Lexxie Couper's Blog, page 12

Lila Dubois’s Latest Release – Savage Satisfaction (Warning: It’s HOT!!!)

Lila’s re-releasing an awesome story today at Ellora’s Cave, Savage Satisfaction!

William, the newest Lord of Eahrington, is a modern man living a medieval life. As payment for a centuries old debt were-wolf Christoffer and were-falcon Mirela arrive at William’s home—his Hunting Pair.

Scared by his past, William treats them like animals, locking them away. What he didn’t expect was his attraction to each of them. William must learn to trust the falcon and wolf before he can open his heart to their human halves. Destined to be together forever, their only hope at happiness is to learn to love one another, but can William overcome his past?

Mari Carr’s Newest Release – Status Update. AVAILABLE NOW!

Woo Hoo!!!! Status Update is OUT today. It’s available at Amazon, Samhain, and Barnes and Noble.

Some things never change. Others never stay the same. Thank God.



Second Chances, Book 3

Laura Sanders thought post-divorce life would be simple. What a rude awakening to realize that after too many years as a wife and mother, she’s stuck in a rut so deep she’s forgotten how to have fun.

Determined that this year will be different, she sets a New Year’s goal to rediscover the woman she used to be—the one who loved to dance, to laugh, to kiss.

When Bryan Sinclair spots his best friend from high school in the Blue Moon bar, he wonders how the hell he failed to notice her beauty and vitality all those years ago. Laura’s confession that she plans to experience lost opportunities tempts him into joining her on the journey.

Together they make up for lost time, in and out of the bedroom. But there’s one area in which Laura has no plans to change the status quo—her heart. And Bryan has his work cut out convincing her to take another chance. On him. On forever.

Product Warnings

This story contains sex at Rocky Horror, sex at a Jimmy Buffett concert, sex on the stairs, sex on the dining-room table, sex on the dance floor, and even sex in a bed.

Excerpt:

“Hey, Laura.” Kevin was back, grasping her hand and pulling her toward the dance floor. “Dance with me.”

She tried to retrieve her hand, shaking her head, but Kevin was tenacious. She glanced behind him, hoping to signal Georgie for help dissuading the man, but her friend had spotted Nick.

Cue yet another World War. Tonight was about to implode. Quickly.

Kevin spun her, resuming his earlier dancing position. This time there was no mistaking what he was packing in his pants as he tightened his arm around her waist, grinding closer.

She tried to push his hand away, struggling to break free of his grip. While she knew he didn’t mean her any harm, she was more than uncomfortable with his inappropriate rubbing and touching.

“I really need to—”

“Laura? Laura Riley?”

Laura looked up at the sound of her maiden name and spotted salvation in blue jeans, a button-down shirt, and a beloved, familiar face she’d never dreamed of seeing again. “Bryan? Oh my God. What the hell are you doing here?”

Bryan Sinclair had been Laura’s best friend for four years. An Army brat, Bryan and his family had been stationed at the base near Harrisburg when she and Bryan were in seventh grade. One of the saddest days of Laura’s life had been the day Bryan told her his dad was being transferred. They were halfway through their junior year in high school and Laura had felt his absence in her life profoundly. They’d tried to stay in touch, writing letters and calling occasionally, but eventually, they simply lost touch.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Bryan smiled at Kevin. “Mind if I cut in?”

Kevin loosened his grip, but didn’t move away. Laura suspected the alcohol was dimming his senses and slowing his response time. “Uh…”

Laura used Kevin’s distraction to step away from the young man. “Thanks for the dance, Kevin.” She grabbed Bryan’s hand, leading him away from the dance floor and toward the bar.

As soon as they found a quiet corner, Bryan hugged her tightly. Laura returned the embrace. “You saved me, stranger.”

Bryan chuckled. “Yeah. It didn’t look like you were enjoying the mauling. Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

She laughed. “I’m so glad to see you. I have to admit you’re probably the last person on earth I expected to run into tonight.”

“I’m here for the band.”

She laughed. “Wow. Really? How many years has it been?”

Bryan shrugged. “I haven’t seen you since we were sixteen, so what’s that make it? Twenty-seven years?”

Laura winced. “Talk about making me feel old. I was just thinking about you the other day.”

“Oh yeah?”

She nodded. “One of my girlfriends talked me into joining Facebook. I wound up getting out an old yearbook and started plugging in names trying to find people from school. Your name was the first one I typed in.”

“I’m not on Facebook.”

She grinned. “I noticed.”

“I’ll correct that oversight as soon as I get home tonight.”

Laura marveled at how at ease she was with Bryan even after all the years apart. Despite the years that had passed, she could still see the boy he’d been in his face and hear it in his voice. While they’d never been anything more than friends, Laura had felt closer to Bryan than anyone. There was nothing they hadn’t talked about when they were younger, nothing they wouldn’t try together. Shortly after Bryan moved, Laura’s ex-husband, Mason, asked her out for a date. Sometimes Laura wondered what Bryan would have thought about Mason’s invitation. Would he have encouraged her to go out with Mason or told her to steer clear?

They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. That was certainly true for Laura. Mason had come along at a time when she was lonely, missing her best friend, and she’d hopped at the chance to go out with the hottest, richest guy in high school. She wasn’t so sure her answer would have been the same if Bryan had still been around.

“Are you seriously here for the band?”

Bryan nodded, pointing to the stage. “The blonde on the keyboard is my daughter, Trina. She’s a sophomore at the Conservatory.”

“That’s your daughter? She’s incredible. My girlfriends and I were talking earlier about how talented she is.”

Bryan lit up. It was clear he adored his daughter. “She’s pretty amazing.”

“Are you just in town visiting her?”

Bryan shook his head. “No. My company offered me a transfer here a few months ago. Trina had already done her freshman year at the Conservatory and I’d missed the hell out of her. I asked her what she would think of her old man moving closer. She told me to go for it.”

“What’s your wife do?”

“My wife passed away five years ago.”

Laura reached out to touch his hand. “Oh Bryan. I’m so sorry. That must’ve been terrible for you.”

Bryan nodded. “For a while there, I was pretty much living day to day. But it’s true what they say. Time heals all wounds. I miss the hell out of her, but I’ve accepted she’s gone and I’ve figured out a way to move forward. So now it’s just Trina and me. I’m renting an apartment in town and she’s living in a dorm on campus. That was the deal. I could follow her to college, but I had to keep my distance.”

Laura admired Bryan’s strength, his courage. There was a sadness in his eyes when he spoke about his wife that told her he hadn’t had an easy go of it these last few years. “My kids wouldn’t have let me move to their college towns, period, but considering they were twins and they attended universities on opposite sides of the state, it’s pretty safe to say that set-up wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

“Attended?”

“They graduated a year ago. I’m very pleased to say my children are both presently employed in their chosen professions and have started paying their debt to society. Kevin is a medical technician at a hospital near Roslyn and Katie teaches kindergarten here in town.”

Bryan gestured toward the bar. “The band is finishing up this set and then they’re going to take a break. I promised to bring Trina a glass of water. You have a few minutes to hang out? I’d love to introduce you to her.”

“Sure.” Laura followed Bryan to the bar, waiting as the bartender made Bryan a gin and tonic and poured Trina a glass of water.

