Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 288

Have you missed Hunter, Marco, Payton, and Harley?

I may be on vacation, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy! And you may be getting ready to entertain family, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need stress breaks! I have the perfect suggestion. Something short, super hot, and fun! Yes, another Stepbrothers Stepping Out story, and in particular, another With His SEAL Team installment! Check it out!

I’m Sara, and most days my life is wonderful—better than wonderful. I live with three handsome, sexy Navy SEALs, who see to my every need—one of whom is now my fiancé. My stepbrother, Hunter, is the love of my life. Everything couldn’t be better, but two things worry me. I wonder whether our open arrangement with Hunter’s buddies will end after we tie the knot…and our parents are coming for a visit! Will my SEALs be able to pretend we’re only housemates? Will our parents approve our wedding? After all, Hunter and I were raised as siblings…

Get your copy here!

I’m thinking there will be only one more installment of Hunter and Sara’s story. After you read this one, you’ll guess exactly where we’re going—right to a satisfying end!

In case you’ve missed a story…

 

 

Lynda Bailey: Happy Birthday to – ME! (Contest)

Yes, today is my birthday.

And I want to thank the FABulously talented Delilah Devlin for hosting me on the anniversary of the day I was born. To celebrate I’m giving away presents! Leave a comment for the chance to win one of my digital titles plus a $5 gift card.

Okay. Birthdays. More specifically…my birthday. While I’m not going to a reveal just how old I am, I will tell you I remember (barely) where I was when President Kennedy was shot, when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show – yes this means I remember Ed Sullivan as well – the (first) Hula Hoop craze and watching news feeds from the Vietnam War. In other words, I’m part of the 80,000,000 who make up the *Baby Boom* generation…those individuals born between the years 1946 and 1964. People like Merle Streep, Madonna, Oprah and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really had an accurate perception of age – or at least not an accurate perception of MY age. I find myself doing things today that I did twenty years ago when I was…well…twenty years younger. Things like sitting cross-legged in my easy chair. (I don’t think I ever saw my mother sitting cross-legged, not even on a picnic…) Things like giggling. Not laughing…giggling. Things like running through leaves in the fall just to hear the whishy, crunchy sound. Things like wanting to buy a Jeep. Not a Jeep Cherokee mind you, but a four-door Wrangler Rubicon (great statement vehicle, huh?) complete with a badass stick shift between the bucket seats.

What’s causing my age misperception? I believe the answer comes in the 80,000,000 number I quoted above. Companies understand they can’t afford to alienate such a large number of customers. They know it’s in their best interest to cater to this huge – and aging – demographic. That’s why Diane Keaton and Andie MacDowell (two more Boomers) are spokeswomen for L’Oréal makeup and hair products.

But probably the real reason I don’t have a good grasp on my age is because I don’t want to have a good grasp on my age. It was the same when I was younger…I never wanted to “act my age.” Why change now? Things are just getting interesting…

So what *generation* do you come from? Are you a Boomer like me, or from the X-generation? Are you a thirty or forty something? What’s YOUR perception of age? Remember to leave a comment for the chance to win your choice of my titles + a $5 gift card.

Thanks again to the awesome Delilah Devlin for hosting me today!

Now here’s a peek at my newest release, Mended Trust, available now…

All Ford Washington wanted for was to marry his childhood sweetheart, Zoe, have a couple of kids and live a simple, yet happy life. Too bad Zoe had other plans. His wife leaving damn near destroyed Ford, but he buried his pain and forged ahead in order to care for his two young children. When he isn’t bartending at the Bluebird Saloon, Ford’s at home with Abel and Emery. Though being their dad gives him immeasurable happiness, Ford thinks it might be time to start dating again. And that’s when Zoe arrives back in Trustworthy.

Zoe Miller Washington knows her mind. She always has. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. Period. Like the time when, at the tender age of ten, she decided she’d one day be Ford’s wife and mother of his children. And she was. But a growing restlessness started to consume Zoe from the inside out. Something was missing, but she didn’t know what. Until she met Jenna. Then Zoe’s disquiet began to ease, though not completely. Now she’s back in Trustworthy to get the final pieces of her heart’s puzzle—her husband and kids.

Jenna Blakely is—most definitely—not a pushover. She’s a Top, for heaven’s sake, and a good one at that. However, from the moment she met Zoe, she couldn’t say no. To anything. Not to taking Zoe on a cross country trip, not to them moving in together, not even to showing Zoe the beautiful complexities of a Top/bottom bond. But when Zoe wants to return to Trustworthy to see her kids, Jenna fears there’s more to her request than meets the eye. Does Zoe also want to “see” her estranged husband and, if so, what will that mean for her relationship with Zoe?

Mended Trust is a BDSM, polyamorous romance which contains scenes of domination and submission, spanking, whipping, multiple sex partners and more. It is intended for mature readers only.

Get your copy here!

About Me

I’ve always loved stories, especially romances. For me the only thing better than reading a romance is writing one. That and drinking red wine while eating dark chocolate.

My romances are full of passion, with heat levels that range from hot to sizzling! I’m proud to have been a 2010 finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart®. I hope you’ll join me for laughter and love, and where the good guys always win.

