Blog Tour & #Giveaway: ★Beat★ by Vi Keeland

June 18, 2015 by ·
 
Beat 
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Contemporary, Rockstar Romance
Release Date: June 15, 2015
Watch the trailer for Beat ➜ http://bit.ly/1yZD0Am
Dimpled smile of a boy
Hard body of a man
Sings like an angel
Fucks like the devil
I was stuck between a rock(star) and a hard place.

At fifteen, his poster hung on my bedroom wall. At twenty-five his body hovered over mine. Every girl’s fantasy became my reality. I was dating a rockstar. Yet I was slowly falling for another man. The problem was—the two men—they shared a tour bus.
Flynn Beckham was the opening act.
Dylan Ryder was the headliner.
What happens when the opening act begins to shine so bright, it seems to dim everything else in its wake?
I’ll tell you what happens. Things get ugly.

Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/1BdSxDC

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1fczMX5

 

Getting through Flynn singing is incredibly hard. The way his throat moves, the way his mouth caresses each syllable of the low, raspy sound that falls from his lips. I should be watching his posture, his breathing, the way his larynx forces out the words—but instead I’m focused on the beauty of his mouth and how the sound of his voice glides over my body, making it feel both warm and tingly at the same time. I’m lost when the song finishes, yet I haven’t really observed him yet. 

 

“So. Give it to me straight. What am I doing wrong?” 

Ummm…absolutely nothing from what I can see. Everything was perfect. Don’t change a thing. Shit. “Could you do it again? Maybe a different song, one you haven’t sung in a while. So the sounds are less familiar to your body. Sometimes that can give me a different view.” At least I make it sound like a real thing when the words come out. 

He sings again, and this time I force myself to observe. “Hmm…your posture is great. Most people have a tendency to favor one side of their neck, which makes them tilt a bit when they speak, and it becomes magnified when they sing, which puts strain on the muscles around the vocal cords. Your alignment is perfect.” 

“Thank you, it goes with the rest of my perfectness,” he says with a teasing arrogance that, from the little I know about him, I know isn’t real. 

“You didn’t let me finish.” 

 

“You can’t now tell me I’m not perfect. I was already basking in the glow.” 

“Actually, it was perfect…but almost a little too perfect. Which makes me think you don’t usually stand this way when you sing.” 

“It isn’t the way I normally sing. On stage, I usually have a guitar over my shoulder. Even if I’m not playing it, it’s there.” 

“Well, I need to see you holding your instrument to assess you fully, then.” 

Flynn’s eyebrows quirk up and the dirty grin on his face is unmistakable. 

“The guitar. I’d need to see you holding the guitar.” 

“That’s a shame.” He shrugs, the playful smile still on his face. “But okay. It’s your call. Whatever instrument you want to see me hold is fine with me.” 

“How big of you.” 

“So now we’re talking about the other instrument again?” 

I roll my eyes, although this conversation is having more of an effect on me than I let on.

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

 

Throb 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K

Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1alpVES
Smashwords – http://bit.ly/1is0zNX

Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)

Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)

Belong to You (A Cole Novel, Book One)

Made For You (A Cole Novel, Book Two)

First Thing I See (Stand Alone)

Left Behind (Stand Alone)

 

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!
 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


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· Filed Under: Blog Tours, Excerpts, Giveaways ·

Review, Excerpt & #Giveaway: ★Beneath These Chains★ by @Meghan_March

June 17, 2015 by ·
Beneath These Chains 
Series: Beneath #3
Author: Meghan March
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2015

I was raised on the streets, so I know things are rarely as simple as they appear—especially this rich girl showing up at my pawnshop demanding a job.

She’s the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ll be damned if I can make her leave.

Shit just got complicated … but when it comes to her—I want complicated.

We’re both fighting our own demons, and our only chance at a future is to let go of the past.

But will we be strong enough to break free from beneath these chains?

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

Chapter 1

Lord

I fucking hated people who stole from me. Which was ironic, considering the only thing that had kept me from starving as a kid had been picking pockets and snatching purses. I dropped my elbows to the desk and rubbed a hand over my buzzed head.

“Goddamn, karma’s a bitch.”

“She the bitch you fucked last night, bro?” The leather of my office couch creaked as Mathieu sank his tall, lanky frame into it.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call women ‘bitches,’ boy?”

My words were met with a long sigh from Mathieu. Ever since he’d walked into Chains and tried to grab a guitar and run back out the door—only to be tackled to the ground by yours truly—he’d been a fixture in my life. To be fair, his choices had been to work off the price of what he’d attempted to steal, or go directly to the nearest cop shop. The entire situation had been such a blast from the past, I’d caught myself smiling when I should’ve been glaring and scaring the piss out of the kid. But apparently I’d done an okay job of it because he’d decided starting a rap sheet at seventeen wasn’t a good plan. Thank fuck. Almost two years later, the kid was my right hand.

And now that Chains was mine, someone was stealing from me—but not just someone. An employee. Someone I should’ve been able to trust. The cameras I had installed on her day off had already paid for themselves.

I rolled my head from side to side, cracking my neck. I hated firing people. It never got easier. And this time? This time it was going to be even worse … because there would be tears. And quite possibly claws.

Pushing up from the chair, I strode to the door without looking at Mathieu. Over my shoulder, I tossed, “You might want to stay here; Brianna’s ass is about to get canned.”

“For real?” His words followed me out, but I didn’t bother to reply.

Every time I stepped foot onto the shop floor, a feeling of pride surged through me—pride that I’d helped build this business into one that was not only honest, but profitable. At least, it was profitable when one of my employees wasn’t skimming off the till and messing with my bank deposits.

Finger twirling in her long, dark extensions and gum snapping between her teeth, Brianna flipped the pages of a magazine with a giant black Sharpie in one hand, circling shit. Probably shit she wanted to buy with the money she’d been stealing from me. The store was empty, which made what I was about to do a little easier.

“Bree, need a few minutes.”

Her head popped up, lips pursing as she took me in. “You can have all the time you need, boss.” Her gaudy fake eyelashes batted at me in what I assumed was supposed to be a sexy move. I stowed the urge to tell her to save it for someone whose dick got hard at the sight of her … but since I was about to fire her, why add insult to injury? The woman had been unsuccessfully trying to add her notch to my bedpost since I’d hired her. Bringing her on had been a mistake, and I’d known it from the minute she’d walked in the door, but a friend had called in a favor.

“Boss? You had something to say?” she prompted.

I watched her, not speaking.

She stopped the hair twirling and capped the Sharpie, resituating herself on the stool and folding her hands in her lap.

“Lord?”

“You’re done.”

Bree’s dark eyes flew wide. “Done? You mean done for the day?”

“Done. For good. Get your shit and get out.”

Bree lost the innocent pose as she crossed her arms and stared me down. “Not until you tell me why.”

In two long strides, I closed the distance between the register and me and pressed my hands to the counter.

“I gave you a job. Gave you a paycheck you didn’t have to suck a dick to get. But that wasn’t enough for you. You had to have more, and instead of coming to me and asking for a raise, you decided to make it happen yourself.”

The color faded from her face, leaving her mocha-colored skin sallow. “Wh-what?”

