Cover Reveal – Page 162

Cover Reveal ~ Whatever It Takes ~ by ~ C.M. Steele

Ana Santini woke up to with pain radiating through her body and the strangest feeling like she was in a dream world. There was a man sitting on her bed looking at her with such a warm smile. There was just one problem…she didn’t know who she was.

It took several months for her memory to begin to come back. By then she’d already fell madly in love with her rescuer. Remembering what happened before she was saved, she begged Will to protect her. Fear engulfed her when she understood her husband was searching for her. Clinging to her hero, she hid from her husband. He tried to kill her, there was no way she could be found. She’d be dead within a day.

William Cline knew it was wrong to fall in love with Ana, but she’s wormed her way into his heart from the moment he saw her from across the road. Accidentally coming across her body trapped under a log with rushing waters all around, it was all he could do to bring her home.

Realizing her accident wasn’t an accident from her injuries, he and his family along with the town doctor kept her presence a secret. Her husband was a dangerous man with a great deal of power who was trying to do all he could to find his runaway wife. There was no way he could let that happen. Learning that her husband claimed abandonment, and got a divorce, William claimed the woman he loved. The only thing that scared them was that her ex might still have eyes on her.

What would he do to keep her safe? to make her his?

C.M. Steele is a mother of three and a wife of one. Being a voracious reader of romance novels, she decided to create her own heroes to fall in love with. Although, the process was harder than she expected. There were times when she wanted to throw in the towel and go back to work in the business world, but it was the few readers that kept her going.

Now she’s living her dream of creating characters she loves and sharing them with other readers. She’s had moments of doubt and disappointment, but the voices in her head want their stories told, so she must go on. The voices are always naughty, bossy males. She knows they are never to be resisted so she must comply and tell their tales.

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Cover Reveal ~ The Driven Series ~ by ~ K. Bromberg

Check out the NEW SEXY COVERS in the Driven Series

by K. Bromberg!

Now is your chance to meet Colton and Rylee!

driven new

Driven by Need. Fueled with Desire.

Driven (Book One)

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TNF4Yp

iBooks: http://apple.co/1TwMFb3

Kobo: http://bit.ly/24BRtXN

B&N: http://bit.ly/1T5OyBl

Blurb

From New York Times Best-Selling Author K. Bromberg comes an unforgettable series about lust, love, redemption, and healing…

Our paths should never have crossed.

Colton Donavan was arrogant, exuded that bad boy vibe, and embodied everything I never wanted. And yet all it took was one night, one hallway, and one stolen kiss for me to know I hated him and desired him instantly.

My heart was healing. His soul was damaged. But with one bid, one little boy, and one carnival date, I couldn’t walk away and he wouldn’t let me in.

This is our story. Our fight. Our perfectly imperfect love.

fueled new

Fueled With Desire. Crashing Into Love.

Fueled (Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Yfj2il

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TNF7TP

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

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1s3QgY5

Blurb

What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn’t supposed to, and I sure as hell didn’t want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. She’s seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she’s still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?

He steals my breath, stops my heart, and brings me back to life again all in a split second of time. But how can I love a man who won’t let me in? Who continually pushes me away to prevent me from seeing the damaged secrets in his past? My heart has fallen, but patience and forgiveness can only go so far.

How can I desire a woman who unnerves me, defies me, and forces me to see that in the deep, black abyss of my soul there’s someone worthy of her love? A place and person I swore I’d never be again. Her selfless heart and sexy body deserve so much more than I’ll ever be capable of giving her. I know I can’t be what she needs, so why can’t I just let her go?

We are driven by need and fueled with desire, but is that enough for us to crash into love?

crashed new

Crashed (Book Three)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WhdrL9

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TNFb6e

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Tvv9nh

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1q6rmVV

B&N: http://bit.ly/1TwNnVP

Blurb

When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?

Life is full of moments.

Big moments.

Little moments.

And none of them are inconsequential.

Every single moment prepares you for that one instance that defines your life. You must overcome all your fears, confront the demons that chase you, and cleanse the poison that clings to your soul or you risk the chance of losing everything.

Mine started the minute Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet. She made me feel. Made me whole when all I thought I could ever be was incomplete. Became the lifeline I never knew I needed. Hell yes, she’s worth the fight…but how do you fight for someone you know you don’t deserve?

Love is full of ups and downs.

