The question is whether our love is strong enough to survive.
I believe it is.
She told me to leave.
If I leave, I take her with me.
~Stuart Knight
Meet Stuart & Mariska for FREE Today in “Taken,” the SUPERHOT specially packaged, short ONE TO TAKE primer!
Blurb
“Taken”: A One to Take Primer by Tia Louise
“Taken” is the specially packaged “primer” for ONE TO TAKE, coming Feb. 22. It contains key scenes, smoking-hot sexytimes, and everything you need to know to be ready to head back to Big Sky country. Due to strong sexual content and language, readers 18 and older, please.
Stuart Knight is an injured Marine turned angry cowboy.
Mariska Heron is a beautiful young artist with vivid dreams and a healing touch.
When the two cross paths, their chemistry is explosive, their attraction undeniable. But Stuart has one thing on his mind–returning to active duty.
He says he’s leaving. She walks away first. Still, neither of them can deny their hearts are taken.
Tia Louise is the Award-Winning, International Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series.
From “Readers’ Choice” nominations, to USA Today “Happily Ever After” nods, to winning the 2015 “Favorite Erotica Author” and the 2014 “Lady Boner Award” (LOL!), nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories.
A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the USA with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations…
Books by Tia Louise: One to Hold (Derek & Melissa), 2013 One to Keep (Patrick & Elaine), 2014 One to Protect (Derek & Melissa), 2014 One to Love (Kenny & Slayde), 2014 One to Leave (Stuart & Mariska), 2014 One to Save (Derek & Melissa), 2015 One to Chase (Amy & Marcus), 2015 One to Take (Stuart & Mariska), coming Feb. 22, 2016!
Paranormal Romances (all stand-alones): One Immortal (Derek & Melissa, #SexyVampires), 2015 One Insatiable (Koa & Mercy, #SexyShifters), 2015
Brynne Calloway knows that anything that seems too good to be true usually is. Fenton Abbott and his cashmere voice, Adonis body, and a magnetism like no other clearly falls into that category. But what’s life without a little risk?
It was supposed to be a rebound, an uncomplicated escape from reality. But nothing ever goes as planned. Fenton turns out to be so much more … in ways Brynne never sees coming.
The plane begins its ascent, the engines roaring to life. Fenton whips out a file from his briefcase and gives it a once-over. Again, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do and it’s killing me.
I pull my Kindle out of my bag and try to become invested in a second-chance romance about a rock star, but it’s nearly impossible sitting next to him. Each time I become engrossed in the words, he moves and my senses are assaulted by his proximity. The third time this happens, I search the ebook for ‘cock’ and start reading a sex scene. I need some form of undoing and if that has to be done via fictional character, so be it.
The heroine is taking the hero into her mouth when a low rumble radiates beside me. Startled, I look up and see Fenton smirking.
“What?” I push the power button on my e-reader and place it on my lap. I realize the jet has leveled off and it’s quiet in the cabin. “What are you looking at me like that for?”
“Just wondering what you’re reading.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he says, his eyes darkening, “your entire posture changed. Your lips parted, your breathing became labored. I’m intrigued.”
“I don’t think you’d be interested in this.”
“Trust me—if it gets that kind of reaction out of you, I’m definitely interested.”
Dragging in a lungful of air, I remember Presley’s pep talk and decide I have nothing to lose.
I switch on the tablet and find the page. “She drew his cock into her mouth, stroking his shaft as she licked a pool of semen from the tip.” I glance over my shoulder and his eyes are wide. I wink. “A growl escaped his throat as she stroked his velvety length, running her tongue—”
“Enough.” He snatches the Kindle from my grasp and places it on his briefcase. “Fucking hell, Brynne. Do you want fucked right here?”
Author Bio
USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.
After spending my entire acting career being cast as the airhead, I finally have the serious role I’ve been dying for, and I screw it all up during a four martini dinner with my ex. Now, thanks to the morality clause in my contract, I might lose the role of a lifetime. My only hope is to convince the media (and my eccentrically conservative director) that I’ve entered a committed relationship. But when I use my brother’s costume party to launch Operation Fake Fiancé, I end up in front of the camera with the wrong guy, leaving my reputation—and the fate of my career—at his mercy. Any other guy I could sweet talk into playing the supporting role I need, but not Officer Cade Watts. Not the man who hates everything about me. Not the man who would most revel in seeing me fail.
He’s everything she needs.
