Even from behind, he was something to behold. He had on a black leather jacket with a charcoal gray hoodie. On anyone else, it would have looked juvenile, hipster even. Like someone emulating ‘rugged’ based on what they saw in a magazine or on some TV show. This guy was all man, all testosterone with his broad shoulders and jeans that gripped an ass that I was dying to grip.
Realizing that I was staring at some stranger’s behind, my eyes shot up to tamer territory, but his dark wavy hair was even more dangerous. It was just long enough that he could do that man-bun thing that was all the rage. But nothing about this man was forced. He didn’t follow trends; he made his own. His dark locks were wild and free.
I hadn’t even seen his face, but I knew he was trouble. With a capital T. Which meant I was in trouble, because if I wasn’t sure I was gonna take the job before, well, I was positive now.
“Oh! Mr. Carraway, I didn’t know you were on site today.”
I gasped.
No.
The allure, that instant draw…I should have known. It had only happened once before when I was partnered with the hottest guy at Rhoades High in Advanced Chem.
He turned from the espresso machine and I stopped breathing.
Lincoln Carraway smiled at me like a wolf about to rip out the throat of its prey.
Ava
Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters.
When not putting pen to paper or glued to her Kindle, Ava likes road tripping,
watching an unhealthy amount of Netflix, karaoke and vintage fashion.
Sensual woman in underwear with young lover, passionate couple foreplay closeup, black and white, selective coloring
*****
Hook – Book 1
Release Date: April 25, 2016
Synopsis
Women loathed me without even knowing my name. Men coveted the very idea of me.
Escort. Call girl. Prostitute. Hooker. Whore.
I’d heard it all. Done it all.
Over the years I’d felt a lot of things about my occupation…but not regret–never regret. I had my reasons for doing what I did and nothing and no one had ever made me question them.
UNTIL MARCO VALENTI.
He’d changed me and I’d naively fed into the fairy tale.
But Marco wasn’t my Prince Charming.
He had secrets of his own.
Secrets that would eventually rip away everything I held dear.
Burn – Book 2
Release Date: June 2016
Synopsis
Love is only a word until someone enters your life and gives it meaning…
“No”
One Word.
Two Letters.
But those two letters changed everything.
It was impossible to predict the impact I would have on the life of the only woman I’d ever truly loved. No way to know that I would result in her ruin.
I’d suffer for eternity with the knowledge that it was me who’d brought devastation to her doorstep. Though I deserved the anguish I felt, to see her suffer was unacceptable.
I would fix this.
Somehow I would prove to her that I wasn’t the monster she thought I was.
Even if it meant becoming a monster in order to make that happen.
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USA Today Bestselling author, Elisabeth Grace, has a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males! She currently lives outside Toronto, Canada with her hubby and two small children. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share her love of reading and writing with others.
I, Cassandra Straight, have loved Reed Shamrock to distraction since I was a teenager. I even watched him fall in love with someone else and almost get married.
A year ago, when he walked into his house and found his fiancée’s face in his best friend’s crotch, his life changed forever and it hasn’t been the same since.
On his first night out since the horrible incident, we run into the ex-skank. Seeing the devastation in his eyes, I made a promise that I would help him get over her. I told him that a pretend relationship between us would work. It would help him move on.
I didn’t count on my heart or his getting in the way. And I sure as hell didn’t count on not being able to tell when pretend turned to reality. When it all implodes, the only thing left is the truth.
Sometimes though, the truth? It hides and we have to dig deep to find it. To make it come to the surface, we have to give it a little talking to. We have to give it a little Sass.
Included in the back of Sass is an exclusive sneak peak of “Renegade” – the first book in a new series for 2017!
Michel’s Review
Sass by Laramie Briscoe is a charming , contemporary stand alone romance. It’s a friends to lovers and falling for best friend’s little sister theme.
Reed Shamrock has been in Sass Straight’s life as long as she can remember. He is her older brother’s best friend. He has always been there for her family and more importantly, for her. When he catches his finance with her lips wrapped around his other best friend’s “little friend”… He’s devastated.
Fast forward to one year later. Reed is finally ready to move on and start a new life. He’s worked hard to build his construction business. He’s ready for something real. Something better. This time around he wants a partner, not a woman that he has to work hard to please. He wants a woman to accept the man he is and cherish what he has to offer. But taking the first step is the hardest. When Sass proposes that not only does he start stepping out but do it while serving a dish of revenge. The plan is to show he’s moved on, he’s happy, and he’s in love.
