Mari Carr's Blog, page 80

Office Affair

It’s a Jess Dee release day at Samhain! Woo Hoo! Happy May Day!

Business as unusual…or the real thing?

Climbing to the top is friendless work, but Melissa Sparks is determined to make partner. After an argument with her mother, though, she’s pissed off, she’s frustrated, and for once she wants to stop being the woman she’s become and just be herself.

Ben Cowley is all alone in the deserted offices of Preston Elks. He’s gorgeous, he’s single and he’s been her secret fantasy for the last two years. It’s a split-second decision, but there’s no going back.

When Ben looks up from his desk, the last thing he expects to see is his too-serious, straight-laced colleague stripping naked. It’s been a year since his last relationship ended, and though he’s still picking up the pieces, Melissa throws his carefully balanced world off its axis. So does her offer: a brief affair, no strings attached.

Right about the time he realizes a simple affair will never be enough, she’s back in professional mode—and clearly as distant as ever. Now it’s up to him to show her that what they have is no fluke…and he’ll do whatever it takes to convince her. Even if it means inviting another man into their bed.

Product Warnings

This book contains a man haunted by his past decisions, a woman determined to succeed, sex hot enough to steam up every office window on the block, and a voyeur who gets off watching those windows steam up.

Read excerpt. 

Two special guests!!!

I have two very special guests taking over my blog today and I couldn’t be more thrilled because I love both of these gals to pieces! So…put your hands together for the amazing Juniper Bell and the wonderful Kelly Jamieson! They have new releases. Woot! Woot!

My friend Kelly Jamieson and I have a lot in common – we both have red hair, we’re both part of the Nine Naughty Novelists, we both had books come out last Wednesday, and we both on occasion write stories that involve more than two people. Menage R Us!

But Kelly’s new release, ONE MAN ADVANTAGE, is an M/F erotic romance, while mine, BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION, includes an extra 2 M’s – M/F/M/M.

 BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION

Jack Cartwright has put his wild sexual side firmly in the past so he can focus on his graduate studies. All he wants is to finish his thesis. But the appearance of three mysterious students in a neighboring suite throws his careful plans into chaos. Especially when he catches the three of them together…in bed.

Clare, Luc and Rob have a highly unusual relationship. Friends since childhood, the two boys rescued Clare from unimaginable horrors. They’ve been her protectors ever since, and something more. But Clare can’t stop thinking about the sexy, smoldering resident advisor down the hall, and what fierce urges might be hiding behind his controlled exterior.

Now Jack’s dark sexual needs threaten to derail his career as the irresistible threesome lures him into their secret erotic world. But when obsession takes hold, rules don’t stand a chance.

ONE MAN ADVANTAGE

After her ex trashes her reputation in front of the media and it quickly goes viral, Nicole vows she’ll never get involved with another hockey player. Too bad her job with the Minneapolis Caribou puts her in contact with sexy hockey players on a daily basis, including the newly traded center, Logan Heller.

Logan’s pretty sure Nicole is the perfect woman for him and he’s determined to have her—in and out of bed. Nicole is equally determined to never date another hockey player. But Logan has a one-man advantage…he knows what she really wants.

I asked Kelly what she thought about the differences between these two subgenres. For instance:

What’s your favorite thing about writing an M/F romance as opposed to a ménage?

Kelly: Not having to worry about all the pronouns during sex scenes, LOL!

Juniper: Don’t talk to me about pronouns! Once my sexy threesome lures a fourth into their erotic games, fuggedaboutit!  Next book, I’m keeping it simple. One her. One him.

What’s the hardest thing about writing straight romance?

Kelly: It’s really important that there’s enough conflict and enough obstacles to the relationship to keep the story going without anything else – without some kind of villain or suspense subplot, for example, or without never-ending sex scenes (although let me reassure readers that there is plenty of sex in One Man Advantage!)

Juniper: It’s a Kelly Jamieson book, of course there’s plenty of sex! And wait … is there something wrong with never-ending sex scenes? What’s your point? I’m just kidding – I agree, finding those sources of conflict is key. With ménage, there’s plenty of potential for complications.

When you were writing “One Man Advantage,” was there anything you missed about writing ménage?  Were you ever tempted to throw in another guy?