I don’t care how good it felt to have her in my arms. I don’t care that I can’t close my eyes without remembering the way she tastes or the sound of her moan. I want nothing to do with Janelle Crane. Her scheme to fake an engagement to save her own career is exactly the kind of manipulative Hollywood crap I left LA to escape. But when her fan mail turns threatening and the tragedies befalling her former co-stars seem to be anything but coincidence, everything changes. Now I don’t just want to play the part of Janelle’s fake fiancé, I demand it. I won’t let my jaded heart cost me another case. I may not trust Janelle but I do care, and the only way I know she’s safe is if I’m holding her close.
Janelle’s made mistakes, which forces her to lie and play a role she doesn’t want to, which is further complicated by a case of mistaken identity. But when fiction starts to become reality and her pretend boyfriend becomes everything she’s ever craved, how does she mesh the two worlds she wants to be a part of and what happens when there’s more than just the push and pull between her and Cade to worry about, resulting in greater risks to more than just her heart?
I absolutely loved Janelle and Cade’s story. Ever since Janelle was introduced in Hanna and Nate’s series, I’ve loved her spunk and genuineness. I love how close she is with Nate and her ability to weather anything that comes her way and those qualities speak to her true nature despite her Hollywood profession.
Cade is such a strong and protective man; the safety of those he cares for is extremely important to him, and he’s starting to realize that Janelle fits into that category, but he doesn’t think he belongs in her Hollywood world because he’s already been burned before by a Hollywood princess, and he still has the scars to show for it. Because readers are privy to Cade’s backstory with his ex, I understand the wall he’s built around his heart and his inability to see Janelle for who she really is, but I also think the fact that he lumps Janelle into the same category as his ex without truly knowing who Janelle is isn’t fair to her or to what they could possibly have if he was able to separate her from the other Hollywood types that he knows.
Cade frustrated the hell out of me on numerous occasions with how he handled certain situations – reality can be completely distorted when a negative mind frame overshadows everything else, which is clearly the case when it comes to Janelle and Cade. But, despite my difficulties with him, he’s definitely a stellar book boyfriend because, in the end, he owns up to his mistakes. It’s now up to Janelle what she’s willing to do with his honesty as well as the fact that their worlds are really nothing alike.
It’s a good thing Cade knows a thing or two about superhero powers because he’s definitely going to need them in Holding Her Close.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
“Why are you so angry with me?” I link my hands behind his neck. “You’re always so angry with me.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Rising onto my toes, I position my mouth by his ear. “No one’s going to believe you’re my boyfriend if you hold me like you’re afraid you might catch something.”
One second we’re standing there, barely moving on the dance floor. The next, he’s spinning me around, and I’m trapped between his body and the wall. He has one hand at my neck, the other at my waist, one thick thigh between my legs.
“You wanna know why I’m angry?” He presses closer. My already-short skirt hikes higher up my hips, and I’m treated to the delicious pressure of his thigh pressing into the lace of my panties. “Maybe because you’re reckless. Selfish. Immature. Maybe because for the last three hours you’ve been boozing it up with your buddies while I was picturing you bound and helpless to some obsessive maniac.”
Before I can reply, his mouth is on mine. This isn’t like the seductive kisses we shared on our first night together, and it lacks the tenderness of the kiss he gave me at the station. This kiss matches his mood. It’s hot and angry. Demanding and possessive. This is the kiss of a man who very well could throw his woman over his shoulder and drag her home. The kiss of a man whose woman would relish such treatment.
I shouldn’t be that woman. I shouldn’t even pretend to be her. But should has nothing to do with the way I open my mouth and slip my tongue inside to taste him. Should has nothing to do with me shifting my stance, lifting one knee to give his thigh better access to my aching center. When Cade touches me, should goes out the window and is replaced by must.
I must pull him closer. I must learn how his neck tastes. I must dissolve into his kiss until the world disappears. Then even must falls away and I am nothing but this ache where need becomes pleasure and pleasure becomes need. He called me reckless, and right now I am. With him, that’s what I become.
When he tears his mouth from mine, I gasp at the loss.
“Is that better?” he asks, rubbing his face against my neck and marking me with his stubble. “If I hold you like this.” The hand at my waist slides down until he’s cupping my ass. “Touch you like this.” The hand on my neck dips to skim the tops of my breasts. “Would that be enough?” He opens his mouth against my neck and sucks. Hard. “What’s it going to take to get you to listen to me?”