I live in in the beautiful Sierra Mountains with my husband of thirty+ years and our pampered pooches.

Stalker Links:

Website: https://www.lyndabailey.net

Blog: http://www.lyndabailey.net/category/blog/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LyndaBaileyRomanceAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlyndab

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/baileylynda/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6472849.Lynda_Bailey

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lynda-Bailey/e/B007UQHW9E/

A Question…

My dd and I had a long, two-day drive from Arkansas to Virginia, so we had tons of time to ponder what’s wrong in the world. One segment of our two-day conversation had to do with Blake Sheldon being named “Sexiest Man Alive”. No, we don’t begrudge Blake his honor, but it began a rather fierce discussion regarding who our personal choices would be. Names like Brad Pitt, Jason Momoa, Ryan Reynolds, and Steve Buscemi (hey–ex-NYC firefighter!) were considered. We finally agreed on Idris Elba!

BTW, has anyone seen the movie The Mountain Between Us? I’ve been dying to!

So, let’s keep today’s question easy. You’ve probably already had this discussion with your bestie. Think about just one…

Who is your personal choice for Sexiest Man Alive?

My Thanks and a Puzzle!

Hey, everyone! I’m on the road today, heading toward Virginia for a visit with the other half of my family. My son lives there with his wife and four kids. My dd and two of her daughters are traveling with me. It’s a two-day road trip, and we started yesterday, so we should be there late this afternoon!

I wanted to stop in and thank you so much for your support of Reaper! This story and the series that’s following it are very exciting for me. I hope you love them because I could write and write and write in that world. What’s not to love? I have ex-military heroes and heroines. Montana’s majestic beauty. Bounty hunters who operate on the edge of the law. Funny and scary takedowns! Well, thanks again. And if you’re feeling kindly toward this author, please consider posting a review to help other readers decide to take a chance on my book!

Now for the puzzle! I love them. And I love to use my covers to give you something to drool over once you’ve completed putting the pieces together! This story’s coming very, very soon and is up for pre-order. (That was just a hint! )

Jennifer Kacey: Kink is AMAZING (Huge Giveaway)

Kink is fantastic!

It just is.

I know people are scared of it or shy away from it because they think it’s TOO MUCH but I’m here to tell you that’s 110% inaccurate.

When you run a marathon do you just go out and run 26.2 miles? Of course not. You start small and build up your strength and your body has to learn what it’s supposed to do.

How it’s supposed to react and how to process what is happening while you’re running or doing cardio or strength training.

When you decide to be a doctor are you just *POOF* a doctor one day?? Of course not. You go to school and you learn small and then big and then BIGGER! You learn from others. You have mentors. You find study partners and lab groups to belong to and you figure it all out together.

Kink is no different.

You start small. You don’t just bust out with a single ankle, self-suspension on your first outing. You don’t get whipped by a single tail for 45 minutes at your first play party. And you don’t do a 2-hour needle plat scene with someone you’ve never met when you’ve never picked up a needle before. Never done research before. Never watched it before.

So you start small and see what you think Then you can move around to other things and find out what YOUR kink is. You can just watch. In videos or in person. There are sooo many options.

And I know how much kink is a part of my life and how AMAZING it can be, and I hope everyone can find some piece of it to make their life better and, hopefully, a bit spicier too!

Oh! One more thing!

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!

I’m not saying you have to know exactly what you’re doing from the word go. Or where you’re going to end up. Or what you’re going to BE as you go through this journey. But be honest with yourself throughout the journey. Be honest with what you like and what you don’t like. Saying you like something or don’t like something because you think you’re supposed to will only create hurt feelings, Yours and the others you interact with.

That’s not fair to anyone. So go out there and own it, my peeps!!

A married couple looking for more and finding it in the arms of each other. There are nine stories total…short kinky stories meant to tantalize and excite you. May you fall in love with love and everything that word means to your fantasies…

Amazon – http://goo.gl/h0rg1l

B&N – http://goo.gl/pirQxv

Kobo – http://goo.gl/baXVQc

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/587751

Ibooks – http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1052596739

Print copy – https://www.createspace.com/7293784

I hope anyone that reads these stories gets a little spark to live a bit more. To reach for something they didn’t think they could have. You’re wrong.

You can have it all. You can do anything.

Life is made for living so go out there and conquer the world!!!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY**

Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!! Including a full print copy of the entire series and a copy of Penthouse magazine that I have a story in! So tell me a kink that you’d love to explore that you’ve never dipped your toes in yet!!

I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 20th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

Decadently Yours,

Jennifer Kacey

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas– Amazon Page

Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

Brent Archer: Brent Talks About His New Series, The Rain City Tales

I love the Pacific Northwest. The State of Washington boasts some of the most diverse biozones on the continent, encompassing craggy and rugged coastline, sandy coastal beaches, the Salish Sea, the Cascade Mountains, the fertile Columbia River, Wenatchee, and Yakima Valleys, the rolling farmland of the Palouse, the Okanogan Forest, and the foothills to the Rocky Mountains. Born in Spokane, Washington, I spent the majority of my adolescence exploring the Palouse farmlands and the Rocky Mountain foothills.

