Elise Hepner's Blog, page 17

Summer Delights, Giveaways, and Prizes

 If you're stopping by today, odds are you came from Kitty Thomas's blog for the Blog Hop! Welcome to my humble little pleasure place on the internet!

Some of my favorite things about summer include all the little sensory delights I get to partake in that don't get to happen as much in winter. Everything's more relaxed, slow, colorful, and--personally--I find myself way more cheerful because of the little things. In the summer I can read outside on my deck surrounded by trees and sunlight while eating all manner of berries, melons, and other fruits that weren't seasonal in winter. I love the feeling of water as it's evaporating from my skin after a long dip in a pool. The taste of summer mojito while I'm surrounded by the city lights of Las Vegas for our annual summer trip. Too many good things to name them all come around summer time. A feast for the senses.

Which is why I've partnered up with Skye Warren for her Hot Summer Nights Erotica Blog Hop to give away lots of prizes in honor of my favorite season.
One lucky winner from all the comments throughout the blog hop will get a chance to win a 100$ gift card to Eden Fantasies, an adult sex shop online and an erotica goody basket including books from all the participating authors on the Hop. That's easily over a 300$ prize package, all for your opinion.

Also on offer is a free copy of my latest anthology with Xcite books, The Heat in Greece, including my steamy short story about an encounter between two strangers entitled, By Design.


 Blurb:An Xcite Collection of erotic short stories with mixed themes including contemporary, m/f, voyeurism, fem dom, menage, sex toys.

The Heat in Greece by Bel Anderson

‘Don’t open your eyes,’ he says softly, his Greek accent sending shivers down my spine and his hand warm but persistent in the small of my back. ‘Trust me. Do not be afraid.’ How could a girl resist? Sun, sea, sand and … a virile young Adonis who is feeling just as maddeningly sexy as I am on this scorching Greek afternoon. Recklessly, I put my trust in this husky-voiced stranger and let him lead me blindly away from the beach and into the most deliciously sensual and orgasmic experience of my life. An experience that turns out to be all my fantasies rolled into one …

By Design by Elise Hepner

The last thing Elena, a bored, hotel desk clerk, expects on a slow day at work is a salacious note commanding her to meet a stranger in his room. The anonymous “Frank” describes in detail how he wants to watch Elena get off in front of him. The erotic possibilities are dangerous ‑ and wicked. Swayed by her recent break-up and her intense need to do something interesting with her life, Elena follows orders. And what she walks into changes her sexually forever.

As You Wish by Maggie Morton

Bari has given his wife a lovely anniversary gift ‑ complete sexual power over him for one night. It will be a night full of power and sex, a night where the power she receives over her partner shows Bari’s wife everything she’s been missing until then, including the right to do as she wishes to her husband, no matter what those wishes involve. But Bari doesn’t mind giving up his power, not in the least, and maybe, just maybe, his wife won’t mind taking it from him either.

Play It Again by Heidi Champa

The only way to celebrate your divorce is with a “re-bachelorette” party, or at least that’s what her friend Tammy has convinced her. But she really isn’t having a good time, surrounded by so many happy brides-to-be reminding her of what she once had. That’s until a handsome groomsman offers to reintroduce her to the sweetest of pleasure…

Melonhead by Giselle Renarde

When you’re a guy with brown skin, you don’t make it through airport security too easily. Jai’s luggage seems to get rifled through forty times per trip and that’s why he never brings along any of his sex toys. But Jai is a planner, and he knows a warm cantaloupe is heaven. His hotel room doesn’t have a microwave, so he reluctantly takes up the receptionist’s offer to heat up the contents of his big paper bag and bring it to his room. When she arrives, she isn’t alone. Jai has two female spectators, and they aren’t about to leave without a show.

All you have to do is answer me one question in the comments section. What sensual part of summer gets you really hot? Is it the taste of something? A certain smell? The feel of sand beneath your toes? Let me know you automatically get a chance to win my book and all the other prizes mentioned above.

Now venture onward to Under The Covers Book Blog for a chance to win another prize! Thanks for stopping by!

Most Commanly Made Erotica Mistakes

1) Using words that aren't sexy. My favorite examples: moist, juicy, plowed, etc. Or referring to any kind of orgasm as ripping, pulling, or slipping through flesh. I was guilty of this in a lot of my beginning stories and now it's on the Watch-Out Edits list.

2) Keeping an intense focus on the action throughout the scene using all five senses. One of my favorite things to do is to use taste in a scene as much as I can. Don't recall where I read that writer's barely utilize this sense, but the notion stuck with me. It's a fun one to toy with.

3) Head-hopping. This can happen in any manuscript, but in an erotica piece staying in focused point of view makes all the difference. The reader wants to be in the situation with every turn of phrase, which is why sticking to one sole point of view of either the hero or heroine is the best choice. Don't try and do both unless it's longer than a novella so that a reader can become fully immersed in the sexy goodness and emotional intensity that each sex scene brings out.

4) Explaining the basic sexual mechanics without the passion. No tab A into slot B. If it's not working either come back to the scene when you're in the mood or cut it altogether. Half-assed sex scenes are worse than no sex scenes. The scene doesn't have to be dripping with emotion, but it takes a certain turn of phrase and involvement to make it sexy.

5) Leaving the sexual stakes on the side lines. Despite the fact that erotica doesn't have to a happy ending or even a definitive relationship, sex still changes people. This should be reflected in every single piece. No matter what happens in or outside of the bedroom with characters, they have a stake in the sex and that should be displayed and exploited at all times. The deeper an author goes, the more the readers will enjoy their story.

6) Purple prose. Believe me, I know finding different words for cock and pussy can be time consuming and tear out your hair inducing. But for the love of the erotica goddess, don't be swayed into using anything like man meat, love stick, or elongated shaft. If the basics and their normal acronyms aren't working for you then try restructuring your sentence and making it tighter. When in doubt, tighten, tighten, tighten. A valuable, if sometimes time consuming, lesson.

7) Don't write anything you're not passionate about because it's popular. Sometimes I think this is a no-brainer, but I've been known to dip my toe into the water and a lot of those manuscripts sit on my desktop in a folder--either unfinished or not up to my standards because I wasn't 100% into it. Don't take the time to write a story unless the premise turns you on, because when you get into the nitty-gritty of the piece and you're not feeling it, no one else will either.