“Get your shit.”

“I swear, I didn’t—”

“Don’t fucking lie to me. I can show you the tape if you want to see what I saw.”

Her lower lip started to wobble. It wasn’t going to work. I’d given her the benefit of the doubt, hoped I was wrong or it was just a one-time thing. But she’d gotten too bold.

“But I need this—”

I cut her off. She wasn’t even going to deny it. Not that she could. We both knew she’d done it, and I wasn’t in the mood to listen to her beg or justify her actions. Even though she didn’t know it, I’d already given her a second chance. And all that had done was cost me even more than I could afford to lose. “I needed someone to work the shop—someone who wasn’t going to fuck me over and steal from me. You weren’t capable of that, so you’re out. Now get your shit.”

“But—”

“Save your breath, Bree. I ain’t listening unless you’re here to tell me you’ve got all the money you’ve taken, and you’re putting it right back where it belongs.”

Her face twisted into an angry glare even as the tears started falling. “You … you don’t understand.”

“No, I really don’t understand.” I crossed my arms and waited her out. When she realized the water works weren’t changing my decision, she spun off the stool, grabbed her giant purple purse from behind the counter, and stalked toward the door.

“You get all self-righteous with me about a little cash while you basically steal from people? Giving ‘em twenty dollars for their shit? Like you’re one to judge.”

A little cash? She’d skimmed enough to buy a nice used car, and I’d been too trusting to even realize it until the numbers hadn’t added up in a big way.

She slowed near the guitars at the front of the store and malicious glee lit her eyes.

She wouldn’t.

Oh, but she did.

Bree grabbed a guitar and swung it toward the rack as the chimes above the front door jangled. Wood crashed against wood, and two female screeches erupted.

Shit … if she injured a customer…

I charged Bree and ripped the guitar from her hands before she could swing again. A swirl of red hair caught my attention as the other woman dodged out of the strike zone.

Bree struggled against my hold, and I wondered if I was going to end up with a face full of the acrylic claws tearing at my arms. “Let go of me, you asshole!”

“Whoa, boss. Getting the door for ya.” Mathieu bolted across the shop and yanked the door open again. I hustled Bree out and set her free on the sidewalk.

She spun to face Mathieu and me. “You’re gonna regret this,” she hissed. “I swear, you will.”

A soft laugh came from the open door. “From what I’ve seen, I highly doubt it.”

Bree opened her mouth to spew something else, but I shut her down. “Get gone. I don’t ever wanna see you near my shop again.”

Bree’s flinty eyes narrowed as she shouldered her purse. “Fuck you, Lord. You think you’re better than me? Not a chance. You’re just thievin’ street scum. Fuck you.”

“And now she’s getting repetitious,” the husky female voice commented from behind me.

Lip curling in disgust, Bree turned and marched toward the corner, never looking back.

“Her exit could totally use some work, but all-in-all, that was one hell of a welcome.”

I turned to survey the woman standing in the doorway of Chains. Even without a photographic memory, I didn’t think I’d ever forget this particular pose: one arm braced on the doorframe and the other propped on her hip, a green dress hugging curves that had my entire body sitting up and taking notice. Matched with her long, curling red hair, she was a goddamn knockout. What the hell is she doing here?

“You lost, sweet thing?”

She stepped onto the sidewalk and tore the HELP WANTED sign off the bottom corner of the front window. Holding it between two fingers, she smiled. “Nope. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m your newest employee.”

This man was wild, untamed- seemingly fearless- and yet his body jumped when I touched him. That was insanely seductive.”

Lord, oh Lord but I loved me some Lord. Where has this author been all my life with her deliciously sexy alphas? Because if the other 2 books were anything like this, then my method of reading things back asswards has seriously backfired on me and I missed out on 2 amazing books that I have every intention of going back and reading now. Beneath These Chains is easily read as a standalone, since I clearly read it as one. However, there were characters from previous books that I clearly missed out on the backstory on that I’d love to now get. But that never took away from my enjoyment of this book since the author did a fantastic job of giving perfect amount of backstory so the reader doesn’t feel lost.

What did this book have?

An incredibly sexy, tatted up alpha hero

A bad boy that runs a pawn shop called chains, Lord hasn’t exactly had an easy life. Raised on the streets, he’s had to fight for everything he’s got. When a tempting redhead comes into his shop demanding a job, he knows she must be joking. Elle is a rich girl and has no business doing anything on his side of the town. The fact that she happens to be the best friend of his brother’s girlfriend also means she’s off limits. Too bad she tempts him like not other.
A sassy, knows what she wants heroine

Trust me, I’m not looking for anyone to chase me. In fact, the chase is decidedly unwelcome.” She jerked her head to the side, flipping a lock of that sexy-as-fuck red hair out of her face. “I’m the kind of girl who does the chasing herself. I see what I want, and I get it.

I ask you, how often do you find THAT?

 Elle needs the job at chains for reasons that she’s not willing to share. She’s also incredibly attracted to it’s brooding, tatted and potty-mouthed owner. But watching her mother withdraw into herself and turn to the bottom of a bottle because of a domineering asshole that is her stepfather, she has no desire to give herself like that to a man. She’s find with one night and slaking some lust? But a relationship? She can’t give up her independence for it and she’s convinced that that’s exactly what would happen if she gives herself to a man.

 A man determined to get the woman he needs and treat her the way she deserves to be treated

While you’d expect this to be another case of sexy asshole syndrome, Lord was nothing of the sort. He won’t fuck with Elle because he doesn’t want that reflecting on his brother’s relationship if something was to go wrong. And since his brother is dating Elle’s best friend, Vannessa, he knows he has to tread carefully. But when he decides that what he wants is Elle and not just for one night, he systematically begins to wear her down. And he doesn’t do this by being an overbearing asshole. Nope. he does this by demanding a date and showing her the way that she deserves to be treated.

You should be going to your knees for me, woman. You shouldn’t be going to your knees for any man.”
“But-”
“You want to suck my dick, you do it while you’re kneeling above me. I don’t ever want to see you on the ground on your knees.”
“But you did it for me.” I protested.
“Because you deserve to be worshipped.”

No relationship drama

How refreshing was THAT? Once Lord finally wears Elle down and forces her to see how great they are together, there’s no pity arguments, stupid misunderstandings, or manufactured drama. That’s not to say that their relationship is smooth sailing because there’s also the added element of suspense in the plot, but their relationship only strengthens through it.

An interesting and suspenseful plot

 Just made this even more fun of a read. There’s murders, Elle’s asshole father and stepbrother, and all of it ties together flawlessly with the romance.

 In short, I seriously enjoyed this book. Lord is just the right amount of crude with a dash of sweet. I absolutely loved that about him. It’s so refreshing to have a hero that actually wants a relationship and proves that to the heroine. The super hawt sex scenes certainly didn’t hurt either.

 I’m kicking myself for not discovering this series sooner but I have definitely found myself a new author to love and a new series to read.

Meghan March is the author of contemporary and erotic romance novels.

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

 

Catch Up on the Beneath Series:

Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1)

He loves me, and he doesn’t even know my real name.