“You sure you don’t want something?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Better not. I’ve already overindulged on lemon shooters.”

Bryan feigned a wince. “Ouch. Tomorrow could be painful.”

“Sadly, I’m aware of that. I’m hoping to curtail some of the agony with Advil and water tonight before bed.”

“So what about you?” Bryan asked as they dodged dancers, working their way toward the stage. “What are you up to these days?”

“I’m a secretary in a high school.”

“And your husband?”

Laura paused. That question still took her unaware as she wondered if people would judge her harshly for giving up on a twenty-three-year marriage. “I’m divorced.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Laura shrugged. “It’s okay. I initiated the split.”

“I see. Are you happy?”

Laura didn’t know how to reply. When she’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask Mason for a divorce, happiness had been her goal. She’d spent years in a relationship with a man who had no capacity for joy. Laura suspected he was bipolar—or perhaps suffering from depression—but Mason insisted he was fine, refused to go to the doctor and blamed her for his inherent unhappiness. For years, his misery took its toll. She’d left Mason because she wanted to be happy again. But was she?

Bryan interrupted her thoughts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a hard question.”

“Let’s just say I’m searching for my happiness.”

“Is that why you’re here tonight? Forgive me for saying it, but this doesn’t seem like it would be your normal environment.”

Laura laughed. “It’s not. At all. My friends dragged me along. And yeah, I think this is part of my quest to rediscover the Laura I used to be. The one who laughed and danced and enjoyed life.”

Bryan studied her face. “Is it working?”

Laura’s face hurt from smiling. She was tipsy, relaxed and she’d laughed more tonight than in the entire previous year. Running into Bryan after so many years apart was the cherry on top of an excellent evening. “Yeah. It is.”

“Good.”

The band announced they were taking a short break. Trina walked over to join them. “Hey, Dad. Thanks,” she said as Bryan handed her the glass of water. “What did you think of that set?”

“Best one of the night.”

Trina beamed at her father’s praise. “Wait ’til you hear the last set.”

Bryan turned toward her. “Trina, I’d like you to meet my best friend from high school. This is Laura Riley.”

“Sanders.” Laura corrected him softly. She was still torn over whether or not to take her maiden name back. With her kids grown and out of school, she couldn’t think of a reason not to, but given Katie’s unhappiness over the divorce, Laura hadn’t wanted to add yet another upset to an injury that wasn’t healing very fast.

“Sanders,” Bryan corrected.

“You’re an incredible musician, Trina. Your music has blown me away. My daughter would absolutely love that song you played a little bit earlier. Was it called ‘Soul’?”

“’My Soul’,” Trina said. “I wrote that.”

“No way! That was my favorite song of the night.”

Trina smiled. “We’re getting ready to cut our first CD in a couple weeks and I wasn’t sure if I should push for that song to be included. Now I think I will.”

“I’d buy your CD for that song.”

“Wow. Thanks, Ms. Sanders.”

“Call me Laura.”

Someone called Trina’s name and she turned toward the stage. “I have to get back up there. We’re trying to figure out which song to finish with.” Trina gave Bryan a quick kiss on the cheek. “Nice to meet you, Laura.”

“You too.”

While the band was on a break, a canned recording of dance music blared through the speakers. Will Smith’s “Switch”came on.

“Oh my God, I love this song.”

Bryan grinned and pointed to the dance floor. “Should we show these young kids how it’s done?”

Laura raised her hand to refuse. “Hell no. I’ve been told my dancing is out of style.”

“Screw ’em.” Bryan took her hand, dragging her into the throng of bodies. He grasped her waist, pulling her close. They began to move in time to the music, their gazes connected. Laura laughed when he spun her, mimicking the other dancers around them with the same bumping and grinding moves. Funny how the same too-close contact with the man-child Kevin had squicked her out, but with Bryan it was awakening all sorts of dirty desires.

Laura let the alcohol, the music, the flashing lights and the heat take over as she moved sinuously against Bryan. Her libido kicked in with a vengeance, taking her unaware. His hands on her waist reminded her of a time when sex was exciting, fun, something she looked forward to. How long had it been since she felt this way?

She twisted, wrapping her arms around Bryan’s shoulders, laughing when he placed a firm hand on her lower back and pushed her into a dip that was so sexual and hot, Laura couldn’t believe they weren’t setting off the smoke detectors.

“You look beautiful, Laura. How the hell did I miss this in high school? If I hadn’t been such a blind fool, I’d have been on you like white on rice.”

She rolled her eyes, grinning at his compliment. “We became friends when both of us were in the awkward middle school stage. Somehow I don’t think we ever managed to overlook that. You look incredible too, by the way.”

He was sexy as sin. She wondered how he’d respond if she ran her hand along his chest, maybe letting it drift even lower until she found his cock. Would he enjoy such an inappropriate touch? Would he accept an invitation to come back to her place for more?

Shit. She was starting to sound like Josie who’d developed a must-have-sex-soon obsession lately. Time to rein in the hormones.

Laura hadn’t lied about their geeky looks in school. She’d gone through a very unattractive Dorothy Hamill hairstyle phase, complete with braces, while Bryan had sported a crew cut and thick glasses. Neither of them had managed to outgrow that unattractiveness until sophomore year. By then, the friendship was solid, and neither of them was interested in messing with the status quo.

She was tempted now. Holy crap, was she tempted.

Bryan’s hands slid along her waist, finding the tiny bit of skin revealed by her lifted arms. Was she imagining the sensual stroke of his fingers?

Wishful thinking?

He pulled her closer, their faces only inches apart. Heat coursed through her. Sure, the room was warm from so many gyrating bodies in a small space, but she didn’t think it was the exercise or crowd that was leaving her so hot and bothered.

She ran her fingers through Bryan’s shaggy salt and pepper hair. He’d lost the crew cut and embraced the waves he’d cursed during their younger years. His face had matured, as he’d shed the clean-cut boy-next-door look. His jaw was rough with a five o’clock shadow and there were laugh lines around his eyes that gave his face character. In a word, he was handsome.

And she was completely attracted to him.

She wasn’t sure where those feelings were coming from. She’d sworn with her divorce that she was finished with men. Laura had had enough male moodiness and so-so sex to last her a lifetime. She’d declared good riddance and hadn’t questioned that decision.

Until now. Her sex drive had reemerged, screaming out loud and clear that it wasn’t finished yet.

Bryan’s hand slipped beneath her blouse, touching her bare back, using his strength to guide them in the dance.

It was sex to music, just as Georgie said. Laura pressed her hips closer, unsurprised to feel Bryan’s hard cock. He studied her face, then winked.

Her smile grew. “You always were a shameless flirt.”

“And you were always ready to take a walk on the wild side.”

Laura turned her face away, staring at the dancers without seeing them. She couldn’t remember being that person, but as Bryan’s hands roamed over her skin, she wanted to escape the bonds of practicality. She longed to be uninhibited, carefree…wild.

“Hey, Laura!”

Laura caught sight of Kristen approaching her, shoving her way through the crowd.

“We’re getting ready to go. Georgie overindulged on the shots and I’m afraid it’s not going to end well. Jason and Nick offered to drive us home. Okay?”