8) Don't be afraid to push deeper no matter how deep you think you've all ready gone. And now I sound pretentious.

The Obligatory 50 Shades Post

It's everywhere. It's getting kind of annoying. I've yet to read it because I don't want to be influenced by anyone's opinion when I pick it up ( which sounds horribly prissy, I know). And I'm at least happy that it's opened up the sexual world view of a lot of people who wouldn't have given a book about BDSM a second glance. Whether or not they continue to read the genre is on them. But I hope 50 Shades is a good enough book to get the readers hooked on what others have to write about in that same vein. *crosses fingers for readers and authors everywhere that they find what they're looking for in the stacks*

There. I've said my piece about the damn thing.

Viva Las Vegas

If you're reading this right now I'm probably sucking on some ridiculously alcoholic drink, writer-ing away on my netbook in the sun and humidity of Las Vegas. I don't have much planned for this trip. I'm hoping to catch a few Cirque shows and there will most definitely be a trip to In-And-Out Burger in my future. A whole blissful nine days of vacation. Catch you when I come back, inspired, and ready to rock!

Experimenting with Characterization

A good friend of mine gave me a super helpful tip the other day. When you're assembling character's for a book or short story, write down the top foremost things about their personality on a notepad. That way you have something to consult when you're looking for the right physical gesture for your hero or heroine when they're in a bind. It's a gesture cheat-sheet, if you will. It's been working for me!

Summer Kick Off Giveaway and Blog Hop

Hello everyone, today I'm hosting the Summer Kick Off Blog Hop with CataRomance.com, SensualReads.com and SingleTitles.com. If you're here that means you just came from Emily Heisler's Blog!



One of things I enjoy most about summer is that all my favorite television shows go off the air leaving me plenty of time to read. I'm more than a little addicted to TV so it's always a balance with my Hulu account and whatever 6 or 7 books I'm reading at a time. But now that it's summer, I can focus my efforts solely on reading. Which means a lot of organizing my To Be Read pile--a tradition I do every summer to kick off the sunny days on my back porch. I start a pile of books that I want to read first and keep the back-up's handy in a second pile near the bed refilling as needed.

Is there anything in particular you do to start off your summer right? Ritual's? Organizations? Vacations? Answer in the comments section and you'll be entered to win a copy of one title from my back list. This giveaway is open to any country so long as you have a valid email address and some way to read an e-book. The giveaway ends on the 10th of June. After you're done commenting please head over to Sascha Illyvich's Blog or click on the code below. Thanks for visiting!
 

Marketing in Fast Moving Society

Sometimes I feel like there are way too many options to do one, simple thing on the internet.

Take marketing for example--I know there are differing opinions in terms of how involved an author should be in social media based on concentrating on a few social networks versus using all of them at once. Either way an author looks at it, social networking is very important in NY publishing and in e-publishing. But what used to be a simple task, like announcing a book release, now takes much more effort to truly get the message out there. It's no longer enough to stick to one site for announcements and giveaways.

Now message's have to have reach and depth while standing out from posts about what someone ate for dinner, what someone else is reading, and a crazy celebrity death. No room for messing around here. Other than interacting with people social marketing as a job, with a specific angle, is epic and mentally taxing. It's like going to war with strategy, numbers, and how to hit someone over the head the hardest.

Why is this? Why is marketing so stressful now?

Maybe it's because there are so many other messages fighting to take root in a user's brain. An overexposure to content. People are thinking a lot quicker these days with a limited attention span which makes branding a tricky trial of luck. Cross-posting and flashy ads won't quite do the trick anymore. Word of mouth is king. But what exactly works best after people have gotten wind of how awesome your book is and sales have gone into overdrive? What keeps readers coming back for more when it comes to marketing?

Personally, I think it's a mix of different social mediums. Best results are concentrated on what you, as an author, enjoy while also utilizing readily available book genre data to make sure the right audience is being targeted for your book. For example, I know more than a few erotic romance and romance blogs have done public polls to organize a pool of reader opinions on what social marketing catches their eye and what keeps them hooked.

Sometimes, if you're lucky, that poll is broken down into genre. Using that data an author can formulate a plan of social media attack say, knowing that you aren't wonderful at long spouts of writing, but you can do short bursts, you sign up for a Twitter account. Tweeting is a controversial medium of marketing because people argue back and forth on whether or not it tactfully works to sell books. But, lets just say for the sake of argument that Twitter does sell books--even if indirectly through someone getting to know an author's personal views and liking them enough to buy a book. Is that one sale a result of the author's outreach and effort on Twitter?

The short answer? There's no damn way to know anymore. With so much information streaming back and forth mostly author's can only hope to make a dent, pray to the goddess of book buy-age, and hope for the best. No matter how many pages of analytics, polls, or statistics we read readers are ever-changing in what they pay attention to daily. So, you better pray to someone higher than you that you like whatever marketing strategy you've chosen, otherwise you're going to become one bitter drop in the social well.

I've heard it reiterated over and over that no author should spread themselves too thin and only concentrate on what social networking tasks make them happiest. Though I guess you're out of luck if no social networking makes you happy. I've been known to struggle with this issue. Sometimes I am pulled in different directions only because I'm not terribly social in real life. Color me a hermit. My goal as a small child was to be locked up in a musty, Rapunzel-like tower with a bunch of old books, some paper, and a pen.

This was my dream. No, seriously--at seven years old I wanted complete isolation. Such a little weirdo is me. Anywho. Back to our regular scheduled rant.

So, making a social effort online can be a bit taxing when I'm not in the mood, because, occasionally, marketing can feel like a job instead of hanging out with a bunch of cool friends on the computer. But I have to remind myself often that making a presence isn't a race or a competition. If you keep at it people will like you and what you have to say--eventually--and if they don't, what's the loss? Well, my mind often goes to the most dramatic incidence of falling off the face of social planet and no one will ever buy my books again.

Odd that my ideal world as a kid was based in isolation and now I don't know what I would do without my internet connection. Wonder what that says about my social media efforts to market my own books. Maybe I take it too seriously or there's no ultimate, secret key? Maybe I should just be happy to stare at a picture of Jonathan Rhys Myers for the next hour instead of trying to predict how many millions of people are going to see me and my book.



