Rhian Cahill's Blog, page 33

Snippet Saturday – My Baby’s Got a Secret

 

 

This week’s theme is ‘My Baby’s Got a Secret’ and what bigger secret is there than finding out the guy you have the hots for is a coyote shifter?

 

El scanned the area as she ran, looked for anything that might conceal her. There was only one option. The last time she’d climbed a tree hadn’t turned out well but if it was the difference between life and death, she’d do it. Spotting one that looked as if it would be easy to climb, she headed straight for it.

Bark dug into her palms as her fingers wrapped around a low branch. It took one tear in her jeans, numerous bruises and two attempts to get her legs over the limb. Her sweater caught as she swung up and she teetered on the verge of falling. The sound of pounding paws gave her renewed strength to throw herself up and out of reach.

The big gray coyote walked between the trees, his coat glossy and thick, his gait regal and confident. El held her breath, prayed he wouldn’t see her. He stopped four feet from the base of her tree and without hesitation looked up at her. She gasped as her hold slipped and a gouge ripped in the flesh of her hand.

It was the coyote from the photo.

Casually, as though he hadn’t just attacked another animal, he sat on his haunches. His golden eyes watched her and El was mesmerized, helpless to look away. From one heartbeat to the next she relaxed and knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t hurt her.

Why she would think such a thing about a wild animal couldn’t be explained but when he lay down on his belly, head on his paws, she felt no threat from him.

Curled on the branch, her numb body began to slide. Her shivering had come back now that the adrenaline was wearing off and her eyes drooped. She was so tired, she wanted to put her head down and sleep. But she knew she couldn’t, not in the tree anyway. Falling was not an option. She’d break something for sure.

She climbed down from her perch. Careful not to startle him with any quick movements, she eased to the ground and sat with her back against the trunk. With the danger passed, her body came alive with pain, cold and fatigue. Keeping an eye on the coyote, El waited for an attack in case she’d misjudged him. It never came. He watched her with unblinking eyes.

Feeling safe but tired, she bent her legs and hugged them to her chest. Closing her eyes she placed her head on her knees as bone-rattling shakes swamped her. Her arms and legs went numb and her teeth chattered. She didn’t flinch when the coyote sat next to her. She was exhausted, no strength left to even move her head but she opened her eyes to look at him.

He was warm. His fur so soft she wanted to burrow into him and sleep. In the back of her mind she knew what she was doing was insane. She sat with a wild animal at her side but she wouldn’t move. Couldn’t move. His actions spoke of care and protection. He’d stopped the other coyote from attacking her and now he was keeping her warm, standing guard. And she was so sleepy.

The cold had her thinking and doing things she wouldn’t under normal circumstances. Obviously she was hallucinating, in the throes of hypothermia or something. He rubbed his head back and forth on her arm. The motion soothed and reassured her he didn’t intend to hurt her. If she died out here in this frozen wonderland she wouldn’t be alone.

Lethargic with cold, she slumped against him. His coat encouraged snuggling and she buried her hands in his fur. Her cheek lay on his neck and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the heat he gave off. His heartbeat set a steady rhythm beneath her ear and lulled by his warmth and comfort, El draped her body over his.

She must have dozed because she didn’t hear anything until Quinn stood in front of her. He dropped to his knees beside her, tossing a bag at her feet.

“Here, get changed. We need to get her back fast.”

Confused by his words, El tried to get up.

“Not you, El. Let’s get your coat on.” Quinn gently eased one arm into the thermal garment.

Cold air flowed over her side as the coyote stood. She turned to watch him walk away, expected him to leave now there was another person here. But he didn’t. With grace he walked a few feet away and before she could understand what she saw, Brogan stood before her. Naked.

Oh, my God! She was hallucinating. She did not just see that gorgeous animal turn into Rowan’s brother. He reached for the bag Quinn had brought and pulled clothes out. Dressing quickly, he returned to her side just as Quinn got her zipped up.

“Brogan?” she whispered, the word full of the confusion swirling in her head.

“Shh… It’s all right. I’ve got you now. We’ll get you home and warm.” He pulled her close and hugged her tight before he picked her up and started walking through the falling snow. El curled into his body and gave up the fight to stay awake.

