Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 265
June 24, 2013
Writing Workshop – Reader Expectations
I’m at Diana Hunter’s online home today, talking about reader expectations.
http://dianahunter.blogspot.ca/
I’ve given this free workshop for my local RWA chapter and am thrilled to be given this opportunity to share my crazy thoughts with more writers. IMHO… you MUST know what your reader expects when she or he picks up a story in your genre. You don’t have to give her/him what she/he expects but you should know what the expectations are.
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He Watches Me From Cynthia Sax
She desires to be seen. He wants to watch.
Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor’s yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.
She discovers this isn’t pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn’t plan to stop. That’s all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn’t allow him and she certainly shouldn’t want more, but she craves Blaine’s attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.
Part One of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/He-Watches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FS8
*****************************************************************************
He Touches Me From Cynthia Sax
His touch enflames her desires.
Anna Sampson has allowed billionaire businessman Gabriel Blaine to watch her, all of her. And looking is all he’s done—until now. After giving him permission to touch her, Anna realizes she won’t be satisfied until she has all of this handsome and secretive man.
Soon she tempts him, shreds his control, and pushes him too far. Blaine’s reluctance to take her virginity frustrates Anna. He fulfills her fantasy, but what is their reality together?
Part Two of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD36FVA
*****************************************************************************
He Claims Me From Cynthia Sax
A billionaire’s desires and a virgin’s wish to be claimed come together.
Two men want Anna Sampson. Gabriel Blaine is powerful, intelligent, the CEO of a successful company, and a billionaire. He’s watched her, touched her, encouraged her to become a strong, independent woman, a woman unafraid of her desires.
Now secrets from the past are exposed, threatening Anna’s freedom and safety. Will the man she loves stand by her side, or will he desert her, leaving Anna once again to face the future alone?
The searing climax of The Seen Trilogy.
The Seen Trilogy – First Scene
Excerpt time! Here are the first 800 words of He Watches Me.
***
I’m like a ghost. I drift aimlessly through the Leigh’s empty Beverly Hills mansion, my bare feet slapping against the painted gray concrete floor, shoes not allowed in the sprawling modern bungalow.
I’m not dead. I move the oversized, never-been-opened book staged on the chrome coffee table an inch to the right. I’m breathing. I flick one light on and turn another light off, maintaining the minimum required amount of illumination. I have a physical form. I rearrange some of the catalogues, creating the illusion that they have been recently placed on the modern glass table, all of the stores featured priced out of a new graduate’s budget. But I’m not living, not truly, and no one sees me … which is how I like it.
I tilt my head back and study one of the many life-sized portraits of Suzanna Leigh hanging on the walls. No one would dare look at Mrs. Leigh with disapproval. The plastic surgeon’s wife, with her blond hair, blue eyes, and big breasts, is the epitome of L.A. beauty. I’m not. I have brown hair, brown eyes, and a flat chest. I pluck at my faded pink camisole, the garment clinging to my small breasts, and I continue my stroll.
The sheer silver curtains billow in the night breeze, the windows cracked open in an attempt to alleviate the stifling heat. I can’t afford to turn the air-conditioning on. My agreement with the Leighs is to pay for the upkeep and utilities while they jaunt around Europe, straightening noses and increasing bra sizes. In exchange, I get a free place to stay.
A trickle of perspiration runs down my bare nape, my constantly frizzy hair pulled up into a ponytail. The digital wall clock buzzes midnight, and I should return to the tiny bedroom I’ve been assigned. Instead, I wander to the back door, seeking lower temperatures.
I slip my feet into a pair of scuffed baby blue flip-flops and slide the door open, venturing into the darkness. The scent of newly cut grass teases my nostrils, the gardeners having mowed during the day while I was at work.
Work. I sigh, looking out at the covered pool, wishing to swim, that indulgence denied to me by the Leighs. Who gets fired from a charity? I suspect this will be my fate tomorrow, my inability to raise donation money straining even my boss’s easygoing personality.
I impulsively grab the towel I had left drying on the deck railing and meander across the modern-art-littered lawn toward the wrought-iron gate, unconsciously moving closer to the property I’ve sworn never to trespass onto again. The soothing sound of falling water calls to me.
I gaze between the ornately crafted bars separating me from nirvana, the gate locked. Water cascades down rock into a naturally shaped pool, the feature blending into the purposefully wild backyard.
Only the pool is lit. The two-story house, its design as classic as the Leighs’, is contemporary, and is shrouded, as always, in darkness. I’m not surprised. I’ve seen Gabriel Blaine, its elusive and surprisingly young owner, only once in the three weeks I’ve been house-sitting.
