The Last Book in the New York TImes Bestselling Dark Romance Series. Where love tries to triumph and darkness continues to reign….
“I’m in love with her, but it might not be enough to stop her from becoming the latest victim of the Debt Inheritance. I know who I am now. I know what I must do. We will be together—I just hope it’s on Earth rather than in heaven.”
Holy Shit! Bonnie, Cut and Daniel – what a family of uncaring, sadistic people. Can’t believe that Jethro and Jaz could have even survived in the day to day routines let alone Nila! The insight of where the Hawk / Weaver allowed the ability to at least see where is all started and my whom. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Being unloved and not cared for sure warps the minds. Every time that Jethro and Nila seem that they may get their happily ever after…asshole Cut and Daniel throw a wrench in it. When the Cut and Daniel travel to Africa with Nila for the beginning of the end, I didn’t think Jethro would make it. The strength in Nila to survive and be with Jethro heightens and gives her what she needs to end Daniel. Win for team Nila! That was awesome!!! For Cut and Nila to get all the way back to the Hawk estate and even to the point where Nila was looking down at the basket. SOB! I thought again no Nila/Jethro win. I was wrong. YEAH! The ability for the Weavers to come together with a couple of Hawks and having the connections and some Black Diamond brothers didn’t hurt either.
It was a page turner. I just had to see if Jethro and Nila would be together and how they got the final win or if they did. Finding out exactly what happened to Jaz to cause her to be in a wheelchair and why Jethro felt it was his fault was what I wanted to know and found out. Because of Jethro being a VEP, he would feel no other way. Seeing the connection and bonding of Nila’s brother, V, and Jaz was great.
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette.
Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian and Turkish. Audio Books for her entire back-list will be available in 2016.
Her books include:
Monsters in the Dark Trilogy
Indebted Series
Destroyed
Unseen Messages
Pure Corruption Duology
Dollar Series
Find her on FB: Pepper Winters Books
Twitter: @pepperwinters
Instagram:@pepperwinters
Website: www.pepperwinters.com
For New Release Alerts & Free Deleted Scenes etc sign up to her Newsletter: http://bit.ly/29SnUZm
Enter a world of temptation and lust, where rock stars are not only gorgeous and sexy, but they’re also vampires. These books are hot and sexy, and romantically addicting.
Tempted by a Vampire
Cian DeMarco, has lived in his beautiful mansion overlooking both the San Francisco Bay for the past seventy of his two-hundred and twenty years of his existence. Happily–or so he thought, preying on a different woman as often as his heart desires. Until the beautiful Magdalena De la Rosa sits down at one of the front-row tables in Club Royal where he and his band mates perform once a week. The scent of her blood has him completely undone and he’s unable to contain his desire for her.
Magdalena has a new job and a gorgeous apartment in San Francisco. Everything is just the way she’s imagined it could be… until she and her girlfriend find their way into an up scale night club and she’s suddenly swept off her feet by a member of the rock band. Mesmerized by his gaze, his scent penetrates and embraces every cell of her body and she can’t deny her own desires for him.
A temptation they can’t resist, leads to a future they never imagined as sparks ignite between the two until a threat from Cian’s past returns to wreak havoc on Cian’s and Magdalena’s lives. Will the desire to be together outweigh the reality of what Cian must do to keep Magdalena safe?
Captivated by a Vampire
She’s a vampire. He’s human and the best investigative reporter in the city. Their worlds mix as well as oil and water, but their attraction to each other is electric.
Josh Barrett knows his priorities—reporting the news as quickly and accurately as possible by day, drinking himself into a self-loathing stupor by night. His workaholic tendencies can’t completely mask the broken, depressed man he is inside. The horrific night that changed his life forever and left him broken-hearted and alone is forever fresh in his thoughts. But the torture is no less than he deserves. Until a beautiful, sexy, and utterly mysterious woman enters his life and changes everything. Chelle is absolutely enchanting, her allure captivating and the reporter in him is determined to learn all of her secrets.
Newly turned vampire Chelle Masterson only wants to find her place. Her unrequited love and devotion for her maker Lane has left Chelle broken, vowing to never fall for any man again. She’s determined to find her way in the scary new world of the immortals and begs for the chance to prove herself—to prove that she’s capable of surviving without the others. Unfortunately, she meets trouble head-on with her very first victim and ends up face to face with a very charming and handsome stranger. He seems to only want to help, but can she trust him?
As Josh slowly wins Chelle over, she decides to utilize his skills as a reporter to help uncover her past—a dark past that she cannot remember, but one she desperately needs to learn. Being around him is addicting, their connection undeniable, and she finds her will to keep him at arm’s-length dwindling.
The simple act of a Good Samaritan spirals into an obsession—much more than either of them thought possible. Their love becomes unfathomable, but it may not be enough to overcome the hurdles standing in their way…
Rocked by a Vampire
He’s dangerously sexy, insufferably arrogant, rude, and complicated as hell, yet what he reveals to her makes it impossible to stay angry and she can’t stop her growing desire for him.