 

You can find all the details on Coyote Wild  HERE! Or purchase it from -

 

ELLORA’S CAVE  ~  AMAZON  ~ BARNES & NOBLE

 

This list of authors with snippets up this week:-

 

Mari Carr

Shiloh Walker

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Five For Friday – Coyote Whispers

 

This week I’m doing a random five from Coyote Whispers. You can find the first five pages of Coyote Whispers HERE!

 

Steve’s boots crunched through the fresh layer of snow on the ground as he made his way to the back door. Knocking the slush from his heels, he slipped through the open door and shut it behind him, making sure the deadlock engaged. His gut tightened. It wasn’t like Doc to leave the clinic open after hours. Careful not to make a sound, he turned and listened. Various motors associated with a doctor’s office hummed and the tick of a clock beat steadily but Steve couldn’t detect any other noise.

Where was Doc? Steve hadn’t seen her outside when he pulled up and he’d driven past the front of the building on his way to the back alley. She was expecting him. They’d spoken on the phone not fifteen minutes earlier. So where the hell was she and why was the clinic left unlocked? Something was wrong. Had been for weeks but Doc refused to talk about it. He cursed her for keeping him at arm’s length. Still.

His senses were on full alert as he stepped along the dark corridor. The door to Doc’s office was wide open, the chair pushed back from the desk as though she’d gotten up in a hurry. A chill slid down Steve’s spine and the hair across his nape stood on end. He went deeper into the building. The next door was closed and he placed his ear against the timber. No sound came from the other side, not that he expected to hear anyone in the storeroom.

Doc kept the room locked unless she was in there but he tried the knob regardless. It didn’t budge. Noise farther down the hall had his head snapping around. There was no one in sight and the place had gone quiet as a tomb again but he’d definitely heard something.

Gordie, where the hell are you?

The next room he came to served as the theater and morgue. Steve peered around the door frame. At a glance everything appeared to be in place so he moved on to the first examination room. Bright murals and mobiles made the children’s exam room like a playground and other than the gentle sway of the coyotes dangling from the ceiling where the central heating duct blew warm air into the room, there was no movement.

Steve paused, listening for any sign of life. There were two more rooms plus the reception office and waiting area to search. His senses told him he wouldn’t find anyone. He could smell Doc’s lingering scent, but couldn’t tell if she was here or not, the smells associated with any medical facility masked others and that made his instincts howl with frustration. She would never leave the clinic unattended and she certainly wouldn’t leave the back door unlocked, never mind open.

He wanted to race through the rest of the building, throwing open doors and yelling Doc’s name, but he stayed on the side of caution just in case he’d misjudged the situation. What danger could be lurking he hadn’t a clue and he didn’t really want to find out. All he wanted was Gordie. To know she was safe. He stepped into the next exam room. Movement to the left in his peripheral vision made him turn and crouch.

A large, silver blur rushed past his temple, ruffling his hair and almost making him miss the other, smaller steel implements flying in his direction. He ducked and rolled to the side. Landing on his stomach, he looked across the room. Gordie stood with her arms raised, an instrument tray in her hands, and the look of fear on her face brought his protective instincts and coyote screaming to the surface. Steve barely held on to his human side. Something or someone had terrified his mate and he was ready and willing to take that threat apart.

“Gordie!” Steve remained still, strained against the need to go to her, and tried to show the frightened woman he wasn’t a danger. “It’s me. Steve.”

Her face drained of color and her shoulders sagged as she lowered the tray. “Oh God. Steve?” Her words were no more than a breath.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me.” He slowly pushed off the floor. “The door was open, Doc.”

“The door?” Her gaze darted to the doorway behind him.

Her vagueness worried him. Whatever had caused her fear had done a real number on her. She hadn’t been this shaken up after the brutal attack months ago. He took a step toward her, his movement made her flinch, the metal tray dropping to the floor at her feet with a spine-rattling crash. Doc’s hands clenched into fists at her sides but the action didn’t hide the fact she was trembling.

He took another step, kept the motion smooth so as not to startle her again. Steve quickened his pace when she swayed. He’d taken two strides when she began to crumple to the floor. Darting forward, he barely caught her in time and he ended up sitting on the cold linoleum, Doc cradled in his lap. She threw her arms around his neck, buried her face against his chest and burst into tears.

Dumbstruck by this vulnerable Doc in his arms, it took Steve a moment to think straight. Holding her close, he rocked them, ran his hands up and down her back, and whispered words of reassurance he wasn’t even sure he believed. He told her it would be all right but he had no idea if his words were true when he had no clue about what had happened.

