Marian Tee's Blog, page 7

MY THOUGHTS ON #FIFTYSHADES (the movie)

So before anything, let me establish a few things:
I loved the book. The series. The characters.I didn't know it started out as a Twilight fan fic when I read the books. When I did find out - it didn't matter. And FYI: I love Twilight, too.I skipped parts of the book. Mainly, when it had to do with BDSM. I wasn't grossed out, I wasn't offended - they just weren't my cup of tea and I found out that even if you did skip them, you could still understand - and love - the story.I watched the movie with 3 others who haven't read the books.When I review something, it's usually positive in general because I prefer to leave it to other people to write the bad stuff. Nothing against them - again, it's just not my thing. I prefer to think of such works as being intended for markets that I'm not a part of.However, for this movie - which I care a lot about - I thought I should also point out what I felt was lacking (as a fan). I like the movie, I really enjoyed it - but I don't love it. I hope to love the sequels, though. 
Now, on to my thoughts.
I've read a couple of reviews which praised Dakota Johnson's acting. I couldn't figure out why from the trailer but after watching the movie - YES. I love her as Ana. She will forever be Ana to me. I feel, because I've read a couple of articles which imply - or state outright - about Jamie Dornan's discomfort over the BDSM aspects of his character, when I watched such scenes, I actually felt - or imagined I felt - his discomfort. I hope he's more intense about it next time.I love seeing Taylor come to life. I had a hard time picturing him with the book, but when I saw the guy who played him in the movie - YOU CHOSE WELL, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS.Kate, Elliot, Jose, Mia...not what I pictured, but it's okay. Not complaining at all.I've read a number of articles detailing how FSOG fans complained about the movie not being sexy enough or not having enough sex scenes in it. And the funny thing is, when I ended up watching - I actually thought there was too much haha. I wanted more story, more romance and less time spent in the Red Room. Here in the Philippines, certain parts of the sex scenes had to be blurred. No mention of this was made at any time when trailers were shown. I don't agree but I don't feel passionately enough about it. I do wish that they made the blurring more natural, though. It made everything feel so...unprofessional. With the book, the emotional aspect of their relationship was evident and it was a gradual process. You'd get why Ana cried and you'd feel sad with and for her. But here in the movie, it was more of an Insta-love thing between the two, which is why I wasn't surprised at all when my boyfriend couldn't understand why Ana suddenly started crying when talking to her mom about Christian. I hope, with the sequel, there'd be more feelings. Of course, if my opinion is of the minority then I also understand if that doesn't happen and there'd even be more sex in the sequels. I LOVE THE ENDING. I usually hate cliffhangers, but I really loved how they did this one. :D And you won't often hear me saying that. 

this round i'm yours (play with me 2) is now live!

It always starts with one little lie, and even two people in love can end up breaking each other's hearts.

Life has changed so much for 19-year-old Lace Wyndham. Once, she was only in love with basketball. Now, it’s become her mistress, with her mind, body and soul belonging completely to the man who taught her about love, sex, and, well, the art of eating humble pie.

25-year-old billionaire Silver March can’t shake off the feeling his bad boy past is catching up on him. With things going so well between him and Lace, he has a nasty premonition of fate setting its eyes on him, determined to make Silver pay for his old sins. And so he does, when the girl who owns him starts lying to him…the same time another man enters the picture.

As Silver helped her inside his posh, sporty black Maserati, he bent down and asked, “Sure you have everything you need?” Ever since she had accidentally left her wallet at his place, Silver had made it his responsibility to ensure Lace’s stuff was complete after spending the night with him.
“Yep.” She flashed him a thumbs up sign even as she tried not to let him notice how fast her heart was beating right now. God, she was so helpless. They had been going out for two months now, and his ridiculously good-looking face still had the power to render her dumbstruck.
When he joined her inside the car and started driving, Lace tried to hide another thing: how sexy she found him when Silver was behind the---
“Stop drooling.”
“I’m not!” Lace gasped, but she checked anyway, touching the corner of her lips. Fortunately, it was dry.
“Ah, but it’s the thought that matters, don’t you think?” Silver drawled.
“Your ego knows no bounds.”
“My ego, your pride,” he countered dryly. “We make a good match.”
“No, we don’t.” But they both knew she was only arguing for argument’s sake.
His lips curved. As he slowed down with the light turning red, he murmured, “I need to be in Montreal tonight.”
Her eyes widened. “But you just came back.”
“I know.” Grim regret lined his voice.
“But you said you wouldn’t be flying out for a week.”
“I just received word a while ago. It’s an emergency. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t speak. And she wouldn’t until she was sure she wouldn’t end up bawling like a stupid little kid.
A moment later, she felt Silver taking hold of her hand on her lap. When she glanced at him, he said softly, “I’m doing my best to delegate. So be patient, mm? I promise, this crazy lifestyle will only be for a few months, and then I won’t be flying out as much.” He paused. “When that happens, I want you to think seriously about moving in with me.”
She was so shocked at the suggestion that she threw her hands up and nearly plastered herself to the door, feeling like distance was much needed to let her think. “Whoa there.”
Silver’s gaze gleamed in amusement. “I love it when you react like a twelve-year-old rapper.”
Lace couldn’t even muster enough anger to snipe at him. She shook her head. “Move in with you?”
His smile cooled. “Why not?”
“But…we’ve just started going out?”
“So?”
She threw her hands up again. “You’re the playboy---”
Color stained Silver’s cheeks. “That’s in the past.”
“Fine, then. You’re the ex-playboy. Isn’t having one woman around you supposed to have you breaking out in a cold sweat?”
“Err, no. I think in this relationship, that’s probably you.”
She couldn’t even make herself deny it.
“Wyndham, look at me.”
She didn’t want to.
“Wyndham.”
Ah, God. How to resist that silvery voice?
It was impossible.
Their eyes met.
“I only said to think about it,” he said gently. “Not kill yourself worrying about it. I’m not going to pressure you to do anything.”
She said in a small voice, “I know. It’s just that…” How was she going to tell Slade and her parents about it? What would the boys think about it? Her friends? What did she think about it?
But…
She could be with Silver every moment possible.
She could sleep with Silver every night, wake up with him beside her every morning. She could spend as much time with him as she wanted, enough maybe to convince him to play basketball because she would so love to be his coach---
Inside her jeans pocket, her phone vibrated, and it was like someone throwing a brick in her glass house.
Everything shattered around her.
If they lived together, it would only be a matter of time before he found out everything about her.Everything.
“We’re here.”
The words jerked Lace out of her thoughts, and when she looked outside her window, she realized they were indeed in front of her school building.
“I’ll call you from Montreal, okay?”
The reminder that he was going away again was twice as depressing now. “Yeah.”
“You can say it, you know.”
She was bemused. “Say what?”
“That you’ll miss me.”
Before she could answer, she heard a telltale click and knew Silver had locked her in. “Really, March?”
His eyes gleamed. “Say it.”
She bit her lip. “Just…hurry back.”