Heart stopping highs.

Soul shattering lows.

And none of them are insignificant.

Love is a racecourse of unexpected twists and turns that must be negotiated. You have to break down walls, learn to trust, and heal from your past in order to win. But sometimes it’s the expected that’s the hardest to hold on to.

Colton has healed and completed me, stolen my heart, and made me realize our love’s not predictable nor perfect—it’s bent. And bent’s okay. But when outside factors put our relationship to the test, what lengths will I have to go to prove to him that he’s worth the fight?

Whoever said love is patient and love is kind, never met the two of us. We know our love is worth it—have acknowledged that we were meant to be—but when our pasts crash into our future, will the repercussions make us stronger or break us apart?

raced new

A chance encounter led to the most important race of his life…

Raced (Book Four)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1T4DMbj

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/23y6Qe0

iBooks: http://apple.co/1SVjW3i

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1ZrLjTf

Blurb

Colton Donavan lived life in the fast lane, but it took Rylee Thomas to teach him what racing was all about.

Arrogant

Rogue

Broken

Conceited

Dirty-Talking

Rebel

Egomaniacal

Voodooed

Bent

Reckless

You think you know me?

Think again.

*Raced is not a complete re-write of the Driven Trilogy. This companion explores pivotal scenes as well as some new ones written in Colton Donavan’s point of view that were not previously published in Driven, Fueled, and Crashed. Hear his thoughts, experience his inner-turmoil, and laugh with him on his journey as he overcomes his demons and accepts what it means to love.

This novella is for the devoted readers of the Driven series. It is recommended that this companion be read after Driven, Fueled, and Crashed.

aced new

Racing toward forever. Claiming his checkered flag.

Aced (Book Five)

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/23y79Wc

iBooks: http://apple.co/21J3m9a

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1q6rvZx

B&N: http://bit.ly/1SVm3UT

Blurb

Rylee and Colton’s ride continues…

One moment. Six years ago.

The night she made the world around me so much more than just a blur. Now it’s the catalyst that threatens to tear us apart.

Our happily was supposed to be ever after. So why do I feel like it’s slipping through my fingers?

How can one moment, when our world seemed so right, resurface and cause our perfect life to spiral out of control?

I can’t lose her.

She’s my checkered flag.

TBRabouttheauthor

kristy bromberg New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.

On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced, Aced (releasing 1/11/16)), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat (releasing 11/3/15), and a short story titled UnRaveled. She is currently working on new projects and a few surprises for her readers.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.

Cover Reveal ~ Filthy Bastard ~ by ~ Emily Minton & Shelley Springfield

Title: Filthy Bastard

Series: Grim Bastards MC

Authors: Emily Minton & Shelley Springfield

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: June 10, 2016
Cover Artist: Cover Me Darling

She’s a poor little rich girl.

With a vindictive mother and an obsessed brother-in-law, all Adyson Sloan wants is a little freedom—for her and her sister. She dreams of having a little room to breathe and making her own choices. But when she’s kidnapped by the Grim Bastards MC, freedom comes at a much higher price. Terrified, but determined to get back to her sister, Addy’s plans are ruined when she falls for a bastard with a chip on his shoulder.

He’s a bastard without a heart.

Sergeant at Arms Brew Decker plays by his own rules. To him, nothing is sacred but the brotherhood. He lives and dies by the club and would do anything for them—even kidnap an innocent woman. After all, she’s merely a pawn in the bigger game. But everything changes when he meets Addy. Suddenly, he’d do anything for his captive.

Can love between a rich girl and a bastard survive without someone losing it all?

USA Today Bestselling author, Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She is proud to call the Bluegrass State home. She claims she bleeds blue–Wildcat Blue! She has been married to her husband, David, for over twenty years. They share two wonderful children.
Emily loves to read and has more books on her kindle than most people could read in a lifetime, but she intends to read every single one. She has published nine books, but there are many more are floating around in her head. She hopes to get them all on paper before long. She loves sharing her dreams with her readers.

Shelley was born and raised in Kentucky and doesn’t see herself leaving the bluegrass state anytime soon. Shelley and her husband have been together for sixteen years, and they share three beautiful daughters and one handsome son.Although Grim Bastards is her first published novel, she has been a fan of romance reads for many, many years. Shelley loves all sorts of genres of romance but Contemporary, New Adult, and Romantic Comedy are her all-time favorites.