Yeah, Myers, come here!

Weird Little Tick

So, lately, I've been having this issue where I can't read books that have a heroine caught between two men. I don't know whether it's the amount of teaser series that are out there where the author never makes a choice that has driven me to put off a lot of books I normally read, but I can't get in the right frame of mind to read them anymore. I know that plot is very popular right now and it'll always be around--but I can't help but feel it's turning into a gimmick to get readers hooked on a series.

Instead of writing a legitimately good series, some authors will stick a love triangle in the mix and draw it out way past it's time knowing that readers will stick around to see the ending. If there ever is an ending. Maybe I'm old fashioned, lol, but I like my heroine to pick one guy eventually--or at least stick to a threesome after the first two books if the author really doesn't want to choose one man. Menage's fix everything, don't you know?

How do you feel about these types of books? Am I late to the party and everyone is used to them or are people having the same "get it over with" frustrations?

The Good Smut Awards

I'm working with Scorching Book Reviews to participate in The Good Smut Awards where you lovely people will vote on a pool of delicious smut and name someone's share victorious. Here's my share from my third Ellora's Cave novel, Not So Pure.

Excerpt: Trying to hide a sniffle, she automatically wiped her finger under her nose. Why did she care if she was snotty? But when her eyes glanced down at the offending appendage, anger slipped through the cracks of her stupor. Blood was caked under her nails. She stiffened, her cheeks went cold, all the blood draining from her face. No amount of washing would get it off, even when all the visible signs were gone. She tried to steady her breathing because passing out wouldn’t lead to anything good.“That must have been hard for you to watch, I’m sorry you even had to see it. But let us take your mind off it before you go into shock.” Colton settled his hand on her knee.A dull murmur came out of her mouth, distant and alien. Shock was kind of nice when she couldn’t take her eyes off her bloodied palms.