When it came time for college, my life completely changed. I’d been reading Clive Cussler’s adventure books about oceanography and shipwrecks through my teen years, and I couldn’t wait to live by the water. The University of Washington offered an Oceanography BS, and I applied and was accepted to the school. Nothing could have prepared me for Seattle. Fish other than trout to try, the towering Mount Rainier volcano standing watch over the city, people of diverse backgrounds and thought, a bus system that could get me anywhere I wanted to go, and trees everywhere.

Arriving in September after a long, hot summer complete with water rationing, the autumn stretched on and on, deliciously warm with bright yellow and red leaves taking their time changing and leisurely falling. Then October hit. And the rain. Good Lord, the rain. Day after day after day. As November rolled around, the frigid and wet wind sliced through the thickest wool coat and chilled me to the bone. Thankfully, I was having my own romance at that time (25 years and counting), so I was kept warm and toasty both physically and emotionally.

As I sit in a cool little café near Pike Place Market, I think back on all the adventures I’ve had in this remarkable city, and I’m excited to share some of those stories in my new series, Rain City Tales. The Officer’s Siren is the first installment, and follows hotel security guard Mike Bryant and SPD Officer Jason Lynch as they navigate their way through the dangers of Jason’s job and the perils of Mike’s family. The second installment is now available for pre-order, Past Secrets Present Danger, and follows accountant Roger Matthews navigating his partner SPD Officer Paul Tomlinson’s secrets when he lands in the hospital after a shooting.

****

You can order Mike and Jason’s story The Officer’s Siren here, first book of the Rain City Tales Series. Checkout Brent’s website for more details on upcoming books.

Excerpt:

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“My truck’s been stolen,” Mike grumbled.

“All right, sir. Let me get some details, and I’ll send an officer to you.”

Mike gave the operator the make and model of the truck, and his location. After ending the call, he waited on a plush seat by the crackling gas fireplace.

His phone dinged as he fought to keep his eyes open, and Mike glanced at the screen showing an update to his news stories notifications. He nearly missed the cop’s entrance, but he glanced up in time to see the tall officer, the weight of exhaustion temporarily dispelling. Early thirties, the blond hair, cropped on the sides but long on top, framed a rugged face. His intense blue eyes scanned the room.

The crotch of Mike’s slacks stirred as he took in the handsome specimen in front of him. The officer’s muscular arms bulged from of his regulation blue shirt, a sturdy chest stretching the fabric. His classic V waist led to long legs.

The officer leaned on the front desk across from Isaac, his firm, round butt on full display. “I’m looking for Mike Bryant.”

Mike stood and approached the officer. “That’s me.”

“Officer Jason Lynch. You’re missing a truck?”

Fumbling for words, Mike stuttered a response. “Yes, um, I left it parked out front last night, but, uh, now it’s gone.”

With half a grin, Officer Lynch took a blank report from the binder he carried. “Fill this out, please.”

Mike took the paper and scribbled in the required information. He tried to keep his attention on the form, but found himself more focused on the officer. Just as he finished signing his name, he glanced at the blond cop. Their eyes locked, and a smile slid across Lynch’s face. Heat rose into Mike’s cheeks.

Nodding at the form, Officer Lynch maintained the grin. “All finished?”

Mike handed over the page. After glancing over the form, Jason took a business card from his wallet. “Here’s how to contact me. We’ll see if we can locate your truck.”

Relief washed over Mike. He extended his hand. “Thank you.” Lynch grasped it in a firm grip and shook. Mike’s eyes opened wide as a finger rubbed along his wrist.

He returned the gesture, his pants suddenly too tight again. Trying to regain control, Mike released the officer’s hand. “If you do find it, I’ll come pick it up. You don’t need to impound it.”

Lynch nodded. “I’ll be sure to call you.” He smiled, winked, and strolled out the door.

As he stumbled back to the chair by the fire, Mike’s knees nearly buckled. He plopped down, trying to get his erection to subside.

Chuckling, Isaac came over from the desk and sat down next to him. “Quite a hunk.”

“Yup. He’s interested in me, too.”

Isaac’s lips formed a smirk. “Right. And how did you deduce that?”

“He did this.” Mike took Isaac’s hand and rubbed his finger along the wrist.

Isaac rolled his eyes. “To be young and full of pent up sexual energy.”

Mike winked. “Who said it’s pent up?”

About the Author

Brent Archer began writing in 2011 at the nudging of his cousins. His first story sold, and he was hooked! The third and final installment in his Golden Scepter Series, The Hurricane’s Triangle, will release on November 28, 2017 with MuseItHOT Publishing. Preorder it here.

Visit his website to keep up on upcoming releases, and follow him on Twitter: @brentarcherwrit.

Elle James: Montana Rescue

My sister, Elle James, has a new release! She’s in Portugal at the moment, so I’m posting this without her intro. If she remembers she should send me pictures, I’ll update this post. In the meantime, you have plenty of eye candy to enjoy with Montana Rescue! ~DD

Navy SEAL teams with a sexy CIA Assassin to smoke out a terrorist in the Crazy Mountains of Montana

Plagued by survivor’s guilt and a bad knee, SEAL Mad Dog Maddox left the Navy and buried himself in a mountain cabin in Colorado where the only creatures he hunts now are those he puts on his table. Slowly going out of his mind with boredom, he’s on the verge of throwing himself off a cliff when an old friend, his former commander gives him a reason to live. His mission: Team with special CIA operative and assassin to reveal a terrorist on home soil.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2j9yVNX

iBooks: http://bit.ly/BP8MontRescueiTunes

B&N: http://bit.ly/bp8MontRescueNook

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/montana-rescue

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/BPMRGPLAY

Print: http://amzn.to/2AuDBlX

Audio coming soon!!