Lane, has always walked in his brother’s shadow. And for good reason. There are monsters that plague his mind. Demons that once destroyed him. Broke him. Now, his desire for Vanessa torments him, igniting those revenants whenever he thinks of her. He’s desired her for months, but he hates what she is—what she stands for. Can the witch he loathes be the one to tame his demons?
Tempted By a Vampire
“Vampires are real you know”… Just when you think you have it all under control, fate steps in and throws a wrench into everything you thought you knew. This is what happens when Magdalena plays it safe. But this is where the story begins. Her friend gets her to let loose and when she does she meets Cian (Kee-yan). He’s a hot singer in a band that plays at the local bar. Cian is a vampire and has lived for many years. He has found a comfortable existence that makes him feel just a little less of a monster. He sees Magdalena and fireworks explode. They are both drawn to each other. Eventually Cian entrusts Magdalena with his secret but then things go from good to complicated in 2.4 seconds. All of a sudden she is faced with many things paranormal and everything that she has ever known comes crashing down. Fate knows how to mess with people and definitely knows how to shake things up! Paranormal romance with all the right twists and turns. Love Tempted By a Vampire!
Captivated By a Vampire
This author has a way of getting you to like a book then giving you the second one to make you like the next one more. This is exactly what happened to me. I read Tempted By a Vampire and really, really liked it. But then I get my hands on this baby and love this story even more! This story is about Chelle and Josh. We meet Chelle in Tempted and she is the one that Lane turned into a vampire…not by choice. Chelle and Lane have lots of history and Chelle is finally getting out on her own. Josh is an investigative journalist, and a mere human, that is given an assignment that has him questioning himself. When Chelle and Josh meet they have strong connection. As things unfold, Chelle starts remembering her past, her parents, and the circumstances surrounding her parents death. As these things come to light she and Josh start confiding in each other and find that their pasts aren’t so different and they are more alike than they thought. Now they have to figure out if they can be good for each other. But this is not where this story ends. Not even close! There is a ginormous twist that will make your head spin and is absolutely worth the read. When you get to this part, you will understand completely what I mean. There is this perfect balance of love and hate. It’s full of bada$$ery and is soooooooo HOT!
Rocked By a Vampire
Rocked my soul! A rockin’ test of wills! This is Lane’s and Vanessa’s story…and what a story it is. Both of them are incredibly hard headed and always at each other’s throats. Although, they secretly like each other. *wags eyebrows* They both think the other doesn’t like them because of being a vampire or a witch but they share a connection that they cannot deny. This is an absolute test of wills between the two and the rollercoaster of emotion that follows is intense to say the least. Both start to bring the other out of their shell then all hell breaks loose. Vanessa and Lane are both very strong characters and watching them clash and come together is inspiring. This story is sweet, erotic, and satisfying.
We have followed these characters in Tempted By a Vampire and Captivated By a Vampire. They can be read as standalones but to truly appreciate these characters I suggest you read from the beginning. The author is incredible at making these characters evolve in a way you can’t rip away from. They go through the same emotions most people go through and therefore make them more real (even though they are vampires and witches, lol!). This series gets better and better as it continues.
Award winning author, Susan Griscom, writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She’s hooked on gritty romances and is a huge fan of superheroes and bad boys confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers, and abilities beyond the norm mixed with steamy romance, of course.
She loves those days when she gets to sit around in her sweat pants, doing nothing but writing emotionally charged stories about love and violence and drinking coffee.
She lives in Northern California with her romantic husband and together they have five great superhero kids and eight mini-superhero grand kids, so far.
Don’t Speak by Katy Regnery is now LIVE and FREE with #KindleUnlimited!
“Swoon. Sigh. Beautiful, gorgeous love story. You renew my faith in true love, Katy Regnery. And a brilliant take off on the little mermaid. People are going to love this one.” –Mia Sheridan, New York Times bestselling author of Archer’s Voice
From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes a new twist on a beloved fairytale.
In this modern retelling of The Little Mermaid, a fisherman’s daughter from an Outer Banks island untouched by time, meets the son of the North Carolina governor at a fancy party where she is working.
Laire, who wants more from life than her little island can offer, is swept away by wealthy, sophisticated Erik, who is, in turn, entranced by her naiveté and charm. The two spend a whirlwind summer together that ends on the knife-point of heartbreak and forces them to go their separate ways.
Years later, when fate finds them together once again, they will discover the terrifying depth of the secrets they kept from each other, and learn that shattered hearts can only be healed by a love that willfully refuses to die.
All novels Katy Regnery’s ~a modern fairytale~ collection are written as fundraisers. 10% of the e-book sales for in March and April 2017 will be donated.
Don’t Speak is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection, which includes six standalone, completely unrelated novels inspired by beloved fairy tales:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.
Twenty-five books later, Katy claims authorship of the multi-titled, New York Times and USA Today Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other standalone novels and novellas.
Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1-4, became a New York Times E-book bestseller.
In 2016, Katy signed a print-only agreement with Spencerhill Press. As a result, her Blueberry Lane paperback books will now be distributed to brick and mortar bookstores all over the United States.
Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.
Rule #3: (Most importantly, and above all) Do not fall for Mr. Popular…
Liam ‘Mr. Popular’ Carter will always be the closest thing to the “walking plague” in my eyes. His cockiness seeps through his every move, and no matter how many state championships he wins with the basketball team, he will forever be a “loss” to me.
Because he’s my older brother’s best friend, I’m forced to tolerate him, and he’s forced to tolerate me. In fact, unless my brother is around, we happily ignore each other every chance we get.
It wasn’t always this way, though…
Several summers ago, we both attended the same summer camp. A place we returned to year after year. We became friends–close friends, but right when I thought he could possibly turn into my everything, he made it clear that what we had was nothing.
Now that’s he’s a senior, and I only have to deal with him for one more year, I’ve vowed to keep repeating the same set of rules to myself. Especially since he seems so hell-bent on wanting to talk to me for some reason, and especially since he seems to be staring at me every time we’re in the same room together…
Rule #4: Always follow rules #1-3…
Rule #5: (OMG what the hell are you doing?) Do not KISS Mr. Popular…
Nicole London is a hopeless dreamer, author of Resentment and the co-founder of The Indie Tea, an inspirational blog for indie romance authors. When she’s not at Starbucks chatting books with her best friend, she can be found plotting her next travel adventure with her husband.
Fifth Book in the New York Times Bestselling Series.
“We’d won. We’d cut through the lies and treachery and promised an alliance that would free us both. But even as we won, we lost. We didn’t see what was coming. We didn’t know we had to plan a resurrection.”
Nila Weaver fell in love. She gifted her entire soul to a man she believed was worthy. And in the process, she destroyed herself. Three debts paid, the fourth only days away. The Debt Inheritance has almost claimed another victim.
Jethro Hawk fell in love. He let down his walls to a woman he believed was his cure. For a moment, he was free. But then he paid the ultimate price.
There is no more love. Only war. Hope is dead. Now, there is only death all around them.
Thankfully we find out the Jethro and Kes got out of the compound to a hospital to be treated. Although Jethro heals and eventually “escapes” from the hospital. Jaz and Flaw are partners and got Jethro and Kes out of the room to the dungeon and kept alive until they could get Vaughn to help get them to the hospital. Vaughn’s eye have seen the torment first hand of what poor Nila has had to endure. Because of Vaughn’s help, he and Jaz have lets say maybe they will connect….?
Bonnie is warped. She gloats that she has trained Jaz to be the perfect matriarch once Bonnie no longer is. The Debt Inheritance paperwork is changed to put Daniel and Jaz in control of Nila and the remainder of the debt payments. Daniel deserves to be forked instead of Nila and Jethro can trip him. What a douche bag! He deserves to be fed to the pigs while he is alive….just as Cut and Bonnie do. Hmmmmm maybe drugged with that paralyzing drug that Nila was drugged with while the pigs eat them.
Poor Kes, he just has to survive and come out of his coma. The good has to trump the bad. When to hate characters, that’s good writing.
What’s creepy in the series is the destruction of the well being of another human being because of retaliation. Unfortunately, you know there are people out there that may not do some of these deeds, they will destroy other human beings.
I have found myself to continue reading the next book in the series to find out what happens with Jethro and Nila. With the end of book, Daniel tells Nila that they are going on a trip to and she won’t be coming back. Jaz can’t save her. Jethro is working with allies to save Nile but doesn’t know about them leaving.
Damn….I just gotta find out what happens…On to the Final Debt!
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette.
Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian and Turkish. Audio Books for her entire back-list will be available in 2016.
Her books include:
Monsters in the Dark Trilogy
Indebted Series
Destroyed
Unseen Messages
Pure Corruption Duology
Dollar Series
Find her on FB: Pepper Winters Books
Twitter: @pepperwinters
Instagram:@pepperwinters
Website: www.pepperwinters.com
For New Release Alerts & Free Deleted Scenes etc sign up to her Newsletter: http://bit.ly/29SnUZm
That magic number that will get us to agree to do anything, be anything.
Don’t sit on your gold-plated high horse and say you don’t because you do. Everyone does. Each of us has something we covet enough that we’d sell ourselves to have it.
What’s my tipping point, you ask? Apparently a cool quarter mil will do the trick.
What does one do for 250 large, you wonder? Anything the infamous, gorgeous playboy of Seattle wants. For the next four months I’ll be Shaw Mercer’s arm candy, his beck and call girl, his faux girlfriend. I’ll be his to command, mold, push and pull in any direction he sees fit.
I’ll fight falling into bed with him. I’ll fight falling in love with him even harder. I’ll fail at both. And when my past and present collide in the most unexpected of ways, I’ll learn that while one man’s love for me has never died, the only man’s love I really want will never be mine.
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Ok first up. My warning to you…if you don’t smoke you might want to buy a pack because you will need a cigarette a few times during the book scenes!! Yeah it’s that HAWT!! Ok so the Surgeon General is not going to like that but eh oh well.