Start reading This Round I'm Yours today.
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ All Romance ~ iTunes
P.S. Can I just say I love, love, love my covers for this series? It's not the usual sexy stuff, but then these books are not my usual stuff either. =D Hope you enjoy them anyway!

PLAY WITH ME IS LIVE!

As an individual book, that is...

19-year-old Lace Wyndham only loves three things in the world: Nike shoes, basketball, and Nike basketball shoes. 
25-year-old bad boy billionaire Silver March only wants Lace in three ways: under him, on top of him, and him inside of her. 
It’s not exactly a match made in heaven, but since he already had his heart stolen, Silver knows he has to play the game. Seduce her, bribe her, manipulate her – he’s willing to do whatever it takes until his stubborn little kitty surrenders to the inevitable. 
It’s his name she’ll be crying out…every night.

For those wondering, this is the same book in the Players Boxed Set (but with a changed blurb). 

If you haven't read it yet, you can download your copy on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and All Romance. It should soon be available on Buqo and Kobo as well. 


Up next for Silver and Lace is This Round I'm Yours! :)

THE ICE AROUND MY HEART IS LIVE!

How Not to be Seduced by Dukes 2: Rathe & Mary's story A young ordinary girl falls for a rich, handsome duke. If this were an ordinary love story, she would have been his bride. Instead, she becomes his mistress. 
In taking the eighteen-year-old Mary Ashton with him to London, Rathe Wellesley - the 5th Duke of Flanders and England’s #1 Heartthrob – knows that his most cherished woman would become the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. 
Even so, Rathe is unable to keep himself away from her. 
Mary used to think she had the power to change the duke’s outlook on love. But when someone starts spreading lies about her, making Rathe and the whole world believe that she’s too young for him--- 
When she looks into Rathe’s eyes now, she fears that no matter what she does, the duke will ultimately choose…to leave her.

You can grab your copy on Amazon and Apple now and hopefully in a day or two on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and All Romance as well. If you have not yet read the other Pussketeer / How Not to be Seduced books, then you might want to check out Eternally Seduced: 6-Book Contemporary Romance Boxed Set. It contains the first 5 books in the series:
How Not to be Seduced by Billionaires: Chased, Courted, Caged
How Not to be Seduced by Rockstars: When Fangirls Lie, When Fangirls Cry
How Not to be Seduced by Dukes
Bonus novella: How Not to Marry a Billionaire)
At the moment, my publisher for this has lowered the boxed set's price to just $.99. Since she owns rights to this, I have no say when this promo starts or ends.
Start reading Eternally Seduced now.
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes

SURPRISE! The release date and excerpt you've been waiting for...

So on this same day - date - thirteen years ago, I got a boyfriend. :D 
(For some reason, that one sentence is more embarrassing to write compared to the steamiest scenes I've written for my books. T_T)
But anyway, it's my thirteenth anniversary now with AT and I'm really, really happy. So happy I want to share my happiness with you guys. I thought about this a long time, and finally I came up with this - how do you feel about an excerpt of Greek 6? 
One of the reasons why I've struggled so long to finish Book 6 for Mairi and Damen is because dealing with Esther Leventis will only take ten or twenty pages max. Too short right? So I struggled, and I struggled, and I struggled...
Until today, when it finally came to me.
How even the happiest couples still have rollercoaster-like relationships because of the new things that happen to them everyday. And that's when I realized what's the next thing in store for Damen & Mairi.
And now, without further ado---
Enjoy this excerpt of Greek 6!

The sound of an alarm clock buzzing drilled into the silence of the room, causing its sole occupant to stir. Petite and dark-haired, she made a small figure on the vast bed, and looking at her, most people would likely think of her as a teenager still.
Even as she woke up slowly, her fingers were already moving, searching for the feel of a familiar hard body that should be next to her in bed. But it wasn’t, and this made her eyes flutter open.
Oh.
She really was alone.
But a note lying against the pillow next to her caught her gaze, and slowly she reached for it.
The masculine handwriting on the note never failed to make her smile, and the thought that her husband, once a self-confessed unbeliever of love, was writing her a note made her lips curve in a wider smile.

Good morning, my love.
I’ve left early for work. Forgive me for not waking you up – I thought you’d need your rest, after last night. I’d apologize for that, too – if it wouldn’t be a lie. If you want the truth, I look forward to making love to you over and over tonight again.
If you want it crass…I’m counting the seconds until I can fuck you into passing out.

 An embarrassed laugh escaped her at the last sentence. Even now, the fact that her extremely sophisticated husband could talk so dirty made her squirm in a mixture of self-consciousness and desire.
Her eyes drifted back to the rest of the note.