Laura stepped away from Bryan. “Sure. Give me a minute?”

Kristen took a long look at Bryan, then gave her a surprised, but approving, smile. “I’ll give you two if you make sure to get his phone number.”

Bryan chuckled at Kristen’s matchmaking as she walked away. “Exchanging phone numbers sounds like a good idea to me.”

Bryan led Laura back to where her friends were waiting. Georgie was definitely past the point of no return as Nick held her up. Kristen and Jason were settling the tab. “Looks like we better roll. Will you really join Facebook? There are quite a few of our friends from school on there and…” She paused, wondering if she was being too forward.

“And?” he prompted.

“I can send you my phone number through a private message.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll join. Might be fun to see what some of the gang is up to. And I’d like to see you again. Catch up.”

“Laura?” Kristen said. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Laura pointed her finger, making a circle around her face. “I’ll Facebook you.”

He laughed at her silly gesture, then put his pinky and thumb to his mouth and ear, mimicking a phone. “I’ll call you.”

Available at Amazon, Samhain, and Barnes and Noble.

Mari Carr

www.maricarr.com

New York Times Bestselling Author

A New Release From New International Heat Author LEXI BLAKE – Steal The Day

Lexi Blake is back with another amazing story! It’s another in her Thieves series. The first book, Steal the Light, is also available. And check out the cover on this! Gorgeous!

The world’s most unusual thief faces her greatest challenge—stealing a soul from the depths of Hell…

When a member of her crew is dragged to Hell by a demon, Zoey plans the most dangerous heist of her career. With her team at her side, Zoey intends to sneak onto the Hell plane and steal Sarah back.

The job seems impossible until a new client makes them an offer too good to refuse. If she can find an ancient artifact called The Revelation, she can use it to locate an angel who holds Sarah’s redemption in his hands.

Surrounded by warring angels and demons, the greatest threat may come from one of her own. Torn between her Fae lover and the vampire who has always held her heart, Zoey finds that she and Dev are trapped in Daniel’s web of secrets, and it may be Zoey who has to pay the ultimate price.

Buy it today at Amazon.

RED: New From Bianca D’Arc

Bianca D’Arc is back with another fabulous addition to her Tales of the Were series. This woman is on fire! Have you checked out this series yet?!

Tales of the Were: Red

Redstone Clan #2

Steve Redstone agrees to keep an eye on his friend’s little sister while she’s partying in Las Vegas. He’s happy to do the small favor to an old Army buddy. What he doesn’t expect is the wild woman who heats his blood and attracts too much attention from Others in the area.

Steve ends up defending her honor, breaking his cover and seducing the woman all within hours of meeting her, but he’s helpless to resist her. She is his mate and that startling fact is going to open up a whole can of worms with her, her brother and the rest of the Redstone Clan.

Main Characters:

Steve “Red” Redstone – The second-in-command of the Redstone Clan, Steve is a former Army Green Beret and Alpha werecougar.
Trisha Morrow – She’s in Sin City with a group of friends when she runs into her brother’s old Army friend, Red, and discovers Big Red is way more than her brother ever led her to believe.
Derek Morrow – A human Spec Ops soldier who served alongisde Steve Redstone. He’s probably the best human friend Steve has.

Red is currently available at the following places:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G1JV50I/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00G1JV50I&linkCode=as2&tag=biancadarc00-20

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-the-were-bianca-darc/1117191874?ean=2940148560814
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/368180
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-red-1325589-140.html

Sexy, Wild Drummer Time!! STEADY BEAT Available Now!

The fourth book in the Heart of Fame series, Steady Beat is now available. Steady Beat sees Nick Blackthorne’s old band reforming and beginning the hunt for a new lead singer to replace Nick. And along the way…well, let’s just put it this way: four rock stars and a whole lotta explosive passion.

He never missed a beat…until she taught him a whole new rhythm.

Heart of Fame, Book 4

Back when he was playing drums for rock star Nick Blackthorne, it was easy for Noah Holden to focus on the sticks in his hand. Now that the band is getting back together, he’s excited—and worried. His ADHD has made every minute of his post-Blackthorne life a chaotic mess.

His apprehension is blown away when a bar waitress makes him a proposition—and not the kind this king of drums is used to.

When Pepper Kerrigan overhears the band talking reunion, she pushes her self-doubt aside, calls on her encyclopedic music knowledge and challenges Noah Holden to a trivia contest. Her prize should she win? An audition. His? A kiss. Their smoking sexual chemistry guarantees victory—for them both.

With Pepper, Noah is finally able to control his stormy creative energy. But when his wild past catches up with him, he faces the fight of his life to keep from losing his smoky-voiced angel. The one woman who keeps his mind—and his heart—staying on rhythm.

Product Warnings

There’s a thrumming primitive sexual energy in every rock drummer’s body just waiting to be released

You can buy Steady Beat at Samhain (here), Amazon (here), Barnes and Noble (here), Apple (here) and all sorts of other awesome ebook resellers. Yay!

Copyright © 2013 Lexxie Couper

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Noah forced himself not to fidget. Or blink. If he blinked, maybe the goddess in hot pants would disappear in a puff of taunting smoke, leaving him wondering if she’d ever really been there.

Christ, her eyes were stunning. Bluer than he’d first thought, and flecked with deep-emerald green. And her skin. So flawless and creamy. The urge to lean forward and trace the tip of his tongue over the high curve of her cheek was damn near impossible to deny. As was the desire to snare the straight weight of her sable ponytail in his fist and pull her toward him. Her lips were made to be kissed. He could see that. Soft and full and devoid of lipstick or gloss. Just naturally beautiful and perfect.

His heart punched hard in his chest, pounding out a beat he’d hadn’t heard in his life for a very long time.

A beat he could move to.

She’s not a groupie, Holden. She’s your waitress.

The thought grounded him. They’d been in the bar for well over an hour, and she hadn’t come anywhere near them. If she wanted to sleep with him, surely she would have made her move before now.

“What proposition?” he asked, fighting to keep his voice detached. He reached for a peanut. He hated peanuts, but at least it gave him something to do with his hands.

What? Instead of burying them in her hair? Or smoothing them over her—

The goddess shifted a little, her butt barely perched on the edge of the chair Jax had so recently occupied. Her tongue slipped over her top lip in a quick little swipe. Her eyes closed for a split second.

An overwhelming sense of dismay hit Noah at the loss of their mesmerizing intensity on his face. He liked her looking at him. A lot.

“I’d like to sing for you.”

Her statement slapped into him like a cold fist.

He blinked. Had he misheard her? “Sorry? You want to what?”

She swallowed. Hesitation clouded her brilliant eyes. Her hands cupped her elbows. “S-sing for you. For…for the band. I’d like to audition for—”

The wind left Noah in a gush. He frowned, a prickling sense of disappointment washing over him. She didn’t want to sleep with him. She really wasn’t a groupie. Or a waitress hoping to score a famous tumble in the sack. She wanted to—

“Come again?” He leant forward. Perhaps he’d heard her wrong? He was known to mishear things. It came from not really keeping his attention on anything for long.

Huh, your attention has been on her from the second you saw her, Holden. You didn’t mishear.