If this is a first-time book from this author, I am sure you will be hooked completely and devour her library like I did when I found her. If this is not your 1st rodeo with her, then YES This book is just as amazing as you expect from her.
Shaw….I won’t even being to discuss Noah because I don’t think I can handle those two in the same review…he is a player who enjoys his life. His family and job are his priority. Period. Ladies are lovely and a lot of fun either 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 but that is it…fun!
Willow is truly broken and hiding. She has hiding behind her mask and giant walls to protect herself from getting hurt. The people she loves the most always end up leaving her. If you guard your heart you don’t get hurt. Period.
Shaw and Willow meet but its fleeting and they are both still thinking about the other and wondering. Fast forward to a few days later, Shaw needs help and Noah comes to his rescue. Noah’s plan forces the two to be face to face with each other and the chemistry explodes in every scene following!!!
The more time they spend together, the more they are both falling and freaking out over THAT ledge. You know the ledge I am talking about!!!! Just as we are finally thinking THIS IS IT…there will be a HEA, PLOT TWIST and holy hell did I not see it coming.
Shaw is not a fan of this new emotion called jealousy. Willow is torn by her heart and the final page of the book left me saying “WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I can’t believe I have to wait because I need my Shaw and Willow together. I know what is going to happen and my heart is hurting for what is going to play out for our couple. The question is : will Willow trust in her man or will she run from him too!!??? GUUUUURL, don’t run because I will be there to wipe his tears!!!
As long as Noah and I have known one another and as close as we are, he’s far from an open book. He holds some of life’s secrets so close to the vest, he’ll likely take them to his grave. So how he knows Ms. Randi Deveraux of La Dolce Vita is still a mystery he won’t divulge.
When he told me his plan and showed me the picture of the woman who’d play my love interest for the next several months, I was immediately drawn to the her, but it took me a few seconds to realize why.
It was her.
My spicy little Goldilocks.
The one I haven’t heard from.
The one I haven’t been able to get out of my fucking head for the past eight days.
The one my cock involuntarily gets hard for in the dark of night.
The glossy-colored print I stared at for long minutes was a complete contradiction to the fiery woman I’d met.
On paper her exterior was flawless. Not one sculpted eyebrow out of place. Striking blue eyes rimmed with the right amount of shadow, liner, and mascara that made them alluring but not slutty. Pouty lips painted a deep shade of maroon, lined impeccably so the stain didn’t seep, then glossed enough in the middle to draw your attention to their fullness. Hair curled into loose ribbons that fell over her shoulders and down her slim back.
But while the outside was practiced perfection, the inside screamed dead. Not damaged, not broken or bruised, but lifeless. This beautiful creature went through the motions. She moved through life without living. I don’t know how I saw it, or why, but I know it wasn’t a product of my overactive imagination. This woman’s pain was rooted deep but she put on an award-winning façade that told the outside world otherwise.
I saw the same thing when I stared into her fierce eyes under the cover of my sunglasses days ago, but I also saw something else. Smoking embers buried under piles of ash. God help me, but for some reason I want to be the man who stokes those smoldering cinders until they spark into a burning inferno, bringing her roaring back to life.
Standing before her now, I’ve no doubt I’m the igniter, the single match needed to wake her from the living dead.
“Summer, is it?” I close the door behind me and move to the couch, gesturing for her to sit.
She doesn’t. She just blinks rapidly like she’s seeing a ghost. That makes me smile for some reason.
I know the name she’s using is fake. I hate it. Not the name, per se, but the fact that I don’t know her real one. I told Ms. Deveraux my circumstances and my concern around using a fake name. The press will eventually find out and it’s best if we’re up front in the beginning rather than if they dig, thinking we’re hiding something. That would be disastrous. She agreed but told me the decision was up to Summer. If she agreed to my terms, I could plead my case. If not, then her anonymity was still protected.
“You don’t look like a Summer,” I say casually as I take a seat and cross my legs.
Although in a way she does. She’s hot and sultry and I’ve no doubt she’s nice and moist in the place I’m dying to drive my cock. Jesus, she is absolutely mouthwatering. And she has the sexiest fucking voice I have ever heard. It’s no wonder I can’t stop thinking about her.
She crosses her arms and cocks a hip in irritation. “Is that so? What do I look like then?”
Mine.
Why that disturbing word pops into my head, I haven’t a clue. She is yours temporarily, though. If she agrees.
“How is your neck by the way?”
That seems to catch her off guard because her cocky bravado falters. “Uh…fine. It’s fine.” She unconsciously reaches up to palm it. My fingers itch, wishing they were on her skin instead. I still remember the electricity that ran down my arm when I touched her before. It set my cock on fire and it hasn’t stopped burning since. “You’re lucky, you know. I could be wearing a neck brace right now and be lawyered up.”
“And you’d still be just as beautiful.” I ignore the lawyer comment. I know it’s just a dig. When she blushes and looks away, my grin gets wider and I allow myself a few seconds to absorb her, head to toe. I find myself zeroing in on that tiny diamond stud in her nose, now catching the light. I first noticed it when she pounded on the window of my Rover calling me names. I generally find them childish, yet on her, I find myself incredibly turned on by it.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” On my lap would be preferable.