Montana Bounty Hunters: Reaper is here! (Contest & Excerpt)

Can you tell I’m jumping up and down? No? Well, if my foot wasn’t sore, I would be! My baby is out in the world today, and I can’t wait until you read it! After you do (see that note of positivity?), I would love to hear what you think! And if you have time, consider leaving a review. Other readers will depend on what you say to make a decision about buying my book. Your opinion matters. Okay, enough from me. Enjoy a peek inside Reaper, and don’t forget to enter the contest!

Former Marine, Reaper Stenberg is a bounty hunter, running his own satellite agency of Montana Bounty Hunters, along with his partner, Jamie Burke. As a general rule, Reaper doesn’t like working with a partner, especially female partners. When chasing a bail-jumper, he prefers to keep his head down and follow the leads. He doesn’t like the “chatter” that usually accompanies working with a woman.

However, partnering with Jamie has taught him a few things. There are women who can focus on the job at hand without letting silly distractions get in the way of his concentration. Jamie is one of those rare creatures who doesn’t gossip, doesn’t get into his business, and can actually be useful when shit goes sideways and they have to get physical. Over the months since their boss, Fetch Winter, put them together, Reaper has come to admire the woman’s grit and ingenuity.

And then Jamie up and gets busy planning her wedding…

See what happens when Reaper has to deal with a ride-along author, Carly Wyatt, who—when shit goes sideways—proves his first female partner’s grit and ingenuity aren’t just lucky happenstance, and who challenges Reaper’s strict relationship rules.

Get your copy here!

Contest

Win an Amazon gift card! Because I believe in the power of things said out loud, I’d love for you to say something out loud—or at least in the comments below—about how you feel readers will embrace my bounty hunters! And because I’m already looking for more Montana Bounty Hunter character names, I want you to take a turn naming them! I already have Reaper, Dagger, and Fetch. They always have macho nicknames that mean they’re either big and badass or there’s no escaping them. So, give it a try and maybe you’ll win!

Read an Excerpt!

As a general rule, Reaper Stenberg didn’t like working with a partner, especially female partners. When chasing a target, he preferred to keep his head down and follow the leads. He didn’t like the “chatter” that usually accompanied being paired with a woman.

However, partnering with Jamie Burke had taught him a few things. Women existed who could focus on the job at hand without letting silly distractions get in the way of his concentration. Jamie was one of those rare creatures who didn’t gossip, didn’t mess in his business, and could actually be useful when shit went sideways and they had to get physical. Her methods for subduing a target weren’t ones he’d ever employ, but she knew how to compensate for her smaller frame and lesser strength. Over the months since their boss, Fetch Winter, had put them together, Reaper came to admire the woman’s grit and ingenuity.

Case in point was their present predicament.

No, this time she hadn’t tripped bail jumper, Mark Rebos, with a Jackie Chan move, and no, she hadn’t gripped his balls and twisted so hard he begged for mercy. This time—while she’d run all out—she locked a cuff on her right wrist, jumped onto his back, and snagged his right with the other cuff. Now, they faced each other, squinting in the rain and ankle-deep in mud, and Rebos couldn’t swing without dragging her closer.

The big man looked ready to explode. His pockmarked face was red, and his eyes bugged. Although Rebos was six inches taller than Jamie, and outweighed her by about eighty pounds, Reaper’s money was in Jamie.

Rebos tried to draw back his arm, but Jamie flopped like a ragdoll, making him pull her weight around. He was tiring. “What the hell did you do that for?” he asked, his voice thick with frustration.

Still breathing hard, Jamie shrugged. “Your wrist was the only thing I could reach. And you’re fast. I had to jump on your back before you pulled too far ahead. I was not running the length of Main Street again.”

They were both drenched. Rain fell in sheets around them. When Reaper and Jamie had spotted Rebos leaving the tobacco store at the other end of Main, Reaper had no other option than to halt in the middle of the street while Jamie leapt out the passenger door. Thursday night in Bear Lodge, Montana was Bingo night, and the old folks had filled every parking spot along the street. He’d driven around the corner to park before following Jamie, who chased Rebos and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Fugitive Recovery Agent, dipshit!” Luckily, Reaper had time to draw a rain poncho over his head before speeding after them.

When she’d leapt onto Rebos’s back, she’d taken him to the ground in the middle of a deep, muddy pit dug out by the torrent of water falling from the culvert above.

“You need any help, partner?” Reaper drawled, standing under an awning on the sidewalk above them.

Jamie bent and placed her hands on her knees, which forced Mark to double over. Their heads bumped.

She angled hers to frown at Rebos. “You gonna give me any more trouble?”

Rebos shook his head. “Just unlock these,” he said, lifting their hands. He squinted at her in the deluge. “Hey, you’re that female bounty hunter, ain’t you?” he said, a slow grin stretching his mouth.