When her sobbing eased off to the odd hiccup, Steve reached into his pocket for his phone. It took him a couple of tries but he finally got the number he was after and hit call. He listened to two rings before a deep voice answered.

“Dale Turner.”

“Come to the clinic.”

“What the hell is going on, McKenna?”

“I don’t know exactly but you need to come now.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

The line went dead in his ear. He pulled the phone back into view and scrolled through his address book. Hitting call a second time, Steve brought the device back to his ear. It rang five times before Brogan picked up.

“Wilder.”

“Where are you?”

“In town, why?”

“You need to come to the clinic.”

“I’m not liking the sound of your voice, Steve.”

“Neither am I but I’m dealing. Just get here.” He hung up before his friend could question him further.

Pocketing the phone, he shifted Doc so he could get them off the floor. She lay limp in his arms as he got to his feet and walked over to the exam table. Placing her on the bed proved difficult when she wouldn’t let go of his neck.

“I’m not leaving but I have to let the sheriff in when he gets here.” Loud banging echoed down the hallway. “That’ll be him now. I’m coming right back.”

Steve untangled her arms and settled her back on the pillow. He grabbed the folded blanket from the foot rail, shook it out and spread it over her, tucking in the sides. He brushed a hand over her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Be right back.”

Making his way to reception at a jog, he crossed the waiting area and unlocked the front door. Dale, Brogan and Quinn charged in, making Steve jump back or be knocked down by the three men. He started to shut the door when Rowan and El stepped inside.

“Well, the gang’s all here.”

“Cut the crap, McKenna. What the fuck’s going on?” Brogan demanded.

Steve sighed. “I don’t know exactly yet. I got here about ten minutes ago and the back door was open with no one in sight.”

“Where was Gordie?” Rowan asked.

“In the exam room but I didn’t know that then.”

“What do you mean by that?” Dale stepped closer.

“I’ll explain everything but first I have to get back to Doc.” Steve turned, throwing over his shoulder, “Make sure you secure the door.”

“Secure the door? Just what the fuck is going on, Steve?” Brogan boomed.

“Stop yelling. Doc’s nerves are frayed enough without you adding to it.” Steve entered the exam room to find Gordie had turned on her side facing the doorway. Her eyes where huge in her chalk-white face and his gut knotted. He walked over and gathered her into his arms, needing to feel her against him to know she was safe.

Wrapped in the blanket, she curled up on his lap as he took a seat in a chair. She trembled and in spite of the blanket and warm room, her body temperature had gone down as though she’d been outside without her coat.

“Gordie?” Rowan knelt at his feet, brushed her hand over Gordie’s head. “Can I get you something? A drink maybe?”

“Tea. Warm, sweet tea will help.” El patted Doc’s shoulder. “I’ll get a cup.”

Steve loved that their group of friends were rallying around Doc but hated that she needed them at all. He’d give her another minute to warm up before he asked any questions. The three men stood in the room like a barricade against any further threat, their menacing faces enough to scare off the toughest of adversaries, known or otherwise.

El returned with a mug of tea and Steve held it to Doc’s lips. She sipped, her hands wrapping around the cup and his hand. Her fingers interlocked with his and she gave him a gentle squeeze before she pushed the hot drink away and sat up.

“I’m okay.” She sighed before lowering her head to rest on his shoulder.

“Wanna tell us what happened?” Steve asked.

“Not really much to tell. Someone was in the clinic. I’d locked up before talking to you so I don’t know how they got in. Or how they got out.”

“Out’s easy. They went through the back door. It was open when I got here.” He handed the mug to Rowan. “Did you get a look at who it was? Were they after drugs?”

Doc let out a chest-shaking sigh. “This is going to sound stupid and I won’t blame any of you for thinking me crazy.”

Dale laughed. “You’re the least crazy person on the planet, Doc.”

“Besides, in the last year there’s been lots of crazy shit going on in this town,” Brogan added.

“He was in black from head to foot. A beanie on his head and some sort of scarf over his face but I’d know those eyes anywhere.”

Steve tensed. He knew what was coming, felt it in his bones and yet it still hit him like a two-by-four when Doc said the name.

“Marcus.” She shuddered and sagged against him. “It was Marcus.”