“We didn’t have to protect you—” he started to explain.“So these emotions are payment then?” she cut him off and looked up into his blue-green eyes. “I had it coming because the little hussy needed saving again?”“Let me finish,” Colton implored gently but firmly, his voice low. “You’ve been a nice presence in the house. Frankly, it was a relief to show off my skills again. But this isn’t about us, or paying us, or whatever you have in your head. The last thing you need to feel is alone right now and thoughts of guilt will do that to a person—trust me, I know.”He cleared his throat and her brow furrowed.“Let me give you some kind of comfort. The guilt will go away, we can take your mind off it and make you feel less alone.” Colton gently spoke with confidence.That he had read her thoughts from a few minutes back didn’t sit well against the flush of her cheeks. But he had been nothing but polite. And what the hell else was she going to do? If there were more people out there angling to kill her, wasting time trying to figure out a pattern wasn’t going to stop them.Comfort right now had the sound of bliss. She would take it any way she could get it. And—she had to admit—he was nice to look at. What better way to celebrate not being dead than by recognizing sexual attraction? Or at least that was the crazy psychosis she was going with right now. Joy was the opposite of sorrow and having sex certainly made her joyful.She walked to the sink and scrubbed her hands until they were raw. Nothing would ever make this feeling go away. But she had to try, otherwise nothing would be the same and too much had already changed. They offered a sweet escape. She wiped her hands on her dirt-caked pants, uncaring that they were soiled again. Their eyes bored into her back until she sat back down.Could they make it better? Maybe they would hold her afterward. That would be good. And then they could talk about this mess in a rational mindset. Any way she looked at it, their idea of comfort sounded right. An escape, for all intents and purposes, was just what the doctor ordered. Or the psychotherapist.Yes, eventually this taking help thing had to get easier and by accepting one more offer she was doing a good deed for all of them. She would be a fool to deny the arousal and adrenaline cocktail loping through her veins. This was good. A little distraction, a little post “Hey, I’m not dead” celebration. Anything to take away the numbness. Another experience to erase her previous one with Gordon was a bonus.If she allowed the numbness to take over, then there wouldn’t be anything left. As easy as it would be to lie on the floor and never get up again, to have come this far only to give up was ridiculous. A warming shot of adrenaline twisted in her gut and she mustered a small smile. It would be easy to relax into Colton’s guarded touch after Gordon—there wasn’t a magnetic connection to his body, but it would make her alive again. 
And that was certainly on the menu.Colton shifted, dropping his arms between his legs in a casual stance before a hopeful smile crossed his lips. He had exuded confidence with the old man. But he acted more guarded when dealing with choices that were less about instinct. He drew up straighter as if aware of her assessment, cracking his knuckles and wrapping his arms around his chest. Defensive too.She sent him a look that said she meant no disrespect. She folded her hands away because she wasn’t quite ready to touch him yet.Though not a physically big man, Colton took up most of any room—even a forest. He seemed to be the leader in their gang of two. It was more than obvious Colton did all the talking. Which wasn’t a bad thing when he led with such killer reflexes. There was no denying he had a sexiness that was uniquely his own.But there was a concern there she couldn’t place—why did he care about what happened to her? Startled out of her thoughts by the hush of movement, her eyes went wide. Colton got on his knees before her chair, in between her legs, his chest lightly brushing against her pants.Her tongue reflexively slipped over her lips and she shivered with the intimacy of someone so close. Warmth was starting to flow through her fingers, but she could already sense it against her cheeks and along her head. Aware of his hands as they sat on either side of her thighs, she rubbed her slick palms over her pants, avoiding eye contact. If they wanted to make her feel better, then they could initiate it.She needed to be wanted after Gordon.“You don’t need to be kneeling before me, I’m not a queen.”“We protected you like one tonight. And I plan on pleasing you like one when it gets down to it.”She met his intense gaze and realized he was completely serious. Goose bumps rose across her skin. He pulled himself closer against her tense legs. God, was it wrong to want someone so dangerous? He was more than a nice distraction.“Oh for the love of Pete, could you get any cheesier?”“Please.”A breath eased out and she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the next one. When she opened them, she met his quirked smile, knowing that he had won. The sweet taste of excitement hung on the back of her tongue. She didn’t like that he was so sure of himself—but she knew from experience that if he was a badass outside the bedroom, she would be screaming with pleasure in no time flat. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to run a tentative finger across the labret piercing in his chin.“That won’t come out, will it?”“We’ll be careful. Or we can be as wicked as you’d like. It’s about you, remember?”Colton snatched her fingers out of the air, placing small, heated kisses against her fingertips.“You’re okay with this, Samuel? We can go somewhere else if you like.”“He doesn’t speak much. He doesn’t mind watching either.”Colton’s short squeeze against her hand brought her eyes back to him and away from Samuel’s soft blush.Colton’s lips gently met the back of her hand and she shuddered when the cool metal of his hoop lip ring pressed against her flesh. For the first time she gave him a once-over that was more than cursory. Hunks of surgical steel piercings were threaded through bits and pieces of Colton’s face—but he was a punker any woman could love—or fuck, in this case. Each piece only added to his curved, impish smile. She took in his steady blue-green eyes, wondering whether the silver hoop through his mouth would taste sharp and sour on her tongue. Colton’s black wifebeater and matching black slacks topped off the bleached blond hair.He cocked his head in hesitation and the glimmer of his neon eyebrow ring was slightly mesmerizing as flecks of glitter inside it caught the light. His slender lips pursed slightly at the corners. Two smallish, shiny iron balls caught in his dimples like small Christmas tree decorations. There was a white, ragged scar running underneath the stubble at his chin.There wasn’t a way to keep her hand from shaking when she dug her fingers into his tussled hair. But not touching him wasn’t possible. His hair was glossy under the harsh yellow lighting and smooth—like running a feather through her fingers. Almost soothing against her fingertips. She trailed them from the front to the back of his head. He was so open to her, so ready for her touch.“You’ll be all right.”The timbre of Colton’s voice brought her up straight, shooting a tingling shiver up her back. In this moment together they were both alive and capable of pleasure. She sank from the chair to her knees in front of him so they were eye-to-eye, quickly removing her hands from his hair.This wasn’t going fast enough. Not when the closer she got to forgetting, the more she wanted him. Colton gently swept his hands up and across her cheeks and guided her head down to meet the softness of his lips and the cool slickness of his lip ring.But that wasn’t good enough. With a practiced ease, she straddled his narrow hips, bringing her mouth close to his studded ear and tugging on the tender lobe with her teeth. A sharp hiss let her know she was doing it right. When his arms locked behind her back and trapped her wrists, her nipples tightened.Colton’s fingers were hot against her wrists. His grip bordered on painful, putting an edge on his delicate bites against her neck and collarbone. She nuzzled into the hollow of his neck, loving his foreign scent—motor oil, gas and pine.“Are you okay if Samuel watches us?”“W-what?”“Throwing him out into the woods would be a little rude, don’t you think? He can watch us, right?” Colton murmured.He slipped his hand up the thick sweater tracing his fingers up her taut torso.“Mmm,” she groaned with satisfaction as his fingers plucked her nipple, gently teasing it so her pussy walls pulsed. “I’ve never had anyone watch me. That sounds like fun.”Why not? She may be dead tomorrow, so what was the harm in trying new things now while she had a chance? The idea of someone watching them made her shudder against him.“Good,” Colton growled in her ear and kissed her.Truthfully, there weren’t any objections in her head. If she was going to live life—then she was going to do it on autopilot. Nearly being murdered was a good motivator for new experiences. She pressed down into his hips, rocking against the generous hard-on held back by his black slacks.Musk filled her nostrils and the coarse fabric of her sweater caught on her slick skin as he pulled it over her head. Cool air bit at her exposed, tender nipples. But she refused to move to cover her breasts when a shot of excitement played along her nerves, watching Samuel’s heated gaze on her near nakedness.Despite his supposed shyness, the look on Samuel’s face was both self-assured—and completely male. His shoulder-length brown hair obscured the square cut of his jaw and his small, almost feminine mouth. A low moan caught in his throat.Colton’s mouth and tongue explored her breast with the subtle, promising press of teeth. She groaned as the heaviness of his tongue rasped across her hard nipple, as she fumbled at his waist for the button and fly of his slacks. Teeth pricked against her tender flesh, drawing her nipple deep into his mouth. Her body went tense when his hand manipulated her clit through the fabric of her pants. His fingers pressed tight to her cunt, pinching and rolling the bud between his fingers.A jolt of pleasure played across her nerve endings. This was remarkably better than curling into a ball and admitting defeat. She accepted that fact while her gaze took in both men watching her sensual reactions.
Samuel had drawn his hard cock out of his pants and they sat half-on, half-off his muscular hips. Behind his eyes sat the primal longing for release. His fingers slowly moved up and down his shaft, his feet locked behind the legs of the metal folding chair, and he arched his pale hips up into his hand. She stilled because of the quick vulnerability flashing across his face.“No,” she rasped as she got closer to orgasm. “Please, don’t stop, you don’t need to stop.”A single nod from her and Samuel’s hand continued to quickly stroke up and down his cock. Colton grunted in her ear, tearing her away from the view of Samuel’s self-pleasuring session by the back of her neck. 
