Amber Lin's Blog, page 2

Danger and Desire is out now!

I’m so excited to share my new release with you! DANGER AND DESIRE is a boxed set of ten full-length steamy romantic suspense books. It has an amazing line up of authors, including USA Today bestselling author Pamela Clare (I ADORE her I-team series), New York Times Bestseller Katie Reus, and my friend Carolyn Crane, who won this year’s RITA for romantic suspense.

Plus it has my book, Giving It Up, the first in my Lost Girls series!

Hold on tight for ten full-length books of intrigue and passion from New York Times Bestselling and award-winning authors. Men in uniform, sexy spies and pulse-pounding action fill over 750,000 words of this limited edition boxed set.

New York Times Bestseller Katie Reus – Sensual Surrender

RITA Award Winning Author Carolyn Crane – Against the Dark

USA Today Bestseller Pamela Clare – Skin Deep

New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love –Deceptive Treasures

Dee J. Adams – Against the Wall

USA Today Bestseller Norah Wilson – Guarding Suzannah

USA Today Bestseller VK Sykes – Lethal Confessions

Amber Lin – Giving It Up

USA Today Bestseller Misty Evans – Deadly Pursuit

New York Times Bestseller Kaylea Cross – Singed

The individual novels cost over $35 in total and have more than 2,000 5-star reviews on Goodreads. This set is only available for one month, so grab your copy now!

You can get DANGER AND DESIRE from the following places:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
All Romance

And if you could spread the word about DANGER AND DESIRE on Facebook or twitter or just emailing a friend, we’d really appreciate it! It’s only up for a month, so we want to make sure everyone who wants this set can grab it.

It’s Read a Romance Month 2014!

Thanks so much to Bobbi Dumas and Ruthie Knox for inviting me to participate in this year’s Read-A-Romance month!

Let’s face it, every month is Read a Romance Month at my house. More like once a week… sometimes once a day…

I read a lot of romances.

One of my favorite parts is the beginning, when the hero and the heroine have met, and you can feel that spark between them. Or maybe you don’t feel that spark between them, which is meaningful in its own way. And you see, there at the beginning, all the struggles, all the past hurts, all the conflict those characters will have to overcome to be together. It’s an admirable thing–I can admire the characters for their struggle and their bravery. But it’s also a selfish thing, falling in love. It’s a human thing, both heartbreaking and inescapable.

One of the earliest romance novels I read, and to this day one of the most powerful to me, is Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer. The hero has recently been let out of prison, he’s walking along the dirt road with no money, no food, and no job prospects. He’s just stolen some raw apples from a backyard and he’s one step away from starvation. The heroine is a widow with young children and a house she can’t quite maintain, so she puts an ad in the newspaper for a husband.

The hero, Will, arrives at her house, which is way outside town, and she comes out with a baby on her hip and her clothes stained and “pregnant as hell.” They strike a deal, that he will take care of some chores around the house in exchange for meals and a barn to sleep in. And she tells him, then, that she really can’t anymore kids. So. And he just… he doesn’t want to sleep with her at all. And he’s embarrassed that she brought it up really. She thinks:

“He was a vagrant ex-con; she poor, pregnant and unpretty. Who was the bigger loser?”

I was just completely sold on this book and this couple and this romance, because they had so much to overcome to find it. And because I wanted to deeply for them to find it.

As I write this, I am still recovering from the RWA National conference a week ago. What I love most about the conferences now is seeing my friends–including my friend Carolyn who won a RITA. Yay, Carolyn! There’s such a strong sense of camaraderie and kinship at RWA. I think because we are all in this together: writing and worrying and submitting and being rejected and putting ourselves out there again and again. But I also know those aren’t the only reasons. I also know that not every writer’s conference has that sense of connectedness, of kindness, and I can only find as the reason for this difference, the most obvious and obscure answer of love.

We all write about love. We all think about love. We all break down love into its components and its pieces, and then put it back together again, brand new.

(Or maybe it’s just the way all invade the bar of whatever hotel we’re in. Rum and coke is good for camaraderie.)