 Did that make you wet, sweetheart? I bet it did.
Can’t wait to see you again. Call me when you’re up.
Your husband,
Damen

For several long moments, Mairi could only gaze at the note, her heart bursting with so much happiness that even now it scared her. It was crazy, how it felt like she loved Damen Leventis more and more each day. It just kept growing, deepening, at a terrifying rate – so much so, she couldn’t help ask herself.
Could life truly be this beautiful forever?
As soon as the insidious thought entered her mind, she pushed it away as quickly. Reaching for Damen’s note, she folded it carefully and took it with her as she got up from bed. Padding towards her dressing table in one corner of the room, she pulled the drawer open and placed it inside, together with the other notes from Damen that she lovingly cherished.
Pushing the drawer closed, she headed back to bed and reached for her phone on the table.

Mairi: Good morning. I got your note, but I still miss you.

She hesitated before sending, wondering if it sounded too clingy. Normally, she tried to keep it cool, not wanting to risk making her Greek billionaire feel claustrophobic in their marriage.
Whoever said about married couples with fairy tale weddings living happily ever after had it wrong, Mairi thought. Every day of her marriage was a dream come true, but it was also hard work, the way everything felt like a rollercoaster.
Biting her lip, she decided to clear the entire message and start again.

 Mairi: Good morning. I got your note – thank you. I’m going to keep it, too. I hope you don’t tire yourself too much at work. I look forward to seeing you tonight, too. I love you. Your wife, Mairi Tanner-Leventis

 Sent.
And that was that, Mairi thought.  It wasn’t really what she wanted to say, but none of it was a lie either.
She headed to their huge en-suite bathroom, one that also made headlines when Damen allowed a popular lifestyle magazine to feature their home in exchange of having a percentage of their sales donated to charity. The bathroom was tasteful and decadent at the same time, decorated in shades of black, gold, and purple.
Checking her watch, she opted to take a quick shower rather than a luxurious soak in the Jacuzzi. Today would be the worst time to be late and she didn’t want to take any chances.