Meaning to protest, all that came out was a satisfied whimper. His fingers pressed tight against her nape and the scent of her sweet arousal increased with each deliberate squeeze. Forced to release his sexually charged grip on her neck, he let go with a cocky grin and raised his arms as she peeled up his t-shirt to reveal twin nipple rings. Silver barbells threaded through his chest, twinkling in the light. The promise of more metal to come in the big reveal brought her breath tight and anticipation made her lick her lips.“This is new,” she whispered. “And shiny.”Her finger idly played with a ring, ignoring the dominant impatience in his facial expression. God, the blissful expression on his face twisted things lower on her body. Underneath her other hand was self-assured, well-worked muscle. A pleased moan broke free from her mouth before she quashed it with a rough, bruising kiss. He shifted underneath her hips and she continued toying with the twin toys, stifling the sound of his groan with her lips.She pressed her teeth into the soft, giving meat of his bottom lip and drew downward. She was rewarded with a wide-eyed, arched eyebrow look of shock—and she didn’t want it to leave his face. Power was good. And it was something she hadn’t had a taste of in a long time. Reaching between their connected bodies, she undid the button and zipper of his pants.Time for the big reveal.She crawled down his legs to push his hips up so she could ease the pants down. Instead, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her on top of him as he rolled her back onto the icy concrete. What was he doing? Within seconds, the world tilted to the mischief unleashed in his blue-green eyes. Caught, she cautiously ran her tongue across her dry lips, grinding into his hips and bucking from the frosty shiver at her back.“Ah, ah, none of that. This is my game, remember? It’s all about you.”“Well, get on with it, will you?”“We’ll see, won’t we?” He tightened his fingers around her wrists.She was defeated—wriggling and nodding when the tip of his tongue maneuvered a sure, silken path from her neck to her navel. The jagged, wet line sparked across her abdomen, air bursting across her skin until it cooled into a shiver. God, his touch was alive. She suppressed the self-conscious babble that rose up in her thoughts.His hands behind her back eased on her wrists. She waited. Her eyes flickered closed as his fingers slipped down her back. He maneuvered her pants off her hips, kissing every bit of skin that was slowly revealed to his touch. It took everything she had not to writhe and part her legs further as a hint for him to move lower. Her eyes snapped open when he softly kissed her pussy through the fabric of her boxers. She enjoyed the view of total concentration on his features.When he wasn’t concentrating so damn hard on being a living, breathing sex machine, the unguarded emotion on his face was just as sexy. It made the threadlike white scar under his chin bunch up to nothing. He worked fast to ease her pants off her ankles and crawled back up over her body. It was like her body gave a physical sigh of pleasure when he settled back against her chest. His slow smile made her toes curl with anticipation.She started to piece together that his grin was his version of blank face. But she stopped thinking when he hooked his fingers in the fabric of her boxers and worked them down to her ankles. Could he get any sexier? As the soft fabric eased downward, every enticing inch made her shiver. She watched her lover breathe in her scent, hovering above her pussy, before he eased apart her legs.With a quick stab of guilt that made her flush, she saw that Samuel had stopped pleasuring himself. His jaw tight, he sat up straight like a puppet, unflinching when Colton placed light kisses against her inner thigh. She hadn’t meant to make Samuel feel upset and left out. He locked eyes with her and nodded once, making her unable to enjoy Colton’s delicate, taunting kisses. Not when Samuel zipped up and casually began to leave the scene.“Where do you think you’re going?”What did it matter if she barely knew him? No one deserved to think they were unwanted—and she did want him. She was a little nervous about sharing with two men, yet how could she pass this up? Samuel’s face was closed off despite the hard-on that still sat in his pants. She stilled Colton’s kisses with her hand on his head. It was hard to sit up while still a slave to the promising pleasure that twined around her skin.“It seemed like a one-man show.”Samuel chewed on the words, displeasure ripe in his voice.“I’m in charge and I say you stay.”She tilted up her chin in defiance, fully expecting him to test her authority, half-rising from the floor and sitting up. He could argue all he wanted, but she was determined to have him now. Time appeared to still with his choice. But she was prepared to do whatever it took to sway him into her arms.Samuel had been as much a part of the nightmare tonight as Colton. Though at one point they’d done this for a living, they both needed to be cleansed of these memories as much as she did right now. They should be able to retire to their car refurbishing lifestyle without being threatened with violence or death. It made sense to make it better for all of them.Samuel’s upright stance was tense, even though her fingers weren’t playing in the jeans fabric at his legs—regardless of how much she wanted to crawl up his body and use him as a human jungle gym. They needed to wait for his answer, to take it slow. There was more to the shy gentleman than met the eye. She sure as hell wasn’t leaving him alone to go sulk. There was enough of that waiting at home for her in the form of Gordon.“Well?”“Don’t push him too much, he can be quite stubborn.” Colton slinked back up her body and moved behind her back. “Although, I think he’s done pouting now.”Colton’s hand touched her shoulder and she nuzzled back into the nest of his arms. He held her tight against his warm chest until a sigh slipped from her lips as she met Samuel’s unsure stare. She opened her legs wide, flashing pussy, and smiled suggestively, making sure that Samuel understood he was welcome. She crooked a finger at him, beckoning, in case he didn’t get the hint.Something transpired between the two men, but all she could read were the subtle emotions across Samuel’s face. Finally, satisfied with whatever he had found in Colton’s brief looks, Samuel stripped naked.“If you’re sure you want me, then I’m all yours,” Samuel softly spoke.Each piece of Samuel’s revealed flesh was a reward for her patience. Where Colton’s body was lean and trim from days at the gym, Samuel’s body lacked the meat of a gym rat. His shoulders weren’t as broad as his friend’s, but his slim waist and fleshy hips showed hints of lithe muscle built from everyday life.It wasn’t to say he wasn’t sexy—far from it. With Colton at her back and the naked promise of Samuel, this night was looking better and better. Her chest tightened when Samuel’s shoulders eased back with pride, his face taking on a masculine pleasure in the way she ogled his physique. But he stood still and waited for a rough dismissal. How could he not know it wasn’t coming?Colton worked his hand back and forth across her pussy, creating crackling sparks of bliss under her skin. One of his arms around her waist pinned her to his chest. Despite the dip in tension, his cock was long and hard against the small of her back. She was wet and willing against his sensual touch as he moved across her clit, his fingers dipping into her labia in small, short strokes.Each caress brought a clipped noise from her throat, getting louder when Samuel stroked his erection and covered the three steps toward them in one stride. He stood on either side of her hips with a dot of pre-cum on his head and all she wanted to do was taste it. She writhed against Colton’s touch as his fingers relentlessly pressed against her G-spot. One arm still held her firm.Caught between two men and her building orgasm, she shifted away from Colton’s arm onto her knees with her back slightly arched. She lifted her neck up and ran her tongue along the underside of Samuel’s cock. The face he made was reward enough for the action—though she was far from done. While Colton worked his fingers back inside her, she slid her gaze up toward Samuel’s shocked expression. She closed her mouth around the salty head of his cock.A wash of pleasure broke over her damp skin as she arched her hips back into Colton’s fingers. An angle that brought Samuel closer, easing his way back down her throat as she moaned around his head. Even as she came, Samuel braced his feet wider and worked his hips to the rhythm of her mouth. She trembled from the ecstasy and her pussy tightened against Colton’s strokes before her cry vibrated against the hard, smooth flesh in her mouth. Glancing up through the haze of satisfaction, she watched Samuel’s head fall back with a throaty groan and he shuddered.Colton bit her shoulder, pumping his thick fingers inside her cunt so she was forced to draw her mouth away from Samuel. Torn between the pleasure licking up her body and Samuel’s wandering eyes as they took in her writhing body, she shuddered and closed her eyes. She fell back into Colton’s arms, whimpering softly, as another orgasm ripped through her body.“What was that for?” she mumbled, dazed and wrapped in his layers of warmth.“Shhh.” Colton lightly kissed her cheek, running a finger along her new bite mark, which made goose bumps dot her arms.“What about protection?” Samuel quietly interjected.“I’m on the Pill and I’m assuming you two are clean?”“Free and clear.”Samuel knelt on all fours, his brown and auburn highlighted hair brushing above his shoulders, and rearranged her trembling legs. Until he could lie between them, giving her a shy half-smile. What did he have planned when she could barely move—and they were just getting started?“Is this okay?” Samuel asked.“What are you going to do?”“I’m going to kiss you.”The seriousness in his tone made her chest tight. He really thought it might not be all right if he kissed her after Colton had done everything under the sun? It was understandable to be shy and cautious around strangers. But Samuel was being either extremely gentlemanly or overly guarded. She thought she knew which of those alternatives the truth was, seeing the tightening of Samuel’s lips and his face go an ugly shade of pale in the beat between her answer. Samuel looked cut to the quick. He shut his eyes before getting up to his feet.“I want that kiss,” she whispered, pulling him down with a rough hand on his shoulder.Samuel trapped her hand against his shoulder with strength that made her breath catch, fingers softly pulsing with life. Primed for harder actions than a kiss, need sizzled across her skin. But it was important to let him make the first move. White swallowed and pulled her hand from his shoulder to sit in her exposed lap.When he leaned in close, she realized he was going to deliver on that kiss. His lips lightly rested on hers, testing the waters. Samuel’s steady, cold hand cradled her face. It was the gentlest kiss she’d ever been given and yet the experience shifted when Colton’s hands massaged her breasts from behind. Colton played his fingers up and down her rib cage. She made a small noise when Samuel deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing her lips so they would part for him.A jolt of satisfaction.Briefly wondering about their history together, she was caught up in the delicate dance of Samuel’s tongue along her lips and in her mouth. Colton trailed his fingers across her breasts in a synchronized touch that matched Samuel’s movements and she shivered. It was practiced, like they were perfectly in sync. Never in her wildest dreams had this situation entered her mind—and now her mind was gone. Lost to her twin
