Caged
The Mastered Series – Book 4
By Lorelei James
Synopsis
In the searing fourth novel in the Mastered Series, following Unraveled, only one woman can set a hardened fighter free from his past.…
In order to survive a life of tragedy, Deacon McConnell embraced his roughest edges and learned to fight on the streets. Then a life-changing jujitsu seminar led by Sensei Ronin Black led Deacon to become a professional fighter. With his muscular physique and his body covered in tattoos and scars, the MMA fighter defines mean, both on and off the mat.
But everything changes when innocent Molly Calloway signs up for his kickboxing class. Molly is Deacon’s opposite in every way: She’s kind, sweet, thoughtful, and educated. After a heated argument between them turns into a passionate encounter, Deacon realizes Molly is eager to experience more, and she looks to him to take her to the darker edge of lust….
The last thing either of them expects is how deeply their lives will be thrown upside down by the passion they find together.
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Excerpt
Molly had reached the bottom step when she glanced up and saw Deacon leaning against her car.
It took every bit of resolve not to break into a run.
When she reached him, he pulled her into his arms and softly kissed her lips. “Hey.”
“Hey. How’d you know where I was?”
“Only so many churches in this town, babe.” His gaze searched hers. “You okay?”
“Not really. This sucks. But I’m better now that you’re here.”
“You ready to hit the grocery store?”
“I’m ready to hit something,” she muttered.
Footsteps sounded behind them, and Deacon’s gaze moved over her shoulder.
“Who’s your friend, Molly?”
Molly turned, and Deacon stood beside her, keeping his left hand on the small of her back. “This is my boyfriend, Deacon McConnell. Deacon, this is my uncle, Bob Calloway.”
Deacon offered his hand and Bob shook it.
Jennifer slunk forward. “Molly didn’t tell us she had a boyfriend.” She held out her hand. “Jennifer Calloway. Molly’s cousin.”
He lifted his chin and ignored her outstretched hand.
Then Brandi horned her way between her father and sister. “Molly did mention a boyfriend, but I didn’t take her seriously.”
Deacon cocked an eyebrow at Brandi. “Why not?”
“Because she was flirting her ass off at the bar last night.” Brandi sent her a triumphant look.
“I let you outta my sight one day and other guys are already sniffing around you. Will I have to bust some heads?”
“You know you have nothing to worry about. Save your head busting for the ring.”
Her uncle had been watching the exchange. “Ring? What do you do for a living, Deacon?”
“I compete as a mixed martial artist.”
“You don’t say. Karate and such?”
From the corner of her eye, Molly saw her cousins exchange a look and then give Deacon a slow perusal.
Each your hearts out, bitches. He’s mine.
“Not karate. I’m a jujitsu instructor at Black Arts in Denver.” He pulled Molly more firmly to his side. “We met in my kickboxing class.”
“So that’s where Molly has tried to lose some of her weight,” Brandi said.
“I’d watch the insults or you might be tasting blood,” Deacon warned.
Brandi’s mouth dropped open. “Are you threatening me?”
“Not me. Molly. The woman’s got a mean right hook. And I oughta know, since she learned how to throw a punch from me.”
Molly sent Deacon a look of adoration. “Of course I’d never hit someone out of anger.” Then she looked at Brandi. “Besides, if I used my fists on you every time you insulted me, you’d be black-and-blue from head to toe.”
Without another word, Deacon opened the passenger door for her.
Then he skirted the front end and climbed in the driver’s seat. “Keys.”
She dropped them in his hand. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Showing up.”
Michel’s Review
Fans of the Mastered Series have been waiting for this book. Deacon and Molly have been engaging in the cat and mouse chase and verbal foreplay from the very beginning of this series. Their coming together is long over due. Their relationship is explosive and quite a surprise. Unlike the former books, their relationship does not revolve around the Dojo and the club. It stands on it’s own merits, two dynamic people coming together and blending their lives together to make a strong loving relationship.
When reader’s first met Molly she was a shy, easily intimidated kind of girl. She had enrolled in self defense classes after an attack that left her afraid of her own shadow. Rather than let the fear of her own shadow take over her life she was brave enough to do something about it. Deacon was her instructor and he was very hard on her. He wouldn’t allow her to withdraw or quit. As the series grew so did Molly. Throughout the books we watched her grow and become a strong confident woman.
Throughout the series Deacon has been a bit of a mystery. He has secrets that he holds close to his chest. Although he is a champion amateur MMA fighter about to go into the pro circuit, he is still a part of the Dojo. His fighting career is taking on a new path. Embarking on a new relationship could hinder his career. He has come to the realization that he wants Molly more than he wants the career title.