The woman straightened her spine. She lifted her chin. Flattened her palms on her thighs. “Audition for lead singer.”

Noah stared at her. For the life of him, he didn’t know what to—

The woman jolted to her feet. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” She trailed away, her soft New York accent turning the last word to a murmured drawl. Before Noah could utter a sound, she turned and hurried from the table.

But she stopped two tables from his.

Her shoulders stiffened. Her hands balled into fists, opened, balled again.

Noah watched her shake her head, his gaze tracking the swishing wave of her long ponytail. His gut tightened. His throat did the same. It wasn’t until she swung back to face him that he gushed out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

She reached his table in three long strides, her intense blue eyes fixed on his face. She stood beside him, full breasts straining against the snug white cotton of her T-shirt as she placed her hands on the tabletop and bent toward him. “I’ll make you a deal,” she said, the words quick, her voice husky. “I read in an article in Rolling Stone that you have an amazing knowledge of music trivia. If I beat you in a music-trivia challenge, you let me sing for the band. Just that. All I want is the chance to…” She faltered, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, and then shook her head a little and drilled him with her stare again. “All I want is the chance to let you hear me sing. If I beat you at music trivia, you convince the rest of the band to let me audition.”

If I beat you.

Her words whispered through Noah’s whirling head. He couldn’t tear his gaze from hers. He should be telling her no, right now. He should be brushing her off, maybe even leave the bar to emphasize the point. He should be pissed she’d been eavesdropping. Instead, he studied her face—even more arresting and beautiful this close—as her words echoed through his mind.

If I beat you.

“And if I beat you?” The question left him on a murmured taunt.

The woman facing him down did the unexpected. She laughed.

Noah’s heart beat faster in his chest. His gut knotted. Christ, her laugh was wonderful. Rhythmical. It at once melted away the tension in her body and flooded Noah’s body with heat. Tight, thick heat threading its eager way to his groin.

Her laugh made him horny. He’d thought her arse hot in her shorts, but her laugh…

“If I beat you?” he prodded, leaning closer to her. “What happens then?”

She licked her top lip with the tip of her tongue. “I…”

Noah reached up and traced his finger over her bottom lip. “I get to kiss you.” The bar disappeared. Nothing existed except the woman and her challenge. “I win, I get to kiss you. For as long as I like.”

The woman’s breath escaped her in a soft gasp. She pulled away from him—just enough to cause his finger to slip from her lip. If it wasn’t for the fact her pupils were dilated, Noah would think he’d offended her.

But he knew exactly what dilated pupils meant when a woman was with him—arousal. His gorgeous, conflicted waitress was turned on. Now all he needed was for her to—

“Agreed.” She held his stare, her shoulders straight. “I’m off work in twenty minutes. I’m going to bring you another scotch, on me, while you wait.”

Noah cocked an eyebrow. “Wait?” He’d never had a woman tell him he had to wait for her before. Even Heather had leapt at his every command on the rare occasion he gave them. Right up until she’d walked out with Maxie the mutt, that was. He’d told her to come back. To give him another chance. She hadn’t. “You want me to wait for you?”

His waitress nodded. “It’ll be worth it. Promise.”

“The kiss? You better believe it.”

She laughed, and once again Noah’s groin reacted to the rich, lyrical sound.

“I will be back. Don’t leave.”

He shook his head. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”

The corners of her lips curled in a smile Noah could only call shy. Shy? How was that possible after the challenge she’d just laid down? Especially given the desire equal to his own he saw in her eyes.

Such a conflict. It was hypnotic. Sublime.

She turned and walked away from the table without a word. Noah could tell the subtle sway of her hips wasn’t an affectation designed to garner attention but her natural movement. Damn, he could watch her hips move like that all day. He couldn’t wait to smooth his hands over those hips and hold her to his body as he kissed her.

“Hey,” he called out, his pulse pounding faster when she threw him a quick look over her shoulder. “What’s your name?”

She lowered her lashes. A faint pink painted her cheeks. “Pepper.”

***

Sooo….what do you think? Are you ready to pound out a wild beat?

I Made A Thingy

It’s not the bestest thingy in the world, but it kinda sorta shows how a lot of my books link. What do you think?

 

Feel free to ask me any questions about it.

 

 

Want to Read the ENTIRE First Chapter of Steady Beat?

He never missed a beat…until she taught him a whole new rhythm.

Heart of Fame, Book 4

Back when he was playing drums for rock star Nick Blackthorne, it was easy for Noah Holden to focus on the sticks in his hand. Now that the band is getting back together, he’s excited—and worried. His ADHD has made every minute of his post-Blackthorne life a chaotic mess.

His apprehension is blown away when a bar waitress makes him a proposition—and not the kind this king of drums is used to.

When Pepper Kerrigan overhears the band talking reunion, she pushes her self-doubt aside, calls on her encyclopedic music knowledge and challenges Noah Holden to a trivia contest. Her prize should she win? An audition. His? A kiss. Their smoking sexual chemistry guarantees victory—for them both.

With Pepper, Noah is finally able to control his stormy creative energy. But when his wild past catches up with him, he faces the fight of his life to keep from losing his smoky-voiced angel. The one woman who keeps his mind—and his heart—staying on rhythm.

Product Warnings

There’s a thrumming primitive sexual energy in every rock drummer’s body just waiting to be released.

 

Chapter One

“How the hell do you replace Nick fucking Blackthorne?”

The surly question dragged Noah Holden’s contemplative gaze from the nearby waitress in snug black hot pants holding his attention. He blinked, turning to face the man slouched in the chair opposite him. Sitting here with the four remaining members of what was once the hottest rock band in the world, Noah let his confusion show. “Why are we talking about Nick?”

Samuel—the lead guitarist—scowled. “You too busy checking out the broad in the tight duds to follow the conversation, Holden? Levi’s writing the score for the sequel to Dead Even and the director is on the lookout for something different for the closing credit soundtrack. Jax suggested we get the band back together for it and maybe record an album as well, just for shits and giggles.” Samuel tossed the two men sitting either side of Noah an exasperated glare. “And I just pointed out finding someone to replace Nick was fucking impossible.”

“Not impossible.” The man to Noah’s left—Jaxon Campbell—leant forward with a grin, snaring Samuel’s beer from in front of the guitarist and taking a swig. Letting out a satisfied, “ahh,” he wiped away the thin line of foam on his top lip and turned to Noah. “Just bloody tricky, is all.”

Noah snorted. Jax reveled in taunting Samuel. The keyboardist thrived in seeing just how far he could push the man before Samuel lost it. It made for a turbulent relationship—but holy hell, it also made for an amazing dynamic on stage and in the recording studio. The two men loved each other like brothers—and antagonized each other the same way.

Plucking Samuel’s beer from Jax’s grip, Noah returned the sweating bottle to its rightful owner and tossed the man on his right a curious look. “So you’re thinking we can do this, Levi? Find someone to sing lead and hit the studio?”

Levi Levistan’s broad shoulders rose and fell. “Why not? We’ve spent the last six years fucking about, and none of us are truly happy. And I know the director is keen for us to record the track. If we can find someone to replace Nick, that is.” He shrugged again. “It worked for Alice in Chains. And Genesis.”