Kelly: I totally was tempted! In fact I’m still not sure this shouldn’t have been a ménage story! The heroine in this story has a history of dating hockey players and after what happens to her (sounds vague, read the story to find out!) she vows to never date another hockey player. Well, the worst thing that could happen to her is obviously to get involved with another hockey player, but I kept thinking — what if she got involved with TWO hockey players? After what was said about her on national television, that would be even worse! But I just didn’t see Logan as a guy who would share his girl, so it didn’t happen.

Juniper: Oh Logan. You spoilsport. But this brings up a good point – it’s all about the characters and what’s driving them. Some characters need a ménage, some wouldn’t consider it. You can’t force the story where it doesn’t want to go.

Kelly: It ALL depends on the characters and what they want. I’ve never started a story as a ménage that ended up not, but that’s only because I make sure from the start that these are characters who want and need a ménage. Sometimes they don’t know that’s what they want or need, but they learn that through the story.

The books of yours I’ve read are all either threesomes or twosomes. Have you ever thought about writing a “ménage a more” along the lines of Beautiful Obsession? Or have I missed one?

Kelly: No, I’ve never done more than a threesome. I mean, I’ve never written more than a threesome, LOL! I’ve read a few stories like that and I think it has to be tricky – that’s a lot of personalities and motivations and emotions all coming together. I can’t wait to read Beautiful Obsession to see how you handle the ménage à quatre, Juniper! I know it will be amazing!

Juniper: Speaking of amazing, why do you think readers love your hockey stories so much? Do you have more in the works?

Kelly: I don’t know why they’ve been so popular! And actually they were a little slow to take off — it’s only in the last few months that sales have really grown and I’ve gotten all those emails from readers asking about the next story. Maybe that’s part of having a series…the first story, Breakaway, introduced the other Heller brothers, then readers got to meet them again in the second story, Faceoff, and now they want to know about the other brothers too…

Juniper: Brothers are good. We love brothers. Keep them coming, Kelly!

One Man Advantage and Beautiful Obsession are both out now from Ellora’s Cave.  To celebrate, Kelly is giving away a copy of one of her previous hockey books, BREAKAWAY or FACEOFF to one lucky commenter and I’m giving away winner’s choice of any book from my backlist.

Juniper Bell is a multi-published, bestselling author of erotic romance for Samhain and Ellora’s Cave. She lives with her husband in a cabin in Alaska with sporadic running water and a spectacular view of glaciers. When she isn’t writing naughty or shoveling snow, she’s dreaming of the day she can move to Hawaii. Visit her website at http://JuniperBell.com, her blog at http://AuthorJuniperBell.blogspot.com, friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Kelly Jamieson is a best-selling author of over twenty romance novels and novellas.  Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. Where you can find Kelly:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Nine Naughty Novelists

 

Saturday Snippet

It’s another week of Say Anything! I love these weeks. Today I thought I’d share a red hot excerpt from Inflamed. Anyone up for some cowboy lovin’?

Snippet

Shaw tossed back the last of his beer and then waved the waitress over, asking her to set them up with another round. They’d danced up a sweat, Max and Shaw each taking turns with Keri on the floor.

“Thought you said you couldn’t two-step,” Shaw said. She’d more than held her own, twirling to the music like a professional dancer.

She laughed. “You were right. I’d never had the right partners before.”

Shaw considered her answer and the way she looked at them. Her gaze was hungry, inviting. He glanced at Max, but his friend shook his head slightly. Obviously Max was going to be stubborn. Shaw was tempted to pull him outside and tell him how often Keri’s hand had grazed his ass when they were dancing. She was putting out more than a few signals, and his pigheaded friend was pointedly ignoring them.

Shaw looked at her flushed face and decided it was probably time for a break.

“How about a game of pool?” he suggested. “There’s a small room off the back of the bar that doesn’t get used much.”

Keri nodded quickly. “Sounds like fun. I haven’t played pool since college.”

Shaw rubbed his hands together as they rose and started toward the back room. He gave her an appraising look. “Is that right? Hmmm. Maybe we should come up with a wager then.”

Max shook his head, laughing. “He’s a shark, Keri. Beware.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me,” Keri replied. She stood and let Shaw tug her toward the pool room before continuing. “I may have been gone awhile but I have a very long memory. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you scamming me out of two weeks’ allowance while teaching me how to play Texas Hold ’Em my sophomore year.”

