Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 92

These are the tales Granny warned you about ~ RED BOOK OF GROWN-UP FAIRYTALES #99cents #boxset

 I’m excited to announce the release of the first Beyond Fairytales box set. The RED BOX OF GROWN-UP FAIRYTALES contains five HOT adult fairy tales and is priced at 99¢ for a limited time.

Be sure to grab this set at this fabulous price before the sale ends!

RED BOOK OF GROWN-UP FAIRYTALES

ISBN: 978-1-61333-851-3

In a world of happily ever afters, fairy tales are known to have princes and princesses. But what happens when the princess is from another planet, or the prince is a hacker fugitive? In these five ADULT fairy tales, the boundaries go beyond the stories we grew up with. Perhaps an android can learn to love, or the hero is a wolf trying to save his mate. And sometimes, the happy ending cannot be found until the second time around.

These are the red hot fairy tales Granny would have warned you about … if she hadn’t been so distracted by the big bad wolf’s seduction. Move beyond the Grimm Brothers and saccharine sweet animation for fairy tales that will make your heart pound and your temperature rise.

AVAILABLE FROM:

     

Includes the stories:

Once Upon a Marriage by Sara Daniel

3 meddling uncles, 2 broken hearts, 1 second chance.

Before Armina Keer can have the baby she dreams of, she needs her estranged husband Ian to sign their divorce papers. Putting everything on the line for a second chance, Ian must convince her their love is worth saving, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

A Riddle for Love by Lara Nance

A bio-engineer develops three identical androids and ends up falling in love with one of them when she takes on human properties and becomes sentient. But she and her sisters are destined for a high paying client. When the three are deactivated he must decipher a riddle to uncover which one is his love and then decide how to escape Mars with her.

Operation Owl by Tara Quan

Accused of espionage and treason, Zack Strong needs a forensic accountant to clear his name. Not knowing who he can trust, this white-hat hacker turns to his best friend for help. Wanted by the NSA and unable to shake the memory of a kiss they once shared, Zack and Maya must outwit the US government to find their happily ever after.

Darkest Magic by Eva Lefoy

Nik Epperstein’s alpha lost his mate two years ago and took an evil witch as his new bride. Ever since then, Eli’s leadership has become violent, bordering on insane. When Eli attacks him, Nik’s healing powers mysteriously vanish. He can’t defend himself, nor protect the wolf he secretly loves. Only through the help of a foul-mouthed witch and an overly-dramatic dwarf will he save her – but their assistance comes at a price.

The Star Princess by Jessica E. Subject

In one week, Princess Ro’sa will board a spaceship, leaving her home on Minjet for Earth. Will she find a way to be with the Terran man who steals her heart, or be forced to marry the planet’s egocentric prince?

Confronted by her SEXY young neighbor in ALIEN ADMIRER #MySexySaturday #amreading

Hi peeps! It’s the 91st week of My Sexy Saturday.

Here are the details: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.

Today’s theme is…

SEXY TODAY

Here’s seven from ALIEN ADMIRER. Enjoy!

Set-up: Sera, widowed a year earlier, gets caught skinny dipping by her younger neighbor and tries to ignore her attraction to him.

“No need. You can keep it.”

The teenage girl inside of her wanted to hold onto the towel forever, while the grouchy old widow told her to throw it back at him and skedaddle.

“Thank you.” She crept to her house, needing to escape the awkwardness, dreading him following her. Like she needed any more fodder for her already wicked fantasies.

Racing the last few feet, she dashed onto the covered porch, letting the screen door bang behind her. He made her want to be with a man again. He made her want him.

Before entering the house, she shed the towel, giving it a quick shake to get rid of any dirt. In the bathroom, she twisted on the shower taps until steam billowed from the glass stall, although Adam had already taken away her chill the moment he held her. So close to him, pressed to his hard body. Those thick arms. His full, tempting lips. Oh, to have kissed him… No! He’s off limits.

Not trusting what her erotic thoughts of her neighbor might lead to, she cut the shower short, slamming down the faucet and drying off. She crawled into bed, pulling a picture of Rob from the nightstand drawer. With a body pillow tucked under the sheet, she tried to imagine cuddling with her late husband. But every time she closed her eyes, Adam intruded instead.

Why can’t I picture Rob? She wasn’t ready to date again, still hoping to wake one morning with him beside her, find out the accident had been a bad dream.