“Genesis?” Noah shook his head. “If we’re using Genesis as an example, I should become lead singer, and we all know I can’t sing lead for shit. Backup vocals, sure. The odd solo line when Nick worked the stage, but lead, nope. Not if we want to keep our dignity intact.”

Levi rolled his eyes and shoved a hank of dirty-blond hair from his eyes. “I’m not saying you should sing, Holden. I’m saying we go looking for new talent. Inject something different into the band. Surely we’ve had enough interaction with the music world to know what’s out there?” He tossed a peanut at Samuel. “You’ve been touring with the Boss this last year. You must have scoped out his talent. What are his backup singers like?”

“All girls,” Samuel answered. He threw the peanut back at Levi. It stuck in the bass player’s hair, dangling by his temple like an oversized bead for a brief moment before Levi snared it in his long-fingered hand. “Besides, what are we going to call ourselves? We can’t be Blackthorne without a Blackthorne in the band, can we? And we’ve only ever performed under that name.”

Jax waved a hand. “Semantics.”

Samuel cocked an eyebrow. “You want to call us Semantics? Really?”

Levi threw the peanut back at him. “Fucker.”

Samuel grinned, his blue eyes dancing with sardonic mirth. “I’m only repeating what Jax over there is suggesting.”

Noah chuckled. A wave of warmth swelled through him. It had been a long time since the band was altogether in one place, and he’d missed the sense of familiar mateship. They’d gone their separate ways the night of Nick’s swan-song performance in Sydney over six years ago, only coming together as a group again for his wedding a year after that.

Samuel had toured with various solo performers, filling in whenever a guitarist who knew how to wring out a note was needed. Jaxon had written a tell-all biography that had stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for three years and ended the persistent rumours about his sexuality once and for all. Levi had become Hollywood’s latest musical darling, writing more than one award-winning soundtrack for equally award-winning films that somehow always involved an extreme level of angst and violence. And Noah…

Noah drew a slow breath, the warmth in his chest cooling. He let his gaze on his scotch shift out of focus. Well, Noah had had his heart ripped out. Figuratively speaking, of course. Eight years with the love of his life and she’d up and left him for their dog walker. Their dog walker, for fuck’s sake. If it weren’t so bloody painful, he’d be laughing himself silly right now.

“Oi!”

Something small and hard struck Noah on the nose and he blinked himself out of the bleak memory.

“Focus, Holden.”

Drawing his attention to Samuel sitting opposite him, he frowned at the word. “I am focused. Levi’s brought this opportunity to us, Jax’s keen to give it a try and you’re…what? Scared?”

Samuel scowled. “Blow me, Holden.”

Noah shook his head, his smile pulling at his lips. “Samuel,” he leant forward to rest his elbows on the table between them, “I think it’s a bloody brilliant idea. If we can find the right man to fill Nick’s shoes. If we can’t, I’m not interested.”

Levi slapped him on the back. “There you go! The drummer boy here makes three.”

Samuel slumped low in his seat, his fingers plucking at invisible strings on the table, an unconscious action Noah knew only occurred when Samuel was seriously weighing up options.

“C’mon, Gibson.” Jax threw another peanut at the lead guitarist, a cajoling grin on his surfer-tanned face. “It’ll be fun. The money is freaking easy. No live shows, an air-conditioned recording studio, we get to see a movie before the rest of the population, and who knows, you may even add an Oscar to that embarrassingly large award collection you’ve got. This is a Nigel McQueen film after all, and Chris Huntley can’t fart without being handed one gong or another at the moment. And Levi’s been making a shitload of money writing music for Hollywood. With him bringing this opportunity to us, you could buy your own island.”

Samuel slid his gaze to Noah. Of the four of them, Noah and Samuel were the closest. They’d been with Nick the longest, the first to join him after he signed his first recording contract. Samuel and Noah’s names were on the back of every album Nick had released, from his first at the age of twenty-one to his last at thirty-seven. “So you really think this is a good idea, Holden?” he asked. “Reforming? Finding a replacement for Nick? Pulling a Linkin Park and writing a song for a movie?”

Noah fixed him with an unwavering look, turning the questions over and over in his mind. Did he think it was a good idea? When Nick retired, Noah had removed himself from public life and focused on a sedentary existence with Heather. As focused as Noah could be, that was. All his life he’d struggled to keep his attention fixed on one thing. His parents had bought him a drum kit when he was eight in an effort to find him some kind of outlet for his almost manic energy. The trouble was, even now Noah had difficulty locking his attention on anything that wasn’t music, that wasn’t the beat. Hand-built yachts were never finished. Memoirs never completed. The interior of the house he’d shared with Heather for seven years never moved beyond three-quarters painted. The home theatre he’d begun to build had never had its first screening. Even their dog hadn’t manage to snare his constant attention—hence the dog walker. Heather’s last words to Noah as she left their partially painted home, with Maxie the mutt in tow, were four letters: A D H and D.

Playing for Nick Blackthorne had been the one true focus of Noah’s life. The only time he’d felt truly centred. Calm. Which, for a drummer, was bloody ironic. But was that focus due to the magic and talent of Nick himself, or was it music in general? Did Noah want to risk the hideous discovery it wasn’t the beat that had kept him sane, but the influence of a man no longer performing?

“Well?” Samuel asked, uncertainty clear in his blue eyes. “Do you?”

Noah drew a slow breath, his stare locked on the guitarist’s. “I do.”

“All right!” Levi shouted, drawing more than one curious glance from the bar’s patrons. “It’ll all up to you now, Samuel.”

From the corner of Noah’s eye, he noticed the cute waitress in the sexy hot pants cleaning the table beside them. She had bloody gorgeous legs. They went all the way up to her—

“Anyone spoken to Nick about this?” Samuel’s question pulled Noah back to his fellow band members. The faint whiff of delicate perfume tickling his nose told him the waitress was still there.

Levi pulled a face. Jax rubbed at the back of his neck, his expression sheepish. “Err, nope.”

Samuel rolled his eyes. “You don’t think he’d like to know?”

With a snort, Noah dug into his hip pocket and withdrew his mobile phone. “What’s the time in Australia, Levi?”

“Five p.m.,” the bass guitarist provided. “Tomorrow.”

“Still freaks me out how quick you are with shit like that, Levistan,” Jax muttered.

Grinning, Noah scrolled through his contacts until he reached Nick’s number. He lifted his attention to the men sitting around him. “Now, we’re sure about this?” He focused on Samuel. “About finding a replacement for Nick for a new album?”

Jax and Levi turned their stares on the lead guitarist.

Samuel studied Noah. On stage and in interviews, Samuel had played the bad-boy brooding guitarist to Noah’s slightly unhinged, manic drummer. The truth was, Samuel was more grounded and contemplative than the rest of them. Making a decision like this quickly wasn’t part of his nature.

Noah raised an eyebrow at his friend, thumb paused over the call key. “Strings?”

With a grunt, Samuel threw up his hands and dropped back in his seat. “Fuck it. I’m in.”

Noah hit dial. The phone rang three times. No one uttered a sound. Three sets of eyes watched him.

Halfway through the fourth ring, Nick answered. “Holden, you bloody bastard. How goes it, mate? To what do I owe the honour?”