“I’m a fugitive recovery agent,” she said, and then she strained to reach her left hand across her body to root inside her right front pocket.

When her shoulders dipped, Reaper grinned. “Lose your key?”

“I think they’re in yesterday’s pants,” she said, her voice rough with disgust.

Reaper couldn’t help chuckling, which earned him a mean scowl from Jamie. He held up his hands. “All right. I have a key.” He reached into his left pocket, dug around, and then frowned. “Wrong pocket.”

“Reaper…” she said, her lips tightening.

Yeah, he was just kidding. He reached into his right and pulled out a key. “Children, hold up your hands.”

Rebos snorted.

Jamie gave him the evil eye.

Reaper was feeling pretty good about this capture. He hadn’t had to bust a nut. And Jamie had provided him with a nice tale to share around the office. He unlocked the cuffs then pulled Rebos onto the sidewalk.

Jamie waved away his hand and climbed up on her hands and knees, before straightening her backbone and marching away.

Reaper wrapped his arm around Rebos’s shoulder and gave him a little shove forward. They had a ways to walk. “So, buddy, did I read your arrest warrant right—you stole the sheriff’s car?”

The big man shook his head. “How was I supposed to know that piece of shit Hyundai was his?”

Reaper patted his shoulder again. “Bad break, man. Hey, I’m gonna have to cuff you before I put you in the car.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He held still while Reaper moved behind him and snapped the cuffs around his wrists. “So, tell me. The chick, your partner…she single?”

Reaper was beginning to feel like it was Christmas. “She is.” Not a lie. Jamie’s wedding was in two months.

Rebos straightened his shoulders and thrust out his chest. “Think she’d wait for me?”

Although he wanted to, Reaper didn’t dare laugh.

 

Back at the office, they dropped their copy of the jail’s paperwork on Brian’s desk.

Brian was still bent over in his wheelchair laughing, his brown eyes tearing. Every time he glanced up at Jamie, he burst out laughing again—and he still hadn’t heard about lovesick Rebos.

As he stared at the muddy mess she’d made of the floor, Reaper shook his head. From the top of her blonde head to the heels of her cowboy boots, his partner was coated in sludgy muck. “Think your boyfriend Sky’s gonna let you in the house, looking like that?”

Her lips curved. “I imagine he’ll make me strip on the front porch.”

Reaper glared. Damn, sex on the porch sounded nasty. And fun. He didn’t need a reminder of the fact his latest place to crash had reclaimed her spare key. Something he’d mentioned to Jamie that morning in the spirit of “sharing.” Women seemed to like that shit, but Jamie hadn’t commiserated. No, she’d raised her fist to Girl Power and told him he needed to find himself a real girlfriend. One he’d actually have to talk to. Reaper had shuddered at the thought.

He patted his pocket for keys, then began to turn, ready to head to the door. He had places to go—well, the nearest bar. Maybe there he’d find his next bed to crash in.

“Not so quick,” Brian called out.

Reaper pivoted back and raised an eyebrow.

“Fetch has something special planned for you.”

Reaper glanced at Jamie who was busy wiping mud off the side of her neck with a tissue.

“Not her. She’s off for the next few days. Wedding stuff. You,” Brian said, and then smiled.

Sometimes, he really couldn’t stand Brian. Their office manager was part of Team Jamie. That smile was too wide and held more than an ounce of snark. “What’s he want me to do?”

“You have a ride-along for the rest of the week, starting in the morning. An author friend of his.”

For fuck’s sake… Reaper groaned. “Why me?”

Brian’s smile was angelic. “No clue. But he said you’re to behave.”

Reaper scrubbed a hand over his face. Fetch shouldn’t have said that. Didn’t he know better than to throw down that kind of challenge? “Author. Huh. He better not be late, or I’ll leave his ass behind with you.”

“Not a he…” Brian laughed again.

Reaper flashed a look of disgust at Jamie who chuckled softly. No way in hell. Training Jamie not to get herself killed had taken every bit of his patience. He didn’t have any left for some author-ess who wanted to pick his brain and ask asinine questions, and who wouldn’t know how to keep the hell out of trouble. No way. No how. Reaper fisted his hands on his hips and glared. He’d just have to make sure that a single day spent in his company was long enough.

With their laughter following him out the door, Reaper slogged toward his SUV through four inches of water accumulated in the parking lot. Once seated behind the wheel, he let out a deep breath and let his head fall back against the headrest. Not a bad day. Still, he felt… He didn’t quite know. Restless, maybe? Dissatisfied? And why? Everything was going great. His success at Montana Bounty Hunters, as well as Jamie’s, had led Fetch into trusting them to open and run this satellite office. Already, the operation was showing a profit. He liked his crew. Sure, he’d given Jamie a hard time when they’d started working together, but she’d more than proven herself over the months they’d partnered. Her friend Brian, even if he did get under Reaper’s skin, was a good man and great support. He made their lives easier in measurable ways, handling much of the computer end of their job—a task Reaper didn’t love.

Work was great. His crew was great. Soon, they’d add more agents. So, why wasn’t he happy? Maybe Jamie was right. Perhaps, he needed a special someone in his life to give him something to look forward to when he walked out the door at the end of the day.