But either way, love is the most important topic. It is the Rome of subject matters, where all roads lead to. And maybe I feel that way because that is true in my life. I’m constantly searching for ways to reach more love, more peace, more clarity. But even acknowledging that doesn’t make it easy. I have my own struggles, my own past hurts, my own conflicts, to be resolved on the way. We all do. I am at my own beginning, every day that I wake up–groggy and hopeful. We all are. And that’s why I love reading romance.

So, recommendations. Definitely Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer. Another beginning I loved, and the book that my friend a RITA for, is Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane. A series I found recently is the Reveler series by Erin Kellison, starting with Darkness Falls, although my favorite of the series is Lay Me Down. They’re unique paranormal romances with a well developed world and hot forbidden romances.

Questions for Amber:

1. Describe the most daring, adventurous or inspiring thing you ever did.

The first thing that comes to mind are somewhat common. Writing my first book–and publishing it, which takes a different kind of gumption. Having my son and just, his general existence and awesomeness. If I had to pick something more rare-seeming, then I’d say getting my black belt.

2. Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer. (How did you decide to get started? Did you always know or was there a specific moment when you knew?)

There’s a certain romance in always knowing you’ll be a writer and then achieving it–unfortunately, my story doesn’t have that. I always loved books. Really loved them and barely even understood the authors behind them to be real people. They were abstract, like gods, not people you could meet or emulate. So basically, my journey to becoming a writer was, frankly, a little blasphemous

3. Tell us about The (or A) Book That Changed Your Life. (Why?)

Ohhh, I’m thinking back to these books I read as a young girl, formative books, like A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L’Engle or On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt. Both of those books were hugely important to me, and I held the lessons I learned through the lens of the characters close to my heart.

But since I have to pick one, and since I’m thinking now about my writing and my career, I’m going to say The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I read it when I was probably too young–there were, predictably, ghosts and witches, but also threesomes and incest and a bunch of “inappropriate” sexual matter. And I learned, through that book, that it was entirely possible to be a powerful and popular female author on a feature bookshelf filled with men.

And maybe more importantly, I learned that I can write whatever the hell I want.

Let’s do a giveaway! I’m giving away an ebook copy of Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer, Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane and my new release, Betraying Mercy, a dark historical romance from Harlequin Books. Leave a comment telling me one of your formative books to enter.

Betraying Mercy is here!

I’m so excited to share the release of the first historical romance I ever wrote, now published by Harlequin Digital. Betraying Mercy is a dark historical romance with a brooding hero and a scientist heroine.

Can she be more than a mistress?

With a tarnished reputation, Mercy Lyndhurst expected to become the Earl of Rochford’s mistress, not his wife. Immediately abandoned by her husband after their wedding, Mercy transformed herself from commoner to countess, vowing to protect the lands and people her husband was forced to leave.

Over the past six years, William has restored the family fortune all the while tortured by his memories of Mercy…and the dark night he killed a man. When a threat draws him home, William learns just how much has changed—including his wife. While the passion still flares between them, he fears he has wounded her too badly to regain her trust. But as the danger grows they must unite to save the estate…and possibly their marriage.

You can read Betraying Mercy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.

Excerpt

William stopped beside his horse, staring into the gray hills.

“Back there,” Beck said. “My lord, it was murder.”

His heart squeezed tight. Murder. “He was going to hurt her. You saw it.”

“He was drunk and unarmed but for a piece of glass. You came to the house with a pistol. It will look like revenge. There are limits to what the law will accept, even for a peer.”

William paused, swallowed. “No. There aren’t.”

A part of him wished Beck was right, that someone would punish William for what he had done, that someone would protect this young woman from his misuse. But that part of him was very small and William spoke the truth. That was the problem with being an earl, even a poor one—there was no one to stop him.

The young woman crossed the marshy grass in her thin nightgown—already halfway to translucence in the rain. She faced him with a blankness he recognized in himself. Shock at what had happened. Acceptance of what was to come.

Sweet little Mercy Lyndhurst, and here he was to defile her.