Noah laughed, the sound of Nick’s voice at once calming and exciting. “G’day, Nick. Doing well. You?”

“Not bad. Currently watching Lauren waddling around the kitchen making dinner. Pregnant women are bloody sexy, mate. Never knew that before now. How’s Heather?”

Noah’s gut clenched. He balled his free hand in a fist, glad it was resting on the top of his thigh under the table where his bandmates  couldn’t see it. “No more, I’m afraid. She finally got jack of me three months ago. We haven’t gone public with it yet.”

“Ah, fuck.” Regret cut through Nick’s curse. “I’m sorry, Noah. Shit, you should have called me. You okay?”

Noah drew a slow breath. “Yeah. Thinking of getting a cat. Or a fish.”

Nick laughed, but Noah didn’t miss the sorrow in the sound. Even in his wild groupie days, Nick had always believed in a happy-ever-after. No one in the band had realized how much until he’d found Lauren again and retired. He’d spent many a night when they were still touring in a drunken haze telling Noah how Noah had it all with Heather and to never fuck it up.

Despite all those inebriated words of advice and guidance however, Noah had fucked it up. Big time. By being—

“Where are you?” Nick’s question yanked Noah back to the conversation. “In Australia? Wanna come spend the week with me and Lauren? We’ve got plenty of room, what with Josh living in Sydney and Aslin happily entrenched in L.A.”

Noah chuckled. There was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to crash at Nick’s house to lick his wounds. However, Noah doubted he could survive a day watching the man who’d once made women scream with lust the world over dote over the love of his life. “Thanks, mate, but I’m in New York,” he answered, pulling a face at Jax who was waving his hand at him. No doubt in an effort to hurry him up. Behind the keyboard player, Miss Hot Pants took an order from two very gropey men in business suits. “With the guys.”

“Really?” Delight filled Nick’s voice. “Tell ’em I said g’day. What are they all up to?”

“Well, that’s the reason for the call. Nigel McQueen wants us to record the end-credit title for Chris Huntley’s next film, the sequel to Dead Even, and we’re thinking of saying yes. On the proviso we can find someone to fill your bloody big shoes.” He paused, picturing Nick’s face. “What do you think?”

“Hell, yeah.” Enthusiasm flooded the answer. “Go for it.”

Noah’s stomach tightened. “You sure?”

Nick laughed. “Holden, I’m not going to lie and say I don’t miss performing at all. I do. And I miss performing with you guys a shitload. But I love my life now even more. I’m one hundred percent okay with you going for it. Replace me. Make fucking amazing music. Win awards. Lots of awards. Break chart records. Got a name for the new band yet?”

“Synergy.”

The name fell from Noah’s lips before he knew it was in his head. He blinked. A hot prickle razed over the back of his head.

“It’s a good name,” Nick said, the smile in his voice clear. “Helluva lot better than Blackthorne, that’s for sure. Not quite so egocentric.”

Noah laughed. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Opposite him, Samuel frowned. “Well?” he mouthed.

Noah tried to think about what the other guys had heard. At this point, they’d still be in the dark.

“Synergy?” Jax muttered beside him. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

Samuel shrugged.

“If it’s a band name,” Levi commented, popping a shelled peanut into his mouth, “it’s a truck load better than Semantics.”

Jax tossed a coaster at him, the square piece of cardboard flinging past Noah’s face like a ninja star. “Fuck you, Levi.”

Nick’s laughter slipped through the connection. “And on that note, Holden, I’m leaving you to deal with them. There’s a plate of toasted-cheese sandwiches waiting for me and my stomach is growling. Say g’day to the guys for me.”

“Shall do, mate.” For some reason, Noah let his stare wander to the waitress in the hot pants, now cleaning a table to his right. Her hair was the colour of lush sable. Her creamy skin seemed to almost glow in the bar’s muted lights. She was nothing like Heather, who was a sun-bronzed Californian-blonde bombshell.

The waitress straightened, and Noah’s heart slammed into his throat as her brilliant-blue eyes met his. Christ, she was beautiful.

“Oh, and Noah?”

“Yeah?”

“Look after your heart, okay?”

“I will,” he said into the phone, holding the woman’s stare for a heartbeat. And then she turned away, moving to the next table to smile at the three men dressed like Wall Street wannabes giving her their orders.

He disconnected, his head fuzzy. He’d never seen eyes so blue. Deep and clear and direct. Like she’d pinned his soul with just one glance. Damn, maybe he needed to order another drink? Why hadn’t she taken their orders in the first place? Had she been here when he first arrived? Could he convince the guys to move tables? Could he—

“Earth to Holden.” A sharp clicking noise sounded near his ear. “Earth to Holden. What did he say?”

Noah blinked, shaking the haze from his head. He frowned at the three men staring at him. “What did who say? Did you guys see the—”

“Nick,” Samuel burst out, almost throwing himself forward. He fixed Noah with an unwavering focus. “What did Nick say?”

Noah shifted on his seat enough to shove his iPhone back into his hip pocket. His gaze flicked toward the waitress again, almost of its own free will. Her ponytail hung over her shoulder, long and straight and thick. If he pressed his face to it, what would it smell like?

Returning his attention to his fellow musicians, he settled himself once again in his seat. “Before I tell you, has anyone thought to talk to Roger about this?”

All three men blinked.

Noah snorted. He may have ADHD, but at least he kept his business head on his shoulders when needed. It seemed none of the others had thought to contact their ex-manager.

Jax opened his mouth and shut it again. Levi fidgeted in his chair. Roger Daltry hadn’t exactly gotten along with any of them in their touring days. He had been a very good manager, had refused to take any of their shit and kept them on task when their wild parties had threatened to undo them, but he’d never hidden his dislike for their lifestyle. It didn’t surprise Noah at all no one had thought to call him.

With a wry chuckle, he waved a hand at them. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

Levi straightened a little. “So Nick said he didn’t mind?”

Noah nodded. “He told us to go—”

A pair of perfect breasts swung directly in front of his face, encased in snug red satin. He sat back, his gaze jerking up to find a platinum-blonde woman smiling down at him. “Sorry,” she said, barely moving her boob away from his face. “I was just reaching for some coasters.”

He frowned.

Behind the woman, Jax laughed.

“You’re Nick Blackthorne’s band.” The blonde drew herself upright, a deliberately slow shift in position designed to highlight just how incredible her body and boobs were. Noah couldn’t help but notice Samuel was taking great interest. “Where’s Nick right now? Is he with you?”

“Blackthorne’s in Australia,” Samuel answered. He turned a sultry scowl on the blonde. “With his wife.”

The woman leant forward and plucked a peanut from the bowl in the middle of the table, affording Samuel a generous view of her more-than-generous cleavage. “So what’s his band doing here?”

Noah bit back a low chuckle at Jax’s grin. “Partying,” the keyboardist answered. “Wanna join us?”

The blonde traced her fingers over Noah’s shoulder, her blue eyes gleaming with open hunger as she moved her gaze over all four of them. “I’d love to.”

Noah’s gut clenched. He’d participated in more than one gangbang with a groupie since the band had come together almost two decades ago. Heather had been the last. He’d woken up beside her the next morning—the rest of the band long gone—and never slept with another woman again.