“Son of a bitch.” Brogan lunged for El as she slumped to the floor. “Shit.”

“I’m okay, Brogan. A little wobbly in the knees, but I’m okay,” El said.

“Jesus, woman. Don’t do that.” Brogan held her in his arms.

Steve almost laughed at the terrified tone in his friend’s voice but he knew all too well what Marcus was capable of doing. It had only been a few weeks since the maniac had had El at his mercy so her weak knees were understandable.

“Are you sure, Doc?” Dale asked.

“She wouldn’t have said it if she wasn’t,” Steve snapped.

“Whoa.” Dale held up his hands. “Just checking. It’s my job, remember?”

Steve relaxed his tight grip on Gordie. “Sorry, but Doc doesn’t lie.”

“Never said she did but adrenaline can do a number on you and so can fear. She wouldn’t be the first victim to make a mistake.”

“No mistake.” Gordie shifted in Steve’s arms. “Help me sit up, Steve. It’s time we told everyone about last May.”

“While you’re at it maybe you’ll tell us what’s been going on for weeks now too?” Steve was over being kept in the dark. If Doc was prepared to reveal what had happened back in spring then she could damn well tell him what the fuck had been going on recently.

 

You can find more info on Coyote Whispers HERE! And you can purchase the ebook from -

 

ELLORA’S CAVE  ~  AMAZON  ~  BARNES & NOBLE

 

Want more Five For Friday?

 

 

Jambrea Jo Jones
Bianca D’Arc
Lila Dubois
Lexxie Couper
Mari Carr

Special guest Mari Carr

Rhian Cahill and I have been friends since God was a baby. She was one of the first connections I made when I entered this crazy world of writing. We began as critique partners, but since then, that distinction comes very far down on the list as, nowadays, I consider her one of my dearest friends and the sister of my heart. Rhian has graciously rolled out the red carpet and allowed me to stop by to do some shouting, as I have a new book, Bachelor’s Bait, releasing on Tuesday, November 7.

 

On my website (www.maricarr.com), I’m holding a weeklong “Cocktale” party to celebrate Bachelor’s Bait’s release. There will be drink recipes, excerpts, and a contest! I hope you’ll stop by and check it out.

 

As part of the party fun, I’m telling “cocktales” about some of the crazy times I’ve spent with my friends. Rhian came for a visit several years ago and I suspect she is still trying to recover. While we’d chatted online for years, it was our first face-to-face meeting. All was well on the ride home from the airport, both of us chatting just like we did online—it was clear we were kindred spirits.

 

However, that first night, I had to drag her along with me to fulfill a promise to my mother. I’d agreed to videotape a program at my mother’s church. For some odd reason, this elderly couple was portraying Adam and Eve and they were taking their roles (and costuming) way too seriously! Talk about first impressions. We saw things that night I don’t think either of us will ever forget! And I’m relieved to report Rhian was not completely traumatized as she has been back to visit since then!

 

The friends in Cocktales remind me a lot of my International Heat writing pals. You never know what chaos we’re going to cause. Bachelor’s Bait is number three in the series that is about a group of four friends who open a bookstore-slash-bar called Books and Brew together. Party Naked and Screwdriver, the first two books, are available now.

 

Bachelor’s Bait

Cocktales, Book Three

 

Sophia Kennedy is determined to chase her own success, rather than ride her father’s coattails. She’s devoted herself to Books and Brew, the business she owns with her three best friends. She doesn’t feel the need to explain herself to anyone, least of all the free-aid lawyer who’s determined to judge her as a society princess. She’d ignore him altogether…if it were up to her mind. But nooooo. Her body just has to have its say—and it’s using words like “gorgeous”, “hot” and “sexy”. Soon, annoyance turns to attraction, verbal sparring to physical satisfaction as the couple is drawn together by a common cause.

 

Marc Garrett has no time for a relationship. And he certainly doesn’t want a rich society fixture, though the damning evidence below his belt suggests otherwise. The more he comes to know his hardworking princess, the more he wants her, again and again. Marc’s falling hard, but after holding Sophie’s wealth against her, how will she react when she learns of his own rather prosperous roots?

 

Excerpt:

“You’re late,” Stephanie called out from behind the bar.

“Bite me.” Sophie walked straight to the storeroom to stash her purse. She was part owner of the bookstore-slash-bar with her three best friends,Stephanie,Jordanand Jayne. They were closer than sisters. Therefore the need to mince words and pretend to play nice had disappeared long ago.

