Dani Collins's Blog, page 54

#TeaserTuesday - Playing The Master (2)

Hopefully I'm posting this on Tuesday. I'm traveling and have prewritten several posts and made arrangements to schedule, but you just never know. If I'm off by a day one way or another, kindly forgive and check back as you can through the summer because I will try to post often if not predictably.

If you tuned in last week, you know this series is from my 2in1 collection wit HarlequinE, a digital first publisher, meaning print copies may happen in the future, but right now it's only available electronically.

And when I say, "right now" I might be lying. The book releases August 4th, but I've been posting that it's available from Mills and Boon now. A friend in Australia, however, had to pre-order so it might be that I'm reading things wrong and this link only allows you to pre-order.

You can definitely only pre-order from Amazon.com until it releases in North America on August 4th.

Here's a quick roundup of the rest of my summer excerpts:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - all excerpts from my August Harlequin Presents.
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - from the first book in this Erotic 2in1 Collection. Includes links to previous.

If you missed the first one from this book, the opening scene is here, where Ann spies on a couple 'doing it.'

#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - the second book in this Erotic 2in1 Collection.

~ * ~

Ann’s stomach plummeted into her knees. She dropped her gaze and fumbled her glasses onto her face. The lenses were greased by her clammy grip and caught, refusing to slide against the spackle of her face powder. She left them smudged and crooked.

Did she recognize her? Ann had made only the briefest of appearances downstairs when the guests had first arrived. Since then she’d been sidling into alcoves and stairwells, not comfortable being the focus of interest after so many years of being locked away and ignored. She definitely had not wanted to be noticed climbing the back stairs to this room.

“Quelle surprise,” Eloisa said in a facetious undertone.

Ann didn’t dare look into her eyes. People who were angry were cruel. You didn’t provoke them by being defiant.

A noise at the door lifted her startled gaze, but the bi-fold doors unexpectedly blocked her vision as they were thrown back into their rails. Enclosed in darkness once again, she had the barest sliver to view who entered the room.

Oh. Porter Navarro.

Her heart took a further tumbling drop to somewhere in the foyer two stories below. This would be bad. Now her stepfather would find out. If Porter backed out of marrying her, Cain would kill her. Literally. He’d told her so.

Her entire body quivered with an urge to flee, but as usual, she was trapped.

Porter said nothing as he stared at Eloisa.

She placed insolent hands on her hips and tossed her wild curls with bravado.

Ann hadn’t done anything so bold when introduced to him. She’d been too terrified, too conscious she was being sold to a man who looked more wicked and dangerous than her stepfather—which was saying something.

Thankfully, he hadn’t bothered to let his dark gaze linger on her the way he did with Eloisa. If he had, she hadn’t seen it while she’d stared at his shoes. How did Eloisa stand his scrutiny? He was intimidating, tall and ropey with muscle.

And yet, as Ann stole her first opportunity to study him without being observed, the sexy slithery feeling in her abdomen returned. He was even more good looking in person than in the photos she’d looked up online.

His father was Spanish, but Porter had been born in South America, which leant warm Latin swarthiness to his skin. His brows weren’t too heavy, but they were intense over smoky gray eyes. He wore a precision thin moustache with an equally ruthless narrow line of hair that started below his bottom lip and ran into a curving anchor that followed the edge of his strong jaw.

His mother was French, which accounted for the sensual lips, she supposed, but he was more worldly than that, having grown up around the globe as his father expanded the family oil interests. His accent had held a British boarding school clip. His clothes were tailored either here or Milan because his tuxedo fit his flawless build to perfection.

Everything about his appearance was excruciatingly perfect, from his shiny black hair swooped to the left to his polished black shoes. Even his companions, women of various ethnicities who’d been photographed by online gossip sites sprawled upon him in barely there bikinis, were utterly flawless.

But when Ann had looked past his brutal handsomeness and money and power, and read ‘Sexual Adventurer’, ‘Master of Kink,’ and ‘Lady Killer’, taking her chances with defying Cain and making a run for it looked like the safer option.

Not that she had much say in the matter now. She curled her sweaty palms into fists, holding her breath, waiting for Eloisa to expose her. Waiting for Porter to speak.

They only confronted each other in silence.

Eloisa softened her posture first. She moved toward him with a swish of her hips.

“Mon bijou, this evening is full of the unexpected.” She sounded amused.

Ann dug her teeth into her lip so hard she expected to taste blood. Her nerves frayed as she felt the noose drawn a fraction tighter. A damp chill sat on her skin.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to see you here.” He glanced toward the closet where Ann was hiding. “Find anything interesting in there?”

“Only your fiancée.”

Ann’s inner being drained from her eyebrows to her ankles in a sucking plunge.

“Is that where she got to?” Porter asked with disinterest, implying he thought she was joking. “People have been asking.”

Ann’s throat locked around a burst of hysterical amusement. Her stomach flip flopped and all she could do was stand there motionless, waiting for Eloisa to release the blade on the guillotine.

“They want to see what kind of woman could leash the infamous Porter Navarro. From the brief glimpse I had, she seems intriguing.” Eloisa slid a familiar hand over Porter’s arm, lifting onto her tiptoes to attempt a kiss on his cheek. Her gaze cut sideways toward the closet from the corner of her swooped lashes. It was a teasing acknowledgment of Ann’s presence.

Before the kiss landed, Porter set a firm hand on her collarbone and pressed her to flat feet. “What are you doing here, Eloisa?”

“Ever the dominant.” She tsked as he brushed her hand from his belt buckle. “I just told you. Like everyone else, I wanted a look at this paragon you’re planning to marry. Is she really a virgin?”

“According to Cain. Given how plain she is, I can’t imagine any man would touch her without other incentives.”

As Eloisa tittered, indignant heat crept into Ann’s cheeks. She didn’t know where it came from. Having witnessed how her stepfather had treated her mother, she had little interest in catching men’s attention. In fact, she’d spent the last nine years ensuring Cain found her less than interesting. Repulsive. Raina had helped her disguise the fact she’d grown into the body that had only been starting to blossom when her mother had been killed.

Ann couldn’t peel back the layers at this point and reveal that, actually, she wasn’t half bad. Not with Cain watching her every second, determined to get rid of her and her mother’s oil company in one ruthlessly lucrative stroke of his pen.

Still, it bothered her to know Porter thought she was unattractive. She feared it meant he’d be callous at best, harsh and vicious as her stepfather at his worst. That closed a door on her. Part of her had wondered if this marriage could be a turn of fortune, but apparently not..

~ * ~

More next week, mon bijou.

Now, Goodreads will only let me do giveaways for print books, but I've decided that I'll draw for some copies of this book if you send me a photo of my books on vacation. It can be an older book and it can be print or a screenshot from your e-reader, but please include some background like the beach or wherever you're reading it. When I've collected ten or so, I'll draw for a few free books. Tell me which one you'd like to win when you send me your snapshot.

And please enter the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest! Purchase of my erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

I have a few blog stops to promote both the Erotic Collection and The Ultimate Seduction. Check in for giveaways:

July 11 - iBooks

Please check back for #Thursday13. I'm going to set up a post for another 13 lines from The Secret In Room 823 right now.