When Damen Leventis silently entered the bedroom, he found his young wife standing in front of the windows, a wistful expression on her lovely face. She was towel-drying her hair with one hand, and her slim body was hidden under the folds of a thick bathrobe.
His bathrobe, and the sight of her wearing something of his made Damen’s chest tighten in pleasure. He knew then he was right in coming here.
Across him, his beautiful Mairi remained oblivious of his presence, her dark eyes revealing longing. She was staring at the building across their home. It was the new headquarters of Leventis Enterprises, the place where he worked.
He walked towards her, and by the time she became startlingly aware of his presence, Damen was already behind her, his hand lifting her hair up so he could place a soft kiss on the side of her neck.
“Damen.” A soft whisper, filled with quiet happiness, at the realization that her gorgeous powerful husband was really here, standing behind her.
Wordlessly, he untied her bathrobe and she let him. She blushed from head to toe as the bathrobe fell to the carpeted floor. Even though she knew the glass in front of her was tinted, preventing anyone from the outside to see them, it still felt wicked, standing naked before the windows.
A sigh escaped her as his lips again nuzzled her neck. She melted against him, arching her neck as his arms wrapped around her, one hand cupping her breast, playing with her nipple.
“I love you.”
Damen’s huskily spoken words made her knees weak and she felt so ridiculously shy as she mumbled back, “I l-love you, t-too.”
Damen chuckled at his wife’s adorably shy tone. Pulling away, he let his fingers slowly drift against her naked back, luxuriating in its satiny texture. She gasped, the sound sensuous, making his cock harden.
“Why…” His fingers drifted lower, reaching the small of her back. “…does it feel like you’re even less used to me saying ‘I love you’ now that we’re married, compared when we were just going out?”
She squeezed her eyes shut in mortification. “I don’t know myself.” She felt his fingers curve around the cheeks of her bottom, and again a gasp escaped her, just before his fingers tightened, squeezing. A second later, he had her whirling around to face him.
She tried to cover herself right away. It didn’t feel right, that she was completely naked while he was fully dressed in one of his incredibly elegant business suits. But he didn’t let her, capturing her wrists and forcing them down.
She opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke first.
“I love you.”
Her struggles ceased, her gaze flying to him.
Damen’s handsome face was serious, but his lips were curved just the slightest bit. It was the kind of smile she knew he only reserved for her, a smile where he completely shed his cold ruthless persona as a corporate tycoon and became her Greek love, her Damen.
“I love you, love you, love you, matakia mou.”
Everything inside her crumbled, and she threw herself at him. “I love you!”
Damen caught her readily with a laugh, having already guessed how his wife would react. She was, in many ways, unpredictable but when it came to love ---
He knew her better than anyone else, better even than her aunts. Mairi would always be the girl who dreamt of fairytales, the kind of girl who would never stop wearing rose-colored glasses. And he wanted, needed…loved her that way.
Sweeping her up in his arms, he said, “I’d make love to you right now if I didn’t think I’d make you late. And you don’t want that, do you?”
Tightening her arms around his neck, she shook her head, unable to speak because she was just so in love with him. When he lowered Mairi to her feet, she saw that he had taken her into their walk-in closet.
Taking a seat on the ottoman, she watched him with reddening cheeks as he rummaged her drawer for lingerie. “Y-you’re dressing me?”
Damen nodded. Not looking at her, busy perusing her clothes, he murmured, “I thought if I dressed you up, you’d have more confidence to go to work later.” He pulled out the dress he thought best fit his wife. Glancing back at her, he asked with a raised eyebrow, “Am I not right, matakia mou?”
God, he was so beautiful when he looked at her like that. It rendered her speechless, making Mairi able to only nod. Yes. You. Totally. Right.
When he returned to her side, she allowed him to dress her like a doll, her breath catching as his lips curved in a wicked smile when she leant to him as he slowly ran her panties up her thighs.
“Pervert!” She glared down at him even as she could feel her body weakening with desire for him.
Damen was on his knees, placing him on eye-level with her belly. He grinned up at her in response, just before moving forward and nipping her silk-covered clit.
Her knees buckled, and she had to clutch his shoulders. “Damen,” she pleaded, looking down at her husband. She mumbled, “I don’t want to go to work with wet underwear.”
He sobered. “I’ll behave. I wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re wet for another man either.”
In minutes, he had her dressed in a semi-tight V-necked peasant blouse, a dark blue box pleated skirt and two-inch Mary Janes. The combination made Mairi snap her head towards him in surprise. “Really?”
“Trust me. This will make sure your students will listen to you.” It was true, but Mairi didn’t know it was because her innocent look right now would make anyone who dared disrespect her feel like the world’s worst bully.
She nodded, knowing that her husband would always have her best interests at heart. “Thank you.”
A smile had lit up her face, making her look so hot and pretty it was all he could do not to haul her towards him and kiss her. Only the thought that he would end up leaving her with kiss-swollen lips stopped him. No way in fuck would he allow her to look like a sex goddess in front of testosterone-influenced college boys.
He held out a hand. “Shall we go?”
Taking it, Mairi smiled up at him in surprised pleasure. “You’re going to drive me to work?”
“Of course.”
Inside the car, she asked, “Why did you come back?”
“Because your text was weird.”
She gaped. “It was?”
Maneuvering the car for a U-turn, he slanted a look towards his wife. “You keep forgetting, matakia mou. I know you. I know when you’re hiding something from me.”
Five minutes later, they arrived at her workplace – Christopoulos University. As he slowed the car down to a stop, he muttered darkly, “You’ll be the hottest English teacher they’ll ever set their sights on.”
She shook her head. “You’re exaggerating.” She hesitated then impulsively leaned towards Damen, placing a surprising kiss on his mouth. “Thank you for driving me to work.” She flashed him a thumbs-up sign. “Made my confidence level 100x higher.”
He chuckled. “A hundred times?”
She nodded. “Seriously.”
He got out of the car then, and by now Mairi knew him well enough to wait, knowing Damen preferred to open the door for her. As he helped her out, she said once more, “Thank you again.”
“I’ll fetch you later, too.” A grin tugged at his lips at the way she beamed at his words, like she had just won the lottery.
She fluttered her fingers. “I’m going now.” But as she started to turn around, fingers wrapped around her wrist and then she was being spun back to face her husband. “Damen?”
He raised a brow. “What did you really want to tell me a while ago?”
She blushed but acquiesced, saying shyly, “I just wanted to say I missed you. When I woke up and saw you weren’t there, I really missed you. When I had to shower alone, I missed you even more. And right now…I’m already missing you, knowing I have to spend a whole day away from you.”
Silence fell after she spoke, both of them looking at each other.
His lips finally curved, and her own lips curved, too, their tiny soft smiles saying the rest of what was in their hearts.
“I’m already missing you as well, Mrs. Leventis.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
He touched her cheek. “Good luck on your first day at work. Remember – you got this. No need to be nervous.”
She blossomed at the words, feeling like she was being so spoiled at the way Damen took the time to comfort her, no matter how frivolous her worries were. “Thank you.”
Damen took a step back. “Until later, matakia mou.” For a fraction of a second, his austerely handsome face softened. “I love you.”
Oooooooh. Her knees threatened to buckle. “I love you very much, too, Damen Leventis.”
His wife mumbled the words so feelingly it had him grinning even as he turned and walked back to the car. Mairi, too, was smiling, a dreamy expression on her face as she walked towards the opposite direction.
A small distance away, a fourth-year student stopped in his tracks, the sight of Mairi catching him unaware. His attraction to her was instant. Powerful.
Whoever that woman was – he would have her.    

Do you see where this is going? 
*evil laugh* 
But anyway, Book 6 is going to be so fun!
Now, for more important details:
The Art of Kissing a Greek Billionaire (Book 6) will be released as FREE RIGHT AWAY ON BARNES & NOBLE, KOBO, ALL ROMANCE, BUQO AND ITUNES. It will not be released as free right away on Amazon because Amazon doesn't allow that. It will be released as $.99 and we will wait for Amazon to price-match the other stores until it's free.To compensate for Amazon readers not able to download the book right away, I will also include the link to download the book direct from my website in my newsletter. So if you have not subscribed yet, you can do so NOW.My Schedule WITH CONFIRMED RELEASE DATES!THE ICE AROUND MY HEART - JANUARY 24THIS ROUND I'M YOURS (Silver & Lace, Book 2)- JANUARY 29THE ART OF KISSING A GREEK BILLIONAIRE - FEBRUARY 7Next batch of release dates to be provided at the end of the month. :)
P.S. I will be away from home celebrating my anniversary, but while on vacation I'll be working on Off Guard and The Morteia Chronicles. Please like my Facebook page - if you haven't yet - so you can be updated the moment I've uploaded the newest chapters. 

Yesterday I received this...

---and I just wanted to share it with you guys.
Most of you should know by now that the reason why I write about Deaf culture (as often as I can get away with it in fact) is because I have a cousin who's Deaf. Every time we get to spend time with him (he lives hours away so we only get to see each other during weekends), I feel like I learn something new about life. 
I'm really hoping that through my books more people would realize how they're not at all different from us. They just happen to communicate differently, is all. I'm also hoping more people would be encouraged to try learning how to sign - it's very, very fun! And lastly, I'm hoping that my books would be a source of entertainment for Deaf readers themselves. 
That's why this letter made my day. I'm so glad I got to make at least one of them happy. 
Oh, and one last thing: in case I haven't said it enough, THANK YOU for reading my books. Thank you for indulging my need to share about Deaf culture through my work. Thank you for letting me share my wildest and most unrealistic dreams about romance with you guys.
I hope to do more of it this 2015!

