Friday, May 29, 2015

DESERT TRYST by Susanne Saville

DESERT TRYST by Susanne Saville 

A 1Night Stand

The cat-and-mouse game between professional assassin Dmitri Dzerzhinsky and FBI Special Agent Thomas Dalton may be developing into something more, at least for Dmitri. Blurring which side Dmitri’s on can’t continue. Hoping to get rid of his desire for Thomas, Dmitri goes to 1Night Stand for help.

Unaware of the assassin’s interest, Thomas is attracted to Dmitri as well. So, discovering Madame Eve has given the Special Agent a night with the man of his dreams seems too good to be true.

Sometimes it’s dangerous to get what you wish for. Can two men on opposite sides of the law find common ground beyond their mutual attraction? 

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Excerpt:

As calm a declaration of war as ever there was.

I know that voice. I’ve dreamt of that voice. Dreamt of it whispering the most carnal, arousing things to me in his dry, Midwestern baritone.

It’s because of the owner of this voice that I’m now in the predicament I’m in.

Yearning for one night with a surrogate for my very Special Agent, I’m now cornered by the actual, very genuine Thomas Dalton.

I consider the odds of a successful escape. I’m sitting, he’s standing. He’s taller, by an inch or two, but I have more muscle. I could probably take him down and get out the door, but if he has backup outside, I’m dead.

Which would be a rather disappointing end to this evening.

Remaining seated seems my best option. Maybe it’s a subconscious death wish, but I’ve been lucky before letting things play out and seizing the unexpected opportunity. I’m also in no hurry to hurt him.

Then again, I never like hurting him. The few times I’ve allowed us a protracted brawl, because, honestly, that’s a very stupid move—always go for the quick takedown or the clean getaway—I barely defended myself. Does he realize the physical risks I’ve taken just to spend a few minutes in his company?

I hope not.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU by Tianna Xander

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU by Tianna Xander

Candy only asked for a night. Will she get more than she expected?

After dreaming of him for months, Candy can’t believe the 1Night Stand dating service has found a man fitting the description of her ideal lover. After all, her dream man is no other than A-list actor, Jared Harwell, and since she’ll never have him, she’ll settle for a close match.

Shapeshifter Jared Harwell is ready to call it quits—his acting career and Hollywood lifestyle—if he can find the mate he’s searching for. But, evidently, his perfect mate is only to be found in his nocturnal dreams and the closest he’ll ever get to her is with the help of Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand service. And even then, it’s only one night with a fantasy lookalike.

Will that be enough time for Candy and Jared to realize dreams truly can come true?

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Entering the bedroom, he frowned. It’s too quiet. Had she left?

“Candy?” he whispered. If she expected him, the movie star, she would recognize his voice. He had to remember to speak with a Midwestern accent at a low level and not have his brogue give him away. Not yet, anyway. He said her name softly again.

No answer.

“Candy, are you there?” he asked a bit louder. Had his accent bled through? It didn’t matter. His instructions had probably scared her, and she’d left. Shit!

“Huh, wha…?” The sleep-filled voice came from the bed. “Who’s there?”

“It’s just me, darlin’. Your date for the evening.”

“Why are you whispering?” The sheets rustled. She’d turned off the lights as he’d instructed in his letter. With the curtains drawn, the glow from the city below couldn’t penetrate the darkness. That hadn’t been part of his conditions. Had she’d closed them to even the playing field so he couldn’t see her either?

Standing in the doorway, he breathed in her perfume. The scent of peaches wafted up from the bed and gave him a hard-on from hell. The sweet scent filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the lingering scent bringing up sweet memories of his Candy. Still, it didn’t matter. The only thing he gave a damn about—they get along with each other and have the fantasy they wanted.

“Have you changed your mind?” He hoped not, and pictured the lingerie he’d packed in the case for her. Had she put it on, or was she wearing something of her own?

“No, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m wearing the flimsy nightgown you sent for me, aren’t I?” she asked, dryly.
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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

THE SILVER DRAGON by Tianna Xander

THE SILVER DRAGON by Tianna Xander

Dragon Bound Series – Book 9

Living life as sister-in-law to the king of the dragons is a pain in the rump and Iris can’t wait to get out from under his thumb. She almost regrets her decision to stay with her sister Tansy when the others go to Europe, until she meets the most handsome dragon she’s ever seen. Too bad he’s so ready and willing to die.