 The limelight that follows him could expose everything I’m hiding. But even knowing the risks, I can’t force myself to stay away.


 I’m going to break his heart, but mine will shatter right along with it.


 Will we lose it all when I reveal what’s beneath this mask?

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Google Play / Kobo


Beneath This Ink (Beneath #2)

I’ve always known she was too good for me, but that never stopped me from wanting her.
And then I finally had her for one night.
A night I don’t remember.

I figured I’d blown my shot.
But now she’s walked back into my life, and this time, I have the upper hand. I want my second chance.
Will she be able to see the man beneath this ink?


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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: ,

Blog Tour & #Giveaway: ★Rules of Seduction★ by Joya Ryan

June 12, 2015 by ·
Rules of Seduction
Series: Serve #7
Author: Joya Ryan 
Release Date: June 9th, 2015
Entangled Brazen

He’ll be the dream and the dirty fantasy…

Through with both her controlling ex and relationships, Ava Webber is determined to explore the spicy and sometimes forbidden appetites of the exclusive BDSM nightclub, Serve. Here, she’ll get exactly what she needs…as long as it’s from a man she doesn’t know.

Nolan Hart ensures that Serve’s clients get what they want, how they want it. But with one look at the curvy brunette, Nolan knows he’s the man to fulfill her desires. As the anonymous lover, he’s Ava’s dirtiest fantasy. Outside of Serve, he’s her charming, smartass friend.

But Nolan wants more. More than Ava is willing to give. And as long as the blindfold stays on, she’ll never discover that the two men she’s falling for are one and the same…

Amazon / iBooks / B&N / Kobo 

Despite the many steps it had taken her to wind up sitting and waiting for membership at Serve, nothing would now deter her from the path she’d chosen.

It was time.

Time she truly moved on. Time she admitted what she wanted. Time to go after it.
 The moment her lungs filled with oxygen on a heavy inhale, the door opened and a tall, muscled man walked in, flipping through what looked to be her extensive questionnaire.

“Ava Webber?” he asked, eyes fused to the paper.

“Yes.”

He kicked the door shut with his foot, flipped to another page, and frowned. He still hadn’t met her eyes yet, which was a shame, because even in the low light, she could tell his eyes were not only the iciest blue she’d ever seen, they were intense. Power and strength radiated from him as he took his seat behind the desk. His big body settled into the chair, and all his muscles flexed beneath the thin black T-shirt he wore. 

Her mouth watered. Just the way he moved was hypnotizing.  

“There’s a problem with your application,” he said, and now he looked at her. But the sound of his voice and the finality in his tone made a rise of panic swell in her gut.

“What? No, that can’t be. I read through the entire handbook, and I’m confident I meet every requirement.”

His eyebrows furrowed. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk. Which did crazy amazing things to those impressive biceps of his.

“You didn’t fill out section three completely,” he said, flipping to the page in question and sliding it in front of her. 

“For preference in a partner, you put male.”

“Is that a problem?”

He tossed her a lethal grin, and she suddenly felt a little giddy. Whoever this man was, he knew how to work a room—likely a woman, too—and had a special kind of swagger that was gifted from god and well-honed over the years. He glowed with confidence and an alpha intensity that matched the gleam of the laid-back charm in his eyes.

“Male is a good start. Narrows the attendees down by half. But usually I’m given more to work with. Like body type, hair color, eye color—”

“I don’t care about any of that.” Her response seemed to take him off guard, but it was the truth.

“All I care about is that it’s anonymous sex.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “That’s a problem. Because see on section five? Sexual preferences, boundaries, hard limits, personal wants and desires?”

She nodded, looking at the section in question. “What’s your point?”

“You put any.”

“I’m aware.”

“As am I. Which is why I’m concerned.”

Ava took a deep breath. Hottie McSexyGrin was grilling her. He was the last step before she could participate in this club. She absently gripped her ring finger. Even with the discarded ring sitting in a drawer at home, she still felt its weight.

She couldn’t lose this chance. She needed a place like Serve. Needed to feel alive again and needed this man to stop blocking her from the path she’d discovered. A path that would finally let her be free.

“I don’t understand your concern.” She tapped the paper. “I’m open to any experience, hence the word.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I can read, sweetheart. But I’m not sure you understand all Serve has to offer. If you leave yourself open to anything, I can assure you, you just may get that.”

“I see we finally understand each other.”

He sat back in his chair and looked at her with amusement. “In the spirit of understanding each other, let’s go through a list.”

“List?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, you seem to be open to anything, but I need to be clear on your desires, so we’ll start with your pussy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I offend you? Or are you not sitting in the middle of a sex club and claiming to be open to anything?”Great, not only was this guy sex on a stick, he was a smartass 
trying to call her bluff. Fine, she could play.

“What is it you’d like to know?”

“Several things,” he admitted with a heat in his eyes that made her thighs tingle. “Do you like your pussy to be sucked? Fucked? Made love to?”

She held her posture as still as possible. “All of the above.”

“And what about your man? Assuming I assign you one. What do you want to do to him?”

“Whatever he wants.”

He tsked. “Oh sweetheart, that is the best and worst answer you could give.”

“I don’t see how me wanting to please the man you will assign me is a bad thing.”

He grinned, obviously picking up on her determination that she wasn’t leaving without what she’d come for.

“Not bad, just trying to keep your expectations in check. He may decide to fuck your mouth for a while before touching you otherwise.”

“Sounds great.” And it really did. There was something about sucking a man that really turned her on. Not that she was going to go into details about that since the guy on the other side of the desk was baiting her as it was.

He shook his head. “I don’t think you know what you’re asking for.”

That’s where he was wrong. She’d thought about this more than he could know, and she knew exactly what she was asking for. Time he understood she was confident in her choice.

“I want to touch him however he’ll let me, and he can have me however he wants. I don’t know how to be more clear than that. Unless you’d like to run through every single scenario?”

The sarcasm in her voice made his amusement fire into something a little more lusty. His shoulders stiffened. She was wearing him down, showing she could handle what she was asking for, and slinging him back a taste of his own medicine.

You can read my full review HERE
I am a mother and a wife. I love to read, write, bake, cook, barbecue, baste, flambe’…basically anything regarding food you can assume my involvement. I also have terrible dance moves and unleash them upon the general public often.

If you want to know more about me or the books I write, come check out my site! www.JoyaRyan.com

Rule of Seduction Prize Pack, including a Coffee Mug, Stress Ball and Tote Bag.

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, BDSM, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: ,

Guest Post, Review & #Giveaway: ★Falling For His Best Friend★ by @katee_robert

May 20, 2015 by ·
Meet Avery & Drew in Katee Robert’s newest sexy standalone from Entangled Brazen!
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PqG9WN

He’s going above and beyond the call of duty…

Avery Yeung’s biological clock just went off early. Thanks to her family’s medical history, she’s running out of time to get knocked up. And the only guy within donating distance? Her overprotective-and irritatingly hot-best friend. So clearly she needs an anonymous donor…

Anonymous donor? Over Sheriff Drew Flannery’s dead body. While daddyhood will never be in the cards for a man with his past, Drew won’t let Avery shop for a “popsicle pop.” He’ll do what’s right for his best friend by doing his best friend. But only if they do it properly.