Taking in the blonde’s lush breasts, tiny waist and long legs, he wondered if a group fuck was exactly what he needed to find his centre once more.

Or maybe it was performing with the band?

Or maybe nothing will help. Maybe you need to mainline Valium or Ritalin or some such shit until you’re a comatose—

“Give us a sec, love,” he said to the woman, killing the bleak thought. “We’ve got something to finish first.”

Samuel grunted and Jax chuckled. Levi snared a handful of peanuts, his expression ambiguous.

The blonde pursed her glossed lips, her gaze roaming Noah’s face. “Don’t take too long, ’kay? I promise I’ll blow your world.” She lowered her lips to his ear, her breath warm on his flesh. “I have no inhibitions. I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.”

Across the table, Jax groaned.

She flicked her hot tongue at Noah’s ear and then straightened. Her hips swayed with provocative rhythm as she walked away.

“I don’t know if you plan on tapping that, Holden, but I sure as shit do.”

Noah rolled his eyes at Jax’s enthusiastic declaration. “I don’t doubt it, mate.”

“Me too,” Samuel added. He shifted on his seat, his stare tracking the blonde’s path to the bar. “Three or four times, in fact. But Holden’s right. We need to decide if we’re doing this Synergy thing.”

Noah cocked an eyebrow at him. Samuel snorted in return, the side of his mouth pulling in a small smile. “It’s a good name. Two or more forces interacting in such a way their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effort. Suits us.”

A peanut struck Samuel in the temple. “Thank you, Mr. Dictionary,” Jax laughed.

Samuel glowered, although Noah couldn’t miss the fact his smile grew. “Shut the fuck up, Jax.” He turned back to Noah. “So, what did Nick say?”

Noah slid his gaze to the waitress in the hot pants a few feet away before returning it to his fellow band members. He pulled a deep, slow breath and then leant forward, retrieved his scotch from the table and held it aloft. “Gentlemen, let’s find ourselves a new front man.”

“To Synergy,” Levi murmured, tapping his beer to Noah’s glass, his smile relaxed.

Jax grinned, his glass meeting Noah’s and Levi’s above the table. “To rocking out with our cocks out.”

Samuel laughed, clinking his bourbon against their glasses. “Hell yeah.”

Noah smiled. He felt calmer already. More focused. Being a rock star truly was the best job in the world.

 

Being a waitress was the worst job in the world.

Okay, that wasn’t true. There were worst jobs. Pepper Kerrigan knew that. Inspector of the incoming pipes at a sewage plant would be worse. Cleaning up the horse poo at those medieval dinner shows would be worse. Handing out flyers for discount pork products at a vegan convention would be the pits. But what she was doing right now, waitressing at a bar in New York, was pretty depressing. Especially given she’d dreamed of so much more.

Of course, dreaming was easy. Almost as easy as failing. And Pepper had made a career out of failing. If she was good at one thing, it was failing. At least that’s what her mother told her. Right up until the time Lulu Kerrigan walked out on her family, leaving Pepper to be raised by her dad. Who, according to her mom, wasn’t good for anything either except “writing shit about shit”.

Pepper was good at more than failing. She knew that. For one, she had a knack for organizing. But failing was easier. And when you grew up being told you were a failure by your mom, you reached a point where you just accepted that was the case. When you were chronically shy like Pepper was, failure was a lovely safety blanket. One you could wrap yourself up nice and tight in. It had driven Pepper’s extrovert mother crazy. Turned her resentful. Or maybe the resentment had come from the fact Pepper got the shit her dad wrote about and could talk for hours on end about it. But only to Paul Kerrigan. Whenever someone else was around, Pepper clammed up. Withdrew.

Failed.

Lulu Kerrigan’s parting advice to her sixteen-year-old daughter was to aim low. “’Cause honey, you’re never going to hit high.”

So here Pepper was, working tables in a noisy New York bar where the customers didn’t pay much attention to her unless it was to feel her up. All in all, not the future she’d imagined for herself as a young girl.

But her head was still crammed full of the shit her dad wrote about, and her heart ached with a dream she wanted more than anything, and since Nick Blackthorne’s old band entered the place, the tickle of a plan had begun to form in her soul.

Her soul refused to believe she was a failure, and right now it was telling her to do something she’d never, ever done before.

Be courageous.

She watched the man with the choppy brown hair holding his half-empty scotch high. Noah Holden was the best drummer in the world. This was an indisputable fact. Music magazines and websites proclaimed it often. Her father had mentioned the fact more than once in more than one article on Nick Blackthorne and his band. Her dad had sat her down when she was twelve and made her listen to Holden’s various solos and fills, commenting often how the Australian had a way with ghost notes, time twists and technically demanding grooves. What her dad had never mentioned was how goddamn sexy the drummer was.

Pepper studied his profile even as she wiped a recently vacated table clean, the generous tip deposited safely in her apron’s pocket. No one on the planet could ever say Noah Holden was ugly, but holy smack, in person he was gorgeous.

His shoulders were broad and exquisitely muscled, no doubt from years of playing the drums. His honey-brown hair spiked up around his head in a sexy mess Pepper knew a lot of men paid a fortune to emulate. She’d worked as a receptionist in an exclusive men’s-only hair saloon for a while, and more than one wannabe had come in with an image of Noah Holden clutched in their optimistic hands.

Ice-blue eyes twinkled with an energy almost too charged for one man. Thick black lashes framed their electrifying depths, longer than a man’s lashes had any right being. When he’d looked at her earlier, when their eyes had connected across the room, her knees had almost buckled beneath her and she’d needed to swallow her gasp before it could escape her.

But it was his lips her stare kept falling to. They were friendly. Welcoming. His smile said, “Let’s do it.” Pepper didn’t know what it was, but there was no dismissal in his smile. It made her heart beat faster. And her soul whisper with encouraged possibilities.

It helped that she’d overheard what the band was discussing.

A new singer.

They were looking for a new singer. Someone to replace Nick Blackthorne.

Pepper’s father would scoff at that idea. In fact, Pepper suspected the entire music-loving world would scoff at that idea. But she didn’t.

Because of the whisper in her soul and the dream in her heart.

She’d managed an indie grunge-rock band for a while, and even as she’d organized their gig schedule, recording sessions and media appearances, she’d itched to do something else with them. Something they’d all laughed at when she’d asked.

Taking her time cleaning down the table, she watched Nick Blackthorne’s band—one of the most successful on the planet—complete their toast.

Her chest grew tight.

She didn’t think she’d have much time to act. The blonde woman who’d so blatantly offered herself to them earlier was now watching them like a hawk, predatory lust turning her blue eyes hard. Aggressive.

Calculating groupie eyes, Pepper’s dad had called them. The eyes of a woman who planned to score herself a famous fuck, maybe even a famous offspring to snare a famous paternity payment.

The blonde wasn’t the only one though. The moment word had gotten out Nick Blackthorne’s band was in Rupert’s Bar, it had begun filling with women poured into tight dresses. Women who watched the four men like leopards waiting for the optimal time to attack.

The blonde had been but the first to make a move.