Jean Luc d’Argent, otherwise known as the Silver Dragon has kept his secret for a long, long time. After living alone for over a thousand years, he’s ready to enter the dragon’s forever sleep, even though an ancient prophecy predicts he must help stop the end of the world. The last thing he wants is a woman mucking up his plans—even if she’s his mate.

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EXCERPT

“I’m not sure we should ignore Tony’s warning.” Tansy took a sip of her coffee and wrinkled her nose before dumping a generous amount of creamer into the cup. “He always makes it too strong.”

Of course, the fact that it could be old apparently never crossed her sister’s mind. “What warning? Didn’t he say we could go out as long as we had an escort?” Iris lifted her drink, guzzled the last of her coffee, stood, and carried her cup to the sink. After rinsing it out, she placed the cup in the dishwasher, turned and faced her sister. “We have two perfectly good male dragons who can go to the mall with us, Tanz. I’m going stir crazy here.”

Tansy shook her head. “I should have known you’d be trouble when you begged to stay with us. Why didn’t you want to go to Europe with the others?” She, too, guzzled the rest of her coffee before carrying her cup to the sink.

Iris found out long ago that sometimes gulping down Tony’s attempts at making coffee was the only way to get her caffeine fix. “Because I have a feeling that my man is here in the states. Fat lot of good that does me,” she groused.

How could she meet the guy if she never got out of the house? Tansy had hated their other sister April’s attempts at matchmaking so much, she refused to introduce any of her sisters to her husband’s friends more than once a month. After suffering through months of April’s weekly matchmaking parties, Tansy’s penchant for staying home and watching TV was getting on Iris’s nerves.

Certain she’d go mad if she didn’t get out of there, and soon, Iris paced the length of the counter. She couldn’t take another minute cooped up in this-this frigging mansion with her love-struck sister. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have begged to stay here. If anything, I should have begged to go to Europe, with the rest of them, instead of insisting I stay here with you and Mister Boring.” She didn’t dare call her sister Mrs. Boring. That was a good way to get punched. They might be adults, but they would always be sisters.

Crossing her arms, she leaned back against the counter and glared at her sister. Tansy could talk that boring husband of hers into just about anything. Why wouldn’t she talk him into getting out of the house once in a while?

“Tansy, you’re mated now. You have come into your powers. You alone could protect us, for crying out loud.” Iris wasn’t positive of that, but she was desperate.

Unlike Iris, Tansy had complete control over her magic. Once mated, the sisters stopped having issues with their powers. Instead of zapping up frogs, and toadstools, a mated witch conjured whatever it was she wanted. All of her married sisters had oodles of control over their magic. Iris couldn’t conjure up a glass of water.

“I’m going to go nuts here. You know that, don’t you?” She sighed deeply, knowing her dramatics would have no effect on her sister. They never had.

“Oh, stop being so melodramatic.” Tansy waved her hand in a dismissive arc. “Soon, everyone will return from Europe and things will be back to normal before you know it.”

“Okay, damn it. Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?” Iris glared at Tansy. “You used to be the adventurous one. Don’t I remember you escaping Drake’s house and running off with Rose?”

Not only did she escape but she and Rose climbed a tree, jumped over to a stone wall and then onto the ground where they hurried into a waiting taxi driven by a madman.

“Yeah. That was before I fell in love.” Tansy batted her eyes, wearing a dreamy expression.

The wench actually batted her eyes.

“What’s love got to do with it?” Iris pushed away from the counter, stalked back to the table and plopped back into her seat. She had to do something before she punched Tansy so hard she wouldn’t be able to open her eyes, let alone bat her lashes at her.

“More than you know.” Tansy’s phone rang. Reaching out, she picked it up, touched the screen and held it to her ear. “What did you need, sweetheart?”

“Oh, God.” Iris leaned back in her seat with a glower. “Speak of the effing devil.”