sensations of ecstasy that wrapped tight around her body and refused to let go. There wasn’t any more time to question their relationship. Colton slid out from underneath her body and she lay back on the cold concrete.A moment of uncertainty. Colton’s glittering eyebrow ring came into view in front of her face along with the rest of him. Colton leaned on his knees against the side of her body and pressed up against her until she wrapped her arms around him and his kiss was passionate and possessive. Samuel’s cock—soft, unforgiving flesh—pressed and slid against her pussy lips. A grunt from Samuel tried her patience and she writhed against his cock, hoping for penetration.Samuel slid to the hilt inside her with only a brief moment for her reflection—she moaned into Colton’s mouth, exhaling with the pleasure of such attentiveness from two men. Samuel started a steady rhythm between her legs and gripped her hips in his large hands. Colton caressed every inch of her upper body with the barest of strokes. A crackle of sexual electricity against her skin bucked her hips, driving Samuel deeper into her pussy.Colton’s gentle, teasing kisses rained down across her torso. But the men’s eyes met briefly across her slick skin and she saw an easy smile—cautious, but playful—pass between them. Then their eyes turned to her face in mirroring motions. In their gazes, she was nothing short of a goddess.Samuel’s rhythm shifted from the hard, quick thrusts that were pushing her over the edge to slower circles that completely filled her and left her moaning. He touched every part of her inside. Rather than taking the edge off, his wicked grind made her ache for release. As her thoughts pushed past the smooth bliss of a slow build of pleasure, a flash of quick sensation jerked up her spine. Colton fingered her clit between Samuel’s torso and brought back to life the frenzied increase of ecstasy that drove against her limbs to break free.Samuel’s hips pushed against the tight barrier of her inner walls as she came—both men never let go of their rhythm. Filling, stretching, expanding. Yet she struggled to hold on tight until her body accepted the pleasure that tensed all her muscles to the floor. She was reduced to her most basic, primal senses. The salty, sweet smell of arousal mingled with sweat. Nonsensical moans as her heart raged in her chest. Her skin flushed warm with her orgasm. Endorphins clouded her thoughts when one mind-numbing wave turned into another and arched her back, pushing Samuel deeper against her G-spot.Before she could muster the energy to open her eyes, a set of large hands moved her up until Colton’s piercings were cool against her back. She opened her mouth to protest and was quickly silenced by Samuel’s cock nudging her G-spot until she shuddered and cried out. When she found her breath again, Samuel’s eyes danced with masculine pride.“What are you two doing now?” she softly accused.
She ran her fingertips up and along Samuel’s shoulders to pull him in closer to her body.“You’ll see.”They wouldn’t answer, secrets chasing across their grins as she turned her head to watch them both. Until Samuel went back on his knees, his thick cock sliding out, and he extracted himself from her hold. What was that for? She was teased, and pouted like a child whose candy was taken away. The sexual high was delicious, the aftershocks buzzing through her limbs. She didn’t want it to stop. Being sexually useless for the next several days sounded perfect. There was nothing when she met her lover’s easy smile—he wasn’t telling.“This is kind of a turn-off,” she complained.“Liar.” Colton nibbled her ear.Samuel stood up, walking a little shaky, and rummaged through a drawer in his desk. Now curiosity got the best of her sex drive. Were they deliberately trying to kill the mood? She frowned before Colton resumed his intent exploration of her pussy with his fingers. Soon tense pulses of longing left her mind wandering, thoughts lost to the sensation. Her hand wrapped around Colton’s cock from behind her lower back and she relished the hardness between her fingers. There weren’t many things in the world that she thought were perfect—cocks came pretty damn close.Colton grunted against her cheek before shifting his hips closer to her back. Until she was forced to let him go or bend her hand into a weird angle. Caught by the slow slide of Colton’s fingers in between her legs, her eyes went wide as a bottle of lube passed between the men.“I don’t think we need that,” he softly protested. 
She steadied Colton’s wrist as Samuel bent to place a kiss on her forehead.“You’ve never considered how wonderful men would feel working in tandem, not just outside your body—but inside?”Samuel brushed his hand across her cheek and his eyes were earnest and hesitant.No. She had never considered it.But now the sinful promise made her cheeks flame until the top of her head was a beacon of fire. She stammered and firmly shut her mouth before dismissing the idea without considering it. It was an adventure and when would she have the chance to be with such good men? They were trustworthy. Tonight was a night different from any other—there was no promise of tomorrow. Not with assassins after all of them. Live for the moment.It was decided.Unsure which man to stare at, she contented herself with eyeing the floor, a tiny stab of fear working its way into her mind. Colton gave her a one-armed squeeze before scooting out from where he cradled her back. It was as if they knew she had decided on the course of action before she had because they knelt in front of her and Samuel stroked his cock with glistening lube.“I can’t be in back with a Prince Albert.” Colton mischievously grinned.“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” she softly said.Her mouth was dry from staring at the silver barbell threaded through the head of Colton’s cock.“You can back out at any time, you know.” Colton shifted and kissed the side of her neck. “We don’t want you to feel any pressure.”“That’s not exactly my style,” she quipped.She leaned down to take Colton’s nipple ring into her mouth, gently sucking it with her eyes closed. There was a noise from Samuel’s movement and his hand smoothed down her back.“You let us know if anything makes you uncomfortable.”From behind her, Samuel’s calloused hands positioned her body onto her hands and knees. An intimate portrait of her pussy was created for his eyes as she sensed Samuel’s gaze inches from her skin. The act of voyeurism sped her pulse, even as her mouth explored another man. Samuel could watch that too if he liked.
While the small metallic balls in Colton’s sweet flesh rolled across her tongue as Colton groaned, Samuel’s hands cupped her breasts from behind. Small sparks of sensual bliss tightened under the flesh of her breasts. 
Her hands wrapped around Colton’s solid hips to steady herself against Samuel’s dexterous fingers. They explored her body for all its hidden sweet spots while Samuel molded his body to her back. He slipped his fingers into the slickness of her pussy while he pinched her nipple. Samuel’s cock brushed between her ass cheeks, making her tense.She didn’t want to hide anything from them. They should know what they were working with tonight. With a pang, she moved away from Colton’s sculpted upper body.“Just so you know.” She braced for their reactions, rising up from Colton’s upper body. “I’ve never had any backdoor play.”Though she flinched, no mocking laugh followed the reveal of her secret. Instead, Samuel’s lips gently grazed the back of her neck, sending a current of arousal deep into her pussy. He placed smooth kisses in a line down her neck, following the curve of her spine. Not knowing what was going on behind her drew a tremor that ratcheted up her pulse. One last kiss tingled across her lower back so she squirmed against the cool concrete on her knees.“We’ll take it slow,” Colton replied.He put the lube off to the side, easily in reach, but not in their way. Samuel’s tongue glided along the seam of her ass. Her skin was chilled in contrast to the tight, heated patterns Samuel traced over her skin. Colton moved closer in front of her, his cock held in his fist like an offering.
Now was his turn for a tiny taste.She slipped her lips over the head of Colton’s cock, flicking the small, metal ring with her tongue. A satisfied sigh. She tried to take in the quick pulse of Samuel’s tongue against her anus. No one had ever touched her there before, and though it was a foreign sensation, her focus heightened her sensitivity until little thrills rushed through her body. It was good. Intense enough that she slipped her mouth low around Colton’s cock, bringing him deep into her throat. A low noise of her pleasure reverberated up Colton’s cock and made him moan.“Fuck, yes,” Colton breathed out. His hand lightly rested on her neck.Soon, Samuel’s tongue was replaced by his finger. The fullness and pressure made her wiggle and pick up speed along Colton’s cock. She brought her tongue in quick circles against the underside of his head. There was so much physical sensation to take in. It was hard to fathom where she ended and they began.Every sensation was a map of pleasure across her body. Colton’s fingers lightly brushed the back of her neck, urging her onward. He smelled of a faint sweetness and his taste rolled on the back of her tongue—a musky sharpness.As she relaxed into Samuel’s fingers, most of her concentration was spent working her way around Colton’s piercing. Although it was a fun add-on to a generally “normal” experience, it was a practiced art to keep the little metallic balls from catching on the back of her throat. Each arch of her neck was a triumph quickly rewarded by a pulse of Samuel’s finger on her G-spot through both her anus and her pussy. She moved her hips until Samuel landed on the perfect spot and she whimpered.The first hints of pressure had given way to a surprising thrill. She slid Colton out of her mouth as her jaw clenched and waves of satisfaction built on each other. Barely keeping herself on her knees her limbs were trembling so hard—questioning whether she could take any more—she watched when Colton laid down on his back, turned around and slid his body face first underneath her torso.She gasped when Colton’s tongue found her clit and she couldn’t help grinding her hips back into their focused attentions. Every muscle clenched in bliss. Exposed from every orifice, but she welcomed the primal silence from so much pleasure settling her thoughts. There wasn’t enough of her flesh to hold the rolling orgasms that built through her every limb.She nearly forgot to breathe. But with one last shudder, she sprawled onto the floor as Colton glided out from under her body and sat up while Samuel slid his fingers out of her ass.“Are you done?”Colton pulled her head into his lap.Syllables couldn’t make it past her mouth, so she settled for a small shake of her head. There was no way this was over yet. She was blissfully aware of every inch of her skin as it thrummed and pulsed, and she didn’t want the attention to stop. Her heart drove itself against her chest like a battering ram and it was all she could do to move her big toe. Never had an orgasm been so intense.“We should give her break before we get to the real show.”Samuel’s voice came from her right side. The faint sound of cracking knuckles made her wonder how he could move his hands.“I’m right here,” she croaked. “And I don’t want you to stop. It’s my damn night.”She could almost imagine them exchanging looks. She cuddled closer against Colton’s thigh, his hard erection brushing against her face. She couldn’t resist running her tongue over the shaft, delighted when a smooth hiss pushed out of Colton’s mouth. She didn’t dare open her eyes, softly laughing, not ready to face the harsh glare of the yellow overhead lights.“Where are you going?” she warily asked when she heard Samuel get up and start walking.“Not far, just to get you some water. You need hydration before we can continue.”“I guess I can’t argue with that.”She quickly blinked before trying to arrange her body into a sitting position.Colton gently pushed against her back and it was hard to fight the temptation to lean back into his comfortable muscle. If she was going to continue with this—and oh God did she want to—then she would have to prove to them that she could move of her own will. When she opened her eyes, it took a few squints to get used to the glare, but the offered cup of water made the Indian-style sitting worth it.“I’m ready,” she rasped.She spilled water down her chest when her hand wouldn’t stop shaking.“Most men would question that,” Colton laughed. “But, luckily, we’re not most men and we were having fun.”“We weren’t the only ones.”Samuel winked at his friend and moved to sit next to White. She flushed when he sweetly kissed her on the mouth and pulled back without even a hint of tongue. Any show of tenderness still made her shrink back, breaking through the endorphin high as her stomach twisted. It was too much. She couldn’t breathe in without tasting her scent on the stale air in the room.“More.”She leaned in and kissed Samuel with enough force to erase the sweetness.“Of course, my Queen,” Colton said.Within seconds, Samuel lay down on his back and moved her so she sat on top of his hips facing Colton. There was barely enough time to register that she had moved and she heard the click of a plastic cap. A lump formed in her throat. Samuel’s hands on her hips slowly lifted her up as Colton took her upper body in his arms for a kiss.