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Cover Reveal ~ Farewell Apathy ~ by ~ Jenn Hype

Cover Reveal

Farewell Apathy

by

Jenn Hype

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Blurb

The world is a scary place, even when you know who you are, where you come from and most importantly, who your enemies are.

So imagine how I felt when I woke up inside of Mayford Mental Institution, strapped to a bed in a dark, empty room with no recollection of how I got there. Try to picture having no family or friends to help you try to remember and adjust to a totally new life.

If only my problems stopped there. If only I didn’t have someone trying to torment me at every turn. If only my life didn’t become more and more complicated the more I started to remember.

It started out okay enough – my friend-turned-psychiatrist Mark found me a job and a place to live. My neighbor Keegan took me in under her wing and helped me adjust. Wyatt, a dark, brooding and dangerously sexy new tenant moved in a week after me, taking on the task of reminding me what blinding lust feels like.

What goes up, must come down, and as soon as life starts to feel like something I can handle, the gravity of my messed up life yanks me right back down on my ass. Kind of crazy how quickly you can go from being completely apathetic about your unknown future, to fearing that your future might not even exist at all….

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Author Bio

What’s up world – I’m Jenn Hype.

Author, mother, wife, singer/songwriter, aspiring comedian – I wear many hats. Some of them fit, some of them look ridiculous, and all of them are fun. Life’s too short to take anything too seriously, so I don’t.

Sarcasm is my go-to, especially when it’s most inappropriate. Need someone to make an uncomfortable situation even more awkward? I’m the girl for the job.

I’m ridiculously A.D.D. and I own it. I have a serious addiction to ecards and the majority of my Pinterest account is dedicated to them. The key to my heart is glitter and caffeine – my needs are basic.

I’m a bookaholic and I crush hard on my book boyfriends and their authors. Some might call me obsessive, but I disagree. That word really doesn’t do justice to how crazy I get when it comes to something I’m passionate about. I’m not afraid to go fangirl on you, so don’t test me.

Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask. I’m an open book, and I love to hear from readers.

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Cover Reveal ~ Disgrace ~ by ~ Dee Palmer

Release Day : May 29th

I shamed my name. I am a whore. I am a disgrace. I’m all the things my mother made me. I wear my badge with pride because I know the truth, and only those worth a damn see me for who I am, not the label I choose to hide behind.

I am a Domme. I would still rather be a whore than a hypocrite like my mother, or a victim like the daughter she raised me to be.

As Mistress Selina, I can bring a grown man to his knees without so much as a crack of my handmade whip. I love the power and control—what’s not to love? I must be mad to even consider Dominant club owner and King of Kink Jason Sinclair’s proposition.

Two Doms don’t make a right.

Self-preservation has kept me at a safe distance from the one man who could change all that. The only man who wields power like a sensual sword and keeps me balanced on that knife’s edge. My choice is simple: He wants me to switch for him. But if I do, will I bleed or will I fall?

Dee Palmer hates talking about herself in the third person so I won’t. My husband had my iPod engraved one Christmas with ‘sing like no-one’s listening’ and I know my family actually wish they weren’t listening because I am, in fact, tone deaf but it doesn’t stop me and this gentle support has enabled me to fulfil a dream. This has been a truly brilliant experience, I wrote The Choices Trilogy back to back and released them this year just one month apart…Don’t you hate waiting for the next book in a series? The entire process has undoubtedly been made possible by my incredibly supportive family. I know this is very much an acknowledgment but I know I wouldn’t be writing even this single paragraph if it wasn’t for them so this is about who I am, I am because they let me be.

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Cover Reveal ~ The Dom Games ~ by ~ Rachel Robinson

Ten submissive women. One billionaire dominant.

Three months competing for his “affections.”

One winner takes all.

Add The Dom Games to your TBR list on Goodreads!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29862659-the-dom-games

RELEASE DATE: May 23rd

Blurb

Dominic Reed, heir to an oil fortune, has spent his entire adult life perfecting his dark hobby. With little control in every other area of his manicured life, he finds his release as a dominant. With more money than he knows what to do with, he creates a TV show: The Dom Games.

This year is different than the past seasons, this year Dominic will be the star. He wants a forever submissive.