Tansy only used that tone of voice with one person—her infernal dragon.

“Of course we can, but we’ll need some time. Iris was just saying she’d like to get out and into the fresh air for a while,” Tansy said into her phone. “It’ll take us a few minutes to change, but we should be there within the hour.”

Be where? Iris perked up. She didn’t really care where as long as wherever it was got her out of this blasted house before she lost her mind.

“I love you, too, darling,” Tansy whispered into the phone. She giggled at something he said. “See you soon.”

Tansy set her phone on the table and met Iris’s gaze. “Tony wants us to meet him at O’Leary’s on Fifth Street, for dinner. His business meeting ran a little late and he wants to celebrate the acquisition of a new company.”

“Whatever.” Iris pushed away from the table and stood. “I don’t care what his reasons are. I just want to get out of this house. Even if it’s only for a few hours.” She almost danced toward the stairs. “I’ll just go take a quick shower and change into something nice.”

After all, a girl never knew when she might meet the man—or the dragon—of her dreams.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

OUT OF BOUNDS by Erin Nicholas

OUT OF BOUNDS by Erin Nicholas
The Boys of Fall Series

In a town where football is the main religion and the boys on the field each fall are the deities, Jackson Brady had a charmed life. As the star running back on the sure-to-be Championship team, Jackson was living the dream. Until he pushed his luck just a little too far. And got suspended from the team just before the big game.

All because goody-two-shoes Annabelle Hartington had to stick her nose where it didn’t belong. Watching his team win the title from the bench was hell and if it wasn’t for Coach Carr’s influence, Jackson would have spiraled completely out of control. Instead, he just spiraled enough to lose his college football scholarship. From there, he took on the bad boy moniker with a passion akin to his passion on the field.

Now, twelve years later, it’s a no-brainer for Jackson when he’s asked to return to Quinn to help his Coach after his heart attack. Jackson’s grown up and gotten over the mistakes of the past. This is his opportunity to make up for everything. But they have to give him a chance.

And when he runs into Annabelle and sees how nicely Dr. AJ Hartington has grown up, he realizes that she is his key to getting back into everyone’s good graces. If the beloved and respected town veterinarian is willing to take a chance on him, then everyone will see that he’s a new man.

All he needs is to show her it’s a win-win situation. And winning is something he takes very seriously.

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Excerpt:

“Hi, Jackson.”

Annabelle’s soft voice behind him felt as if she’d stroked her hand down his arm. Every muscle in his arm and his stomach tightened. And maybe a couple a little lower.
From a simple “hi”?

That reaction definitely drew Jackson’s attention from the conversation at the bar. It had been mostly small talk, a few questions about Coach, and him trying to nonchalantly feel people out about any land for sale. Not to mention trying, unsuccessfully, to work his desire to bring some of the city teens to Quinn into the conversation. He needed to know if Tom was the only one who was against the idea or if that was going to rile up everyone.

But the moment Annabelle said, “Hi, Jackson”, he forgot about everything but wanting to know how her hair smelled. Again.

He turned to face her fully.

Damn, she looked good.

That was the thought that first hit him. And it was strange. She was wearing one of those full skirts again that didn’t show a thing. But the image of her in yoga pants was branded on his brain and he could easily conjure it.

The memory made him grin. “Hey, Annabelle.”

She took a deep breath and looked, if he wasn’t mistaken, a little shy. “I was wondering if you’d dance with me.”

Dance with her? Oh, really?

“I’ve never ever turned down the chance to have a beautiful woman in my arms,” he said.

She flushed and Jackson almost grinned in satisfaction. He did so love making women blush and with Annabelle it seemed so easy. But he couldn’t quite grin. He was working too hard on not giving away how much he wanted to have her up against him.

What the hell was going on?

She smiled and the feeling got stronger.

“Great.” She started for the dance floor without waiting for him.

Jackson took a second to watch her go and changed his mind about not liking the flowing skirts. They weren’t as good as yoga pants or nothing at all, of course, but there was something about the way the silky material draped over her hips, and swung against then away from the curve of her ass, that made a man’s heart rate pick up.

It was kind of like the difference between flirting and outright telling a guy “I want you”.