But there’s nothing “proper” about it. Between the bed, the kitchen counter, and against his squad car, Avery and Drew are having the hottest sex ever. They can’t get enough of it-or each other. And without knowing it, they’ve crossed the one line that could ruin their friendship forever…

I asked Katee how she keeps coming up with new and sexier sex scenes for her characters and where does she draw her inspiration. (because inquiring pervy minds gots to know!) And here’s what she had to say


Bring on the Sexy Good Times!

I’ve always preferred to read romances where I get all the delicious details, rather than a fade-to-black or sweeter romance. So, when it came time for me to be the one writing romance, the only route that felt natural to take was the one that let the reader see everything going on in the bedroom (or closet or living room…but I digress). The only problem? There’s a whole lot that goes into sex scenes to make them feel effortless and not awkward.

Yeah, I was way in over my head. Writing sex scenes are DIFFICULT. No duh, right? I should have seen that from a mile away.

The thing is, it got easier with each book I wrote, until the sex scenes are now one of my favorite parts of any given book. See, in addition to making me blush (every single time!) and occasionally making me take a lap around the living room to cool off, a good sex scene gives the reader a very intimate view of a character’s fears and desires.

How a hero or heroine chooses to make themselves vulnerable—or not— in the bedroom is telling when it comes down to it. Each pairing presents its own challenges. For example, with FALLING FOR HIS BEST FRIEND, Drew is the dominant partner almost exclusively—he drives the sex scenes. They’re both busy fighting their feelings for each other, but they do it in different ways. Avery lets herself get lost in the moment, and Drew tries to control every little thing.

With each book, there are challenges and with each book there’s the underlying desire to keep the heat level in roughly the same place. I like my sex scenes hot! Which is great in theory, but there’s always the fear in the back of my mind that I’ll write a scene, send it in, and have my editor respond with, “Katee, you wrote this exact same scene in a totally different book!” Or “Katee, every single book in this series has the characters getting busy in the backseat!”

The double ups don’t actually happen that often, though. Each couple brings different desires to the table, so writing to cater to those desires ends up creating a natural variety of sexy good times naturally. Which is a relief, let me tell you!

What about you? How do you feel about sex scenes in romance books?

Holy shit. Whatever he’d expected when he’d agreed to this thing, it wasn’t THIS. He’d just had sexy with Avery. His best friend and partner in crime, the one person in this world who knew all his secrets.
And worst of all, he wanted to do it again.

Ever since Drew and Avery were first introduced in In Bed with Mr. Wrong I just knew they’d be one of my favorites in the series. And you know what? I wasn’t even a little bit wrong. I love a good friends to lovers romance, and this one delivered it in spades.

Avery, shut up and listen to me. If we’re going to do this- and we are- we’re going to do this RIGHT.”
And then he kissed her.

Avery and Drew have been best friends for twenty years. There’s nothing that they haven’t experienced together, especially being the fun loving troublemakers that they are. But there’s one thing that always stayed hands off, especially for Drew, and that’s anything even remotely romantic or sexual. Drew attempted to kiss her once and was turned down flat. He doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, so even though his attraction for Avery hasn’t lessened any through the years, he won’t act on it. Until he has no choice but not to…

 Avery has always known Drew for the player that he is. His hit it then quit it ways date back all the way to high school. He’s also been the one solid presence in her life that has been there for her through everything. Especially that terrible day that she got the test results back saying that she has the same genetic markers for cancer that killed her mother. Now her biological clock is ticking and it has a very quick expiration date with her health risk looming over her. Avery is desperate to have the one thing she longs for; a child of her own. After watching her sister that had the same genetic markers go through an emergency hysterectomy, she knows she doesn’t have time to waste. And with no potential men in the plan for her, since Drew seems to scare all of them off with the guise that they’re not good enough, she gets desperate. And what’s a girl to do? Go to a sperm bank, of course.

 When the idea of Avery getting pregnant by any man that’s not him hits Drew over the head like a two-by-four, he knows what HE has to do. Why go to the sperm bank when he can get the job done right…the old fashioned way.

Avery may not be too keen on the idea at first, but it’s not long before all that pent up sexual chemistry from the years crackles and sizzles out of control. Let’s just say there’s a certain scene that involves Drew’s sheriff’s uniform, handcuffs, and the side of a road. Holy melting panties!

Avery may know what she wants, but Drew struggles with it. The last thing he wants is to give his heart to a woman only to waste away like his drunk of a father when he looses her. Watching him fall harder and harder for Avery was all the more satisfying to watch because of this. Sure he screws up, but he more than makes up for it.

The irony was that while he’d been trying to ruin her for any other man, she’d gone and done the same for him and any future woman he might meet.

I really loved this latest installment in the series. It’s everything that I love in contemporary romance. It was light, sweet, with the perfect amount of sexy and fantastic characters. If you loved the previous books in this series, you’re definitely going to love this one. And if you haven’t yet read those, then you can easily read this one as a standalone. The operative word here being READ it.

New York Times & USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Katee Robert learned to tell stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her favorites then were the rather epic adventures of The Three Bears, but at age twelve she discovered romance novels and never looked back.

Though she dabbled in writing, life got in the way—as it often does—and she spent a few years traveling, living in both Philadelphia and Germany. In between traveling and raising her two wee ones, she had the crazy idea that she’d like to write a book and try to get published.

Her first novel was an epic fantasy that, God willing, will never see the light of day. From there, she dabbled in YA and horror, before finally finding speculative romance. Because, really, who wouldn’t want to write entire books about the smoking-hot relationships between two people?

She now spends her time—when not lost in Far Reach worlds—playing imaginary games with her wee ones, writing, ogling men, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads

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Spotlight & #Giveaway: ★Sneak Attack★ by @cariquinn

May 19, 2015 by ·
I don’t know if you all know this, but ever since I first read Shadowboxer last summer, I’ve been practically stalking Cari Quinn for more in this series. Actually, forget practically, it’s a wonder the woman puts up with me with my incessant and rabid need for Giovanni’s book. But when she told me that there’s going to be another book for the couple that made me fall in love with this series, Mia and Tray. I can’t say I was complaining. So I’m so excited to have Cari on the blog today talking all things Sneak Attack, sharing an excerpt AND a great giveaway. Make sure you check it all out below!
Hey y’all! I’m Cari Quinn, and I’m so thrilled to be back on Dirty Girl Romance to talk about SNEAK ATTACK, my next book in the Tapped Out MMA series! And make sure to read on until the end for an awesome contest where YOU get to share which kind of sports hero gets *your* blood pumping!

SNEAK ATTACK is about Tray “Fox” Knox and Mia Anderson, two former underground MMA fighters who fell in love when Mia set her sights on fighting Tray. A bit surprising, right? Some readers wondered how that could be possible, and if Mia truly thought she could kick Tray’s ass. I’m currently reading the autobiography of Ronda Rousey, one heck of an amazing female fighter, and I bet she’d agree that yes, women can take down men. She sure has. 😉

When I wrote SHADOWBOXER, I thought that was the end of Mia and Tray’s story, though of course they’d continue to show up as side characters in the rest of the books in the series. Yeah, well, they didn’t want to go along with my plan. In fact, when I started ripping off the layers involved in the building of a relationship between two scarred people—physically and emotionally—so many secrets started coming out of the woodwork that I couldn’t keep up. And SNEAK ATTACK will definitely change the trajectory of the series.