Or, maybe, he was simply pissed Sylvia had kicked him to the door the minute he made a face when she asked who he was taking to Jamie’s wedding. Like she expected him to ask her. Fact was, he hated weddings, and the thought of taking a woman he “dated” to an event like that made him feel as though a noose tightened around his neck. So yeah, he’d grimaced.

“Crap. Why am I such a fuckup?”

His phone lit, and the strains to White Buffalo’s “Come Join the Murder” filled the cab. What did it say about a man when the bartender at his favorite watering hole had his own ringtone? “Yeah, Brady?”

“Uh, Reap, you need to get on down here. I just cut off your brother.”

Which meant Sammy was getting ugly. “Hell, I’m five minutes away.” He tapped to end the call, hit the ignition button, and sped out of the parking lot. Sammy, drunk on his ass, usually ended up with a pricey bar bill for broken windows and splintered furniture—if not jail time in the county lockup.

When Reaper arrived at the bar, he removed his holster and secured it in his glove box. He also stored his badge.

Inside the bar, a fight was already in progress. Members of Sammy’s motorcycle club stood in a circle around Sammy and another club member, Blacky McNally. Standing a head taller than most of the men crowded tightly around the staggering pugilists, Reaper made note that the fight must have just started because neither man was bleeding.

Brady waved to catch his attention.

Reaper circled the edge of the cheering crowd to reach him. “How’d it start this time?” he shouted.

“Sammy groped Blacky’s old lady.”

Reaper sighed. Sammy was looking to get his ass kicked. “I’d appreciate you holding off calling the cops.”

His arms crossed over his burly chest, Brady nodded. “I know you’ll make it right.”

So much for his cut of tonight’s takedown. Reaper sighed and pushed his way through the crowd.

“Hey, it’s the bounty hunter,” one of the club members shouted.

“It’s Fugitive Recovery Agent, dipshit,” he muttered, and then smiled. “Unless a bench warrant carries your name, you got nothing to worry about.” He rolled his shoulders, raised his fists, and then waded in.

Reaper’s heart rate sped. Not one to ponder the vagaries of fate, he couldn’t help the little uptick of satisfaction that lightened his mood.

A fight on a Friday night was almost a Stenberg tradition.

* * *

A hour later, Reaper tossed a bag of frozen peas onto the kitchen table in front of his brother then pulled out another and took a seat opposite Sammy. Without speaking, because he really didn’t want to start a shouting match, he squeezed the bag between his hands to loosen the frozen vegetables. Then he set the bag on the tabletop and rotated his fist to rest his swollen knuckles against the icy-cold pack.

“Maybe you should put that on your cheek,” Sammy said, lifting a finger to point at Reaper’s right cheek.

“Need my hands more than I need this face,” Reaper said, his voice dead even. He was still pissed his brother cost him a huge chunk of change for the damages he’d caused at the bar.

Sammy grunted and placed his own bag against his left eye, which was swollen shut and beginning to blacken. They both sat in silence, until Sammy released a long, loud sigh. “Sorry about the bar bill. I’ll pay you back.”

Reaper shot him a glare. Don’t lie to me. Fuck, don’t say anything.

His brother glanced away. “Maybe I should head back to my place.”

“Your bike’s back at the bar, and you’re still drunk.” Reaper tipped his head from side to side to ease a knot forming in his neck. Talking to his brother always made him tense. “Why the hell did you pick a fight with McNally?”

“He took the first swing.”

Leaning forward, Reaper shot him a glare. “You grabbed Danielle’s ass. Do you think he was gonna let that slide?”

Sammy shrugged.

That gesture always fried Reaper’s ass. Blood roared in his ears. “What?” he bit out. “You don’t give a shit? Did you want him to kick your ass? What is it with you, lately?”

Sammy shoved back his chair. “Got a headache. Since you’re not gonna take me back in town, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Reaper watched as his brother pushed up from the table and turned to go. “I’ll be up early. You want a ride, you be ready.”

His brother didn’t answer as he walked away.

For a few moments longer, Reaper sat in the kitchen, rolling his sore knuckles on the bag. He didn’t like the direction his brother was heading, and he placed the blame squarely on Sammy’s association with his bike club. The roadside bar didn’t exactly attract the most upstanding citizens. They were a brawling, boozing bunch of ex-cons and misfits. As an ex-con himself, Sammy should have known better than keep that kind of company. Many of those losers worked at McNally’s garage, Sammy included. The few times Reaper had dropped in, he hadn’t liked the seedy atmosphere.

More than once, Reaper tried talking to Sammy about dropping his membership and finding another job, but Sammy remained stubborn. He didn’t want his advice. Didn’t need it, he’d said. The last time Reaper asked him about the club, they’d ended up fighting and hadn’t spoken for a month.

If Sammy wasn’t the only family he had, he might have let him learn some more hard lessons on his own. As the situation now stood, he was enabling his kid brother to continue his downward spiral. Tonight, he’d picked up the tab for the splintered furniture, broken glasses, and the six-foot mirror behind the bar.