~ About ALIEN ADMIRER ~

He fills her with forbidden longing…

Widowed for over a year, Sera longs for the company of her younger, sexier neighbor, the one man she can never have—unless she plans to rob the cradle. It’s too dangerous…

She’s the only one for him…

Adam never wanted to settle down…until Sera. But even when her children give him the green light, he must prove age is an alien concept…

Will Sera give him a chance, or will Adam be left in the cold, never more than her alien admirer?

Available From:

      

For more My Sexy Saturday postings, check out the participants’ list here.

Author @KaliWillows Romanced the Capital with ROMANCING THE AUTHOR #RTCOttawa #1NightStand

Hello all! HER ALIEN HERO is my most recent release. And this month, I’m going to be spotlighting all of the other stories in the Romancing the Capital line of the 1Night Stand series.

Every title in the line is set during the Romancing the Capital conference, which all five author attended in April. The third RTC story to be released was an erotic contemporary romance by author Kali Willows…

 

NFL star, Connor Caine has given up on romance. Starved for a real woman with curves, intellect, and a sharp wit, he exchanges playful messages with an online crush. But when he can’t connect with her, he’s urged to seek out a 1Night Stand while in the Canadian capital for business.

Steamy sex is plentiful for author Gemma Daveen—at least on the pages she writes. Publicized as happily married, she has kept a few well-hidden secrets. But her publicist knows better, and ravenous for sexual reprieve, Gemma soon finds herself booked for a 1Night Stand during a romance convention in Ottawa.

Only 99¢ through May 25 from:

 

 

Connor: Do you wear jeans, Gemma?

Gemma: Sure, all the time. They’re 90 percent of my wardrobe, LOL. Why?

Connor: I’ve got a thing for belt loops.

Gemma: What do you mean? And were they crossing a line?

Connor: Have you ever had a guy slip his fingers into the belt loops of your jeans and pull you so close to him, he could taste your lips?

Gemma: No, but I like the sound of that. Had she really typed that?

Connor: Maybe one day, I can pull you by the belt loops.

Three hours flew by and, finally, despite her fascination, her eyelids grew heavy

Connor: I have a confession to make. I’ve bought your books and read them. You’re such a gifted author.

Gemma: You have? Her breath hitched.

Connor: Yes! I can’t get enough of your stories. You’re brilliant.

Gemma: Thank you. A weak response given he had just hit her cerebral G-spot. Connor loved her writing? He’d read her books? Incredible. No longer tired, she held her hands over the keyboard.

Gemma: I…have to come clean with something, too.

Connor: What?

All or nothing.

Gemma: I’m a sapiosexual.

Connor: Come again?

Gemma: A person sexually attracted to the intelligence in others. She held her breath for his response.

Connor: And where do I fit into this orientation of yours?

Butterflies somersaulted in her stomach.

Gemma: Top of the list.

Here’s a picture of (l-r) Kali Willows and Kacey Hammell.

Author @KateRichards09 Romanced the Capital with TERCI IN CHAINS #RTCOttawa #1NightStand

Hello all! HER ALIEN HERO is my most recent release. And this month, I’m going to be spotlighting all of the other stories in the Romancing the Capital line of the 1Night Stand series.

Every title in the line is set during the Romancing the Capital conference, which all five author attended in April. The first is a lesbian BDSM romance story, written by one of the founders of the 1Night Stand series, Kate Richards…

Terci’s success as a BDSM romance author is not mirrored in her relationships. Maybe what she wants is what she writes. And maybe Madame Eve can give her a night to find out if that’s true with the Domme of her dreams.

Author Mariana Martin, aka Mistress K, has received a 1Night Stand as a gift from her agent, but she fears a convention might not be the best place to play. She keeps her life as a Domme separate from her public career. What if her secret is exposed? But she can’t say no to Terci, even if Mariana can’t let the sexy blonde find out who she really is.

Available from:

     

 

To my lovely companion for the evening,

I have one simple request…before I enter, don this blindfold and await my pleasure. And yours.

Mistress K

Terci read it again, aloud, but the words didn’t change. Mistress K, here, at the hotel. In Canada? Didn’t she live in the US somewhere? But she could live in Ottawa or Timbuktu for all the information she’d offered. The woman protected her privacy with vehemence, making it clear from their first conversation that if Terci pushed for personal information, she’d never speak with her again.