Pepper heard more than one competitor call the woman a skanky bitch. Pepper wanted to point out just how revealing the speaker’s neckline was, and how high the hemline of her dress.

She didn’t, of course. That would mean opening her mouth and drawing attention to herself. She didn’t do that.

And yet, she was running out of time to do that very thing.

What if the band left before she found the courage to put her plan into play?

What if—

Samuel Gibson and Jaxon Campbell stood.

As did Levi Levistan.

Pepper’s stomach dropped. “Oh no,” she whispered.

Like a blur in skin-tight red satin, the blonde moved from the bar, pressing her voluptuous curves to Samuel’s side. The lead guitarist smoothed his long-fingered hand over the woman’s ass as words Pepper couldn’t hear moved his lips. Jaxon threw a handful of bills onto the table, his smile wide, and then, with a wink at Noah, the three turned and walked away, the blonde flattened so close to Samuel’s side Pepper wondered how she managed to walk.

Movement from the corner of Pepper’s eye caught her attention. She froze, watching as two women dressed in body-hugging black leather damn near slithered over to the remaining band members. One woman stroked her hands up Noah’s muscular arm. The other trailed her fingers over Levi’s hip, skimming the sizeable bulge of his groin with black-polished nails.

Pepper’s heart smashed into her throat. She stared at the spectacle, cursing herself.

She’d failed. Again.

All she’d needed to do was speak to the band before they left. Easy, especially when the table they sat at was next to her section. But no, she’d held back, taken too long. And now, Noah and Levi were—

The women in black leather walked away from the drummer and keyboard player, disappointed scowls on their immaculately made-up, sultry faces.

Pepper’s breath caught.

She snapped her stare back to the musicians.

Noah rose to his feet, offering his hand to Levi.

They shook hands and then hugged. Levi slapped Noah on the back with a solid thump before leaving the table, dark sunglasses covering his eyes as he made his way toward the exit.

At least, Pepper assumed he was heading for the exit. She couldn’t tear her stare from Noah Holden.

He’d always been her favourite of the band. While her friends had creamed their panties over Nick or Samuel, she’d imagined what it would be like to meet the drummer. To stand close to him and feel his manic energy radiate from him as he awoke the throb in her very core. He was almost forty, eleven years older than her, but that didn’t make him any less sexy. Yet it wasn’t the desire to sleep with him that made her stomach knot and her mouth dry now. It was…

No pressure, no diamonds, chickpea.

Her father’s words whispered at the edges of her self-doubt.

She studied the drummer, the plan in her soul fed by the dream in her heart. A dream she’d held since the very first time she’d ever watched Nick Blackthorne perform live, ten years ago.

Driving her nails into her palms, Pepper drew a deep, slow breath, counted to ten and crossed to the lone member of the band.

“Hi, Mr. Holden,” she said, holding out her hand. God, she hoped it wasn’t sweaty.

Arctic-ice-blue eyes swung up to her, and for a split second Pepper almost turned and fled.

Almost.

And then Noah Holden smiled, that let’s-do-it smile that gave her hope, and Pepper lowered herself into the chair beside him, resting her elbows on her knees and giving him her own smile back. “I have a proposition for you.”

***

Steady Beat releases October 15th. You can preorder it now so it pops into your ereading device straight away from Samhain (click here), Amazon (click here) and Barnes and Noble (click here)

Check out the first three books in the Heart of Fame series as well. Rock stars, bodyguards, actors, fame, lust, desire, danger and secrets…what more could you want in your erotic romance

All are available NOW!

 

 

It’s the Cover and Official Blurb for Lead Me On, Book Five in The Heart of Fame Series…

I know Steady Beat, Book Four of the Heart of Fame series hasn’t released yet, but I finally got approval to reveal the cover and official blurb of Lead Me On, Book Five.

Ready?…

He may rock her world, but she will shake him to his soul.

Heart of Fame, Book 5

Brooding. Arrogant. Narcissistic. Rock legend Samuel Gibson has worn all these labels-and he’s in no hurry to drop them. Until he meets Lily Pearce, whose brother would be the perfect new singer for the band. There’s an allure beneath Lily’s prickly demeanor that makes Samuel wonder if it’s time to correct some of the misconceptions trailing behind him like a mile of bad microphone cord.

After watching her brother get chewed up and spit out, Lily has no love for the hedonistic world of rock ‘n’ roll, or anyone in it. Yet her own body betrays her with an instantly sizzling sexual attraction to the very symbol of everything she hates about that lifestyle-Samuel Gibson.

Things heat up and Lily’s heart is on the line once she starts to catch glimpses of the man beneath the reputation. But can she reconcile her feeling for Samuel with everything she knows his world to be?

Warning: Be prepared for sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. As well as molten, relentless seduction. And heartbreak. Because rock stars rarely play by the rules.

Soooooo….what do you all think?

Take One Sexy Rock Band Drummer…

I can finally share with you all the cover for Steady Beat, Book Four in the Heart of Fame series. Isn’t it awesome! I love it. Love it love it love it!

 

More to come on Steady Beat soon. But for now, here’s the first paragraph…

“How the hell do you replace Nick fucking Blackthorne?”

The surly question dragged Noah Holden’s contemplative gaze from the nearby waitress in snug black hot pants holding his attention. He blinked, turning to face the man slouched in the chair opposite him. Sitting here with the four remaining members of what was once the hottest rock band in the world, Noah let his confusion show. “Why are we talking about Nick?”

Ohhh, I enjoyed writing this book so very very much

Who Wants to Come to A Tropical Island Wedding?

The long awaited print version of Bandicoot Cove: The Wedding is finally available in print.

The three red-hot, contemporary, Australian e-novellas by Jess Dee, Sami Lee and myself have been beautifully packaged into one print book - Tropical Haze.

Afternoon Rhapsody by Jess Dee As Bianca puts her pending divorce aside to enjoy her brother’s wedding, she unexpectedly falls in lust with Brody, a gorgeous man who’s also getting a divorce. However, personal revelations change what they thought they knew about their troubled pasts. And suddenly they wonder if it’s possible to move on.

Sunset Heat by Lexxie Couper Kennedy never thought she’d see Luke again, much less be standing in front of him naked. Not only does he still light her fire, but so does his rake of a cousin. Luke fell for Kennedy months ago, yet he can’t stop thinking about sharing her with Addison. And Addison is shocked that he wants to know Kennedy on all levels—even the emotional kind. But desire this hot could destroy any hope of real happiness.

Moonlight Mirage by Sami Lee At her friend’s wedding, Hayley is forced to face the former boss whose rejection sent her packing. Mitch still makes her burn. Trouble is, she already has a date. Mitch knows pushing his former intern away was a mistake. Hayley’s “plus one” is an unexpected obstacle. Luckily, Mitch has never shied away from a little competition…

Warnings: There’s something about the air on this island that makes you do crazy things…like fall in love. Have wild monkey sex. Indulge in a threesome, exhibitionism, voyeurism, and a few other “isms” on the side. Best read with a frozen margarita in hand.

So if you haven’t had a chance to visit this gorgeous tropical island complete with luxury hotel and air that’ll make you fall in love…now’s your chance.

Tropical Haze is available from Samhain, Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble or Aussie readers might want to try Booktopia

Lexx