#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction (6)

I pre-wrote this then came this close to forgetting to hit publish. This is the kind of reliability you're in for over the next month. I'm literally all over the place and will be a bit eratic in my posting habits. Here goes...

I wound up starting this series a bit early, so it's ending a bit early. In another week, you should start seeing this book on shelves. If you don't want to wait, you can buy The Ultimate Seduction from Amazon now!

The reason(s) I jumped the gun were many.

I'm on the move as of two days ago, so I'm pre-writing this post.
I have several books to promote for August.
I can't count. Especially backward from August 1st.

So here we are, having our last visit with Ryzard and Tiffany before they go on sale. If you've missed any of the previous posts in this series, they're here:

Tiffany receives her invitation to QVirtus
Ryzard arrives at QVirtus
Tiffany joins the party
Ryzard joins Tiffany on the dance floor
Their dancing turns into something more

Remember to scroll down for more samples and snippets from the rest of my summer books.

~ * ~

A strong male hand stroked down her abdomen and skimmed off to the top of her thigh, making her mewl in disappointment. Then he fingered beneath the slit of her skirt and she had to pull away from his kiss to draw in a gasp as he followed bare skin into the sensitive flesh at the top of her leg.

She stilled.

His arm across her torso tensed and the hand on her breast hesitated briefly before he continued caressing her, lightly and persuasively, both hands teasing her with the promise of continued pleasure.

A moan of craving left her and she shuddered in acceptance.

A streak of light shot skyward and his touch moved into her center, exploring satin and lace that were damp with anticipation. She couldn’t help covering his hand with her own, pinning his touch where she ached for pressure.

He seemed to know what she needed more than she did. As he fondled her, her eyes drifted closed and her head fell back to rest against his shoulder. She bit her lip, ripples of delight dancing through her. Was she really doing this? Rubbing her behind into his erection, not caring they were in public, that she didn’t know him, that this was all about her pleasure?

He started to draw his hand away and she turned her face to the side, a cry of disappointment escaping her, but he was only hooking her panties down her hip and returning to trace and part and seek and find.

She released a moan of pure joy.

He caught her chin in his other hand and tilted her face up for his kiss while his touch on her mound became deliberate and intimate and determined.

She let it happen. She held very still and kissed him back with naked passion, aware of the light breeze caressing where she was exposed to the shadows of the rampart and the velvety night air. She let him stroke her into delirious intensity, her awareness dimmed at the edges so she was focused on the pleasure he was delivering, plucking and teasing and bringing her closer.

Over the water, the biggest rockets exploded like thunder, sending shock waves through her that made her quiver in stunned reaction. The reverberations echoed inside her, sparking where he stroked, sending a wild release upward and out to the ends of her limbs. He pinched her nipple, and like a flashpoint, she was blind to everything but white light and astonishing pleasure. Glorious waves of joy crashed in, submerging her in tumultuous ripples that he seemed to control, pressing one after another through her with the rub of his fingertip.

As the fireworks dimmed to puffs of smoke surrounding a barge in the bay, her climax receded, leaving her a puddle of lassitude in his steely arms.

He adjusted her panties and started to turn her. She obeyed the command in his hands, wanting to kiss him, to thank him—

Without a word, he drew her across the balcony to a set of shallow stairs leading to the beach. She wobbled, partly because her legs were wet noodles, partly because her heels couldn’t find solid purchase in the sand. He scooped her up, carrying her along with easy strength into a cabana encircled by heavy curtains.

Inside he set her on her feet and steadied her with one hand while he raked the cloth door closed behind them. Without a word, he scraped the mask off his face and yanked his shirt open, peeling it off his shoulders and throwing it aside.

She couldn’t see his face, not really. It was barely a shade above pitch-black in here, but the glow of satin skin increased as he toed off his shoes and opened his fly, stripping without ceremony.

Sweet Lord, what a man. He stepped closer and she couldn’t help reaching out to test the flat muscles of his abdomen, learning them by feel more than sight. Hot and damp, he reacted to her touch with a tense of muscles and a muffled curse, making her smile in the dark, pleased she had an effect on him.

Her hand bumped into his. He was applying a condom.

Curious, she lightly explored his latex-covered shape. As she did, the pressure of her mask shifted.

She knocked his touch away before she thought about what she was doing.

Stillness came over him.

She tried to penetrate the dark and read his face—which was what he was likely doing. He probably thought she was having second thoughts.

Hell no. She might never have another chance to lose her virginity. Not like this, so caught up in desire she was shaking with it.

“Leave it on,” she whispered.

His hands lowered to her shoulders, one skimming down the edge of her bodice under her arm. She knew what he was looking for.

“That too.” Catching his hand away from her zipper, she drew him toward the bed.

In the same way he’d taken her over on the dance floor, he took the lead. A tip of his weight, a knee in the bed and she was lifted and placed half under him in one smooth motion. Her startled exhale clouded between them as a hand sought beneath her skirt, catching at her panties then pausing.

She couldn’t help chuckling, understanding the implicit question. Lifting her hips, she invited him to strip them off her.

~ * ~

And then more stuff happens. I'm a brat, I know. Here are the buy links if you'd like to read more:

All my current Harlequin titles are available on the Mills & Boon UK site. eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus have them too.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks

Did you know that purchase of this book counts as ten entries in the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest?

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Want some behind-the-scenes info and more chances to win signed copies of my books? Check out some of my upcoming guest blogs:

July 11 - Romance Beckons on Writing Erotic Romance
July 14 - Harlequin Blog
July #TemptationThursday - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews
July 31 - The Reading Cafe

Also, this book is part of a three book series from Harlequin Presents. Read more about the 21st Century Gentleman's Club:

Finally, if you've missed any of my other excerpts, here are some handy links so you can catch up:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - My June Harlequin Presents. This post links to the previous five.
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - This is all the excerpts from the first book in my Erotic Romance Collection.
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 - This is the third instalment from this novella in
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series.
#TeaserTuesday - Playing The Master - the second book in this Erotic 2in1 Collection.

Whew! Thanks for all your support! I'm going to prep a few more posts, but please forgive me if they don't post on time. It will depend on access to wifi and my ability to remember what day it is. Hope you're having a great weekend.

#Thursday13 - Things I Have To Do Today

All that stuff I was supposed to do yesterday? Here's what I did:

Why? It's not even great. It's merely okay. But I was in the mood to muck around. As a result, I am making myself a To Do list today and have to stick to it. I leave tomorrow. No choice. So...

Mess around online: This is what I do while I have my tea each morning. I'm not swaying from that. It's my thing. But I'm including writing and posting this #Thursday13. I should also plan my posts while I'm gone. I should, but we'll see. I'm only one person.

Tame email. Really should have done this yesterday. Was busy making a cool new banner that I will unveil someday in the future when I've had time to master Photoshop. For today you get the lame one.