Terci had never been so reticent. She’d not only asked questions about the lifestyle, but, during some of their late-night, online chats, she’d shared her own fantasies in great detail. Arching her back, she recalled some of the things she’d told a woman she thought she’d never meet.

And now she’d meet her blindfolded, unable to see her!

A soft click filtered in from the living room, and she shot upright, hands gripping the tub’s rounded edges, foam dripping from her shoulders. Another click—the door closing?—and someone moved across the tile foyer. Then a hush. Her heart thudded. Mistress K?

Here’s a picture of (l-r) me with Valerie Mann, and Kate Richards.

#SFRMonday ~ Surviving after deadly alien invasion HELL SQUAD by @AnnaHackett #scifirom #FREEread

Please welcome Anna Hackett and her new releases MARCUS and CRUZ from her new series, Hell Squad. And Anna has a FREE book for you!

MARCUS

Hell Squad Book 1

by Anna Hackett

In the aftermath of a deadly alien invasion, a band of survivors fights on…

In a world gone to hell, Elle Milton—once the darling of the Sydney social scene—has carved a role for herself as the communications officer for the toughest commando team fighting for humanity’s survival—Hell Squad. It’s her chance to make a difference and make up for horrible past mistakes…despite the fact that its battle-hardened commander never wanted her on his team.

When Hell Squad is tasked with destroying a strategic alien facility, Elle knows they need her skills in the field. But first she must go head to head with Marcus Steele and convince him she won’t be a liability.

Marcus Steele is a warrior through and through. He fights to protect the innocent and give the human race a chance to survive. And that includes the beautiful, gutsy Elle who twists him up inside with a single look. The last thing he wants is to take her into a warzone, but soon they are thrown together battling both the alien invaders and their overwhelming attraction. And Marcus will learn just how much he’ll sacrifice to keep her safe.

Download your FREE copy!

Amazon | Nook | iBooks

CRUZ – Hell Squad book 2

Battle-hardened soldier Cruz Ramos is running on empty. As second-in-command of the deadliest commando squad fighting the invading aliens, he doesn’t know why he’s fighting anymore. He’s seen too much destruction, devastation, and far too much death. Still, every day he goes out to protect those humans left, and every day the growing numbness threatens to take over.

Until a mysterious woman emerges from the ruins of destroyed Sydney and saves him from a pack of rampaging aliens.

Santha Kade has one goal: revenge. The raptors who have devastated the Earth have taken everything from her: her team, her home, her beloved sister. Santha—a former police officer—has spent a year alone in the ruined city, waging her own guerrilla war. Sure, she might get lonely sometimes, but she doesn’t have room for anything but vengeance. Not even for a sexy soldier with liquid brown eyes, a bone-melting accent, and a face designed to drive a woman wild.

But as Cruz and Santha join forces to rescue human hostages from the aliens, their explosive attraction is impossible to resist. Can these two warriors survive long enough to find something worth living for?

Available from Amazon

 

Hell Squad

MARCUS – Download for FREE

CRUZ

Gabe – May 2015

Reed – June 2015

Excerpt from Marcus:

Her team was under attack.

Elle Milton pressed her fingers to her small earpiece. “Squad Six, you have seven more raptors inbound from the east.” Her other hand gripped the edge of her comp screen, showing the enhanced drone feed.

She watched, her belly tight, as seven glowing red dots converged on the blue ones huddled together in the burned-out ruin of an office building in downtown Sydney. Each blue dot was a squad member and one of them was their leader.

“Marcus? Do you copy?” Elle fought to keep her voice calm. No way she’d let them hear her alarm.

“Roger that, Elle.” Marcus’ gravelly voice filled her ear. Along with the roar of laser fire. “We see them.”

She sagged back in her chair. This was the worst part. Just sitting there knowing that Marcus and the others were fighting for their lives. In the six months she’d been comms officer for the squad, she’d worked hard to learn the ropes. But there were days she wished she was out there, aiming a gun and taking out as many alien raptors as she could.

You’re not a soldier, Ellianna. No, she was a useless party-girl-turned-survivor. She watched as a red dot disappeared off the screen, then another, and another. She finally drew a breath. Marcus and his team were the experienced soldiers. She’d just be a big fat liability in the field.

But she was a damn good comms officer.