“I’m going to get you ready now,” Samuel explained in a low, soothing tone. “This might be a little cold.”But, nonetheless, she sucked in a breath when Samuel’s fingers wiggled against her anus with more slippery, chilled lube. One finger turned to two and she pushed down against him, seeking more of the delicious bliss he’d shown her minutes ago. Colton’s tongue traced the edge of her mouth and his lip ring added a tactile rush. She moaned, riding her lover’s fingers, anticipating Samuel’s cock.“I’ll take that as a sign that you’re ready to take on something a little bigger?”“Yes, please.”Samuel’s cock pushed against her opening and sudden pressure followed the smooth slide of fulfillment. How could sex be this good? It was her imagination, but for a split second Colton’s mouth tasted that much sweeter. Deeper fullness spread through her stomach and goose bumps dotted her arms. This perfect pinpoint of delicate ecstasy stretched thin across her whole body. Could it please never stop?Samuel slipped all the way in just as she thought she would come from the new sensation. She waited for him to pick up a steady pace with his hips. When she caught Colton’s eye, there was a twinkle of mischief behind his stare. Samuel stilled, allowing her to adjust to his girth and get used to the comfortable satisfaction of trying something new. His hands were warm and steady along her skin, though she heard his ragged, low moan and small breaths, knowing that it must take a lot of self-control to hold himself back.She braced her feet against the floor, slightly moving her hips. A small test of the waters—which turned into a large test once she knew that slow burst of pleasure deep inside where no one else could touch. Wonderful, insane—there weren’t enough adjectives to do the pleasure justice. A delectable shiver swept up her back, raising the hairs on the nape of her neck.Her hands wrapped around Samuel’s at her hips as he guided her hips in a short, slow rhythm. Not being able to see Samuel’s face was sexy as she watched Colton’s smug smile that touched his eyes in a glint of satisfaction. Nude and hard—Colton was a vision—and she was ready to be filled to the brim with respect for a new religion.Only slightly paying attention—too rooted in the new passion, making her fingers tight along Samuel’s with satisfaction—when Colton pinched her clit, she flitted her eyes back up to his eager face. He did it again. This time her body was ready for it. Several short pinches crested her over the edge, coupled with the sensitive stimulation to her backside and her head pulled back in a throaty scream.A grunt let her know that Samuel enjoyed himself as her anus tightened around his length. She had to blink several times to see Colton’s face, flustered from the unfocused orgasm fizzing through her veins. He knelt, stroking his cock as small crinkles touched the corners of his eyes every time he brought his hand close to the silver ring at his cock’s head. Her pulse sped with wonder—what would it be like to have them both?