The last time he’d seen her she’d been a waif of a girl. Now she was all woman. And why shouldn’t he take her? He could have her and help her at the same time.

A poor excuse.

He examined her, struggling for detachment. Already the rain was clearing some of the fog from his mind, allowing rays of sanity to peek through. The thought of going home alone to the empty cavern of a house chilled him. He might as well be a stranger in his own lands for all that he knew anyone here.

He was selfish to take her this way, but concern whispered, too.

What would she do here? Jasper may have been a poor excuse for a caretaker, but a young woman with no means could starve in the next cruel winter. She deserved better than him for a rescuer, but he was all she had.

Another excuse. The simple truth was, he couldn’t quite bring himself to leave her here, in a place that reeked of death.

“Did you send the note?” he asked suddenly. He didn’t know where the idea had come from, but he knew the answer even before she nodded.

She’d sent the note, because she knew there was trouble. She’d used code from their childhood, so that he would understand. And that was as good a reason to take her as any—there were very few people he could trust.

Just her, perhaps.

Betraying Mercy is available now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.

Falling for the Pirate is now available!

It’s release day for FALLING FOR THE PIRATE! This sexy historical romance features a brooding hero, an intrepid heroine, and wicked uses for neckcloths. After all, vengeance is best served in bed.

London, 1820

After the deaths of his parents and a dark, troubled childhood, Captain Nate Bowen vowed he would have his revenge. But he never expected to have the tool of his revenge dropped so neatly into his lap. Juliana Hargate is not only the daughter of his enemy, but is destitute, very much alone – and exquisitely desirable.

And now that Nate has saved her life, she’s at his complete mercy…

Captive. All Juliana wanted was to clear her father’s name. Instead, she’s been struck with amnesia – unable to recall even her name – and imprisoned by a tall, imposing, and entirely unscrupulous pirate. A pirate whose eyes seem to look past her skirts and many petticoats, and whose touch sends delicious ripples of desire through her. With every passing day, she finds herself tempted to give him the very thing he’s determined to take…

Entangled Publishing has a new release price of 99 cents for this week, so be sure to grab your copy now before the price goes up!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Kobo

Happy reading

- Amber

New Release: Letters at Christmas is available now!

Release Day!! For LETTERS AT CHRISTMAS, my sexy historical novella with Entangled Publishing. Brother’s best friend, a wicked wager, and fun in a sleigh. Here’s the blurb:

Three London Seasons. Three Christmases come and gone. Jilted Sidony Harbeck is done waiting for the inconstant Captain Hale Martin to return. Despite their whispered adolescent promises, he never wrote her a single letter. Now the scoundrel has returned, professing his love and a thoughtless bet to woo her, but she only wants him to suffer.

After three years at sea, Hale finally has the means to marry his best friend’s sister and the love of his life. But he only has three days to convince her of his devotion because he stupidly proposes a wager – he’ll convince Sidony to marry him by Christmas or he’ll leave her alone forever.

When Hale sets out to seduce her, the stakes are raised by a passion so intense that Sidony must risk her heart no matter the odds.

And it’s free this week, so be sure to grab your copy from the following places:

- Amazon US

- Amazon UK

- Amazon Canada

- Amazon Australia

- Barnes & Noble

- Google Play

- Kobo

iTunes

Also, I would hugely appreciate you guys sharing the links for the book as it’s only going to be free for a short time. This is a great chance for readers to start the Men of Fortune series—about reformed pirates!

Three Nights with a Rock Star is out now!!!

Welcome to the rock star series readers are calling “beautiful and sexy and bittersweet”…

When Hailey crashes a Half-Life after party, she expects to find the bastard who knocked up her little sister. Instead she meets the sexy front-man who agrees to give her access to his crew if she gives him access to her body.

All Lock demands in return is three days of complete control over the Sunday School teacher. With a contract, because he’s been burned before. One misstep could send the band—and his tenuous sobriety—up in flames.

Hailey and Lock push each other’s limits… Against the penthouse window. Backstage. In the limo and on the elevator. But as the contract counts down, neither are ready for the party to end.