PLAY WITH ME IS LIVE VIA PLAYERS: A SPORTS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY

Before I work on my New Year post, let me just mention that PLAYERS: A SPORTS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY is finally out and I'm hoping you guys can check it out! This bundle has eight stories in all - mine, Liliana Rhodes and Malia Mallory's are all debuting with this bundle. And yes, that means you can only read our story through this boxed set. It's still on sale for just $.99 but that won't be for long! Other works in the bundle are those by bestselling author Mina V. Esguerra and Laney Castro, Suzette de Borja, Bianca Mori, and Camilla Sisco.

Here's the blurb for my bundle story PLAY WITH ME----

THIS IS NO ORDINARY LOVE TRIANGLE.
Him: 25-year-old Silver March. Ex-bad-boy turned perfect boyfriend material because he had his heart stolen by…
Her: 19-year-old Lace Wyndham. A foul-mouthed tomboyish girl who owned more Nikes than most men. More than anything in the world, she loved…
Basketball: The third party.
Silver’s first order for the day: to make Lace realize he was a man, she was a woman, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t ever marry a damn sport.

And in case you missed my newsletter about it, here's an excerpt---

“Tell me what’s happened to you since the last time we met.” Murmured words that were both coaxing and commanding.
This time, she was too tired to argue, too tired to pretend she didn’t ache to follow him. “I transferred schools with the help of some really nice friends. When I was accepted here, I applied for the position of team manager. I was interviewed on the phone by the former team captain, then I met with Derek Christopoulos, one of the board members. He interviewed me, too, and in a nutshell, he made me the unofficial coach of the team.”
Silver’s brow shot up. “An unofficial coach?” His eyes narrowed, and his tone became cool when he said, “You must have made a great impression on the man.”
She blinked. “Are you…jealous?”
“If I am?” His voice had become even cooler.
She thought about it before saying finally, “That would be…problematic.” And that was an understatement.
“If it is, let it be my problem.”
Seeing he wasn’t going to budge, Lace quickly reverted to their earlier subject. “It’s not a permanent position. There’s a non-league tournament about to start, and he told me if I can get the team to make it to the finals, he’ll make the position official.”
“And what did you say?”
Her lips twitched. “You don’t want to know.”
“Tell me.”
“I told him I’ll do one better. I promised to make his team the tournament champion.” His bark of laughter made Lace swallow. She was happy that she got him to laugh, but she wasn’t so happy about how good his laugh sounded to her ears. Damn, damn, damn, this was so dangerous.
“Why did I even ask,” Silver was murmuring, a smile still playing on his lips. “That answer was 100% Lace Wyndham.”
“I have a feeling there’s an insult in there somewhere,” she muttered.
“How are you getting along with your team?” More and more, Silver March was proving to be the master at sidestepping conversations that wasn’t in his advantage to continue.
His words had her grimacing and wishing she could be as good as him at evading questions. She said reluctantly, “It’s okay.”
“You’re lying.”
“You don’t have to sound so happy about it.”
He gave her a look of sham sympathy. “That bad, huh?”
“Shut up.” A second later, and she couldn’t help confiding in him unhappily, “Yeah. It sucks balls---” When a choking laugh escaped Silver, she corrected herself, “I mean, it’s, err, super bad?”
“Ah.”
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like they were rude to me or whatever. If anything, they’re actually the most well-mannered team of players I’ve ever handled.” She glared up at him.
Silver didn’t even blink. “Let me guess.” His tone was dry. “They reminded you of me?”
“Too. Irritatingly. Perfect.”
“Only you would think that’s a crime.”
Slowly, she pushed herself up. Silver didn’t stop her, which made her grateful and uneasy at the same time. Why did he seem to know her so well? How could it be that he knew when to push and when to just let her be?
Her nose had stopped bleeding, allowing Lace to look down on the floor. Tucking her legs under her, she confessed, “They make me feel inadequate. They’re all amazing players, and I just don’t know how to approach them. They’re so different from all the other players I’ve handled---”
“Wyndham.”
The interruption had her looking at him.
“Remember how you were missing the hoop all the time a while ago?”
She nodded.
“Was it because you suddenly lost your feel for the ball?”
She shook her head.
“Maybe the balls they use here aren’t what you’re used to playing with?”
No. It hadn’t been that either.
“Is it the place? It doesn’t feel like it’s your home court yet?”
No.
“Then what is it?”
She said slowly, “It was me.” She remembered his words, his gentle reminder about the times when she forgot her own strength. “Oh.”
His eyes gleamed. “You get it now?”
She swallowed. “Yeah.” She did. Because of this beautiful, all-knowing man beside her, she understood.
“And your team now?” he asked quietly. “Are they really that different from the other teams you handled?”
Oh.
She whispered, “I was the one who was different.” She used to be fearless and excited every time she came across an opportunity to coach, but then life got in the way, and she would have bungled the most important break in her life if not for Silver.
Before she could thank him, she felt Silver taking her hand, pulling her up. “Let me walk you back to your place.”
She couldn’t even think of saying no, couldn’t even pull away when he helped her pack her stuff, holding her bag with one hand then clasping her hand with the other. It was a quiet walk back home, which was exactly how she liked it. This time, she was no longer surprised that Silver seemed to understand what she needed.
Silver March could see the future. That was that.
As they walked, she started planning and strategizing, and the way excitement filled her heart about going to practice made Lace grin like a fool. God, she had missed this feeling – of being unable to sleep because basketball was all she could think about.
When Silver stopped, she looked up and realized that they had already reached her room. The hallway was dark and empty, and its intimate atmosphere made her nervous all of a sudden.
“Wyndham.”
She almost didn’t want to look up, but she also knew ignoring him was pointless. Silver was just the kind who would persist until he had his way.
A smile once again played on his lips when their eyes met, and Lace had to remind herself very strongly that she was not the type to swoon over a guy’s smile.
“Open your door.” Another command that she shouldn’t follow but did so anyway. When her door was unlocked, he was the one to push it open. He stepped back, letting her precede him. He followed her right after, closing the door behind him.
Her room seemed to magically shrink in size and turn into a living oven at his presence. God, he was so hot---no, no, she meant, the room. The room was so hot.
For a long moment, they only stared at each other, their bodies so close but not quite touching.
“My reward.”
Her eyes widened the same time he placed a finger on her lips.
And then---
“Suck it.”
Oh God.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-thuuuuuuuuuuuuump. She had learned about the term from reading the manga or Japanese graphic novels that her best friend liked to draw. She used to think it was an exaggerated sound effect used, but now she knew it was true. It was real. It was the exact sound her heart was currently making, the way it tried so hard to smash its way out of her chest.
Slowly, she opened her mouth, and a moment later, her lips closed over his finger. Lace watched him watch her as she started sucking his finger. She had never done something like this, but somehow she liked it. Found it arousing, embarrassingly so.
The way his nostrils flared with desire made her body ache, the way only Silver could make her ache. And oh, the way his gaze devoured her made Lace want to be devoured. He only had to say the word---
“Little lamb, enough.” His voice was strained, suppressed need etched on his too-beautiful face.
She almost didn’t want to let go, but she was too shy to protest. Her lips parted, the feel of loss keen when his finger left her mouth. He was breathing hard while Lace tried her best to catch hers.
When he moved towards her, she stiffened, but all Silver did was take her hand, lift it up---
Oh.
Before she knew it, her left index finger was inside his mouth, and he was sucking it. Sucked it so good she couldn’t help but press her legs together in hopes of stemming the wetness that threatened to gush out of her.
He nipped her finger one last time, releasing her finger but keeping her wrist captive. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” The words were out before she knew what she was going to say. Mortification flamed her, but even so, Lace lifted her chin defiantly. “You’ve told me the same thing before---”
“The time we spent apart was for your sake.” His smile became self-mocking. “And if it was up to my conscience, I would have waited some more. You’re too young for me, too inexperienced---”
“You sound like you’re breaking up with me when we’re not even dating,” she gritted out. But she knew her anger was merely a disguise, the only way to keep herself from remembering the pain of the nights that followed the wedding. Those times she had checked her phone endlessly, unable to admit to herself that she was hoping he would call or text her.
“We’re not dating,” he agreed. “Yet.”