Defiant eyes snap back to mine. “Hit and run anyone else lately?”
“Hit and run?” I chuckle. “I didn’t hit and run you. I took accountability.”
“Yeah. After I dumped car parts into your lap, it was pretty hard to deny it any longer.”
Hell. This woman is full of restrained passion. She just needs someone to help her unleash it in a very controlled manner.
“Why haven’t you called about your car? Change your mind on whose fault it was?” I’m goading her, but Hot. Damn. The sparks firing from her are overly addictive.
“Oh, it was your fault, all right,” she snaps. “And I’ve been…busy.”
“Yes, I can imagine you have a very full schedule.” I sound more sarcastic than I intend, but the thought of her with other men makes me feel exactly the way I felt when I thought of Noah with her.
Her lips thin. She’s madder than a hornet. I’m harder than a two by four.
“Why are you here, Drive By?”
Drive By? I laugh at her feisty spirit. God, I want to kiss her. Feel her tongue sparring eagerly with mine. See if she tastes of rage and raw energy.
“I was under the impression you were agreeable to meeting with me.”
When Noah set this up, I insisted on three things.
One: it take place in Ms. Deveraux’s private home with her alone. There’s no way in hell I will be caught on film coming and going from her “business.”
Two: I meet with Ms. Deveraux in advance and work through the contractual details to my satisfaction. Let’s just say I now feel comfortable we have a mutual interest in keeping this arrangement buried deep.
And three: I be allowed to personally meet with “Summer” before she signs the contract. Surprisingly, that was the toughest piece to negotiate. Seems Ms. Deveraux is very protective of her, or maybe she’s that way with all of her employees.
Everything I have done to secure her has deviated from Ms. Deveraux’s normal course of business, but this situation is far from normal. It’s reckless at worst. Precarious at best.
“How did you find me?”
Sheer, dumb luck.
“I’m very resourceful.”
Her forehead creases. “This is a mistake.”
She turns to leave and I panic. True blistering panic sears through me at the thought she’s about to walk through that door and I may never see her again. I don’t know her real name. I don’t know how to contact her and if this meeting goes south, I know I won’t get anything further about her from Randi Deveraux. If she walks out on me now, I highly doubt she’ll give me the time of day when she finally does call Dane about her car.
I don’t know why I care that I spend the next few months with her and only her so damn much. I just do.
“Wait,” I plead.
She stops but doesn’t turn. I have no idea what possesses me, but I close the distance between us until I’m a whisper away. Our body heat plays off each other, growing hotter by the second.
“You haven’t even listened to my proposal,” I say against her ear.
Her breath kicks up. Good. She’s not unaffected by me, and that will play into my hand nicely.
“You can get someone else,” she replies softly, without conviction.
Drawing her long hair off her shoulder, I let my finger feather across her bare flesh. It’s soft and silky. She shivers. I suppress a moan. Fuck, I want her so much. It makes no sense.
“I don’t want anyone else,” I tell her truthfully, keeping my voice low.
“Why?” she breathes.
I don’t know why. I have no idea what it is about her that draws me in. I wish I did. I need to stop it. I should end this right now—look at a dozen other pictures and pick a woman whose very presence doesn’t twist me into knots and make me have thoughts I’ve never had before. Thoughts that make me uncomfortable. It’s unnerving.
But, fuck me. I can’t. There is just something different about this woman and I won’t rest until I find out what it is.
“Have a seat. Just hear me out. Please,” I tack on sincerely.
She stands motionless and I wonder what her next move will be. My hands curl into fists as I restrain myself from throwing her over my shoulder and hauling her to my house. I think she could benefit greatly from a hard hand and a red ass. I have a feeling she might even enjoy it.
When she floats effortlessly to one of the velvet-covered chairs, I release a veiled breath. Picking up the contract from the edge of Ms. Deveraux’s desk, I make myself comfortable across from her and place the paperwork on the table separating us. Her eyes drop to it but she makes no move to pick it up.
“So what’s your proposal, Mr. Knowles?”
“Mr. Knowles?”
“That’s your name, right? Dane Knowles. Wildemer & Company?”
Amused, I rest my elbows on my knees and grin at her. “No. Dane is my assistant. I told you to call him and he’d take care of the damage to your death box.”
“Death box?” She sounds offended.
“Do you know what the safety rating is on that little tin can you drive?” When she opens her mouth to respond, I talk over her. “Five point seven out of ten. You’re basically driving around in your own steel coffin.”
I expect a hot retort or for her to leave in a huff. What I don’t expect is a genuine, breathtaking smile that lights up her face like summer and makes my cock knock uncomfortably on my zipper in a futile attempt to reach her. My God, she’s trying to kill me already.
“Are you a walking Kelly Blue Book of safety ratings, Mr.…?”