One thing that hasn’t changed about Tray and Mia? Their explosive chemistry. These two want each other everywhere…and anywhere. 😉
Excerpt

Mia arched against me and sank her teeth into my shoulder. It shouldn’t have made me instantly hard. I shouldn’t have grabbed her long braids in my fists and yanked her head back to claim that wild, hungry mouth with my own. This wasn’t the way. We needed to talk. I needed to shift back from her hips pressing so insistently into mine. But I couldn’t. Couldn’t. I knew what she craved because the same craving streaked through my blood.

Breathing fast, she yanked up her shirt, knowing I’d pull it off. I’d help her as I always did. Together, we were both weak. And when my hands closed over hers and tugged the material higher, then when they greedily slipped lower to caress the flesh I knew as intimately as my own, I expected her to gasp. To beg. Not to twist away and pant as if I’d plunged a knife into her chest.

“What?” I jerked up her shirt again while she fought to pull it down. “Let me see.”

I drew her toward the window and turned her into the shaft of light, swallowing hard at the black tattoo outline covering her ribs. I had a tat in that spot too. Those bastards hurt. Even in the dim light, I could make out the roses and shaded gloves.

Fucking boxing gloves.

Her chin lifted and in her eyes was a demand. Don’t ask. I wouldn’t, but not because she’d silently instructed me not to. That tattoo was why she’d left me hanging for hours? It sure as hell hadn’t been there this morning when I’d had her luscious breasts in my mouth.

The better question was why it was there. The gloves might’ve been a metaphor. God knows she was fighting now. Would always be fighting. Or was she trying to give me a message I refused to hear? Did she want to start fighting again?

“Mia—”

She stretched up and locked her hands around my head, hauling my mouth to hers. Cutting off her name, turning it into a groan of pure pleasure as she pressed her breasts against my chest. Having her shirt and bra between us didn’t lessen the sensation. If anything, it amplified the friction of her skin against mine. I bit her lower lip, my annoyance level rising in tandem with the arousal I couldn’t stop. My body was primed to respond to hers.

That didn’t mean I had to like it.

Buy The Book

Book 2 in the NEW ADULT MMA series, TAPPED OUT

She thought she’d fought her final match…but the bout isn’t over yet.

Mia Anderson found more than she ever bargained for when she set up a fight with reigning king of the underground MMA fighters, Tray “Fox” Knox. Five months have passed, and both have walked away from the sport that brought them together. Now they fight for love, not blood. Until a voice from the past comes back to haunt Mia, causing her to struggle with her secrets and her need for Tray.

Tray’s tired of battling to be with a woman who keeps pushing him away. He loves Mia, but maybe he can’t love her through this. Not unless she will let him put his back to hers, all or nothing. He’s ready to slay any demon she has—except the one she refuses to share.

One opponent will walk away the victor. And one will lose…everything.

Buy Links
Intrigued? I hope so! Both SNEAK ATTACK (out 5.29.15) and ON THE ROPES (out 7.1.15) are up for preorder now for only 2.99 thru release week! And if you’d like to give the series a try for FREE, both SHADOWBOXER and BODY SHOT, a vignette teaser for On The Ropes, are free for a limited time!

Now for the contest.

GiveawayFor a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card and a signed print copy of SHADOWBOXER, book 1 in the Tapped Out series, plus a custom made book hook for the Tapped Out series plus some fun swag, just answer this question:

Which sports hero is your favorite to read—or watch? And why?

Thanks so much for having me here today and thank YOU for reading! <3
· Filed Under: Author Spotlight & interview, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With:

#NewRelease Spotlight & #Giveaway: ★Destroyed★ by @cariquinn & @TarynElliottFic

May 12, 2015 by ·
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of these authors (read: stalk them incessantly for their new releases). It’s also no secret that I’m an even bigger fan of their Lost in Oblivion series (read: slightly obsessed with). Each book just gets better and better and now it’s finally Simon’s turn! So I am beyond thrilled to be hosting these ladies that are rockstars in their own literary right at DGR today! 

Hi everyone! Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott here, and we’re super excited to hang out with one of our favorite book bloggers EVER, the most awesome Lana at Dirty Girl Romance!

Why do we love her so much? Well, let’s count the ways.
1)    She likes dirty books as much as we do.
2)    She loves dirty men as much or MORE than we do.
3)    She does the most awesome book graphics EVAH!
Oh wait, are we supposed to be talking about our book DESTROYED, book 3 in the Lost in Oblivion rockstar series? *looks around* Oh yeah, I guess so, huh? While DESTROYED is book 3 in the series, it totally stands alone, though we hope you’ll want to go back and read about the other members of the band. But you don’t *have* to in order to enjoy DESTROYED. Or Simon. 😉
Since we’ve already started with a numbered list, let’s just keep that going. shall we? And read on for how you can win a fabulous prize, because life – and dirty books – are better with gifties! 😉
Top Three Reasons You Want to F@ck Simon Kagan from DESTROYED (I know, this title shocked me too, but hey, when the dirty rockstar muse speaks, we listen!)
1) He’s the lead singer of a sexy as hell up-and-coming rock band, Oblivion. And believe me, they do plenty of the coming part. Early and often. They’ve also come a long way from their laundromat-practice-space roots. Now they’re headlining tours. And banging members of the band on catwalks above the club they just played in…which brings me to number two.

2) Simon will do it everywhere and anywhere. Behind the tour bus, on a catwalk, maybe even tease another girl while you’re watching and can’t quite make up your mind to take the leap…into his bed.

3) He won’t stop until you’re satisfied. Yes, he’ll eat at the Y. And the back exit too. No boundaries, right?

Want more proof? Here’s a little taste of Simon and his leading lady getting dirty on stage…before it happens for real.

Margo matched him in all black except for the bright pink that drew the eye to her spectacular breasts. So much her and yet not. A new breed of prim musician just waiting to bust out of her mold.

And because the song seemed to cry out for it, Simon stalked her around the stage. They held eye contact as the song built and his voice got raspier with each chorus. He swayed forward and she arched back until they were one unit in the song.

Like the ebb and flow of thrusting inside of her. They matched up so effortlessly. By the time the song ended, the room was silent and the cord of the mic was wound so tightly around his wrist his blood throbbed with the restriction.

Book 3 in the NEW ADULT rockstar series, LOST IN OBLIVION

Only one woman has ever refused him… and she’s the only one he wants. 

 Now that he’s successful beyond his wildest dreams with his band Oblivion, Simon Kagan is happy to enjoy his all-access pass to the groupie train. After getting more fists in the ribs than hugs growing up, he discovers having a warm female in his bed is an easy way to escape the loneliness.
Until Margo.