Want to start reading now? 
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Other stories in the bundle:
Playing Games by Liliana Rhodes: Curvy Cassie Monroe moves to Canyon Cove with only one thing in mind--finding a job. But after a close encounter with a sexy MMA fighter in the locker room, maybe she’ll find love too. 
  
Strike to the Heart by Malia Mallory: Tennis star Jo meets MMA fighter Zane at a US Open party, not knowing who he is. Throwing her usual caution to the wind, Jo allows herself one hot night with a stranger… 
  
The Harder We Fall by Mina V. Esguerra: A fast fling is all what media student Daria and rugby player Nicholas have time for. Wanting different things from life means they don’t get to stay together, but it doesn’t mean they can’t have fun – as long as they don’t fall hard. 

Between Heats by Laney Castro: Madison never expected for all-American swimming champ Aaron to try getting her fired on her first day. But Madison’s not the type to back down from a challenge, and Aaron has a hard time pretending he’s not attracted to the aspiring model. 

The Princess Finds Her Match by Suzette de Borja: When their affair becomes tabloid headlines, proper Princess Lexie and sexy polo player Nic are forced into a pretend relationship and things get awfully complicated from there. 

Tame the Kitten by Bianca Mori: Kit Torres' near-collision with a speeding biker sets off a chain reaction that's a bigger rush than anything she's ever experienced before. 

Submission Moves by Camilla Sisco: MMA fighter Nick Rossi has never had to work hard for a woman before until a snarky feminist with a huge chip on her shoulder came along. But despite one hot night together, Rose spurns Nick at every turn. Nick may be undefeated in the cage but, in a battle of wills, he will find that Rose can more than hold her own. 
  
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HAPPY NEW YEAR...PLUS WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR 2015?

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my book/s. I really hope you enjoyed it and that it got you wanting more. Like I always say: as long as you guys keep reading, I'll keep writing. :)
I STILL feel new at this, being an author-slash-publisher I mean, so forgive me if there are things which I should / shouldn't be doing but I end up not doing / doing. 
This 2015, I'm hoping that I can wrap up pending series and start new ones. Definitely, though, I won't start any new series until I have the following books out:
The Ice Around My Heart (#1 in my priority list)Greek 6 (#2 in my priority list)
And in no particular order---
Unclaimed (The Master and His Soul Seer Pet)Alessandro Moretti's Secret: My Werewolf Professor 2The Heart of a DuchessThis Round I'm Yours (Play With Me 2, Silver & Lace's story)The Rockstar I Never New (Dylan & Bree, Book 2)Yuri's storyAndreus' storyWhen I MoanDrawn 2The Zombie Who Loved Me 2Reid's story (BBF series)Mandy's story (Greek Billionaire spinoff)Nathan's story (BBF series)Drake & Paige's story (How Not to Be Seduced spinoff)Nik & Daria's story (How Not to Be Seduced spinoff)Ioniko's storyStavros' storyLysander & Estrella's story (Moretti novel)
I WILL DEFINITELY UPDATE OFF GUARD & THE MORTEIA CHRONICLES AND THEY WILL STILL REMAIN FREE. THEY WILL ALWAYS BE FREE. 