Before last month Kayla Parchet thought the word submissive only referred to dogs. Fresh out of college with a business degree that is scrap paper, she needs to get an Ivy League masters degree to pursue her dreams. When Kayla is accepted to be one of the ten, her world takes a dark turn as she competes against women who live the submissive lifestyle for enjoyment. Can she hold on to her dreams long enough to win the competition and ten million dollars? Or will she get sucked into Dominic’s twisted world?

Only a few whips and canes stand between Kayla and the future she’s always desired.

Lights, camera, sex…

Rachel grew up in a small, quiet town full of loud talkers. Her words were always only loud on paper. She has been writing stories and creating characters for as long as she can remember. After living on the west coast for many years she recently moved to Virginia Beach, VA.

Stalk Rachel here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

Cover Reveal ~ A Talent For Death ~ by ~ Beth Dolgner

Maggie Connolly has yet to develop her magical Talent. A late bloomer, her parents tell her. As the teasing she endures from her classmates worsens, Maggie realizes she can repel the magic of the half-demon Kody, who insists that her ability proves she has either angelic or demonic heritage.

Desperate for answers, Maggie forms an unlikely alliance with Kody, who once mocked her as much as everyone else. With his help, Maggie begins to manifest a power she cannot control.

Soon, Maggie is the focal point of a long-prophesied war between the angels and the demons, and she will have to choose her side.

The cover, inspired by a Tarot card (which ties into the story line), is designed by Shalis Stevens.

Talent For Death

by Beth Dolgner

Series

n/a; standalone

Genre

Young Adult

Fantasy

Publisher

Redglare Press

Release Date

June 7, 2016

About Beth Dolgner

Beth Dolgner started writing short stories at a young age, and having a journalism teacher for a dad certainly set her on the right track. After she graduated from Florida Atlantic University with her degree in Communications, Beth began working as a freelance writer, journalist and public relations representative.

Georgia Spirits and Specters, Beth’s first book, debuted in the spring of 2009 and was followed by Everyday Voodoo in 2010. She has a lifelong interest in the paranormal and is an active member of West Georgia Paranormal Investigations.

Beth made her fiction debut in October of 2011 with the paranormal romance “Ghost of a Threat,” the first in the Betty Boo, Ghost Hunter series.

In her free time, Beth enjoys traveling, sewing and riding motorcycles. She and her husband Ed live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their five cats. Beth is online at http://www.BethDolgner.com.

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Cover Reveal ~ Before That Night ~ by ~ Violet Duke

We have a stunning new cover to show you today – Violet Duke’s long-awaited BEFORE THAT NIGHT, which is releasing later this month!

Check out the full cover below and enter to win an awesome $100 gift card!

BTN_NewFINAL

We are so in love with this cover!

About BEFORE THAT NIGHT

Before that night, Addison Millan had been just a college dropout secretly raising her two young siblings in a beat-up minivan she’d bought with her first semester’s tuition refund—the only money her addict mother hadn’t taken off with when she’d abandoned them the year prior.

Before that night, Caine Spencer had been just a rough, gruff cop sent to check out the phoned-in claims of suspected child neglect involving the same woman he’d met a month ago when she’d first served him the city’s worst diner coffee…which he’d been drinking daily ever since.

Before that night, Addison would never have thought the man she’d been fighting hard not to fall for—her only friend in her new shadow of a life—would be in a position to rip her family apart.

Before that night, Caine would never have believed any woman could make him fall head over heels, let alone make him feel so damn compelled to look the other way when it came to his job.

Then that one perfect night changed everything.

BEFORE THAT NIGHT (Book 1) chronicles the destiny-altering events that take place seven years prior to EVERY NIGHT WITHOUT YOU (Book 2), Caine & Addison’s emotional story of love, sacrifice, and the lengths one will run—and chase—when their past threatens their future.

Add BEFORE THAT NIGHT to Goodreads here!

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Enter to Win a $100 gift card

Sign-up to get an email notification with the pre-order links for Violet Duke’s BEFORE THAT NIGHT *and* be entered to win a $100 Gift Card! Simply fill out the google doc here!

About Violet Duke

NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romances filled with strong, unique heroines and memorably romantic heroes. With just under a million books sold to date, since becoming an author in 2013, Violet has appeared on the USA Today bestseller list thirteen times and the NYT bestseller list three times, with the additional honor of charting in the Top 10 across the major eretailers both in the U.S. and internationally. Her fans, who she just adores to pieces, affectionately call her books sweet & sexy ‘laugh & cry’ love stories.