From the moment the classy, buttoned up violinist entered his sphere, he knew she was different. After one amazing night in the studio, he feels like he’s finally connected with someone on a deeper level—only to have her walk away without a backward glance.
As a member of the Boston Symphony orchestra, Margo Reece’s life revolves around the regimented structure of a second chair violinist. But Simon’s uncanny ability to crawl into a song and create a smoky, sin-filled experience translated into the hottest night of her life. She walked away afterward because that’s what she was supposed to do.
And Margo always does what she’s supposed to.
Until Simon.
When she’s called on again to blend her sound with Oblivion’s, she has to make the decision to play it safe or let her wild side free.
Buy Links
Hot, right? Yeah, we think so. Simon is a whole new breed of delicious for this series, and we hope you check him out while he’s on sale for only $2.99! But now for the contest. 

Giveaway

For a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card and a signed print copy of ROCKED, book 1 in the Lost in Oblivion series, plus some fun swag, just answer this question:


 You get a backstage pass to see your favorite singer/rocker/band ever. Who is it and why? (Or if you’re not into music, what one actor/actress turns your crank?)

Thanks again for having us here today and thank YOU for reading! <3

· Filed Under: Author Spotlight & interview, Giveaways · Tagged With:

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Yours Forever★ by @JoyaRyanAuthor

May 9, 2015 by ·
Yours Forever (Reign #3)
Author: Joya Ryan
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 7, 2015

For fans of J Lynn, Jodi Ellen Malpas and Sylvia Day comes the final book in the Reign trilogy. This is an all-consuming, raw and powerful love story that seduces, surprises and stays with you.
Playing at forever is a dangerous game…

Torn between two men and surrounded by secrets, Lana is forced to make an agonising choice. But what – and who – does she really want?

YOURS FOREVER
YOURS COMPLETELY: 
YOURS TONIGHT:

Amazon  | B&N | Goodreads

4 Stars

Hot, raw, angry lust surrounded the three of us. Surrounded them. And I had no idea what to do. How to feel. Other than higher than any drug could ever take me. But, like any drug, there would be a crash. And this time it would be hard.

So here’s the thing; I do not do love triangles. At all. Like ever. The mere mention of them has me twitching. It’s impossible for me to enjoy them because somebody always gets hurt and almost always it’s the person I was rooting for. And if I happen to be rooting for both people? FAHGETABOUTIT

So I don’t read them…until this book. See, Joya Ryan sucked me in with her gripping story telling and her enigmatic characters. Each book in this trilogy I found myself completely unable to put down. The story captivated me from the very first paragraph and the ride took me places I never imagined it going but I enjoyed every second of it.

Note: if you haven’t read the first 2 books, my review WILL contain minor spoilers (though not much more than you can find in the synopsis). It will be completely spoiler free for this book though.
Two men, one woman, and one choice that is sure to leave devastation in it’s wake. Lana Case didn’t expect to completely lose her heart to Jack Powell, but she fell completely under his dark spell. He snuck into her heart unexpectedly and then shattered it into a million pieces when he left.
He was the cure to the poison that had been a part of me for so long. Only now, Jack was a special kind of drug, one that held its own side effects.
Left alone with a broken heart, Lana was left vulnerable to deal with her sadistic step-brother and his mother and further devastated by her father’s disregard. But the Jack’s best friend Cal came along and helped her heal. He didn’t help her move on, because Jack would always be in her heart, but he helped her move…toward him.
But his ultimate betrayal in the form of a heartbreaking lie completely broke Lana. So she ran. She ran away from Cal, from Jack, and her feelings for them both. But when her life is threatened, both men refuse to relent. They want to protect her from the danger, yes, but they also want her.
I couldn’t tell him I was done with him, because honestly, maybe I never would be. I loved the prick. Loved him so much I hated him for it. But I loved Cal. So much it tore every time I took a breath.
I devoured this book. Even though it left me a nervous ball of anxiety. I equal parts dreaded Lana’s ultimate choice and needed to know what it was. Joya Ryan did such an incredible job making the reader fall unequivocally for both men. It was such an evenly tipped scale, it was impossible to choose.
When you’re just as unable to chose which man you want just as much as the heroine, you know you’re heading for one hell of an ending. Especially when both men pull no punches in their determination to win her for themselves.
You broke me, Jack,” I said with anger-laced sadness.

 

“And I fucking hate myself for that! You’re the one in control. Always have been. And you’re holding my God damn soul in your fist, Lana. So just this once, stop squeezing.
In the midst of this erotic and emotional love triangle is the mystery of the danger against Lana and who’s threatening her life. All that added up makes for one unputdownable read.

As for the ending? Well, I can’t tell you much about it but I will tell you this: I wish all love triangles I read ended this way. Was I satisfied with it? Fuck. Yes. A fantastic conclusion to an amazing trilogy.

brit author 0041 (1)National and international bestselling author Joya Ryan is the author of the Shattered Series (Break Me Slowly, Possess Me Slowly and Capture Me Slowly), the Sweet Torment Series (Breathe You In, Only You), and The Chasing Love Series (Chasing Trouble, Chasing Temptation, Chasing Desire).

Passionate about both cooking and dancing (despite not being too skilled at the latter), she loves spending time at home color coding things. She resides in California with her husband and her two sons. Visit Joya Ryan online

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Release Blitz, Excerpt & #Giveaway: ★Yours Forever★ by Joya Ryan

May 7, 2015 by ·
 yours-forever-rdl-banner-2
It’s Joya Ryan’s book birthday!! Yours Forever, the third and final book in her Reign trilogy is out now, and she’s sharing an exclusive excerpt with us, as well as a giveaway! Be sure to check out all the festivities!
About The Book

For fans of J Lynn, Jodi Ellen Malpas and Sylvia Day comes the final book in the Reign trilogy. This is an all-consuming, raw and powerful love story that seduces, surprises and stays with you.
Playing at forever is a dangerous game…
Torn between two men and surrounded by secrets, Lana is forced to make an agonising choice. But what – and who – does she really want?

Buy Links
YOURS FOREVER
YOURS COMPLETELY: 
YOURS TONIGHT:
Excerpt
“Now you’re worried about me?” I scoffed.


 He hit me with a dark glare and stepped forward. “I’ve always been worried about you.”

 I wanted to yell and scream and tell him he was full of it. Because he’d watched me cry, heard me beg—beg—for him to stay, and still turned away. The memory sickened me but it didn’t change the outcome.

 I’d begged for him.

 Something a weak person would do. I hated being weak. Tried so hard to feel anything but that single emotion. Which was why Jack was the best kind of sinful pleasure. Because in one breath he made me feel strong—and in another he made me beg. Only he could cause a war between two such powerful emotions. But I couldn’t give in now. My father was gone, my world wrecking like a slow moving train collision and I was on the brink of snapping under the pressure.

 “I’m done with you,” I whispered.

 Wild heat flamed like melting obsidian behind those electrifying eyes. He pushed the chair that separated us out of the way, toppling it over onto the soaked grass and the force made mud splattered on my ankle. Jack stepped into the newly open path and didn’t stop until the tip of my nose brushed against his wet chest.

