Stephanie Julian's Blog, page 19

5 Days Before Christmas...

MOONLIGHT MENAGE
Second book in the Lucani Lovers series
Nic and Duke popped up in KISS OF MOONLIGHT as two sides of the same coin. I knew who they were meant to belong to, I just didn't realize how much I'd come to love them. And how I envied Tira her men.
My second menage was another one of those stories that kind of wrote itself and didn't want to end. Or maybe that was me. Maybe I didn't want to end. Either way, it's one of the longest stories and one of my favorites, mainly because of those two hunky werewolves who would do anything for each other and their woman. Sigh. And isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous. My second favorite after SEDUCED BY MAGIC.

For eight years, Etruscan witch Tira Belludi has longed to give herself, body and soul, to the two shifter men who hold her heart. But visions of death and fears for her sanity have forced her to keep her distance.
Nic Rocca and Duke Ducati are brothers in every way but blood and partners who have each other's backs. They share a home, a job and had planned to share their life with Tira between them…until the night she saw their future and built a fortress around her heart.
Now danger and death stalk Nic and Duke. And Tira must make a choice—grab love while she has the chance, or watch Nic die from afar and lose Duke forever. 
 Excerpt:
"Sweetheart, don't think." Duke's voice rasped against her ear. "Just feel. And watch. Watch Nic bring himself off." 
She wanted to watch. Wanted to see it all. "His pants," she barely had enough air to gasp the words out. "I want him naked."
 "You heard the lady." The command in Duke's voice made her sex clench with an almost physical pain. "Take them off."
 Nic didn't hesitate. He pushed the pants down his legs until he could kick them off with his feet then his hand immediately went back to his cock.
 Her mouth opened to draw in much-needed air, which was startled out of her when Duke grabbed the hem of her shirt and stripped it over her head, leaving her naked.
 Her nipples peaked, but not from any chill in the air. Duke's body pumped off heat like a furnace and his hands covered her breasts and kneaded them, until her entire body felt boneless.
 And ready to explode.
 Mesmerized by the sight of Nic's hand on his cock, she almost didn't realize Duke was walking her backward until he pulled her back and down, onto his lap, as he sat on the wide leather chair across from the couch.
 The silky hair on his thighs tickled the backs of hers and his cock felt like silk against her ass. It pulsed against her, a tiny amount of pre-cum dotting her skin.
 She moaned and scooted backward, forcing herself to keep her eyes open to watch Nic, who'd slowed his strokes to a glacial pace.
 "I'm gonna fuck you while he watches, Tira." Duke bit her earlobe and she shuddered as pleasure stroked through her body, a painful jolt. "I don't want you to close your eyes. I want you to put your hands on the arms of the chair and not let go. Understand?"
 She nodded, too turned-on to speak, and did exactly as he said. The leather felt slick and cool beneath her hands. In sharp contrast to Duke's heat and the lust pouring off Nic.
 His gaze dipped as Duke grabbed her hips and lifted her.
 "Lean back, baby," Duke instructed. "Arch your— Yeah, that's it."
 With her back bowed slightly, the angle allowed him to position his cock between her lower lips, poised to fill her completely.
 He held her there, on the tip of his cock and the edge of her desire, her gaze glued to Nic's cock.
 She imagined for a second that they were both going to have her and then she couldn't think as Duke began to lower her onto the thick length of his cock. The head barely sank in when she felt her sex contract, trying to drag him further into her.
 The friction was incredible, sending shock waves up her spine. She arched just a little further, wanting him to pull her down and fill her completely.
 But Duke wasn't to be rushed.
 He fought gravity, holding her hips and only allowing a few centimeters at a time to invade her channel. She felt the effort Duke exerted in the rough sound of his breathing, the short, heavy movements of his chest against her back. His thighs rock hard beneath hers, he used his knees to spread her legs wider, opening her further until she felt air brush her exposed clit.
 Torturous sensation caused her to cry out again and she fought against his hands, needing him to fuck her now. Hard.
 "No, no. Not yet, baby. I'm not ready to come yet. And neither is Nic."
 "Not at all." Nic's voice made her clench around Duke's shaft in desperation. "I want to watch you enjoy it all night, Ti."
 Blessed Goddess, yes, she was enjoying this. But it was torture as well.
 Duke allowed her to slide down a few more centimeters and she felt the brush of his pubic hair on her ass. Almost there. Almost—
 With a short, sharp motion, Duke seated her on his cock.
 She cried out as pleasure and a burning fullness coursed through her. The need for friction caused her to roll her hips. Duke allowed her to move for a brief second as Nic's hand paused, his gaze glued to where Duke and she were joined.
 "Happy now, baby?"