“I have a vast array of useless Trivial Pursuit knowledge up here,” I retort with a smirk, finger pointing to my temple. I’ll never admit that I looked it up after our little accident. She could be seriously hurt in that ridiculous miniature box on wheels that somehow passes for a fucking car. Hell, had I hit her any harder, she would be in the hospital. “And I’m Shaw. Shaw Mercer.”
“Shaw Mercer,” she repeats slowly like she’s tasting my name for the first time. Savoring every consonant and every vowel. Fuck. I sit back and cross one leg over the other to hide my rock-hard erection.
“Any relation to Preston Mercer?”
I nod, impressed that she tied me back to my father instead of referring to me as one of Seattle’s most eligible bachelors. She’s intelligent and up on politics. I like that. Immensely. If you ask three-fourths of the residents of Seattle, they wouldn’t be able to tell you how many branches of government there are, something that’s taught in middle school, let alone who the mayor of Seattle is.
“So why is the mayor’s son…here?”
Her eyes are locked on mine, waiting on an answer.
When she swallows I follow the delicate line of her neck down to the swell of her breasts that peek out from the light pink strapless flowing dress she’s wearing like a fucking Greek goddess. One flick of my finger and I could find out the color of her areolas and the size of her nipples before I draw one into my mouth for a sample. My mouth waters at the thought.
The conversation that Ms. Deveraux and I had earlier about expectations sits hard in the pit of my stomach. On one hand, I was relieved to get confirmation she doesn’t sell herself, only her “time,” but now that I’m sitting here in front of her, I won’t rest until she lets me explore every square inch of not only her perfect body, but her complex mind. I want to know her like no one else has.
When our gazes connect again I’m sure mine is full of unmistakable heat. Hers definitely is.
She clears her throat and straightens her back. “I think you have the wrong idea about what it is I do.”
“I don’t,” I state plainly.
“I don’t sleep with my clients, Mr. Mercer.”
Oh, but you will. We both know our ingredients are explosive.
“Women would pay to have sex with me, not the other way around.”
She huffs a laugh as a wry look crosses her face. “Then what is it you need if not a good fuck?”
I chuckle and when I lean forward she straightens her spine. I love that even the simplest of movements I make in her direction affect her, just like she does to me. “Is that what I’ll be missing with you? A good fuck?” I won’t be missing a damn thing. She will be mine in every conceivable way. I know it and so does she.
“Not just good. Life altering,” she banters smoothly.
Now it’s my turn to smile slowly. What I wouldn’t give to throw her up against the wall and show her just what a life-altering fuck really is. For what seems like forever we stare at each other in some sort of weird silent challenge where we’re waiting to see what move the other will make.
Shaking myself out of her spell, I pick up the papers and hand them to her.
“What’s this?”
“Your employment contract.”
“All the paperwork is handled through Randi.”
“I want a little extra insurance.”
She quickly flips through the five-page document before lifting her eyes. “Nondisclosure agreement? This is sounding very fifty shades-ish. And just so you know, if I find any mention of hard limits or safe words, that’s a deal breaker.”
I can’t help but laugh loudly.
“I’m not kidding,” she says, her voice stern.
“Trust me, Goldilocks, if I could have gotten that past your warrior she-devil, I would have.”
Her eyes narrow, but I see a little twitch at the corner of her mouth so I forge ahead, making a mental note to invest in handcuffs and a flogger. Or six.
“The duration is for approximately the next four months. Ten hours a week, maybe more, maybe less, depending on my schedule. You may be required to travel and you will be available at all times when I need you, day or night. You will attend social events, fundraisers, business dinners, and family functions. You will be photographed and it’s only fair to warn you, you will likely be hounded by the press but I’ll try to shield you as much as possible.”
She regards me quietly. I wish I could tell what’s spinning around in that pretty little head of hers. A corner of my mouth tips when she says, “Reelection is just around the corner.”
Not a question and I don’t answer, but score another point for her.
For not the first time I wonder if this little plan of Noah’s will backfire, taking us all down in a curl of hot flames. She figured out what I was doing within two minutes. Lianna would be a far safer, more believable choice. But there’s also an undeniable, powerfully charged connection between us that will be hard for people to refute.
“And what is my role, specifically?”
Deciding I don’t care if this entire thing blows up in my face because that means I won’t get what I want—which is her—I stand and step around the table, holding out my hand.
When she tentatively sets hers in mine, I help her up and wrap one arm around her waist.
Pulling her close, I relish in the hitch of her breath. Cupping her cheek, I savor the baby-fine skin under the pad of my thumb. I take a deep breath, drinking in her delicately floral scent. She’s intoxicating and my head is already spinning.
“What are you doing?” she whispers, her small hands going to my chest.
Dipping my head, I trail my nose along her jaw, stopping so my lips brush her ear. “Making sure we have chemistry.”
She mutters a curse under her breath I know I’m not meant to hear before stuttering, “Wh…why?”
Fuck, if she only knew the dirty things running through my head right now.
“Because, my wide-eyed little pretty, you’re going to play my new love interest. My girlfriend. My serious girlfriend.” I emphasize the word so she understands what she’s getting herself into. I won’t pay her to be in my bed but that doesn’t mean she won’t end up there anyway.