“Smoking hot and intensely emotional.” – Amy Jo Cousins, author of Calling His Bluff

Get the party started right here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Want a backstage pass?

Three Nights with a Rock Star is the first in a series of three books, each about a different member of the band Half-Life. And we’ve got a website for the band where we’re going to be putting lyrics, merchandise, and other fun stuff, so we hope that’ll be fun for anyone who reads the book: http://halflifebooks.com/

Plus, visit our Facebook group for more exclusive content!

Get Three Nights with a Rock Star now!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Cover Reveal! Historical romance Betraying Mercy has a pretty cover…

This is my historical romance from Harlequin E. Ready to see the pretty?

…

……

……….

And here’s the blurb:

Can she be more than a mistress?

With a tarnished reputation, Mercy Lyndhurst expected to become the Earl of Rochford’s mistress, not his wife. Immediately abandoned by her husband after their wedding, Mercy transformed herself from commoner to countess, vowing to protect the lands and people her husband was forced to leave.

Over the past six years, William has restored the family fortune all the while tortured by his memories of Mercy…and the dark night he killed a man. When a threat draws him home, William learns just how much has changed—including his wife. While the passion still flares between them, he fears he has wounded her too badly to regain her trust. But as the danger grows they must unite to save the estate…and possibly their marriage.

You can pre-order Betraying Mercy on Amazon here!

Cover Reveal for Three Nights with a Rock Star

I’m still recovering from the RT Book Convention, but I wanted to share something with you guys. My upcoming release, Three Nights with a Rock Star, has a sexy new cover! This is a book I wrote with my friend Shari Slade and it’s a lot of fun…

When Hailey crashes a Half-Life after party, she expects to find the bastard who knocked up her little sister. Instead she meets the sexy front-man who agrees to give her access to his crew if she gives him access to her body.

All Lock demands in return is three days of complete control over the Sunday School teacher. With a contract, because he’s been burned before. One misstep could send the band—and his tenuous sobriety—up in flames.

Hailey and Lock push each other’s limits… Against the penthouse window. Backstage. In the limo and on the elevator. But as the contract counts down, neither are ready for the party to end.

Three Nights with a Rock Star, coming June 2, 2014. Add it on Goodreads or learn more.

Also, you can be sure not to miss Three Nights with a Rock Star’s release by signing up for mew infrequent new release newsletter here!

Welcome to the First Kiss hop! Introducing my new rockstar series…

I’m so excited to announce a brand new series I’m co-writing with my friend, Shari Slade. It’s suuuper sexy rockstars and I love them. The first book in the series, Three Nights with a Rock Star, has already been written! And you can add it on Goodreads here. And you can sign up for my newsletter to get notified when it comes out in June.

There’s more! We joined the First Kiss Bloghop, featuring original fiction of first kisses that take place on video. And so, the second book in the series, the one we’re currently working on, fits that perfectly! So you not only get original kissing fiction, but you also get a sneak peek at the second book in the series.

In the scene, Krist is the dark and brooding rock star. Madeline is the outrageous pop princess. Together they make kissing fireworks. Or something like that. You’ll have to read to find out…

The book this will be in is tentatively titled One Kiss with a Rock Star, but we have a separate title for the standalone flash piece: Waiting in the Wings. If you’re following the First Kiss Hop, you may notice that my post and Shari’s is the same. It’s a longer scene than we would have done individually, but we decided not to break it into two parts and risk someone reading out of order. Instead you get the full, long scene wherever you land

———————————-

Waiting in the Wings

“So, she’ll be suspended from the rafters up there. We’ll lower her down. Spinning. Spinning. You with me so far?” The producer pointed as he talked, waving a clipboard, and checking his watch.

Krist nodded. This wasn’t his first video shoot, though a set for a Half-Life production was more smoke-machines and back alleys than Cirque du Soleil knock off.

Christ, he wanted to kill his agent for setting this up.