7 Days Before Christmas...

Ah JR Ward, how you rock my world.

I'd heard about DARK LOVER from a friend, who said, YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS!!! So of course I did.

And fell in love with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The men are uber-Alphas, six and half feet of testosterone who they talk like thugs but their women like fine china. Best of both worlds.

Luckily, I started the series when there were two books available, DARK LOVER and LOVER ETERNAL. As soon as I'd finished Wrath's book, I feel hard for Rhage. Then I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Zsadist and to say I'm a Butch fan would be too tame.

As the world expands, I anxious await each moment spent with the brothers, especially those spent with Blay and Quinn.(I'm hoping there will be a full-length Blay-Quinn romance. I live for the day a romance is just a romance no matter who it's between.)

I've read each book with the same level of anticipation and try not to devour it in a few hours. And when LOVER UNLEASHED is released next year, I'll be buying it the day it's released and consuming immediately.

9 Days Before Christmas...

KISS OF MOONLIGHT
The first book in the Lucani Lovers series
I love werewolves. They've always been one of my favorite paranormal beings, even more so than vampires because of that whole undead thing. But weres, now, they're truly magic. They're dual natured, human and beast, and that's a fascinating dichotomy.
When I set out to write my own wolves, I went looking for something different. There are loads of legends out there but I wanted to do a different take.
Since my weres are Etruscan, I thought about how they would have fit in when the Romans assimilated the Etruscans and I realized they would be the ultimate soldier. And so the legion was born. 
Of course,werewolves would be the ultimate assassin and that's were Kyle comes in. Along with Cam from SEDUCED & ENSNARED, Kyle is one of my favorite men. He's tough, he doesn't say too much but when he does he means it and when he loves, he does it with his whole heart. How's that for a great guy?

Plagued by nightmares. Stalked by kidnappers. Tamra McMillan needs a safe haven. When tattooed bad-ass Kyle Rossini steps into her life, the last thing she expects to find is a sanctuary from her demons or steaming hot sex. In fact, everything about him screams danger. But appearances can be deceiving. The tender possessiveness of his touch, the hunger in his eyes, the scorching sensuality of his kiss—all of it sears him into her soul and brands her as his for life.
But otherworldly forces are afoot and death hovers… 
Etruscan werewolf Kyle is a loner. The king's assassin with a killer's instincts. The last thing he needs is a mate who could be placed in danger because of him. Until he meets the one woman who needs him more than he needs his solitude. When Tamra, battered but not broken, stumbles into his world and tumbles into his bed, she captures his heart. And nothing—not kidnappers or visions of his possible death—will keep him from her.
Excerpt:
"You think I don't want you?" His voice rumbled like the engine of his muscle car. "You think I've got a hard-on only because I'm worried about you? That I…what? Get off on the danger? Do you really want me to show you just how much I want you? Because if I do, I'm afraid I'll scare you and that would fucking cut my heart out."The depth of emotion in his voice made her shiver. She'd never heard that tone in anyone's voice directed at her. To say it made her hot would be an understatement.
 "I'm not afraid of you." She looked straight into his eyes. "How many times do I have to say it? I want you to kiss me. I'm not going to break."
 He took her at her word. His lips fell on hers like a man starved, like he'd longed for her for years. And this time, he didn't hold back. He overloaded her system like an invading virus and made her shudder with desire. 

When he released her to wrap his arms around her, she practically threw herself against him, sliding her hands across his shoulders and locking him to her. 

They generated so much heat, she was surprised the kitchen didn't catch fire around them.
 Grabbing her beneath her arms, Kyle lifted her off her feet until her toes dangled several inches above the floor. Now her mouth was level with his and when she arched against him, she felt the hard ridge of his erection press against her mound.
 Hot and hard, he felt huge. And she didn't have so much as a twinge of fear.
Probably due to the fact that her brain had short-circuited with lust.
 The little voice of reason had a brief burst of sanity, questioning why she wasn't freaking out.
 But just as fast, it was gone and she couldn't care less. All she could do was feel. And be thankful for it.