Anyway, titles listed above are - so far - the ones I'm sure about for 2015. Anything else you guys want to add?

in case you didn't know...kellion is out now!

I'm so excited to share this book with you. I really don't think I'm biased when I say that Kellion Argyros, Afxisi's VP, and Aria Redfield make one of my cuuuuuuuuuutest couples EVER. I had loads and loads of fun writing their book, so much so that I'm really thinking of writing Book 2. But don't worry, Book 1 is a STANDALONE and absolutely no cliffhanger endings. It's also longer than my usual, over 200 pages by my estimate.
Another reason why I love this book is because I get to write about Deaf culture. That's right - you have to spell it with a capital D and I feel so bad I only got to know about that recently. Like I mentioned before, the reason why I feel so strongly about Deaf people is because I have a cousin who's also Deaf and I just really wish I could sign more fluently so I can communicate more effectively with him. I'm trying to self-study as much as I can, but it's hard since I've a lot of work, too.
Thirdly, there are several familiar faces from an old book of mine that will show up in the book. I hope you've noticed. And what happened to one of them will be a HUGE shock to many of you. HUGE! His name is Kellion. Beautiful. Wicked. Dashing. Alive. That’s what attracted me the most about him – that he’s so full of life, it makes me feel like I’m not dead inside. 
I thought he was just like all the other bikers of the Afxisi, America’s most popular and exclusive underground racing club. Someone too rich, too gorgeous for his own good, someone too full of himself to be human. 
But then I saw a secret side of him. Realized that he had just been pretending all along. Realized that he needed me, and that broken part of him drew me in, like a moth to a flame. 
Now, I want to be the one to make him smile. Really smile, and not like all those fake smiles he used to make the girls around him fall in love. 
I want to make him think of me, just me. I want to belong to him, just him. But most of all, I want him to know I love him. Not the biker, not the billionaire’s son, not the hot guy. But him. Kellion. 
Even if his smile tells me he’ll end up tearing me apart, I need him to know he’s not alone. I’m his to love or destroy. Whatever he wants – I’m his. an excerpt of kellion “Wow.” Professor Edison had an amazed look on his face when he saw what I was working on.
I scribbled on my board. GOOD WOW? BAD WOW?
“What-happened-to-you-wow,” was the prompt reply. Witty, my art professor was, and according to him, it was all because he was gay.
I looked down on my current work-in-progress. It didn’t seem any different from my past works.
Mmm…maybe because I had used a different style today? Lettering was my passion, and I tended to gravitate towards casual-styled fonts. But this time, I had gone for the old school look, mixing elegant swirls and aristocratic curves as I aimed for Old English calligraphy with a twist.
Professor Edison clucked his tongue above me. “You don’t get it, do you?” He took my drawing pad and flipped to the previous page. “What did you write?”
I frowned.
Start tomorrow right with a good day’s work today. 
I had written the words entirely in uppercase and using only block letters.
“And what did you write before that?”
I flipped back another page. This time, I had create a heart-shaped variant of a word cloud.
Every person’s destiny starts with the choice to believe in one’s dream.
My frown deepened as I scribbled on my board. I DON’T GET IT.
“Go back to today’s WIP.”
I did as asked. My eyes widened.
He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me! 
And to make matters worse, I had used hearts rather than tiny plain circles for my exclamation marks.
Yuck.
This was what I got, for tossing and turning the whole time last night, replaying the way we kissed and touched in the cafeteria over and over in my mind.
When I tried to tear out my current page, Professor Edison burst into laughter. “Don’t you dare!”
I made a face. It was so yucky. I had to get rid of it.
“Seriously, don’t. The message may be too prosaic for you---”
I shook my head and wrote on my board. PROSAIC = NICE WORD FOR YUCK.
“Possibly. But I’m the teacher so you’re supposed to do what I say. So finish that and don’t throw it away. I’m going to include it in the exhibit.”
As my art professor turned to leave, I lowered my head to the desk.
*Head desk*
My life was over.
Beside me, KC peeked at my work. “Oh. Wow.”
Eyes still closed, I just fumbled for my phone and typed. IT’S GROSS. 
“I think it’s sweet.”
I typed again. You’re sweet. This is gross.
“I take it things are going well between you and Kellion Argyros?”
I shrugged.
“Details please?” KC was practically begging.
With a sigh, I opened my eyes and started typing. I just want to make him smile. 
KC inched her chair away from me.
I frowned.
And then she said, “That is so sweet.” She laughingly inched her chair further away right after, knowing her words would tempt me to shake some sanity into her.
I was not sweet. Ridiculous. I was just being properly…grateful, on behalf of the people he had helped in his life. I was sure they were many.
“You know,” KC began, making me glance her way. “I think I know what you have to do…” She paused then took her phone and started typing.
 
KC: Draw a photo of him---
Me: Yuck.
KC: ---naked.
Me: That is your forte, not mine.
KC: Haha. I know. Wait, I got it. Tell him he’s the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen in your life.
 
I nearly gagged. Looking at KC, I drew an imaginary line across my throat. I’d rather kill myself than say that.
Her eyes lit up. “Oh my God, I know – I really mean it this time.” She typed the words.
 
KC: Be grumpy.
Me: YOU ARE NO HELP. GRR.
 