Sass and Reed start the pretend relationship that starts with an innocent kiss. The kiss ends up being much more than innocent, it is an eye opener. As their pretend relationship progresses, their real feelings and emotions start to surface. They are falling in love.
Any relationship takes work. What seems easy is anything but easy. Reed and Sass will have to deal with a nasty ex, a pissed off brother, and the misconceptions about their fake relationship.
Reed and Sass were meant for one another. They have the passion, the respect, and real love for one another.
Laramie Briscoe wrote a charming romance that kept me glued to the pages. I would highly recommend Sass.
Laramie Briscoe is the best-selling author of the Heaven Hill Series & the Rockin’ Country Series.
Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie Briscoe has published over 10 books. She’s appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. She’s been called “a very young Maya Banks” (Amazon reviewer) and her books have been accused of being “sexy, family-oriented, romances with heart”.
When she’s not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on her DVR. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband (the Travel Coordinator) and a sometimes crazy cat named Beau.
Danger, mysterious pasts, and passion come together in this new standalone contemporary romance novel from USA Today bestselling author, Rebecca Shea. Can Saige and Holt get over the past in order to have a future? Pick up DARE ME today and immerse yourself in the unforgettable moments where one dare spirals out of control and changes lives.
I dare you.
Five coworkers.
Four drinks.
Three glances.
Two fleeting smiles.
One dare.
A dare that will change my life.
That’s all it takes to send me plummeting into the arms of the mysterious Holt Hamilton. Behind his crystal blue eyes is a secret, one that screams danger but calls to me anyway.
“Sometimes you have to take that leap…or that dare…so you can learn to live and love again! Saige and Holt’s story had me on a rollercoaster of emotions…” – Crystal, Barnes and Noble
“This book hooked me instantly, and kept me interested throughout. I didn’t want to put it down! Another winner from Rebecca Shea!!” – Not Your Mama’s Romance
“I just couldn’t get enough. DARE ME took my breath away!” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reviews
“Okay, but just so you know, I’m not going to fall in love with you, Holt Hamilton. It’s never going to happen. We can end this here and chalk it up to a night of crazy drinking. We can walk away with no expectations for more, and no hard feelings….So if you’re looking for a girlfriend that turns into a fiancée that turns into a wife, we’d best just end this here, because that’s not me. I’m not that girl.”
It starts with a dare. Because, what self-respecting woman says no to a dare? The thing about a dare, though, is the consequences. And those can be far different than what’s expected…
I was intrigued by the idea of DARE ME by Rebecca Shea from the moment that the blurb was released. I love a little bit of mystery with my romance, and this book seemed like it would deliver in spades. And deliver, it does, in every possible way.
Saige Phillips has had more than her share of drama and heartbreak in her life. Losing her father at a young age has left Saige afraid to open her heart again, fearful of the vulnerability of giving everything to another person, only to be crushed. When a night out with her friends results in a dare that she just can’t refuse, Saige isn’t about to get attached. But Holt Hamilton, her boss and the object of the dare, isn’t so cavalier.
“Holt, this is just drinks. That’s all.” But her eyes tell me she wants more.
I lean closer to her. “It’s never just drinks, Saige.”
Because Holt has had his eye on Saige, and he’s in it for more than a casual hook-up. But Holt is keeping secrets, ones that he can never share with Saige, because finding them out would mean the end of anything between them.
Holt Hamilton is not the average book heartthrob. Besides being sexy, intense, and driven, he’s also a man of integrity, a man that wants to give Saige the love and the peace that has been missing from her life for so long. Yes, he’s got secrets that he cannot reveal to Saige, but everything he does, he does out of a sense of responsibility for her welfare. I really enjoyed seeing him and Saige work out their relationship, watching each of them evolve in ways that they had not anticipated. I love, too, that Rebecca has written Saige as a self-sufficient, if sometimes vulnerable, heroine, recognizing her flaws and owning up to them. That she has dealt with so much at such a young age, and is still fighting to find her sense of self, her peace, is hopeful.
DARE ME is full of spark and steam, coupled with deep emotion and resilience. I was hooked from the moment that I turned the first page, and sped through it like it was my favorite dessert. Rebecca has given us a book that is an easy 4.5 stars, and one that I will savor for a long time to come. Don’t miss out on this one; take the dare, and bump it to the top of your TBR.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
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About Rebecca Shea:
Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven) and the Bound and Broken series (Broken by Lies and Bound by Lies). She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons’ football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.
Do you know what it feels like right before lightning strikes? How you can feel the current running through your veins? The trembles of warning that ripple through the air? It was a thrill Tamar King chased all her life until it became the very thing she had to escape.