Heat sizzled in her blood, pooled low in her belly and between her legs. More sensation than she'd ever experienced made her lightheaded.
  Her hips tilted into him, seeking the relief promised by that hard rod.
 Kyle responded with a groan and eased back on the intensity of the kiss. After a few seconds, he pulled back completely and set her back on her feet, staring down at her.
 He raised one hand and wrapped his fingers around her neck, his thumb brushing against the hollow where her pulse beat out of control. His gaze, molten gold visible in the darkening shadows, pinned her in place as his hand slid around to massage her nape. Her muscles felt like liquid as she relaxed beneath his hand.
 Her eyes began to drift closed but his thumb tapped her chin. "Don't look away, Tamra. I need to see your eyes. I need to make sure you're with me here."
 She had no desire to disobey the command in his voice. And the sentiment behind his words made her heart flutter.
 "Then don't treat me like a porcelain doll."
 His eyes narrowed. "You reminded me of one, the first time I saw you." His voice brushed against her, raising goose bumps. "So pretty, so pale. So breakable."
 Sliding her hands from his shoulders into his hair, she scraped her nails against his nape then tugged, hard. "I'm not fragile."
 His smile reminded her of a predatory animal's, one ready to take a bite out of her. "And you can't hurt me, hon. I want to devour you, but any time you want to stop, you say the word."
 Instead of answering, she tugged on his hair again. "Shut up and kiss me again."
 "I want more than your mouth, Tam."And so did she. "Then take it. I won't break."
 When his mouth descended this time, she tasted the difference. In the heat of his mouth, in the way his hand cupped her head and forced her to bend to his will.
 She followed his every lead, more than happy to give herself over to him because he made her feel alive.
 With his mouth still on hers, he picked her up again and began to move as her legs wrapped around his waist. The house fell into shadow the farther away from the kitchen they got, and when he opened the door to what she assumed was his bedroom then closed it behind him, darkness settled around them.
 Kyle set her on the bed and moved away, making her draw in a sharp breath when she realized she couldn't see a thing.
 "Hey, babe, it's okay," His voice soothed from the dark. "Just give me a sec."A rustle sounded and then moonlight spilled into the room, revealing Kyle's outline on the other side of the bed.
 He looked tall and broad and he should have been menacing. But all Tam felt was a fierce and raging desire.
 Rising onto her knees, she moved across the bed to him, grabbed his t-shirt by the hem and began pulling it up and off his body. He had to bend slightly for her to pull it over his head and when she did, he stole a quick kiss before straightening.
 Her lips curved in a smile at the electric pleasure of that small touch. But her heart raced at her first glance at his hard, muscled chest, lightly covered with dark hair. Her hands lifted to his pecs and rested there, drawing in the extreme heat of his body. 

She felt his chest rise and fall in an ever-increasing pattern. She loved knowing she affected him just as much as he affected her. And wondered how much it was going to take to push him away from the restraint she felt in his tight muscles.

She didn't want him thinking about what had happened to her before. She wanted him to want her so badly he couldn't help but surrender to her.

Leaning closer, she put her lips around one flat male nipple, just below the stylized tattoo of a sun, and drew the little nub into her mouth. Kyle sucked in a deep breath as she flicked her tongue against his flesh before lightly scraping it between her teeth.

One of his hands threaded through her hair, holding her to him and she felt a slight burn on her scalp when she moved her lips to work the other nipple.

Her hands slid down his hot, silky skin to his waist where her fingers slid along his waistband before forcing the button through its hole and releasing the zipper.

10 Days Before Christmas...

[image error] I first read Virginia Kantra in the old Silhouette Intimate Moments line. I loved her writing...clean, emotional and hot.

[image error] Then I picked up the anthology, THE MAN OF MY DREAMS, featuring the story, Midsummer Night's Magic. And I thought, ooh, I like this. It was paranormal and I was hooked.

Though I enjoyed her romantic suspense stories, I really think she hit her stride when she started the Children of the Sea series about selkies and the fin folk.

The writing is lyrical and the stories are hot, sexy and emotionally engrossing. I adored the prequel novella, Sea Crossing, in the anthology, SHIFTER, and couldn't wait for the first book in the series to be released. SEA WITCH didn't disappoint and neither did the next four books.