New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance novelist Lexi Ryan is a former college English professor turned full-time writer. She lives in rural Indiana with her husband and two children. When not writing, she can be found enjoying yoga, reading copiously, hanging out with her family, and thanking her lucky stars.
Taima, a.k.a. Tai, is the last person people come to for help. He’s the fuck up…the bad boy…the guy that only looks out for himself.
Which couldn’t be further from the truth.
He’s fought hard to become the man he is today. He’s a hero in the public’s eye. A firefighter that the young all the way to the old turn to for help at the lowest point in their lives.
What people don’t know, though, is that he’s no hero. He’s the reason his sister is dead, and he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to right that wrong.
Then one split second decision has him coming face to face with Mia Darling. The woman changes his life, making him reevaluate everything he thought he had figured out, and showing him the tenderness he never knew he needed.
Just like always, though, his luck runs out.
When the smoke settles, Mia’s gone, and Tai realizes there’s no way he can live the rest of his life without her. He’ll show her just how hard a bad boy will fight to get his woman back, and he’s not opposed to fighting dirty.
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful.
I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.
She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.
On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat, Aced, and a short story titled UnRaveled. She is currently working on new projects and a few surprises for her readers.
She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.
“You want me.” He says it so softly I barely hear him. Glancing in my mirror, he’s looking down, his face unreadable, his tone serious.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I respond curtly, trying to stay resilient. I’ve seen the girls who are associated with his club; he’s a player and is telling me what I want to hear.
He grunts, a smile breaking across his face. “You’re telling me you didn’t like me kissing you the other night? That my hand up your shirt didn’t light a fire in those little panties of yours?” His tone is arrogant. My body responds, my nipples hardening, craving to have his rough touch one more time. Goddamn him, why can’t he shut up?
“I was drunk,” I defend, looking out the windshield.
The car goes quiet, and I’m thankful; his confrontation made me uncomfortable.
“Hey, Rookie?”
“Hmm?” I look in the rearview mirror to see his face. His mouth is parted, the corner of one lip curved slightly as he looks downward.
“How sore do you think you’ll be after I’m done fucking you?”
As the president of the Sin City Outlaw Motorcycle Club, l fuck as hard as I ride and rarely go to bed alone.
The women are fast and the violence is intense.
I excel in both.
People either respect me or fear me. I’m not arrogant. It’s just the truth.
I was a king, reigning over Vegas without complication, until one gorgeous sheriff made everything fall apart.
When I saw her, I became a Neanderthal, wanting nothing more than to be between those legs.
I guess that’s where I went wrong, because my reality was shot to hell real fucking fast.
One kiss caused her to step over that blue line.
One night in her bed made me a traitor.
And now… we’re both screwed.
About the Author
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
The long awaited conclusion to PHENOMENAL X is here – get more of Xavier in New York Times Bestselling Author Michelle A. Valentine’s XAVIER COLD, available now!
About XAVIER COLD
The conclusion to the New York Times bestselling romance that began in Phenomenal X, about one woman’s pulse-pounding relationship with a notorious bad-boy wrestler.
“What’ll it be, Anna Cortez? Are you in, or are you out?”
One momentary loss of control has now ruined everything Xavier Cold had going for himself. With his world unraveling fast, he’s willing to do anything to save not only his job but his relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved.
Anna Cortez, still reeling from shock, tries desperately to save the man that’s consumed her heart, body and soul. She’ll have to dig deep and find courage she never knew she possessed to help Xavier fight demons from his past—a past that’s even more haunted than she ever imagined.
It doesn’t hit me until he mentions being tired on how exhausted I actually am. Tonight’s been stressful, and I’m sure, if I allow myself to close my eyes for even the briefest time, I’d fall asleep on the spot.
But I refuse to let go of Xavier. When I thought they would lock him up and throw away the key, the opportunity to hold him against me anytime I wanted felt like it was quickly being ripped away. So, for now, I choose to stay here, in his presence, breathing him in as much as I possibly can.
I tilt my head up and stare into his light-blue eyes. “I’m ready for bed, but I don’t want to sleep just yet.”
For the first time since the chaos of the day began, Xavier smiles, but it’s not just any smile. It’s the heart-stopping one-sided smirk that drives me out of my ever-loving mind.
“Have I turned my good girl naughty?”
I give him my best wicked grin. “Afraid so. I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
His large hands cradle my face. “Glad to hear it because I’m fucking addicted to you.”
His lips press on mine, and I’m immediately lost in his kiss. The stubble on his face scratches my fingertips as I trace his jawline.