These two will muddle through their relationship. Both have family histories that are ugly. Neither one has been in a committed relationship so they are both clueless. Molly has romantic notions but at the same time wants her independence and individuality. Deacon is pure alpha male and assumes Molly knows where his head is at. He has problems, like most men, communicating and expressing his feelings. Then the conflicts with his family make their relationship all the more difficult. Add a hard driven trainer that sees their relationship as a road block, the Dojo politics, meddling friends, and a championship fight and it looks as if they are doomed. Deacon has the fight of his life on his hands .He is fighting for his heart. Molly has to be confident enough to take Deacon’s hand and fight for their relationship.
I loved watching these characters grow as individuals and as a couple. They didn’t need the kink that we have experienced in the prior books of this series. Their passion for one another is so hot it will burn the house down. Together they are unbeatable.
I am looking forward to more books in this series. There are so many dynamic secondary characters that are screaming for Lorelei James attention. They want their stories told.
I highly recommend reading the entire Mastered series. It is fantastic. Caged is another outstanding addition to this series.
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The Mastered Series
Bound
In the new Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a woman’s desire to shatter her inhibitions leaves her unprepared for where that erotic journey will take her….
Former small-town girl Amery Hardwick is living her dream as a graphic designer in Denver, Colorado. She’s focused on building her business, which leaves little time for dating—not that she needs a romantic entanglement to fulfill her. When her friend signs up for a self-defense class as part of her recovery after an attack, Amery joins her for support. That’s where she meets him.
Ronin Black, owner of the dojo, is so drawn to Amery that he takes over her training—in public and in private. The enigmatic Ronin pushes Amery’s boundaries from the start, and with each new tryst, Amery becomes addicted to the pleasure and to him. But when Amery senses Ronin is hiding something, she questions her total trust in him, despite the undeniable thrill of his possession….
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Unwound
n the continuation to the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man’s need for control is tested by the one woman he’ll risk everything for…
When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before….
Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel. To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together.
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Schooled
The Mastered Series- Novella- Book 3
From the New York Times bestselling “master of erotic romance”* and author of Unraveled, Bound and Unwound comes the all-new novella in the Mastered series.
When Amery Hardwick first met martial arts master Ronin Black, she wasn’t ready for the primal urges his sensual rope artistry released in her. As it turned out Amery and Ronin were made for each other. But when they head to Japan for a delayed honeymoon and Ronin’s annual training with his sensei, Amery struggles to adapt to the foreign customs as well as running her burgeoning business from afar. But culture shock is the least of her worries when faced with the changes in Ronin—it feels as if she’s married a stranger. Caught between his sensei’s demands and pleasing his wife, Ronin is at war with himself over choosing advancement in his jujitsu training, or staying at home with the woman who owns his heart and soul. As the limits of their relationship are tested once again, Ronin and Amery discover that they both have a lot to learn about each other….and what it takes to build a love that’ll pass all life’s little tests.
Includes a preview of the new Mastered series novel, Unraveled.
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Unraveled – Book 3
In this sizzling continuation of the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man will find the domination he’s always craved…
Shiori Hirano and Knox Lofgren are left to run the martial arts program at Black Arts while Ronin Black travels. On the surface, the two highest ranked belts appear to cooperate—but in private, they butt heads constantly, despite the undeniable attraction between them. Soon their power exchanges start to make for a sweltering dynamic in the bedroom…
At first Knox is shocked to be living out his submissive desires, but Shiori sets out to prove that embracing his true sexual nature doesn’t make him a weak man. But even while their sexual relationship grants him a power and fulfillment he finds surprising, there’s no training regimen for the fight that comes with loving a strong woman…
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Caged – Book 4
In the searing fourth novel in the Mastered Series, following Unraveled, only one woman can set a hardened fighter free from his past.…
In order to survive a life of tragedy, Deacon McConnell embraced his roughest edges and learned to fight on the streets. Then a life-changing jujitsu seminar led by Sensei Ronin Black led Deacon to become a professional fighter. With his muscular physique and his body covered in tattoos and scars, the MMA fighter defines mean, both on and off the mat.
But everything changes when innocent Molly Calloway signs up for his kickboxing class. Molly is Deacon’s opposite in every way: She’s kind, sweet, thoughtful, and educated. After a heated argument between them turns into a passionate encounter, Deacon realizes Molly is eager to experience more, and she looks to him to take her to the darker edge of lust….
The last thing either of them expects is how deeply their lives will be thrown upside down by the passion they find together.
Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
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Author Bio:
Lorelei James is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of erotic westerns: the Rough Riders series, the Blacktop Cowboys series, and the erotic romances in the Mastered series. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota.
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