“When she hits that mark, you grab her—watch the wings—kiss her, and push her back.” Producer pantomimed a dramatic shove and continued. “In the stage show it’s just a backup dancer dressed like a demon, but for the video we wanted something more literal. Remember, she’s too sweet for you, too good, it hurts to touch her. But you want her. That’s your motivation.”

Well, this was painful alright. And he was the literal devil, in leather and chains, to some pop princess angel. No respect for the music, the craft. She probably couldn’t even sing.

Fucking auto-tune.

The label ate this shit up, sucked his bones and tossed them on the altar of scandalous cross-promotion. They could suck something else too. Maybe they’d started with his agent’s metaphorical dick, because that’s the only way this gig made any sense.

Krist balled his fists and forced himself to swallow the bile building at the back of his throat. He might be a dissolute rock star, available for hire…but he was a goddamn professional. “Got it,” he growled.

“Oh, good. You’re already getting into character. We have—” Producer checked his watch again “—five minutes before they harness her up. Do you want to meet her first?”

“No.” He didn’t want to meet her at all. He was already choking on her rarefied air. From the bowl of pink M&Ms in the green room to the we-drank-the-kool-aid crew hovering in her orbit. Had they all signed purity pledges, too? He snorted. “Let’s keep the misery, I mean mystery, alive.”

* * *

There was a moment, after the makeup artist and hair stylist had gone, before the choreographer and director had arrived, that Madeline was alone. The silence disoriented her, making her pulse heavy.

It was like stepping off a carousel, unsteady on her feet and squinting into the sun. Though in her case, she was unsteady on the four inch heels and blinking at fashion lights lining the wall. Her short puffs of breath expanded to fill the empty dressing room.

Every piece of clothing that had been specially crafted and fitted to her body suddenly tugged and scratched and pinched.

The door slammed open—no knock—and her choreographer stood there. Just like that, the off-kilter moment was over, banished to the Island of Misfit Memories. She was Madeline Fox again, back in her groove. Adequate singer. Dazzling performer. She was a goddamn pop princess—and princesses never had to be alone.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jimmy said in his customary affected voice. “You look fabulous.”

Doing a little circle to show off her costume, she preened. Literally preened since she had feathers glued onto her arms. “Are you sure I don’t look a little… avian?”

“Please. No one will be looking at your arms in that glitter bra. Every boy in the audience will have a hard-on the size of Texas.”

Madeline rolled her eyes. Jimmy had been saying that to her since she was fifteen. He got away with it because he pretended to be gay. A requirement for being successful in this business, or so he’d told her in a rare moment of seriousness.

“Come on, sweetie. Your devil awaits you.”

She clapped her hands together, barely holding in her squee. “Ward came through for me?”

Right on cue, Ward entered stage right. Alex Ward had a man’s name and the personality of a shark. In short, she was the perfect agent. “I always come through for you. You’re the best and you deserve the best.”

“Aww, I bet you say that to all the multi-platinum artists.”

Ward didn’t deny it. But then, she might not have heard. She was currently speaking into her Bluetooth while tapping the tablet propped over her arm.

The spicy scent of warm chai hit her like an orgasm. “Fuuuuck. Someone is about to be my best friend.”

A latte cup was lifted from behind Jimmy’s head. Her assistant. God bless assistants, really. Especially this one who’d brought her chai. Laney. Landry? Was it a boy or a girl? Not that it mattered. Madeline swung both ways.

But before she could grab hold of the cup, her voice coach was there with her endless litany of rules and regulations. No smoking. No drinking. No deep throating. Blah blah blah. And definitely no chai before a performance.

“Hey,” she said, pouting. “I’m not even going to be signing.”

Her agent glanced over. “Oh, we changed that. We want some live clips to insert into the video.”

Jimmy winked. “A little improv goes a long way.”

Alrighty, so she would sing. In front of Krist Mellas, bass player and vocalist for Half-Life. Her stomach turned over as she grabbed the chai and took a drink. It wasn’t spiked, so the assistant whoever-the-fuck was clearly still in training mode. Big girls got a shot with their latte, and Madeline had been a big girl since she turned fourteen on the set of KidMania five years ago.