The blatant “I want you” was very, very nice. But a good flirtation was equally compelling once in a while.

Jackson glanced at the other men at the bar. None were watching Annabelle walk away.

That was good.

He thought he might want to keep the secret of Annabelle’s cute butt to himself.

Jesus. Cute butt?

Jackson started after her. When she got the edge of the dance floor, she swung to face him and the skirt swirled around her.
Jackson noticed her boots immediately. Annabelle might have spent her teen years in tennis shoes but she was still a Texas girl and eventually they all wore cowboy boots. These were red. Blood red. That did surprise him a bit.

“Damn. Was hoping to catch a glimpse of that music thing again.” He stepped close and held out his arms, palms up, ready to two-step her around to some George Strait.

“Music thing?”

“Your tattoo.”

“The one on my foot?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Is there another one?” Oh, damn, please let there be another one.

“There is. In fact, there are several more.”

Yes. Now to convince her to show him where. “Several?”

She grinned. “Yes.”

She still wasn’t getting closer. He wiggled his fingers. “I’m not used to women taking so much time to get up against me,” he told her. “I feel like a dumbass here, Annabelle. Come on.”

She blinked, then seemed to register what he was talking about. She laughed, said, “Sorry,” and stepped into his arms.

His hand settled on her lower back, hers on his shoulder as he took her other hand in his. They began moving in the steps that every kid in Quinn knew from the time they could walk. A country two-step was right up there with learning the Pledge of Allegiance and their bedtime prayers.

They began swaying and he just looked at her. Annabelle Hartington smelled like cupcakes.

Finally she asked, “What?”

“Shh,” he told her. “I’m imagining your other tattoos.”

She looked startled for a moment, then her face relaxed into a knowing smile that women have been giving men since the Garden of Eden. It was a mix of fake innocence and I’ve-got-you-right-where-I-want-you.

Which made something hot throb deep inside Jackson. He was right where she wanted him? She wanted him anywhere?

“What about them?” she asked sweetly.

But he was starting to suspect there was a spicy side to Annabelle.

He tightened the arm around her, pulling her closer. “What they are. Where they are.”

She licked her bottom lip. “Why don’t you just ask me?”

“My imagination is a lot of fun.”

He was flirting with her. That wasn’t exactly a shock. Jackson usually had to try not to flirt when he was dancing with women in bars. No, the surprising thing was that Annabelle seemed to realize it.

She certainly didn’t strike him as the flirtatious party-girl type. Yet there was a recognition in her eyes that said she knew exactly what was going on.

And didn’t mind a bit.

Annabelle tipped her head to one side, her lips curled in a soft smile and her body moved closer to his as the song switched to Brad Paisley’s soft ballad She’s Everything.

“I can almost guarantee,” she said softly, “that you will never guess what the others are. And you will probably only guess where about half of them are.”

Flirting had just ratcheted up to seduction. He was pretty sure. That’s how this felt, anyway. The only thing making him wonder was the fact that this was Annabelle.

“How many are we talking?”
“Eight.”

He knew his eyes went wide. “You have eight tattoos?”

She nodded. “Seven besides the one you’ve seen.”

Of course they could be tiny. Little daisies didn’t need to take up a lot of skin. But eight?

He’d dated women with tattoos before. Lots of them, in some cases. They were gorgeous and sexy and he loved them.

But there was something very sweetly sexy about Annabelle having seven other hidden tattoos that he really, really liked. Maybe it was because it was unexpected. But he thought maybe it was more that these tattoos were obviously only for her. She hadn’t done it to be sexy—especially if the majority were hidden. She’d done it because she wanted to. They would say something about her.

He liked that most of all. And he really wanted to know what they were now.

His grip on her hand tightened and he dropped his voice to a husky growl. “I think instead of guessing, I’d rather go on a treasure hunt.”

Monday, March 30, 2015

NIKKI by Michelle Levigne

NIKKI by Michelle Levigne

Quarry Hall Book Five

Nikki lives a faerie tale existence, but after a chance encounter with Joan Archer, she starts to rethink her choices. Brock has changed since convincing Nikki to run away from home. Now his goal is to protect her from his drug lord boss. When his DEA contacts say they can't protect Nikki, Brock must act. He must break her heart to drive her away to be safe.