Sighing, he lifted his hand and balled his fist, wincing at the tug of bruised muscles stretching over his knuckles. Well, hell. Tonight was clusterfuck. Tomorrow, he still wouldn’t catch a break—not with an overeager ride-along asking questions and getting in his way. If he ignored her, he wondered how long she’d last.

His lips twitched. Yeah, he’d have Brian find the dirtiest, low-down target on their list and make sure she got muddied along the way. Nothing too violent, but something to make her reconsider hanging out with him for the rest of the week. Then maybe, he could talk his brother into riding shotgun and let him see what happened when dirtbags made stupid mistakes. Maybe he could rattle Sammy hard enough to help him see his current path would only lead to shit.

Reaper let out another deep sigh. With his adrenaline crashing, he was ready for bed. Feeling better about the next day’s challenge, he tossed the thawing peas back into the freezer and smiled, which caused him to wince. Maybe he should have iced his cheek.

Nah. Maybe his face would make the author-ess think twice about sharing his SUV.

Lizzie Ashworth: Refuge in His Arms (Free Read)

Hi Delilah fans! Have you noticed how time speeds up as the holidays approach? Well, also as we get older, but we won’t go there.

Now we’re ten days from Thanksgiving! I’m debating whether to cook or ignore it. I love freshly roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, and cranberry sauce. And pumpkin pie with heaps of whipped cream. So maybe I’ll cook even if it will add pounds and leave lots of kitchen cleanup.

Also, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Christmas is rushing toward us like an oncoming train.

So two things for you to consider as the holidays begin: Right now my latest novel is priced at 99¢ in these last few days of pre-release discount. TWO DAYS left at this price. It goes to $3.99 on release day, November 15.

Refuge in His Arms

You need this. What better escape for a peaceful moment to yourself than an exciting love story? What’s this story about? Read on.

Two strangers meet in the crisis of their lives. The ‘big one,’ the long dreaded quake that will destroy Southern California, hits at the worst possible time, a time when no one realized how devastating it would be to simultaneously experience a coronal mass ejection from the sun. One disaster would be enough.

As the story opens, Mackenzie Kilpatrick experiences a recurring dream about her husband who died in Afghanistan. He tells her to get out-of-town.

Even in her sleep, Mackenzie Kilpatrick remembers this is a dream she has dreamed before. She snugs her forehead against Sid’s neck and inhales his familiar scent. His strong arms clasp tightly around her, pressing his heartbeat through the thin cotton t-shirt. She strokes the back of his neck as her face nestles in the curve of his shoulder.

The dream shifts and changes. Sid’s husky voice comes from a distance. “Get out of L.A., Mac. Get out now.”

“Sid?” She strains with her dream-shout. “Sid!”

He stands in front of her, his close-cropped hair caught under his camo hat, his tanned forearms framed against his dusty uniform. Behind him, bare gray mountains rise high along the horizon. The armored Hummer sits several yards away bristling with weapons and antennae. Other troops duck as gunfire explodes around them. Sid stands there unflinching like he always does, staring at her from the shadow of his hat brim.

She knows he is dead.

Then she’s awake, gasping, tears on her face, her throat tight in the contortion of dream screaming.  She throws back the covers and sits up in the dark room. The dream has never been like this. She draws a shaky breath. The digital clock readout says 5:40 a.m.

Mackenzie’s day gets worse from there. Her parents call from Oklahoma, warning her that overnight, the sun has ejected a massive solar flare that’s hitting Earth. Her phone stops working mid-call. The television sputters and goes to static. With Sid’s dream warning and her parents’ plea for her to come home, she throws things into her car, loads up her dog Captain, and starts out of the drive.

She’s halfway out of the garage when the ground shifts. Walls tumble, cracks open in the roadway, and she barely makes it to the other side of the freeway when a traffic jam from hell stops her. She sees a way out—if she can maneuver down the sidewalk. Then she’s stuck. And there’s this guy waving his arms, shouting.

This guy…David Evans…not a man she would ever want to know. But there he is in all his devastating, overpowering presence leaning in her passenger side window telling her what to do and here she is stuck between a fence and a light pole, and well, it could actually be the end of the world.

Get this book while the 99¢ price lasts! (No cliffhangers, not part of a series) Available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076YMYZKZ?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660

OR

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/756123

Free Read

NOW the second thing I want to mention is that from now through the end of the year, I’ll be offering free reads for some of my short stories. Right now you can pick up the very naughty and outrageous “A Gift for Jarrod” at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/383857

 

With everything she cared about gone, Dominatrix Macie Fitzgerald has built a new life in service to those seeking pain and submission. She takes pride in her success. So when she accepts Jarrod Bancroft’s application to her next training session, she acknowledges the risk. The ten years that have passed since he was her high school history student have only made him more magnificent in every way.

Life has been too easy for Jarrod Bancroft—rich parents, football star, law degree, high powered job, women by the score. Something is missing. He wants whatever Stonybrook Academy can dish out, much as it scares the hell out of him. And he was right to be afraid. He never imagined this. And the voice behind Madam’s mask sounds familiar, but after days of torture and deprivation, Jarrod’s only thought is to obey.

Macie faces her biggest challenge as she struggles to fulfill her professional obligation to give Jarrod what he wants. What he needs.