For the last four years, Tamar King has hidden herself in an isolated world she created. She was safe. No one could touch her. Until Lyrik West walked through her door.
He’s the lead guitarist for Sunder and everything she can never have. The dark and beautiful rock star becomes everything she craves.
Lyrik’s life has been devoted to his band and that success has cost him. Bitter, hard, and filled with regret, he refuses to lose himself again, but from the moment he sees her, he wants one night with Tamar King.
The gorgeous bartender is more than he bargained for. Their attraction is consuming. Their desire overpowering. With one touch, they ignite.
But is it worth the cost of getting burned?
She’s a gorgeous nightmare and he’s a wicked dream…
WHERE LIGHTNING STRIKES, a Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel
My smile faded when I looked back again to where he lingered near the door. My head drifted to the side to take him in as his expression shifted through a thousand emotions.
Regret. Sorrow. Lust.
And a longing that nearly brought me to my knees.
Desire trembled through my body.
I wanted to crawl inside him.
To discover every secret.
Even though I got the crushing feeling knowing him would be the end of me.
Cautiously, he edged forward.
Tall.
Beautiful.
Strong.
The air filled up with him. So thick I wasn’t sure I could breathe.
Gently he wound his fingers through my hair. Not so gently he tugged my head back and pinned me with that stare. Slowly he dipped down, my stomach in a thousand blissful knots as he left a dizzying trail of kisses down my neck.
Soft, silken lips.
Little flicks of tongue.
Tingles spread in a wildfire of sensation.
Then his voice was at my ear. Whispering belief. “Blue.”
Blue. Blue. Blue.
She was so scared and unsure and innocently brave. Because she wanted all the things I’d learned the hard way the world didn’t have to give. But she wanted me to fight for them anyway.
Callused fingertips trailed down my sides, and I trembled when they edged under the hem of my shirt. Skin to skin.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice like gravel.
My answer scraped from my throat. “Yes.”
Lyrik pulled my tee over my head, slow but sure.
A cool rush of air sent a rush of chills skating free across the flames. My chest heaved as Lyrik stared down at me in my jeans and bra. Eating me up with that irresistible intensity.
I knew my eyes were wild as I looked up at him. My pulse hammered and my spirit thrashed.
“Blue,” he murmured again as he went down onto his knees. He peeked up at me every few seconds as he worked the bandage free from my side. My belly shook as he peeled the bandage away and exposed the statement that had been etched into my side over my ribs, from my hip bone to just under my arm pit on the left side. And I knew the area needed to be cleaned. But somehow right then, I didn’t care.
I just wanted him to see.
The four simple letters were written in a big, scrolling font, and swirls and flowers extended from the first and last letters.
Rise.
Lightly, he drummed his fingertips over the design, not quite touching the raw skin.
His unyielding gaze latched onto mine. “I think you already have.”
Black and white image of young couple lovers embracing half naked
Tracey’s Review
The man was a bundle of mayhem, pushing and pulling and confounding. Yet in his arms, everything became so clear.
Lyrik West. Rocker, bad boy, a beautiful man with the face of a fallen angel and a heart full of buried pain. As part of the band Sunder, he has invaded the world that Tamar King has created for herself and brought a storm in his wake.
“Temptation. That’s what you are. An angel wrapped up in a demon’s body. Heaven and hell. A gift and my greatest demise.”
Tamar King. Bold, sassy, pin-up beautiful, with a take no prisoners attitude, she’s gotten under Lyrik’s skin like no one in a very long time. The feeling is mutual, and it scares the hell out of both of them.
Lyrik and Tamar, two beautifully broken people, engaged in a dance that will take them to places that they can’t even imagine.
Lyrik sees Tamar as a prize to be attained, the girl that keeps saying ‘No’ to his constant pursuit. But, the more that he gets to know her, the closer that they become, Lyrik senses that there is much more to her than she allows, or wants, the world to see. Since meeting when Sunder arrived in Savannah months before, the two have circled each other in a moody and emotional push and pull. Lyrik and Tamar, as different as they are, have more in common than they think. Both have pasts that they are trying to outrun, memories that bring nothing but pain, ghosts that keep them from truly living.
“…For a year, you’ve been chasing a runner. All I’ve done is hide while pretending I was strong…But that’s not me, Lyrik. All of this…” I waved my hand over my body, “it’s just a show.”
He pushed to his feet. His body moved in a slight sway. Mine followed. That magnet I couldn’t escape.
I was helpless to this fascinating man.
He placed his palm on my neck, and his thumb traced along my collarbone. “No.”