The question wasn’t long in her mind. Colton got up on his knees so his cock was in line with her pussy and, without any preamble, plunged inside her body, hitting her in all the right places. A movement had never been so good and it was right in all the wrong ways. When Colton paused to pick up on his friend’s easy rhythm, their synchronized thrusts wedged her between the two men in a fulfilling give and take of pleasure. White pressed her lips to Colton’s chest, murmuring emotional nonsense that she would probably regret in the morning. But for now, she was as safe as she was going to get tonight.They had already saved her once tonight.And that thought brought a sigh to her lips that quickly turned into a gasp when Colton’s cock met Samuel’s stroke at the same junction inside her body.Holding her breath until the shock of the motion subsided, she wound an arm around Colton’s neck and blindly explored Samuel’s chest with her other hand. Samuel trailed a hot finger down her spine, lingering in small circles on her lower back. Their motions were growing rough. They plunged inside her orifices, striking a delicate balance of sensations. She was dizzy with endorphins until she couldn’t move—afraid to break the spell of pleasure they had put her under.Two mouths became one when the men explored her back and chest with teeth and tongues. A sensual fire that threatened to engulf her senses. There wasn’t time for a smooth unclench of her muscles as stimulation trumped relaxation.Her hands sought out every part of them that was touchable, chest, hair, face, hip—anything to keep the connection. She cried out, sensing their bodies’ responses to a sudden sexual pull as they tensed, slowed and then stopped altogether. Both men gripped her body from all sides, rooting themselves to the pleasure when warm seed flowed between her thighs.She could only watch Colton’s face with Samuel’s fingers digging into her hips. Colton had his lower lip pressed between his teeth, blue-green eyes wide with intensity. He brushed her mouth for a light kiss, his arms pressing her close to his chest so she could sense his frenzied heartbeat.
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TRR Blog Hop Winner of Back list Goodness

First off, thank you to everyone who visited my blog during the hop and I'm glad so many people caught on to the awesomeness that is Megan Hart's Collide. Second, it's time to announce a winner of two books from my back list from the twenty comments I received using Random.org! The winner is Tina B!!!! I'll be emailing you today to get more information. Again, thank you everyone for joining in on the recommendation fun!