BLACK SHEEP
BLACK SHEEP
would be a sin.
different, and I’m not sure I can trust myself to keep my pact. I can’t submit
to her temptation
no matter how sweetly she begs because she’s the golden child
and I’m the Black Sheep.

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People dream of a love that runs deep.
So deep it feels like it’s always been with you, just waiting for the person who’ll own your heart and soul forever. So few ever find it, but for Rhyson Gray and Kai Pearson, happily ever after was only the beginning…
One of the biggest rock stars in the world and one of the brightest rising stars make a life together. Sometimes it’s glamour-filled days and blissed out nights, but it’s mostly staying true in the too-bright glare of the spotlight. It’s long stretches where the road is lonely and the work is hard. It’s living in a love that’s the safest place you know even while danger lurks at your door.
Book 3 of The Soul series is an emotionally-charged epic conclusion that had to be told and should not be missed for fans of this series and this couple!
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She slides onto me, a scalding clasp of flesh. That first thrust steals our breath at the same time, pounds our hearts together, twines our souls into one accord. Rising, falling, she milks me with tight, shallow pumps, her movements barely perceptible, but rippling through me. She captivates me with the tiniest undulation of her hips and takes me so deep I’m sure I’ll come out on the other side of her.
Her nails claw into my scalp, stirring a sharp pain into the bliss. She digs her fingers into my shoulders, gripping to hold on as I thrust into this tight, slick fantasy. I piston up and into her with enough force to break her, but she clutches me. Clings to me.
I don’t want to come. I want to fuck her infinitely. If I could seal us in this moment, preserve it in amber, I would. I’m not just inside her body. We inhabit each other’s souls. And this thing watering her eyes, clogging my throat, clamping my chest, it’s more than emotion, more than a feeling that could fail or flee. It’s the most precious thing I’ve ever had. If this is light, it’s blinding until she is all I see. If this is sound, it’s music. We are the verse, we are the chorus. And as we come together, her cries harmonizing with mine, this love resounds. It’s loud; so deafeningly loud that all I hear is her. And all she hears is me. We are our own refrain.
**Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Series**
Book 1, MY SOUL TO KEEP
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Book 2, DOWN TO MY SOUL
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*Join the MY SOUL TO KEEP read along that starts August 3!*

Go to Kennedy’s Author Page for the chance to win one of (5) Amazon Gift Cards!
I just can’t write about myself in third person for one more bio! I’m a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That’s me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you’ll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing TBR. I love to hear from readers at kennedyryanwrites@gmail.com.
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Today we have the release week tour for Layla Hagen’s Your Forever Love. I am so excited to share this with you! Check it out and grab your copy today!

About Your Forever Love:

Your Forever Love
The Bennett Family Series – Book 3
By Layla Hagen
Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
Sinopsis
Eric Callahan is a powerful man, and his sharp business sense has earned him the nickname Shark. Yet under the strict façade is a man who loves his daughter and would do anything for her. When he and his daughter move to San Francisco for three months, he has one thing in mind: expanding his business on the West Coast. As a widower, Eric is not looking for love. He focuses on his company, and his daughter.
Until he meets Pippa Bennett. She captivates him from the moment he sets eyes on her, and what starts as unintentional flirting soon spirals into something neither of them can control.
Pippa Bennett knows she should stay away from Eric Callahan. After going through a rough divorce, she doesn’t trust men anymore. But there’s something about Eric that just draws her in. He has a body made for sin, and a sense of humor that matches hers. Not to mention that seeing how adorable he is with his daughter melts Pippa’s walls one by one.
The chemistry between them is undeniable, but it’s the connection that grows deeper every day that has both of them wonder if love might be within their reach.
When it’s time for Eric and his daughter to head back home, will he give up on the woman who has captured his heart or will he do everything in his power to remain by her side?


About Layla Hagen:
I fell in love with books when I was nine years old, and my love affair with stories continues even now, many years later. I write romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world. And I drink coffee. Lots of it
Connect with Lyla:
Website: https://twitter.com/laylahagen
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LaylaHagenBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laylahagen

Enter Layla’s Giveaway:
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As a special bonus, today is the release of the audio book of YOUR IRRESISTIBLE LOVE by Layla Hagen! Grab your copy!
Buy links for the AUDIO version:
Title: Your Irresistible Love (The Bennett Family Series, Book 1)
Buy links for the audio version:
Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Google Play

I’ve ruined everything.

Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.
Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.
Produce an heir… Wait, what?
I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.
And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.
She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.
But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.
Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.
On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he’s always desired in order to save his father’s company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts.
Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Paperback
Arranged marriage? Check.
Cocky new husband? Check.
It’s a marriage of convenience—one I’m determined to keep strictly professional. I can’t be stupid enough to fall for this sexy playboy’s charm or advances. I have to be strong, even if he is my husband.
Except he has a huge cock with an even bigger ego, and his main goal in life seems to be getting me to stroke both. The arrogant bastard is like sweet, sugary candy for my libido. I know he’s bad for me.
But I want to devour every wicked inch of him.
With his sexual prowess and experience, I know he’ll be explosive in the bedroom. And since we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future—keeping up this marriage charade long enough to turn the company profitable again—I deserve something to look forward to at the end of a long workday, right?
What could one little taste hurt?
This is volume 2 in the Imperfect Love series.
Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.
Kicked
By Celia Aaron
Trent Carrington.
Trent Mr. Perfect-Has-Everyone-Fooled Carrington.
He’s the star quarterback, university scholar, and happens to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He shines at any angle, and especially under the Saturday night stadium lights where I watch him from the sidelines. But I know the real him, the one who broke my heart and pretended I didn’t exist for the past two years.
I’m the third-string kicker, the only woman on the team and nothing better than a mascot. Until I’m not. Until I get my chance to earn a full scholarship and join the team as first-string. The only way I’ll make the cut is to accept help from the one man I swore to never trust again. The problem is, with each stolen glance and lingering touch, I begin to realizing that trusting Trent isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t trust myself when I’m around him.
This is a full-length, standalone American football romance novel with hot guys in tight pants who really know how to handle their balls.
A movie started playing on the back of each seat, but I focused on Cordy. Her polo was unbuttoned, and I could see the swell of her breast. My cock went from fight mode to fuck mode in the time it took me to shift more toward Cordy.
“Are we…” She nibbled her lip.
I grabbed her chin and turned her to face me. “What?”
“Are we like, together?” She stumbled over her next words, as if she couldn’t get them out fast enough. “I know it’s too early to DTR—”
“DTR?” I grinned.
“Define the relationship.” She furrowed her brow.
“Right. Well, I define it as you’re mine and I’m yours. How’s that?”
Her gaze brightened. My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it.
“Someone’s calling you.” She glanced to my pants.
“It’s my mother.”
“Oh.”
I’d told Cordy about the difficulties I had with my mom, but I didn’t go into the details of how much acrimony our relationship would stir up. Mom had no doubt seen the press conference. She would know. Mom always knew. She was waiting for me to pick up the phone so she could load me down with Carlotta’s tears, my family’s legacy, and the bright future she thought I was throwing away. I’d deal with it. Later.
I leaned close to Cordy’s ear. “Put your jacket on your lap.”
She turned to me, a wary look on her heart-shaped face. “Why?”
“It’s cold.”
“Not really.”
“You’re trembling.”
She arched a brow. “Not because I’m cold.”
“Then why?”
“Because you—” She seemed to rethink her answer and, instead of responding, pulled her jacket into her lap as I’d requested.
“Good. My hands are cold.” I slid my palm along her thigh beneath the jacket.
She jumped and looked at me with a scandalized expression. “Trent!” She hissed through clenched teeth.
“What?” I pressed my fingers higher until I reached the apex of her thighs, then I eased my hand between her legs.
“We can’t do this here.” She glanced around, but no one could see us in the dark, and if anyone was looking, all they’d see was us sitting together and Cordy’s jacket in her lap.
I rubbed my index finger along the seam of her jeans over her clit. “We can.”
She gripped my wrist, but I didn’t stop. Her breathing grew faster as I stroked her. My cock demanded reciprocity, but it would have to wait. I wanted to pleasure her more than anything. When her lips parted, I knew I had her.
I pressed my lips to her ear. “Unbutton your jeans, and unzip them.”
She tilted her hips forward and did as I’d said.
“You’ll have to be quiet.” I ran my fingers along her quivering stomach and she let out a small sound.