Next, year FORGOTTEN SEAS will be released and I will be waiting anxiously for my copy. So should you.

11 Days Before Christmas...

SEDUCED BY TWO
The seventh book in the Magical Seduction series

My first menage. I fell in love with menage stories after reading Lora Leigh but I resisted writing one for a while because I wasn't sure I could do one justice. But when I started thinking about it, this idea popped into my head and the rest is history. Jensen and Tyler were fully formed characters before I ever started to write and Nica is a personal favorite.


One woman. Two brothers. It was supposed to be one night only—an escape into pleasure. A night for Nica to forget her obligations and her secrets. Through hours filled with sensually wicked exploration, an emotional connection develops with the two gorgeous brothers she had no way of anticipating. But a stranger with an ultimatum and a dangerous power forces her to reveal her own magic to save her new lovers.

 Tanner and Jensen are drawn into a world they never knew existed by a woman whose abilities they barely comprehend. But they won't let the fact that they have no magic stop them from protecting their woman. Even if it means giving their lives. 


Excerpt:

Jensen still felt a little rattled by the pummeling he'd taken.

And he was pretty sure he had a fractured rib. But that didn't stop him from pulling Nica into the surprisingly large bathroom on the second floor and starting to strip her.

He needed…something. To feel her against him, to take comfort from her presence.

To thrust his suddenly aching, hard cock into her and make her come.

Behind her, Tanner closed the door and pulled his own clothes off before starting the water in the walk-in shower, more than big enough to hold three people.

Nica stood there, watching him out of wide dark eyes. He had no idea what she was thinking.
Maybe he didn't want to know.

As her bra and panties hit the floor, Tanner's hands settled on her shoulders, drawing her back against his chest, allowing Jensen to remove his own clothes.

Then Tanner watched as Jensen stepped into the shower and reached out to draw Nica in too.

As the hot water hit his back, soaking his hair and easing tight muscles, Jensen wrapped his arms around Nica and sealed his mouth over hers.

Sighing into his mouth, she slipped her tongue between his lips, stroking and licking and making his heart pound and his blood sizzle in his veins.

His hands slid over her wet skin, molding her curves to his tense muscles. The feel of her, more than the heat of the water, began to ease that tension but created an entirely different one.

He sank into the kiss, cleared his mind of everything but the taste of her and the stroke of her fingers as she kneaded tight muscles. Various tiny and small aches and pains started to disappear and, with a groan, he left her mouth and dropped to his knees, kissing his way down her body. He reached her breasts and sucked one tight nipple into his mouth. She gasped but the sound was cut off as Tanner turned her head to take her mouth.

With his hands on her hips and hers now in his hair, Jensen focused on teasing her. He was no empath but he knew Nica had way too much on her mind. He wanted her to focus only on him and Tanner, on how they made her feel.

He didn't want her to think about what happened later. Hell, he didn't want to think about what happened later.

Right now, all that mattered was her.

He licked at her nipples, lapping at the water on her skin, then sucked the pebbled flesh into his mouth. Her hips thrust forward and she shuddered between them.

He wanted to continue down her body, kiss a path straight to her clit. But his need to be inside her body, to pound into her, overruled.

As he rose to his feet, Tanner lifted her off the floor and braced her against his chest as Jensen wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust straight into her wet pussy.

She cried out as he sank deep, her tight sheath clenching around him. Her gaze locked on his as he began to move, her arms wrapped around Tanner's neck. Tanner had his face buried in her neck, nipping at the delicate skin there while his hands cupped her breasts, fingers and thumbs pinching her nipples.

Her expression ecstatic, she drew in shallow, panting breaths then tilted her pelvis toward him, sliding on him as he rocked into her. She trusted them to hold her, not to drop her. To give her what she needed and tip her over the edge into paradise.

She was almost there, almost ready. She moaned, the soft sound making Jensen's hips jerk forward. He had no warning as he started to come, just the sensation of intense pleasure shooting through his cock and into his body.

He cried out, his hips banging against her. He'd nearly spent himself before he heard her gasp with her own release and knew she hadn't had enough.

Pulling out, hearing her protesting moan, he set her on her feet, pulled her out of Tanner's arms, knowing Tanner would understand.