Ashamed to be the prodigal, Nikki doesn't go straight home. Joan and the Quarry Hall sisters find her and start her healing and the journey home. When the drug lord decides to bring Nikki back and use her to camouflage the organization's activities, he kidnaps her. Quarry Hall and its friends marshal their resources to find her before it is too late.




Excerpt

"Please, Lord, help me. Show me what to do." Nikki shook her head and watched the teardrops fall on the Bible's pages. "I know what I have to do, but I don't want to. I'm a coward. I'm selfish. I'm--" She slid to her knees again, resting her head on the open Bible, sobbing.

She didn't hear the door open, didn't feel anything until Brock caught her by her elbow and lifted her to her feet.

"You are pathetic! How long are you going to lay around, crying and talking to a God who sure isn't listening? Can't you figure out what you need to do? What's it going to be, Nikki? Me or that baby?"

Later, all that she could remember clearly was that he called it a baby, not a thing, a problem.

She knew what she had to say, what she should say, but the words still caught in her throat.

"Are you gonna abort it, or not?" He dropped her on the bed. "How long are you going to put us through this?"

"I can't--"

He swung back, agony twisting his face. Time slowed, but she couldn't move out of the way as his hand came down and connected hard with her face. Her vision shattered, her neck snapped back and half a heartbeat later she was airborne. The thud when she hit the wall seemed to deafen her and knock the air from her lungs. Nikki slid down, gasping and blinking.

Brock snatched up her Bible and tore it apart at the spine. He yanked and ripped and threw pages across the bed, then across the room.

"Choose!" He threw the cover into her face and stormed out.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

SPLINTERED by Sam Cheever

SPLINTERED by Sam Cheever

Current climate in Tuktu, Alaska: Mostly sunny, with a chance of partly furry.

Life isn’t going well for Vivica Breckenridge. Recently relocated to Tuktu, Alaska, she expects things to be a little squiggy for a while as she acclimates to a whole new place, with new people and new ways of doing things. But she has no idea how squiggy they’re going to get. Until she wakes up one morning with fur over only part of her body. Things can’t get much weirder than that! Or can they?

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Excerpt:

“What’s up, Doc?”

Cary blinked. For just a second the incredible creature standing before him had sprouted ears. They’d been the cutest, fuzziest white ears, sticking almost straight up from the top of her beautiful head, but they’d definitely been there one second and gone the next.

No one else had seemed to notice, so he thought he must have imagined it. He couldn’t help thinking it was a strange trick for his mind to play the first time he laid eyes on a gorgeous female.

To cover his confusion he laughed. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.”

Vivica Breckenridge chewed her bottom lip, but her smile stayed fixed. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

She was petite, probably no taller than five foot four inches, lushly curved, and wore her silky black hair in a classy bob that angled to her chin. Her brown eyes were wide, filled with mischief, and lined in kohl-colored lashes that looked as if they were an inch long. They fluttered charmingly against her silky brown cheek as she glanced at their clasped hands. Her nose was short and narrow, widening at the end, and the delicate nostrils flared softly as she looked him over. Her sumptuous lips were sexy beneath chocolate-brown lipstick.

He had a sudden, irrepressible desire to nibble those lips.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

FATE UNEXPECTED by Marisa Chenery

FATE UNEXPECTED by Marisa Chenery

Earth Defender-Book One

A summer storm of red rain changed life as Kylah knew it, and her in ways she couldn't imagine. Humans around the world sickened and died, or turned into wild creatures with red eyes that hungered for flesh. Her planet was on the verge of extinction, and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

Rune, a Dracan mercenary, had signed on with the Xphens to fight for them during the Earth conquest. Having Kylah capture him changed everything. She had him questioning which side he wanted to be on.

Kylah finds herself drawn to the large cat-eyed alien. Fleeing with Rune to the Cascade mountain range, she lets her feelings for him cloud her judgment. From two different planets, theirs is a relationship that could end before it had a chance to start.