 He pinched my chin and lifted my face to the rain. I stared up at him, eyes fluttering from the drops of water hitting me. His gaze was ensnaring and his expression burned me up as he looked down at me, haloed by the gray sky and thick blanket of rain.

 He was an angel. A stark, beautiful angel of darkness.

 “Say what you need to say,” he rasped. “Be done with me if that’s what you want.” His hips shifted, pressing into my body and I bit back a moan. “But I’m nowhere near done with you.”

About the Author

brit author 0041 (1)

National and international bestselling author Joya Ryan is the author of the Shattered Series (Break Me Slowly, Possess Me Slowly and Capture Me Slowly), the Sweet Torment Series (Breathe You In, Only You), and The Chasing Love Series (Chasing Trouble, Chasing Temptation, Chasing Desire).

Passionate about both cooking and dancing (despite not being too skilled at the latter), she loves spending time at home color coding things. She resides in California with her husband and her two sons. Visit Joya Ryan online

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Release Blitz & #Giveaway: ★Taking What’s His★ by @DianeAlberts

April 28, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Taking What’s His by Diane Alberts was released today! This is an adult, contemporary romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint. It is book #4 in the Shillings Agency series. Be sure to check out the contest below for a chance to win a gift card!

TWH_Teaser1

Some lines are meant to be crossed…One explosive device was all it took to turn Holt Cunningham from ass-kicking Marine to IT technician. Hell, he’s still not over it. So when the cute little strawberry blonde at the bar asks him to kiss her, Holt can’t resist the temptation of a sexy distraction. Before he knows it, she’s blown his mind…and then skipped out the next morning.

Lydia Thomas never expected things with Holt to go quite that far, but oh, it was worth it. After being far too good for way too long, she was ready to be bad. Except that there’s that tiny detail that Lydia kept to herself-Holt just spent the night doing naughty things…with his best friend’s little sister.

One night isn’t nearly enough. But with his friendship on the line, how far will Holt go in order to claim what’s his?

Buy Links
Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo

TWH_Release1

About the Author

DianeAlberts
Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

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Spotlight, Exclusive Excerpt & #Giveaway: ★Kane’s Hell★ by @ElizabethFinn77

April 23, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Confession time: I’m an angst whore. A total and complete angst whore and I make no apologies for it. So it should come as no surprise that I’m a huge Elizabeth Finn fan. If you’ve read her books, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t and you like your heroes to be alpha assholes, your heroines with an understated sort of strength, and enough angst to wallop you over the head and keep you glued to the pages from start to finish? Well, allow me to introduce you to your new favorite author.

Kane’s Hell is Elizabeth’s upcoming release (scheduled for May 1, 2015) and is a standalone. I’m so excited to be able to spotlight this incredible book today AND offer you all an exclusive teaser! Read to the end of the post to enter the GIVEAWAY for your chance to win an ebook of Kane’s Hell.

About The Book

Kane and Helene were the best of friends until a nightmare devastated them… Hopes were destroyed, dreams shattered, a budding teenage love torn to pieces. Eleven years later their lives are nothing like they once were. Time has changed them … and not for the better.Helene is smart, driven, and accomplished—her education and achievements a smoke screen hiding the frigid and fragile child wounded long ago.Kane is equally obsessed with his coping mechanisms—fighting … drinking … screwing … compulsively destroying himself one vice at a time.

When their paths collide again, their past becomes an obstacle no coping mechanism in the world can protect them from. But confronting the past so they can heal in the present is no easy task. Can Kane reach Helene and recapture what used to burn so warmly between them, or will his own self destructive demons pull her into his hell?

A woman determined to look forward. A man always looking back. A love desperate to be restored.
“You’re the brightest, warmest star in my universe. You’ll never be less than everything to me.”

Buy Links
Pre-Order on Amazon
Excerpt

Helene

“Do you want to have sex with me?” I asked. It was a loaded question, and given the nervous look on his face, he knew that. If he said he didn’t, he ran the risk of hurting my feelings. If he said he did, he ran the risk of objectifying me as nothing more than a piece of ass—much like the many pieces that had come before me.

He pulled his lower lip into his mouth, and I watched him. When he nodded it was tight, and he was staring at my chin instead of my eyes.

I nodded. “I see,” I said as I looked around for a way to end this and make my escape.

“No you don’t,” he said. “You’re… You’re—”

“Let me guess. Special,” I said with a cruel sarcasm I just couldn’t help.

“Fuck yes you are,” he spat back at me, his face pinched in anger. “Listen,” he continued as he shook his head. “I didn’t ask for a truce so I could fuck you. You asked the question. I answered it honestly. I’m just…” He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “…attracted to you. I always have been. It doesn’t mean I expect you to have sex with me. But don’t ask me a question unless you want the honest answer, because you’re going to get the truth, however ugly it is, upsetting it is, or shocking it is.”

I stared at his chest, but he lifted my chin again.

“Please look at me.” His fingers squeezed gently against my skin. “I know this has been hard on you. The past few weeks, you’ve been forced to deal with the mess I’ve made of myself. You saw my ugly, and I was defensive, because you’re life looks beautiful to me. And it made me feel pathetic.”

“My life doesn’t feel beautiful,” I said quietly.

He nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. But please take that step over the line. I need you too.”

I nodded, and he sighed as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his body. I slid my right hand up under his T-shirt, knowing exactly where I’d find the scar, and I covered it with my palm. His muscles tensed under my touch, but then he relaxed into it, and he inhaled deeply against my hair.

We stood there for too long, and I listened to his heart beat, and I soaked in the warmth of him. This felt good again, being close to him. I needed it to stay that way.

When he walked toward the kitchen, I followed. There was a large garbage can in the center of the kitchen floor. It was the same one that had been in the middle of the living room floor a few weeks prior, but instead of being filled with just wood scraps and pieces of drywall, it was now littered with broken liquor bottles, and it reeked of alcohol.

I stared into the garbage can as Kane pulled a carton of whipped cream out of the fridge and started eating it with a spoon.

“You could have emptied the bottles first you know, rather than smashing them full in the garbage can.” I smirked.

He smiled. “I know,” he said around the spoon in his mouth. “But they always smash them full in the movies. Sometimes in the sink, which… Why? Right?” he asked jokingly.

He scooped up another spoonful of whipped cream, and he handed it to me. I stared at it for a moment, but I took the spoon, popping it into my mouth.

“Who the hell wants to pick glass out of a sink?” he continued. “This is my ode to Hollywood cinematic ridiculousness. I suppose it’s visually powerful though.”

I chuckled quietly, pulling the spoon out of my mouth. “Are you an alcoholic?” I asked him bluntly.

“No.” His answer was simple and came without pause. “No. I do, however, tend to deflect pain by masking it with other things. I just decided I don’t want a bottle of the-easy-way-out sitting nearby when things get messed up in my head again.”

I nodded. He yawned, and the sight of his yawn made me yawn too.

“I should get going,” I said.

“You don’t have to.”

I smiled. “I have an early call with my dissertation director tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll wake you up early.” He bit his lower lip as he waited for me to say something.

I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t sure what he was even asking. But as I stood there trying to figure it out, he yawned again and took my hand, pulling me toward the hallway. I followed him, my nerves prickling with something that fell between excitement and absolute terror.