Obsidian eyes flashed, and he leaned in closer. “This girl…this bold, brave girl. She’s a part of you. I see her. She’s real. Red,” he murmured on a sigh, brushing his lips against mine.
He pulled back to look at my face. “But maybe…maybe you’re just outgrowing that season of your life. Maybe you don’t need her as bad as you used to and now Blue is bleeding through. Maybe she wants to be heard, too. To have a voice in your life.”
There is not a single book by A.L. Jackson that I do not love, but I have to say that WHERE THE LIGHTNING STRIKES is one of my favorite books of hers yet, and one of my favorites of 2016. Amy’s words are lyrical and evocative, lending a beauty to her books that make them impossible to put down. I was completely drawn into this story, so much in love with Lyrik, Tamar, and their journey that is, by turn, heartbreaking and uplifting. WHERE THE LIGHTNING STRIKES is one of those books that I will revisit and remember for a very long time, and that, to me, is the reason that I read. Thank you, Amy, for giving Lyrik and Tamar their story, and for allowing us to experience it. 6 beautiful, passionate stars for this book about a couple that, together, are a force of nature, and joy to behold.
Once I’d thought her the worst kind of temptation. Destruction and blinding light. The kind of girl who could wreck every last thing I believed.
Blue…
Guess she was.
Temptation.
She’d tempted me to live…
Could feel her racing through my veins.
Fire.
This girl was a bundle of fireworks.
Waiting for a match…
She touched my face just as sure as she touched my heart.
She was every hue of color, reds and blues, the darkest black and blinding white.
Energy and life.
Boom.
_________________________________________
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary and new adult romance.
She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children.
To stay up to date with important news on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe!
Today is the release day of Zoe Forward’s Playing the Witches Game! I am so excited about this fantastic paranormal romance!! Grab your copy and enter Zoe’s giveaway today!!
Playing the Witches Game Synopsis:
Even a good witch knows how to play dirty….
Pleiades witch Jennifer Marcos is certain that the host of Extreme Survivor is her soulmate. All she has to do is find a fake boyfriend, get on the show, and voila! She’ll have her destiny. Unfortunately, she has to rely on ex-Russian spy Nikolai Jovec’s six-foot-something of gorgeous, infuriating hotness. To make matters worse, the electric attraction between Jen and Nikolai is hotter than ever. But the only way Nikolai can protect Jen is by hiding the identity of her true Destined…him.
“Since you no longer work for Russia I want to offer you a job.”
“What kind of job?” His gaze swung to her, the wariness back in his eyes. “To protect you from whatever might come after you? I’m not a bodyguard.” He folded his arms over his chest. “You obviously need a better bodyguard, if tonight is any indication of his skill.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my bodyguard. I didn’t invite him along tonight. I have a different job for you.”
His eyebrows shot upward.
She cleared her throat and then forced out quickly, “I would like to hire you to be my fake boyfriend on TV.”
Zoe Forward Bio:
Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can’t decide between paranormal and contemporary romance. So, she writes both. In addition to being a mom to one rambunctious kindergartener and wife to a conservation ecologist who plans to save all the big cats on the planet, she’s a small animal veterinarian caring for all the small furries, although there is the occasional hermit crab.
When she’s not typing at her laptop she’s tying on a karate belt for her son or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s madly in love with her globe trotting husband of ten years and happiest when he returns to their home base in North Carolina.
Michaela Donaldson had her whole
life planned out: college, music, and a happy-ever-after with her first true
love. One reckless night changed all that, setting Michaela on a new path. Gone
are her dreams of pursuing music in college, replaced by what she thinks is a
more rewarding life. She’s a firefighter now, getting down and dirty while
doing her job. So what if she’s a little rough around the edges, a little too
careless, a little too detached? She’s happy, living life on her own
terms–until Nicky Lansing shows back up.Nick Lansing was the stereotypical leather-clad bad boy, needing nothing but
his fast car, his guitar, his never-ending partying, and his long-time
girlfriend–until one bad decision changed the course of two lives forever.
He’s on the straight-and-narrow now, living life as a respected teacher and
doing his best to be a positive role model. Yes, he still has his music. But
gone are his days of partying. And gone is the one girl who always held his
heart. Or is she?One freak accident brings these two opposites back together. Is ten years long
enough to heal the physical and emotional wounds from the past? Can they
reconcile who they were with who they’ve become–or will it be a case of Once
Burned is enough?
Lisa B.