“I tried to call you a couple times,” Stephanie said while Sophie grabbed an apron.

Sophie frowned and reached into her pocket to pull out her cell. “My phone never rang.”

“I know. That’s because you currently don’t have your phone.”

The second Sophie saw it she knew Stephanie was telling the truth. She’d picked up the asshole’s phone instead of her own. “Shit.”

“That’s what the guy who answered your phone said. Mr. Garrett is coming by tonight to make the switch with you.”

“You told him where to find me?”

Stephanie frowned. “I figured you’d want your phone back. Who is this guy? And why did you tell him your name is Patricia Butt–Bitch?” Stephanie never called Patricia by her given name.

Sophie sighed. “Nobody. Just some guy I ran into on the sidewalk.”

Literally.

“He sounded nice enough to me, though a bit frustrated with the phone mix-up. What’s his problem? Nerdy? Annoying?”

“Asshole,” Sophie supplied easily, though she wasn’t sure it was fair to keep labeling him as such, given they’d only talked a couple of minutes at most.

“Ah. If you want to hide in the back when he gets here, I can make the swap for you. Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly what time he’s coming. Said something about stopping by after a meeting with a judge. You think he’s in trouble with the law? Wonder what he did.”

“He’s a free-aid lawyer. His office is near The Nail Gallery.”

“Oh. Well, he can’t be all bad then, can he? I mean, rather than using his law degree to make a bundle of cash, he’s putting his talents to use to help the less fortunate. Jared said those free legal aid clinics do some really good things for domestic violence victims and the community as a whole.”

Stephanie, who served as the bartender at Books and Brew, had recently fallen head over heels for Jared, a local cop. The woman who’d always sworn off relationships had been bitten hard by the love bug, and Sophie couldn’t be happier for her.

Sophie found her first impression of Marc wavering in the face of Stephanie’s argument. Before she could admit it, the phone in her hand started ringing. Justin Timberlake’s SNL song Dick in a Box sounded loud enough that everyone in the place turned to look at her, then laugh.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “See?” She gestured to the phone as Stephanie grinned widely. “Asshole.”

 

Bachelor’s Bait is available for presale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Snippet Saturday – Frenemies

 

 

This weeks theme is frenemies and I’m sharing a snippet of when Brogan makes himself less than a friend to El.  :)

 

 

What the hell was he doing?

Brogan held El in his arms as she came. Her body arched and bowed, shook with every spasm. They’d barely touched but she was so sensitive to his every move. Was that because they were mated?

He wanted to think it was him, wanted to think he was the only man to give her intense, instant pleasure.

With a final shudder, her body went soft beneath him. When had he lain on top of her?

Their mouths pulled apart as El’s orgasm broke and they both dragged in great gulps of air. The harsh rasp of breath pumping in and out was the only noise in the room. Reality crashed in on him and he pulled back to look at her.

Her face, flushed with blood and slick with sweat, glowed with satisfaction. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and dreamy, they stared up at him. He shouldn’t have touched her. She didn’t know who he was, what he was, and before he had her she would have to know. He wouldn’t be happy until he knew she came to him freely, knowing what she was getting.

“This shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” Brogan scrambled up, got off the bed completely.

She stared at him, the dreamy expression gone, replaced with confusion. He knew the second it turned to anger. Her blue eyes turned glacial, slicing into him with their piercing stare. He swallowed the words bubbling in his throat, the ones that would soothe her and explain. The ones that would land him right back in bed when she wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Why you—”

Her words cut off when she picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He ducked but it brushed his shoulder. “Eloise, please.” A second pillow connected with his skull.

“Get out!” she screamed.

He held his hands up in surrender and backed toward the door. “Calm down, I’m going, but I’m warning you, this isn’t over. I will be back.”

She launched from the bed, picked up one of her missiles and charged at him.

“Calm down? Why you miserable, bloody—”

Thump!

Her weapon slammed into the back of his head as he turned. “Dammit, El, you’ll pay for that later.”

“And stay out!” Her shout was promptly followed by the slamming of the door.

He stared down at the raging hard-on in his pants. My God, she was magnificent angry. Her eyes shot fire and her cheeks flushed red. She wanted to beat him senseless and he wanted to fuck her senseless. If the whole thing wasn’t so serious it’d be funny.