The sea of people pushed her along.

No one specifically told her to move. No one asked. They just moved and she had no choice but to move with them. She didn’t want a choice. This was easy. This was mindless. Swivel your hips and sing until it hurts.

This was her life.

Once on the set, she could see Krist. They’d dressed him up in black with spiky hair and kohl liner. Demonic? Yes. That was his usual MO. As costumes went, his was light.

Guys always got off light.

Closer, closer. What if he looked at her with disgust in his eyes? Of course he would. She looked down and ruffled her feathers. That was how all the rocker boys looked at her, one part disdain and two parts lust.

They weren’t better than her. Boy bands with an edge. Bubble gum pop studded with nails. At least she owned up to what she was.

And what she wasn’t.

They were almost face to face, her and Krist, and there was nowhere else to feign interest, no other way to delay the inevitable. What if he found out that she’d requested him? Alex would have made it sound like a business proposition, but if he asked Madeline straight up… she might not be able to lie to Krist’s face. His very dark, scowling face.

But hey, she could avoid like a pro.

She could ignore his narrowed eyes. Could ignore the way he emanated tension, impatience, a tuning fork of masculine discontent. She could tug on Jimmy’s arm, instead.

Her choreographer looked distracted, adjusting the netting on her sleeves. “Hmm?”

When in doubt, play the dumb card. That was a trick she’d learned when she was ten years old and it hadn’t failed her yet. “I don’t know about this.”

Jimmy’s gaze sharpened. “What’s wrong? You need a minute before we start?”

A delay? No. What she needed was to speed this up, to meet Krist in a way where he couldn’t say no. This was her set. She called the shots. She ruled things with her glittery Valley girl crown, and Krist would never know what hit him. “I’m just a little…” She sighed. “You know, that time of the month. Can I take a nap after this?”

Translation: hurry the fuck up.

From the twist of Jimmy’s lips, he wasn’t quite buying it. Besides, the crew knew her cycle better than she did. It didn’t matter, because he clapped his hands loud enough to make her jump and shouted, “Asses in gear, people. We have one shot to get this right. Let’s put this angel in the air.”

* * *

Watch the wings.

He couldn’t miss them. She was naked but for feathers and glitter. Untouchable. Two grips ushered her along the catwalk and affixed her harness to a rig in the rafters. Krist was only a few feet off the ground on his platform, but he still felt unsteady. She was so high.

An assistant counted down and the director shouted, “Action!”

The army of dancers below writhed to the thumping bass line of the guide track, feet pounding the floor, but Krist only had eyes for Madeline. She lifted her arms above her head like the ballerina in his baby sister’s jewelry box, stepped off the ledge, and twirled down singing. “I break my own wings.”

The power in her vocals, the edge behind the lyric, knocked him more off balance. He’d expected her to lip sync. He’d expected her to fucking suck.

“I am falling. I am falling. Lift me up.”

All the dancers below lifted their hands in unison and swayed, like the collective force of their will would boost her higher. Cheesy pop bullshit, but something about it worked. He didn’t want to admit it but she had…something. Her descent slowed. If he stretched he could just reach her perfectly manicured toe. Almost time.

His whole body tensed as a camera swung in his direction. He grimaced and gripped the railing when the platform beneath him, mounted on what looked like a cherry picker truck, shifted closer to Madeline. The camera man gave him a thumbs up. He must look sufficiently demonic.

Now. He reached for her, grabbing her by the waist, the only part of her body unadorned, and pulled her close. One breath, and he was overcome by her scent. Spicy cotton candy. Unexpected and strangely perfect. A second breath and he prepared to do his damned job, to mash his lips against hers and fling her back to her adoring throng. It was only skin. It didn’t mean anything.

Her eyes flashed mischief. Hi, she mouthed and hooked her legs around his hips.

He froze. The producer hadn’t mentioned grinding in the rundown earlier. She shimmied against him and his traitorous cock responded. Do the job you came to do.

Before he could, she bent her head and stole the kiss he’d been hired to deliver. He couldn’t help but gasp and then her tongue, warm and electric, invaded his mouth. Chai.