Shaw laughed at the memory. “Hey, darlin’. I warned you before you joined that game, if you played with the big dogs, you were bound to get bit.”

“Maybe so, but be warned, sometimes the puppy bites back.”

Her sexy innuendo was accompanied by a quick glance below his waist. Shaw reconciled himself to the fact that his cock—which had been residing at half-mast most of the night—was finished fooling around and had made a full-fledged appearance. Nothing short of sex or a quick hand-job in the bathroom was going to cure that affliction. Keri noticed his problem and gave him a wicked grin.

“By the way,” she said, “you can’t claim that as a handicap.”

Shaw’s mouth went dry at her red-hot tease and he looked around to see if Max had heard. Sadly, his friend was still at the table handing the waitress some money and grabbing their fresh beers. Fuck. It was going to be a long night.

They walked into the back room and claimed the pool table just being vacated by a couple of cowboys. The room was dark and dingy and the table wasn’t exactly level, which explained why no one ever used it. Shaw was simply using it as an excuse to get Keri alone for a little while. The loud music was dimmed by the walls, so there was no way Max could continue to pretend not to hear that she was coming on to them.

Shaw narrowed his eyes as one of the men leaving the room slowed his departure to check out Keri more thoroughly. She was wearing a miniskirt that was two inches too close to baring too much for Shaw’s comfort. While he hadn’t minded getting a good look at her long, luscious legs in the truck on the way here, he’d been battling the impulse to pulverize every man who’d leered at her since they’d entered the bar.

“So how do you want to do this?” Keri asked as she picked up a pool cue. “Kind of hard to play pool with three people.”

“You’re on my team,” Max replied, entering the room and setting the beers down on the lone table. “We’ll take turns shooting against Shaw.”

Shaw narrowed his eyes. “How come you get Keri? Maybe I want her on my team.”

Keri laughed. “Believe me, I’m going to be the weakest link. Personally, I think you two should be fighting over who has to take me.”

Shaw suppressed a groan. He wanted to take her, all right. “I don’t think that’s ever gonna be a fight Max and I will have.”

Max threw him a warning glance as he bent down to rack the balls. “We’ll take turns. I get Keri for the first game. You can have her next time.”

“Or,” Shaw said, rubbing chalk over the tip of his cue, “we could share her. She’ll play with both of us.” Shaw walked up behind her, bending her slightly over the table. “In the interest of sharing our vast experience with you, of course.” He handed her the stick and wrapped his arms around her, pretending to show her how to hold the pool cue. The move was purely sensual. Shaw ignored the daggers he could feel Max shooting in his direction as his friend finished racking the balls. Shaw was done pretending so that Max could soothe his guilty conscience. She may still be sweet Keri, but she wasn’t an innocent by any stretch of the imagination. Time to take off the kid gloves.

Keri grinned as she looked over her shoulder. His wicked intentions weren’t lost on her. She bent lower and pushed back slightly, her ass rubbing against Shaw’s cock.

“Like this?” she purred.

He gritted his teeth in an attempt to withstand her sneak attack. She’d taken him down with his own weapon. There was no way to mistake her movements as anything other than a pure come-on.

All bets were off.

Inflamed is available at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets?

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Mandy M Roth

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Lauren Dane

Shelli Stevens

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Zoë Archer

Quote of the Day

“Faith is not being sure where you’re going, but going anyway.” -Frederick Buechner

Saturday Snippet

Today’s theme is Truly, Madly, Deeply. I love books where the hero and heroine fall slowly, starting out as friends. In Happy Hour, past hurts kept Jamie and Grace from admitting to their true feelings. When they finally do come out, whooo boy! Let the fireworks commence!

Snippet

“Fuck,” Trey muttered. “Stripper at eleven o’clock.”

Jamie closed his eyes and sighed. “Jesus. It’s like she’s got a homing device on me or something.”

Grace gave him an amused grin. “I told you not to go out with her.”

“Well, now, in his defense, Gracie, she is a hot stripper,” Trey replied, holding his hands in front of his chest to accentuate the fact the woman was well endowed.

“A hot, stalker stripper.” Grace laughed as she added the adjective and Jamie simply nodded. He couldn’t deny the truth of that statement. He’d gone to a bachelor party a few months earlier and gotten more than a little bit inebriated. In his drunken state, he’d asked the stripper from the party out on a date. He’d only gone out with the woman, Carmen, once and he hadn’t done anything more than kiss her goodnight. Since then, Carmen had called, stopped by his house and managed to track him down at whatever bar he was hanging out in, until Jamie was ready to skip town simply to escape her once and for all.