 

You can find all the details on Coyote Wild HERE! Or purchase it from -

 

ELLORA’S CAVE  ~  AMAZON  ~ BARNES & NOBLE

 

And don’t forget to check out the other snippets up this week -

 

Mari Carr

Shiloh Walker

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

TJ Michaels

Jody Wallace

Five For Friday – Special Issue!

This week I’m doing a special Five For Friday. Yesterday saw the launch of the Hot Down Under line of shorts from Momentum Books. My contribution, Shut Up And Kiss Me, isn’t out until December 1 but it’s already up for pre-order on Amazon. CLICK HERE!  :) Anyway, I thought I’d share the covers and blurbs of the first five stories in the line.

 

A Real Online Fantasy – Cate Ellink



Can an online fantasy ever become real?
When Condamine connects with Esquire in a chat room, neither expect their mutual pleasure and close friendship will become something far more intimate and real. But when the opportunity to meet Esquire in the flesh comes up will Condamine – Caitlyn, in real life – be bold enough to act out her deepest fantasies, or will she hide away from the world behind the comfortable glare of her computer screen?

Buy at AMAZON

 

 

Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon – Mel Teshco



Kristen Treymore isn’t living anymore – she’s existing.
Trapped in marriage to Jack, an alcoholic who uses his fists to communicate, Kristen has given up her freedom in an attempt to protect his daughter. When Conrad Doyle, childhood friend and the man whose heart she unwittingly broke, shows up on Kristen’s doorstep and offers her a lifeline, she can’t refuse.
What she never dreams possible is how much she still wants him—but is that enough to keep them together when terror still beats deep in her heart?

Buy at AMAZON

 

 

A Sporting Chance – Rhyll Biest



In the outback town of Mount Tully, many a man’s had to squeeze into a frock after backing the wrong derby cane toad on Australia Day.
But Mount Tully’s surliest bartender, Jane Hood, has her steel-capped boots planted firmly on the ground, so there’s no way she’d risk her independence to accept a saucy bet from the sexy but bossy pub owner, Luka Belov … is there?

Buy at AMAZON

 

The Final Wish – Tracey O’Hara



Ishari is a djinn – the veritable genie in a bottle.

Her latest master, Caleb Salt, a hot young rock star, has one wish left. The curse of sexual need has nothing to do with the lust she feels for him, but he doesn’t seem to desire her in the same way.
Caleb has used his first two wishes to save his brother. Will he do the same with the last, or will he use it for himself? Either way, once he makes that wish, his erotically sensual genie will be lost to him forever and she’s something he’s just not ready to lose.

Buy at AMAZON

 

 

Room With A View – Kylie Scott



Natalie has watched as the zombie plague devastated civilisation.
Angus had been a miracle. Twenty-three years old and gorgeous he had appeared like Romeo from the pool area and thrown supplies up to her balcony. But now Angus is gone – he has abandoned her, which is probably for the best. She couldn’t stand to watch him die too.
Stranded four floors up and fenced in on all sides by the infected, food and water supplies are running as low as Natalie’s spirits. A lingering death from starvation seems inevitable.
But then she sees Angus striding for the pool gate with a sawn-off shotgun in his hands. Can he make it past the infected to reach her? And what will it mean if he does?

Buy at AMAZON

 

Head on over to the Hot Down Under blog to find out more about the series.

  

Want some more Five For Friday?

 

Jambrea Jo Jones
Bianca D’Arc
Lila Dubois
Lexxie Couper
Mari Carr

Six Sentence Sunday – Spin The Bottle Pt6 – #sixsunday

 

 

Last installment of Spin The Bottle.

 

Giving himself a mental shake, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees, Mac continued to watch her move. “Tell me what happened.”

She jerked, just a small jolt before her body went perfectly still. He studied her closely, didn’t want to miss any telltale twitch or tick that may indicate she wasn’t being honest with him. Mac had no doubt she would try to slip a pair of rose-coloured glasses over the incident. She’d do everything she could to minimise what had happened.

 

 

For more information on Spin The Bottle go HERE!

 

Or you can purchase the book from – SAMHAIN  ~  AMAZON  ~  BARNES & NOBLE 

 

Don’t forget to check out the other six sentences up this week HERE!