As soon as he put his mouth over hers, he lifted and held her against his chest as Tanner grabbed her hips. And with one hard thrust, Tanner pumped inside her, shooting her straight into another orgasm.

Her body shuddering as he held her, Jensen felt Nica give herself over as Tanner relentlessly pushed her higher. Her moan made him press her closer, holder her tighter.

Suspended between them, she trusted them to hold her as the water washed over their naked bodies.

12 Days Before Christmas...

Let's talk Karen Marie Moning this morning.

I picked up  THE DARK HIGHLANDER because the cover struck me. I don't know why because I typically don't read Scottish historicals and this struck me as Scottish historical because of the plaid. But for some reason, I picked it up and read the back cover copy.


Journey to a world of ancient magic, breathtaking sensuality, thrilling time-travel.... Journey to the world of The Dark Highlander. Crisscrossing the continents and the centuries, here is a novel as gripping as it is sensual--an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless....

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to s...moreJourney to a world of ancient magic, breathtaking sensuality, thrilling time-travel.... Journey to the world of The Dark Highlander. Crisscrossing the continents and the centuries, here is a novel as gripping as it is sensual--an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless....

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires…
From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure.Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man....

Okay, sounded good. Dark desires, sexual pursuit, alpha male, magic, seduction... Check, check and check on my list of good things to read in a story.


I was so not disappointed. Dageus was so freaking hot and Moning's voice was a such an intriguing blend of historical and contemporary, a tone so different from what I had been reading that it completely pulled me under. And back I went to find twin brother Drustan's story, KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER.


Again, not disappointed.


And neither will you be.

14 Days Before Christmas...

SEDUCED BY DANGER
The sixth book in the Magical Seduction Series
I'd never read an erotic romance about a couple with a child before, so I wasn't sure this book was going to work. But the story was the story and there was no getting around that.

And who says parents can't be sexy? You don't all of a sudden become sexless beings when you become parents (except for maybe those first few months after you bring that bundle of joy home). 

So, Michael and Cara get to have sex. Lots of sex. Great sex. All while he manages to save his love and his child. Now, who wouldn't find that sexy?


A man will do just about anything for love—even kill. Four down, one to go. Michael Corsi is on the trail of the last man who made life a living hell for his lover. But first, he wants one last reminder of what he's fighting for. He needs to see his woman and his son before he goes up against his toughest foe. And probably to his death. 

Michael is the father of the son Cara never expected to have. The man who brought her a love she never expected to feel, and a passion that she won't live without. She'll do whatever it takes to be sure Michael returns to her—even it means tying him to her very soul.

Excerpt:

"Cara, strip."
 
Her eyes flew open as she stared at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? You can't mean… No." She shook her head. "You're in no shape—"
 
"Cara, if I didn't feel well enough, I'd let you know. But," he waved a hand toward his straining cock, "believe me when I say I'm up for anything you want."
 
She bit her lip and shook her head. "No, Michael. You're not."
 
Instead of wasting any more words, he sat up, ignoring the slight twinges in his muscles, cupped her chin and kissed her.
 
He didn't use a lot of force but he didn't let her pull away either. And when he felt her desire rise like a wave of heat around her, he slid his tongue into her mouth.
 
Like he'd flicked a switch, Cara moaned and kissed him back, letting her tongue tangle with his for several seconds until she tried to pull back again.
 
Michael refused to allow her to do it. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and twisted until he had her flat on the bed. Her eyes flew open and she stared at him as he stripped her t-shirt and shorts from her body in seconds.
 
He had no qualms about using her own nature against her. He wanted her, she wanted him. 
More importantly, she needed him.
 
And that made him feel like he could run a marathon right now.
 
He stopped for a brief second after she was naked to take in her gorgeous body. Her full, round breasts quivered as she drew in each breath. The pale expanse of her stomach. Her smooth, naked mound and long, slim legs.
 
He wanted those legs spread wide while his fingers played with her clit. While he gave her the sexual energy she needed to live.
 
With deliberate motions, he lifted one leg so he could sit on his knees between hers, keeping her open for him.
 
He laid one hand on her mound as he used the other to lift her hand and bring it to his cock. 

With their gazes locked, she wrapped her fingers around him as she took a deep breath. Then her tongue came out to lick her lips and she tightened her hand around him, almost to the point of pain.
 
His body responded with a surge of heat, blood pounding into his cock. He saw her lips lift in a smile as the lingering doubt in her eyes vanished.
 