“I need you.”
A wicked gleam is in his eyes. “Is that so?”
Xavier bends down and nips my lower lip. “You don’t know how much it turns me on when you ask for it. It takes every ounce of willpower in my body to stop myself from throwing you down on that bed and ravaging every inch of your body for my pleasure.”
At the very thought of what that would be like, my pulse races under my skin. “What’s stopping you?”
“You’re too sweet for that.” He leans in and runs his nose along my cheek, causing my entire body to quiver with anticipation. “And because you’re not ready to go there— to allow me to have full control— yet.”
“How do you know?”
ABOUT MICHELLE A. VALENTINE
Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.
Be a little naughty – join Valentine’s Vixens on Facebook for sneak peeks at Michelle’s upcoming works, as well as fun and chatting with her and other readers!
A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade.
A bond that neither time nor distance can break.
A bond that will last forever.
Or so they believe.
When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?
Rune’s heart was broken three years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.
Young Adult Tearjerker Romance.
About Tillie
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could,
Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate—and prized—parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Louboutins.
When Kennedy looks at Brent, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue–worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school in order to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell for her.
But she’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore—she’s a Washington, DC, prosecutor with a long winning streak. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case, and Kennedy thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.
But things aren’t exactly working out the way she planned. Brent has his sights set on Kennedy, and every fiery exchange only makes him want her more—and makes her wonder if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. In the end, they may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.
I’ve absolutely adored Emma Chase’s The Legal Briefs series. There’s no other author I’ve read who can consistently deliver the male point of view as confidently and realistically as Chase. Her heroes are driven men who want what they want and make no qualms about what they’re willing to do to get it, even if that means playing hard ball with the object of their affection.
In a court of law, there are rules to follow…points to be made, but those same ideas apply outside the courtroom where the stakes may even be higher than a guilty or not guilty verdict because logical reasoning is not the only factor in real life – emotions play a huge role in the judgment of the defendant, and the judge and jury in this case is definitely not impartial.
Brent’s always been the wild card in this trio of men, so it doesn’t surprise me that his lack of intimacy in his relationships stems from a past that readers are now privy to…and that backstory is all about the girl who got away…the one who may or not have broken his heart and led him down a 15 year path of selfish and irresponsible acts when it comes to the opposite sex. But when Kennedy Randolph walks back into his life and his courtroom, his game changes and it involves finally getting the girl he’s always wanted even if he made quite a few missteps along the way.
Brent and Kennedy’s story is definitely a battle of wills both in the courtroom and the bedroom. Kennedy doesn’t make things easy on Brent, which is exactly what he deserves for his obliviousness all those years ago. Kennedy’s changed a lot from the girl she was 15 years ago; she’s just as funny and intelligent as she was before, but there’s a fierceness as well as a fragility that Brent didn’t see back then and wants to understand why it’s there now even if he’s somewhat to blame.
I love second chance romance stories where the hero realizes things about himself from his past and does everything in his power to rectify his mistakes, and because the story is told completely in Brent’s POV, readers hear firsthand everything he’s thinking and feeling as he works to make things right with Kennedy and woos her in a way that only a confident and smart ass man can do.
I loved catching up with Stanton, Jake and their respective families and the fact that they make Brent eat his words when it comes to being domesticated makes Appealed even better!
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Isadora Nikitas understands what it means to be betrayed. That lesson was taught to her in the prime of her life, and when she is offered a chance to exact revenge, she finds it difficult to refuse. Instead, she entrusts her survival to a mysterious vampire known only as Diomêdês, a male who wants nothing in return but to watch over her—in every way imaginable.
Gifted with speed, strength, and immortality, she determines that her life will no longer be governed by the needs and wants of a mere man. She has cowered for the last time, and with her Ancient by her side, she thrives and blossoms into the most formidable female vampire in existence.
But, once upon a time, like all little girls, Isadora believed in love. She believed it because she once had it. So, when it comes along a second time, she knows that it’s possible—but when you love someone, they become your weakness. Unless, in fact, they become your enemy instead…
A MYSTERIOUS PAST…
Fulfilling your life’s prophecy should be empowering. At least, that’s what Elias Fontana always believed. But, as he stands guard over the beautiful vampire he’s taken hostage, his convictions start to crumble. Made to believe by his creators that he and two others have been designed to destroy a dangerous race, he has difficulty connecting his current reality to the woman he once loved.