That once made an impact. I had been fiddling with the finicky front door lock when the billionaire exited from a long black limousine. He paused, turned his head toward me, and our gazes met, his eyes brilliant green and hard, so very hard. Even the lock of ink-black hair falling over his forehead failed to soften his sharp chin and pronounced cheekbones.
My keys dropped from my lifeless fingers to the concrete steps and I froze, unable to breathe. Blaine’s lips twitched and he inclined his head toward me as though I had confirmed something he’d long suspected. I, idiot that I am, nodded back, agreeing to what? I don’t know.
Whatever I had agreed upon seemed to satisfy Blaine. He moved like a predator toward his rarely used mansion, his stride smooth and almost graceful. He disappeared into his home, closing the door behind him, and I haven’t seen him since.
I won’t see him today either, and it would be a shame not to use his gorgeously cool swimming pool. Trespassing is against the law but I am too much my father’s daughter to allow little things like laws stop me. I toss my towel over the fence and climb over the wrought iron, thanking my misspent youth on the rough streets of Detroit for developing this handy skill.
I pick up the towel and I pad to the edge of the pool, my flip-flops bending the grass as I walk. I pause and look around me, having the peculiar feeling someone is watching me.
I see nothing.
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He Watches Me From Cynthia Sax
She desires to be seen. He wants to watch.
Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor’s yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.
She discovers this isn’t pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn’t plan to stop. That’s all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn’t allow him and she certainly shouldn’t want more, but she craves Blaine’s attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.
Part One of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/He-Watches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FS8
*****************************************************************************
He Touches Me From Cynthia Sax
His touch enflames her desires.
Anna Sampson has allowed billionaire businessman Gabriel Blaine to watch her, all of her. And looking is all he’s done—until now. After giving him permission to touch her, Anna realizes she won’t be satisfied until she has all of this handsome and secretive man.
Soon she tempts him, shreds his control, and pushes him too far. Blaine’s reluctance to take her virginity frustrates Anna. He fulfills her fantasy, but what is their reality together?
Part Two of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD36FVA
*****************************************************************************
He Claims Me From Cynthia Sax
A billionaire’s desires and a virgin’s wish to be claimed come together.
Two men want Anna Sampson. Gabriel Blaine is powerful, intelligent, the CEO of a successful company, and a billionaire. He’s watched her, touched her, encouraged her to become a strong, independent woman, a woman unafraid of her desires.
Now secrets from the past are exposed, threatening Anna’s freedom and safety. Will the man she loves stand by her side, or will he desert her, leaving Anna once again to face the future alone?
The searing climax of The Seen Trilogy.
Join The Cynsations!
I’ve formed The Cynsations as a way to thank the many reading buddies who help spread the word about my releases!
June 23, 2013
Interview With Veronica Tower
I sat down (virtually) with Veronica Tower for a short interview. Veronica Tower writes hot erotic romances for Red Rose Publishing and her latest release is Healing, an erotic paranormal romance.
Cynthia Sax: Where does Healing start?
Veronica Tower: Healing starts with a horrific automobile accident in which my heroine, Ari Freeman, is paralyzed from the waist down. It is a psychologically devastating accident. In an instant her whole world is ripped apart as Ari goes from being a capable, independent woman who is the backbone of her extended family to a crippled dependent who has to learn how to care for herself again. Her boyfriend of many years dumps her and the extended family she’s done so much for is less than attentive now that she’s the one who needs help. In despair, she gives up on the world, but her somewhat crazy aunt, a cancer survivor, tells Ari of a secretive alternative medicine clinic in the Rocky Mountains and convinces her to take a wild chance to get her life back.
Cynthia Sax: So most of Healing is set at the clinic?
Veronica Tower: That’s right. The Rocky Mountains are particularly beautiful and Hearthstone, the clinic, is isolated from the nearby communities. There are reasons for that isolation that aren’t initially apparent, but a happy side affect is that it gives Ari and Arden a quiet peaceful backdrop to get to know each other in and fall in love.
Cynthia Sax: Is there a secret at Hearthstone?
Veronica Tower: This whole novel is about secrets—little mysteries that stand between Ari and the love of her life. If Ari and Arden are to have a future together, she has to uncover the truth behind Hearthstone and its miraculous cures and figure out if she can accept it. This is a beautiful love story, but it’s not a Cinderella romance. True love brings a great many more challenges to Ari than she ever could have imagined.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing erotic paranormal romances?