Run into town. This is the last minute freak out that we all do where we buy weird items like gravol and quinoa and something impulsive that we think we'll need but really don't. Like a new pair of shoes that we don't love, but could wear if we do that thing and then we do that thing and we hate the shoes and make do with something more comfortable. My freak out also includes: work out at gym, pedicure, buy groceries for family so they don't starve while I'm gone, visit my parents for last minute hugs and kisses, fill the tank and, if I'm so inclined, wash the vehicle, but I'm pretty sure that one will fall into Bonus Points category. Like the Yahtzee that you hope for but never get.

Swim. It has to happen in this heat or someone will be seriously injured.

Get the mail. Then I must delegate the key to the most responsible family member. I shall spend all morning thinking about this and probably leave it with my husband despite the fact that all two of my children work in the same building as the post office.

Clean my desk. This is about excavating the vital papers I will very likely need as I travel, like itineraries and directions to that lunch I'm supposed to go to and, oh yeah, my sister's home address so I know what to tell the cab driver when I get off the plane at 5am in Brisbane. Looking at my desk makes me whimper.

Clean my bathroom. I'd say the whole house, but heat. I should have done this a few days ago, but heat.

Laundry. This one comes very obviously before:

Finish packing. 'nuff said and won't truly be complete until tomorrow morning.

Make supper. Mother Of The Year is a sarcastic title in our house. I often win it for my stellar skills like forgetting to pick up my son or getting him up for school on a day that's a holiday. Being a winner of this trophy going on nineteen years running, I will make supper tonight and I bet it will include one of those chickens from the grocery store. (heat)

Photocopy my itinerary for the family. They don't care until they care, like I fully expect this text: "Mom, why didn't you pick me up from work." Me: Because I'm in Australia. Look at the thing on the fridge. Where is your sister? Fun fact: She wanted to stay in Calgary this summer and I asked her to come home and take a local job for the express purpose of being her brother's personal chauffeur. So far it's working out great for all of us.

Swim. Seriously, this needs to happen near bedtime or sleep doesn't happen. It's 7:08 am as I write this and I already feel like the sweatiest sweat hog.

Try to sleep. It's not just the heat. My brain will be going non-stop, trying to figure out what I've forgotten, and also plotting my next three books. That's kept me awake for the last few nights. Good grief, the couple from the photographer story won't leave me alone! I can't officially start it until I've consulted my horoscope, but no, they're all up in my grill with their dialogue and conflict and angst. Also, I have a book to finish while I'm away so they just have to wait until I get back. Puh-leeze.

I will have a #SampleSunday this weekend and a #TeaserTuesday along with a new #Thursday13 from The Chatsfield next week. I haven't planned all my posts, but this weekend is the last #SampleSunday from The Ultimate Seduction. I'll continue the #TeaserTuesday from Playing The Master until August 4th.

Given that I'm traveling, they might not post exactly on time. I'll do my best. Please check back if it's not up yet.

Meanwhile, if you came here looking for The Secret Room in 823, here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

You can buy The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title (in the UK), or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, it's part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

If you've missed any of my other excerpts, here are some handy links so you can catch up:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - My June Harlequin Presents. This post links to the previous five.
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - This is all the excerpts from the first book in my Erotic Romance Collection.
#TeaserTuesday - Playing The Master - second instalment in the second book in this Erotic 2in1 Collection.

I have a few blog stops with some behind the scenes stuff on the Erotic Collection and The Ultimate Seduction. Check in for giveaways, too:

July 11 - iBooks

Tea is gone. That means I have to get along to the next items on the list. Thank you for continuing to visit. I'll get that #SampleSunday up on Saturday morning if the hotel has decent wifi. Cheers!

#TeaserTuesday - Playing The Master

Welcome to a new series, #TeaserTuesday fans! I've decided to just throw caution to the wind and give you the opening scene of this book. It's a bit racy, definitely NSFW.

This 2in1 collection is from HarlequinE, a digital first publisher, meaning print copies may happen in the future, but right now it's only available electronically. It releases August 4th, but if you're anxious to read the rest of this (along with Mastering Her Role, showcased in my last #TeaserTuesday series), you can buy Dani's Erotic Romance Collection from Mills and Boon now, or pre-order from Amazon.com.

Quick plug for the rest of my latest series of excerpts:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - fifth instalment from my August Harlequin Presents, includes links to previous. One more to go.
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - from the first book in this Erotic 2in1 Collection. Includes links to previous.

Here we meet Ann, the heroine of Playing The Master:

~ * ~

CHAPTER ONE

Removing her glasses so their yellow lenses wouldn’t interfere, Ann peered through the crack in the mirrored bifold door and watched the couple against the wall of the bedroom. The man’s hat was knocked to the floor and his pants hung loose around his thighs. The woman’s skirt was bunched to her waist, revealing her coffee-cream leg hitched on to the man’s thrusting hip.

They were doing it.

And watching them made Ann feel…hmm. Nervous, but not in the fearful way some of her observations made her feel. Excited.

She saw a lot doing this, standing quietly in a spot no one would think to look. Places like a closet with a door ajar were dismissed as empty, and she became a part of the room, like the furniture, silently witnessing all that went on.

She had learned a lot this way—how people really thought and felt. Whether they stole or simply admired beautiful things. Why they gave their loyalty to a man like her stepfather, Cain.

Despite the reason he’d brought her here, she liked Paris. The servants in this mansion weren’t on guard against her habit, and Cain was very distracted. More had gone on in the twenty-four hours she’d been here than had happened in the Al-Zahra mansion in a given year.

The woman seemed to like coupling with this man. In Al-Zahra, Ann had rarely seen men at all, mostly just Fonzo, the chauffeur. He’d been married to her best friend, Raina, the housekeeper. They’d been private people, especially about sex, but Raina had explained certain things when Ann asked. Like how it worked. Ann was deeply curious about the whole process. Did it feel better with someone else than it did alone?

This couple seemed to think so. They had stepped into the room, loosened their clothing and collided with urgency and subdued moaning. Their hips were locked together and grinding. What did that feel like?

A rush of heat pooled between her legs. Ann fought the sensation, tightening against it, but that only pulsed a sweet pleasure through her loins. It took all her concentration to stand very still and modulate her breathing.

She swallowed, glad the hushed noise of hands running over clothing and ragged gasps covered her own hitching breaths. The woman’s nails were scraping over the back of the man’s shirt. She arched her neck so her bright red curls bunched on her shoulder and met his thrusts with lifting motions of her hips. The man had his knees bent, his head dipped so his mouth was against her neck. His pale buttocks tensed as he pushed his groin into the woman’s again and again. Their pace grew fevered, their soughs of air sharper.

Ann burned all over. It was so much more exciting and visceral than the pornography Cain watched. That was very Tab A into Slot B, the actors’ faces never this expressive even when they were shown.

Rather than the squirmy mixture of repulsion and curiosity she felt when she glanced at that stuff, this sent flutters of real arousal into her abdomen. Her skin prickled under her loose abaya. Transfixed by the struggle, she held her breath, practically with them as she sensed their crisis looming.

“I’m coming, oh fuck, I’m coming,” the man ground out, thrusting hard into the blue evening gown bunched against the woman’s stomach.