Michel’s Review
I have to give kudos to Celia Aaron, she brought college football to life. I was impressed with the fact that her “football star” was a female. Celia Aaron’s knowledge of the game,tenacious research of the kicker position, and blow by blow descriptive plays made the book come alive. The relationship between Cordie and Trent was the perfect push and pull kind of relationship readers look for in a new adult romance.
Cordie and Trent have a history. They were skirting on a relationship two years prior to becoming teammates on the football team. It was the typical rich boy and poor girl issues that kept them apart. Cordie and Trent both walked away broken hearted.
Cordie is the first female kicker in college history. She became the third string kicker to appease the equal opportunity regulation in college sports. Her first love is soccer but personal finances have forced her to accept a partial scholarship in football. It doesn’t matter because she is the MAV (Mascot With A Vagina ) rather than a valued player. Fate has a way of stepping in and changing the rules of the game. The first string kicker is injured and out for the season. The first string kicker position is open and the team is holding walk on try outs. This is an opportunity for Cordie to show her stuff and get a full time scholarship. Trent volunteers to help her win this position. He is going to train her and make her the strongest contender in the try outs.
Trent has ulterior motives. It’s his second chance with Cordie. He knows he screwed up two years ago. He wants to make things right and make Cordie his own.
Cordie and Trent not only have to deal with the demands of the football team but also have to deal with every obstacle blocking their relationship. There are so many obstacles coming in so many different directions. They are going to have to fight for their love.
Kicked was very entertaining and put me in the mood for football season. Celia Aaron did a stellar job writing this book.
Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark. Thanks for reading.

A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone RomanceF*ck being good. When you’ve been screwed over by Mr. Wrong, let a Spectacular Rascal show you how good it feels to be bad. My best friend and boss at Magnificent Bastard consulting—get revenge on your ex or your money back—is the smooth, successful New York businessman type. But me? I’m the other guy—the one you don’t bring home to mama. The tattooed, rough-around-the-edges, 100% primal badass. I won’t pull out your chair, sweetheart, but I will pull your hair.
I’ve got what it takes to make sure your dangerous dick of an ex thinks twice before he knocks on your door again.
Or I thought I did, until I meet my latest client: Catherine Jones, a.k.a. Polka Dot Panties. Former college running partner, sexiest woman I’ve ever almost de-virginized, and the only girl I’ve never been able to get out of my damn head.
Now my one-that-got-away is looking up at me with those big green eyes, daring me to take on an ex as dick-ish and dangerous as hers.
Well, you know what they say—it’s all fun and games until you’re making out on top of a mobster’s limousine.
Soon Catherine and I are in deep. We’re on guard, on the run, and on top of each other every chance we get. But outsmarting her mobster ex is the least of my worries, especially when I start thinking our falling hard act isn’t an act at all.
But after all this time, can a guy from the wrong side of the tracks find his forever with the sweet and sexy polka-dot-pantied girl next door?
Warning: SPECTACULAR RASCAL is a stand-alone erotic romance told from the hero’s point of view. No cliffhanger. Lots of dirty talk.
Tracey’s ReviewAidan Knight, Bash Prince’s bestie, and recently recruited co-bastard at Magnificent Bastard Consulting, could not be more different than his friend. This tall, tattooed drink of water is the guy guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of exes everywhere in his quest to right romantic wrongs. When Cat Jones, Aidan’s college friend, shows up looking for his help in getting rid of a dangerous boyfriend, he’s ready to bow out faster than you can say ‘conflict of interest.’ Before too long, though, he’s all in, and over his head…
With as much love as I have for MAGNIFICENT BASTARD, it was pretty much a given that Aidan would have his own place in my heart. I mean, there’s plenty of room there for Lili Valente’s guys, and I’d already met and was intrigued by Aidan. Hot, tall, tatted, bearded, what wasn’t to love? And, after all, he’d already proved his mettle by showing his, erm, assets in MB, so, yeah, color me a fan.
Whereas MB was a quirky, lighthearted romp of a story, there’s a little bit of a darker edge to SPECTACULAR RASCAL. Because, wise guys. And there is no better guy for the job of freeing Cat from the clutches of her crazy ex than Aidan. He’s invested in all the best ways, caring, loyal, and smart, and, yeah, sexy as all get-out.
Cat is just as badass as Aidan in her own way. She’s definitely got baggage, but has managed to rise above it. She can more than hold her own, and is the perfect foil for Aidan. Reading the letters exchanged between Cat and Aidan back in their college days had me laughing out loud (I mean, really, how could I not love banter between people nicknamed Curved For Her Pleasure and Polka Dot Panties?!), and it is clear even then that these two would find their way back to each other.
Lili has managed to win me over yet again (no surprise, really) with this book. Besides the swoony Aidan and kickass Cat, seeing Bash and Penny again, along with Shane, Aidan’s folks, and the inestimable Fifi, SPECTACULAR RASCAL is a story that goes right up there on my list of favorites. 5+ sweet, sassy, spectacular stars for this one. Ya done good, lady.
***ARC generously provide for an honest review.***
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U.S.A. Today Bestselling author Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.
Lili loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her via email at lili.valente.romance@gmail.com or like her page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLiliValente
You can also visit her website: www.lilivalente.com