Just then, a new cluster of red dots appeared near the team. She tapped the screen, took a measurement. “Marcus! More raptors are en route. They’re about one kilometer away. North.” God, would these invading aliens ever leave them alone?

“Shit,” Marcus bit out. Then he went silent.

She didn’t know if he was thinking or fighting. She pictured his rugged, scarred face creased in thought as he formulated a plan.

Then his deep, rasping voice was back. “Elle, we need an escape route and an evac now. Shaw’s been hit in the leg, Cruz is carrying him. We can’t engage more raptors.”

She tapped the screen rapidly, pulling up drone images and archived maps. Escape route, escape route. Her mind clicked through the options. She knew Shaw was taller and heavier than Cruz, but the armor they wore had slim-line exoskeletons built into them allowing the soldiers to lift heavier loads and run faster and longer than normal. She tapped the screen again. Come on. She needed somewhere safe for a Hawk quadcopter to set down and pick them up.

“Elle? We need it now!”

Just then her comp beeped. She looked at the image and saw a hazy patch of red appear in the broken shell of a nearby building. The heat sensor had detected something else down there. Something big.

Right next to the team.

She touched her ear. “Rex! Marcus, a rex has just woken up in the building beside you.”

“Fuck! Get us out of here. Now.”

Oh, God. Elle swallowed back bile. Images of rexes, with their huge, dinosaur-like bodies and mouths full of teeth, flashed in her head.

More laser fire ripped through her earpiece and she heard the wild roar of the awakening beast.

Block it out. She focused on the screen. Marcus needed her. The team needed her.

“Run past the rex.” One hand curled into a tight fist, her nails cutting into her skin. “Go through its hiding place.”

“Through its nest?” Marcus’ voice was incredulous. “You know how territorial they are.”

“It’s the best way out. On the other side you’ll find a railway tunnel. Head south along it about eight hundred meters, and you’ll find an emergency exit ladder that you can take to the surface. I’ll have a Hawk pick you up there.”

A harsh expulsion of breath. “Okay, Elle. You’ve gotten us out of too many tight spots for me to doubt you now.”

His words had heat creeping into her cheeks. His praise…it left her giddy. In her life BAI—before alien invasion—no one had valued her opinions. Her father, her mother, even her almost-fiancé, they’d all thought her nothing more than a pretty ornament. Hell, she had been a silly, pretty party girl.

And because she’d been inept, her parents were dead. Elle swallowed. A year had passed since that horrible night during the first wave of the alien attack, when their giant ships had appeared in the skies. Her parents had died that night, along with most of the world.

“Hell Squad, ready to go to hell?” Marcus called out.

“Hell, yeah!” the team responded. “The devil needs an ass-kicking!”

“Woo-hoo!” Another voice blasted through her headset, pulling her from the past. “Ellie, baby, this dirty alien’s nest stinks like Cruz’s socks. You should be here.”

A smile tugged at Elle’s lips. Shaw Baird always knew how to ease the tension of a life-or-death situation.

“Oh, yeah, Hell Squad gets the best missions,” Shaw added.

Elle watched the screen, her smile slipping. Everyone called Squad Six the Hell Squad. She was never quite sure if it was because they were hellions, or because they got sent into hell to do the toughest, dirtiest missions.

There was no doubt they were a bunch of rebels. Marcus had a rep for not following orders. Just the previous week, he’d led the squad in to destroy a raptor outpost but had detoured to rescue survivors huddled in an abandoned hospital that was under attack. At the debrief, the general’s yelling had echoed through the entire base. Marcus, as always, had been silent.

“Shut up, Shaw, you moron.” The deep female voice carried an edge.

Elle had decided there were two words that best described the only female soldier on Hell Squad—loner and tough. Claudia Frost was everything Elle wasn’t. Elle cleared her throat. “Just get yourselves back to base.”

As she listened to the team fight their way through the rex nest, she tapped in the command for one of the Hawk quadcopters to pick them up.

The line crackled. “Okay, Elle, we’re through. Heading to the evac point.”

Marcus’ deep voice flowed over her and the tense muscles in her shoulders relaxed a fraction. They’d be back soon. They were okay. He was okay.

She pressed a finger to the blue dot leading the team. “The bird’s en route, Marcus.”

“Thanks. See you soon.”

She watched on the screen as the large, black shadow of the Hawk hovered above the ground and the team boarded. The rex was headed in their direction, but they were already in the air.