“If she sees me, we’ll never shake her.”

“That’s because you’re too fucking nice to the bitch. Just tell her to go away.” Trey took a drink of beer, his voice and face betraying his annoyance. He suffered as much as Jamie whenever Carmen showed up and attached herself to their group. She talked incessantly about the most mundane things, demanding attention from every male at the table.

“She’s a nice girl, Trey. I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

Trey groaned. “Yeah, well, you better figure something out because I think she just spotted you.”

Jamie refused to have his night with Grace ruined by Carmen and he reacted before he thought. He leaned over and kissed Grace, a hard, full-on, open-mouthed kiss. He half expected her to pull away and slap him, so he was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

He wasn’t sure how long he inhaled the sweet scent of her breath and tasted the tang of beer on her tongue. He gripped her waist and held on, reveling in the moment. Their first kiss and it was better than he’d ever imagined. Her lips were soft against his, but her response proved she wouldn’t be a passive or timid lover. She touched his tongue with hers, exploring his mouth while her fingers tugged his hair, pulled him closer.

The kiss betrayed her true feelings and had his mouth been free, he’d have shouted his happiness to the entire bar. She was as hungry for him as he was for her. For a moment, the rest of the world faded away, leaving just the two of them, lost in their own private Eden.

And then reality intruded.

“Jamie?” Finally, the female voice penetrated his lust-clouded mind and he regretfully pulled away. “Jamie?”

He turned to find Carmen standing beside the table, looking confused—and shit—upset. He hated hurting her, but she didn’t understand when he said he wasn’t interested in dating her. When faced with the idea of listening to her nonstop boring conversation another night, he’d acted on instinct. “Hey, Carmen,” he said, forcing a nonchalant tone to his voice.

“Hi,” she said. “I thought I spotted you over here.” An awkward silence fell, and Jamie decided it was time to carry the subterfuge to the next level.

“Have you met my girlfriend, Grace?”

“Girlfriend?” Carmen asked.

He nodded and was grateful when Grace smiled kindly. “I think we may have met a few months ago. At another happy hour, maybe?”

Carmen shrugged and Jamie saw Trey roll his eyes. No doubt Carmen didn’t remember the fact she’d met Grace at least three times in the past. She wasn’t exactly bright and she certainly never paid a bit of attention to the other women at the table, usually saving all of that mind-numbing banter for him or Trey.

“Isn’t she a little old for you?” Carmen asked.

Jamie fought back the urge to tell the woman off for her cruelty. “No. She isn’t.” His words were clipped and halting and any fool could see he was furious. Unfortunately, Carmen was the queen of fools.

She looked Grace up and down and then dismissed her as a serious threat. “What are you guys doing tonight?” she purred, thrusting her breasts forward as if the mere sight of her big tits bursting out of her too-tight top would make him come to his senses and fall madly in love with her.

“We’re having a few drinks together.”

“That’s cool,” she said, looking around for an extra chair. Mercifully, they’d given their extra seats to a large group at the next table.

“Well, it was good to see you again, Carmen. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.” Jamie’s dismissal was curt and he silently prayed it would be enough because if she persisted on hanging around, they’d have to leave. After the kiss he’d just shared with Grace, he’d rather cut off his left nut than cut this evening short.

Carmen hovered by the table for a moment until Trey and Grace both added their goodbyes, then she left.

“Damn, man,” Trey said. “Quick thinking on that kiss. Well done.”

He nodded, though he was still fuming over Carmen’s insult. He glanced at Grace. “I’m sorry she was so rude to you.”

Grace reached over and grasped his hand. “That’s not your apology to make. Besides, I think we’ve already discussed her lack of intelligence.”

Trey laughed, but Jamie continued speaking. “With any luck, that will be the last time I have to deal with her.”

Grace squeezed his hand. “Oh, I think you made your point. You’ve tried to break things off with her gently at least a dozen times, Jamie. Sometimes, you just have to be less subtle, more direct.”

“That kiss was pretty fucking direct,” Trey said.

Grace looked at him and smiled. “Have to admit I didn’t mind pretending to be your girlfriend for a few minutes. Wow.”

