone floor between them and they both peered down.

“In the future, wear them. And refrain from such inappropriate displays.” Naime managed to find some composure once she wasn’t looking at him.

“What exactly do you consider an inappropriate display, Sultana?” He almost laughed, but it came out as an impatient exhale instead.

“Tamar is a place of restraint and decorum, Agassi. You are more than welcome to spar with the guardsmen as long as Commander Ayan oversees it”—she pointed to Bashir—“and I would expect that you would not humiliate yourself by doing so half-clothed again. Certainly not in front of the Viziers. It will do you no favors in the Council Hall.”

“Humiliate myself,” the Agassi said, his voice flat with disbelief.

“It is offensive.” Naime gestured at him in a lame attempt to indicate his half-clothed state, then at the lingering Viziers.

“Only in a place full of weak-bodied, self-important pacifists would sword practice count as humiliating. You find me offensive,” he said, “fine. There are few things I find more tiresome than someone who puts too much stock in pageantry and pretense. And you worship at the altar of pretense.”

 

About the Author:

J.D. Evans writes science fiction and fantasy romance and is the author of the novel, Reign & Ruin. After earning her degree in linguistics, J.D. served a decade as an army officer. She once spent her hours putting together briefings for helicopter pilots and generals. Now she writes stories, tends to a tiny human, knits, sews badly, gardens, and cultivates Pinterest Fails. After a stint in Beirut, J.D. fell in love with the Levant, which inspired the setting for her debut series, Mages of the Wheel.

J.D. currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, though she will always be a Montana girl at heart.

 

Connect with J.D. Evans:

Email | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Enter J.D. Evan’s Goodreads or Facebook Giveaway!