The woman made noises between anxiety and approval, taut and tall as she accepted the pin of the man’s hips into her own. They held the position of stasis for a long minute, the woman’s face frozen in an expression of joyful anguish.

Is that what I look like when I fondle in the dark? When I'm coming? Ann’s stinging blush turned to one of discomfiture, but she couldn’t wait for this interminable night to end so she could seek the privacy of her room and relive this experience.

Releasing pleasure-filled sighs, the couple relaxed and slowly disengaged from each other. The man stepped back to tug his pants up his hairy backside. Ann caught a flash of the woman’s mound before she worked her skirt down. Hairless?

As the man closed his fly and buckled his belt, he said, “Gracias,” but in the way of a sarcastic American.

“Mon bijou, thank you.” The woman’s breathless English carried an accent that was French, but she pronounced thank as “zank.” She wasn’t blue-black or tall like the Ethiopian maid they’d left in KSA, but her cadence sounded a little like her.

“Why did you want me to bring you here? Looking for new clients?” the man asked.

“I don’t troll, you know that. Invitations are strictly by referral. If you breathe a word of the club to anyone, I’ll bar you for life. No, this is lurid curiosity.”

“Uh-huh.” He sounded skeptical as he picked up his Stetson and positioned it on his ruffled hair. Glancing around the small dressing room, from its plush, round bench in the center to the closets that lined it, to the vanity table with its delicate lamp, he shrugged as though to say, Nothing left to do here.

“Feel free to give ol’ Trev a call if you find yourself locked out of any more parties. That was a pleasant little knee trembler, Eloisa. Take care now.”

He pronounced her name with that same thick drawl. El-oo-ee-sa. Without even a kiss, he left, closing the door behind him.

Eloisa smoothed her satin gown into place. It hugged lovingly at her waist and across her round hips then revealed one smooth brown thigh through its high slit as she walked forward. Coming to the mirrors, she inspected her reflection for flaws, finger-combing her shiny red locks before cupping each breast to ensure the upper swells sat high over her sweetheart bodice. Removing a lipstick from her bag, she ran it over her capricious smile, eyelids drooped in smug satisfaction.

Ann’s heart pounded so loud she was sure the sound filled the room. She held her breath, counting the seconds as she willed the woman to finish grooming and leave.

Instead, Eloisa made one of those tiny shifts of posture and Ann couldn’t even blink. They were staring at one another.

She can’t see me. It’s dark in here—

Eloisa pressed the door open and their similar heights put them face-to-face.

~ * ~

Oops! You'll have to come back next week to see what happens next. (Note to Self: prep blog for next week and advise website peeps to post it.)

Now, Goodreads will only let me do giveaways for print books, but I've decided that I'll draw for some copies of this book if you send me a photo of my books on vacation. It can be an older book and it can be print or a screenshot from your e-reader, but please include some background like the beach or wherever you're reading it. When I've collected ten or so, I'll draw for a few free books. Tell me which one you'd like to win when you send me your snapshot.

And please enter the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest! Purchase of my erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

I have a few blog stops to promote both the Erotic Collection and The Ultimate Seduction. Check in for giveaways:

July 11 - iBooks

Thank you so much for continuing to visit. I appreciate your support.

I will try to post a #Thursday13, but I leave the next day for a month. We'll see if I get all my other homework done first :)

#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction (5)

MrC and I have a date today. Our local community hosts a 'Homecoming' day that's primarily a celebration of the return of our regular summer visitors, but locals like us are allowed to play too. This year they've pulled out all the stops with live music on the beach and a boat parade. Looking forward to it, since it's supposed to be high 30's here all weekend (about 100 F).

And since you're taking time from your busy weekend to visit me, I'll get right to your next instalment from The Ultimate Seduction.

Remember to scroll down for more samples and snippets from the rest of my summer books. Here's a quick refresher on what's happened so far in this series:

Tiffany receives her invitation to QVirtus
Ryzard arrives at QVirtus
Tiffany joins the party
Ryzard joins Tiffany on the dance floor

Here their dancing turns into something more:

~ * ~

Splaying her feet, she allowed her knees to loosen. The slit of her skirt parted to reveal her leg, and she made the most of it, watching him as she rolled her hips in a figure eight, showing off her body, enticing him with a come-hither groove.

He planted a foot between hers, surrounding her without touching her, hands raised as if he was absorbing energy from her aura. The sultry tropical air held an undertone of spicy cologne and musky man. Reaching out, she shaped the balls of his hard shoulders with her hands and climbed them to the sides of his damp neck, sidling close so they sidestepped back and forth, swaying together in time to the music, bodies brushing.

His wide hands flattened on her shoulder blades and slid with deliberation to the small of her back then took possession of her hips. As his unabashed gaze held hers, he pulled her in to feel the firm ridge of his erection behind his fly.

A flood of desire, not the trickles of interest she’d felt in the past, but a serious deluge of passion, transformed her limbs into heavy weights and flooded her belly with a pool of sexy heat. She became intensely aware of her erogenous zones. Her breasts ached and her nipples tingled into sharp, stinging points. Between her thighs, her loins pulsed with a swollen, oversensitive need.

As if he knew, he shifted and his hard thigh pressed into her vulnerable flesh. She gasped and her neck weakened as he bent over her. She dropped her head back and he followed, taking her body weight on his thigh. His nose grazed her chin, then her collarbone. His lips hovered between her breasts.

Slowly he brought her up again and leaned his mouth close enough to tease her parted lips.

He was a stranger, she reminded herself, but her lips felt swollen and she desperately wanted the pressure of his mouth—

A clap of thunder exploded in the sky.

Jolted, she found herself smothered against his chest, his hard arms tight around her, one hand shielding the back of her head, fingers digging in with tension. Her mask skewed, cutting into her temple. Beneath her cheekbone, his heart slammed with power.

The claps and squeals and whistles continued and his arms relaxed enough she could fix her mask and look up. Fireworks painted the starscape in flowers and streaks of red and blue and green that dissolved into sparkles of silver and palms of gold.

As people moved into their space, he steered her away from the crowd, into a corner around a partition where they were hidden in an alcove. She set her hands on the concrete rampart and leaned back into the living wall he made behind her, eyes dazzled by the bursts of color reflected on the water as the fireworks continued to explode before and above them. The band switched to an orchestrated classic that matched the explosions, filling her with awe and visceral excitement.

Already fixed in the moment, they became one being, she and this stranger, their bodies pressed tight as they watched the pyrotechnics. His hands moved over her, absently at first, shaping her to his front.

She responded, encouraging his touch by rubbing her buttocks into the proof that she could still arouse a man. When his hands cupped her breasts, bold and knowledgeable, she linked her own hands behind his neck, arching into his touch, reveling in the pressure of his palms and the thumbing of her nipples.

Dropping her head to the side, she turned her face and lifted her mouth, inviting his kiss with parted lips. He bent without hesitation, nothing tentative in the way he captured her mouth. Thorough and unhurried, he continued to caress her as he took sumptuous possession of her lips.