“Few minutes? Felt like you were swallowing each other’s tonsils for hours.”

“Shut up, Trey,” Jamie said with a grin, pleased by Grace’s compliment.

Happy Hour is available at Samhain, Amazon, Fictionwise, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets?

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Mandy M Roth

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Lissa Matthews

Zoe Archer

Romantic Times recap

I know everyone’s been writing their recaps of the RT 2012 convention, so I thought I’d throw out a few thoughts as well. And…yes…it’s taken me this long to recover enough to string a few lousy words together. I was a bit of a zombie the first couple of days back!

(Speaking of zombies, Lexxie Couper and Sami Lee made brilliant ones at the Friday night party!)

The event is always an exciting one and for so many different reasons. First of all, it’s a wonderful chance to connect with readers. I was finally able to put faces with the names of beloved ladies who’ve written, tweeted, and “Facebooked” me with words of encouragement throughout the year. All I can say is these folks are even more awesome in person. I smiled so much my face hurt because I was so genuinely thrilled to meet them.

(Gigi, KittyKelly and Shari–a portrait of awesomeness!)

Secondly, the event allows me time to sit down and have a little face-to-face time with my editors. I was lucky because both my Samhain and Ellora’s Cave editors were there. I work very closely with these amazing ladies throughout the year, so being able to talk to them in person is a true gift. I’d met them both before, but I feel like this year, I got some really great quality time with them. So yay!

(Lexxie Couper with our beloved EC editor, Kelli)

Finally, I was able to spend time with other writers. Being an author is a very solitary career and there are very few people in my “real life” who know that I write. It’s lovely to be “Mari Carr” for a few days. To talk about the business, the heartbreaks, the joys, the frustrations, and all the crazy stuff that makes up being a published author. For the first time since its inception, we had NINE of the 12 International Heat ladies in the same place at the same time. These gals are the sisters of my heart and our time together last week is something I will always treasure!

Two-fer Tuesday

I’m dubbing today Two-fer Tuesday because two of my International Heat sisters have releases at Samhain today.

Bianca D’Arc’s Brotherhood of Blood: Wolf Hills is available now!

Danger prowls on two legs…

A Brotherhood of Blood story

Detective Sally Decker’s Wyoming trip to visit her newlywed friend, Carly, turns into a dangerous adventure into the unknown when she learns Carly’s husband is a master vampire, and there’s a pack of werewolves living just up the road. As if that wasn’t alarming enough, the sexy Alpha wolf has taken a shine to her.

Jason Moore is an Alpha on a mission to make Sally his own. His very public seduction doesn’t sit well with the pack’s available females, but instinct tells him that Sally can handle anything, including any werewolf bitch dumb enough to challenge her.

Romance gives way to a call to arms when the pack’s children come under attack. Their rescue mission turns into a mating dance and the hunt is on in more ways than one. Their attraction is mind-bendingly hot, though startling revelations about his magic and her origins could drive a wedge between them forever. Can love help them bridge the chasm between their worlds?

Product Warnings

This book contains bombs, bullets, bare-knuckled and bare-naked lust, and some serious ass kicking. Please do not feed the frisky furballs, unless you’re willing to risk drawing back a bloody nub.

Read an excerpt.

AND Lexxie Couper’s Love’s Rhythm will rock it’s way into your heart. Lexxie let me beta this book and holy wow! What an amazing story!

His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart?

Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They’re the reason he’s the world’s biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame.

An invitation to a friend’s wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there’s only one woman he wants on his arm—the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.

Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs…and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.

But molten passion can’t hide the secret she’s kept for all these years. Because it’s not just her heart on the line anymore…and not just her life that’ll be rocked by the revelation.

Product Warnings

Remember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets…

Read an excerpt.

Both books are available at Samhain.

Quote of the Day

“Book lovers never go to bed alone.” –Anonymous

Cari Quinn

Virgins have more fun

I’m so excited to be here on Mari’s blog today! She just happens to be the author who made me love erotic romance and decide to give it a shot myself. I happen to own every one of her books—yep, not kidding! I buy them as fast as she releases them and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a book of hers I haven’t loved.