Elle stood and ran her hands down her trousers. She shot a wry smile at the camouflage fabric. It felt like a dream to think that she’d ever owned a very expensive, designer wardrobe. And heels—God, how long had it been since she’d worn heels? These days, fatigues were all that hung in her closet. Well-worn ones, at that.

As she headed through the tunnels of the underground base toward the landing pads, she forced herself not to run. She’d see him—them—soon enough. She rounded a corner and almost collided with someone.

“General. Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No problem, Elle.” General Adam Holmes had a military-straight bearing he’d developed in the United Coalition Army and a head of dark hair with a brush of distinguished gray at his temples. He was classically handsome, and his eyes were a piercing blue. He was the top man in this last little outpost of humanity. “Squad Six on their way back?”

“Yes, sir.” They fell into step.

“And they secured the map?”

God, Elle had almost forgotten about the map. “Ah, yes. They got images of it just before they came under attack by raptors.”

“Well, let’s go welcome them home. That map might just be the key to the fate of mankind.”

They stepped into the landing areas. Staff in various military uniforms and civilian clothes raced around. After the raptors had attacked, bringing all manner of vicious creatures with them to take over the Earth, what was left of mankind had banded together.

Whoever had survived now lived here in an underground base in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, or in the other, similar outposts scattered across the planet. All arms of the United Coalition’s military had been decimated. In the early days, many of the surviving soldiers had fought amongst themselves, trying to work out who outranked whom. But it didn’t take long before General Holmes had unified everyone against the aliens. Most squads were a mix of ranks and experience, but the teams eventually worked themselves out. Most didn’t even bother with titles and rank anymore.

Sirens blared, followed by the clang of metal. Huge doors overhead retracted into the roof.

A Hawk filled the opening, with its sleek gray body and four spinning rotors. It was near-silent, running on a small thermonuclear engine. It turned slowly as it descended to the landing pad.

Her team was home.

She threaded her hands together, her heart beating a little faster.

Marcus was home.

 

 

I’m passionate about action romance. I love stories that combine the thrill of falling in love with the excitement of action, danger and adventure. I’m a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle. I write about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.

My books are mixture of action, adventure and sexy romance and they’re recommended for anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories where the boy wins the girl at the end (or sometimes the girl wins the boy!)

To get a free book from my award-winning sci-fi romance series, The Phoenix Adventures, check out my website: www.annahackettbooks.com

Too much at stake in ALIEN ADORATION #MySexySaturday #scifirom

Hello all! Thank you all for joining me for week 90 of My Sexy Saturday! The deets: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.

Today’s theme is…

SEXY ME DOWN

Here’s seven from ALIEN ADORATION. Enjoy!

Set-up: Living in a small town, Rachel has her reputation to worry about when she begins to date the bad boy next door. But he has so much more to lose when she learns he’s an alien then rejects him. Here’s how he reacts…

Luke eyed at the For Sale sign on his front lawn, an ache filling him. The decision had wracked him with pain and guilt, but moving away was the only option to get over her rejection. Living next to a woman who didn’t share his feelings hurt much worse. He didn’t know where to go, but once his house sold, he would find another one. Far away. Things would have been much easier if he hadn’t been such a curious child, if he’d remained on the ship…. But he’d gotten over that mistake years ago.

~ About ALIEN ADORATION ~

Erotic dreams fill her with need…

Night after night, Rachel fantasizes about her sexy, playboy neighbor. But in her small town, no one changes, least of all the bad boy next door. But when Luke rescues her not once but twice from disastrous dates, she dares to believe her knight in black leather armor may be the right man for her after all.

Until she learns the truth…

Life on Earth has never been easy for Luke. Stranded as a little boy, he struggled to craft an existence for himself, but he never forgot the first human he met–and he never stopped wanting to see her again. Returning to Hanton, Luke longs for Rachel. Yet nothing goes as he plans, and Rachel barely notices him.  Convincing her he isn’t like all the jerks she’s dated means telling her the truth, but can she handle it?

Can she overcome her fears, or will she deny her alien adoration and leave him stranded once more?

Available from:

       

Be sure to check out other MY SEXY SATURDAY excerpts!

Time for the #FindYourNextGreatReadHunt @NightOwlReviews ~ Enter to WIN Amazon GCs and #ebooks!

Dear Readers,
 
I’m one of the sponsors of the Find Your Next Great Read Scavenger Hunt hosted by Night Owl Reviews.
 