She ran her fingers into his hair, greeting his tongue with her own, inhibition melted by pure desire. Distantly she was aware this was out of character, but she wasn’t Tiffany. Not the Tiffany of today and not the old one either. Tonight she was the woman she wished she could have been. She was everywoman. Pure woman.

Tonight she had no man to think about but this one. She didn’t care that she didn’t know him. She and Paulie hadn’t known each other either, not really, not the way a husband and wife should. Not in the biblical sense. She hadn’t slept with him or any man.

But she wanted to. She had ached for years to experience sexual intimacy.

~ * ~

This book is part of a three book series from Harlequin Presents. Read more about the 21st Century Gentleman's Club:

If you've missed any of my other excerpts, here are some handy links so you can catch up:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - My June Harlequin Presents. This post links to the previous five.
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - From my Erotic Romance 2in1. This is the final instalment and includes links to previous posts.
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 This is the third instalment from this novella in
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series.

Still here? Then you must be a fan. Enter the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest! Here's what you could win:

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Want some behind-the-scenes info and more chances to win signed copies of my books? Check out some of my upcoming guest blogs:

July 11 - Romance Beckons on Writing Erotic Romance
July 14 - Harlequin Blog
July #TemptationThursday - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews
July 15 - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews (The Ultimate Seduction)
July 31 - The Reading Cafe

Want to buy? My books are everywhere!

In the UK, you can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

All my current and August Harlequin titles are available on the Mills & Boon UK site. eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus have them too.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks

Thanks for all your support! You're awesome. Have a great weekend and please check back Tuesday for a new series from the second book in my erotic romance 2in1.

#Thursday13 - Lines from The Chatsfield (3)

I'm back with another snippet from my August novella, The Secret In Room 823, available in the UK as a lone title and up for preorder here in N.America as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set, Vol 2.

Be sure to scroll down for links to excerpts on my blog from my other summer titles and information on how to win a signed copy of my print books.

For #Thursday13, I've been doing thirteen sentences from this novella. Here are the links to previous:

Gwen arrives at the Chatsfield
Hayes says 'No' to the wig

If you want to know more about this interactive world visit Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield here. And here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

Now we get a taste of the power struggle between Gwen and Hayes:

~ * ~

His mouth, dear God that erotic mouth with the stern peaks on his upper lip and the wide thick line of his lower, shortened at this moment into a statement of dictatorship.

He almost always treated her like this, like he was one of the many arrogant, titled SOBs who ran her life, only occasionally softening into something that was so warm and melting and dangerous, she refused to dwell on it.

‘I can do what I like,’ she scoffed, saying exactly what she always wanted to say to all those aristocrats and traditionalists. She walked past him into the room, deliberately leaving her case in the hall.

She liked to do that sometimes, treat him like a stable hand. When she wanted to provoke him. After the hellish week she’d had, she was looking for not just a fight, but a war.

He released the door and let it slam shut without retrieving the case.

Her stomach plummeted in dread. Wrong day to take this stand. Her whole life was in that case at the moment. Not just new toys, but a personal item she’d retrieved from her anonymous post box here in London. She hadn’t had the nerve to open it, but she hadn’t felt comfortable leaving it in the boot of her car either.

~ * ~

If you like my excerpts, please check out:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - fourth instalment, includes links to previous. Two more to go!
Mastering Her Role #TeaserTuesday - Fifth and last instalment, includes links to previous. Watch for a new series to start this Tuesday from Playing The Master

The Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest is closing in on four hundred entries. Please share with your friends!

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Some upcoming guest blogs:

July 14 - Harlequin Blog
July #TemptationThursday - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews
July 15 - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews (The Ultimate Seduction)
July 31 - The Reading Cafe

You can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

In fact, all my August titles are up on the Mills & Boon UK site. eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus should follow soon.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks

Have a great evening! Friday is almost here :)

#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role (5)

Hi #TeaserTuesday fans! I shall now break your heart and tell you that this will be my last excerpt from this book. Sorry, but the second book in this 2in1 needs attention so when you come back here next week, you'll meet Ann/Violet and Porter.

If you're anxious to read the rest of this (and jump ahead on the next #TeaserTuesday series), AND you're in the UK, you can buy Dani's Erotic Romance Collection from Mills and Boon now!

And if you love the free excerpts, find more here:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - fourth instalment, includes links to previous
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).

If you missed the first four in this series you can click to read them below. WARNING! Language NSFW:

Opening scene where Arianne asks to meet Dominic
Jason tries to talk her out of it
Jason tells her what to expect Graphic!
Arianne meets Dominic

Dominic asked her to change. Here's how she reacts:

~ * ~

“I—” Undress? That was quite an icebreaker.

“You…?” he prompted.

“I thought you wanted to talk.”

“I thought you wanted to explore your sexuality.”

She could change or she could leave. He offered the choice with silent patience.

Ignoring how crazy this was, she ducked behind the screen.

A small table stood behind it. It had a drawer but she didn’t snoop within it, just set her purse on top. The mirrors on the inside walls of the screen startled her but turned out to be useful once she got the dress on.

The fabric felt like air in her hands, a silk knit that weighed nothing and clung like a second skin, hiding not one single flaw. Her breasts almost fell out the top and she couldn’t seem to tug it more than an inch below the cheeks of her backside. Did he really expect her to parade these thighs of hers before him? And the panty lines? Ugh.

“It’s too small,” she said from behind the screen.

“Let me see.”

Blushing furiously, she stepped out just far enough to catch a glimpse of him with her peripheral vision. He was rearranging furniture.

“It’s fine,” he said, “but did I give you the bra and underwear?”

“No.”

“Then take them off.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Do you feel desirable right now, Arianne?”

“No.”

“Then take them off.”

She did and eyed the result. Her breasts didn’t sit as high and they moved around a lot more, but the fabric was so insubstantial her nipples stood out like pencil erasers. Without her panties, her hips had a smooth curve to them, which she had to admit was more attractive, but the skirt was still too short.

“Let me see,” he said again.

It was just as difficult to step beyond the privacy of the screen. She didn’t feel as unappealing, but she felt incredibly exposed.

He had created a large space in the center of the room and placed the stool there. As she revealed herself, he floated the blue sheet over the stool so it became a bump in an island of blue.

“Come. All the way. Here is your space, here is mine.” He pointed at the square. “Stand here a moment so I might admire.”

Cringing every step, she started forward.

“Why are you wearing your sandals?”

She kicked them off and continued until she felt the cool, slippery fabric of the blue sheet beneath her feet.

“You forgot your posture at home?”

Looking at the ceiling, she straightened her spine, tugging at the hem of the skirt when she felt it climb.

“Ah. Better with the hands at the sides.” He paced the edges of the sheet, examining her from all sides. “How do you feel?” he asked in a lowered tone.

“Stupid. Ridiculous. Inadequate. Like I’m trying to be something I’m not.”

“Those are emotions. Tell me what you feel physically. Is there relief from removing your bra?”

“Yes.” She felt much more comfortable actually.

“Are you cold?”

Her nipples. She clenched her eyes shut. “They just do that. I don’t know why.”

“What does what?”