He stripped out of his T-shirt when he walked into the same bedroom he’d always had, and I looked around. It wasn’t a mess, it was just a sad, old rundown room. I reached out to a broken knob on the dresser that I remembered, even now, from childhood. He stepped behind me, pushing his hands up under the back of my T-shirt. He undid my bra, and then he helped me pull the straps down from under the short sleeves of my shirt.

When his hands reached around and fumbled with the waist of my pants, I held my breath. He pushed them down to pool at the ground, leaving my underwear in place, and then I felt him undoing his own pants as he kept his body close to mine. His breath touched the back of my ear, and he leaned down kissing the top of my shoulder.

He took my hand, leading me to the side of the bed, and I crawled in as he followed me. The mattress sat on the floor, and there was nothing plush about it. But the sheets, blanket and quilt smelled clean like his skin.

The bedside lamp was on behind him, and as I rolled toward him, he watched me. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t frowning. He just watched me, pulling me up close to him, his legs intertwined with mine. He brushed the hair off my forehead, and he trailed his finger down along my jaw.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he said quietly. “Nothing has made sense in my life without you.” His thumb stroked over my chin.

“I missed you too.”

He studied me for a while, not closing his eyes, not saying a word, and it was odd and comfortable at the same time. It gave me a chance to study him too, and I did. He was aging well, and he still looked young and handsome—even if he carried a heavy past.

I reached for his chin, stroking the whiskers.

“What are you thinking?” I asked him.

He looked at my mouth. “That I’ve never kissed you. And that I want to. Very much.”

I bit my lower lip, and he smiled. When I leaned to his mouth, his eyes opened wider for a moment, but then they fluttered. After that, I was too close to see or care what his eyes were doing. I was also entirely too stunned by my own actions to think straight.

My lips met his, and I could feel his whiskers tickling my chin. He moaned this deep low sound from the pit of his chest, and I could feel the vibration of it. He sucked on my lower lip, tugging it gently and then releasing it so he could capture my top one between his. His hand met my cheek, his fingers curling behind my jawline and pulling my mouth harder to his, and the kisses came fast then—one after another.

My top leg was between his thighs, and the smacking sound of our lips left warmth in my groin as I rocked against his thigh.

“Oh, fuck,” he murmured between kisses. “You’re torture. Do you know that?” But he never stopped kissing.

He finally groaned through gritted teeth, forcing his kisses to move off my mouth to my cheek and then down the side of my throat to the crook of my neck that met my shoulder. He stopped kissing, breathing heavily against my skin. I could feel the hardness and the size of his erection against my top thigh that was sandwiched between his legs.

“There is nothing frigid going on between your legs right now, Hell. The heat coming off your pussy is intense,” he said with his lips to my skin.

Yes it was. I sighed as my hips stopped trying to screw his leg like a dog in heat. What the hell was going on inside me right now?

“Go to sleep, baby,” he whispered even as he still breathed heavily. “I don’t think either one of us are ready for this yet.”

I pulled back, trying to figure out if I was offended or not.

He smiled instantly. “Tell that analytical brain of yours to shut up. I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

“How did you mean it?” I asked.

He yawned again, but his expression became intense and focused. “This is a complicated thing for us.” He glanced over my shoulder for a moment, but then he looked back at me. “I always kind of assumed it would be me,” he said simply. “Your first. And in some twisted way … I’m still glad I was.” The side of his lip pulled up, but it fell just as quickly.

I understood what he was saying, and I nodded.

“But God it was supposed to be so fucking different,” he said almost angrily, and he shook his head. He finally smiled again. “Go to sleep.” He leaned forward, kissing me in the middle of the forehead. He reached back and turned the lamp off, and I closed my eyes.

* * * *

I woke up when his arms tightened around me, and he hummed warmly against the back of my ear. “Do you want coffee?” he asked quietly, his voice hoarse with sleep.

I sat up, looking over Kane’s shoulder at the clock on the nightstand. It was six-thirty. “I better not,” I said as I stretched.

His hand slipped under the back of my shirt, and his palm ran over my skin, gently rubbing as it traveled up to the middle of my back. I sighed as I stretched my neck.

“When Dr. Briggs says she’s calling first thing in the morning, she means first thing in the morning. The woman once called me at seven-fifteen to review my grades. Talk about a rude awakening.” I chuckled as his hand continued to move and graze across my back. I glanced over my shoulder at him. I studied his face, and my cheeks flushed as goosebumps popped over my entire body. His eyebrows shot up as he felt it under his palm.

“What on earth are you thinking about?” he asked with a sly smile.

I didn’t say anything for a moment. “What would it be like if we decided to have a sexual relationship?”

His hand moved some more. “Emotionally or physically?”

My cheeks flushed again. “Physically.”

“I suppose…” he spoke slowly. “My mouth would likely be where my hand is right now. And if you wanted to ride my fucking thigh like you did last night, you wouldn’t feel the need to stop until you’d come all over my leg.” He sat up, still running his hand over my back. He rested his chin on my shoulder and I turned to face forward. “And I guess that kiss would have turned into full on fucking.”

The flush turned into warmth that radiated out through my limbs and then pulled back into my core to settle in my groin. “Emotionally?”

He kissed my shoulder again. “That’s more difficult,” he said.

I turned to look at him. His face was close to mine.

“In what way?” I asked.

He inhaled deeply. “It’s easy to make the physical things happen the way you want them to.”

“Sex, fighting, alcohol,” I said.

He nodded. “Good insight. Yeah. Those things have a very tangible feel to them. There’s a cause and effect. If you do this, you get that. It’s simple. It’s uncomplicated.”

“You’re saying the emotional side of all this is more complicated?”

“Do you see it any other way?” he asked.

I turned my body toward him then, and his hand slipped from underneath my shirt. “No, I don’t,” I said as I shook my head. My eyes drifted away as I contemplated that.

“Hey.” He pulled my face to look at him. When he opened his mouth to speak, he quickly closed it and sighed. But then he opened it again. “Complicated is okay.”

His eyes shifted down to my mouth. He looked vulnerable as though he were afraid of what I was thinking. Odd thing was I felt the same of him. He finally looked back at my eyes.

“If you want to know what it looks like… it’s open, it’s honest, we talk, we listen, we spend time together. The thing is, I told you I want to be close to you. That’s an emotional thing for us whether there’s sex involved or not.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

He reached for my mouth, cupping my chin and running his thumb over my lower lip. “Don’t kiss me again…” he said quietly.

I gasped, and my eyes dropped to his chest.

“…unless that’s the direction we’re going.”

My pulse spiked, and I had to force myself to make eye contact. I was holding my breath when I did.

“Because I liked it too much. I need to know you’re not going to take that away from me if it happens again.”

My breath left me in a rush, but I nodded. He smiled gently, even seductively, but it was reassuring nonetheless.

I glanced at the clock again. “I really have to go. I’m sorry.”

He stood and pulled me up to my feet, and then he snatched my jeans from the floor. Once I’d put them on quickly, he stuffed my bra into the pocket, smirking down at me. He walked me to the door, and I ran out to my car as he watched from the porch.

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