Tracey’s ReviewI need to remind myself that we’re not friends.
We’ll never be friends.
She’s the enemy.
She may not have a rifle pointed at my head, but her beautiful, angelic face is gunning for me in another way. There’s nothing she’d like more than to see me fail. My failure is her victory.
Jude Titan is ready. A decorated war hero with a heart for the people, Jude wants nothing more than to represent them. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with his passion and integrity, and he’s bringing everything that he has to the fight for Senator of the great state of Illinois. Reagan Preston is heiress apparent to that seat in Senate. With the backing of her politico father and the Preston name, Reagan is set to win the voters’ hearts and win the election. With so much at stake, there’s no room for fraternizing with the enemy. The best laid plans…
Authors Brenda Rothert and Chelle Bliss have brought their individual talents together to create a book that was a joy to read. I loved Jude right away, with his cocky, confident air, coupled with his Everyman ideology and heart of gold. Jude loves with all of himself, and he is totally dedicated to the veterans that have served the United States, often to their detriment. His passion for equality and service is what drives him, and his earnest demeanor is what gains him popularity in the polls.
Reagan has earned the title of uptight ice queen, but, beneath it all, she’s just trying to do the right thing. All she wants is to earn the seat in Senate on her own steam, without the shadow of her father and his legacy. When Jude enters her orbit, she’s thrown for a loop, knocked off kilter by the passion that flares whenever they are near each other. The two of them are on a direct collision course, and sparks, snark, and sass are constantly flying left and right. I loved it!
Brenda and Chelle have really outdone themselves with DIRTY WORK. Full of passion, political intrigue, and witty sexy banter, this is a book that I could not put down. The ladies have created two characters that appeal on so many levels, and that I just could not help but want to see together. 4.5 stars for this savvy, tightly-written whirlwind of a book. Get it and read it. And, I dare you not to fall in love with Jude… 😉
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***


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The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.
“Smart, savvy, clever, and always entertaining. That’s true of Riley Lawless, the hero in Ruthless, and likewise for his creator, Lexi Blake. Both are way ahead of the pack.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
“I love Lexi Blake. Read Ruthless and see why.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
With Ruthless, Lexi Blake has set up shop on the intersection of Suspenseful and Sexy, and I never want to leave. ~ Laurelin Paige, New York Times bestselling author
Ruthless is full of suspense, hot sex, and swoon worthy characters — a must read!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst

Riley’s mouth came down on hers again. She could feel his hunger, and his hands roamed over the curves of her hips and backside, rubbing himself against her. It fed her own. She’d never felt more wanted, needed by a man. He didn’t seem to simply want sex with someone. He seemed to need her—only her.
She wrapped her arms around him and held on, letting him lead.
His mouth moved down, kissing her jaw and ear. “Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?”
A little bit. She’d always been quiet during sex, preferring to con- centrate on the sensations, but she wanted to hear him. She wanted to know he was with her. “What do you want to do?”
She shivered with heat as his tongue ran along the shell of her ear and he nipped the lobe, a thrill shooting through her.
His voice was a low, sexy growl in her ear. “I think about stripping you down all the time.”
He turned her suddenly and her back was pressed to his front. She could feel the hard ridge of his erection against her backside. His arms wound around her, keeping her close.
“You want me naked?” She didn’t want to stop talking. She could see now that her other sexual encounters had been defined by the walls she’d put up. Though she’d had a partner, she’d been essentially alone in whatever pleasure she’d found. With her ex-husband she would turn off the lights, enjoy the ride, and then sleep in silence, their physicality the only true intimacy between them.
She didn’t want that with Riley.
His hands moved up, cupping her breasts through the thin mate- rial of her blouse and bra. The warmth of his mouth and lips moved on her neck. “I’ll have you naked. I’ll get rid of every single thing that comes between us. I’ll strip you and then touch every inch of your body. You might be the boss in the boardroom, but I intend to lead here. I intend to have you every way I can have a woman, Ellie. Once I’m inside you, I won’t want to leave.”
He was still giving her a way out. She wasn’t going to take it. “Yes, Riley. I won’t change my mind.”
His thumbs rasped over her nipples. “I’ll fucking hold you to that. I will.”
She had no idea why he sounded so resolute, but his hands were working the buttons of her blouse, dragging it out of the waistband of her skirt and peeling it back.
Cool air hit her skin. Her brain was foggy with lust. Her whole system had softened in a way it never had before. She felt hot, her muscles tight with need, but she let Riley take over. He slipped off her bra and then sighed against her skin as he cupped her breasts again.
“Fuck, that feels so good. These are beautiful, baby. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to get my hands on these?”
She leaned back against him, her head cradled by the strength of his chest. He was solid all over. His callused hands rubbed against her skin, the feeling of masculinity making her feel more feminine than she’d ever felt before.
His fingers rolled her nipples and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe.
“You’re going to give me everything I want, aren’t you, Ellie? You’re going to let me play with this body. You’re going to wrap your- self around me and let me have you like I’ve dreamed of. Without reservations, no thoughts of anything but how we can make each other feel.”
Forgetting everything else seemed like the best idea ever. She needed this. Needed to let go of everything and simply be. She hadn’t done it in years, maybe never.
But it felt right with Riley. It felt good and true.
“Yes. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you. Only you.”
His hand fumbled with the button on the back of her skirt and he cursed, finally managing to undo it. “Damn it. I’m not going to last once I get inside you. I’m going to be good for you, Ellie. I promise. I’ll make it so fucking good for you.”
She loved the growl he got in his voice when he was really aroused. And the way his hands shook. She wasn’t in this alone. He was with her, right beside her in his need. She helped him, shoving the skirt down and kicking off her shoes. When she was down to nothing but her undies, she turned in his arms.
She was a little too big, her breasts real. Unlike many women her age, she’d never lifted them or enlarged them. They sagged slightly and she was well aware that her hips were curvier than fashionable. Would he turn her away? Would he see she wasn’t as pretty as he’d thought?
He stared, his eyes going right to her breasts. “You’re so gorgeous, Ellie. Do you have any idea what I’ve gone through since that first day? I’ve never masturbated as much as I have in the last week.”
Yep, the man knew what to say to her. She was pretty sure she was glowing. “I’ve thought about you, too.”
“I want you to tell me all about that, but later, baby. Right now, I’m going to do what I’ve wanted to do since the moment I met you.”