She pumped her hand from the root to the tip and back again, keeping a steady pressure. 
Letting his gaze drop, he watched her hand work him, watched her slim fingers slide on his darker flesh.

Mesmerized, he saw her lift her other hand to cup his balls, felt her fingers caress the sac then move back to caress the sensitive skin between his anus and his balls. The sensation sent a raft of shivers through him and a drop of pre-cum slid from the tip of his cock.
 
He sucked in air as her talented hands stroked, caressed and tormented. He felt cum boil in his balls and his gaze shot to hers.
 
"Cara…"
 
His strangled cry made her grip him even more tightly. His cock responded with a surge and, in a flash, Cara lifted her body off the bed and bent to take him into her mouth.
 
As he watched, she sucked him in hard, took him deep and used her own hands to play with her clit. He tried to hold on, tried to make it last but her mouth and his tangled emotions conspired against him.
 
He came with a shout, pumping his release into her mouth. She held him there until his last spasm, moaning around him as she reached her own orgasm.
 
She gave him one last lick before falling back on the bed, a satisfied smile on her face as she stared up at him.
 
He collapsed beside her and was asleep before he could say a word.

15 Days Before Christmas...

I discovered Lora Leigh from the same bookstore friend who introduced me to Angela Knight. She put MEGAN'S MARK in my hands and said 'You're going to like this.' Needless to say, she was right. In Lora Leigh, I discovered a writer who was able to tap into those dark fantasies we might not want to talk about in mixed company. Or any company at all.
After MEGAN'S MARK, I went back and started at the beginning (or so I thought; I missed WOLFE'S HOPE somehow and read that a few years later.) After I'd devoured all the Breed books, I found FORBIDDEN PLEASURE in the bookstore.

I picked it up, read the blurb and thought, hmm, two guys. How the hell does that work? I'd not read menage before. It actually took me a few weeks to pick up that book from the bedside bookcase but when I finally did, I had to read the last chapter just to make sure I was getting a romance. I didn't want to fall for two guys and then have one hanging in the breeze at the end.

Well, Leigh delivered. Oh, baby, did she deliver. So of course, I headed back to EC to see what I'd missed. I started with the Bound Hearts series, of which FORBIDDEN PLEASURE is a part, and made my way to the Men Of August Series. MARLY'S CHOICE, SARAH'S SEDUCTION and HEATHER'S GIFT. If you're a fan of menage, you don't want to miss these. Leigh managed to push a lot of buttons while tugging a lot of strings, heart and other.

Raw, emotional rollercoasters, Leigh's books are an autobuy.

16 Days Before Christmas...

SEDUCED BY CHAOS
The fifth book in the Magical Seduction series
I love wounded heroes, the damaged guys who are healed through the love of a good woman. There's just something about that scenario that appeals to a woman's inner caretaker.
When I first introduced Teodoro de Feo, I had no idea what his deal was. I knew he had a problem, I just didn't know what it was. The guy was cursed. It had to be bad. I just didn't realize how strong he'd need to be to take care of damaged Lacey.