Could an angel corrupt a devil?

“I am falling. I am falling.” The guide track looped in the background, distorted by auto-tune, hardly recognizable as the sultry voice he’d just heard.

It was too much. The wet heat, her teeth grazing his bottom lip, and the way she rocked against his crotch. It hurt to touch her, just like the devil was supposed to react. He pushed, but she only held on tighter, digging her heels into his ass, twisting his hair in her fingers. Sparks of pleasure-pain skittered under his skin. She’d chosen him.

He didn’t want to want her. Wanting was a one way ticket to disappointment.

She raked her fingers down his back, teasing the sliver of skin between his shirt and belt, and pressed her mouth to his ear. He shivered.

“Work with me.” She nipped him.

He could work. And if his body responded? Well, it was only biology. The hard-on straining against his zipper, as manufactured and packaged as the Dream Angel in his arms.

He lost himself in the pull and sway, forgot the crowd of people, the camera, the job. Forgot everything but the taste of her, the feel of her tight muscles under his palms, the tickle of feathers floating free.

He kissed her back, violent and hard, reclaiming what she’d taken. Her body softened, melted around him. She moaned, giving in, an unexpected surrender. He hadn’t missed the power she wielded over the whole production, a queen bee to her hive. But here she was gasping and shuddering in his arms, the rapid pulse against his chest like wings beating against glass. He ran his tongue along hers, savoring the honey and spice.

A sound came from the sides, an urgent whisper. They wanted him to stop. He even felt her lurch away, tugged by mechanical means, but he held tighter. They’d have to tear her away. They’d have to hurt her to do it. For one brief moment, he wasn’t letting go. Skin to skin, mouth to mouth. Heat to heat, and they’d both flown too close to the sun.

The music stopped.

He pulled back, breaking the kiss, but not the connection burning between them. “Why me?”

She blinked, hazy with lust. “Because you’re the demon.”

That’s my motivation. “No, why did you want me for this set. I know you did.”

Her gaze hardened. Was she angry he’d figured it out? And… hurt? Emotion flickered in her eyes and then died. Once again he held the siren, the queen. “Because I’m tired of playing the angel.”

He was tired too and he’d be goddamned if he’d play jester in her court. No matter what her kisses tasted like. No matter how good it felt to have her pressed against him. No matter how his cock throbbed. He untangled her legs from around his waist and pushed her gently onto her feet. She wobbled, teetering on the edge of the platform, then straightened.

“I hope you got what you needed.” He brushed a loose feather from her cheek and left without looking back.

———————————-

THE END! Of the scene, that is. But you can add Three Nights with a Rock Star to your Goodreads right now or sign up for my newsletter to get notified when the book comes out in June. That features two different characters, but Krist plays a pretty big role And Madeline makes an appearance.

And you can find the full First Kiss listing of all original fiction here. Hope you enjoy!

NEW RELEASE: How to Say Goodbye is out now!

How to Say Goodbye is out now! You can find it on:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance
Smashwords

She’s here for the summer…

Amy has a secret: no one’s ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everyone thinks she’s smart, but straight A’s are way easier than making friends. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.

He lives on the streets…

Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s been on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. Then he meets Amy. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.

Except that means facing down his past–and that past might very well swallow them both.

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE is a full-length novel of 76,000 words and no cliffhanger.

Here’s what the early reviews are saying:

“I loved Dane. I didn’t care if he was homeless – he was such a great guy. He was sweet, caring and unbelievably tender. Though he struggled to come to terms with what a man like him in his situation can really offer a girl like Amy, he still treated her delicately and respectfully; he made me melt.” – Sweet Spot Book Blog

“How to Say Goodbye is a sweet yet raw romance between Amy and Dane…If you are looking for something meaningful and sweet, with a touch of heat, this one is for you!” – Eskimo Princess Book Blog

“A stunning book. Written to perfection.” – Old Victorian Quill

I hope you enjoy Dane & Amy’s story! Here are the links again for Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Happy reading