When she’s not feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, Violet enjoys tackling reno projects with her power tools, trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, and cooking impossible-to-be-duplicated ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. A born and raised island girl, she spends her days in Hawai’i chasing after her two cute kids (daughter Violet & son Duke) and similarly adorable husband (their ringleader).

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Cover Reveal ~ Wednesday ~ by ~ Kendall Ryan

Hard core fucking.

It’s not what I really want, but it’s all he has to offer. He’s filled with turmoil and heartache and regrets, but for two hours every Wednesday all he feels is me. How much I desire him, how desperate he makes me, how much I’d like things to be different between us. Real.

He used to be my best friend back before he got married. And now? Now, he’s a young widower. It’d be wrong on so many levels to expect something more from him. So I give him what he needs. Dark delicious fucking. But I know I can’t keep this up. I’ve already given him my body, my soul. I want him to have my heart. It might drive him away forever, but that’s a risk I’m forced to take.

Wednesday is an angsty romp told from dual points of view. If you’re in the mood for something quick and dirty, you’ve found it. Proceed at your own risk.

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Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break.

She’s a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss. She lives in Minneapolis with her adorable husband and two baby sons, and enjoys hiking, being active, and reading.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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Cover Reveal ~ Your Mess Is Mine ~ by ~ Stephanie Alba

Title: Your Mess Is Mine

Author: Stephanie Alba

Release Date: May 31, 2016

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I don’t trust people who follow their hearts. Hearts are peculiar things. They’re necessary muscles that keep us alive by pumping blood and oxygen into our veins. Hearts are also compulsory, often making us foolish. They pull us towards others with a force that aches, burns, and satiates you all at once. Before you know it that mass of tissue is no longer yours.

Maybe mine never was.

In my case, that draw came from a stranger that left my heart feeling both fulfilled and consumed.

I didn’t expect to fight her for the last standby seat to New York City. I didn’t plan on letting her get under my skin. Or the way her vulnerability tore me up inside and compelled me to care for her. She didn’t plan on letting me witness her chaos.

Her anxious heart and my perfectionist mind let things get messy.

And though we didn’t plan for it, our interrupting of each others’ lives was exactly what we needed.

Sometimes the mess is the most beautiful part of life.

Amazon

Chapter 1

Hudson

The airport felt like a claustrophobic beehive. People swarmed and whizzed past me, completely disregarding my personal space. As if travel didn’t already suck, as if the process of taking off shoes and going through X-ray machines where some dude sees the outline of your dick wasn’t miserable enough. The experience might’ve been better with a gorgeous woman to impress, but of course, I always got stuck with bearded, hefty men.

Truthfully, I didn’t hate traveling. Not by a long shot. Traveling can change your view of the world. For some people, it can make it seem a lot bigger, filled with cultures and places you can only imagine. For others, it cinches the circumference of the Earth like a belt tightens around your waist. I loved the idea of discovering the world. Unfortunately, my late twenties consisted of traveling for work at a constant rate, which left little time for me to plan vacations I’d hoped for as a college student. But I guess I was lucky to be where I was when I was. Though I never believed in being in the right place at the right time, I learned the truth behind that notion that October evening.

Gate C3 in San Francisco International Airport was booming. Sitting there, I had no idea that I’d be traveling nonstop for the next five months, or that my life was going to radically change. My planet was suddenly going to feel connected and small, yet devastatingly large. Most importantly, I had no clue that the change was going to come with a pair of gray combat boots.

My flight to New York City was overbooked, but the accounting firm I worked for liked saving money, which provided me the torture of waiting on standby. Luckily, I usually had the good fortune to get on the plane despite being on a waiting list. And things were definitely looking up. The sexy, red-headed attendant winked when she said I was first up if someone didn’t show.

Seeing as my flight didn’t leave for another hour, I decided some caffeine would help me work during the flight. I’d be meeting with Daniel Ellis the following morning, a client who had been our big catch for years now. This was my chance to prove myself as a CPA in hopes of making partner at the company. I’d clawed my way up from the bottom, from taking care of tedious residential taxes to kissing every client’s ass. Coffee was absolutely necessary to ensure I didn’t fuck things up.