Tall, dark and handsome, the guy walks into Lacey's bar like he's expecting to be hit with a hail of bullets. There's something about him that draws her but Lacey has a secret. One that could threaten her life if it's exposed. The woman behind the bar is gorgeous. She pushes every single one of Teo's buttons and he wants her—even though he's dangerous, a walking time bomb, and it's only a matter of time before he explodes. But one night of magical sex and all bets are off as Lacey's secret catches up with her and Teo will risk everything, including himself, to keep her safe. And make her his.
Excerpt:
He didn't like holding back with Lacey. He sensed that Lacey wasn't a stranger to
what he liked but he also sensed she was hiding something from him. Something
related to sex. And that made him wary.
 So he let her play with him, let her kiss him while her fingernails made teasing
strafing runs down his chest to his stomach then to the base of his cock. His shaft
thickened again as the amentia simmered in his gut, whispering that once he had her on
her back, she wouldn't complain.
 His hands lifted but he forced them to cup her head, weave his fingers through her
hair loosely and let her lead.
 She kissed him with a lazy thoroughness, as if she'd never done it before and it
fascinated her. Her thoroughness sure as hell fascinated him. He felt like she kissed him
for at least a half hour, sliding her tongue in and out of his mouth while her hands
roamed his body.
 He barely realized his hands had moved to her ass until he felt her bare mound
press against his hip and her moisture dampen his skin. One hand instinctively moved
toward her pussy, craving the silken feel of her.
 But she broke the kiss and tsked, her eyes slits of amused blue and her mouth
curved in a grin. "I didn't say you could move your hands, Mr. de Feo."
 Her teasing tone drew an answering smile from him. "May I please stroke you,
baby?"
 She shook her head. "I don't think so. I think I want you to put your hands over
your head and keep them there for right now."
 The dominant in him growled in protest but he forced his hands to do what she
wanted. When his fingers were laced behind his head, she smiled again and gave him a
short, sweet kiss as a reward.
 "Very good. Now just let me…"
He waited for her to finish speaking but instead she bent her head to put her mouth
on his chest, her lips curving around one nipple and sucking the little nub into her
mouth. His breath hissed through his clenched teeth as she flicked her tongue over the
sensitive skin then nipped at him with her teeth.
 Damn, he liked that. Wanted her to do it harder, but she seemed intent on teasing
him into insanity as she moved back and forth between his nipples.
 He could barely breathe as she tormented him with her lips, his chest rising and
falling in greater agitation. A light pressure on his stomach caught his attention as her
hand stroked down toward his cock.
 Her fingers lightly brushed his skin, raising goose bumps on his flesh and making
blood pump that much faster to his cock. He was hard and ready to go, his shaft
pulsing, balls pulled tight.
 If she would just touch him…
 Damn it, her hand skimmed away down his left thigh, making his muscles quiver
and a groan escape his throat.
 And her mouth curved into a smile against his chest.
 "I like that sound," she said, her voice a teasing whisper against his skin. "Do it
again."
 "Make me," he ground out.
 The hand on his thigh skimmed back to between his legs and cupped his balls, one
finger pressing between the cheeks of his ass.
 He groaned for her as his hands unlaced and reached for her, sinking his fingers
into her hair. He caught himself just before he forced her closer by tugging on it.
 Her head lifted from his chest so she could smile down at him. "Looks like you're
having a little trouble following orders, Teodoro. I think you deserve to be punished for
that."
 Her hand moved from his balls and he growled in warning. "Lacey, you're—"
She tossed her hair over her shoulders, trusting that he would release her. And he
did.
 Then she shimmied down his body and took his cock into her mouth in one long
pull.
 "Ah Christ, Lace—"
 She swallowed, the back of her throat caressing the tip, and he nearly lost it. Only
sheer will forced back his climax.
 Holding him there for a few brief seconds, she finally slid back up until only the
head rested in her mouth and then, not even that.
 "I don't want you to come until I say you can, Teo." Her eyes flashed up at his and
even through the fog of his lust, he saw something in her eyes, something he couldn't
begin to decipher. "Can you do that for me?"
 Hell yes. He'd do anything she wanted. It was taking all of his control to not roll her
over and fuck her, so all he could manage was a nod. Which must have satisfied her
because she bent her head and began to torture him like he'd never experienced before.

17 Days Before Christmas...

This was the first time-travel romance I remember reading. And after I finished, I thought, Holy crap, I've got to read more Donna Kauffman.

I loved the blend of Highland warriors, modern women, hot sex and magic. Utterly captivating. The book is actually three novella-length stories but they flow seamlessly. If you're a fan of time-travel romance and haven't read this, find it. Now. 

Three centuries ago in Scotland a curse was born of the long-standing feud between the Claren and the MacKinnon clans.

Now generations later, destiny has decreed that three women, the last of the Claren line, be granted one final chance to set things right. Maggie, Cailean, and Delaney Claren are three cousins who grew up totally unaware of one another--until an inheritance brings them together.

Now mysterious journals and the deed to an ancient Scottish castle will bring them face-to-face with the warriors at the heart of the MacKinnon family, three brothers sentenced to cruel fates by a terrible curse. Duncan is trapped in the form of a ghost, Rory must live an immortal life alone, and Alexander has been wrenched by time from the past to the present, with no way back.

Ferociously compelling, dangerously relentless, they are bound by no mortal laws--except desire for the three Claren women. The journals speak of one key that can break the powerful spell. And finding that key will plunge them all into a world of unforeseeable danger and tantalizing desire.....