“I…I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” Her breathlessness is testing me and she’s only about half an inch away from finding out exactly how much.
Walking into this meeting, I had already agreed to what I thought was a generous offer with her boss, madam, keeper, whatever she’s called. But after the last fifteen minutes, I’ve decided I will pay whatever it takes to have her. To own her. I think I would give away my own soul.
Framing her face with both hands now, I lean in until my mouth is a hairsbreadth from hers. Her eyes fall to my lips. I feel her wariness, but I also feel her hunger. She parts her lips and I watch with a deep ache in my groin as her tongue darts out to moisten them in anticipation of my kiss.
I restrain from slamming my mouth to hers, taking what I want. What she wants me to take, regardless of how she’s trying to refute me.
“But you will. Everyone has a price, Summer. What’s yours?”
About the Author:
As a USA Today Bestselling author, I write stories that are deeply emotional with flawed characters, because humans ARE flawed and if we read about perfect characters living in their perfect world, first of all, snoozer, but secondly, we never experience the gratification of redemption.
Outside of writing, I’m just a regular ol’ Midwest girl who likes Game of Thrones and am obsessed with Modern Family and The Goldbergs. I run, I eat, I run, I eat. It’s a vicous cycle. I love carbs, but there’s love-hate relationship with my ass and thighs. Mostly hate. I like a good cocktail (oh hell…who am I kidding? I love any cocktail). I’m a huge creature of habit, but I’ll tell you I’m flexible. I read every single day and if I don’t get a chance…watch the hell out. My iPad and me: BFFs. I’m direct and I make no apologies for it. I swear too much. I love alternative music and in my next life I want to be a bad-ass female rocker. I hate, hate, hate spiders, telemarketers, liver, acne, winter and loose hairs that fall down my shirt (don’t ask, it’s a thing).
Veronica “Ronnie” Graham had always been called Audacious. She spent her teenage years out of control and at the age of twenty-six, is a single mother and struggles to find a better life for her son. She lives day to day and dreams of a future where she can stop being afraid of failing.
Jack Reilly shed his former life, and the responsibilities of his parents’ fortune, to hide out in small town Texas. He’s not expecting to tangle with a fiery redhead but once he does, he can’t stay away.
Two lost souls find an unlikely connection and the promise of more than a life alone. Together they have to let go of who they were, and embrace who they could be.
EXCERPT
Jack went to the pantry area in the back of the kitchen and pulled a towel from the plastic wrapped bundle. It was plain white but it worked for his purposes, which was to clean up the house. He was glad to have one on hand to help the redhead who was quickly overtaking his thoughts.
She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching him with an intense stare. “Why?”
He glanced at the towel. “I bought one of those bulk packs. Figured I’d need—”
“No, not the towels. Why me?” She crossed her arms and waited. It seemed that this woman had more armor than an armadillo. A nearly impossible nut to crack.
“I like you. You don’t have any falseness about you. I find I need people who are who they say they are.” There was more to it than that, but that was the primary reason he’d been drawn to her.
“How do you know I’m not shining you on?”
“My gut tells me. I trust it.” He stepped toward her with the towel in one hand. When he reached the doorway, he leaned against the casing and looked down toward her freckled countenance. “Besides, you do laundry like a goddess.”
She smacked his shoulder. “Flatterer.”
“Is it working?” He kissed her, just a brush of the lips, then lapped at the seam of her mouth until she opened it.
Light surged through him as he kissed her, their tongues dancing and tangling. His body tightened and eagerly awaited more.
She broke the kiss and moved back a step, her lips glistening and swollen. “Good night, Jackson.”
“Will you come by later?”
“No, I’m not ready for later.” She kissed him once more, fast and hard, pressing her breasts into his chest.
He groaned. “You’re killing me.”
With that, she turned and left him standing there with an aching staff, wishing she was ready for later. Ronnie was like a drug he was fast becoming addicted to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth Williamson, who also writes as Emma Lang, is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her books range from sensual to scorching hot. She is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010, and a semi-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.
Beth has always been a dreamer, never able to escape her imagination. It led her to the craft of writing romance novels, fueled by Reese’s and tenacious pursuit of the perfect story. She’s passionate about purple, books, and her family. She has a weakness for shoes and purses as well as bookstores.
Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Beth always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind. 😉
USA Today Bestselling Author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.
When and Why did you start to write?
I have always had an active imagination and enjoyed writing, but I did not get serious about being a published writer until a few years ago. I was taking a creative writing class as part of my Master degree and really loved what I wrote for my final project. As it turned out, so did my professor. It was the nudge I needed to pursue writing as a career.
What authors do you always read or suggest to others?
Lisa Kleypas, Myra Platt, Julie Johnstone, Johanna Lindsey, Christina McKnight, Suzan Tisdale… There are so many fabulous authors out there!
What is the most surprising thing you have found out with the writing process?
It will sound silly, but here goes! I am always surprised at how many new ideas pop into my head. When I first started I thought I would run out of ideas. The opposite has happened-I have so many fresh ideas that I doubt I will ever be able to write them all.