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.
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Veiled
By Karina Halle
Buy: Amazon
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lie and The Pact comes a new romance that will test your limits and leave you breathless.
Death.
It’s something that Ada Palomino has always known so well, having grown up in a house of horrors, surrounded by a family plagued by ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night.
But after the sudden and tragic death of her mother two years ago, death has never felt so personal.
Or so close.
Now eighteen, Ada is trying to move on with her life and the last month of summer holds nothing but sunshine and promises with her first year at a Portland design school just around the bend.
That is until her increasingly violent and realistic dreams, dreams of other worlds, of portals and veils where her mother is tortured and souls bleed for mercy, start to blend into reality. Ada has to lean on her older sister, Perry, to try and make sense of it all but even then, she’s never felt more alone.
Then there’s Jay. Tall, handsome and deeply mysterious, Jay would be just another stranger, a familiar face on the bus, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ada has met him before.
Every night.
In every single dream.
And the more that Ada is drawn to him in both worlds, the more she’s in danger of losing everything.
Including her heart.
And her very soul.

Excerpt
Then, out of nowhere:
“You looked beautiful tonight, by the way.”
Oh jeez. Be still my fucking heart.
I try and swallow, his words, the sincerity in his voice rocking my world off-balance. “Which part? When the power went out or when Jacob went upstairs to fight a demon?” I joke. But I joke because I’m feeling this a little too much.
“All of it. You know why I call you Princess?” he asks, his tone graver than before, like he’s letting me in on a very deep secret.
“Because I’m a spoiled brat?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Well that shut me up. The sentence hangs in the air, larger than life.
He clears his throat and goes on and I have to fight against the urge to roll over and face him. “You have this way about you. You don’t see it. But I do. Like you’re born royalty. The way you hold yourself. Your walk. The face of an angel.”
Butterflies take flight in my gut, spreading through my veins until my whole body feels like its floating. “Why are you being so nice to me? Am I going to die?”
He laughs softly. “I don’t know why I’m saying these things. Just seemed like the things to say. You’re destined for something great, Ada, I know this. And it’s an honor to help see you through it.”
His words cascade down on me like ashes from a fire. Where they land, I’m ignited.
Jay thinks I’m beautiful.
And more than that, he believes in me.
Silence settles over us, stealing time. I hear him breathing in the dark, steady as a heartbeat. He might even be sleeping.
But I can’t even begin to shut down. My entire body, from the top of my scalp, down to my toes, is buzzing with heat and electricity. It’s like everything I felt for him before, everything I try to ignore, is coming out in full force, responding to his words, to his body so close to mine. I can feel the warmth at my back, sinking into my spine, just from his presence only.
I’m starting to have feelings for him. Not just in a he’s a giant hulking beast who’s here to protect me from the underworld way. But real feelings, slowly creeping into my heart, day by day.
The thought is terrifying in the same way that demons are terrifying.
They both might take possession of me.
They both might ruin me.
And I’m not sure how much of me I’ll have left.

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.
Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit http://www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.
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