Walking to the food court, I considered how airports never really close and how difficult it must be to keep them clean. They sometimes feel like an awful combination of restrooms and jail cells. People come in and out, bringing their germs along with them, leaving that trail of bacteria for the next lot to pick up. It’s filthy if you really think about it. And then you get stuck there with a bunch of bitchy people trapped in a large holding room till you get shut into a metal tube towards your next destination.

Dunkin Donuts was my solution to being stuck there. Of course, the line was never-fucking-ending. If I didn’t desperately need the caffeine, I would have turned my ass back towards the gate. As I browsed through e-mails on my phone, I overheard different tenors and tones ordering their fix: nonfat cappuccino, coffee–black, iced mocha latte, etc. Each one brought me closer to the counter. Finally, with only one person ahead of me, I looked up.

Petite, toned legs stood before me in skintight black leggings that led to scuffed combat boots. Impulsively, my eyes trailed up the rest of her body, noticing her luscious ass contrasting her thin waist. She had squared yet feminine shoulders—a dancer’s body, and a perfect one at that. My blood heated as I started imagining what I’d do to a body like that. She wouldn’t know what hit her. But then she spoke, and that dark-haired beauty let out words in a deep, sensual voice. It sounded like pure seduction and sweetness tangled together. I suddenly needed to match a face to that sound. Desperate wasn’t something I did, but with her it began with just the sound of her words.

“Hi, an espresso, please,” she said, putting her weight on one foot while eyeing the donuts. “Oh,” she hummed, and the tight moan sent a jolt of blood to my groin, causing me to readjust myself. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’d reacted as such to plenty of women, but not because of their voice, and certainly not while they stared at sweets. But she was a curious little thing. “And an old fashioned donut too.”

Moving closer, I tried catching a glimpse of her features, but it was no use. The only way I’d see her was if I was willing to risk looking like a creep, and I was already getting stranger-danger glances from the guy next to me. He was probably trying to do the same. Judgmental asshole. I waited, the two minutes dragging as she paid. Finally, she moved for me to order and I was able to take in her profile.

Fuck me.

I unavoidably understood the word stunned, because this girl was stunning. My body became stiff, each of my functions inept. All I could do was look.

Her fair skin contradicted her dark, almost black mane. Her lips were plump, yet delicate, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top. The pervert in me instantly imagined what they’d feel like all over my skin, specifically where I was currently throbbing. She must have felt me watching, because she turned to look right at me and caught my blatant staring. That delectable mouth offered me an acknowledging smile. I didn’t pay it much attention. Correction: I couldn’t pay it much attention. All I could focus on were her hypnotic, amber-colored eyes. They burned through my skin the way whiskey burns your throat on the way down, but warms your chest. It hurt. It seared my gaze to hers. That stare left me dizzy.

My lips parted, and I nervously shifted my weight. My clumsy movement left me bumping into the man beside me. His scalding coffee poured down my back and into my ass crack. I’d like to say I played it cool, but there was nothing cool about the burning skin that forced me to emit a pathetic screech.

Yes, a screech. You know, the same sound girls make when they see spiders. Now, mix that in with the forward hip thrust I did to avoid more coffee on my ass, and well, I was just the quintessence of masculinity. Fucking Thor right there.

When you get embarrassed, your first reaction is not to check if you’re okay. No, it’s to see how many spectators witnessed you making a complete idiot of yourself. The guy behind me apologized profusely, while the people in line behind me all stared—some wincing, others trying to suppress laughter.

It was incredibly awkward. No big deal. It’s not like anyone of value saw it… Except her.

My eyes darted to find her staring, and that’s when I felt another kind of burning all over my face. Like some neurotic asshole, I turned and strutted to the bathroom. I could’ve pretended it never happened, but the way she’d looked at me before my mortifying moves had left me exposed. She’d studied me with what appeared to be equal interest in my body. I wanted that look again, wanted to take in the way she perused my height, my face, and softly hummed to herself in what seemed like an approving assessment. It had turned me on. But I couldn’t fucking go back, not after that debacle.

I wanted more, but I didn’t even know where to begin. Ironically enough, I wouldn’t have to go far.

Stephanie Alba lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, her toddler and their two dogs, Milo and Van Gogh. She’s obsessed with Disney, British history, traveling, romances novels, movies, and Halloween. When she’s not glued to her laptop or writing in her notebook, she’s either: running, planning her next vacation, binge-watching Netflix, reading, or chasing her toddler.

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