Veronica Tower: Paranormal romances let my imagination go crazy in ways that more mundane settings just can’t. Those possibilities really excite me. I think when you stop to consider it, many romances revolve around this question: Is your couple willing to pay the price of love? Can they make the little accommodations and sacrifices necessary for two people to meld their lives into one? In the paranormal field, that tension can be brought to a whole new level because the sacrifices required in paranormal love are usually much greater than in other genres. That’s certainly the case in Healing.
Thanks for hosting me on your site today, Cynthia. It’s always a pleasure to talk fiction and romance
Thank you, Veronica Tower, for joining us today!
Veronica Tower’s Website: http://veronicatower.com/
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If you lost the use of your legs, what would you do to walk again? When an automobile accident severs Ari’s spine, she’s willing to try anything to regain her mobility and the independence that comes with it—even travel to a mysterious clinic in the Rocky Mountains in search of a miracle. But no one will tell her how the clinic achieves its fabulous cures or how an unbelievably handsome young man living at the facility factors into the process. Can this hot young man regenerate Ari’s spine? And if he does, can Ari live with the hidden price of Healing?
Buy From Red Rose Publishing: http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?products_id=974
Buy From Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/healing-veronica-tower/1115288468
Buy From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-ebook/dp/B00CLZ816C
June 22, 2013
Interview With A.M. Griffin, Lea Barrymire, Cara Carnes, and Cassandra Carr
I sat down (virtually) for a short interview with A.M. Griffin, Lea Barrymire, Cara Carnes, and Cassandra Carr. These four talented writers have contributed sexy humorous stories to Fondled and Gobbled: Back For More, an anthology from Ellora’s Cave.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for your story?
Lea Barrymire: I love sci-fi and futuristic stories, but as with any sub-genre there seems to be over-exaggerations galore. I took on the idea of a cyborg/android becoming an emotional creature. I took it to the extreme but it was well worth it.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing in your romance sub-genre?
Lea Barrymire: I’m a paranormal/sci-fi writer (mostly). I find writing shifters, aliens and other supernatural beings allows me to stretch my mind in any direction I want to go. A demon with a chocolate fetish? Sure, why not. Being able to expand beyond the everyday is so much fun!
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about your story?
Cara Carnes: One theme I’ve always chuckled over I see rather prevalently in erotic romance (particularly paranormals) are heroes with overly large appendages. It always makes me wonder what would happen if the opposite were true, so this story gave me the creative license to explore that. 
Cynthia Sax: Why does your story start where it does?
Cara Carnes: Persiphone has been devoting a great deal of her precious time to learning her man’s wants, desires and needs. The scene begins on the most important day of his life–the Meaty Man contest. The first scene sets to tone to show exactly how devoted she is to her man.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from your story and why?
Cassandra Carr: This one needs a little bit of set-up. My favorite line is the second line. I think you’ll figure out why:
Then Cole stiffened and suddenly that same white, creamy stuff shot out of his cock, hitting Declan in the face.
“Aggh! My eye! My eye!” Declan screamed. “It burns!”
Cynthia Sax: Where is your story set?
Cassandra Carr: My story is set in a faraway land, with warriors who have taken human forms in order to invade Earth. The two main characters (both men) are in a ship, in invisible mode, waiting for the order to attack. I’m not sure I’d call the setting exciting or sexy, but it was certainly necessary to the story.
Cynthia Sax: How does your story start?
A.M. Griffin: My story starts with the heroine, Destiny, walking into “The Shrine”. I think it was important to start the story there because she is able to explain her journey as to why she’s in New Orleans and why she is going to “The Shrine” and why it is so important to her.
A bit from the first scene:
I hesitate briefly outside the building I’ve visited almost every night for the past year. I don’t know why I hesitate. This is something I want and have wanted for so long now.
With a firm hand I push open the doors leading into the bar and walk beneath the sign that reads, “Welcome to The Shrine” and my breath hitches.
My jaw tightens and hands clench as the house heavy metal band starts up another round of ear screeching music. My first impulse is to storm across the room and yank all the plugs from the speakers, but instead I ignore them and make my way to one of the empty seats at the bar.
Settling in, I order my usual and use my enhanced vision to scan the bar.
Shifter bar, I correct myself.
The leopard shifter bar, owned by the Leporidae family or Leporidae pack, as I’ve begun to call them.
They really aren’t trying to hide their shifter species with a last name like Leporidae.
I can’t help but giggle, all but forgetting the noise coming from the stage.
Cynthia Sax: Where is your story set?
A.M. Griffin: My story is set in New Orleans. If you’re going to do any reputable shifter story it must be set in New Orleans. Just kidding. It’s set in a bar “The Shrine” which is home for a family of shifters. My spoof was a take on one of my favorite series and follows the setting somewhat.