What are you working on now?
Enticed by Lady Elianna. It is Regency novella for the Regency Ever After box set releasing March 7, 2017 and the third book in my Fabled Love series. It will launch in the box set for three months and then be sold individually thereafter. Enticed by Lady Elianna is a Cinderella inspired story.
When writing are you a pantser or plotter?
I am a hybrid 🙂 All of my Ladies and Scoundrels books were pantserd-is that even a word? I think not! LOL. My Fabled Love books and Lady Archer’s Creed series have all been plotted. My other books have been written with a mixture of both styles of plotting.
Several of my books are available at B&N, Kobo, and iBooks, as well as, audible. You can find them by visiting my web site www.amandamariel.com and clicking your retailer of choice.
OMG….Jethro and Nila….Nila and Jethro. The draw to each other is WOW! Book 3 ended with Nila being able to leave the Hawk compound with her brother. He had poured salt on wounds through social media. Book 4 begins with Nila going back to Jethro. She couldn’t function without him. Jethro realigned himself with his asshole father, Cut, with use of pills that made him into an unfeeling zombie and regaining Cut’s trust as the first born. Jethro shuts Kes and Jaz out of his life in order to continue staying in line with what Cut wants. Nila couldn’t live without Jethro. Jethro comes to collect Nila….the debts are not paid yet….. eeeekkkkk! Jethro’s ice walls crack and with the payment of the third debt, Jethro worked with Kes to help Nila survive and keep her safe from Daniel, the spook brother, and Cut.
Finally, Jethro pours his heart out to Nila and gets her to feel what he feels and is totally honest with her….so pure and free. Of course, what we didn’t know is that behind Jethro’s back, the matriarch Bonnie, Cut and Daniel, had other plans and uncovered Jethro and Kes’ cover up plan. How in the hell Jethro and Nila will survive? The cliffhanger is Cut shoots Kes and Jethro….and Nila gets handed over to Daniel, now the prodigal son that will complete the debt payments including the final debt…. Nila shuts downs. Her life will be hell reincarnated. She altered destiny and that isn’t acceptable to Cut. Poor Jaz….watching her brothers get shot. Although you know there are more twists to come, you just don’t know how Pepper will write it. Cut, Bonnie, and Daniel are the devils reincarnate. You can’t wait until they fail. You just know they have to. Good just has to win, right? Jethro and Nila’s story just can’t be done!!! How Jethro, Kes and Jaz could possible be highly sensitive people raised in that household ….. I have no clue.
One good thing….I can jump into book 5 and not have to wait for it to be released! Woohoo!!!
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette.
Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian and Turkish. Audio Books for her entire back-list will be available in 2016.
Her books include:
Monsters in the Dark Trilogy
Indebted Series
Destroyed
Unseen Messages
Pure Corruption Duology
Dollar Series
Find her on FB: Pepper Winters Books
Twitter: @pepperwinters
Instagram:@pepperwinters
Website: www.pepperwinters.com
For New Release Alerts & Free Deleted Scenes etc sign up to her Newsletter: http://bit.ly/29SnUZm
Hi! I’m Pauline Allan and I love to write about boys kissing boys. I live in Indiana, but my heart dwells in the heart of the South. I visit New Orleans a couple times a year to recharge my creative battery and eat some amazing food! I volunteer at the Pride Community Center in Spencer, Indiana where we champion diversity and all things fabulous. I love to meet and talk to readers and other writers and have a wicked, um…demented, sense of humor. I’m a special care nursery newborn nurse and you can always find me locked in my office listening to music and clicking away on the keyboard.
When and Why did you start to write?
I started writing at nine years old when I created a newspaper to feature the comings and goings of my family. I started writing short stories in junior high school and focused on the thriller/horror genre. College brought new experiences and in my sophomore year I wrote a full length ménage fantasy romance. In a spiral bound notebook! By hand! Then hung up my writing brain for a bit. I came back full force in 2012 with a book that was contracted with Loose Id. I’ve always used writing as therapy. My brain is a little crazy and if I don’t write…I can’t breathe.
What authors do you always read or suggest to others?
Edgar Allan Poe. He’s the master of romance. I know! That’s not right. He’s a horror writer. Yeah, I know, but his prose and poetry sing of lost loves and hearts steeped in sappy love affairs. I would also recommend Megan Hart, Lissa Matthews, Cara Bristol, Eli Easton, JA Rock, Charlotte Featherstone, Lisa Kleypas, Anyta Sunday, Charlotte Stein, and Mina Carter.
What is the most surprising thing you have found out with the writing process?
If you put yourself out there they will come. The readers are so overwhelmingly supportive!
What are you working on now?
The third book in The Tattered Social Club Series. Safeword is a MM BDSM book focused on Seth and Jordan. I’ve also started the first book in the Stars Collide Series. Broken Pieces is a MM Romance New Adult.
When writing are you a pantser or plotter?
I’m a plantser. So, I do both. I have a rough outline and the story changes as I write.