Kamps is the author of the best-selling series The
Baltimore Banners, featuring “hard-hitting, heart-melting hockey
players” (USA Today), on and off the ice. ONCE BURNED is the launch title
of her much-anticipated new series, Firehouse Fourteen, featuring hot and
heroic firefighters.Lisa grew up with an overactive imagination, strong encouragement from her
parents, and an insatiable infatuation with the Peanuts gang. That
infatuation—along with an impatience she has yet to outgrow—jump-started her
love of writing. After all, why should she be forced to wait a whole week to
read the stories of her favorite characters when she could create stories for
them whenever she wanted?That love of writing continued to grow, along with all those voices in her
head, even during her assorted careers: first as a firefighter with the
Baltimore County Fire Department, then a very brief (and not very successful)
stint at bartending in east Baltimore, and finally as the Director of Retail
Operations for a busy Civil War non-profit.Lisa currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons, one very
spoiled Border Collie, two cats with major attitude, several head of cattle,
and entirely too many chickens to count.
It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life.
Since then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change.
On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.
Six words will forever change the course of their lives.
Brantley Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his sanctuary.
Yet he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he sent away.
Nothing is as simple as it seems.
After years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn’t expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s heart.
Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.
Excerpt
BRANTLEY KEPT A discreet eye on the final student to leave for the morning as Mr. Finley strode down the stairs to the front of the classroom. They were three weeks into the semester and he was ashamed to admit that, with every day that passed, his fascination with the young man grew.
At first, he’d tried to convince himself that it was purely academic. The kid was smart. He’d aced all the weekly quizzes, and Brantley was more than aware of the way he watched him lecture with keen, intelligent eyes that never strayed from him.
Oh, he was fascinated, all right, but he made sure to tell himself at the end of every class that it had nothing to do with the mischievous grin Daniel would flash at his friends or the easygoing laugh that would bubble up out of him at any given moment. But he knew he was lying. Daniel was quite possibly the happiest person he’d ever met, and his joy of life lit up the room and everyone in it. Including him.
When Daniel stopped in front of him and dropped his paper on the desk, Brantley acknowledged him with a glance before returning his gaze back to the notes he was going over.
“Any big plans this weekend, Professor?”
The question had been so unexpected that he didn’t think to catch himself before he replied, “Nothing too big. Just going out with some friends. You?”
Daniel smiled at him as he shoved his arms through the loops of his backpack, and Brantley couldn’t help but look at his shirt as it stretched across his broad chest.
“I’m going to hit the beach. Such great waves right now.”
“Ahh, you like to surf. That explains it.”
When the side of Daniel’s mouth crooked up, the effect was charming as hell. The kid was a knockout.
“Explains what?”
Annoyed that he’d made such a stupid slipup, he looked back at the papers in front of him, hoping Daniel would get the message and leave. No such luck.
“Explains what?” he asked again.
Brantley sighed and rested his arms on the desk as he studied Daniel’s inviting face. “It explains your hair.”
“My—oh,” he said, touching the ends of it. “Do you like it?”
Stunned by the direct question, he sat back in his chair and fought the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Do I like your hair?”
“Yeah.”
“Does it matter?” Jesus, fuck. Stop it. Stop flirting with him.
But it was too late. Daniel put his hands on the desk and leaned forward, Brantley toed the ground, shoving his chair back.
“It could…”
“No. No, it couldn’t,” he said as he got to his feet, shaking his head.
Daniel straightened and tucked his thumbs into the straps of his backpack, no doubt to taunt him. His eyes were too knowing for someone his age, and when they held his longer than was acceptable, Brantley’s heart skipped a couple of beats.
“Was there something else, Mr. Finley?”
“You said you were going out with friends this weekend…”
Shit, did I? “Yes, that’s right.”
As Daniel ran his thumb down the left strap of his bag, he admonished himself for noticing every little move he made. He needed to get a fucking hold of himself.
“Are any of them more than a friend?”
If he hadn’t been watching Daniel quite so closely, he wouldn’t have believed the words that had just come out of his mouth. But he had been. So he did.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. You better hurry or you’ll miss your next class.”
Satisfied that he’d firmly dismissed Daniel, he sat down and made a show of focusing on the books lining his desk and didn’t dare look and see if he had left this time or not. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he was still standing there.
He reached up to adjust his tie, which suddenly felt a little too tight around his neck, and with each passing second that he was consciously not checking to see if he was alone, he swore that it was getting tighter.
“Professor Hayes?”
His head snapped up at his name, and when Daniel had his attention, he continued.
“Are you gay?”
Brantley’s eyes widened, and he wondered how his mouth hadn’t fallen open at the blunt question. Instead, he went with, “Excuse me?”