KC laughed. “See? You’re already making me laugh.”
The bell rang, saving her from being killed and saving me from being sentenced for murdering my seatmate. When we came out of our classroom, the first thing I saw was…him.
He wore a simple black shirt and jeans, but somehow, he still managed to look like a fashion model in them. Seeing me, he immediately crossed the distance between us. “You’re scowling,” were his first words.
Before I could tell him why, he grinned and said, “This is going to sound strange, baby, but I like seeing you scowl. Major turn on.” He bent down and placed a brief, toe-curling kiss on my lips as if to emphasize his point.
When he lifted his head, I saw KC laughing silently behind him. Told you, she mouthed before walking away.
Kellion turned around to see who I was looking at. “Your friend?”
I nodded.
“You actually have a friend?”
I wrinkled my nose. Ha-ha.
He kissed my nose.
Gaaaaah.
He always, always took me by surprise.
Kellion took my hand, and I almost tried pulling away before I reminded myself that it wasn’t like that between us anymore. Sort of. As we started walking, Kellion asked, “Did something bad happen in class?”
I shook my head, typed on my phone, and showed it to him.
 
Me: She told me the way to make you smile is to be my usual grumpy self.
 
Kellion said cheerfully, “That’s true.”
I glared at him while typing my answer.
 
Me: That can’t be true because I am NOT grumpy.
 
“All right, whatever you say, baby.”
Hmph. His face showed how much difficulty he was having, keeping a smile off his lips.
“If you really want to make me smile…”
I looked up.
He said softly, “Just be happy.”
This time, I gagged. Yuck. Available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance, Kobo, and soon on iTunes and Buqo!

last sneak peek of play with me: silver and lace's story

“Hey, March.”

“Wyndham.” They fist-bumped each other the moment Lace reached him. It was their fifth practice together, and by now he was used to the way Lace did things. She was the least self-aware person he had ever met, the least coy. The way she looked at other men, the way she spoke, the way she acted – it was as if she really did consider herself of the same gender as men.

If only the other men in the room thought the same, then maybe Silver would feel a bit more at ease. But at this rate, he felt like he had to be on his guard all the time, needing to protect his unsuspecting lamb from the wolves circling around her.

There were twenty groomsmen, including him. Half of the group were from the same high school as Liam and Lace, and they all treated Lace like a kid sister. The other half were Liam’s college friends – and they all looked like they want to have a kid with her. Assholes.

Evangeline Lace Wyndham was his.

Tonight, Lace herself would know that, too.

Fifteen minutes later, and the music started to play. He and Lace assumed their positions, her hand on his shoulder, his hand on her waist. In the previous practices, they had only danced the first sequences, none of it requiring them to close the distance between their bodies.

But tonight –

Tonight, it was all about swirls and dips, about their bodies touching, and Silver intended to fully take advantage of it. As they danced next to each other, holding hands while facing the stage, Silver asked her about basketball, knowing it would help her relax and lower her guard.

“Yeah, I watched the last game, and it sucks that the Bulls lost.” She squared her shoulders. “But like I always say, the game’s not over until it’s over. They still have a chance to make it to the next round.”

The way she was always full of hope and optimism fascinated him. She was snarky most of the time, but when it came to basketball, she’d turn into a fount of positive quotes in a blink.

“It’s really too bad you never played when you were in college,” Lace was saying, and he had to smother a laugh when he caught her stealing a look at him and started muttering to herself about his height and his damn wingspan. Wingspan. Most women would have seized the chance to inject innuendo into the conversation, to talk about the length and girth of his cock. But his sweet snarky lamb?

“…bet your vertical jump would be off the scales.” A gleeful evil smile curved on her lips. “If I had you on my team, I’d be making the others piss in their pants because I’ve got another pretty boy with brains.”

Silver had to take a deep breath so he wouldn’t be tempted to haul her into his arms.

When the tempo of the music sped up, Silver almost hesitated. They were having such a good time that he was reluctant to ruin it

But then he saw one of the groomsmen staring at Lace, another wolf on the hunt.

Ah, fuck it.

Jealousy ignited, and Silver tightened his grip on her waist. It made Lace look up, and when she did, he smiled at her. Fair warning, his smile said.

Her eyes widened, and Silver knew that she had the tiniest inkling of what his smile was warning her about. She started to pull away from him, but by then it was too late.

In all honesty, it had been too late for her the first time they met.

He wanted her, and he would have her.

Silver pulled her close, using his strength without hurting her. Their bodies touched as he swirled them around. Just a few moments of their bodies coming into full contact. Her breasts pressing against his chest. Her belly against his cock. A few moments, too fast for the other couples to notice, but for them, it was an eternity.

Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock, her body freezing.

She almost stumbled, but he didn’t let it stop them, managing to catch her although he wasn’t able to prevent her sharp stiletto from trying to crush his toe.

Capturing her gaze, he didn’t let her look away, didn’t allow her any chance to deny the truth. With every swirl and dip, he let her feel it. The way his cock hardened more and more with each brush. His deep, burning urge to possess her. And most of all, he wanted her to know that she wanted him, too.

She didn’t surrender right away, his beautiful girl. She tried pushing him away, tried to cripple him, but every time she did, he retaliated by pulling her closer, angling her body so his cock would throb right between her folds. It had Lace biting her lip very hard, which of course made him want to bite her beautiful lip, too. It was clear in her bright blue eyes she was confused by the way her body was betraying her.

Silver badly wanted to teach her what it all meant, then and there, but he knew it was still too early.

His rebellious lamb had to be wooed very gently and carefully. If he was too aggressive, he would risk having her run away, and he didn’t want that.

When the music ended, Lace was wide-eyed and trembling, but her chin was up and her stance defensive. Little rebellious lamb was not going down without a fight. And hell if that didn’t make her hotter in his eyes, didn’t make him imagine how wild she would be in bed when all her passion was focused on pleasing him.

“Thank you for a wonderful dance, Wyndham.” He had a hard time struggling to keep a straight face at the way his words threw her off. She had expected him to come on strong, but now, when he wasn’t saying or doing anything to confirm it, she was starting to doubt everything, wondering if she had imagined it all.

If she did end up thinking it had been all her imagination, Silver didn’t mind. What mattered was that she now knew what she felt about him.

She wanted him.

Now, it was only a matter of waiting for the right time and place for him to make his next move.