Thank you ladies for joining us today!
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A bakery owner gets much more than she expected from her discount android’s determination to serve her. A lovelorn stalker does whatever it takes to have the muscle man of her dreams. Two alien warriors experience the inconveniences and pleasures of being forced into human bodies. A woman has always known she was destined to join the paranormal world of shifters, and tonight all of her dreams—or nightmares—come true.
If you’re looking for the perfect romance with the perfect hero and heroine, this isn’t it! This is a series of spoofs, parodies, just-for-fun lighthearted take-offs. It’s for all us longtime, hard-core romance readers who can laugh at the clichés, purple prose and “suspend your disbelief” plot devices that haunt our beloved favorite genre.
An Exotika® erotica anthology from Ellora’s Cave
Buy From Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/fondled-and-gobbled-back-for-more.html
Great Review For Tattooed Tryst
Chrissy Dionne at Romance Junkies Reviews shares
“I really enjoyed Cynthia Sax’s TATTOOED TRYST take on aliens visiting Earth and love Lori’s reaction to the whole idea. She’s got a quirky attitude and caring personality that helps balance Trake’s duty obsessed nature.”
And the best line of all
“I have to confess this story did have me tearing up at one point, but it also left me in good spirits by the ending.”
Read the full review here
http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/paranormal/Tattooed_Tryst.shtml
TATTOOED TRYST
By Cynthia Sax
Now Available From Ellora’s Cave
When a tattooed stranger strides into the diner and gazes at Lori with his flame-infused eyes, she realizes he’s someone special. Something special.There are tall, gorgeous aliens hidden among us, aliens armed with big guns and burning kisses, aliens taking what they want and whom they want, melting resistance with firm lips and rough, calloused touches. Aliens with fascinating tattoos…
Trake takes one look at the waitress serving up coffee and sultry smiles and knows she’ll be his. With military precision, he begins his passionate assault, using every weapon in his sexual arsenal to seduce Lori. Time is limited. He leaves Earth in nine days and his human mate can’t make the difficult journey. This is his sole chance at the ecstasy of bonding.
He will not fail.
Buy Now: http://www.ellorascave.com/tattooed-tryst.html
Buy Now on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tattooed-Tryst-ebook/dp/B007Y8PZN8
Buy Now on Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tattooed-tryst-cynthia-sax/1110454272
Buy Now on ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tattooedtryst-889618-340.html
June 21, 2013
The Seen Trilogy – Anna, A Knowledgeable Virgin
I’ve never had sex, but that’s due to being distrustful of other people, not because of lack of passion. I burn. I need. Constantly.
***
As Anna shares, she’s a virgin because she doesn’t trust easily. She has needs. She’s also knowledgeable. She has watched movies, read books, enjoyed her own body.
Anna knows what she wants, what she likes, and she isn’t afraid to show Blaine. She’s a modern day virgin, knowledgeable yet innocent.
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He Watches Me From Cynthia Sax
She desires to be seen. He wants to watch.
Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor’s yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.
She discovers this isn’t pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn’t plan to stop. That’s all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn’t allow him and she certainly shouldn’t want more, but she craves Blaine’s attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.
Part One of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/He-Watches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FS8
*****************************************************************************
He Touches Me From Cynthia Sax
His touch enflames her desires.
Anna Sampson has allowed billionaire businessman Gabriel Blaine to watch her, all of her. And looking is all he’s done—until now. After giving him permission to touch her, Anna realizes she won’t be satisfied until she has all of this handsome and secretive man.
Soon she tempts him, shreds his control, and pushes him too far. Blaine’s reluctance to take her virginity frustrates Anna. He fulfills her fantasy, but what is their reality together?
Part Two of The Seen Trilogy
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD36FVA
*****************************************************************************
He Claims Me From Cynthia Sax
A billionaire’s desires and a virgin’s wish to be claimed come together.
Two men want Anna Sampson. Gabriel Blaine is powerful, intelligent, the CEO of a successful company, and a billionaire. He’s watched her, touched her, encouraged her to become a strong, independent woman, a woman unafraid of her desires.
Now secrets from the past are exposed, threatening Anna’s freedom and safety. Will the man she loves stand by her side, or will he desert her, leaving Anna once again to face the future alone?
The searing climax of The Seen Trilogy.
Join The Cynsations – My Street Team
I know quite a few of my reading buddies already help me promote my stories. Joining the Cynsations allows me to more easily recognize your hard work.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/162272970619029/
I’ll be sharing sneak previews of upcoming stories, first looks at covers, prizes of stories from my backlist, and other goodies.