“I asked if you were—”
“I heard what you said. But I don’t see how that is any business of yours, either. You should think before you speak, Mr. Finley. I’m your teacher, and it’s time for you to leave. This conversation is over.” He flipped open one of the books on his desk and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the audacity of the kid—or the fact that he was so damn forthright. As he sat there, grinding his teeth in an effort not to look at his student—who was still standing in front of his desk—a bead of sweat ran down his collar and he cursed the fact that his nerves were getting the better of him.
“I only asked because, well, I am too. And I thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to.”
Well, hell. He couldn’t fault him for that. The only problem was…talking wasn’t what sprang to mind when he was around Daniel Finley.
He clasped his hands on the desk and stared into the anxious face peering down at him. Daniel was worrying his lower lip with his teeth, and he suddenly looked very much the young man he was.
“Are you?” he asked again, and there was no way he could deny that hesitant curiosity.
“Yes, Daniel. I am.”
As his words drifted between them, Daniel’s mouth slipped into a smile. “Oh.”
Brantley laughed at that. He wasn’t sure what Daniel was thinking right then. He’d thought for sure with the way he’d been looking at him earlier that, if he’d admitted this, he would be fending off—or at least putting up a good show of fending off—an unwanted pass. But, instead, Daniel appeared thoughtful.
“Does that bother you?”
Daniel adamantly shook his head. “No.”
“Are you sure?” he pressed, and the look that entered Daniel’s eyes then was so hot that he thought he may overheat.
“Yes. I’m very sure.”
Oh, fuck. Okay. Where the hell did the nervous guy disappear to? One minute, Daniel was endearingly awkward, and the next, he was looking at him like he wanted to strip him out of his clothes and—“Stop right there,” he said, and he wasn’t sure if he was telling himself that or the contradiction eyeing him with newfound knowledge. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it.”
“Why?”
Yep, he was fucked. That wasn’t a word he generally used, but in this case, he was well and truly fucked. He should’ve just stuck to the run–along–now speech.
“Because I’m your teacher.”
“This isn’t high school. I’m an adult.”
He sighed. “That may be true. But I’m your professor and this conversation is inappropriate.”
“How? I just asked if you were gay and you said yes. I don’t see what the problem is.”
When Daniel aimed a mischievous grin at him, Brantley knew he was very aware of what the problem was.
“Out,” he said, pointing to the door. “Time to leave, Mr. Finley.”
This time, he made sure to watch Daniel so he knew he was actually leaving. He walked to the door, but at the last minute, he turned around to look back at him. Not willing to back down and show weakness, Brantley kept his eyes on his student as Daniel ran his tongue along his lower lip.
“You should call me Finn. Everyone else does.”
Christ. The kid was going to drive him to an early grave, but damn if he didn’t laugh at his audacity.
“Out,” he said again, and this time Daniel pushed out the door and disappeared into the hall.
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
Enter to Win a Print Set of Bayou Billionaires (Bks 1&2)
HIS PREGNANT PRINCESS BRIDE &
HIS SECRETARY’S SURPRISE FIANCE
REUNITED WITH THE REBEL BILLIONAIRE
Bayou Billionaires #3
Catherine Mann
Releasing on April 1st, 2016 (Digital) and April 5th, 2016 (Print)
Harlequin Desire
Is it a real reunion, or one for the
cameras? It’s a second-chance romance from USA TODAYbestselling author Catherine
Mann!
Football star Henri Reynaud won’t
let his career go down without a fight. If the only way to win is to reconcile
with his estranged wife, he’ll do what it takes. But spending time with Fiona
Harper-Reynaud isn’t just some ruse. The sultry beauty belongs in his bed.
Fiona doesn’t know where her sexy
husband’s public act ends and his real feelings begin. Can she afford to fall a
second time for the man every female wants? One thing is
undeniable—their attraction has never flared hotter!
Fiona looked around at the packed event, a total success. Anyone would think she had a full life.
Except she couldn’t bring herself to have sex with husband. She’d been so certain the surgery was the right decision. She’d gone to counseling before and after. Her husband had been completely supportive.
And still the distance between them had grown wider and wider these past months, emphasizing how little they knew about each other. They’re married because of infatuation and great sex. Now that the initial glow of infatuation had passed and they didn’t even have sex to carry them through the rough patches, their marriage was floundering. Badly.
And with a cancer scare looming over her today, she couldn’t bear the thought that he would stay with her out of sympathy.
***
Henri wasn’t in much of a party mood, no matter how much his brothers elbowed him and teased him about his latest fumble. His Texas cousins weren’t cutting him any slack either.
He’d been thinking about the divorce papers his wife insisted on pursuing.