“My—” She waved a hand in front of her chest. “They just poke out that way. They always have, even before I really had anything up there.”

“Your nipples.”

“Yes.”

“So you’re not cold?”

“Not when I’m blushing this hard, no.” Honestly, he was certainly as pigheaded and demanding as Jason.

“What about your legs? Why do you keep pulling on the dress like that? You’ll tear it.”

She smoothed it with her hands instead. “It’s too short.”

“So you’re self-conscious, but not cold. What else do you feel? Physically?”

“I don’t know. The sheet is soft under my feet.” She curled her toes into it. “My hair is soft on my shoulders.”

“Gather it up and let it fall down your back.”

She lifted her arms, but as she picked up her hair, she felt the dress climb, felt the neckline shift on her breasts so more of her swelled out the top than stayed inside.

“Hold right there a moment,” he commanded softly, his gaze hot along her front. “Tell me what you feel.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered, but held the position, dying.

“Separate the feelings, Arianne. How does your hair feel in your hands?”

“Soft. Heavy. Silky. Thick.”

“Good. And your hands on your head?”

“Warm. Familiar. My arms are aching a little.”

“Hold just a moment more. How do your nipples feel when they’re erect like that? Tight?”

“Yes.” Her voice shook with the strain. “They kind of hurt. Like they’re being pinched.”

“Oh, Arianne, that’s lovely,” he said with warm approval, pacing slowly out of her sight, behind her. “Keep going. What else?”

~ * ~

The Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest runs until mid-August. Purchase of my erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

I have a few blog stops to promote this and my August book:

July 14 - Harlequin Blog
July #TemptationThursday - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews
July 15 - Caribbean Accent Book Reviews (The Ultimate Seduction)
July 31 - The Reading Cafe

In other news, my novella, The Secret In Room 823, is available in the UK. Here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

You can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

For quickest delivery on all my titles, buy from Mills & Boon UK site, eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus as they appear there soonest.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks

Okay, busy day ahead. Much writing to be done between appointments in town. I'm also beginning to prep for the San Antonio conference. Busy!

Please come back for #Thursday13. I don't know yet what I'll be posting so it'll be a surprise for both of us!

#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction (4)

I thought I had plans today, but as it turns out the family we thought we'd be visiting are running a day late. Therefore, I have a free Saturday! I'm quickly filling it up with errands and chores, and may hit the beach for a while later, so I thought I'd post my #SampleSunday then unplug without a shred of guilt.

I also wanted to share this beautiful ad Harlequin has taken out to promote the 21st Century Gentleman's Club Series. Awesome, right?

PSA: If you've missed any of my excerpts from my summer books, including this new #SampleSunday series for The Ultimate Seduction. Here's a quick round up:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - My June Harlequin Presents. Post links to the previous five.
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - fourth instalment, includes links to previous
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).

And here's what's happened so far in this series:

Tiffany receives her invitation to QVirtus
Ryzard arrives at QVirtus
Tiffany joins the party

Here Ryzard spies her dancing and joins her. I've bolded my shout-out of Maya Blake's Hero from The Ultimate Playboy:

~ * ~

Ryzard could drink with the best of them. He’d spent the older half of his childhood in Munich, had managed vineyards in France and Italy, and had lived in parts of Russia where not finishing a bottle of vodka was a gross insult to the host. He was restless enough to get legless tonight, but so far he’d consumed only enough to become mellow and hungry. The cashmere breeze and the scents of beach and pineapple and roasting pig aroused his appetite—all his appetites. He’d mentally stripped the nearest petite q’s and was considering a pass at one of the female members currently being scouted by every other bachelor here—along with some of the married members.

Not Narciso, aka the Warlock of Wall Street, though. He chatted with his friend long enough to see the man wasn’t just here with his wife, but besotted by her. Lucky bastard. Ryzard countered his envy by reminding himself that love was a double-edged sword. He wouldn’t ruin his friend’s happiness by saying so, but he had once looked forward to marital bliss. Luiza had died before they found it, and the anguish was indescribable. No matter how pleased he was for his friend, he would never risk that toll again.

He’d stick to the less permanent associations one found, enjoyed and left at parties such as this one.

Glass panels had been fitted over the lap pool, turning it into a dance floor that glimmered beams of colored light beneath the bouncing feet. People were having a lively time, keeping the band’s quick salsa beat rapping. The drummer stared off to the left, however, his grin male and captivated.

Ryzard followed the man’s gaze and his entire being crackled to attention.

Well beyond the pool’s light, in a corner mostly blocked by a buffet table and ice sculpture, a woman undulated like a cobra, utterly fascinating in her hypnotic movements timed perfectly with the music. Her splayed hands slid down her body with sexy knowledge, her hips popped in time to the beat, and her feet kick-stepped into motion.

She twirled. The motion lifted her brassy curls like a skirt before she planted her feet wide and swayed her weight between them. The flex of her spine gave way to a roll of her hips, and she was back into motion again.

Setting down his drink, Ryzard beelined toward her. He couldn’t tell if the woman had a partner, but it didn’t matter. He was cutting in.

She was alone, lifting her arms to gather her hair, eyes closed as she felt the music as much as heard it. She arched and stretched—

He caught her around the waist and used the shocked press of her hands at his shoulders to push her into accepting his lead, stepping into her space, then retreating, bringing her with him. As he moved her into a side step, she recovered, matching his move while her gaze pinned to his.

He couldn’t tell what color her eyes were. The light was too low, her feathery mask shadowing her gaze into twin glinting lights, but he reacted to the fixation in them. She was deciding whether to accept him.

A rush of excitement for the challenge ran through him. After a few more quick steps, he swung her into half pivots, catching each of her wrists in turn, one bare, one clad in silk, enjoying the flash of her bare knee through the slit of her skirt.

How had she been overlooked by every man here? She was exquisite.

Lifting her hand over her head, he spun her around then clasped her shoulder blades into his chest. Her buttocks—fine, firm, round globes as if heaven had sent him a valentine—pressed into his lap. Bending her before him, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled, then followed her push to straighten and matched the sway of her hips with his own.

Tiffany’s heart pounded so hard she thought it would escape her chest. One second she’d been slightly drunk, lost in the joy of letting the salsa rhythm control her muscles. Now a stranger was doing it. And doing it well. He pulled her around into a waltz stance that he quickly shifted so they grazed each other’s sides, left, right, left.

She kicked each time, surprised how easily the movements came back to her. It had been years, but this man knew what he was doing, sliding her slowly behind his back, then catching her hand on the other side. He pushed her to back up a step, bringing one of her arms behind his head, the other behind her own. A few backward steps and they were connected by only one hand, arms outstretched, then he spun her back into him, catching her into his chest.

He stopped.

The conga beat pulsed through her as he ran his hands down her sides. Her own flew to cover his knuckles, but she didn’t stop him. It felt too amazing. His fingertips grazed the sides of her breasts, flexed into the taut muscles of her waist and clasped her hips to push them in a hula circle that he followed with his own, his crotch pressed tight to her buttocks.