Today I thought I’d talk about a fun subject—losing your virginity. Yep, I’m going there! But not in the usual sense. My latest sexy contemporary release, VIRGIN TERRITORY, came out this past Friday 4/13 from Decadent Publishing, but there’s not an actual virgin in sight. Kiki and Vincent definitely aren’t virgins—ha, Vincent would laugh at the mere suggestion!—but they both have a few experiences in the book that break new territory for them. As open as Vincent is sexually, he’s closed down in a few notable areas, and Kiki helps him let down his guard…and hoo boy, do they have fun in the process!

For me, something new I’ve tried recently is writing sexy contemporaries. Though that’s where I started when I was unpublished, my first nine ten releases were all erotic romance. I still write ero rom and love it, but I’m now branching out a bit to sexy contemps where the heat may be a little lower, but the romance is just as hot!

CONTEST! In honor of visiting Mari’s blog, I’m holding a giveaway for one of my backlist ebooks (winner’s choice!) Just leave me a comment telling me the last thing you lost your virginity on. It definitely doesn’t have to be sex (though that’s up to you!) Something new you’ve tried would be perfect.

Before I go, I’ll leave you with Virgin Territory’s blurb and a short excerpt. Enjoy!

VIRGIN TERRITORY:

Network analyst by day, erotic romance writer by night, Vincent Buonfiglio is dealing with a work-in-progress that has gone colder than winter in his hometown of Ridgley, North Dakota. So what does a man who needs to write hot do to get cranking?

Search out a woman for a night of no-strings sex, of course.

But his choice of partner, Katherine “Kiki” Wyatt, manager of the Quikky Snak Gas & Lube, isn’t biting. Flirting over his nightly chili dog is one thing. But a date? Sex? Not happening. Dangerously sexy geeks are off-limits no matter what they might have to offer outside the bedroom.

When an armed gunman changes everything, will deadlines, exes, and mind-blowing sex prove opposites don’t always attract or allow two unlikely lovers to pen a happy ending?

VIRGIN TERRITORY Excerpt:

Vincent shot a glance at Kiki as she strode around the counter, dripping mop in hand. What did she expect to do with that? Blind the guy with soapy water? “Dammit, Kiki.” Gripping her wrist, he yanked her against his side. “Don’t be stupid.”

“He’s right, little girl. You don’t want a piece of this.”

“I’m not a little girl, Mr. Badass-behind-a-toy-gun.” Kiki shook off Vincent’s restraining hand. “And I’m not in the mood to be told what to do.”

“It’s a toy?” Vincent pulled her back despite her warning glance. “How do you know that?”

“Don’t you read the papers? This is the fourth place this punk has hit around here this month.”

The robber glared at her. “If you don’t open that register in the next five seconds, lady, you’re going to need a new hairstyle to cover the hole in your head.”

Fury vibrated through her small frame. “I’ve been held up enough times by you creeps. I’ve had it.” She tightened her hold on the mop. “The register’s staying closed, pal. End of story.”

Even as Vincent grimaced at Kiki’s pseudo-bravado, he reached out to clamp a hand over her mouth. Distracted by her squeaking and flailing, he almost missed the intention in the robber’s panicked gaze.

Shit, shit, shit.

He grabbed Kiki and spun around. Fire exploded in his shoulder just as Kiki’s scream sliced through “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.”

Not the funeral dirge he’d always imagined, that’s for sure.

“Oh, God, Vincent! Are you okay?”

Was he? He felt oddly calm, though he was pretty sure the muffled popping sound he’d heard above the music hadn’t been Christmas fireworks.

Oddly calm, and really sleepy.

Vincent stared at Kiki, numbly absorbing the horror on her face. Her cheeks so pale. Her eyes so huge. Her pretty pink mouth hanging open as she gawked at his arm. She didn’t make a sound, just stared.

Must be reconsidering sleeping with me. Who turns down a guy in glasses? Especially one who knows exactly where to find a woman’s G-spot?

That’s why she wouldn’t go out—or stay in—with him. He’d forgotten to tell her that. Maybe he needed a dating résumé, something he could hand out like a business card.

Loves giving oral, won’t roll over and go to sleep, has unerring accuracy when it comes to locating the G-spot. Also cooks a mean omelet and kicks ass at Scrabble. Apply within.

Fucking hell, his arm ached. His vision swam, dots appearing before his eyes. The dots soon faded, but only because his world had turned gray. That couldn’t be good. The noises of the store faded away. Everything but the sound of Kiki’s panicked cry.