June 20, 2013
Interview With Lexi Post
I sat down (virtually) with Lexi Post for a short interview. Lexi Post writes hot erotic romances for Ellora’s Cave and her latest release is Masque, a very sexy paranormal.
Cynthia Sax: What makes your hero, Synn MacAlistair, sexy?
Lexi Post: Synn MacAlistair is a tall, dark, handsome hunk with long brown hair and grey eyes with shards of blue in them. That is what makes him physically sexy, but he has other traits that make him sexy. For one, he takes the heroine through 7 different sex rooms to discover what she likes and doesn’t like. The fact that he encourages her to try new experiences without pushing her, is sexy, and he is always there as a participant and guide. Another trait that makes him sexy, one that I just love about him, is that after each experience, he picks her up in his arms, strides through the old Abbey completely naked, and puts her to bed. I mean, be still my heart.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Masque?
Lexi Post: I write erotic romances inspired by the classics. So this story was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.” I don’t rewrite the story which is why I say “inspired.” For example, in Poe’s story, a black hooded figure arrives at the masque of the Prince wearing a mask in the likeness of a victim of the Red Death. This figure is the Red Death and everyone in the story dies. My thought waswhat if the figure was a friend of the Prince who just wanted to jolt him out of his revelry and remind him of his dying population outside the walls of the Abbey and the Prince’s responsibility to them? But it all goes wrong when everyone in the Abbey dies. To make it worse, many never get to cross over. Just think of the guilt that friend, Synn, would feel, and what he would do to make it all right.
Cynthia Sax: Why does Masque start where it does?
Lexi Post: I loved writing the first scene because it was full of hope for both Synn and the heroine, Rena. From the roof, Synn witnesses the unlocking of the old Abbey after 150 years. The possibility of finally being able to help the ghosts cross over by taking a live person through the masque is heart-stopping. At first, he isn’t happy that there are two women, but as he experiences desire for the first time in all those years, he begins to form plans. For Rena, who has just purchased the Abbey, it is a chance to open a haunted bed-and-breakfast and prove to her ex and herself that she can be successful without the crutch of her family. When she opens those giant doors and they creak, she is filled with hope.
Cynthia Sax: What creates conflict between Rena and Synn?
Lexi Post: Ah, now that is the killer. Rena needs a haunted bed-and-breakfast and Synn needs to help the ghosts cross over. If Synn succeeds, Rena loses her dream and her self-confidence. There is also the small issue of what exactly Synn is. Even he is not sure. He can disappear, and if he steps beyond the walls of the Abbey he will cease to exist, yet he is not a ghost. Rena thinks he has deceived her the first time he is forced to disappear in front of her. Oh, did I mention there is a ghost who is in no hurry to cross over. Yeah, he causes some conflicts too
Thank you, Lexi Post, for joining us today!
Lexi Post’s Website: http://www.lexipostbooks.com
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Rena Mills plans to turn an abandoned abbey into a haunted bed-and-breakfast to prove she can be successful without her ex-fiancé. What she finds inside is Synn MacAllistair, the distinguished, self-proclaimed Ghost Keeper. Her dreams soon fill with sexual cravings for him. But are they dreams?
Synn, born in 1828, is determined to free the souls of the resident spirits, blaming himself for bringing the Red Death that killed them. When Rena steps into the old Pleasure Palace, he’s sure he can take her through the after-midnight Pleasure Rooms and stoke her passion to complete the Masque so the souls can cross over. Her innocent fire makes him crave more, but it’s far too late for him.
As Rena begins her erotic journey, her heart becomes more involved with every sensual caress until she discovers by completing the Masque she would lose her ghosts. Synn’s betrayal wars with her compassion for her ghostly friends. Torn, she must make a choice between her financial security and freeing seventy-three trapped souls. Either way, she could lose her Synn.
Buy From Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/masque.html
Buy From Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/masque-lexi-post/1114804818
Buy From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Masque-ebook/dp/B00BR070MS
Leopard Territory
Leopard Territory From Cynthia Sax
Jeanine knows there’s safety in groups, and no group provides more protection than a pride of lion shifters. She is determined to catch the eye of a young lion shifter and convince him to choose her as his mate. There’s one problem with her plan, and that’s Adar — ruthless billionaire financier, scarred leopard shifter, and the only male she has ever desired.
Leopards are solitary, territorial, and very protective of their mates. Jeanine is Adar’s mate. She simply doesn’t realize it yet, but she will… soon. Adar is ready to stake his claim on his small human, and he won’t tolerate any male’s encroachment on his turf. He’s willing to fight to the death to prove he’s the only big cat Jeanine needs.