 

Snippet Saturday – Bump In The Night

 

This week I’m sharing a scene from Coyote Home where there’s an unexpected ‘bump in the night’.

 

Quinn jolted awake, reaching for Rowan as he sat up. Already up and moving off the bed, she grabbed for a shirt.

“What the hell was that?”

He didn’t get a chance to answer her, the door flung open and Brogan burst into the room. “Are you two all right?” He scanned the room for some perceived menace.

“We’re fine. What was it?” Quinn asked while he pulled on pants.

“I think we’ve got a broken window. I thought it came from in here.” Brogan turned and left as quickly as he’d come in.

“I think it was my old room,” Rowan said as she followed him out the door, Quinn right on her heels.

Brogan stood three feet inside the doorway staring at the mess of broken glass and snow littering the floor and furniture. They hadn’t left much in this room, a queen bed and dresser the only large items. There was a small writing desk and chair in one corner and a plush recliner in another. The desk and dresser remained unmarked but the bed and recliner had a layer of snow and glass glittering on them. The wind howled through the window and filled the room, dropping the temperature a good thirty degrees. Rowan shivered and Quinn moved around her to block the worst of the cold.

“How would the wind pick up a rock and hurl it through the window?”

“What rock?” Quinn surveyed the debris for what she was talking about.

Brogan stepped forward and Rowan’s hand shot out and stopped him in his tracks.

“You’ve got no shoes on, Brogan.”

Her reminder came just in time. They were all barefoot and not exactly dressed to tackle the clean up and repair of the window. Walking backward, Quinn pulled Rowan with him as he moved into the hall.

“Close the door to stop the chill from getting into the rest of the house, Brogan. We’ll get dressed and clean this up now. I’m not leaving it until morning, if the snow gets any worse the room will be soaked by then.” Rowan spun away from them and went back to their room.

“The weather didn’t do this,” Brogan said.

Quinn thought the same but remained quiet on the subject for now. “Let’s fix the window first and worry about the rest later.”

He found Rowan not getting dressed but standing by the window peering out into the darkness. The rollers on the timber door of the wardrobe squeaked as he pushed it open. He grabbed jeans and a flannel shirt to throw over his T-shirt. She hadn’t moved when he turned back and he walked over to see what she was looking at.

“Why would someone be out on a snowmobile in near blizzard conditions?”

“What?” Quinn cupped his hand on the glass and scrutinized the darkness. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Over by the trees on the left, see the tracks? They’re not covered because of the tree canopy.”

She was right. Once he knew where to look, his keen coyote vision picked up the distinct trails of a snowmobile leading off into the forest. It appeared he’d be going out in the storm to scout around. He wouldn’t follow the path cut into the snow but he’d be sure to find anything that might have been left behind. If the person had sat watching the house for long there could be a clue as to their identity. Not that he needed one. His gut told him it was Marcus but what was he playing at throwing rocks?

Quinn was of the opinion the man was impulsive and stupid but sitting in a snow storm in the dead of winter was downright insane. And if Marcus had crossed over that fine line into the mentally unstable they were in for far more trouble than he ever could have imagined or expected.

 

 

You can purchase Coyote Home from -

 

ELLORA’S CAVE  ~  AMAZON  ~  BARNES & NOBLE

 

Be sure to check out the other snippets up this week -

Mari Carr

Shiloh Walker

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

TJ Michaels

Jody Wallace

Five For Friday – Shut Up And Kiss Me

In honor of the first five Hot Down Under stories going live in 6 days time I thought I’d share five lines from my Hot Down Under contribution, Shut Up And Kiss Me, due out December 1. You can pre-order it at Amazon HERE!

 

Jac’s body screamed in, but she couldn’t voice the word. Not without clearing a few things up.

“If I’m in are we talking in and out of the bedroom?”

“We’re talking anywhere I goddamn please,” he growled.

“No. I mean is this going to be a friends-with-benefits thing or something more?” Jac couldn’t open herself to Kyle, couldn’t give him what he was asking for, unless he was offering more.

“Jac, honey,” he whispered as he leaned into her. “This has been more from the minute we met.” And then he kissed her and blew every thought clear out of her head.

 

Blurb:

 

The city of Sydney isn’t the only thing heating up this summer.

 

Jacqueline Mowbray has spent months fantasizing about her friend Kyle and never once did she consider he may be suffering the same unrelenting attraction. But Jac is about to find out that what Kyle wants Kyle gets.