Excerpt:

Kylah drove away in the pre-dawn darkness and forced herself to not look back. It suddenly hit her that she left behind what had been the happy world with her parents. It hadn’t bothered her when she’d prepared to make the trip, but now that she actually did, tears burned the backs of her eyes.

She pushed them away. She’d cried more than enough in the days after she’d awakened from her sickness. Mostly when she’d had to dig a grave in the backyard to bury her dad. Before the illness, it would have been a monumental task, but it’d been relatively easy for her. It was physically putting him into the ground and covering him with dirt that had been tough.

At Curlew Lake, Kylah parked her car between two others that had been abandoned. Since she hadn’t washed hers since the aliens’ arrival, it blended in. If people happened to come across it, she didn’t want it to stand out.

Kylah climbed out, then went to the trunk where she’d stored what she’d taken with her. She took out her sword, and one of the backpacks that had some necessities in it like a couple bottles of water and a few energy bars. Before she lugged the rest of her things into the bush, she wanted to scout the area and pick out a spot that would be a good place to set up her new home.

She closed the trunk, strapped on her sword and shouldered the backpack. Kylah had been to the lake many times, and knew the area fairly well. She started walking on one of the trails, then cut into the trees. Dawn was about an hour away. She wanted to have a location picked out before the sun rose. There was no telling if any of the turned had ranged that far.

Kylah bypassed the lake and headed for the more mountainous area where the bush was thicker. She walked at a brisk pace for the new her, which would have had someone else having to run to keep up.

She slowed, then came to a stop to hide behind a large tree when she stumbled across a sort of clearing in the midst of the forest. Kylah peeked around the thick trunk to get a better view. It looked as if some of the trees had been cut down to create it. The logs lay in a pile near the edge of the space.

It was a campsite, but not a human one. The circular perimeter was enclosed in what she supposed was a force field. With her keen eyesight, she was able to see the waves of energy. Inside it, there were two white metallic-looking dome structures. Alien versions of tents? She could only guess. Next to them were two vehicles that looked sort of like wheel-less motorcycles.

Kylah drew fully behind the tree. An idea swirled inside her mind. It was crazy, but it was time for the aliens to be the prey. And there was a possibility she could get answers as to what the hell they’d done to her planet along with why they were there.

She took a deep breath. She was going to do it. She was going to see if she could capture one of the aliens. A single dome looked as if it could hold only one occupant. Maybe inside them were the two she’d seen last night in town. The spot was close enough to Republic for a basecamp.

To set her plan into motion, Kylah silently ran through the trees to the opposite perimeter. She had to draw the aliens out. With that force field up, there was no way she could sneak into their camp. So she caused a disturbance they wouldn’t be able to ignore.

Kylah threw back her head and let out a drawn-out howl like one the turned would make. She added a few loud growls for good measure. To top it off, she let loose a shrill scream as if she were a woman who was being pursued by the turned. At the sound of alien voices speaking in urgent tones, she ran at her fastest to the back of the camp.

She smiled. The two aliens were indeed the ones she’d seen in town. The furred one touched some kind of wrist device that was strapped to his arm, then ran off in the direction where she’d been. Kylah gazed at the one who looked very much like a human. He was the one she wanted, and not because she still thought he was a hunk.

After a few more seconds and the furry alien didn’t return, Kylah made some more growls to lure the other one to her. He took the bait. She hid behind a tree and drew her sword. She’d knock him out, then get him farther up on the mountain before his buddy returned.

She took a quick glance. He was headed right for her. As he neared her tree, she walked around it as he passed before silently coming up behind him. She raised her sword, drew it back, then with the flat of it, hit him on the back of his head hard enough to knock him out. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

Acting quickly, she took out two zip ties that she had in her backpack. She’d been prepared for anything. She jerked his arms behind his back and bound his wrists together. She did the same to his ankles. Thankful for her super strength, she bent and managed to hoist him over her shoulder. She straightened. He wasn’t exactly light, but she’d be able to carry him a distance to where the other alien wouldn’t find them. At least she hoped or it all could go terribly wrong with her being captured.

As she ran at her top speed while weighed down, the other alien called out a single word. Rune. She bet that was the name of her prize.

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