A TANGLED TALE TO UNRAVEL…
When friends become enemies and enemies become lovers, who can you trust in the webs of lies and despair? And, when your life is at stake and blood has been shed, how much are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?
Review
Ella Frank continues to show her diversity and talent as a writer in Isadora, the second book in her Masters Among Monsters series. Frank does an amazing job blending the mythological with the paranormal and providing quite the lesson in Greek Mythology.
Gods and vampires…those who were said to rule the world and those who ruled the darkness. Magically inclined beings and deadly abominations…it’s still unclear as to how all of the parts make a whole, but Frank is taking readers on one hell of a journey of discovery, and it’s one that’s sure to arouse and entice as much as perplex and mystify.
Fate…Destiny…Free Will
Those words play a huge part in Leo, Elias, and Paris’ role in the chaos – the position their creators put them in and one they’re unsure of due to extenuating circumstances and emotions out of their control. These three men are destined to destroy an entire populous of creatures but what seems to be driving them now is beyond even the reach of the gods, which has completely unbalanced the present and the future, causing decisions to be made that will either leave them in the hands of monsters or without those they have come to desire and perhaps even love.
But which force will win out is still to be determined because there’s still much to be learned and revealed. Neither Elias, Leo, nor Paris truly understand their role in the world they’ve all been thrust into; in fact, Paris is completely oblivious even though he seems to wield a power that could rival anyone.
Ella Frank holds these characters’ secrets close to the vest in order to set the stage for what’s to come. The buildup is beautifully done because all of the players have to be introduced and readers have to clearly understand the position that all of the characters find themselves in right or wrong…good or bad – but those two expressions don’t seem powerful enough because in the grand scheme of things, there’s a reason why both sides were created, and it will be up to the gods and Ella Frank to determine how it all plays out and what the cost will be for those whose choices will either seal everyone’s fate or eternally free them from a life worse than death.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” That seems to be the path that both sides have resorted to, but it’s still not clear to me who the friends and enemies are. As much as I’ve been told to abhor vampires because they are merciless killers, the deep emotions that they have for each other and the lengths they’re willing to go to, to save one of their own speaks volumes about their kind. Their bond is more than just the blood that flows between them, which is interesting because these beings are said to have no heart and no feelings and yet, Isadora, Diomedes, Alasdair, Thanos, Vasilios, and Eton seem to be consumed with those same things they are not meant to have, which continues to beg the question – who truly are the good guys and bad guys? Which is the question I’m dying to find out!
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
ISADORA HURRIED DOWN the stark, white corridor and kept her eyes on the floor. She couldn’t believe how close she’d cut her latest feed. Alasdair would have her hide if he had to bail her out, but it wasn’t her fault. Not really.
Not one human had caught her eye in the latest batch of yieldings, and that was saying something considering she wasn’t partial to male or female like her cousins. Ugh, it was a slump. Thanos had warned her that it would eventually happen. She hadn’t believed him, though, and with Diomêdês out of town, her options were limited.
She’d been restless lately, which was unlike her, and tonight, she hadn’t been able to wait. The local hospital seemed a smart place to peruse a decent selection. That was until the damn patient had coded.
Just my luck, she thought, and when the first doctor had arrived, she’d promptly knocked him out, stolen his lab coat, and shoved him in the bathroom. Then a rush of hospital staff had shown up and she’d had no choice but to leave by foot. That had been…oh, about five minutes ago.
While shoving her hands in the deep pockets, she came up to the entry she’d walked through earlier and sighed. All she had to do was get out into the shadows and fade back to the lair without anyone seeing. Alasdair would be none the wiser.
As she turned the final corner, a smug grin crossed her lips—until she ran smack into the equivalent of a brick wall.
“Oh, shit. I mean—” The male standing opposite her placed a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you until it was too late to stop the collision.” He chuckled, and the warm sound of the vibration had Isadora raising her eyes.
As he absently ran his palm down the sleeve of her coat, she barely felt the touch. He was unlike any she’d ever seen.
The first thing she noticed was his height. Being a tall female herself, she’d always been drawn to a man who surpassed her own stature, and this man had several inches on her. His hair, dark as her own, was swept back from his face as though he’d run his hands through it. It was the odd color of his eyes, though, that held her immobile. They were an unusual shade of…silver that reminded her of her Ancient’s hair, and right now, they seemed to be shining at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, bending a little at the knees to get a better look at her.
She quickly lowered her head. Jesus. Talk, Isadora. Tell him you’re fine and get away from him. “I think I’ll survive.” No, no. Do not flirt with him.