“Vincent!”

He tried to answer. Couldn’t. His lips wouldn’t work. Nor would his shaking limbs. He took a halting step, then another.

And fell on top of her.

 

USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn wrote her first story—a bible parable—in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. She attempted her first romance in junior high, long before she’d ever read one. Writing what she knew always took a backseat to what she wanted to know, and that still holds true today.

Though she also fires up her computer as a graphic designer, proofreader and editor, she can’t resist the lure of disappearing into a world of her own creation. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars. The only thing she loves more than writing is hearing from readers! Visit Cari at www.cariquinn.com

Saturday Snippet

This week’s them is “Everyone wants to rule the world (villains)” One of the nastiest villains I ever wrote about was the Earl of Wilshire in my regency romance, No Recourse. I thought I’d share an excerpt from that story today.

Snippet

“Good evening, my dear,” he said deeply.

Hayley jumped slightly. “Lord Wilshire.”

“Forgive me, I certainly did not wish to alarm you. You looked so lonely out here on your own. I wondered if there was something wrong.” His voice was cool and menacing and she glanced over his shoulder toward the balcony doors in hopes of seeing Jack. It had been foolish to separate herself from the crowd. She didn’t like being alone with the earl. His cold eyes drifted down over her body, lingering at her breasts as if assessing her worth. Her skin crawled in his presence and she shivered slightly. “Cold, my dear?”

“Yes, a little. I think I’ll return to the ballroom. Dancing will certainly warm me up again. By the way, I saw the guest list and you weren’t on it. I assume you can find your own way out?” She started to pass him, but he grabbed her upper arm tightly holding her close to his side. “Let go of me.”

“Not yet,” he whispered. “I have plans for you. Very important plans.”

Alarmed, she struggled in earnest to release her arm from his punishing grip. She opened her mouth to scream, but closed it quickly as Wilshire pressed a knife to her ribs.

“I would not scream if I were you,” he threatened. Turning her toward the balcony stairs, he dragged her down to the back gardens. Several couples were strolling, but they were too far away to see her distress.

“You and I are going to take a little drive,” Wilshire said in a hushed voice. “We have plans to make–plans for our future.”

“You and I have no future,” Hayley hissed. “You are a lecherous, disgusting old man and I won’t go anywhere with you.”

“Ah, but my dear, I need an heir.” Wilshire waved the knife in front of her face. “And as I hold you personally responsible for the disappearance of my betrothed, you will be the woman to provide one for me.”

“How can I provide you an heir when I won’t let you to put your filthy hands on me or say anything even remotely sounding like a wedding vow to you?” Hayley hoped she’d put enough strength into her words. She didn’t want the earl to suspect the paralyzing fear coursing through her veins. He was obviously walking a thin line between sanity and insanity.

“I intend to correct my previous mistakes. You and I will couple first. Once you have proven you can bear my child, we will marry to save you the inconvenience of bearing a bastard. I will not be trapped with another barren wife.” His voice was laced with bitter malice and she realized the true danger she was in.

“Ah, but your wife wasn’t barren. She conceived a child. Perhaps the problem lies with you,” Hayley replied. She dug her feet into the ground, hoping the earl was too weak to drag her to the carriage. However, her arm soon throbbed with pain as he tightened his grip, propelling her farther away from the ballroom with ease.

She fought down the panic threatening to take over. Don’t show fear, she thought, it’s what he wants. Visions of her drunken father floated in front of her eyes as she remembered him grabbing her, slapping her, pushing her down on the bed.

Wilshire dragged her deeper into the garden, down a secluded path, while Hayley kicked and struggled the whole way. It was a moonless night and the path was becoming increasingly difficult to see. She stumbled over a root but Wilshire’s incredibly strong hands caught and steadied her and brought home the direness of the situation. She needed to fight him before he took her away. She swung her arm around, catching Wilshire on the side of the head. Unfortunately, it was a glancing blow that only served to infuriate him more.

“You little bitch!” He tightened his hold painfully. “You will pay for that, but not now. Now you’ll go to sleep.” He raised the hilt-end of the knife, bringing it down on her head before she could evade the blow. She fell to the ground and the world went dark.

No Recourse is available at , Amazon, Fictionwise, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets?

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Mandy M Roth

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Shelli Stevens

Jody Wallace