Will Santa leave anything under the tree for her? And if he does, can she bear to open it?

~~~

So Ladies, get busy with that one-click button and store up a few diversions for your holiday escape time. And keep an eye open for more FREEBIES by subscribing to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bHOyS9

Follow me for free erotic short works, hot photos, and the occasional rant on my blog at http://lizzieashworth.com/

Like my Facebook author page for updates on other nice and naughty works https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLizzieAshworth/

As always, THANKS FOR READING!

Barbara White Daille: One Week to Win Her Boss (Contest)

Thanks to Delilah for helping me to celebrate a book birthday! My latest romance from Entangled Bliss debuts tomorrow.

This book is especially special to me for many reasons:

First of all, it was so much fun to write, because it’s set in a tourist town that’s dedicated to Christmas 365 days of the year.

The Snowflake Valley series (which are stand-alone books with a Happy Ever After in each) features a large family and focuses on the three oldest sisters. Because of their very bad relationships with men in the past, they’re known as the “bad-luck Barnetts.”

In the new release, One Week to Win Her Boss, the hero and heroine are destined to reach their Happy Ever After, too. Or are they?  In this book, that seems doubtful most of the way through.

Finally, this book is special to me because it features a couple I really love. A couple I tortured, of course, but still really, really love. LOL

Amber is all about the holidays and family. Because of his troubled childhood, Michael hates the holidays and is strongly anti-marriage. Unfortunately for Amber, she’s already in love with Michael, who happens to be her boss. But as far as he’s concerned, she’s off-limits because she has also already made a start to her family with her four-month-old daughter, Penny.

One other thing that made this story fun to write is that it includes lots of the Barnett family’s traditions. I’d love to hear about some traditions you share with your family.

From the back cover of One Week to Win Her Boss:

Single mom Amber Barnett loves family, kids, Christmas…and unfortunately, her boss, confirmed bachelor Michael DeFranco. It’s a crush she really needs to get over. Except, when she’s temporarily forced from her apartment, her only option is to stay at Michael’s private ski lodge, where she’s the housekeeper. No problem. Her handsome boss rarely visits Snowflake Valley unexpectedly, plus he’s spending the holidays with his family. Or so she thinks…

A stormy Christmas Eve reunion leaves Michael seeking the solitude of his lodge, where he finds Amber in residence—and in trouble. Attempting to save her from her matchmaking family, he announces they’re a couple. His good deed backfires when they’re instantly included in each and every holiday event in town. So much for solitude.

Only the more time he spends with the beautiful, cheery brunette, the more he yearns to make things real between them. But he and Amber want different things, and Michael could never be the family man she’s looking for.

Excerpt – this is from early on in chapter one, just after Michael has caught Amber camping out in the lodge. And I think it gives you a hint at the problems ahead:

Nobody was perfect, not even Michael. Though he sure looked darned close…but then, how would she know? Above all else, her time with her ex had proven she couldn’t trust her judgment when it came to men.

“Come back down to Earth, Amber.” She jumped. Michael stood in front of her, too close for comfort. “When you land, tell me why you’re here. And in your pajamas.”

His almost seductive growl did funny things to her insides. Too bad the question hadn’t slipped his mind, the way she’d forgotten what she was wearing—a floor-length, fuzzy, pink bathrobe that had seen better days and floppyeared bunny slippers no one but she and Penny had ever seen. Nothing like making a fashion statement.

Hopefully, he would be more impressed by her response to his question—as soon as she thought of one. “I…um…didn’t ask if you would mind if I stayed here—”

“That’s obvious.”

“—because I didn’t expect you to drop in.”

“Twice as obvious.” His gaze ran over her from head to toe.

Her body flooded with heat she wished she could blame on the warm robe. Why couldn’t she and Penny have had somewhere—anywhere—else to stay? “What are you doing here, by the way?”

“I own the place.”

She rolled her eyes. “You said you were spending the holidays with your family.”

“Yeah. Huge mistake,” he said, sounding grim as he looked away.

What did that mean? She wanted to know more about his upset holiday plans and his visit with his family. She’d never met them and had always been curious about why they’d never visited the lodge. Besides, she wanted to know everything there was to know about Michael.

Way to get over that crush.

Time to take control of this situation. No matter how inconvenient his arrival was for her or how unsettling his presence was to her heart, the fact was, there he stood. If she wanted to save her job—and she absolutely did—she owed him an explanation.

Or at least part of one…

Book Links

Entangled  https://entangledpublishing.com/one-week-to-win-her-boss.html

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PJ7SNN

Amazon Australia  https://www.amazon.com.au/d/B076PJ7SNN

Amazon UK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076PJ7SNN

Amazon Canada  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076PJ7SNN

Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1127274067

Apple iBooks  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-week-to-win-her-boss/id1299758237

Kobo   https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-week-to-win-her-boss

About the Author

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed “The End” to her first novel many years later…in the eighth grade. Now she’s writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life:  https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

Social Media Links

Website  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Blog  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/blog

Newsletter  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille

Twitter  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

Amazon author page  http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ

Harlequin author page  https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/23759_barbara-white-daille.html

Entangled author page  http://entangledpublishing.com/category/barbara-white-daille/

Bookbub author page https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-white-daille

Goodreads author page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille

Contest

Enter Barbara’s book birthday Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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