“Well, thank god for that.”
Brilliant, she admonished herself. His tone had taken on a quality she knew all too well—interest. But she didn’t have time for this. She made a move to step around him, but the fingers she hadn’t even realized were still on her wrist tightened.
“Wait…”
She looked down to where he held her, and as if he’d just noticed, he released his grip.
“Yes?”
He gave a shrug, but the cocky smile that tipped his lips belied any kind of indifference. This man was confident, and he had every reason to be.
“You can’t just leave. What if I injured you?”
A burst of laughter bubbled out of her at the notion, and it was the first time in years she had done so.
“I’m serious,” he said as he took a step closer.
She brought her fingers to her lips to hide the grin she was flashing. “Yes, I can see that.”
“I mean, what if you leave and later suffer from a concussion? I’m a pretty solid guy, and you did run into me rather hard.”
As he said the word hard, their eyes locked and Isadora’s arm lowered, her lips parting. She needed to get out of there. The high from the feed and her lack of yieldings these past few weeks must’ve been causing a residual sexual pull, because all she wanted was to get naked and on her knees for this guy.
As a group of hospital staff ran by, he broke their connection and gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you need to go?”
Yes, but not because of that. “I should.”
“Are you a doctor here?”
“Ahh no. An intern.” Great, now I’m lying. And why that lie?
“Oh, so, if I come back, I might bump into you again?”
That was why right there. “Uh, maybe.”
When it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything else, he held his hand out for her to shake. It was such a human gesture and odd in light of their having already connected so spectacularly that she just stared at it.
“Then let me introduce myself so it won’t be strange when I show up again tomorrow. I’m Elias, and you are?”
As Isadora slid her palm into his, she allowed herself to take another good look at him. He was sexy, and the way he was watching her with intense focus made it more than obvious he found her just as appealing. Surely there’d be no harm if she took a little peek inside.
She gently pushed into his mind, and what she saw was anything but endearing or shy. He was imagining her as stripped down as she had just been picturing. However, he had her on her feet and against a wall—the hospital wall behind her, to be exact.
Loving that image, she was more than content to keep watching, but as if he knew she was in there, his mind went blank. She blinked, not believing what she was seeing, but sure enough, it was as if he’d flicked a switch and the television had been shut off.
“You’re not going to tell me your name?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts and flashing a wide grin.
She wasn’t sure why, but instead of compelling him to forget her, she slicked her tongue along her lower lip and watched him track it with those unusual eyes.
“I’ll tell you that the next time we bump into each other.”
“Which will be?”
Diomêdês would be gone for several more days, so perhaps she could amuse herself with this human until he returned. Then maybe…maybe she would present him as her next choice if things went well.
“I work tomorrow night.”
It should’ve alarmed her at how easily lies fell from her tongue, but she’d honed the perfect delivery of such tales over many centuries and found she really was quite skilled at it. Thanos, her cousin, was terrible.
“That’s good to know. I’ll be sure to stand in every corridor until you run into me.”
Isadora walked backwards, once again slipping her hands into the coat pockets, and winked. “I should pass by this one around midnight.”
As she turned to push through the exit, he called out, “I’ll be waiting…”
A DANGEROUS ALLURE Bestowed with eternal life by the Ancient Vasilios, Alasdair Kyriakous is one of the most feared and ruthless vampires in existence. His name carries weight across all of the seven continents.
But he is a mystery to his kind, an anomaly among the self-indulgent. While he enjoys the pleasures of the flesh, he is exceptionally particular in his choice of partners and prides himself on his ironclad self-control.
Yet with one look his control will become a thing of the past, and Alasdair will discover that eternal life doesn’t always last forever…
A DEADLY ATTRACTION Thrust into a world he could never have imagined, Leo Chapel awakens in his worst nightmare. Taken hostage by the dangerously mesmerizing vampire, Alasdair, Leo must rely on his intelligence to escape before he reveals a secret he isn’t even aware he’s hiding.
A FORBIDDEN DESIRE Unaware that they’ve been brought together by an outside force and are little more than pawns to a higher power, Alasdair and Leo spend time trying to uncover the other’s secrets, the attraction between them growing stronger all the while.
But enemies are watching and preparing to act against them. When decisions that will alter lives and destinies have to be made—can a dead, grey heart learn to beat again?
About the Author
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary, M/M romance and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web atwww.ellafrank.comand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author
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