Sensual pleasure electrified her. No one touched her anymore. After being a genderless automaton for so long, she was a woman again, alive, capable of captivating and enticing a man. She nudged her hips into his, flashing a glance back at him.

He narrowed his eyes and held her in place for one deliberate thrust before he spun her into the dance, their energetic quick steps becoming an excuse to look at each other as he let her move to the farthest reach of his hand on hers.

She had been a bit of a tease in her day, secure in the knowledge everyone knew she was engaged. She’d been able to flirt without consequence, enjoying male attention without feeling threatened by it. This stranger’s undisguised admiration was rain on her desert wasteland of feminine confidence. Climbing her free hand between her breasts to the back of her neck, she thrust out her chest then let the music snake up and down her spine as she flexed her figure for his visual pleasure.

His feral show of teeth encouraged her while his sheer male sexiness called to the woman in her, urging her to keep the notice of such a fine specimen. He might have started out his evening in a tux, but at some point he’d stripped down to the pants and the shirt, which was open at the collar and rolled back to his forearms at the sleeves. The mask he wore was vaguely piratical in its black with gold trim and wings at his temple, but the nose piece bent in a point off the end of his nose, suggesting a bird of prey.

A hunter.

And she was the hunted.

Her heart raced, excited by the prospect of being pursued. She wanted to be wanted.

~ * ~

The Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest is still going strong. Purchase of my erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest (closes August 17th, 2014) then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Also, watch for chances to win autographed copies of The Ultimate Seduction when I start my blog tour mid-July.

In other news, my novella, The Secret In Room 823, is available in the UK. Here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

You can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

For quickest delivery on all my titles, buy from Mills & Boon UK site, eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus as they appear there soonest.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks

Have a great weekend. I'll be back with a #TeaserTuesday, a #Thursday13 and two more excerpts from this book over the next few weeks.

#Thursday13 - Luxury Items From QVirtus

If you've come looking for the next 13 lines from The Secret In Room 823, I'm sorry! I'm not sure how much I can excerpt. I have limits within my contract and I don't want to overshoot them. So I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at the luxury setting that is QVirtus instead. This is the 21st Century Gentlemen's Club where The Ultimate Seduction opens and closes.

I've been posting a lot of excerpts from my August books lately. Be sure to scroll down for links to all of them. I also have a blog tour coming up for this book where I'll be giving away signed copies so please check back for those links.

Want to learn more about this series? Here's a nifty blog post by the iHeartPresents editors about The 21st Century Gentlemen's Club.

Okay, so QVirtus. When I collaborated with Maya Blake and Victoria Parker on this setting, we knew it had to be the place to belong. Coveted. Think James Bond and you'll start to get a sense of the tone we were going for.

Here are some of the obscenely expensive items you'll encounter in the club:

Membership. This is so expensive that Tiffany's father, who owns an extremely successful international architectural firm, cannot afford it. Tiffany, whose husband bequeathed her a stake in his global engineering firm, squeaked in.
Custom masquerade masks. Tiffany has scars from the car crash that killed her groom on her wedding night. No one mapped her face. QVirtus just knows how to cover them. The masks are not only beautiful, but inscribed with member's names, telling them where the next meeting will be held, and contain a chip that provides entry through security when they arrive.
Location, Location, Location. This secretive club meets every quarter in a different location. Maya opens her story in Macau and closes in Venezuela, where my story starts. I end in Zanzibar where Victoria's story opens.
Security. Not only do you have to have a custom mask to get in, but the club then goes on lock down and even cell phones don't work. No taking compromising photos and trying to blackmail someone later!
Concierge To The Max. Mostly women, but a few men, called petite q's, serve the members. They might bring them a drink, or a helicopter, or the plans for the Bellagio safe in Las Vegas. Members can also arrange for service outside of the meetings. My heroine has them set up a special lunch in New York and my hero sends her flowers, anonymously, through QVirtus.
Designer Gadgets. The members are the trend setters and taste-makers of the modern world. In the same way that companies clamor to get their products into Hollywood Swag Bags, top designers send clothing, wearable technology and other high end products hoping the exposure will go viral. Most notably, all members are issued smartwatches that talk to each other, helping members find each other at the club and outside in the real world.
Physical Privacy. Aside from possibly being photographed going into the club--and most members are masked--members can expect complete privacy as they go about their business inside QVirtus. And conduct business they do, in private rooms with sliding doors that only allow one person in a hallway at a time, thus ensuring no one sees who goes into which room or with whom. wink
Personal Privacy. Names are also protected. Everyone has a code name. My hero is Raptor. Tiffany is known as Steel Butterfly.
Private Art Auction. Tiffany is a QVirtus virgin. (And a sexual one, until she meets a sexy stranger!) When Ryzard invites her to 'the art walk' she looks for charicature artists on stools between craft booths. Silly Tiffany! The most exclusive classic art items, whether it be Picasso or Monet or perhaps an up and coming contemporary artist, are auctioned within an appropriately temperature and humidity-controlled room in the basement.
Exclusive Concerts. Okay, this is where the copyeditors hurt my feelings. I know there's a certain expectation that we remain generic, but I took a chance and wrote this exchange.

Tiffany: "That's a really good cover of Santana."

Ryzard: "That is Santana."

I love Santana and it made for a really good detail to pull the reader into the story, but alas, it was changed to "...a really good cover band/that is the band." (yawn)
Private Party With Fireworks! Yep, the meetings all kick off with an ice breaker that features a drink suitable to the location (Rum with lime for my opening.) Then dancing (salsa for S.America) and a display of fireworks on the water. I won't tell you what Ryzard and Tiffany get up to while that happens. Let's just say they have their own private party in a nearby cabana.
Gossip - Of the most expensive kind. Like any hair salon or even the old Enghlish clubs of yore that this one was fashioned upon, half the value in the memberhsip is hearing what's not reported on the news. Here, among workshops on global policy, members might learn of a coup attempt before it happens or a royal's fall from grace being covered up.
Extended Privileges. Members help members. They network, play the country club game of offering a friend a leg up over someone else, and when one is in trouble, they rally to their aid. I won't tell you how that plays out in my book, it's a spoiler, but they do.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek. If you'd like to read any of the excerpts from this or my other summer titles, you'll find them through these links:

#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - third instalment, includes links to previous
Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Post links to the previous five.
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - third instalment, includes links to previous
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).

To celebrate all these hot summer books, I'm running the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest. Purchase of the erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest (closes August 17th, 2014) then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Also, watch for chances to win autographed copies of The Ultimate Seduction when I start my blog tour mid-July.

In other news, my novella, The Secret In Room 823, is available in the UK. Here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

You can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

For quickest delivery on all my titles, buy from Mills & Boon UK site, eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus as they appear there soonest.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo

Hang in there--Friday is almost here! I'll be back on the weekend with the next #SampleSunday for this one so please check back.

#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role (4)

As promised, #TeaserTuesday fans, I have completed my homework (reached 10k on my WIP) so I'm here with my next excerpt.

I also have exciting news: The Dani Collins Erotic Romance Collection is available on the Mills and Boon website!