While the love had left their marriage, he’d heard plenty say that marriage had ups and downs. He wasn’t a quitter. And damn it all, he still burned to have her.
His gaze skimmed along the guests around the pool, landing on his wife. Her loose hair and slim curves called to him, reminding him of the enticing feel of her back as he’d tugged her zipper up.
She smiled at whoever she spoke to – a man with his back to the rest the crowd – and nodded as she walked away. The man turned and Henri’s breath froze in his chest. He knew the man well. Dr. Carlson was a partner in the practice Fiona used to see before they’d transferred her to another physician for the surgery.
Fear gelling in his gut, Henri charged away from his brothers and cousins, shouldering through the crowd to his wife.
“Henri–.”
He grasped her arm and guided her toward the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. “In a moment. When no one can over hear us.”
Lights from yachts and boats dotted the distance. Along the shoreline, couples walked hand and hand into the distance. Henri opened the boat house door and stepped inside. Moonlight streaked through streaked through the windows, across her face. Confusion and frustration stamped along her lovely features.
He angled them beneath a pontoon boat on a lift. The boat was still wet from use, and water tapped the ground in a rhythm that almost matched his pounding heart. Inhaling deeply, he caught the musty scent of the boathouse with the cinnamon notes of Fiona’s perfume. He’d bought it for her on trip to France before all of these difficulties had really gotten out of control.
“Enough already, Henri. Would you please tell me why we’re out here?”
He clasped both of her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw you talking to Dr. Carlson.” He looked in her sherry colored eyes, trying to read her. Something flickered there but he wasn’t sure what.
Staring at the floor, she chewed her bottom lip for an instant before answering, “We were discussing a fundraiser and party for the pediatric oncology ward.”
Okay, but why was she looking away? “You’re sure that’s all?”
She hesitated a second too long. “What do you mean?”
Fear exploded inside him. “Are you feeling alright?” He clasped her shoulders. “Physically. Is there something wrong? If so, you know I’m here for you. Whatever you need, just tell me.”
She squeezed her eyes closed, shaking her head, tears
“Oh God, Fiona, is it …,” his throat moved in a long swallow, “do you have…”
“What were you laughing so hysterically about?” Anger edged through the fear. “And would you like to clue me in on the joke because right now I could use something to lighten the mood?”
“No joke,” she said with a sigh, meeting his gaze again. “Just so ironic.”
“Then what are you hiding?”
“Not that it’s any of your business,” she chewed her bottom lip again, “but he asked me out for a drink to discuss the fundraiser.”
He saw red. Pure red. “He asked you out for a drink? As in for a date? Not because of the fundraiser?”
“Because of the fundraiser, but yes, he clearly meant a date as well.” She pulled at her curls, tension mounting in her cheeks.
Henri had to stay calm. Had to make it through this conversation. “And what did you say?”
“I told him I’m still married.” Eyes narrowing, the words launched at him like daggers.
“Clearly that wasn’t a problem for him since you are wearing my ring.”
She shrugged her shoulders, chandelier earrings swaying. “That didn’t bother him in the least.”
He turned toward the door, ready to return to the party and deck the guy straight into the pool.
Fiona placed a hand on his shoulder. “Stop, Henri. He mentioned hearing we’re splitting up. He thought I was available.”
“How would he have heard such a thing?” His mind went back to the original concern. “Were you at the doctor’s office where he’s a partner?”
She swallowed hard. “You seem to have forgotten his brother is our lawyer.”
“Not anymore.”
“I was thinking the same thing actually.” She picked at her French manicure. “We should get separate lawyers.”
Damn it. This conversation was not going the way he intended. He just wanted to pull her into his arms and take her here. Now. To say to hell with the past and future. No more jealousy or discussion about … hell.
USA Today bestseller and RITA Award winning author Catherine Mann writes contemporary romance for Berkley, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Tule. With over sixty books released in more than twenty countries, she has also celebrated six RITA finals, an RT Reviewer’s Award finalist, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Bookseller’s Best win. Catherine and her flyboy husband live on the Florida coast where they brought up their 4 children – and still have 5 four-legged, furry “children” (aka pets). Catherine is an active volunteer with an animal rescue, serving on their Board of Directors and fostering over 200 puppies, ill dogs, and dogs with service/working potential.
Two people. One incident. Interwoven between two damaged souls in ways they don’t understand.
But now, they must fight the same war–a past that wrecked them both–destroyed the two people they used to be. With a hurricane of love, hate, anger, fury, and fear, can two broken lives find a way to let it all go for a chance at happiness?