Entering the hunt is fun. 100 Amazon Gift Cards and 38 eBooks are up for grabs.
 
The grand prize is a $250 Amazon Gift Card.
 
Enter Now at:  https://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Blog/Articles/Find-Your-Next-Great-Read-Scavenger-Hunt-May-2015

Fiction: How close is it to reality?

My most recent release, HER ALIEN HERO, takes place during a romance convention in Ottawa. When writing the story, I’d never been to any kind of reader convention, or to Ottawa. So, I had to guess what things looked like.

Well, I went to my first conference in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago. Want to find out how my story compares to reality? Stop by Literary Lagniappe to read quotes from the story, see pictures of what things really looked like, and to enter the giveaway.

http://literarylagniappe.com/?p=2657

A #1NightStand in space! UNKNOWN FUTURES #audiobook tour @LoveBitesSilk @DecadentPub

Hello readers! Have you ever enjoyed your fiction in audiobook format? Well, I’m on tour with another audio book. Visit the stops and listen to a sample from P. J. Morgan, the amazing narrator of UNKNOWN FUTURES, plus learn more about the story.

Here are the stops…

April 27 – London’s Scribbles

April 28 – Eclectic Moods

April 29 – All I Want and More

April 30 – Talent Cave Reviews

May 1 – Traci Hayden

May 4 – Bethany Kris Writes

May 5 – The Star Angels Reviews

May 6 – All Bookish Things

May 7 – Bitches Be Writin’

May 8 – Erotic Romance News

May 11 – Brazen Babe Reviews (review)

May 12 – Michaela Rhua Author

May 13 – C.R. Moss

May 13 – Sexy Romance Stories

May 14 – Author Deborah A. Bailey (review)

May 14 – Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock (review)

May 17 – Iyana Jenna

May 18 – Panty Dropping Book Blog on Facebook

May 19 – Once Upon An Alpha

May 20 – In the Pages of a Good Book (review)

May 21 – Always Behind a Book on Facebook

May 22 – Danielle’s Domain

May 23 – Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock (review)

May 24 – Love Bites and Silk Ties (review)

Release Day Blast: CARESS OF PLEASURE by @JulieKenner #erotic #PNR @1001DarkNights

About CARESS OF PLEASURE
by Julie Kenner

 

I’d thought that he was mine, the dark, arresting man who commanded not only my body but my heart. Dante had swept into my life, and I’d succumbed to the burn of passion in his arms.

I’d believed we had a love that would last forever, but he’d shattered my dreams and broken me into pieces when he’d walked away, taking a piece of my soul with him.

Now he has come back seeking my help, and though I try to keep my distance and protect my heart, I cannot deny that the fire between us burns hotter than ever. And I cannot help but fear that this time our passion will reduce us both to ashes.

Amazon | Amazon UK 

I fell in love with him once—and I’m honestly not sure that I ever fell out of love.

But I do know one thing for sure—Dante Storm is dangerous to my heart. And whatever we started just now is something that we can’t finish.

I meet his eyes and am about to say just that when he shakes his head. “No. Don’t say it. You don’t need to say it.”

“What?”

“That we can’t do it again.”

“We can’t.”

“I know.”

I stand in silence. I know why I can’t; it’s because he will break my heart.

But I don’t know why he doesn’t want me. I only know that he doesn’t. I only know that he walked away once, and that he has already told me he will walk away again.

That should be enough, but then I have to go and open my mouth. I have to ask— “Why? Why did you leave?”

For a minute, I don’t think that he’s going to answer. But he surprises me by saying, “Because I was looking at forever.”

“And you don’t think I was, too?” I’m baffled. With Dante, forever was my mantra.

He looks at me, his eyes so sad I want to cry. “No,” he says, “I know you weren’t.”

I start to protest, but he just shakes his head, like a dog shaking off water. “Let’s go transfer your money.”

“No,” I say, standing firm.

He cocks his head, then winces. “We shouldn’t have done this. It won’t happen again. But please don’t back out. I really need your help. I can’t tell you how urgent this is.”

“I’ll help,” I say. “But I don’t want your money. And I don’t want sex.” That’s not entirely true. I want it; I don’t think I can handle it.

“Then why?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “Maybe because I loved you once upon a time.”

Maybe because I still do.

 

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures.

Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries.

J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.

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