Below is the fourth excerpt from Mastering Her Role, Book One in this two book the collection.

Regular visitors know I've been posting excerpts from my plethora of summer books. If you're new to my site, you can check out the rest here:

Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - third instalment, includes links to previous
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).

If you missed the first three in this series you can click to read them below. WARNING! Language NSFW:

Opening scene where Arianne asks to meet Dominic
Jason tries to talk her out of it
Jason tells her what to expect Graphic!

Today we move on to Chapter Two where Arianne meets Dominic at a hotel:

~ * ~

On the telephone he had sounded like Jason with a British accent. More or less.

The relationship between the two men was something of a mystery. She’d pressed Celine after the woman said with haughty amusement, I thought he would have introduced you to Dominic by now. But she’d only received a smirk in response.

Arianne wondered how much he’d be like Jason as she stood outside the hotel-room door. Until Jason had yanked her into his arms and spoken so explicitly, she’d only suspected what kind of man lurked beneath his quiet exterior. The idea of giving herself over to someone like that made her breath stutter, urging her to back out of this crazy stunt and retreat down the hall.

It didn’t matter how desperately she wanted Jason. He was a man who enjoyed highly sophisticated sex play. She’d never reach his level. This was—

The door opened.

The man who filled the open frame wore black from silk shirt to snug leather pants tucked into tall, well-worn boots that reminded her of Jason’s. She couldn’t be sure of his identity by looking at his hands or face. He wore leather gloves and a silky kerchief thing, cut with eyeholes. It hid the upper half of his face and hair, like a pirate.

Below the mask was a blond goatee. Jason’s hair was dark as a raven’s wing. This man was about as tall as Jason, but Jason had green eyes, while the ones staring at her were brown.

Stop comparing him to Jason, she scolded herself. He looked like the kind of man who wouldn’t put up with that sort of divided attention.

“Too timid to knock? Come in,” he said in that subtle accent, so crisp with authority. He braced the door with a straight elbow, remaining in the space so she would have to duck beneath his arm and brush his body to get by.

Her purse felt slippery in her grip, and she was pretty sure she was going to faint.

When she hesitated, he said, “Would it help to know I don’t intend to touch you? You wanted to meet me, so we’ll talk.”

She managed to swallow and nod then pressed through the tiny opening, feeling the brush of soft silk against her bare shoulder. She hadn’t known what to wear and settled on this lacy little sundress. It was too virginal, she realized. It screamed of inexperience. Timid. Newbie.

But she was here now, looking around the elegant suite. This was a chic boutique hotel, and he’d booked them into one of the best rooms, a suite on an upper floor. It had a lounge area, a small bar and a door to the left that would be the bathroom. The bed sat on a platform three stairs up, next to the hollow of a three-sided window alcove. Across the foot of the ornate king-size bed draped a fringed, peacock-blue sheet. A footstool, also ornately carved and upholstered in red velvet, stood beside the bed next to a discreet black suitcase.

Wondering what the case might contain made her abdomen tense. She jerked her gaze to the drawn sheers, which over the window that allowed some of the afternoon sun to penetrate, bringing a glow to the polished wood detailing above the empty fireplace. The room was comfortably warm. The air-conditioning, off. No hum. No music, either, just silence as he waited behind her.

She knew she ought to turn to face him, but it was easier to continue studying the room. In one corner stood a screen, black, with an inlay of tile chips. Perhaps it belonged to him, since mosaic nudes in Kama Sutra poses decorated it. Something red hung over the top of it. The rest of the furniture appeared to be hotel issue. Lovely, but not provocative—not like that screen or the suitcase.

“I said I wouldn’t touch you but I have a custom, Arianne. People who play sexual games need signals between them to express readiness to begin and closure at the end. It builds trust. You will kiss me now and again when you leave.”

Was he kidding?

She pivoted slowly, trying to find something reassuring in the cut of his jawline, but he was pure wickedness, lounging so negligently beside the door. She didn’t think she could do it.

“I was under the impression you wanted to reset the boundaries you’ve placed on your sexuality. Have you changed your mind?” His hand was still on the doorknob and he twisted it enough for her to hear the click.

Reasoning that she would have to cross the room to kiss or escape, she did that much on legs that felt numb, not certain until she reached him which option she would choose. Then she was eye level with his lips, their shape a close match to the ones she’d memorized over dinners and drinks.

Brothers, she fleetingly thought, or maybe cousins. At the same time, she was surprised how badly she wanted to kiss him, regardless of who he was. His mouth looked so carnal and masculine. And it was only a kiss. She couldn’t screw that up.

Like taking a leap off the high board, she gathered her courage, held her breath and stepped closer. Lifting slightly in her low sandals, she pressed her lips to his with gentle pressure. His mouth was warm and firm with a faint prickle from the goatee. Closing her eyes as an unexpected shiver of pleasure tickled down her spine, she lingered for an extra second to examine it, then scolded herself for acting so slutty.

She dropped onto her heels.

When she opened her eyes, she saw one corner of his mouth curled up in amusement. “Do I bear a strong resemblance to one of your maiden aunts? Kiss me properly, Arianne.”

Horrified, she looked at his hand on the doorknob, but he released it. The heavy hotel lock clicked into place. He raised his gloved hand to her chin, tilted up her face and lowered his head so his mouth covered hers in a slanting possession.

Hot, damp and thorough. She hadn’t expected that, but oh, when he flicked his tongue into her mouth, it sent a lightning bolt all the way to her center.

He drew back slowly, his gloved fingers caressing her throat. “Hello, Arianne. I’m Dominic. It’s lovely to meet you. Do you speak at all?”

“Of course.” She spoke to the middle of his chest. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Is it? We’ll see. If you don’t kiss me on your way out the way I just kissed you, I’ll know for sure.” He walked past her into the room. “I prefer you to wear what I give you. Try on the red dress behind the screen.”

~ * ~

To celebrate all these hot summer books, I'm running the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest. Purchase of the erotic romance collection, or my August Presents, The Ultimate Seduction, counts as ten entries for one of these fabulous prizes.

Read the rules for the Dani Collins Masked Desires Contest (closes August 17th, 2014) then enter here:

Dani's Masked Desires Rafflecopter Entry Form

Also, watch for chances to win autographed copies of The Ultimate Seduction when I start my blog tour mid-July.

In other news, my novella, The Secret In Room 823, is available in the UK. Here's a little blog post I wrote about my 'stay' in The Chatsfield.

You can pick up The Secret In Room 823 as a stand alone title, or as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2. In North America, preorder it as part of The Chatsfield Boxed Set Vol.2.

For quickest delivery on all my titles, buy from Mills & Boon UK site, eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus as they appear there soonest.

Prefer Amazon? US | Canada | UK | India | Germany | Brazil | Spain | Italy | Japan | Australia 

These other fine retailers have my books too:

Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo

Happy Canada Day! I feel strongly that I should leave my computer and visit the beach today. We might be thought of as The Great White North, but on July 1st, it's pretty freaking awesome here. We're expecting 34 celcius, there's not a cloud to be seen and I understand there will be live music at the community hall. What am I waiting for, right?