 

Kyle Barnes has kept a lid on his simmering desire for Jac for years but what’s a man to do when faced with a hot, wet woman wearing only a towel? Take what he wants of course.

 

As the city around them melts under a summer heat wave these two friends will discover the sizzling temperatures aren’t the only thing boiling over.

 

Warning: This story contains more than rising temperatures and the author advises the reader to have a cold drink or suitable partner to help combat the heat.

 

Shut Up And Kiss Me releases December 1 but is up for pre-order on AMAZON  &  AMAZON UK

 

Want some more Five For Friday?

 

Jambrea Jo Jones
Bianca D’Arc
Lila Dubois
Lexxie Couper
Mari Carr

Six Sentence Sunday – Spin The Bottle Pt5 – #sixsunday

 

 

So apparently I can’t count. Last week I labeled my Six Sentence Sunday post as Pt2 of Spin The Bottle when in fact the week before was labeled Pt2 but when I went back through the posts for Spin The Bottle it became clear that last week was in fact Pt4! *head desk* So this is the fifth installment of Spin The Bottle. Talk about math fail.

 

She wandered over to where she’d kicked off her fuck-me heels and bent to slip them on. Her hem inched higher, giving him a flash of the silky skin on her inner thighs. He knew how soft that area was. Knew how it slid beneath his fingertips with tantalizing ease. Mac swallowed, his throat going dry as he remembered having his hand on that supple flesh earlier. God, she was a distraction. He’d entered her room with the intention of finding out how her dress had been torn, not to think about stripping her out of it.

 

 

For more information on Spin The Bottle go HERE!

 

Or you can purchase the book from – SAMHAIN  ~  AMAZON  ~  BARNES & NOBLE 

 

Don’t forget to check out the other six sentences up this week HERE!

 

Snippet Saturday – Authors Choice

Decisions, decisions. Okay, how about a little bit of Brogan?

 

“And stay out!” Her shout was promptly followed by the slamming of the door.

He stared down at the raging hard-on in his pants. My God, she was magnificent angry. Her eyes shot fire and her cheeks flushed red. She wanted to beat him senseless and he wanted to fuck her senseless. If the whole thing wasn’t so serious it’d be funny.

Footsteps echoed behind him.

“Off to a good start I see.” Quinn chuckled, his eyes dropping to Brogan’s crotch.

“Don’t say it. I screwed up. She probably won’t talk to me for the rest of my life but I didn’t fuck her. Not quite anyway.”

“How can you not quite fuck her?”

“We kissed. Fooled around a bit,” Brogan said before mumbling, “It’s what happened after that got me in trouble.”

“What happened?”

“Knock it off, Quinn. I’m not giving you the details of my sex life.” What was with Quinn anyway? They hadn’t had sex. He’d come crashing back to reality before things had gone that far.

“Did she orgasm?”

“What the fuck? What kind of question is that? And why the hell are you asking?” Brogan yelled.

“Because, dipshit, if she did by your hand, you marked her.”

“I know that.”

Quinn took a deep breath. “I’ll ask a different way, is she marked?”

“Fuck!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Fuck!”

“You said that already.”

“I know but… Fuck!” Brogan paced two strides away, two strides back.

“She can’t leave the house. And she has to be told.”

Brogan knew Quinn spoke the truth. He ran his hand over his face. Why did it have to be so easy to mark your mate? “We tell her today. It can’t wait.”

“You can’t just dump it on her. Not after she fainted and…” Quinn waved his hand in the direction of her door.

“Dammit, she has to know.”

“Fine, do it your way.”

“Don’t I always?”

“Yes, but somehow I think this time might be different.”

“I may have marked her and placed her in danger but I’m here to protect her. Nothing will happen.”

Quinn snorted. “It’s not her I’m worried about. Get yourself sorted.” He pointed at Brogan’s still-hard cock. “I’ll get Rowan to come up and check on El.”

Quinn took two steps before adding, “If you’re lucky, I won’t tell your sister what happened.”

Ah, shit!

Rowan was gonna kill him if she found out.

 

You can purchase Coyote Wild at -

 

ELLORA’S CAVE  ~  AMAZON  ~  BARNES & NOBLE

 

More Snippet Saturday posts -

 

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

Shiloh Walker

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

Shelli Stevens

Jody Wallace