Excerpt
Britt and Gabriel are waiting for me in his office so we can start our meeting. After my interaction with Wolfe, I’m seething and frustrated. All I want to do is jump into the cage and beat the fuck out of something, release this shit building up inside. Confusing new emotions like jealousy are dueling with my usual focused, raw fury.
The dark, hollow place in my chest isn’t equipped for this. I fight, I fuck, I exist. Nothing more, nothing less.
Furious, I walk over to Gabriel’s office and shove open the door. It bangs against the wall with a loud crack, causing Gabriel to frown and Britt to cry out. Just like that, she drops to the floor, curling into a ball and covering her head with her hands.
Gabriel leaps to his feet, hurrying around his desk to crouch next to a huddling, quivering Britt. Stunned, I stand at the door frozen, unsure what is going on or what I should do.
“Meu filha! Britt! What is happening?” Gabriel’s voice hitches as he tries to pull Britt out from under his desk. His head whips around to face me. “Killer! ¡Venha aqui e ayudar!” (Get over here and help..)
I cross the space in two quick steps, approaching Gabriel’s desk from the opposite side. Britt’s tiny frame is tucked into a tight ball, her knees pulled to her chest, head ducked, and arms curled protectively over her head.
Protecting her from what?
“Britt,” I say in as composed of a voice as I can manage, which at this moment, isn’t saying much. Not a lot freaks me out, but right now, watching Britt fall to pieces, has me struggling to keep calm. “Please, come out.”
Britt is quietly sobbing, her body shuddering in fear. Watching her in such obvious distress sends a stabbing pain through my chest. Not sure this is the best thing for her, but not knowing what else to do, I crawl under the desk. Being as large as I am, I can only get my head and shoulders in next to her.
Gabriel slides into nervous, staccato Portuguese. “I will leave you to take care of her. Let me know when she’s feeling better and I will return.” He stands and leaves the room, gently closing the door behind him.
He left me with her?
What the fuck am I supposed to do? At a loss, I do the only thing that comes to mind. It worked to relax her before, so why not? I gather her tiny, trembling body up in my arms, and hold her. Britt immediately unwinds her arms, clutching me tight, burying her face into my shirt, her tears dampening the fabric.
On the floor in my trainer’s office, lying half under a desk, a tiny shard of my black soul becomes human again.
Michel’s Review
Spoiler Free Review
Keller and Britt have one thing in common. A horrific incident that forever changed their lives. For the past ten years that incident has dictated their lives. Both of them refuse to acknowledge that day. They have kept the past a secret in their present lives.
One walked away from the incident with tremendous guilt and remorse. He became Killer. The other barely survived and doesn’t remember a thing but she still lives with aftermath of that day. She lives in fear. She lives with the health issues that resulted from the damage of that day. She is a miracle. She is a survivor. Ten years later when their paths cross again, they are still literally strangers but drawn to one another.
As this story unfolds, Keller and Britt find solace in one another. They are finally finding peace within their souls. They are finally stepping out of the past and letting someone in. They are learning to trust and love once again.
As they open their hearts the past comes back to haunt them in many ways. Both of their parents want them to become a part of a cause that both of them want nothing to do with. Keller is finally learning to forgive himself for his carelessness of that day. Britt is starting to remember what happened and is even more terrified.
They are working together in an MMA gym. Britt is a trainer and Keller is the new champion fighter known as Killer. The gym is their safe zone until another fighter decides to declare war on Killer and claim Britt for himself.
This leads to psychotic stalking and facing a potential killer once again.
Heather wrote a powerful story that portrays the after effects of a reality that is sadly present in our society. She didn’t glorify the event. She gave the victims a strong voice and glorified their survival. She gave them the happily ever after they should of always had. She gave them back their lives.
I’m the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. I like to write about the ‘dark’ side of fame. The part that the public doesn’t get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.
I was born and raised in New England and currently live outside Atlanta, GA.
I love the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything made of chocolate (but not white chocolate, that doesn’t count).
My favorite authors are Dan Wells, Tina Reber, Ken Follett, and Stephen King. Happy reading!
USA Today Bestselling author, Elisabeth Grace, has a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males! She currently lives outside Toronto, Canada with her hubby and two small children. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share her love of reading and writing with others.
Laramie Briscoe is the best-selling author of the Heaven Hill Series & the Rockin’ Country Series.
About Rebecca Shea:
Do you know what it feels like right before lightning strikes? How you can feel the current running through your veins? The trembles of warning that ripple through the air? It was a thrill Tamar King chased all her life until it became the very thing she had to escape. 
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary and new adult romance.
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
Saucy Southern Readers 